twenty thousand men appeared in the environs of Boston, and formed a line of encampment from Roxburg to the river Mystic. The army was soon increased by a large body of troops from Connecticut, under Colonel Putman, an old and experienced officer; and by these collective forces, the King's troops were closely blocked up in the peninsula of Boston. This was the commencement of the revolutionary struggle. The battle of Breeds, or, as it is commonly called, Bunker's Hill, followed on the 15th of June, 1775; and on the 2nd of July, Washington, who had been unanimously chosen by the Continental Congress, Commander-inChief of the colonial army, arrived at the camp at Cambridge, and entered upon the arduous and difficult duties of his high and responsible office. Of the events of the war I shall not attempt to give any account, as they are wholly unconnected with the object of this work, and are all either well known or fully recorded in numerous contemporaneous histories, both English and American. Its results are soon told. On the 30th of November, 1783, provisional articles of peace, between Great Britain and the United States, were agreed to be inserted for

mally into a treaty, by which the independence of the latter was acknowledged in its fullest

extent.

Thus were thirteen extensive and valuable colonies severed from Great Britain at one time. On their part, they owed their origin to dissent and disaffection, and their independence to rebellion. On the part of England, they were suffered to grow up to maturity in neglect. As soon as they became opulent, she resolved to tax them without their consent, and in the contest that ensued, showed that the injustice of the measure was only equalled by the imbecility with which it was attempted to be enforced.*

* Although the contest was a very unequal one, the disparity was not so great as appears at first sight. De Pradt, in his work entitled "The Colonies," has some very judicious remarks on this subject. See Chap. XIII, p. 217, Lond. Ed. "Three millions," he says, "of Americans felt themselves strong enough to resist, with their whole mass, the detachments which England could send against them. England could put a fraction of her population-a very particle-in motion. America could defend herself with all hers. She had, therefore, no need to be equal to England in population, but only in that part of that population which was disposable against her; these never amounted to more than ten or twenty thousand English that

The annals of civilized countries may be searched in vain for such a series of "Rule and Misrule," as that exhibited by Great Britain in her conduct towards her American provinces.

could proceed to attack her; and, on her side, it was with the whole of her population that she was enabled to repel the attack. The former were under the necessity of making a long voyage, under all the disadvantages of maritime expeditions; the American population was at hand in the country. The parent state could not displace herself, in a body, as a nation; a nation, on the contrary, can defend herself, with the advantage of the presence of all its members on the theatre of war. The issue of the contest could not be doubtful, and never will be doubtful against proportions so very different. In all this there is but one thing that astonishes us, and that is, that a people so enlightened as the English ever engaged in such a contest."

CHAPTER VI.

Reasons for confining political sketch solely to Canada -Proclamation for establishing the Government at Quebec and inviting emigration-An express promise given that the laws of England should be introduced -First great error was ordering a code of laws to be compiled for the French, restoring the old tenure of that estate-Quebec Act-Character of LoyalistsConstitution Act, 31 George III., c. 31, divides Canada into two provinces-Form of GovernmentThe above-named Acts of Parliament the cause of all the Canadian troubles-Mistake in allowing French to be the recording language, and in giving constitutional government before people were ready to receive it-First House of Assembly-Proportion of English and French members-Gradual change in character of delegates - Impeachment of judgesRepeated reference to Parliament - Lord Aylmer entreats the Assembly to bring forward all their grievances at once-Commission of Inquiry-Stop

page of supplies-Distress of public officers. Rebellion-Thorne's conduct-Arrival of Lord Durham-Review-Responsible Government-Enumeration of the defects of the system-Remedies suggested.

AT the conclusion of the War of Independence, there remained in possession of Great Britain but two provinces, Canada and Nova Scotia. The latter has subsequently been divided into two governments—one retaining its ancient name, and the other called New Brunswick. These two last I shall pass over altogether. In point of territory they are severally very extensive; but their population is still small, although it possesses the great advantage of being homogeneous, well affected, and easily governed. A sketch of their political history would therefore be devoid of general interest in Europe. My remarks will be exclusively applied to Canada;* so much so, that although there is a striking similarity in the constitution of all, I shall not even notice those particulars in which they differ or agree, or

* The first part of this chapter has been abridged from more extended works of the author on colonial matters and from provincial histories.