Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-02-29
Upper canada Reform Association.

Our neighbors across the Lake are bent on
dissolving the Union Of the Provinces of Upper
and Lower Canada, Union which they re-
gard as unequal and oppressive, and without
proper compsnsations. Last fall seme five
hundred and seventy leading men and pOlit-
clans from ell sections Of Upper Canada held
a Convention Of two days at Toronto, and
after full deliboratiOn adopted with much una>
nimity resolutions pronouncing in favor Of
certain changes in the Constitutional relations
between the two Provinces, which the Liberal
party believed would afford remedy for the
evils under which the country now labors.-
An address by the authority of that COnven-
ton, has just been issued to the People of
Upper Canada. It is very long, able, and
complete document, filing three pages of that
mammoth sheet, the Toronto Globe. The
array Of facts, figures, and arguments presented
iS overwhelming, and shows in the elearest
light that the people of Upper Canada have
real causes Of grievance demanding remedy
and redress.
We viii refer to but one or two of the nu.
merOus suaignments. By the provisions Of
the Union Act, each of the two Provinces was
awarded forty Representatives in the House
ofAssemby-Which number was afterSards in
creased to sixty-hvs each-without any regard
to the disparity of pOpulatiOn present or fu>
ture. Upper Canada now has population of
SONS 100000 more than Lower Canada, but
no more members of the House. The address
correctly says that "nO free people could pa
tiently submit to such injustice"
Nearly twenty years have passed away since
the Act of Union, but the two Provinces are
widely apart as ever. The Lower Canadians
are most generally French Catholics; the Up
per Canadians English Protestants. They
mingle politically like oil and water. The
English and French languages are used in all
Official documents, speeches in French and
English are made in Parliament, the two Sec
. tiOns have different judicial systems, school
systems, road laws, municipal institutions, etc.
The line Of separation between the Provinces
is stin distinct and unbroken.
Upper Canada pays seventy per cent. of the
National taxation, while Lower Canada con-
tributes thirty per cent, only. This the ad-
dress dsnaea-f-atas Ly -lsisi-I Gs---s-- Tx
annual expenditures do like injustice to Upper
Canads. The address claims that the Union
was never sanctioned by the people of Upper
Canada, and proposes the following as the true
remedy to deliver the Province from the disas-
trous position it now occupies:
Dissolve the existing Legislative UDion.
Divide Canada into two or more Provinces
with local Executives and Legislatures having
entire control over every public interest-e1cept
those, and those only, that are necessarily
common to all parts of the Province.
Establish some Central Authority over all,
with power to administer such matters, and
such only, as are necessarily common to the
whole Province
Secure these rights by & written COnstitu.
ton, ratified by the people, and incapable of
alteration except by their formal sanction.
Such, in brief, is the remedy proposed by the
Reform Association, which is already power
in Upper Canada. It virtually makes the peo-
pie through fair representation the government,
and the agitation begun 50 zealOusly and under
such favorable auspices, must ultimately make
Upper Canada as free and Independent as the
sovereign State of Ohio.