The Sun.
London, England, 1842-10-27 00:00:00

SPIRIT of the PUbLIC JOURNALS.

FROM THE EVENING PA PERS OF YESTERDAY.
GLOBE.—That which Sir Robert Peel's Go-
vernment is to the monopolists, the proceedings
of Sir Charles Begot, as Governor-General
of Canada, seem to be to the knot of Tories
who enjoyed exclusively the patronage and pay
of Government in Canada. "Who would have.
thought that the good old plan of making the
personal and political rights of the many subser-
vient to the aggrandizement of the few—a sys-
tem of policy which had prevailed in Canada
until-it had alienated the bulk of the inhabitants
from the British Government—who could have
anticipated that suck an excellent and long-
existing system of Tory rule, should have re-
ceived its coup de grace from a Tory hand,
directed by a Tory Government! This was a
blow so unexpected, and so positively astound-
ing that the " Family Compact" in Canada has
been almost frightened into fits by the surprise,
and the Tory journals at home are one day specu-
lating as to the cause, and the next lamenting
over the consequences of the catastrophe I That
a Tory Governor-General should recognise the
Whig-Radical doctrine of " responsible Govern-
ment,' and endeavour to allay ancient feuds and
conciliate estranged affections, by admitting to a
share in the Government two gentlemen who
possess the confidence of a large party in the
colony, was -certainly an epoch in its history.
We trust and believe that from it will-be dated
the commencement of a long, uninterrupted
course of tranquillity and prosperity; the Go-
vernment in unison with the views and feelings
of the people, and the people reciprocating con-
fidence in ' the Government and a cheerful
obedience to the laws. That Sir Charles
Begot is • merely the instrument of effect-
ing the changed. policy of the parent Govern-
ment towards Canada, there is every reason to
believe: It is not probable that lie would have
taken -upon himself—without being guided and
fortified by the directions of the British Cabinet
—the responsibility ot a " revolution"—so the
Ministerial Post designated the change—so cer-
tain of causing the loudest imaginable complaints
from the clique which has deprecated every con-
cession to popular opinion, and who were sure_ to
be encouraged in their opposition by the organs
of Toryism at home. The alternative of gratify-
ing the ascendant few at the risk of provoking
resistance from the many—reSistance which
must embarrass the Government, if it did not
disturb the existence of social order in the colony
—was too fearful to be encountered. Conciliation
was determined on. The admission of two or three
Liberals into the Cabinet Council of the Governor-
General has furnished a gratifying pledge of the
future policy of the Administration, and has
been accepted as the earnest of that ameliora-
tion in the state, and improvement in the posi-
tion, of the French Canadians, who form the
bulk of the population of Lower Canada—a
change which had become essential to the re-
pose, and necessary to the development, of the
resources of the. colony. The Herald of this
morning says :—" Sir Charles Begot is really in
a most unenviable position; the bid he has al-
ready made for the support of the quondam pro-
moters of insurrection, is not high enough; he
must make a further advance, or they will
quickly return to opposition, invigorated by the
importance he has thrust upon them." The dis-
satisfaction of the Herald with the "position" of
Sir Charles Begot, arises from a conversation
which appears to have taken place in the House of
Assembly at Kingston, on the 19th September last.
" Mr. _Moffatt thought this a fitting moment to ask
the Ministry two questions—firstly, whether they
were prepared to support the Union Act as passed by
the Imperial Parliament ; and, secondly, to maintain
the Civil List as it at present stands ?
" Mr. Hinckes replied that he individually had
never pledged himself to Support. the Union Act; and
he was opposed to the Civil List unless voted by the
Assembly, and not by the Imperial Parliament."
Upon this conversation—Or rather upon the
reply of Mr. Hinckes to the question put to the
Ministry of which he is a member—the Herald
founds the following comment ;—,
" It is clear from that answer, that Sir Charles
Bagot permits the terms dictated by the Imperial Pa-
rliament to be open questions in his Administration ;*
while the probability is, that the recent admissions
thereto have given a majority to those of his present
advisers who agree with Mr. Hinckes,—those admis-
sions must at least have increased the strength of the
Opposition therein to the fundamental stipulations on
which the Imperial Parliament restored constitutional
government to the Lower Province."
We put a different interpretation on the
answer. Mr. llinckes, and those of his col-
leagues in the Ministry who occupy the same
relative position with respect to parties with
hiinself, • were doubtless admitted to the
Cabinet without being required to recant the
opinions they had openly expressed under other
circumstances, engendering other feelings, than
those by which .they were. now actuated. The
object of the Government was concession : to
have fettered the Offer of a share in the Govern-
ment to the leading members of the popular
party with conditions, would have defeated that
object, and hare revived the, reniembrabce of
grievances it was desirable should be forgotten,
and provoked exasperation at.the moment when
friendly co-operation was essential to the good of
all parties. It is quite possible for Mr. Hinckes,
and other members ot the Cabinet who concur
with him in his views on that question, to be
the medium of friendly dispositions between the
Canadian party and the Government, and yet to
retain their views on that question. " For a Go-
vernor-General," says the Herald, " to select
advisers regardless of these conditions"—the ap-
proval of the Act of Union, and the voting of the
Civil. List by the Imperial Parliament—" is to
the province almost equivalent to the Sovereign
at ,home summoning to the Royal councils Mi-
nisters who were favourable to a repeal of the
union between England and Ireland." Not so :
it rather resembles the admission of persons to
the councils of the Sovereign who, previously to
the passing of the Roman Catholic Relief Bill,
were known to be friendly to the measure, and
invariably voted for Catholic Emancipation ;
which, for several'years before .that great conces-
sion to a proscribed people became law, was an
" Open questiOn" in the British Cabinet. " Why
did not the late Lord Sydenharn seek the assistance
in; his Cabinet of any representatives of the French
Canadians ?" Because social order, so sadly
disjointed by the insurrection, was
not u
suffi-
ciently tranquillised and settled during his g -
vernment. Had his valuabl:, life been spared,
and he been allowed to remain in the government
which he had so wisely administered in the spirit
of conciliation, he would, doubtless, have intro-
duced to his councils those whose assistance Sir
Charles Begot, animated by the same views, has
succeeded in obtaining. .The great mistake which
the Herald, and those who in this country and
Canada condemn the course the Governor-Ge-
neral has adopted in this matter, is, that he had
an alternative—except, indeed, that the adoption
of which would have risked another insurrection.
The question was, Shall the government be
administered in conformity with public opi-
nion, or by the application of physical force?
Shall it be a military despotism, or a Govern-
ment of law and of social order ? The interval
which elapsed since the insurrection was a transi-
tion state, in which it was impossible for the
colony to remain. To retrace the path, for the
purpose of restoring the ancient regime, would
have provoked resistance before which the Go-
vernment would have fallen, if the colony itself
had
not' been lost to the British Crown. The
Report of Lord Durham indicated another and a
wiser course. That the Government has pur-
sued—to the sore chagrin of the friends of des-
potism in both countries ; but with the sanction
of all and approval
safely
llwho believe that no Govern-
ment can be administered which is not
based on the affections and supported by the
approval of the governed.
STANDARD.—The An 1 Corn-law League
want," not a " hero," for Mr. Cobden officiates
for them in that capacity atptresosent, but some-
attainment—they
thing much more difficult o
want some money. owe
Pray
Cobden, at a late meeting of the Lea
Le says
Mr.
atr.
Manchester, "to ask the country for 50,0001.,5t of
to
be paid into the Treasurer's hands by the 1
January, 1843." There is a touch of humour in
this announcement which greatly exceeds that
of any previous notification ef the body. The
Morning Chronicle thinks there can be no man-
ner of doubt that the money will be obtained,
and assures us that .50,0001. would be a cheap
price to pay for the benefits it is to assist iu
securing, With 50,000/. at his command, Mr.
Cobden proposes that every elector in the coun-
try shall bevisited by an anti-corn-law missionary, •
with not There'
d.. y a tract or pamphlet, but alittle
library of
e livin knowledge on the subject his
pocket. Should all these "aids to reflection' fail,
they are to be
letters as was followed up by some such series of
Cleve-
land by that addressed to the Duke of brazen
hireling of the Leae, Ac"
land. Beside the employment ofsuch means, Con-
ferences and meetings are r
tohtehleeclodu,
natnrdy d; ewphuitiasi.
tions dispatched to all parts of
a gegeral conference is to meet in London and re-
• snaus.there during the whole session'; or, in de-
• fault thereof,
.as long as the money lasts.
. What, adds. Mr. Cobden, is an outlay of 50,000/.
i
when compared• with the object it s destined
to achieve? Although he has no doubt
that this amount will be -Obtained, lie
_wishes
it to proceed from all parts of: the country,
and therefore proposes 6it llPet upon