The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-16 00:00:00

(Hear,, hear.) All this may be inevitable• and highly
Canada
but all this time the population of Upper
lover
is increasing in a ratio far beyond that of the
'ever province, and all this time the feeling of yen-
Lelteee created by the conviction that they have been
Ju'tlY treated by the Sovereign to whom they were
40-
faithful and the country which they have served too
well, Will be acting upon these men.—(Elear, hear.) I
ttk
Canada You, then, what will be the situation of Lower
allada when the wheel turns round, and when Upper
Canada; will have that pre-eminence which you cannot
present them from obtaining.—(Bear.) It is all very
tjal corning forward and saying that the question at
S7e i$ the question of responsible government.
b") are empty phrases for debating clubs and
b ul boys, but they are not the language to be used
th practical men—men who are acquainted with
re details of public affairs, and are responsible
j°l.s tile policy which they recommend—(Hear, hear)—
aY that the situation of the two provinces according
bit-e system now in operation, will lead not only to
t the
feelings and violent opposition, but to bloodshed
1:0(el (huger far more terrible than any which has yet
erred. Have you no remedy, however, for thi,?
Yes; I maintain you have, and that remedy is given you
h
wisthe Constitution. That remedy consists in a just,
lo and politic exercise of that power which you pos.
-,118
erc isoYer two partit s so circumstanced, and by such ex-
4ae You might ensure the prosperity of thht country,
d
,e greatness and prosperity of your own, and pre-
teb"nose evils which you tell us this constitutional
°roe is projected to avert. Your course is impolitic,
„
according to your own parallel cases. I take the
If ins'Mee of Ireland, as introduced into this debate by the
149/1- Member for Sheffield. I have contemplated what
lit be the consequences of the repeal of the Legisla-
tare ls
between the two countries. No one can doubt that
With
1,1 e vast numerical majority, and with an extended
of ° thchile, what would be the immediate effect in Ireland
/itch a scheme. With an absolute internal lode-
pendenee, there would be a party there who would
Fire to external independence also. You would
Wive in all the high places the members of the re-
th Party, You would have a system of legislation
ti:re which would not favour or discourage emigre-
ball, that would not disturb the balance in the sister
*Md. No doubt the means used might be factious, but
d %id be highly constitutional—(flear)—and I have no
l3tlbt it would be impossible for us to interfere, much as
p°,,,lltig,ht sympathise with them. But suppose the repeal
p04,1,0e,,an to believe that it had been oppressed—sup-
} tne; said there are cases of men who have suffered
or
tbtus—therehave been our followers for whose dsced-
aidarwe must do something—we must imose aerates in
411 ,or instance, on Ulster, to compensates uccessors of
that or a Meagher.—(Bear, hear.) Now, from
th" We have seen of another rate in aid, I can hardly
,'"Ptlse that a proposition of this kind would be very ac-
p tosole,—(Hear, hear.) But suppose the dominant
4,:tY were to call upon them to pour their troops into
district for the purpose of enforcing such. You
might tell us, on constitutional maxims, that the opi--
terof
the majority was consulted. The Hon. Mem-
el for Northampton (Mr. V. Smith) might make an
wequent speech on the subject, and tell you that that
k3Lthe system of responsible government —(Hear)—but,
Pert'lliYngu' would you not be destroying the empire, and
the kingdom ?—(llear.) I could go into the case of
boPPer Canada, as another precedent; but it is too late
ell: to enter into those details.—(No, no.) Well, I shall
tit r,„!lito them very shortly.—(Cheers.) I am told by
'sight Hon. Baronet the Member for Tamworth,
° has just addressed the House, that the word "loyal"
pas
vnot inserted in the Bill relating to the case of
iler Canada. Now, what was the reason of that?
Y, a very simple one, that there were no rebels in
total,
fur or
The inhabitants there were all
that and of the four or five cases which occurred there,
sh? all resolved themselves into commissariat returns.
ee this discussion 'commenced I have been shown a
allPttteh from Sir J. Colborne, in which he lays it down
a
ot all the persons who supplied the troops with stores
Dmllitl be compensated without reference to any partici-
ettrir the rebellion. And out of the five cases oc-
iet,„ttg in the upper province, four resolved themselves
tia,,-,',ases of commissiariat supplies. There was that dis
-"c'n, therefore, between the provinces.. In fact, there
-ere
eh,,, 110 rebels in Upper Canada; and in the Governor's
prer,r`teh respecting the military force necessary to re-
pee's, the disturbance, it appeared that the American
tbePte there were the only parties to be put down, and
there were no indigenous rebels. We have been told in
bhaeourse of this discussion—in fact, considerable ern-
Lat !itl has been laid en the assertion—that public opin-
to.ln Canada has been demonstrated in favour of the
pre-sure in a most remarkable manner by the addresses
of
ttented to the Governor-General. Now, in my view
tea ease we have nothing to do with this; but the
We amen who insist most upon this are those who say.
this"? not want to have party politics introduced into
debate. Now, no sooner do they say this, than they
ati,e,r to the aderesses presented to the Governor-General
lou.' Which her Majesty's Ministers have with such sedu-
,;.,cere placed upon the table of your House. Now, Sir,
th":unk these are points which have nothing to do with
to' question before us—(Hear, hear)—we have no right
lr into the details of those addresses, which those
TtishiPs and localities have sent the Governor-General.
o n
question we have to consider is, whether her ma-
i"
tY should be advised to exercise her constitutional
functionsthese
on account of extraordinary circumstances.
"'e being, in our opinion, the reward of men who have
ealellea against quest Government?—(Hear, hear.) You
tioziLs_thisa local qion—we call it an Imperial ques-
tietie
.(Hear hear)—but it is more than either—it is a
tis_ nal one.—(Hear, hear.) I intended to have placed
(4b question before the House; and it I ha‘e referred to
is, it is because you have done so for the purpose of
wauencing public opinion. Now, if you thought there
ere the elements of such an influence in those det
il is my duty to show that they are utterly worthleis.—
p'7ear, hear.) Now, what is the answer which Lord
Elgin has given to one of these addresses from the Vic-
,
Elgin
district, which has been already re'erred to? Lord
4gin observed that it was his firm belief that they did
sot intend to countenance rebellion, or to compensate the
08tes of those who had been guilty of the heinous crime
(),,
,t high treason, but only to make provision for the losses
,i)l' those who had sustained a wanton and unnecessary
destruction of property. Now, if that is Lord Elgin's
0
IrPinion, that is precisely what my Right Honourable
iend wants the House to sanction and -support. We
,ut the House to affirm the principle which has been
there enunciated.—(Bear.) But I will show you how
ese a
ddresses have been procured and produced. Now,
thlrk th •
tuaL, e right of petitioning is not only of inesti-
mable value in this country, but that it is extremely im•
;;I:.7ant that it should be publicly known that such a
that
exercises a strong influence upon Parliament, and
1,4;1' Petitions are productive of no other result than to
theorrdered to lie on the table of that House—are thrown
that Public
and are thought of no more. lam of opinion
tPublic opinion, to be fairly and constitutionally ex-
eee'tsd, ought to be expressed at public meetings—
had Lugs constitutionally and fairly held. Now, how
beg .1 -
eau meetings in favour of' the Governor of Canada
Man got up? I have before me a letter, dated Montreal,
WI., from a celebrated and notorious character—Dr.
the I;eti Nelson, in which that individual, after detailing
burning
which occurred in Montreal—the
Go,„ing of the Parliament-house and the insults to the
%I:nor—calls upon his fellow-citizens to petition the
opinin not to recal Lord Elgin, and to express their
sup °n that the responsible Government ought to be
of trte,cl. In consequence of this secret invitation
seer' Nelson, a variety of petitions were sent to the
were/11 of the Governor. No public meetings
r held at which the subject of these petitions
Petition discussed.—(Hear, hear.) Among them was a
loon from Coburg, which was entirely devoted to the
Praiseta,, of the Governor-General, and it was stated to
e been signed by 663 persons. Now, Sir, I have had
Plals,e'q in my hand to-night a letter, dated Coburg, May
,ft addressed to Sir Allan M'lsTab, whose acquaintance I
e'lstve not the honour of possessing, but I have the highest
oral for his distinguished bravery and talents.—
ear, hear.) In this letter it is mentioned, that as a
aPublic meeting was stated to have been held at Coburg,
a" which a congratulatory address to the Governor was
isreed to and signed by 663 persons, the writer begs to
e,"l°rlsn Sir Alan that the whole male population of the
unabitants of Coburg only amounts to 653, and that the
Petition in question was signed by only 210 persons.—
glear, hear.) These, Sir, are very important facts.—
When these surreptitious documents are printed in the
' royal Gazette, and are then in their official forme trans-
kitted to Secretaries of State, and when they call for
Solemn admonitions from the President of the Board of
Trade, the effect of them may be most important,—
(Rear.) Petitions and addresses in favour of the Go-
vernor may be all very well, but considering the manner
irtwhich those documents have been got up, and the
Pompous way in which they have been introduced to
our notice, they may, I think, be fairly described as
great rubbish as was ever introduced into this House.
(Hear, hear.) Let me say a word before I sit down
as to the course taken upon this occssien by my Right
,
°rt. Friend the Member for Stamford. No one has
ventured to say that it was either an inforrultil,e ahen
eurn-
constitutional, or an irregular proceeding.—(He r, .)
Some one has stated
•that he saw the whole programme
of last niebt's proceedings on his breakfast table in the
ruoreing, but that I am very much inclined to doubt —so
far, at least, as my Right Hon. Friend's motion is con
cerned.
It is quite a new thing in this House to assert
that no motion should ever be made without giving a
formal notice of it. It often happens.—(Hear, hear.) I
eat', Sir, that due and formal notice having been given
that One
of the most eminent and important Members of
this House intended to bring under the consideration of
the House the state of affairs in Canada, and the Prime
Minister having fixed a day at a long interval for the
discussion of the question—l say, Sir, after all this, it is
perfectly idle to pretend that you were taken by sur-
pri e by my Right Hon. Friend's motion.—(Cheers.) If
You say that you were taken by surprise you can only
prove it by asserting that we are the most incapable of
all men and the least interested in public business, and
that we were coming down here at this great colonial
crisis—in this great Imperial and local emergency—that
We were coming dawn to this House to hear en exposi-
tion of your mal-administration, and what was intended
to be a satisfactory refutation of the charges brought
against you from the first Minister of the Crown, and
then, forsooth, go to dinner, and do nothing else.—
(Cheers and laughter.) I doubt not that my friends will
persist in the course they have taken, and unanimously
support my Right Hon. Friend.—(Cheers.) You may,
if you like, give up your colonial empire, and destroy, if
you will, the surest source of your wealth, and certain
source of your political power.—(Cheers.) Do it. Sa-
crifice, if you will—l do not want to enter into that
question now—the wealth of your nation, and the power
of your Government to the economic phantasies of the
hour; but if you do this—if the empire of England is to
fall, and fall by our votes, do not sacrifice the national
honour or the royal word .—(Loud cheers.)
Mr. S. HERBERT thought the House were justified
ri not allowing the division to take place last night.
The debate of to night had shown how necessary it was
that they should not come precipitately to a division, or
1040. d without notice or in the absence of Honourable