The Sun.
London, England, 1844-05-31 00:00:00

of Sir Charles Metcalfe than he had of the Noble Lord.
He attributed all the unpopular acts of Sir Charles Met-
calfe to the influence exercised over him by the Noble
I Lord the Secretary for the Colonies. There was an at-
tempt made to deprive the people of Canada of their
rights • but if they allowed the policy- of Sir Charles
Metcalfe to be carried out, Canada would be a happy
and a prosperous colony.
Mr. C. BULLER. said that no one could feel more
deeply than he did the consequences of any decision of
the House of Commons which might tend to create or
to widen a breach between Canada and the mother
country. It was the plain, obvious, and fixed object of
Lord Durham to reconcile the differences which were
existing or supposed to exist. He thought that the
House should pause before they interfered a ith the
principles which had been agreed to by Parliament, and
had been accepted by the Canadians. Heethought it
was a dificult thing to determine where the-prerogative
of the Crown was to be limited. He had been exceed-
ingly satisfied at the general explanation given by the
Noble Lord, as to the principles of responsible govern-
ment. He believed that the Noble Lord thought that
the government of Canada should be carried
on by parties that had the confidence of the
Assembly. He did not suppose that the Noble
Lord would say that in the subordinate depart-
ments it would be necessary for the • Governor
to apply to the mother country. He agreed with the
general principle, that the people of Canada, with the
assent of all, might have the benefit of a responsible
government. Nothing had been done by Sir Charles
Metcalfe that at all interfered with responsible govern-
ment. Ho could not see how the Executive Government
could be called upon to ask the opinion of the Executive
Council upon every appointment that was made ; those
who made such a demand could not, he was sure, be
e-equainted with the principles they wished to support.
It was said by the Executive Council, that they resigned
in consequence of Sir C. Metcalfe having made a great
number of appointments without their advice. Now what
was the fact ? Why that when the members of the
Council were challenged to point out a single appointment
that had been made without their knowledge, only one
could be found, and the member of the Council who had
nemed that one was obliged to come down the next day
and state that even that appointment had received the
assent of the Executive Council. But then it was said
that the appointment of the President of the Council,
which was equal to the office of Lord Chancellor, was
made without the approbation of the Executive Council,
and that they had resigned on that account. Now, for
his own part, he did not believe that that appointment,
which in the then existing state of the country Sir C. Met-
calfe was obliged to make, was the real cause of their
resignation. It was true, that the Governor, not
wishing to throw himself into the hands of his op-
ponents, had notfilled up some of the Government offices.
It was also said that this matter was settled by the
Montreal election—that that was decisive. But several
gentlemen had given in a full adherence to Sir C. Met-
calfe since that event, and he did not think that the Go-
vernor-General could be blamed for his conduct in that
election, which arose, probably, from his want of know-
ledge of the worst features of a representative govern-
ment in a country where they resorted with less scruple
to personal violence than in any other country in the
world. There was a row and a tumult ; every respect-
able person who went up to vote had his clothes torn off his
back, and great numbers wereprevented from voting at all.
On the last day of the election voters were obliged to go
up to the booths between two lines of military. The
Hon. and Learned Gentleman had described his conduct
as part of a systematic crusade against the principle of
Parliamentary government ; and he had noticed also
the case of Nova Scotia and the conduct of Lord Falk-
land. But Mr. Howe—a good authority—had, in the
Assembly of Nova Scotia, vindicated the bonduct of Sir
C. Metcalfe. and had declared that the cases in Nova
Scotia and Canada were totally distinct, and that all the
difficulties iu Canada had arisen from a blundering Ad-
ministration. For himself he was convinced, looking at the
whole matter, with no bias against the gentlemen who had
just gone out, and with no indifference to the principle of
Parliamentary government, his firm conviction was that
the error in this case was on the part of those who had
quarrelled with Sir Charles Metealfe. Though he did
not approve of all the principles laid down by him, he
believed that, as the controversy proceeded, he had
gradually adopted more fully, and expressed more accu-
rately, the right principles on which he thought he
ought to take his stand. The question was, which party
ought to triumph in this contest, and which party must
triumph. That question would be greatly complicated
if the Canadian Parliament should, on its re-assembling,
declare its approbation of the conduct of the members of
the Executive Council, refuse to recognise any other,
and attempt to force the late one back on the Governor-
General. Then would come an appeal from Sir Charles
Metcalfe to the constituent body, and,•in spite of the
Montreal election, he believed that appeal would be re-
sponded to by the good sense of the Canadian people.
But there was one thing that they must do in this coun-
try—that was, that this House must strongly express its
opinion on the question between Sir Charles Metcalfe
and the Executive Council, and as to the course which
both the Government and the Parliament would be pre-
pared to adopt. He understood that the support the
Noble Lord gave to Sir Charles Metcalfe was not con-
fined to one part of his policy only was
not confined to his disposition to try the system of
Parliamentary government—the Noble Lord was also
prepared to resist any encroachments the Council was
disposed to make on the prerogatives of the Crown.
Those prerogatives were not in Canada, as in England,
the safeguards of popular rights ; they were the safe-
guards of the imperial connection, and if the people of
Canada clearly, understood that the Government at
home would resist these encroachments, he believed that
they would submit to the views of the Governor-General.
However great might be the advantages of the connec-
tion to this country, the advantages were still greater to
Canada itself. He knew from experience that much
mischief had been caused there by doubts among the
people of the good faith of tbeir liberal promises, of the
firmness of the Government in maintaining its views.
All they had to do was to make the people of Canada
fully conscious both of their good faith and their
determination, and by so doing they would
strengthen the hands of Sir C. Metcalfe, and
enable him to triumph over all opposition.
In endeavouring-to keep Sir Charles Metcalfe in Canada,
he was sure he was taking that course which was most
for the benefit of the Canadian people. The Govern-
ment could not have made a better selection than that
which, despising all party considerations, they made in
choosing Sir Charles Metcalfe as the person who, from
his experience, would be most likely to administer the
affairs of the colony with benefit; and, if he failed, it
would be difficult to find • one more likely to administer
them in a just, and, at the same time, in a conciliatory
spirit.—(Cheers.)
Lord J. RUSSELL said he was unwilling to give his
opinion upon the case, seeing that the facts were not fully
before them ; but as he had been referred to, lie did not
think it right to be altogether silent on the subject,
though he considered the question had been brought on
unnecessarily and prematurely. With regard to the dis-
patch which the Noble Lord had read, he concurred in
his general principles. With regard to Lord Sydenham,
it appeared to him at the time that no man in the country
was so likely to use his energies and his faculties for
the benefit of Canada, and in such a manner
as would maintain the connexion between Canada and
this country. Lord Sydenham had been originally
struck with a remark of his predecessor, " that there
was no quarter of the world where a man could do more
benefit to his fellow-creatures than in Canada." Being
placed in that situation, he devoted the whole energies
of his mind to advance the interests of Canada. He had
acquired great influence in Canada, owing., he believed,
chiefly to the knowledge he had acquired in this country
of Parliamentary discussion—n? the mode in which a free
Constitution was carried on, and to the knowledge which
he had on all matters relating to trade and commerce.
When Sir Charles Bagot went to Canada, he found a
large Parliamentary majority, and he could not do other-
wise than choose his Ministry from that majority ; but
he suffered severely from disease, and so much could net
be expected from him as from a person in robust health.
Sir Charles Metcalfe succeeded him, and, upon his
arrival in Canada, he declared his intention to adhere to
the resolutions of 1841. and to uphold the principle of
responsible government in the colony. He continued
the Ministry formed by his predecessor ; but he found,
after a considerable lapse of, time, that there were differ-
ences of opinion between them, and he was asked to
make concessions which he conceived it his duty to the
Crown to resist. The Noble Lord had read the terms
in which Sir Charles Metcalfe understood those de-
mands; and, understanding them as he did, he could not
do otherwise than resist them. It was impossible that
he could bind himself down in the manner proposed by
the Executive Council. But if all that was required of
him was that he should consider the opinions of the Exe-
cutive Council, he should say he took an erroneous
view of the case. With regard to the future, he con-
fessed that to him there appeared some grounds to hope
that the dispute would be settled, for some of the leaders
of the Executive Council had, it seemed, not made those
demands as they were understood, but only complained
of a want of general openness on the part of the Gover-
nor-General. If they said they did not insist upon
any such demands, it would be easier for the Assem-
bly to prevent any future misunderstanding on the
subject than if any differences existed on some great
constitutional point, for neither Sir Charles Metcalf: nor
any other Governor would deny that when certain per-
sons were appointed to the Executive Council, the
utmost confidence should exist between them. He did
not, therefore, take so gloomy a view as the Hon. and
Learned Member for Bath. He had trusted the Legis-
lative Assembly would see it was better for them that
Sir Charles Metcalfe should carry on the government
with no other view except that of promoting the in-
terests of the province, than enter into idle disputes
which must retard its prosperity. The Noble Lord had
stated fully, but not more fully than truly, the advan-
tages which Canada enjoyed from its connection with
this country. These advantages could not be overrated.
As
to the idea of an independent Canadian republic,
that was an illusion that could not last six months. If
they should join the United States, what would become
of those institutions which the Canadians cherished so
dearly ? What would become of those religious esta-
blishments which the Canadians cherished so dearly,
and for the maintenance of which this country had
always shown such care and regard.—(Cheers.)
He could not but think, under all the circumstances, that
the people of Canada and their representatives would
agree to the appointments which Sir Charles Metcalfe
might hereafter make to his Executive Council, and that
they would agree to pass such measures as he might
present to them by the advice of that Council, to pro-
mote the future welfare of Canada. He was sure that
the Canadians would not improve their situation by en-
deavouring to deprive the I.3overnor of that authority,
as the representative of the Crown of the United King-
dom; which was necessary to maintain the connection
between the colony and the mother country.(Cheers.)
Mr. TRELAWNEY thought they ought to consider
angdp„ Who
the premises which had been 11914 914