North American. [volume] (Swanton, Vt.) 1839-1841, 1839-10-02


"The result Of any determination on the
part OF the British government or Legsla.
ture 10 give one sect a predominance and
superiority would be, il might be feared
not TO secure the favored sect, but 10 en-
danger the loss OF the colony; and, in win.
dicatlng the exclusive pretensions of the
! English church, In hazard one of the fair
est possessions Of the British Crown"
He urges the immediate settlement al
this question, by leaving il solely TO the
local legislature.
The Catholics, who constitute at least
fifth of the whole population Of Upper
Canada, appear to have peculiar additional
causes OF grievance" They are not only
50 wholly excluded from all share in the
government OF the country, and the pat
ronage at its disposal" but the detestabe
institution OF Orangeism, chiefly as an &C
tive and organized engine of political ra-
Their than of religious machinery, has been
introduced into the country, and not only
tolerated but encouraged by the Govern
ment party. On several occasions the
election OF government parlizans has been
procured, as il is asserted, by means of" a
violent and riotous mob Of Orangemen,
who prevented the voters in the opposition
interest from coming up 10 the pos;" and
when the Assembly presented to Sir Fran
els Head an address OF remohstrance on
the subject, the cool answer received was,
simply, that "the Government Of this
Province has neither taken, nor is deter
mined to take, any steps to prevent or dis
courage the formation or continuance of
such societies."
The administration Of justice is not so
bad as in Lower Canada; there is sys-
TEN of circuits, and still some integrity in
juries; but there are general complaints
against the union Of political and judicial
functions in the chief JUSTICE" as also a
gainst the partizan system by which the
shertis are appointed; and for similar rea~
sons as in the Lower Province "the COM
position Of the magistracy appears TO be
serious cause OF mischief and dissalisfac-
ton" The province is also " without any
of those means by which the revenues of
country are developed, and the civilization
of a people is advanced or upheld" A
very considerable portion Of it has nei
theirs roads, post-ofices, mills, schools, nor
churches" The people can seldom ac-
quire wealth." and &c with the exception
Of the laboring class, most of the emigrants
who have arrived within the last ten years
are poorer now than at the time of their
arrival in the province. There is little
accommodation, and emo adequate
system of local assessment to improve il"
-" nor can even wealthy land owners
prevent their children from growing up ig-
norant aud boorish, and from occupying a
far lower mental, moral, and social posi-
ton than they themselves FILL" So that,
alter all, the state of things appears hardly
much better in any point Of view in the
Upper than in the Lower Province; nor
are the acknowledged evils in the condi-
ton of the latter to be ascribed to any pc
culiar cause in the character of the French
population, but rather to the general re-
pressive and deterorative influence Of col
onfat nltsgouernment under the "paternal
and benign auspices" of British Toryism.
Carlyle, in his History Of the French
Revolution, makes the remark, that mis-
rule always in the end both proves and ex-
pIodes itself by bankruptcy. Upper Cana
da presents an unhappy illustration OF its
truth. The whole revenue of the Pro-
vince, about EGO. 900, is hardly adequate
to pay the interest OF the public debt, up
wards OF a million which has been sunk
with "great mismanagement, and per-
haps no little johbing") in public works
coniessedly Improbable, and some of which
are now almost suspended from the ap.
partent inutiIity Of completing them, p
a state of things which is ascribed, with
what truth we have no means of Judging,
in great deg rec, 10 the want oil co-opera-
tion of the Legislature Of the Lower Pro-
vince.
5. The other Provinces, New Bruins
wick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edwards Is
land,& Newfoundland, present on the whole
a spectacle in most respects analogous
10 the unhappy picture which the Report
draws of the condition of the two larger
ones-though both their suferings and dis
contents differ greatly in degree from those
of the latter. and though in these there is
generally a much stronger sentiment Of
British loyalty. In New Brunswick the
"a official party" has had the good sense To
succumb with better grace to the liberal
popular party; The consequence of which
is a much greater degree Of harmony and
tranquility than in any Of the other. But,
on the whole, in all Of them like causes are
found iniallihly To produce like effects.
80 IL ali thaSs nFOvincez tve find rpnreSPnfa-