The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1839-03-01 00:00:00

EXTRACTS FROM THE NARRATIVE OF SIR

FRANCIS B. HEAD.

THE HISTORY OF MY APPOINTMENT TO THE GOVERN-
MENT OF UPPER CANADA, IN NOVEMBER, 1835.
It had blown almost a hurricane from the S.S.W.—the
sheep in Romney Marsh had huddled together in groups—
the cattle, afraid to feed, were still standing with their tails
to the storm—l had been all day immured in New Romney
with the board of guardians of the Marsh union ; and though,
several times, my horse had been nearly blown off the road,
I had managed to return to my lodging at Cranbrook ; and,
with my head full of the unions, parishes, magistrates, guar-
dians, relieving officers, and paupers of the county of Kent,
like Abon Hassen, I had retired to rest, and for several
hours had been fast asleep, when, about midnight, I was
suddenly awakened by the servant of my lodging, who, with
a letter in one hand, and in the other a tallow candle, illu-
mining an honest countenance, not altogether free from
alarm, hurriedly informed me, " That a King's officer had
come after me !),
What could possibly be the matter in the workhouse of
this busy world I could not clearly conceive ; however, sitting
up m my bed, I opened the letter, which, to thy utter asto-
nishment, was from the secretary of state for the colonies,
expressing a wish that I should accept the government of
Upper Canada ; and that, if possible, I would call upon him
with my answer, at half-past eight the following morning, as
at nine o'clock he was, to set out for Brighton, to see the
King.
As I was totally unconnected with every member of the
government, and had never had the honour even of seeing
Lord Glenelg in my life, I was altogether at a loss to con-
ceive why thii appointment should have been offered to me.
However, as it appeared there was no time to be lost, I im-
mediately got up, and, returning to London in the chaise of
the King's messenger who had brought me the communica-
tion, I reached my own house at Kensington at six o'clock,
and having consulted with my family, whose opinions on the
subject I found completely coincided with my own, I waited
upon Lord Glenelg at his residence, at the hour appointed
(half-past eight); when I most respectfully and very grate-
fully declined the appointment.
To this determination Lord Glenelgvery obligingly replied,
by repeating to me his wish to be enabled to submit my name
to the King for so important and difficult a trust. He begged
me to consider the subject; and, in order that I might be
enabled to do so, he requested me to go and converse with
his under-secretary, Mr. Stephen, who, his lordship said,
would give me every information on the subject.
Nothing could be more uncongenial to my habits, disposi-
tion, and opinions, than the station that was offered to me ;
while, on the other hand, as regarded my appointment in the
poor law commission, never had I been engaged in a service
the duties of which had so completely engrossed my mind..
Rightly or wrongly, it now matters not, I fancied that, against
I prejudice and clamour I should eventually succeed in the
noblest, and to my mind the most interesting of all services,
that of reviving the character and condition of the English
labourer ; and as, notwithstanding the unpopularity of the
new act, I had, thanks to the magistrates, yeomanry, and
farmers of the county of Kent, carried it into effect by ac-
clamation, the pleasure as well as interest of the task was
daily increasing.
If the poor law-commissioners had expressed the slightest
wish to remove me from Kent to any station of greater diffi-
culty, or even of danger, it would of course have been my
especial duty not to have declined ; but, as the Colonial-office
had not the slightest claim upon me, and as I was really
grossly ignorant of everything that in any way related to the
government of our colonies, continued, so far as my own
wishes, and even interests were concerned, to adhere to my
opinion.
Still, however, I did not like to persist in refusing my
humble services to the King's government, after they had
been twice required of me; and accordingly, walking towards
Downing-street, under this confliction of feelings, it was with
considerable reluctance that I entered the door of the Colo-
nial Office.
In obedience to a principle which I need not repeat, I at
last, without any further reference to my family, expressed
to Mr. Stephen that I would undertake the duty ; and, ac-
cordingly, a letter was, without delay, despatched to Brighton
to Lord Glenelg, who, on receiving it, immediately submitted
to the King my name, of which his Majesty was graciously
pleased to approve.
I must now mention a few details which, though not very
interesting to relate, had perhaps better not be withheld from
the public.
In my interview with Mr. Stephen, I learnt that from mo-
tives of economy, which, in a moment of so much alleged
danger, I could not clearly comprehend, there would be a
difficulty in continuing to me an aid-de-camp, and that not
only was I to receive £5OO a-year less salary than my pre-
decessor, but that, instead of his military remuneration,
which amounted, I understand, to nearly £l,OOO a-year, I
was to forfeit to the government my half-pay as major in
the army.
With respect to these arrangements, I at once very dis-
tinctly observed to Mr. Stephen, that although it was, of
course, utterly impossible for me to imagine what would be
the official expenses to which I should be subjected, yet that,
as so many governors, one after another, were supposed to
have failed in their missions, and as the difficulties which had
overcome them were declared to have increased rather than
to have diminished, I considered it was unreasonable, as well
as imprudent, in the government to ask me to encounter
them with diminished means. I told Mr. Stephen, that to
go without an aid-de-camp to a disturbed colony, where the
governor had always been seen to have one, would, in my
opinion, be impolitic ; and I added, that as I was altogether
below my predecessors (Sir Peregrine Maitland and Sir John
Colborne) in military rank, and that as I was to be divested
of the command of the troops, I thought the civil elevation
of a baronetcy ought to be conferred on me.
In short, my argument ran upon the theory that I thought
I ought not to go into action without as many shot in my
locker, and as much support, as my predecessors had had.
I declared I wanted no more.
In reply, Mr. Stephen admitted the justness of my theory.
He told me that I ought to have an aid-de-camp—that he
thought I should be justified in insisting that my official ex-
penses, as Lord Gosford's had been, should be defrayed—
and he said that if a batch of baronets were to be created,
there would be no difficulty • but there were so many appli-
cations for the distinction, that he thought Lord Melbourne
might feel he would create jealousy by a single appointment.
The following day I did not see Lord Glenelg ; but, as I
had been apprised that, in order that the King's promise to
the legislature to Upper Canada, to give his answer in Ja
nuary, should not be broken, it would be necessary I should
sail in a very few days, I thought it advisable that, before I
was gazetted, I should repeat, in writing, the requests I
had madesto Mr. Stephen. I accordingly did this, and my-
self delivered the communication to Mr. Stephen, who, how-
ever, advised me not to force it officially upon Lord Glenelg,
•„
tire fait 'al Aiciin,ltotiglihgyhailgiion was,
of course, occupied with higher subjects, I very shortly sub-
mitted to his lordship (in presence, if I recollect right, of Sir
George Grey) the propriety of my being raised as nearly as
possible to the same level as my predecessor, to which gene-
ral theory Lord Glenelg, with his usual kindness, of manner,
replied, There is much truth in what you say."
On my arrival at Brighton, in order to be presented to the
King, I explained the difficulty which had been raised about
my aide-de-camp, to which it was replied, " You really ought
not to go out without one."
Every body thus seemed to agree with my theory, and yet
nothing was settled. At last Mr. Stephen took me to Lord
Howick, and after considerable trouble I was authorised to
appoint Lieut. Halket, of the Coldstream guards, as my
aide-de-camp.
As my time was very short, my attention was much en-
grossed in reading over a voluminous correspondence which
was placed before me in the Colonial-office. I had to wind
up, or rather to cut, the thread of my business with the poor
law commission, and had also my private affairs to settle ;
accordingly the day of my departure arrived without any
terms with the government havingbeen satisfactorily settled.
I had been subjected to considerable losses by being called
upon so suddenly to break up my establishment ; and for
temporary profit I had been thus subjected to expenses ex-
ceeding £5OO.
In order that the King's promise to the legislature of Up-
per Canada should be fulfilled, instead of being sent, as had
been customary in a King's ship, I was desired to proceed
with my suite, which consisted of my aide-de-camp, my civil
secretary, &c., by the packet to New York, from whence I
was to transport them, as well as my baggage, in the depth
of winter, through the United States to Canada ; and in or-
der to indemnify me for all these losses, outfit, and expenses,
I was offered on the morning of my departure £330, of
which, I was told, it would be necessary to retain £250 for
the fees of my commission.
With my suite I immediately set off for Liverpool, and I
was on board the New York packet, which was actually
moving out of the harbour, when an official letter was de-
livered to me by post, cancelling the appointment of my
aide-de-camp.
There was of course no time to remonstrate : however, as
Lieut. Halket, in order to join me, had obtained from the
commanding officer of his regiment a year's leave of absence,
1 begged he would employ it by accompanying me to Toronto
as my guest, which he accordingly did.
My arrival in Upper Canada will form the subject of the
next chapter. I will therefore merely here state that, in the
very few words which passed between Sir John Colborne
and myself on the subject of official expenses, Sir John men-
tioned to me, in general terms, that these expenses had,
during the ten years he had administered the government,
exceeded his salary of governor ; and I had scarcely thus
learned that the theory I had asserted in the Colonial-office
was a practical fact, when I found that, even before I was
sworn in, I was debtor to Sir John Colborne £1,050 for
stoves, kitchen apparatus, furniture of public rooms, &c.,
and that I should be required to pay another £l,OOO for
horses, carriages, sleighs, linen, liveries, additional furniture,
&c.

Considering that our valuable North American colonies
were supposed almost by 'everybody in England, and espe-
pecially by the government, to be on the point of separating
themselves from the present state, I will merely ask, was
it even politic in the King's government to despatch me on
so forlorn a hope, not only without sufficient means, but,
morally speaking, as destitute of ammunition as General
Whitelock's men were, when, without flints or fixed bayo-
nets, they were wilfully marched towards inevitable defeat ?
Whatever may be the opinion of the public on this sub-
ject, I shall always believe that had I, inexperienced and un-
supported, fallen as soon as I reached my post, his Majesty's
government would have been liable to impeachment for the
loss of our North American colonies. Nevertheless, I really
do thein the justice to believe that they were so intoxicated
by the insane theory of conciliating democracy, that they ac-
tually believed the people of Upper Canada would throw up
their hats and be delighted at the vulgarity of seeing the re-'
presentative of their sovereign arrive amongst them as an
actor of all work, without dignity of station, demeanour, or
conduct : in short, like a republican governor, who, from his
cradle, has been brought up to reckon " that all men are
born equal"—that the fabric of human society has neither
top nor bottom—that the protection of property of all de-
scriptions belongs to the multitude, and that the will of the
mob is the real " law of the land."

POTATOES AND SPRATS.—The proper diet for a pauper
has become a very important question among the zealous
supporters of the poor-law bill. One of these philanthropists
has discovered that there are some things more wholesome,
and much cheaper, than beef and bread. He considers
sprats most nutritious ; and deems it to be a grievous sin,
that boat-loads of them are sold on the coast for manure.
He earnestly observes, that " a plateful of sprats, which
might thus be obtained for less than half a farthing, and half
a pound of potatoes, which could be had for one halfpenny,
would make an excellent meal." If this kind soul's advice
were to be acted upon, we should very soon after have the
poor devils, like his favourite fish, " as lean as a sprat.—
Sunday Times.

FALCONRY.—FaIconry, which is now so much in disuse
among us, was the principal amusement of our ancestors. A
person of rank in England, some three or four centuries tip,
scarcely stirred out without his hawk upon his hand, which
in old paintings is the criterion of nobility. The expense
which attends this sport is very great ; among the old Welsh
princes, the King's falconer was the fourth officer of state,
but, notwithstanding all his honours, he was forbidden to
take more than three draughts of beer from his horn, lest he
should get intoxicated, and neglect his duty. In the reign
of James the First, Sir Thomas Monson is said to have
given a thousand pounds for a cast of hawks ; and such was
their value in general, that it was made felony, in the reign
of Edward the Third, to steal a hawk. To take its eggs,
even in a person's own ground, was punishable with im-
prisonment for a year and a day, together with a fine at the
king's pleasure.