The Sun.
London, England, 1837-09-02 00:00:00

LOWER CANADA AFFAIRS.

When the late Parliament passed their resolutions
respecting the House of Assembly of this Province,
by which they were refused the Reforms they naked
for, and to be deprived of the right of appropriation of
the money in the Colonial Treasury, collected by taxes
on the people, as the Constitution granted to them in
1791 gives to them, we ventured to state that that act of
cross injustice, though sanctioned by an overwhelming
majority of the British House of Commons, would not
be the means of settling the discontent that existed in
Lower Canada. That the complaints of the Cana-
dians were well founded had been admitted by a select
Committee of the House of Commons, and by Mr.
Stanley, and other Colonial Secretaries ; and we then
agreed in opinion with those Members who oppoed the
Resolutions, that the best and speediest mode of set-
tling the disputes, would he the doing justice to
the Canadians. It had been found, by long and
dearly-purchased experience, that peace could not be
maintained, nor discontent allayed in Ireland, by adding
injury to injustice, as used to be the case towards that
country. Shall Coercion Bills, year after year, some
of their enactments disgraceful in the highest degree
to their authors, have passed, but only to aggravate
the discontent that existed ? But since Lord Mul-
graves Government has changed the system, and ma-
nifested a desire and a determination to redress the
complaints, and to do justice to that ill-fated country,
the discontent and disturbances have ceased, and Ire-
land has not, within the memory of man, enjoyed a
period of so complete peace and contentment as the last
Year has produced. We ask, would not the same sys-
tem adopted in Canada produce similar good effects ?
-And will not their exposure of the complete
failure of the Coercion Bills, and unjust arbitrary pro-
ceedings towards that province, teach Lord Melbourne
(bat the policy of Lord Glenelg and his predecessor in
the Colonial Office is had—that it is unjust—that it
has failed—and that they ought to mark well the re-
sult of a different system in Ireland, and act accord-
ingly. It is only by making the connection with this
country mutually favourable to the Canadians that we
can expect its connection to continue ; nor indeed
.4iould the connection be desired unless that can be
maintained for the benefit of the Canadians, and for
the advantage of the mother country. It was stated
in the House of Commons that if justice were not
granted to the Canadians, after the many years of
humble solicitation to the Colonial Minister, the
Crown, and the Parliament, that they would take the
redress in their own hands, and refuse to continue the
commerce with this country, on which the taxes were
raised which the British Parliament by its 'resolution
declared its intention to take away from the House of
Assembly. That statement was laughed at by the
4inistcrs and their supporters ; and we would
now ask whether the result, as foretold, has taken
place or not ? In every county and every town in
-Lower Canada, public meetings have been held, at
Which the strongest language which oppressed men
Could use has been used, and resolutions embodying
the opinions of the Assembly have been adopted. We
think it right to inform Ministers, if they are in igno-
rance of the state of affairs in that province, that it is
In vain to play off one class of inhabitants against
another, only to keep up the excitement, and prolong
the struggle. We also inform the British Canadian
Merchants that the part they have taken in the British
Parliament, through Mr. Robinson and others, to
blow up the rancour already too great between the
British and French inhabitants, and the part they are
to King in Canada to agitate and excite the large mass
of people, must end in the ruin of the British corn-
tierce, and of all their establishments there. All the
ineetings have resolved to abstain from the use of
British articles, and Committees have been appointed
in each town and district to enforce these resolutions,
and to encourage smuggling from the United States,
and the manufacture of home articles for clothing,
4e. The British North American Company shares,
On which 231. have been paid, were in July at Mon-
treal, 12/. 10s. The British North American Bank
tin which 101. had been paid, are at 81. a share ; and
the New Brunswick Land Company shares, on which
431. have been paid are at 13/. The number of British
ships this year to the Canadas are 160 fewer in
this than in the preceding year. In short the cepa-
ttilities of the province are daily impaired to resist tile
b
hiression of the Mother Country, and every Provin-
. c'al Newspaper is .filled with statements of the priva-
tions which the people of New England suffered when
they resisted the introduction of the Stamp Tax and
the Tea Tax into that Colony, in 1774 ; and the
. people of Canada are called upon to follow that
example ; and, as far as the public voice at those public
meetings, and the resolution of nine-tenths of the
Members of the House of Assembly, can be offered in
proof of their determination to act as the New Eng-
- hinders did, the same course will be followed. We will
give a copy of some of the resolutions which were
agreed to at a meeting of the county of L'Acadie, on
the 18th of July last. The account commences thus :