New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-05-31
Canadian Politics.
snce Of The Tribune.


powerful for any purpose and sufficiently obsequi-
GUS to do the bidding Of the Government in any
case. The opposition without cohesion, no ten OF
them sgreeng upon any question OF public policy
and not united even on the expediency Of turning
out the Government if they had the power, isvery
feeble. The Government whose members number
eight sit ard vote in a house of "a where they have
every thing their own way The annexation ques-
ton has divided the opposition not only out OF doors
but also in the House. Col. Grgy declared the
other night in the House, that he would support
the Government in going to any length In endeavor
ing to suppress the annex atonists. More thorough
partissns among the Tories, whatever professions
they may make, will always find an excuse for vot-
ing in opposition and thus by one section OF the
party acting upon scrupes and the other from par
tisanshp the two sections pull different ways and
the opposition becomes utterly lmpotent. The
Ministerial phalanx is thoroughly united. NO
amount Of argument can alter single vote on that
side of the House. OF the "a members in the
House As are lawyers; most Of them having their
fortunes to make, many of them having taken to
politics with a view OF advancing their own per-
sonal interests, and not few OF them looking to
the ministry for shrievaties, regisrarships, clerk
ships and various other Offices. Independence OF
action in such body it would be folly TO expect.
Whether the French members be as generally
amongst the expectants as the Upper Canada llbe-
rails or whether their chances Of reward be as
great, do not know but their habitual subseryi
ency to the Minister is patent TO the whole word
| You will easily conceive that, in such Leglsa-
ture those measures only that are supported by the
| Ministry have chance Of success. Accordingly
! we find that the Premier has but 10 intimate MS
objection to any measure to secureits relectlon ls
/ doom instantly becomes as certain as DEATH ANA
| this power the Government exercise with a nlgn
hand Two or three instances OF acts the most ar
| bitrary and unheard.o in a British Legislature,
! have been perpetrated already during the present
/ session The first was the refusal 10 allow Hon
| H. J. Boulton to introduce measure TO prevent
tie Government expendlng public moneys for pur
poses not previously authorized by law. It's well
known that such a course 10 never pursued IN tne
British House of Commons, and that the question
Of rejecting measures is uniformly reserved till the
second reading of bills The next was the refusal
70 receive petition, respectfully worded and IN no
respect informal, praying the Legislature to ad
dress the Queen TO grant the independence oil Ca
NADIA.
Whatever may be the cause pursued by the
Congress OF the United States with regard 10 petit
tons on the subject of Slavery or any other sub
iect it forms precedent for a Canadian Legisla-
| lature. We profess to manage our legislative pro-
Ceedings in accordance with British practice and
| it is notorious that the Houses OF Parliament IN
| England never refuse To receive petitions on any
| subject
| The vote Of the House on the question Of receiv
| ing the petltOn IN question CANNOT DE TAKEN as an
indication of Canadian feeling on the subject oil
Canadian Independence | am personally cognl-
zant Of the fact that any Members who voted
against receiving the petition are secretly avora-
bic to Anne xaton, but whose action in the matter
was constrained by various influences operating
upon them. By openly fayorlng any movement
that has the appearance OF propeing the Annexa
tion question toward the ultimate destiny, they
would neCessitate the surrender OF much OF the IN
tuence they possess as Provincial politicians. This
present sacrifice to secure a distant object they are
not prepared to make Beside this, other c)nsld
erations OF personal and party character influence
! their conduct The Execunae Government has Ia
its control the entire patronage Of the Crown; aud
| too many Members OF Parliament are expectants
| Of Government bounty to permit of the possibility
! OF many of them voluntarily mourning executive
| displeasure. AS political parisaDs they are strong
ly disiLcinod TO weaken the strength Of those with
whom they act by creating a division.
The debate on the Address in answer to the
! Speech from the throne always lasts much longer
in Canada than in England. The entire policy Of
! the Government is oveThauled aud commented on.
| But to the merely local aud administrative ques-
| tons that ordinarily enter into debate of this
kind, have now been added constitutional questions
OF the gravest character. The debate has already
lasted three days, and the last OF these it was
prolonged midnight till three o'clock next
morning. The greater number OF the speeches
were upon the questions OF Canadian lndepend.
enee, Annexation, ana OF rendering the Legislative
Council elective That debate, which is not yet
concluded and is TO be reOPened on Monday morn
ing, has so lar assumed more Of the character OF
debate in Convention to frame a new Constitution
than the ordinary proceedings OF regularly const
tuted Legislature
For the reasons already stated, Anne xation pc.
titioDs may be voted down for the present, but no
attentive observer can fail TO be struck with the
immense change hat, within year, has taken
place IN the tone OF the Legislature and the in.
tnitely greater change out Of IT, Mesrs. Holmes,
De Witt, SanborD, Mcconnell, Papine au and two
or three others, boldly declared themselves in ia
vor OF Annexation, and went into long arguments
IN support OF their position. Except Papineau-
and accept hun on account OF his antecedents
and not ms present proiessons-there is not one
OF the AnnexatoDists in the Legislature who cher
lshes the slightest hostility to England but thew
think the Institutions Of England wholly unsuted
TO Canads, and that we have arrived az that stage
IN our history when II Is no longer our interest 70
be connected with Engl and. Is must be confessed
that the arguments on the AnnexatOnist side in
the Legislature were exceedingly feeble Col
| Prince, who, up 10 recent period has been An
ultra 10y aist, and wbO even now cherishes chiv-
alTic ling OF loyalty, IS bold advocate Of Cana.
dian Independence stopping short Of Annexation,
/ in the Legislature. His reasons for advocating a
change are precisely those OF the Annexal
The amendments to the Address, embracing an
elective Legislative Council, household suffrage.
the abolition OF the Court of Chancery, distributing
/ parliamentary representation according to popula
] ton, have all been voted down Those which have
veto be disposed Of and which declare the right Of
unlimited discussion, condemn the Government for
making dismlssas as punishment for the express.
sion Of political opinions and a condemnation OF the
Government for emitting in the Royal Speech all
refer ence to the question OF the Clergy Reserves
will share the same fate. OF course these votes
upon amendments 10 the Address in answer 10 the
Speech iromlhe throne DO not show the real opinion
Of the House the question omitted IN the amend
ments. The success Of any one of the amendments
would neeessitate the resignation Of the Ministry
and for that reason the votes upon them are Justly
considered in no other light than q mere trial Of
party strength.
With reeard In the me- snres that will ha L..