The Sun.
London, England, 1837-11-21 00:00:00

restless desire of change, and ridicule is thrown upon the idea
of a reform of the Reform Act. Sir, to that I answer,
that a people never asks for change through the
mere desire of change—( Hear, hear, hear)—but because
they find their situation uneasy.—( Oh, oh, from the Tory
Benches.) A people, I say, never ask for change eagerly and
earnestly unless they find their situation intolerable.—(Cheers
from the Liberal benches.) And as to the ridicule thrOwn
upon the Reform of the Reform Act, I say that the people are
as determined to have that Reform as they were determined to
have the Reform Bill itself. They succeeded in that, why
should they fail now ?—( Here the Hon. Member paused for a
few seconds, which gave rise to ironical cheers from the Tory
benches, amongst which the voice of Col. Sibthorp was re-
markable.) Sir (continued the Hon. Member), lam neither
surprised or disturbed by the ironical cheers of Hon. Gentle-
men opposite.--( Hear, hear.) I believe, Sir, that the popular
party nowhere in England has now any hope of popular mea-
sures
from the present Government ; and if their wishes are
treated with indifference by the Noble Lord and his col-
leagues, what can be expected from the Noble Lord by the
people of a country who have less claim upon his attention
and less power to enforce their claim ?—( Hear.) The debate
of last night has rendered imperative on me the introduction
of the subject to which I am about to advert, and I regret that
it should have fallen into my hands. That subject is the state
of Lower Canada.—(Loud cries of Oh, oh 1 answered by
partial cheers.) Sir, it is not that country alone that is inte-
rested in this subject ; but I wish to show the House that
resistance on the part of the Government to the just wishes
of the people can drive a quiet, moral, and peaceable people
almost into open revolt. I trust that the example will not
be lost upon her Majesty's Government.—( Hear, hear, from
several of the Irish Members.) My Hon. and Learned Friend,
who was so long the able, honest, and eloquent advocate of the
rights of Lower Canada, is no longer in this House.—( A laugh
from the Tories.) I deeply feel his loss, and the loss which the
Liberal party, not only in Canada, but throughout the empire,
sustains in his absence from the House. In undertaking to
introduce this subject, I do not attempt to fill his place, but
simply to bring the condition of the people of Lower Canada
before the consideration of the House—a subject which has
been frequently brought forward with unrivalled energy and
eloquence by my Hon. Friend who is now absent. Allusion
has been made in the Speech from the Throne to
the subject of Canada—( Hear, hear,)—and the Noble Lord
(Lord John Russell) has been pleased to tell us that conciliatory
measures will be proposed ; but what conciliatory measures may
Canada expect from that leader of this House who positively
tolls us that he will resist to the utmost the wishes of the peo-
ple of this country, that he will not give here the redress
which the people of Canada demand in reforming their
representation.—(Great Cheering, and cries of " Oh,
oh !")—That is the demand of the people of this country, and
nowhere more than in the counties.—("Oh!" from Tories.)—
Yes, and lion. Gentlemen opposite will be told that by the
almost unanimous voice of the counties themselves.—( Vehe-
ment cries of " No, no.") The resolutions of last session were
said to be conciliatory, and we must suppose that the con-
ciliatory measures of this session will be of the same character.
If the Noble Lord who preposed these resolutions ever had a
hope of their having any gond effect, he must have been
much disappointed—le must now feel that his estimate of
Canadian endurance was sadly erroneous. The resolutions
were received in Canada as they deserved to be—
with indignation and bitter animosity. The House
of Assembly had asserted their just rights, and had
declared that they looked upon the Resolutions as unconstitu-
tional and tyrannical. The people of Canada having lost all
hopes of obtaining justice from England, now declared that
their only hope was in separation from the mother country.
The NoGlo Lord perhaps thought that the Canadian people,
being a quiet and peaceable race, would take the insult quietly;
but he must now he cured of that false opinion. When these
Resolutions were under consideration, the Noble Lord ( Stan-
ley) had taunted the Government that though they showed
their teeth they were afraid to bite ; and that taunt hal not
been without its baneful effect, for there had since then been
much persecution on the part of the Government. Meny
meetings bad been held in Canada, at which the Resolutions
were much condemned. Many of those who attended were
deprived of their Commissions of the Peace. Some bad been
prosecuted : one in particular had indictments preferred
against him More the Grand Jury, who ignored them ;
hut the Attorney-G slier d for Canada, not satisli sd with
the conduct and finding of the Grand Jury, caused an ex
infermation to issue against the same individual.
That was one of the most tyrannical and vexatious proceed-
ings, end at the same time the most imprudent proceeding that
could be had recourse to. The Canadians were, at the pre-
sent moment, in a state almost of revolt. That the House
might
_see that he was not a all exaggerating the unhappy
state of that c aery, he would' read two or three
extrac.s from docume.-na lie had in his possess on.—( Hoar )
They ha i been told in the last Parliament, that the question
in Cana la was between the English and the French Cana-
dians, and had nothing to do with the discussion of popular
rights. Is order to show that that %tea not the case, and
that the English and Americans in Upper Canada feel for
time Lower Canadians, and would act with them.—
Ile would read the proceeding that had taken place in
Lanark, in Upper Canada, where the people went about
armed, in order to protect themselves. At that meeting
it was resolved that the resolutions of the Noble Lord were
unjust, and they were deeomieated the atrocious reso-
lutions brought forward by Lord John Ruasell —( Low]
cries of " Hear, hear")—and it was further resolved that
those who submitted to such oppression, were unworthy the
name of freemen. The meeting determined to make coin-
mon cause with the Lower Canadians. At Whitchurch, in
Upper Canada, the resolutions were received with hatred
and abhorrence, and the Meeting determined if Lord John
Russell expressed his determination to adhere to the resolution,
that they would support the Lower Canadians. At Bahia,
Similar meetings had taken place, and similar resolutions had
been come to. Such was the manner in which the Noble
Lord's conciliatory resolutions were viewed by the British po-
pulation of Upper Canada. It was desrable in all provinces
subject to another country, that the Governor should be viewed
with respect and admiration. Was that, he would ask, the
case in Lower Canada ? Certainly not—( Hear) I for at
a Meeting held there it was resolved that Lord Gosford
had declared himself, by the course of conduct he had pur-
sued, to be an enemy of Lower Canada, and that he had dis-
graced himself by the deceit and duplicity with which he had
acted ; and the only act for which they had to thank him
would be his departure from that country. They had been
told that the Canadians would have confidence in the
Parliaments of this country, as they were convinced that
they would do Canada justice. The resolutions, however,
which had been brought forward by the Noble Lord, and
which bad been adopted by the House, had taken away all
such confidence, and the Canadians were now convinced that
they had not much to expect either from the Noble Lord or
the Parliament of this country.—( Hear, hear, and cheers.
The following passage was from an Address to the Sons cf
Liberty in the North' American Provinces, and he entreated
the attention of Hon. 3lemberss to it, because it showed more
than anything else could the feelings of the Lower Canadians
towards the Eeglish people. It was to the effect that the
present degrading situation of their country being the result
of mistaken reliance on British honour, it would be criminal
in them to confine their resistance to simple remonstrance.—
( Hear, hear, hear.) A separation had. commenced be-
tween parties which would never be cemented, but
which would go on increasing until one of those sudden,
and unforeseen events, which followed the march of time, af-
forded a fitting opportunity to them for assuming their rank
among the communities of America. The Address concluded
with these words, " Two splendid opportunities have been
lost, let us not be unprepared for the third." lie (Mr. Leader)
thought these words might be applied to the people of Eng-
land. Two splendid opportunities for obtaining a system of
real representative Government had been lost by the people
of England, and he sincerely trusted and hoped they would nut
let slip the next occasion that might present itself.—(Hear.)
Tney were told when the resolutions were discussed in that
House last Session, that the Canadians were such a patient
and enduring people, toat they would never think of fighting,
and that they would never dare to oppose the power of Eng-
land. Did the House know what the determination of the
Canadians now was ? At the permonent Committee it ha
been resolved that the Reformers who had been to drill should
form themselves in each parish in volunteer companies of
militia under the command of officers elected by militia
officers. There were also constant allusions in the American
Papers to the American was of independence, and to their
manner in -which the American troops fought against our troops
there ; there were also constant allusions to the disasters of
Burgoyne, and the numerous disasters that disorganised the
British armies in the Ameriaan war of independence. In
the Vindicator, of the 6th of October, there was
the following passage :—" The 83d Regiment, it is reported,
is to be stationed at Three Rivers during the winter—where
will they be in the spring?" Those words were repeated on
several occasions whenever there was any allusion to the
movement of troops, or to the purchase of horses or artillery
—the same warning was always given—" where will they be
is the spring ?" After the declaration made by the Noble
Lord last night, those words seemed to be very applicable to
the present condition of Ministers. Where will they be in
the spring ?—( Laughter, and Hear, hear.) Not in their
present condition as a Reform Ministry, independent of Tory
support.—( Hear, hear.) He wished that the country and
tnat House should be acquainted with the real state of Lower
Canada ; therefore, at the earliest possible opportunity,
he had igtroduced the subject. It was unfortunately the curse
of tnis country to be involved in disgraceful warswitthhhceranco-
lonies through the executive. He trusted that if there were
e
to be any conciliatory measure it would fully satisfy
dians; bet nothing could satisfy them except the withdiavval
of the resolutions, and acquiescence in their just demands.
This he feared could not be expected from the present Go.
vernment.—(Hear, bear.) If the rest of the Ministers mean;
to abide by the declaration of the Noble Lord last night,
against all further improvement: 'n the representative system, he
(Mr. L.) would tell them that their tenure of office as a liberal
Ministry would be short indeed.— (Hear, hear.) He la-
mented this for the sake of the Ministers themselves, for he
had hoped better things of them.—(Laughter.) The Noble
Lord (J. Russell) smiled at the idea of his (Mr. Leader)
hoping anything good of him.—( Laughter. ) He ( Mr.
Leader) could assure the Noble Lord, however, that he had
hoped in this Parliament the Government would have intro-
duced really popular measures, and listened to the prayers of
the people for the redress of their grievances, and the cry of
constituency for protection fro..n the influence of corruption
and intimidation which had ahnost driven them to despair.
—( Loud cheers.) He lamented this the more for the
fi ottinle dsakel of Ireland, l
ria temporarycaimmpreedfroinr;T:nd far en.
_t t(
hat
Cheers.)
t. might throw in the way of peace
thatposrkthioorvieoaf the Le
countryregrettedal
it
ne
had the present Ministry done :real good—had conferred real
benefit on the people.—(Cheers.) Butwlia
Ministry,tevermighhetrbe..
be
the result of the loss of powef by the present