The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1843-08-28


Right Hon. Charles Lord Sydenham, G. c. B., with
narrative of his administration in Canada, edited
by his brother G. Pouett Scope. Esq M. p, has
just been published in England, and from what we
have seen Of it in the reviews we doubt not it con-
tains matter OF great interest here. As we cannet
now 60 much into the contents OF this work as we
may at future period, we shall content ourselves
with few extracts.
The following is an extract from private letter.
in which he expresses his exultation at the result of
the last session OF the Upper Canadian Legislature.
1t contains some home truths, which it may be
well for the people to remember:-
:. have prorogued." he says, my Parliament,
and send you my speech Never was such unani.
| nifty! When the Speaker read it in the Commons,
after the Propagation, they gave three cheers in
which even the utras united. In fact, as the mat
stands now, the Province is in state of peace
| and harmony which three months ago thong hi
was utterly hopeless. e How lSns i will last is
| bill as have sent it home, and the Lords do not
reject the Clergy Reserves Bill, am confident
shall be able 10 keep the peace, make strong go
deal Of trouble, and have had 10 work night and
| day it. But was resolved on doing the thing
| The great mistake made here hitherto, was, that
every governor threw himself into the hands OF one
| party or the other, and became their slave have
| let them know and feel that will yield 10 neither
| of them--lhat will take the moderate from both
| sldes-reject the extremes-and govern as think
| right, and not they fancy. | am satisfied that
| the mass of the people are sound-moderate in
their demands, and attached to British institutions;
but they have been oppressed by miserable little
cllgarchy on the one hand, and excled BY aew
middle reforming party feel sure, which will put
down both.
"You can form no idea Of the manner In which
a Colonial Parliament transacts its business l got
them into comparative order and decency by having
measures brought forward by the Government, and
we'll and steadily worked through. But when they
came to their affairs and, above all, TO the mo
ney matters, there was scene OF confusion and
rot OF which no one in England can have any idea.
Every man proposes vote for his own job; and
bills are introduced without notice, and carried
through all their stages in quarter OF an hour
One OF the greatest advantages of the Union will
be, that 1t will be possible TO introduce sys-
tenn of legslating and, above all restriction upon
would not give farthing for my bill and the change
will be decidedly popular; for the members all COM
plain that, under the present system, they cannot
refuse 10 move job for any constituent who de-
sres It."
Writing from Montreal on the 18Th of March,
lS40 he gives his correspondent the following
graphic sketch of matters, and mentions the mea-
| sures he proposes for their amelioration:-
" | have been back three weeks, and have set to
work in earnest in this Province. 1t is bad pros,
pect, however, and presents lamentable contrast
to Upper Canada. There great excitement existed;
but at least the people were qaarelins for realizes,
for political opinions and with view to Interior
| measures Here there is no such thing as poll
cal OPINION, No man looks to practical measure
or improvement. Talk to any upon education,
or public works. better laws, let him be English
or French, you might as well talk Greek 10 him.
Nota man cares tor single practical measure--the
only end, one would suppose, OF better form of
Government They have only one feeling-a hatred
OF race. The French hate the English, and the
| English hate the French and every question re-
solves itself into that and that alone. There is posi-
| lively no machinery Of Government Everything
s TO be done by the Governor and his Secretary
There no heads of departments at all, or none
whom one can depend on, or even get at for most
OF them are still at Quebec, and it is difficult to
move them up here, because there are no public
buildings. The wise system hitherto adopted has
been TO stick two men into some Office whenever
| vacancy occurred; one Frenchman and ore Bri-
| fisher! Thus we have joint Crown surveyors, joint
sherffs, &C., each opposing the other in everything
he attempts. Can you conceive system better cal
culated to counteDance the distinction of race r.
Thc only way, under these circumstances. In which
can hope to do good ID to wait for the Union, in
| order to get Government together and that
| shall do. Meantime, what l am chiefly anxious
about now Is to get good division Of the Province
the proposed municipal districts. l hope to get an
entirely new system OF judlcature, Introducing cir
cus tor the judges, and districts courts tor minor
civil causes. have already established stpendary
magistrates; and rural police in this district,
| menced by Lord Seaton, mean TO extend generally
| over the whole Province in a few weeks by an
Ordinance. The head of the Government is utterly
| unknown and unfet at present out Of Montreal and
Quebec, and not the slightest means exist If know
ing what is passing in the rural districts II is with
this view that have proposed and attach the great
est Importance to the establishment of lieutenan,s
tor each mum cipal district, who shall likewise pre-
SIDE over the Council This is very necessary in
| Upper Canada, but indispensable here. You will
see that propose TO reserve power in my Bill, TO
with such powers as the Governor General may see
tit to Selegate. This is essential. The Province is
| 1000 miles long, and without some each end
on whom we can confide it will be impossible 10
manage Very good men may be got, tor fl000 a
| year at the outside. Tor what want"
He thus writes on June l5 $780,
"You ask about my health. II is better than it
has been for years, which attribute to the very
guar life lead. and TO the absence OF House OF
Commons atmosphere. Then, to be sure, fit were
not tor the interest take in my business, and the
quantity of il. il would be dull life enough. Work
In my room till three o'clock ride with my aid
de-camp TIL five work again till dinner al dinner
.Ill nine; and work again till early next morning.
That is my daily routine. My dinners last till ten,
when have company, which is abou, three times a
week; except one night in the week, when receive
about 100 people, who dance, sing, amuse them
selves, and rather bore me.
81 have done myself come good by little excur.
sion ! made last week up the Ricbelieu, and go
round by The railroad back ;-three days of air and
exercise The weather Was lovely, though very hot,
espe cially Tor riding. The mode Of going about is
convenient enough. took small steamer, which
carried ones horses, so that could leave the boat
whenever pleased, and ride into the country to see
The different places wished to visit away from the
nver. Those counties bordering on the Richelleu
were formerly the garden Of Lower Canada; the soil
rich to degree; but they are now used up CON-
petely by the abomnable mode OF cultivation pnr-
sued by the habitans, and present melancholy pic
ture; the population rapidly increasing and the pew
pie unwilling TO quit their neighborhood TO settle
on new land, until actually starved ont. The ply
sica state Of the people is however, even better Than
their moral condition. Their ignorance and credu-
lily are unbounded, and no wonder they became
| the victims OF the sgtators who stirred them up TO
focus of the outbreak To be sure, a miserable
outbreak IT was; put down with the utmost ease by
single regiment"
] The following extract from private letter dated