New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1849-10-09
CANADIAN AFFAIRS.

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Holrssi.. Orslses,e- LosiHg ne Loag1s... Th1ir
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Montreal Correspondence O. The Trioane.
aosTzEAL, Monday. Oct. 1.
When lie Brili.h League was startled. told
Won that The character OF the men At The head n
the movement az such as to lead me 10 the belief
that ia proceedings would end in nothing %: gas.
and be the csuse Of No ctter effect t-sa laughter.
Ire result did 10, falsify M prediction. Bat it
was no, because tie League Convention was d.
recsed By politicians having an eye 70 future
ofi,e shat the progress Of public opinion m1ss
stand still While the speakers al Kingston,
therefore, were boasiing OF their Loyalty and de-
clsrine their inyioste determination to preserve
British conne1icn for ever, the people who sent
them were openly talking in The streets of the
necessity Of getting lid Of that connexion as soon
az possible. Indeed, many Of the loudss, takers
at Kingston would have said &. mach if they had
avowed ia public Whist they made no secret Of
saying in private.
Ia Lower Canada ,he disc5nten. with these
half measures was universal, and It's now bsgin.
ming 10 show Itself unmistakeably. Ga Friday.
meetings OF the Association we're called in every
ward in this city ard reors atisstion was effect
ed, with the design Of placing Annezationi5ts in
AL the Offices. have not yet seen AL the lists
and 10 not know whether this purpose was sue
ces.ful in every board but in three OF the srsest
every man Hose nsne find Ia tn, new appoint
nents is known to DO IL favor Of the speedisst
reconstruction q our political state. At the same
time, understand that great many Orsnsemen
are leaving ther society. in order that their vow
shall not interfere with any measures which they
may think 1t necessary TO adopt.
To day paper aPpe ars tor the trst time ~ this
city devoted TO the Aunexationist mov emeni, and
| believe before the end OF the week you " Ill see
some of the most res pectsble mcn IN the city, OF
all classes and OF bc.h the Old par1cs committing
themselves In some tangible shsos to the same
Cause. IL is the common talk, no. at sl destitute
OF foundation, that one or more Committees are
sitting with the intention Of deviEiog the best
means for p1ttinc a declaration Of the general
wish before the world. 1t i, sad, too, that sew
ersl constituencies are known TO be ready TO elect
candidates On the sire Dsth OF their annexatonist
principles, and tina, candidates Till not DO want
ing 10 them when the time arrives. DO not know
the t.uta, but Il was rumofed on Saturday that
gentleman Of liberal politics, representing n city
not hundred miles from the metropolis, was
about TO create the opportunity " begin this sys-
Of tactics by resignins and seeking reelection.
This Ia certainly the raost important news stir
ring Just nov. But one or two other interesting
topics have been developed during the week -
OF these perhaps the most singular is connected
with the late affair at ByfOwn. J believe | told
you that one o. the persons accused Of taking
part in the rows was named Leamy. aud that he
formerly lad killed mate Of his IN a shsnty on
the Gatineau. For this be was tried In Montreal
aud acquitted. as many persons thought, very IN
Justly, on the ground that the blow was given in
a fight. Bat sufficient evidence appeared to
show the brutal, desperate character of the &C
cgsed. end indie eli Of the deceased. What Is i'm
poriant is the circumstance that be was then De.
Tended by Mr.. Drummond, now Solicitor General.
tor 10 appears that Immediately after the prisoners
he'd been held 10 bsli, n1mOer OF their Trends,
including the member for b. town, came 10 tom
and bad long Interview win Leanys old coUn-
sci, vovedy on the subj ect OF this very charge
against them This -, to aay the Least Oh X,
very extraordinary proceeding, when we remem-
Der the political and other relations oil the parties
and that Mr.. Drummond, or bis colleague in Cans
da West, will have tciprnsecute these very men
on behalf Of the public. The Ministerial journal
here recommends q commission Of inqalry into the
circumstsuces-thlt is u say, the nomination Of
two or three o. the friends Of the Ministry and
of the accused, who will either sOrestsll the
Law Courts, or contradict their decision, II
that decision be adverse 70 their prison
era. | suppose this course will be adopted (;
! :
upon the Ministry that the population came from
Bytown Ii you take this 10 connection with the
process against their political opponents, you will
have good idea Of the character OF our mode o.
administering justice. The parties accused OF the
Montreal riots, were imprisoned or held to bal
without ever being confronted with the witnesses
against them, although their personal identihca-
ton was one OF the most important parts OF the
evidence, and although, Ia some csses, IL IS noto-
rinu ~ cd
tbs oiisnse, they must had they beer brought lace
u face with their accusers, have been exoueTsted
&. once. or have had right TO prosecute the wit
ness for perjury. This summary mode OF proceed
ing is directly against the general rules OF the
common law, and, though II was formerly tue gen.
ersl custom in political cases, was always looked
on as something particularly odiols. But
since the consolidation of the criminal law BY TIE
Peel acts in England, and the Black acts here, II
has been made imperative upon magistrates, be-
fore committing any persons or holding them 70
bail 10 let the have opportunity OF seeing Tue
witnesses ag.inst them. The magistrate who mas
been acting in the late political prosecutions IN
Montreal, has. therefore, rendered himself iao.e 10
an action for false imprisonment by each Of the
persons arrested and held to ball. and there is liz
tie doubt the actions will be brought. That ne was
acting under the INN directions oil the law
officers Of the crown, makes the thing ioos very
bad as W ell az upid on thei, parts.
Tss Qusbecols, usually considered very $40"
people, have been wskins up lately. They nave
found out that they connect their city with the
Portland railway and so with all your com nonlca'
tions, by line interesting the Portland line a.
Melbourne. on the St Francis, snd e. COS. oil
about 100000 or 100000. Accordingly tee
City Counci has determined 70 take stock 70 the
extent of 100000, and they expect 20 get enough
taken 10 the city to get half the road made AND
claim the Governments guaranty for the oiner nan.
a more extraordinary movement is that TOW ARD
the Quebec and Halifax railway, in the same CITY.
IL appears that the srurs Frises OF Quebec
community Of nuns-have taken stock 10 tns ex-
tent Of goo 900 in that undertaking, and thatsome
persons fancy they can raise in all 10000 to 60
on with it, I do not believe. notwitnstsndine
these stories that the line can ever be seriously
undertaken. t5oc 900 would go bat little way IN
the New Brunswick forests, even II 1t could be
raised which ! much doubt
lHaAailos Pfospccfs Im2or Irade California ba.''
zrataoa . The Bgfsra iAscs-. TAe Gorrr0y-Genr-
a. MRLrs and TAizss n 6ezosL
Montreal Correspondence Of The Tribune
MONTREAL, Friday, Oct ). 1879.
The Annexation party in Montreal is growing
stronger; its advocates growing more bold in the
n,onulsation Of their views. There are four OF