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ingly the walls of Toronto were placarded to the effect that he was "one of the people" long and long before he entered them.

I was the only Officer of Engineers on duty at, or within a hundred and eighty miles of the Capital, and Sir Francis had commenced and completed his military career in that corps. Accordingly I was assailed at so eventful an epoch with multitudinous inquiries on all sides," Was he a Radical?-was he a Reformer?"— for I believe it was pretty generally surmised that he must be either one or the other. For me, alas! I was ignorant on the subject; so as nothing specific as to his politics could be made out,—and no wonder ! for in his narrative he says that he professed no party bias,—I was assailed on another score. The mighty ones of the land and the Tories, shrewdly guessed that the Whig Ministry had some powerful reasons of their own, and that they had let loose a tiger, who would perform his duty without flinching. Amongst other queries put, I was gravely asked if it was really true that he rode for thousands of miles over the scorching Pampas, with a slice of beef for a saddle, and without the usual accompaniment of galligaskins. A man who could endure such hardships was not likely to be afraid of a storm in a wash-hand basin full of frothy politics.

Again, it was deemed very hard usage to such an important Colony to send them King Stork, whose highest title to military fame was no more than "Captain of Engineers." To the person who mentioned this master-grievance, before which Patricians of a quarter of a century were to bow, I merely replied,—being myself then only a Captain of Engi

neers,-"Captains of Engineers, my dear Sir, are sometimes devilish clever fellows."

Patricians and plebeians, Upper Canada Tories, and Upper Canada Radicals, were both marvellously disappointed, for better and for worse, when their chief arrived; for he proved to be a gentleman of an ancient and respectable family, and that his energies, instead of being devoted as it was surmised they would be-to make William Lyon Mackenzie the first President of the State of Western Canada, were most admirably directed to keep everything in order; and mounting the old flag of his Fatherland on Government-house, he plainly told to all, that he came to recognize in Canada only the august principles of the British Constitution, and the sway of the monarch who sat on the throne of England.

CHAPTER VIII.

Civil and Military condition of both the Canadas in 1837.

THE British reader has now arrived at a period when the most interesting events were dawning in the Canadas. Sir Francis Head's policy, so diametrically opposed to that of Lord Gosford and the Commissioners, was placed fully before the Canadian public. He had declared in his first speech to the Legislature, he looked for "that loyal, constitutional, unbiassed, and fearless assistance which your King expects, and which the rising interests of your country require.” I was present in the House, standing beside the throne, when that maiden speech was delivered, and could not help remarking its effect. The Reformers did not know what to make of it, and the Constitutionalists wavered in their preconceived notions, whilst the instructions he had received were staggering to both parties.

The Tories, who had strenuously opposed him at the very outset, from alarm, and had remonstrated against this very first act of his government, now united their resources to oblige him to strengthen his Privy Council from their party; but as he was deter

mined to act unbiassedly, he selected from the ranks hitherto more exclusive, the son of the celebrated Reformer, Dr. Baldwin, who advised the admission also of Dr. Rolph and of Mr. Dunn, the Receiver-general, the son of a venerable man.

The first was an Irish patriot, whose name had been connected with the events of Irish history, and who had retired, with a large landed property, from the practice of medicine, the strenuous and untiring advocate of reform, of which his son, who was a young lawyer, had just appeared as a champion. The second was also a medical man, who had also figured with some éclát as a lawyer, whose professional abilities in both spheres was considerable, and whose politics were exclusively Radical. The third was a Reformer of the new school, and a man of a small private fortune, possessed, as it was then conjectured, of considerable interest in Downing-street.

Mr. Baldwin, supported by all the Reformers of all shades and of all grades, made the terms of his accepting office the dismissal of the three Tory Councillors, which was promptly refused, and his father requested, with the same result, to supply his place. After some coquetting, however, Mr. Baldwin at length assented; and the Governor, that he might not be misunderstood, wrote a circular note to each of the aspirants, informing them that they might rely on his receiving their opinions upon all the subjects upon which "he might feel it advisable" to require them.

They soon lifted the veil which covered the grand secret of their acceptance of office, and "Responsible Government" stared Sir Francis Head broadly in the

face. His opinion was, that the Governor advises with the Executive Council on all State questions, but is not bound to adhere in every case to the advice offered. If he were, he would soon be a nonentity; and, on the other hand, if he constantly disregarded its counselling, the country would suffer.

On this grand subject of grievance five councillors resigned, because they would not hold office without the Governor being bound to govern according to their notions. The greatest farce on this occasion was, that three of the five derived their principal means from holding offices, in two cases, of the most lucrative and responsible nature, and thus sought to rule over the master they served.

It does not require any great political foresight to predict, that if the Executive Council ruled the Queen's Representative, the Queen's Representative must rule the country as a partisan; for in all assemblages of men, some one superior or active mind colours their deliberations. In the instance of the battle fought by the ex-Councillors, the whole machinery was set in play by one individual, Dr. Rolph, who, with great pretensions to talent, has certainly had the merit of directing the course of the charioteers in their race with him for power, without the crowd being able to perceive his intentions, until he was at the goal; when he had, however, fortunately, not the faculty of making the most of his advantage. This man, endowed by nature with very versatile powers of mind, adds another link to the chain of reasoning which convinces the thoughtful that talents applied only to dazzle the ignorant are never of that solid order which shine not outwardly,

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