The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-28 00:00:00

firelan
alnBd49dteh;rosyeactd yobfgovernment was fixcdat Mon
t:cal, in which year the Parliament buildings were
an exasperated party or mob
who were incensed against the Earl of Elgin for
sanctioning what was called. the Rebellion Losses
Bill.. An attempt had been made Nome time before
to excite civil war, which was -suppress'aby mili-
tary force. During the riots a considerable amount
of property had been destroyed belonging both to
the loyalists and the rebels, and a sum of money
was voted by the Leoislature to indemnify both
parties, to which Lord . Elgin gave his assent.
Those who remained faithful to the Crown were
indignant, and testified their displeasure by burn-
ing the Government establishments. In conse-
quence of this revengeful act a resolution was
passed in the Lower House of Legislature to remove
the seat of government from Montreal, and, to con-
ciliate the eastern and western province, to render
it ambulatory, so that . Parliaments might be held
alternately at Quebec and Toronto. This plan was
carried by 34 votes against 29, but 21 members were
absent. On the other hand, the Upper House ar-
rived at the opposite conclusion, resolving that the
removal was inexpedient. • Lord Elgin, however,
adopted the resolution of the Lower House, though
carried by a small Majority and directly negatived
by the ,Upper House, and became very unpopular
with the defeated party. Many ineffectual attempts
were made to render the new policy impracticable,
but they failed ' • and when Parliament was held at
Toronto Mr. Baldwin, an influential member, de-
clared that Ottawa was the most eligible locality
for the permanent seat of government ; but, as the
public faith had been pledged to the ambulatory
system, he acquiesced in Quebec taking its turn,
and thither Parliament was transferred. This ar-
ratigernent was expensive and inconvenient, causing
a double outlay for the necessary buildings and fre-
quent removal of archives and other official docu-
ments. The evil was Soon perceived by all 'unpre-
judiced men, and in 1852 a resolution was moved
in favour of a single capital, but it was negatived,
opponents arguing that, if carried, it would amount
to an acknowledgment of the old claims of Mon-
treal. This divided policy was kept in a state of
feverish agitation down to the year 1857, when the
Administration of Colonel Tache, convinced that
the Canadian members themselves swayed by jarring
interests, would never settle the controversy, made
it a ministerial measure. The proposition was
that the whole matter should be referred to her
Majesty Queen Victoria, and it was carried by
a majority of votes in a well-filled house. To guard
as far as possible against any reversal of this decision
money was also voted to erect:Government build-
ings on any site that her_ Majesty might please to
' prefer, and that money is still held at the disposal
of her Majesty.
A humble petition was accordingly addressed to
Queen Victoria, requesting her to fix the future
seat of government for. United Canada, and she
chose Ottawa. The selection was judicious. It is
central to both provinces, and accessible &dm both
at all times of the year. No war can be expected
in the country except from the United States, and
Ottawa, from being in the interior, is safer from
sudden invasion than any other town or city. • Its
local position is such that, in the judgment of com-
petent. engineers, it might be converted into an
impregnable fortress. It "commands all the inland
communications from east to west, add in a military
point of view, may be pronounced the key
.of the
country ; while for naval defence Quebec is pre-
eminent. Ottawa is on the river which hears
the same name, which is the boundary
line between Eastern and Western Canada:
i creobtenstnaaoclirnenn- .
and, to prevent all jealousies, it is under-
' stood that the Parliament Houses would
be built on one side and the residence of the
Governor-General on the other. If, then, any choice
could reconcile all conflicting opinions, that of the
Queen ought to have been hailed with unmixed
satisfaction, but the baleful spirit of party has so far
nullified her beneficent wishes and disappointed her
anxious hopes of becoming a friendly pacificator.
In the last session of the Provincial Parliament
many of our readers will remember that the Mac-
donald Ministry proposed that the choice of her
Majesty should be confirmed and carried into exe-
cution, when they were defeated by a majority of
fourteen votes, the Opposition deciding that Ot-
tawa was not the best seat of government but (lid
not name any other locality. The Macdonald Mi-
nistry at once resigned, and were succeeded by Mr.
Brown and his friends, who only held office for two
days, when their predecessors, with some modifica-
tions, more nominal than substantial, were restored
to power. It is reported that they will bring for-
ward the same measure and before the same Par-
' liament, notwithstanding their defeat of last
year, and of course, public opinion is very
much excited as to the result. Hitherto the
representatives of each of thelgrcat cities, as Toronto
and Kingston, Quebec and Montreal, have claimed
a preference for their own constituents, in order to
make political capital for themselves : and those
tactics have been approved by party spirit, how-
ever condemned by patriotism. But now the ques-
tion is raised, shall the Royal prerogative be para-
mount, which imparts peculiar interest to the
convincedapproaching
th
the
struggle,oppon enitfs, ionfdetehde,
Queen's command
oil:lams
anuodt
of the duty of obedience. •
The treatment her Majesty has received has dis-
gusted jifteeo.
theus
colony,tcd an d
who incensed
look
Navliltihi escrotrritillayntlio3inadl
th h
the Provin-
oeirsyis.eibcolen.c
ilLeaobealel
onted kindness, she
the small section of demagogues who haimasf-ureanie:
dHileiroo3di
at
joe
s ty insult. a
s the
appointed Throne
umpire
thatini)eiilarnterphs .
bt
the
powertde hiiaffeemrpeoanrorecrl
differences
, arse
iclinnlna: render all
having
l dleg,
legislators
continueds
si-
let
airitnohtrilfsero
agreed
wyt
accepted the delicate and ungrateful task of arbitra-
tion. . Can it for a moment be supposed that cur
Gracious Queen would have undertaken such a duty
hadNsp,
willtoiawarditrllee s entertained
i:haocaeimfwndiaoliaunbslstodpleasure,
bound
notynhedeaih.
nbaaytysilagicianetnirpi
eteeteyamr
personal
oelooefftngepeasi 1
final?ar. tl
eondavcfaffront;
risuspicionioocuttn i.
hoant
Provincial
Parliament
sraopt
buttyl,eial aacil
atit
hmphtetericihrenree:t
circumstances
n:vaietdyaalre compellwedhotoleefNuitenhNielt:hirelictaiinsdhlgleromsme-
es'ea
tu
atClsiaiod e
her
vishiach
award. To listen to any other
respects and obeys. Her Majesty has declared her
re
supremeoa. g antoiNt:
doctrine would sanction an in imperio.
bnpe) lung • '
The •whole case is the
offensive and factious,
more
for while the malcontents reject Ottawa they can-
not agree among themselves on any other locality.
We give every praise to the Cartier-Macdonald
Ministry for persisting in the establishment of the
Queen's decision, and. sincerer hope that
ythe more
sober-minded of the Opposition have already re-
pented of their folly and rashness, and will make
amends for their past disloyalty and discourtesy by
rescinding their former vote.—Morning Herald.

GALLANTRY OF A MOORISH BEY.—In the recent
likewise went to
dreadful tempest on the coast of Tunis, the Bey, seeing a
French vessel, the Solide, wrecked within view of his ptgace,
went off himself in a boat and rescued the crew. He stripped
Could
off some of his own garments to give to one of them, made
his suite do the same, provided for all their other wants, and
ill •
winddis Pa( i islidi ir°ani 'n
did all he could
in addition presented each man with 100 piastres, and the
. captain with 200. Moreover, during the two days the tem-
pest•
in fact everything that
lasted, the Bey was constantly on horseback visiting
different parts of the coast, to see that proper relief was
carte,
in abundance
afforded to the numerous shipwrecked sailors of different
the seals, also visited the coast, and exerted himself
nations. The bey's brothery-in keeper of
ivAively in rescuing. and providing for the wrecked.
General Kheired Din, Minister of Marine, though confined
caused food,
poettho, forclothing,
Bah
ii
savebyn i coast,eaf
a,.
bin tedaet onri
and in
required,
horses,
irdasit:eth)testoeb,
oebcfsrae
•and he undertook to pay every•
thing out of hisfir them,
own purse.