The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-08-08
rHr IArr MINISTERIAL CRISIS M c4sAb4

General, appointed by the English government, repre-
snts the Brtish crown and IL not disturbed by the
Ations d parties IN the province The ministry must
represent the ruling parry Of the country and out OF
Office upon defeat in the Provincial Parliament Or,
the Parliament may be dissolved and an appeal made
70 the people In fact Canada is Great Britain ia nAina
tue. aud in the local polite. Of the province we soc
perfect ref x of the IN which tories, wings, or
radicals suppiAut each other at home.
The Queen OF Englsnd time since selected new
site ios ts scat OF government named Ottawa This
new place that cannot even be found the Lass edi-
ton Of Mitchels Atlas IT il some distance IN the
interior. Aad the iaduoement for its selection may
have been its distance from dangerous neighbos in
kbsrsxant d . war between Englani and the Uni
scd Statcs Ii has been said that ii the inten-
s, 81 the Lsae government 10 gradually prepare Can
ada to assume the character Of an independent king
dom with one Of Queen Victorias numerous Sons as
King and it is possible that Queen Victoria may have
had this idea ia her mind when she fixed upon com
aratvey remote point the capital Of the future king
dom 1t necessary, however, that the Provincial
Parliament should act for the removal OF the
capital and accordingly at the appropriate time, the
provincial ministry brought in measure for that pur-
pose Upon this the ministerial crisis occurred,
eliminating in the passage Of the following declaration
by vote OF G4 TO 80
That It is the opinion Of this House that the city Of OF
tawa ought to be the permanent scat of government
for the province"
Local interests which were likely to he injuiously at
ceed ly the removal Of the seat of government thus
seemed have defeated the wishes of the Queen The
contest had been Of great excitement and resulted IN
a ministerial defeat.
Upon the announcement of the foregoing decision, Mr.
Brown the leader Of tire opposition claimed the result ~
an express declaration the part Of the House OF its
dissatisfaction with the whole policy Of the government
and he would therefore that the House do how
adjourn with the understanding that all who voted sor
the adjournment were be considered recording their
opinions against the government and those ia favor Of
ournment expressing their confidence IN the
administration. E4a sa
The Hon j. A. Macdonald ON the part Of the minis
try, accepted Mr. browns challenge Several members
seemed dsnclned to make an issue IN the form pro-
posed The division followed, when the motion to ad-
journ WINS lostyoas So 81. This appeared to in
diate continued confidence by the Parliament in the
ministry although they had just suffered defeat.
Z On the following morning, the 3Oth utinso MI At
torney General Macdonald n his place and said
That in consequence Of the action Of the House ON
the previous night the government deemed IT their duty
to tender their resignation to his exceeny Those re-
sgnatios had been accepted and the members Of the adj
nnistration only held office until their successors
were appointed The government considered that, with
respect the of government, the law M the land
that her Majesty having exercised her prerogase
at the request Of the colonial Legislature, the gov
ernment had but one to take-namely, to
carry out the law as 1t stood. No government in
q similar position could avoid taking like course.
pAskLn
able member for Berthier that the law should
not he carried out. 1t was moreover, bare state
ment that the prerogatre of her MnJesty exercised
at the request of the legislature had been unwscly
eised that In short she had chosen the wrong place
1t did not even ask her reconsider her choice II did
not SO much assign why that choice was ero-
neons 1t simply said, arlsch an act " ds
coies and rndeae trurds her Ueay, that her Majesty
WAS wrong Besides there another consideration.
The house Ind declared that the decision should not be
carried out that their future should be guided
by that vote The law hnd declared that Ottawa TO
the seat of government The house declared different
w. They should, then, either commit breach OF the
law, or 60 against the unmstakable majority Of the
house fourteen he believed They considered the use
fulness of the government would have been much inn
paired by this They the inclined to take this
course because many honorable members who usually
supported the government acted differently, and took
strongly in opposition to her Maiestys selection
although other place fit 70 he the scat OF gov
eminent ia my why pointed out Ihey had, there
fore other but to resign although there was
subsequent notion whch Try the action Of the honoa-
ble member from 1olonto who leads the opposition was
made Of non-cenfdcnce, and on which the gov
cr1ment had majority Yet some honorable gentle
men had voted against them whom they had preyi
o,sly relied and ihereore in view OF all these crcun-
stances the government has done what they Thought was
due to themselves " ~ iliE
The resignation of the ministry created a deep sensa
ton and was quito unexpected. 1t hAd had steady
working majority, and hnd succeeded ia carrying all OF
its previous in spite ID opposition conducted
with than usual aasrbty and personal fcling I'm
mcdatsy after their resignation had been announced
Of their supporters held at which, it is stated
thirty-ve Upper Canadians and forty Lower Canadians
pledged themselves to adhere to Macdonald in any event
This in house of hundred and forty, assured him
of msjority OF twenty and afforded bad prospect OF
success TO Ar Brown should hc undertake II form new
ministry Mr. Bsown however, acoepted the premier
ship and undertook the difficult task In the couRe ~
time the following list nade up and the members
duly appointed, follows; ras-t s35 4
George Brown, Inspector General and Premier
James Morris Speaker Of tho Legislative Council.
Michael Foley, Postmaster General
Ja1hn & McDonald Attorney General of Canada West
Oliver Mewatt Provincial Secretary. sgNea9
DR. Conner Solicitor General of Lower Canada
L. ". Drutnmond Attorney GcncrAl of Canada East.
q. H. Dorion Commissioner od Crown Lands
e NJ 2hibcandcau, Bureau of Agriculture. ai6 ises.
N, 1cfnicux Receiver General. n
l. II Holtcn Public Works. afA
M IAbcrge Solicitor General od CAnadz East
Mr.. Brown, the Premier, and proprietor and cdi-
tor Of the Toronto Glcbc is of great ability and
q fluent although not very pleasing speaker. As a
eiAtcr he IL inferior in readiness 10 the late Prcnier
but he H. nevertheless close roasnor and lis trenchAnt
IN his political antsgonism He n ScotckanAn by birth
established paper called the Banner in compliance
with the solicitations OF number Of his cSntrynen set
tied In Canada be removed to Toronto yesr or two a
ter*xrls where be continued the puthcAton OF hrs
nswpayer ns socm however, cAanged it. title to that
OF The Weekly Gobe and, its circulation cscasing. pub
lislcd it tri-ueekly, and finally daily Mr. Brown is
.sce~s grit Il and has always shown himself violently
hostile 70 the Church Of Rome The only support which
be has in Lower Canada II from tire aRongc party
his sdminsGrs6ca Will he IN tse nakurl III w enter
NV sf