The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-14 00:00:00

QUEBEC, JUNE 23.
The Administration which has conducted the affairs
of Canada for the last fix years, and which, in so far as
its relations with the mother country were concerned,
was represented by Mr. Hincks, has just been defeated
by a large majorityin the Legislative Assembly.
Without doubt the result of the adverse decision of
the Assembly will have fur a short time a prejudicial
effect upon Canadian credit and the stability of provincial
affairs, so much as the name Hincks been identified
with the security of the one and the firmness of the
other ; while, at the same time, those who have a pecu-
niary interest in the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada
must needs feel some agitation when it is known that the
introducer of that great enterprise into this great coun-
try, whose almost uncontrolled power over the Assembly
has been so often exhibited, has been so summarily
ejected from the commanding position he so lately held.
Any apprehensions, however, in this respect are ground-
less. The people of Canada will ever maintain the re-
puta ion they have acquired for the punctual fulfilment
of their pecuniary liabilities, while they are so fully sen-
sible of the advantages they derive from the introduc-
tion of British capital into the province that no change
of Ministers can affect the great undertakings now in pro-
gress of execution.

However much it may be regretted, it cannot be de-
nied that the Administration which has just beau de-
clared to have forfeited the confidence of the country has
been doomed to suffer this penalty simply because it has
not kept faith with the people. When Lord Elgin suc-
ceeded to the government of Canada, the province was
on the eve of a general election, the result of which
placed the affairs of the country in the hands of the Li-
beral party. The Administration was composed of
*40,-.4ther

prominent members of the first Cabinet which was
formed after the introduction of responsible government
into the province. This was early in 1848. Since that
period the same Administration (though considerably
modified as to its personnel) has remained in office. In
1850 it became evident that the long agitation which
bad continued in Upper Canada on the subject of the
clergy reserves, and in Lower Canada on the seignorial
tenure question, had at length attained so dangerous a
degree that it became absolutely necessary to accede
to the popular demand for the immediate settlement of
both questions. Messrs. Lafontaine and Baldwin were
both opposed to the changes required, and they ac-
cordingly resigned their seats in the Cabinet, and
have ever since sat in Parliament. Mr. Hincks (who re-
mained in office) was then charged with the formation of
a new Ministry, to be distinguished by progressive re-
form principles. He associated with himself Dr. Rolph
and Mr. Malcolm Cameron, two of the most popular
men in Upper Canada, well known for their ultra-liberal
opinions, and solemnly pledged to the immediate secu-
larisation of the reserves.

Before obtaining their support, however, and that of
the party with whom they were identified, it became
necessary to require from Mr. Hincks certain guarantees
of future policy, and hence, through the instrumentality
of three gentlemen, who possessed in an eminent degree
the confidence of the Reform party in Upper Canada, an
alliance was formed between Mr. Hincks and the gentle-
men just named. Without the co-operation of Messrs.
Rolph and Cameron, Mr. Hincks must have failed in
forming a Cabinet. The Reform party were dissatisfied
with him because he was the colleague of Lafontaine and
Baldwin, who were opposed to the secularisation of the
reserves and abolition of the seignorial tenure ; hence they
required some assurance from their own friends that he
was now prepared to do what it was supposed his chiefs
had hitherto prevented. To attain this end the negotiators
drew up a programme of the measures which
the new
Ministry was pledged to obtain for the people, the most
prominent of which was the secularisation of the
reserves and the settlement of the seignorial question,
Without a distinct understanding that the Cabinet was
bound to carry out the principles enunciated in this do-
cument it never could have attained to office. This
given, the people were satisfied. A general election, to
test the views of the constituencies on these questions,
took place, and the Administration began their tenure
of power with the overwhelming support of the members
elected. After a lapse of nearly twelve months, the Ca-
binet met Parliament at Quebec, in August, 1852.
During the session the Ministry obtained the pas•
sage of an address to the Queen, praying for the re-
peel of the Imperial act which controlled the disposition
of the reserves, and requesting that power should be
given to the colonial Legislature to dispose of them as
they thought proper. The request was granted, and
the assent signified before the session terminated. Al-
though the most ardent friends of secularisation desired
the immediate passase of a bill to dispose of the resell es
by a Parliament called into existence to decide upon that
very question, the house generally approved the di lay
proposed by Ministers, to defer proceedings till the next
session. A bill was passed through the Lower Housedefill
ing (not abolishing) the seignorial tenure, which was re-
jected by the Legislative Council. After a session of seven
months the Parliament was prorogued. Confidence it) the
Ministry was shaken, for as the several questions con-
stituting the programme were successively brought up
they w, re either evaded by the Ministry, or so modifi d
as to frustrate the object sought. After the prorogation
the whole press, with one or two exceptions, assailed
the Administration with breach of the promises made at
the hustings—for their repudiation of the programme.
To avert the danger, the members of the Cabinet made
a progress through Upper Canada, and made speeches,
in which some of them committed themselves by pro-
mising immediate secularization and settlement of the
seignorial question. Mr. Cameron was reported, indeed,
to have compromised the Governor-General in his dis-
courses. An universal impression was thus produced
that the Ministry would settle both questions during
the ensuing session. It must be borne in mind that
during the last session a bill had been introduced to fix
the time for the meeting of Parliament in February of each
year. This bill would have passed, but was withdrawn
on Mr. Hinck's proposition to submit an address to
the Governor, requesting him to convene the house at
that period. Au answer was returned, that "duo
weight" would be given to the prayer of the house.
Instead, however, of this promise being realized, the
Parliament was only called on the 13th of the pre-
sent month, being exactly one year since the proroga-
tion. (By the constitution of Canada only one year can
elapse between the termination of one session and the
holding of another.) The Cabinet had thus availed it•
self of the utmost latitude fur declining to meet Parlia-
ment until forced by the delay allowed by the constitu-
tion to do so. The Governor-General opened the session
with a very negative speech. He, however, recom-
mended to the attention of the Legislature the Recipro-
city Treaty, which he had just negotiated with the
United States Government, the details of which were
to be submitted for ratification ; the bringing into im-
mediate execution the act of last session for extending
the franchise to about 70,000 new electors, in order
that, as the number of members of the Assembly had
been increased from 84 to 130 by a bill which would
come into operation after the dissolution of the present
Parliament, these new members should be elected under
the provisions of the Extended Franchise Act ; and,
finally, he alluded to measures for the reduction of the
tariff, and to the proposed change in the constitution
of the Legislative Council. There was no allusion to
the reserves, none to the seignorial question. Indig-
nation was at once aroused against the Ministers.
'rho friends of these measures were now told that
this Parliament was incompetent to deal with these
questions (although it had been elected for the very
purpose of settling them for ever) ; that the Govern-
merit would oppose all legislation beyond the passing
of the most urgent measured necessary for the pub-
lic interest ; and that, as to the two great questions
eo uppermost in the public mind, no notion would be
taken this session beyond the mere introduction of two
bills in connexion therewith. It is right to state that
during the recess the most extraordinary actions were
in re
imputed to the members of the Administration. In the
house, while discussing the topics embraced the
speech, the Ministers were openly charged with cor-
ruption, and likened to the Walpoles of bygone days,
and a committee was named to inquire into the purchase
of certain Government lands by Mr. Hincks. The de-
bates on the speech proceeded. The most violent
harangues were delivered, and the Ministry denounced
as faithless, corrupt, and dishonest. Finally, a combi-
nation was effected against them, composed, indeed, of
the most heterogenous materials, and consisting of the
remains of the old Tory party, represented by Sir Alan
Nlacnab, Messrs. Macdonald and Sherwood ; the ultra-
Liberals, consisting of Messrs. Brown and others ; and
the French Canadian party, con isting of some Liberals
and Conservatives, represented by Messrs. Cauclion and
Sicotte. An amendment was proposed to the address,
censuring the Government for " not submitting to the Le-
gislature during the present session a bill for the immediate
settlement of the seignorial tenure, or one for the immedi-
atesettlement of the clergy reserves," and it was carried by
42 against 29. Mr. Hincks forthwith requested an adjourn.
ment till the 22d inst., to allow Ministers time to decide on
the course to be adopted. On the morning of the day
that the House was to meet the Speaker
was notified
that the Governor would prorogue Parliament that af-
ternoon. When the house met, Sir A. Macnab offered
to allow the Franchise Bill to pass into immediate ope-
ration, give effect to the Reciprocity Treaty, and vote
the supplies, but the Ministry rejected these proposi-
tions. While the discussion was proceeding, the Usher
of the Black Rod appeared to summon the house to at-
tend his Excellency for the prorogation. The most
violent tumult and confusion at once arose ; the mem-
bers gesticulated and shouted as they upbraided the
ministers for the course they had taken. Order being
restored, the house proceeded to meet the Governor and
to the evident astonishment and terror of the ministers,
the Speaker of the Assembly read an address to his Ex-
cellency, regretting that his commands had prevented
the house from performing any act necessary to consti-
tute a session of Parliament, but that it was from no
want of respect to him that the Commons had returned
no answer to his speech. The Governor informed the
Legislature that as he had been disappointed in e
the
hope that they would proceed without delay to the
consideration of the matters mentioned in his speech, he
had resolved to prorogue Parliament and have recourse
to an immediate dissolution, so that the sense of the
country plight be taken under the New BoPmect'atl"