British Supremacy & Canadian Self-Government, 1839-1854 Part 2

In 1843 an Act was deemed necessary "to provide for the calling and orderly holding of public meetings in this province and for the better preservation of the public peace thereat."[68] In the Montreal election of April, 1844, Metcalfe accused both his former inspector-general and the reform candidate of using inflammatory and reckless language, and {68} certainly both then and in November disgraceful riots made the elections no true register of public sentiment. At the very end of the decade, the riots caused by the pa.s.sing of the "Rebellion Losses" Act, organized, it must be remembered, by the so-called loyal party, endangered the life of a governor-general, and made Montreal no longer possible as the seat of government. One may perhaps over-estimate the importance of these details; for, after all, the communal life of Canada was yet in its extreme youth, and in England itself there were still remnants of the old eighteenth century disorders, with hints of the newer revolutionism. Their importance is rather that they complicated the task of adjusting imperial standards to suit Canadian self-government, and introduced unnecessary errors into the conduct of affairs by the provincial statesmen.

It was obvious then that the United Provinces of Canada had, in 1839, still some distance to travel before their social, religious, and political organization could be regarded as satisfactory. Individually and collectively poor, the citizens of Canada required direct aid from the resources of the mother country. Material improvements in roads and ca.n.a.ls, the introduction of steam, {69} the organization of labour, were immediately necessary. Education in all its stages must receive encouragement and recognition. Religion must be freed from the enc.u.mbrance of a vexatious controversy. Munic.i.p.al inst.i.tutions and local government had still to be introduced to teach the people the elements of self-government; and a broader system of colonial legislation and administration subst.i.tuted for the discredited rule of a.s.semblies and councils at Toronto and Quebec. There was racial hate to be quenched; and petty party jealousies to be trans.m.u.ted into more useful political energy. A nation was at its birth. The problem was whether in Great Britain there were minds acute and imaginative enough to see the actual dangers; generous enough not to be dissuaded from trying to avert them by any rudeness on the part of those who were being a.s.sisted; prophetic enough to recognize that Anglo-Saxon communities, whether at home or across the seas, will always claim the right to govern themselves, and that to such self-government none but the community actually affected may set a limit.

[1] Robinson, _Life of Sir John Beverley Robinson_, Bart., pp. 75-6.

[2] _Report of the Agent for Emigration_, Toronto, January, 1841. "The pa.s.sage extended to seven complete weeks," writes a Scottish settler, Robert Campbell, in 1840, "and to tell the truth we were weary enough of it." MS. letter, _penes me_.

[3] _Conditions and Prospects of Canada in 1854_, London, 1855.

[4] Poulett Scrope, _Life of Lord Sydenham_, pp. 141-2.

[5] Richardson, _Eight Years in Canada_, p. 117.

[6] See an interesting letter of January, 1838 in Christie, _History of Lower Canada_, v. 109.

[7] _Lord Durham's Report_, Appendix B. (ed. by Lucas), iii. p. 84.

[8] Kaye, _Papers and Correspondence of Lord Metcalfe_, p. 453.

Metcalfe undoubtedly overestimates the influence of these men, as compared with the church, over the habitant cla.s.s.

[9] _Lord Durham's Report_ (ed. by Lucas), Appendix D, iii. p. 284.

[10] _Ibid_. p. 267.

[11] M'Taggart, _Three Years in Canada_, i. p. 249.

[12] Kaye, _op. cit._ p. 407.

[13] Mrs. Jameson, _States and Rambles in Canada_, vol. ii. p. 189.

[14] Strickland, _Twenty-Seven Years in Canada West_, vol. i. p. 135.

[15] _Lord Durham's Report_, ii. pp. 242-59.

[16] M'Taggart, ii. pp. 242-5.

[17] See a despatch of Lord Metcalfe on the effect of Irish agitation on the tranquillity of Canada, Kaye, _op. cit._ pp. 432-4.

[18] Censuses of Canada (1665-1871), vol. iv.; _Appendix to the First Report of the Board of Registration and Statistics_ (1849); _A Statement of the Population of Canada_ (1848).

[19] M'Taggart, _op. cit._ i. p. 35.

[20] _Lord Durham's Report_, Appendix A. Sir Charles Lucas has not included this appendix in his edition.

[21] _Ibid._ (ed. Lucas), iii. p. 220.

[22] Mrs. Jameson, _Studies and Rambles in Canada_, i. p. 98.

[23] _A Long-treasured Letter_, from _Matthew Fowlds and Other Fenwick Worthies_, Kilmarnock, 1910, pp. 205-11.

[24] Strickland, _Twenty Seven Years in Canada West_, i. p. 35.

[25] M'Taggart, _op. cit._ i. p. 201.

[26] This statement I modify below in dealing with the violence which disfigured political life in Canada at this time.

[27] _Pa.s.sim _in descriptions of the Canadian Indians, and the North-West.

[28] _Lord Durham's Report_, ii. p. 125 n.

[29] See local news in the early volumes of _The Montreal Witness_.

[30] I have accepted Durham's, rather than Metcalfe's estimate of the influence of the Roman Catholic church in Canada. The latter may be found in a despatch to Stanley, ent.i.tled by Kaye, "State of Parties in 1845" (Kaye, _op. cit._ p. 449).

[31] Hodgins, _Doc.u.mentary History of Education in Upper Canada_, iii.

p. 298.

[32] MS. letter, 5 December, 1842.

[33] Bell, _Hints to Emigrants_, p. 125.

[34] Hodgins, _Doc.u.mentary History of Education in Upper Canada_, iii.

p. 266.

[35] _Ibid._ p. 249.

[36] _Memorials of the Rev. John Machar_, D.D., p. 62.

[37] Bagot Correspondence, in the Canadian Archives, _pa.s.sim_.

[38] _Montreal Gazette_, 8 October, 1839.

[39] _Memorials of the Rev. John Machar_, p. 77.

[40] A strong, probably exaggerated, opinion exists among the older members of the Canadian community that, while information and specialization have grown, culture has retreated from the standards set for it by the former school of English and Scottish college instructors.

[41] "The amount of postage paid by newspapers would be a fair indication of their circulation.... The postage on the _Christian Guardian_ was 228, which exceeded by 6 the aggregate postage on the following newspapers: _Colonial Advocate_, 57; _The Courier_, 45; _Watchman_, 24; _Brockville Recorder_, 16; _Brockville Gazette_, 6; _Niagara Gleaner_, 17; _Hamilton Free Press_, 11; _Kingston Herald_, 11; _Kingston Chronicle_, 10; _Perth Examiner_, 10; _Patriot_, 6; _St. Catherine's Journal_, 6; _York Observer_, 3."--Egerton Ryerson, _Story of My Life_, p. 144.

[42] _The Montreal Witness_, December, 1845. "We do not mean to criticize those prohibitory regulations, but, however good their motives, the effect has been to girdle the tree of knowledge in Canada, by shutting out the people from the only available supplies of books."

[43] _Lord Durham's Report_, ii. p. 138.

[44] Strachan, _A Journal of Visitation to the Western Portion of his Diocese_ (1842). Third edition, London, 1846.

[45] _Memorial of the Rev. E. Black, D.D., to the Secretary of State for the Colonies_.