The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-07-30

one whose official perfSrrsuoes bear 9 strong
resemblance, to those a n. Crawford Of Cal
phin men DRY.
The House dissolved, and writs iseasd. the
canvas mmenoed. The issues involved were
very sim e. The ministry stood on its bare
merits Hincks claimed the credit OF raising
the price of Canadian securities abroad, of in
creasing tie roviDcial revenue, Of prosecuting
the Reciprocity Treaty, of setting the Grand
Trunk Railway on foot, and of managing the
general affairs Of the province in q successful
way. The opposition took the field on a
most elaborate platform. They asserted in
the first place that the ministry was corrupt.
In support Of this, they charged that Hincks had
made use of his position to speculate, and had
in fact, made $40 900 by using his influence to
have a law passed to regulate the debentures of
the city OF Toronto. They alleged variety
of similar corrupt acts against his colleagues,
but, to our thinking, failed to establish them.
Secondly, they said that the ministry did not
intend to secularize the clergy reserves, as they
had pledged themselves to do. This allegation
seems tolerably substantiated. Thirdly, they
charged the administration with delaying the
settlement Of the seignorial tenure question !;
and this, also, they proved. Many other
grounds Of complaint were urged at great
length by the opposition members, and sus-
tanned by evidence Of greater or less validity
But the main point was the corruption charged
against the Hincks cabinet. This was put so
prominently forward that the candidates We're
distinguished at the polls by the names Of cor
ruptonist and anti-corruptionist.
The old tories do not seem TO have made any
sort Of fight. They are, in fact, politically de-
funct and only survive in the memories of a
few sntiquated merchants, who appear to re-
semble the honest Dutchmen who vote to this
day at every Presidential election for
"Cheneral Chackson." Sir Allan Memo,
Sherwood and others have made an attempt to
survive their natural fate by throwing party
principle overheard and trying to coalesce
with the party in power but as they brought
no accession of strength, their over
lures have been generally declined.
They have been permitted to proclaim thor
conversion to the reform doctrines with respect
to the secularization of the reserves; but their
new profession of faith has been hitherto
purely gratuitous. They have elected but few
members to the House.
The reform opposition TO the ministry
known at the elections as the anti-corruptiln-
ists-have made a very brilliant show. We
presume that the leader Of this party is Mr..
George Brown. Under his guidance the aati-
corruptiOnists have wrested from the ministry
many of their strongholds in Upper Canada, and
will doubtless command a large vote in the
new Parliament. Their aims are the immediate
secularization Of the clergy reserves, l. e., the
application to educational purposes of funds
originally set apart for the support Of the va
rious Christian churches; opposition to the ag-
grandisement Of the Roman Catholic hierarchy:
abolition Of the seignioral tenure; and above
all, the prevention for ever Of corrupt specula-
tions by the Cabinet ministers.
The ministry seems to have been more forta-
nate in Lower than in Upper Canada. Ia the
French Canadian parishes, the priest generally
elects the representative, and the priest is
almost invariably on the side OF power.
Backed by this formidable ally, the admins
the counties in the vicinity Montreal, where
commercial activity prevails, and American
influence is largely felt, has gone for the oppo-
aition but this is an exceptional case. The
administration majority from Lower Canada is
likely TO be large. In Upper Canada on the
other hand they have lost ground Mr.. Came
ron, the President of the Executive Council, has
been defeated by Mr.. Brown; and a. the former
possessed larger share Of personal popularity
than any other member of the Cabinet his de-
feat may be regarded as an unequivocal synp-
tom Of ministerial decay.
On the whole. though we cannot al vet ilrm
any accurate conception Of the figures, it seems
probable that the bulk Of Upper Canada will
vote against, and the bulk Of Lower in favor Of
she Hincks administration. The balance viii
be held by the stragglers which is an advan-
tage TO government possessing large means
ior corruption. On the great questions at issue
the government will probably yield to the de-
mands Of the Brown faction. Whether or no
there viii be an enquiry into the populations
which are charged upon Mr.. Hincks depends
upon the temper Of the French Canadians.
Thirty OF forty years ago, when the Receiver
General, Sir John Caldwell, was charged with
robbed the Province Of half million of dol
lars. the French Canadians were clamorous for
an enquiry. which the British party-then in
power-would not permit: it is by no means
unlikely that the case may now be reversed,
and that Mr. Hincks may be treated in the same
by The Roman Catholic Church.
fBE STATE TEMPERANCE CoNvESrioN--TnE
TEETorALLERs IN THE FIELD.-Our readers will
have seen from their advertisement in our col
nmns that great State Convention of the Tee