Star.
London, England, 1828-05-03 00:00:00

pope:aqui,. That situation of IreLeen for the Iresi rem years, bad'
affordestsufficient evidence on that head. Caned, could not oe Low
held,,nor-justly governed,without abstaining from interfering toe
much in the internal government. The majority should have political
power as the shield of its liberty and the protection of civil rights
The Right Honourable Gentleman had, its ringing the subject unit
-
der the consideration of the House, some plans in h
(Sir J.'s) opinion, he had not gate far enough. He wished that he
bad been more explicit with respect to the objections stated by. ,
the Right Honourable Gentleman, of separating the English settler
on the confines from the great majority. The wisest measure to
pursue, to ameliorate the condition of the people, would be by se-
lecting a mild and temperate Governor, who should by :his adminis-
tration so consult the interests of the people, that they might be in-
duced to view the conduct of .the Mother Country with respect
and affection. He condemned the introduction of Religious Sects
into the Canadas, and particullirly the attempt to compel the peo-
ple to subscribe to the Thirty-nine Artldefewhich was not the reli-
gion of the inhabitants of the country. It was not It for this
country to establish a College there, little calculated to harmonize
with the feelings, or habits, or inclinations of the people.
Mr. WILMOT-HORTON contended that the Right Honour-
able Gentleman who spoke last bad completely misunderstood the
grounds on which his. Right Honourable Friend had called for
the inquiry. With regard to the measure of the Union proposed
by hint in 1822, which had been alluded to in the debate, he could
assure the House that that measure was brought forward against
the wish of the Government. He was applied to by the Honour-
able Member for Coventry, now no longer in the House, and told,
in a letter now in his possession, that he might assure the GoVern-'
ment of the earnest desire of all his political friends to see suck
measure, and that it would only have to be proposed, to pats
through the House without opposition. There never was a man
personally worse used than he was with regard to .tbfe measure,
and there new r was an Instance of greeter baseness, as he could
show by papers which he still possessed, than that exhibited tly
the treatment he received upon that occasion.—(Hear, hear, hear).
The Right Hon Gentleman deprecated any attempt to introiiiice
English law and institutions, because the majority of thepdtiulahno
was French, and they bad been accustomed to the .Fiauch Calle,
He begged to ask how this was to be reconciled with the muse:
Lions constantly brought against the Government for suffering •Ae
Dutch law to remain in force amongst the Dutch populatiat of
the Cape of Good ilope ?—( Hear, hear.) The same ware-said with
respect to the Spanish laws, in the colony of Trinidad. He would
never bluetit from maintaining the proposition that allows Colimies
ought to be progressively Anglicised, until the Empire wasmeled
• upon one general system. There was not one word ein the
speech of Mr. Pitt which bed been referred to but wetitao con-
vince him that the eventual object of Mr. Pitt's plan was to win
the French Canadians to our., system. and to have the French
laws transmitted into ikitish inititutioas with their consent. If
the House were prepared to say that the rights of the Government
were to be given up, because there was discontent and resistance to
its power, then, he contended, there was an end to all colonial go-
vernment at once. If a colony looked for our protection, and ex-
pected us to take her produce at a loss, she must expect to submit
to some contralti and authority on the part of the mother country.
lie was as desirous as the Right Hon. Gentleman could be to see
Canada and all the other colonies of this country governed upon as
liberal a system as was consistent with their interests, and as anxious
as he could be to foster their growing prosperity. The Right Hon.
Gentleman was satisfied that when publicity was given to the know-
ledge displayed that night respecting the affairs of the Colonies,
and the desire which was felt to render his Majesty's Canadian
subjects justice, that great advantage would be gained. He did
,not
consider the best mode of curing the evils complained of, was to
make legi-lators of English and French subjects, who .weceopposed
to each other upon Colonial policy. His hope was, that the debate
in which they were then engaged would go a great way in the settle-
ment of the qgestion. When it was known theta regime of con-
ciliation prevailed in that House, coupled with a desire not to
abandon the Colonies, it would do more to tranquilize Canada than
any other thing. The question connected with religious differences
would occupy temperate and serious investigation, and there were
many other matters for consideration which it was not necessary
theft to mention, as they were going into Committee. Upon the
view he had taken of the subject. he should support the proposition
of the Right Honourable i•eutlertian.
Mr. STAN LEY said, that the conduct of the Government ought
to be of that description in legislating between the two Colonies
of Upper and Lower Canada, to act in such a manners- as would
prove—not only to those Provinces, but to all our other Colo- •
nial dependencies, that impartial justice would be administered
to them, and that there was no distinction in that respect be-
tween them and the inhabitants tat Great Britain. The. Honour.
able Member then took a review tat the 'Briti.h historaseif those
provinces, and stated, that in 1763, when a Legisistiver,alssem-
bly was called, they were found to be all Catholics ...This
state of things existed until the year 177 e, but reeds at that
time the Canadians preferred to. he governed by the king
and Government, rather than to have an Aesteddy of: Brit
own—so much were they opposed to a mixture of--,Pfroteatante
in their Assembly. The lion. Member thought is-the the
case before the House, bad formed the people to it on the one Ode,
and the law on the other to the people, that the House should pro-
ceed with great caution ionaedellteg with the matter The greatest
evil in the whole case was the division of the two Provinces, thereby
creating the serious evil of .dividing the people. and the Government
reigning by a minorty. by this means the people wars diiided
one :spigot the other, and treat mischief bad in consequence been
produced. These squabbles between the parties were a proof, not
of a palpable disease but the syrup ems of u ; and nothing, he thought.
could remedy it but a very careful interposition of this country. If
he understood the proposition of his ilisAit lion. Friend (Mr. Hus-
kiwi's), it was his intention of going fully into the Act of 1792, and
be should therefore give it his support ; but at the same time he
warned the House tube wise for once; they had had experience in
the neighbourhood of the Colonies in question, and they ought to
grant such wise and liberal principles as would secure their alle-
giance, until that time arrived when they would of necessity become
independent—and even then we simnel still secure them, as a
friendly power—(Cheers). ,
Ai r. IiUME did not approve of the Committee, because he did
not think they were to be possessed of sufficient power to correct
the evils complained of. Those evils were tbe effects of the conduct
of his Majesty's Government, who had raised a storm its Canada,
which they called upon Parliament to Allay. He thought interfe-
rence *mark of weakness. Ile had heard complaints front other Colo.
nice, and Parliament hail not been called upon. lie did trot see
why they should interfere at present. Government, instead of
actiog in the spirit of conciliation, had irritated the people of those
Col sirs;. and lie considered ail the evils of that settlement were
the results of misgovernment.
Mr. WAIt BC lITON hoped it would be in instructions to the
Committee to inquire into the state of pluralities in Canada, where
he understood they were more numerous than in England.
Mr. S. WORTLEY said, he was certain these was no intention
on the part of the Right Hun. Secretary for the Colonies, to get
the Committee to interfere between the- Government and the Le-
gislatures of the Colonies, ,between
considered that question belonged
exclasivelyto his Majesty's Ministers, who, as they alone were m-
illion Able for the Government of the Colonies, be -hoped it world
not he take' out of their hands. He thought the 'Committee called
for, but he should like to know whether it was- eleternained that
the committee were sot in soy way to 'interfere in the. disputes to
rtrhkh reference had been so frequently made during thstiening.
Mr. A. BA RING thought this was one of the moo Important
subjects that could come under the notice of the Moven. . When
he r. fleeted upon the -attempt of Giiveinmene,t4 .Ke Wise are'
people of Canada, and, under the guidance .rat .Pr achan
Ito establish a predominant religion there, he could lerhesitate
at. tibute all the grievances complained of to op seivemment ;
nor could he wonder at the petitions of 57,000 a oi people of
Lower Canada, and *of 8 or 90 00 of the people of DOPer Canada.
The whole questies Was one of extensive importance, and he was
sure nothing ought to be left untried, in order to see irt here was
sot a system to be found -which could copciliate ail parties. He
would not at that time of tight weary the House, but the ques-
tion was one of paramount importance to every well-wisber to
the prosperity of the country. He did not care what was going
forward in Bessarabia or Wallachia, neither did it concern him
what the Grand Seignor might be about, when put in vansperieest
with the safety of the Colonies. When he, however,heard a Right
Huts. Gentleman (Mr. Wilmot-Holton) talk of Anglicising • the
Canadians, and imputing the Thirty-nine Articles in Canada—and
when he beard him cheered by a number of Gentlemen who must
know very little of either Upper or Lower Canada, be could not much
regret that that Gentleman was no longer in the department which
he at one time served In. As to any negotiation on that side of
the House about the passing of the Bill, he never beard of it, and if
such a compromise were entered into, it was much to be blamed.
Mr. W I LMOTeHORTON rem strictly eta explain. lie said
that the Honourable Gentleman altogether mistook his line of ar-
gument, which was, that if we did not Anglicise Trinidad or the
Cape of Good Hope, why should We do so with Canada? He had
never said one word about the Thirty-nine Articles; and if the
Honourable Gentle Man had attributed such an idea to him, he
(Mr. Baring) certainly must have drawn much More upon his ima-
gination than Wears.
. Mr. &rectory HUSK ISSON explained. Ile bad purposely
abstained from smiting the public conduct of Lord Dalhousie;
elunsibt the fact that that Noble Lord would in all probe-
Way ha shortly called upon to MI a higher station than that
slit. be at present held, the best proof that mid be give,
is the friends of that Noble Lord, that Ids conduct bad been;
entirely satisfactory to the Government which had employed
hint: Ili order to show the views of Mr. Pitt.- as to the pro.'
priety of the House going Into the splint. be would feint a