The Sun.
London, England, 1838-01-11 00:00:00

No. XL VI.

EXTRACT OP A DISPATCH PROM THE EARL OP GOSFORD TO
LORD GLENELO, DATED CASTLE ST.. LEWIS, NOVEMBER 6,
1837.

My two last dispatches will have given you some idea of
the political state of the province. Since those communi-
cations were written the plans and designs of the seditious
have become much more apparent ; and I regret to say, that
their efforts and activity are producing results, to arrest
which requires the aritoption of much more vigorous and de-
cisive measures the.% it is within the power of the Executive
Government to put in force. Large bodies of them are openly
drilled in military tactics, every Sunday, in and near the city
of Montreal ; and although no concealment is practised, no
attempt is made by the civil authorities to put a stop to this
treasonable practice, or to arrest and punish those engaged
in them. The reasons assigned for this want of energy in
the disc:narge of a public duty are, Ist, the absence of sworn
information to identify the parties ; and, 2dly, the want of a
civil force sufficient to prevent these illegal assemblages, and
to vindicate the law. In addition to these public drills, lam
informed that there are daily drills going on of small bodies
of men in private yards and enclosures, and that several
French officers have recently been introduced into Montreal
from the United States, for the purpose of giving instruction
in military organization, about which they are now busily
engaged. On the other hand, the English party in that city
have revived an old Association, called " The Doric Club,"
and are likewise drilling and arming ; and I have every reason
to apprehend that some unfortunate collision kill before long
take place.

have used and am still using every endeavour to arrest the
progress of anarchy and confusion that is spreading with great
rapidity throughout the district of Montreal; but I find the
ordinary pourers of the Executive quite insufficient for the
purpose. I mentioned to your Lordship, in my dispatch of
the Ist instant, that a meeting of the Six Counties had taken
place on the 23d of October at St. Charles, and forwarded to ,
you the resolutions then passed; I now enclose, for your in-
formation,
the address to the Canadian people, which has
been prepared and issued by a Committee named on that oc-
casion. Since the meetings, the poison that the agitators
have been so industriously scattering appears to have spread
more extensively, and been doing its work with more rapidity
and success than ever ; and in many of the counties in the
district of Montreal a very large proportion of the rural popu-
lation are in such a state that it is difficult to say what lengths
they may not be urged to go.
The object of the leaders appears now to be to put down
the authority of the Government, by compelling those who
hold commissions under it, in the magistracy or militia, to
throw them up ; for this purpose large bodies of men in dis-
guise visit at night those who are loyal or disapprove of their
proceedings, and by threats of personal violence and destruc-
tion of property, force them to send in their resignations, and
extort from them promises to join the ranks of the Patriots, as
they term themselves.
By means of this system of terrorism and midnight maraud-
ing, they have succeeded in overawing the well-disposed, so
that several have forsaken their properties to seek refuge in
the towns or in the neighbouring states ; and many magistrates
and officers of militia have requested me to accept their resig-
nations, explaining that they took this step in order to save
their lives and property.
I need not dwell further on this part of the case ; it is time
that I should inform you of the steps I have taken to meet,
as far as they can, the exigencies of the moment. In my des-
, patch of the '2lst ultimo, I mentioned thatl had written to con-
sult with Sir John Colborne as to the practicability and expe-
diency of drawing troops from the lower provinces. Ills an-
swer being in the affirmative, I immediately despatched a
letter to Sir Colin Campbell, requesting, if he could spare it,
ano:her regiment ; and in about a week SirJohnColborne sent
off an express, urging very strongly that two regiments should
on immediately sent up. Sir John has also drawn as many
troops as possible from the Upper Province. I have despatched
Attorney-General to Montreal, with instructions to use
his utmost exertions to maintain good order, and execute the
laws against those who arc now openly infringing them.
With this view I have directed him to organize an efficient
police force in that city, and, in short, to leave nothing un-
done to maintain the public tranquillity. I have also armed
him with the necessary authority to deal according to law
with the foreign military officers who may be found engaged
in treasonable or seditious practices. I have directed the
clerks of the peace in the districts of Montreal and Three
Rivers to call on all magistrates who have not yet taken the
oath of allegiance to her Majesty, to come forward immedi-
a:ely and take the same, and to report to me the names of
those who decline or omit so to do. But, after all, theselmea-
sures will not put down the system of organization and arming
that now is extensively going forward in the district of Mon-
treal, nor will they prevent it from spreading into the other
districts.

After mature deliberation on the state in which the pro-
vince is now placed, by t'se machinations of the agitators,
whose designs have tecome too palpable to be mistaken, I am
forced to the unwelcome conclusions, that, unless some ex-
traordinary powers be immediately placed in the hands of
the Local Executive, such as that of suspending the habeas
corpus, and declaring martial law over the whole or parts of
the province, the tide of sedition cannot be stemmed but
by resort to active military operations—an alternative
which I cannot contemplate without the most painful reluc-
tance. The knowledge that the Eaccutive possesses these
;,owcr3 would probably produce such art effect on the minds of
the ill-disposed as to render it unnecessary to exert them. In
any event, some prompt and decisive measure must be adopted
by the Imperial authorities, to enable the machinery of the
local Government to perform its functions ; it is now nearly at
a standstill, and it would be idle to expect that either the pre-
sent or a row House of Assembly, if summoned, would in any
tray assist in removing the serious difficulties that now exist—
indeed, from all that has passed, I should fear that they would
augment our embarrassment. The grievances which were at
first put forward by the leaders of this party would seem to
have been mere pl.etexts to clothe deeper and darker designs.
The mask has now been thrown aside, and the people are ex-
cited to disaffection and rebellion by the most artful and un-
founded misrepresentations ; and even if all the demands of
the Assembly were fully and immediately granted. they would,
I begin to think, be insufficient to satisfy the views of those
whose evident aim is not to reform, but to destroy, the esta-
blished Government and British connection.

No. XLVII.

COPT OF A DETPATCD PROM THE EARS, OF GCSFORD:TO LORD
OLENELG, DATED CASTLE OF ST. LEWIS, QUEBEC, NOVEM-
RE:: 9, 1837.
(No. 116.)
My Lord—l have in a late communication expressed an
apprehension that some collision would take place ere long
between the opposing parties in the town of Montreal, and I
have now, with regret, to acquaint your Lordship that my
apprehension has been realised. From the accounts that
reached m* late last night, I find that, notwithstanding a
public warning issued by the Magistrates, who seem to have
been alive to what was intended, and to have fortified them-
selves with legal advice for their conduct in case of a dis-
turbance, the Patriots, as they are termed, assembled in a
private yard in St. James's-street, on Monday the 6th in-
stant, to the number of 300 or 330, and about half-past four
o'clock sallied forth into the streets with banners, and armed
principally with bludgeons, but in some instances, I under-
stand, with more deadly weapons. A riot was the obvious con-
sequence. No lives fortunately were lost; but in the course
of the evening several individuals were mush hurt, and some
attempts were made to damage the property of persons
obnoxious to either party, amongst others that of Mr. Papi-
neau, which were prevented by the timely presence of the mi-
litary, whom the magistrates called out, after the main con-
flict between the Patriots and Constitutionalists had
termi-
nated in the discomfiture of the former. The Vindicator
newspaper was, however, attacked by a party of the latter,
after the disturbance was supposed to have ended; and be-
fore the troops could arrive fur its protection, the presses,
types, paper, &c., belonging to the establishment were de-
stroyed and thrown into the streets.

Amongst those who were severely handled in the conflict
was Mr. T. S. Brown, reputed, I am informed, to be an
American, but who has been for some years settled in Mon-
treal, and carried on business there as a hardware merchant,
in which he became bankrupt about two years ago. This in-
dividual, from the very active part he has taken in orga-
nizing and drilling the Patriots, and advancing their views,
has rendered himself particularly obnoxious to the other party.
He was, I =lf/stand, the leader of the band who issued from
the yard arrt originated the riot.