unfavourable contrast between this extraordinary concession, and the more provident conduct of the American Congress, which, while admitting the territory of Louisiana, inhabited by Frenchmen, as one of the States of the Confederation, enacted that all minutes of proceedings in the Court and Legislature of their sister State, should be exclusively recorded in the language of the constituency of the United States.

The leaders soon began to affect to perceive a latent danger in every act of the government; and a bill, requiring rectors, curates, and priests, to read certain laws after divine service, was denounced as opening a door for exercising an influence over the clergy, and an effort was made to introduce in their stead the captains of militia, which was only relinquished to avoid the awkward admission, that too many of those officers were deficient in the necessary qualifica

tion to perform that duty.

Having felt their

way cautiously for a time, they commenced a system of high-handed measures with every person who obstructed their views, and followed it up, by removing from the House all persons attached to the Executive, and impeaching others holding high official stations, in the hope that,

by representing the adherents of government as enemies to the country, the affections of the people would be gradually alienated from their rulers, and ultimately prepare them to join in those measures of forcible resistance, which now for the first time appear to have been contemplated. To bring the local government into contempt, it was necessary to impugn the integrity of the bench, and the impartial administration of the law, and they therefore impeached the judges. When the Governor, whose liberal patronage had hitherto shielded him from attack, declined to suspend these functionaries, till the result of their complaint should be known, and refused to make their punishment precede their trial, they resolved "that his Excellency, the Governor-in-Chief, by his answer to the address of the House, has violated the constitutional right and privileges thereof."

To personal persecution succeeded financial disputes, which extended over the whole period of the administrations of the Duke of Richmond, Lord Dalhousie, and Sir James Kempt, with more or less intensity, according to the supply of fresh fuel furnished by irritating matter of extraneous nature. Complaints soon

multiplied upon complaints; public meetings were held; violent speeches made; valiant resolutions passed; and finally delegates chosen to demand a redress of grievances from the Imperial Parliament. When these persons arrived in London, they found public opinion with them. It is the interest as well as the duty of the English to govern their colonies kindly and justly, and no man but a Frenchman would affirm that their inclination requires the incitement of either.

The Parliamentary Committee to whom their complaint was preferred was composed of persons by no means indisposed towards the petitioners, who, after a patient and laborious investigation of the subjects in dispute, made a report, which was acknowledged by the Assembly to be both an able and an impartial one, and quite satisfactory. It will be unnecessary to recapitulate the subjects referred to, or to transcribe the report, as both go too much into detail, but nothing can exhibit the kindness and liberality of Parliament more than the latter. The manner in which the report was received by the dominant party in Canada, the praise bestowed upon its authors, and the exultation

they expressed at their success, deceived the government as to the source of these noisy demonstrations of pleasure. They conceived it to be the natural impulse of generous minds towards those who had thus kindly listened to their solicitations, and liberally granted even more than they required. But they knew not their men. It was the shout of victory that they mistook for the plaudits of loyalty. It was not designed to greet the ears of benefactors with grateful acknowledgments, but to wound. the feelings of their neighbours with the cheers of triumph. They devoted but little time to mutual congratulations. Sterner feelings had supplied the place of rejoicing. They set themselves busily at work to improve their advantage; and having established themselves in the outworks which were thus surrendered to them, they now turned their attention to storming the citadel. While government was engaged in carrying into execution the recommendations of the committee, with as much dispatch as the peculiar state of politics in Great Britain at that time permitted, the Assembly put themselves in a posture of complaint again. Fourteen resolutions were passed, embodying some of the old

and embracing some new new grievances, and an agent appointed to advocate their claims.

While representations in the name of the whole population were thus sent to England, expressing only the sentiments of one portion of the people, the settlers of British origin were loud in their complaints that they were unrepresented, and that they had no constitutional means of being heard. But their remonstrances were disregarded, and the Assembly occupied itself with the consideration of their own grievances. That the motives actuating the dominant party might not be disclosed, and to prevent any member of the opposition from being present at their deliberations, they adopted the extraordinary mode of permitting a person moving for a committee to name all the individuals whom he desired to be appointed as members.

When the fourteen resolutions above referred to were passed, the Governor, Lord Aylmer, who had recently arrived, could not but feel astonished that the same people who had so lately expressed their delight and satisfaction at the report of the proceedings of Parliament, and who knew that the recommendations of the