The Sun.
London, England, 1835-03-17 00:00:00

STATE OF CANADA.

Mr. P. M. STE WART said he had a petition to present from
the inhabitants of Montreal and its vicinity, in Lower Canada,
and he thought it but fair to the House and the country to
put them into the knowledge of the actual state of par-
ties in that country. The petition was signed by 11,170
individuals, of whom there were about 1,000 French Ca-
nadians, the remainder being British and Irish settlers.
They first expressed their gratitude for the security
they enjoyed, under the protection of Great Britain; and went
on to state, that they regarded with regret and alarm the ten-
dency of the resolutions passed by the House of Assembly in
that colony. But that, whilst they deplored the necessity of
external legislation, they relied with confidence on the
wisdom and justice of the British House of Commons.
He ought to observe, that the Canadians were as much
split into parties as was this country ; and there were distinc-
tions amongst the Canadians as well as elsewhere. There
was a majority there of what were called Liberals or Refor-
mers, but there was a distinction there as here between Con-
stitutional Whigs and Radicals.--( Hear, and Laughter.) He
believed there was a majority of the party called Constitu-
tional Whigs in Lower Canada. The petitioners further
stated that they were not insensible to the grievances that had
been complained of, or to the fact that there were members of
the House of Assembly holding office under the Crown.
To the redress of those abuses he requested the attention of
Hon. Members, and he could not but deprecate the inter-
ference that had taken place on both sides of the Atlantic on

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the affairs of Canada, firmly believing
been allowed to proceed according to tl
the complaints contained in the petitioi
have been put forward. In order to afford
and Learned Member for Bath an opportuninity Alwyn „
dieting statements that had been widely circulated, heJl(l
would refer to an anonymous letter which had been as-
cribed by every Newspaper to the Honourable and Learned
Member. It was dated on the 27th of November after
the change in the Ministry, and was sent to Ca-
nada without any signature. It congratulated the
Canadian legislature on the near approach of the Radicals
to power, stated that Spring Rice had deceived them, and
asked them if he returned to power to make his place as
difficult as possible, by granting no supplies-4 Hear, hear.)
He was glad to learn from the speech made by a Right Hon.
Gentleman opposite a few nights ago, that it was the inten-
tion of Government to do what they could for Canada. He
learnt with pleasure that the Tenure Act of 1826 was to be re•
pealed, and that some other obnoxious laws were also under con-
sideration. He knew that it would be said that he was per-
sonally interested in the subject as a member of the Canada
Company ; but in that respect he could say, that he had paid his
money, and got nothing for it, and his only object, as well as that
of the Company, was to encourage emigration, and to spread
education in Lower Canada. That Company had been esta-
blished under the sanction of a Committee of that House, and
its establishment was for the sole benefit of Canada itself.
Mr. W. E. GL AD STONE here rose to explain, but
most of his observations were inaudible in the gallery. We
understood the Hon. Member to ask Mr. R Stewart whe-
ther he thought it wise or prudent to open up such a dis-
cussion, under present circumstances ?

Mr. P. STEWART resumed. He observed that in Up-
per Canada representation was founded on population and
property combined, but in the lower province it rested on
population alone. He had now done his best to support the
petition entrusted to him, and he hoped the Government
would take the subject into their most serious consideration.
He thanked the House for the kind manner in which they had
heard him, and he considered that he had proved to the House
that there were in Canada a sensible people, who could distin-
guish between right and wrong.
Mr. ROEBUCK charged the Honourable Member who
had just sat down with the most unjust garbling of his
(Mr. Roebuck's) statements, by saying that he endea-
voured to persuade the people of Canada to take up arms,
and his reply to this would consist in his reading the letter
which had beer, referred to by the Hon. Member. The Hon.
Member then read a long extract of a letter which concluded by
exhorting the people of Cajiada to try all means before resorting
to arms. He would ask whether that justified the statement which
the Hon. Member then made ? What he had stated in that
letter he still adhered to. Then the Hon. Gentleman talked
a great deal about constitutional doctrine ; but he would ask,
did not the Whig Gpvernment, in order to get the Re-
form Bill passed, excite the people of England, and he
would in the same spirit endeavour to excite the people of Ca-
nada, in order to get them a Reform Bill, and a Reform Bill
which he hoped would give them the power of governing them-
selves. They had resolved not to grant the supplies: would
any one say that was unconstitutional, when such a course was
even contemplated by a British House of Commons ?
He knew it was contemplated in a very short time to
try the strength of the House upon that, and it was
intended to try that strength upon the Navy Estimates. Was
not that a constitutional mode of harassing the Government?
If no one took that step in the course of ten days, he himself
would do it ; and if the House did not stop the supplies, he
would say, they did not fairly represent the people of England.
The people of Canada had resisted the supplies, and he de-
clared that according to his notion of the law that was a consti-
tutional step, and he hoped the House of Commons would endea-
vour to stop the supplies, in imitation of their e'ood brethren
of Canada. We are told by these parties, that it is an Eng-
lish and French dispute ; but he would tell him, that it was a
dispute between Tory and Liberal principle—though the truth
was, that the Tory party were much weaker, he was happy to
say, in Canada than they were in this country. The only
remedy that appeared to him, was a proper alteration of their
Constitutional Assembly ; for he was convinced, that unless
they did take away their constitution, as it stood at present,
there would be no possibility of effecting any amelioration in
their condition ; and if they did not, they would make one for
themselves. He intended to abandon the first of his three mo-
tions—that for the better regulation of Canada—but he did
intend most positively to press his other two—the principle of
tenure and the Land Company Act. It was said by
one that they proposed to reduce this grand tenure
Act to what was termed the feudal system. Now
the fact was, that it would embrace a system forming, as near
as possible, an exact copy of the copyhold tenure in this
country. Instead of, as he had been represented by some
parties, stirring up a spirit of undue commotion in Ca-
nada, he had requested the people to give a hearing
to the Commissioners, that they should meet them in
a calm state ; but that in their representations they should
adhere to these two distinct propositions, namely, that
they should have the whole of the revenue under their
controul, and that a decided alteration should be made in the
legislative assembly.
i%lr. STEWART explained.
Mr. Hume said it would appear, from what had fallen from
the Honourable Gentleman, that as if the persons comprising
this petition were the only loyal persons in Canada. Now,
nothing could be more contrary to the fact, as he could assure
the House that it was a principle deeply fixed in the minds
•of all the persons composing that colony.
Sir R. PEEL was not then able to give the final answer
which he had hoped to be able to give the Hon. Gentleman
this evening.

Mr. RO.BINSON denied that there was anything in the
petition presented by the Hon. Member for Bath ( Mr. Roebuck)
of the menacing tone which that Hon. Gentleman had adopted
himself, and described.it to_contain. It was a petition emanating
from no particular sect or party in Canada, but was signed by
persons of all religious persuasions, and of every distinction.
There was not the slightest imputation on the conduct of their
Canadian brethren, and what was stated by the Hon. Members
for Bath and Middlesex was done for the purpose of mislead-
ing the House. The Hon. Member for Bath (Mr. R.) has
expressed himself as desirous that the Canadians should harrass
the British Parliament until they should obtain justice, and that
unless they took that course justice would never be done to them.
He hoped that the case of the Canadians would be still en-
trusted to the Hon. Member for Taunton (Mr. Labouchere),
and they would have had their grievances sooner redressed.
The petition was ordered to lie on the table.
IRISH CHURCH.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, in consequence of what passed
the other evening relative to the Irish Church, begged
to state, that since that time, he had taken the opportu-
nity of making some enquiries, and in the course of
the week, had been informed that some special reports of
the Ecclesiastical Commission would soon be laid upon
the table of the House, or at least were in readiness. Un-
der these circumstances, he begged to ask whether it would not
be more advisable to postpone the motion,which he had previously
given notice of, until the reports were in the possession of the
House. If it were the pleasure of the House, he should
therefore move for the production of the reports he had
referred to without delay, and if it now met with the
concurrence of the House, he would postpone the
motion, which he had given notice he should bring before the
House on Thursday next, until the following Monday. The
Noble Lord concluded by moving that the special reports of
the Irish Ecclesiastical Commissioners be printed and laid on
the table.

Sir R. PEEL—I beg to ask the Noble Lord whether he
should not have given notice of his motion? The Noble Lord
has means of procuring information upon this subject
which the Government does not possess, and the House
should, at least, have notice of this motion before it was
called upon to affirm a resolution—namely, that the Govern-
ment was desirous to withhold information, which would be
the effect of assenting to the motion which the Noble Lord
now proposed.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL had not the slightest objection to
comply with the suggestion of the Right Hon. Baronet • but
he begged to inform the Right Hon. Gentleman that he (Lord
J. Russell) had communicated his intention to make this mo-
tion to the Secretary of the Colonies, and to the Under-Se-
cretary of State. . . .

Sir H. HARDINGE—Since the commission has been
established we have not interfered in the slightest degree.
Mr. SHE IL—There is a clause in the Commission by
which the Commissioners were directed to report immediately,
after they have investigated the state of each parish.
Sir H. PEEL—AII I can say is that they have not exercised
the power given to them under the Commission.—( Hear.)
Mr. SHELL said it was for his Majesty's Government to call
upon them to fulfill their duties.—( Loud cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL—I must then beg leave of the House
to postpone my motion.—( Cries of " Hear, hear," and " No.")
I will to-morrow state to the House what is the course I mean
to pursue.—( Laughter from the Ministerial benches.)
AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.
The Marquis of C HAND° S wished to ask the Right Hon.
Baronet when he meant to bring forward his plan of his agri-
cultural relief.

Sir R. PEEL thought that the best plan would be to wait
until the end of the financial year, when he would be able to
bring forward the whole of the financial statements at once,
which he promised to do at the earliest possible period. He
thought the best time would be in the month of April, when
the attendance was fullest.
LORD LONDONDERRY'S EMBASSY TO RUSSIA.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL wished to know after what had
passed in this House on Friday night, whether it was still the
intention of his Majesty's Ministers to send the Marquis of
Londonderry as the representative of this country at the
Court of St. Petersburgh ?
Sir R. PEEL-1 will give the Noble Lord an answer
without the slightest hesitation.—( Hear, hear.) About an
hour since I received from my Noble Friend, the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs, a letter which he had received from
the Noble Lord, (the Marquis of Londonderry) in which
letter that Noble Lord stated that he felt, after
considering the debate which took place in this
House on Friday night, that on accepting the high situa-
tion of Ambassador of this country to the court of St. Peters-
burgh, his services would be greatly impaired. He felt it his
duty, therefore, to resign the situation to which he had been
appointed..---( Hear, hear.) I am bound to state that this
course has been taken by the Noble Lord entirely upon his
own judgment, without any solicitation directly or indirectly
from any person. —( Loud cheers from the Ministerial benches.)
Lord JOHN RUSSELL--I rise to say that I think that
after what passed in this House on Friday night, the Noble
Marquis ( Londonderry) could not proceed as our ambassador
to St. Petersburgh, with, as the Right Honourable Baronet
has just said, any hope of public usefulness.--(Hear,
hear, hear.) I admire the manliness with which
the Noble Marquis has come to this determination, but
at the same time 1 am bound to say that the prerogative of the

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