the canadian dominion-第13章

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aking　majority　provoked　reprisals　and　as　the　conviction　grew　upon　the　minority　that　they　would　never　be　anything　but　a　minority；*　most　of　them　accepted　clique　rule　as　a　lesser　evil　than　〃rule　by　priest　and　demagogue。〃

*　The　natural　increase　of　the　French…Canadian　race　under　British　rule　is　one　of　the　most　extraordinary　phenomena　in　social　history。　The　following　figures　illustrate　the　rate　of　that　increase：　the　number　was　16；417　in　1706；　69；810　in　1765；　479；288　in　1825；　697；084　in　1844。　The　population　of　Canada　East　or　Lower　Canada　in　1844　was　made　up　as　follows：　French　Canadians；　524；244；　English　Canadians。　85；660；　English；　11；895；　Irish；　43；982；　Scotch；　13；393；　Americans；　11；946；　born　in　other　countries；　1329；　place　of　birth　not　specified；　4635。


In　the　reform　movement　in　Upper　Canada　there　were　a　multiplicity　of　leaders　and　a　constant　shifting　of　groups。　In　Lower　Canada；　after　the　defection　of　James　Stuart　in　1817；　there　was　only　one　leader；　Louis　Joseph　Papineau。　For　twenty　years　Papineau　was　the　uncrowned　king　of　the　province。　His　commanding　figure；　his　powers　of　oratory；　outstanding　in　a　race　of　orators；　his　fascinating　manners；　gave　him　an　easy　mastery　over　his　people。　Prudence　did　not　hamper　his　flights；　compromise　was　a　word　not　found　in　his　vocabulary。　Few　men　have　been　better　equipped　for　the　agitator's　task。

His　father；　Joseph　Papineau；　though　of　humble　birth；　had　risen　high　in　the　life　of　the　province。　He　had　won　distinction　in　his　profession　as　a　notary；　as　a　speaker　in　the　Assembly；　and　as　a　soldier　in　the　defense　of　Quebec　against　the　American　invaders　of　1775。　In　1804　he　had　purchased　the　seigneury　of　La　Petite　Nation；　far　up　the　Ottawa。　Louis　Joseph　Papineau　followed　in　his　father's　footsteps。　Born　in　1786；　he　served　loyally　and　bravely　in　the　War　of　1812。　In　the　same　year　he　entered　the　Assembly　and　made　his　place　at　a　single　stroke。　Barely　three　years　after　his　election；　he　was　chosen　Speaker；　and　with　a　brief　break　he　held　that　post　for　over　twenty　years。

Papineau　did　not　soon　or　lightly　begin　his　crusade　against　the　Government。　For　the　first　five　years　of　his　Speakership；　he　confined　himself　to　the　routine　duties　of　his　office。　As　late　as　1820　he　pronounced　a　glowing　eulogy　on　the　Constitution　which　Great　Britain　had　granted　the　province。　In　that　year　he　tested　the　extent　of　the　privileges　so　granted　by　joining　in　the　attempt　of　the　Assembly　to　assert　its　full　control　of　the　purse；　but　it　was　not　until　the　project　of　uniting　the　two　Canadas　had　made　clear　beyond　dispute　the　hostility　of　the　governing　powers　that　he　began　his　unrelenting　warfare　against　them。

There　was　much　to　be　said　for　a　reunion　of　the　two　Canadas。　The　St。　Lawrence　bound　them　together；　though　Acts　of　Parliament　had　severed　them。　Upper　Canada；　as　an　inland　province；　restricted　in　its　trade　with　its　neighbor　to　the　south；　was　dependent　upon　Lower　Canada　for　access　to　the　outer　world。　Its　share　of　the　duties　collected　at　the　Lower　Canada　ports　until　1817　had　been　only　one…eighth；　afterwards　increased　to　one…fifth。　This　inequality　proved　a　constant　source　of　friction。　The　crying　necessity　of　cooperation　for　the　improvement　of　the　St。　Lawrence　waterway　gave　further　ground　for　the　contention　that　only　by　a　reunion　of　the　two　provinces　could　efficiency　be　secured。　In　Upper　Canada　the　Reformers　were　in　favor　of　this　plan；　but　the　Compact；　fearful　of　any　disturbance　of　their　vested　interests；　tended　to　oppose　it。　In　Lower　Canada　the　chief　support　came　from　the　English　element。　The　governing　clique；　as　the　older　established　body；　had　no　doubt　that　they　could　bring　the　western　section　under　their　sway　in　case　of　union。　But　the　main　reason　for　their　advocacy　was　the　desire　to　swamp　the　French　Canadians　by　an　English　majority。　Sewell；　the　chief　supporter　of　the　project；　frankly　took　this　ground。　The　Governor；　Lord　Dalhousie；　and　the　Colonial　Office　adopted　his　view；　and　in　1822　an　attempt　was　made　to　rush　a　Union　Bill　through　the　British　Parliament　without　any　notice　to　those　most　concerned。　It　was　blocked　for　the　moment　by　the　opposition　of　a　Whig　group　led　by　Burdett　and　Mackintosh；　and　then　Papineau　and　Neilson　sailed　to　London　and　succeeded　in　inducing　the　Ministry　to　stay　its　hand。　The　danger　was　averted；　but　Papineau　had　become　convinced　that　if　his　people　were　to　retain　the　rights　given　them　by　their　〃Sacred　Charter〃　they　would　have　to　fight　for　them。　If　they　were　to　save　their　power；　they　must　increase　it。

How　could　this　be　done？　Baldwin's　bold　and　revolutionary　policy　of　making　the　Executive　responsible　to　the　Assembly　did　not　seem　within　the　range　of　practical　politics。　It　meant　in　practice　the　abandonment　of　British　control；　and　this　the　Colonial　Office　was　not　willing　to　grant。　Antoine　Panet　and　other　Assembly　leaders　had　suggested　in　1815　that　it　would　be　well；　〃if　it　were　possible；　to　grant　a　number　of　places　as　Councillors　or　other　posts　of　honour　and　of　profit　to　those　who　have　most　influence　over　the　majority　in　the　Assembly；　to　hold　so　long　as　they　maintained　this　influence；〃　and　James　Stuart　urged　the　same　tentative　suggestion　a　year　later。　But　even　before　this　the　Colonial　Office　had　made　clear　its　position。　〃His　Majesty's　Government；〃　declared　the　Colonial　Secretary；　Lord　Bathurst；　in　1814；　〃never　can　admit　so　novel　&　inconvenient　a　Principle　as　that　of　allowing　the　Governor　of　a　Colony　to　be　divested　of　his　responsibility　＇to　the　Colonial　Office＇　for　the　acts　done　during　his　administration　or　permit　him　to　shield　himself　under　the　advice　of　any　Persons；　however　respectable；　either　from　their　character　or　their　Office。〃

Two　other　courses　had　the　sanction　of　precedent；　one　of　English；　the　other　of　American　example。　The　English　House　of　Commons　had　secured　its　dominant　place　in　the　government　of　the　country　by　its　control　of　the　purse。　Why　should　not　the　Assembly　do　likewise？　One　obvious　difficulty　lay　in　the　fact　that　the　Assembly　was　not　the　sole　authority　in　raising　revenue。　The　British　Parliament　had　retained　the　power　to　levy　certain　duties　as　part　of　its　system　of　commercial　control；　and　other　casual　and　territorial　dues　lay　in　the　right　of　the　Crown。　From　1820；　therefore；　the　Assembly's　main　aim　was　twofoldto　obtain　control　of　these　remaining　sources　of　revenue；　and　by　means　of　this　power　to　bludgeon　the　Legislative　Council　and　the　Governor　into　compliance　with　its　wishes。　The　Colonial　Office　made　concessions；　offering　to　resign　all　its　taxing　powers　in　return　for　a　permanent　civil　list；　that　is；　an　assurance　that　the　salaries　of　the　chief　officials　would　not　be　questioned　annually。　The　offer　was　reasonable　in　itself　but；　as　it　would　have　hampered　the　full　use　of　the　revenue　bludgeon；　it　was　scornfully　declined。

The　other　aim　of　the　Patriotes；　as　the　Opposition　styled　themselves；　was　to　conquer　the　Legislative　Council　by　making　it　elective。　Papineau；　in　spite　of　his　early　prejudices；　was　drawn　more　and　more　into　sympathy　with　the　form　of　democracy　worked　out　in　the　United　States。　In　fact；　he　not　only　looked　to　it　as　a　model　but；　as　the　thirties　wore　on；　he　came　to　hope　that　moral；　if　not　physical；　support　might　be　found　there　for　his　campaign　against　the　English　Government。　After　1830　the　demand　for　an　elective　Legislative　Council　became　more　and　more　insistent。

The　struggle　soon　reached　a　deadlock。　Governor　followed　Governor：　Lord　Dalhousie；　Sir　James　Kempt；　Lord　Aylmer；　all　in　turn　failed　to　allay　the　storm。　The　Assembly　raised　its　claims　each　session　and　fulminated　against　all　the　opposing　powers　in　windy

resolutions。　Papineau；　embittered　by　continued　opposition；　carried　away　by　his　own　eloquence；　and　steadied　by　no　responsibility　of　office；　became　more　implacable　in　his　demands。　Many　of　his　moderate　supportersNeilson；　Andrew　Stuart；　Quesnel；　Cuvillierfell　away；　only　to　be　overwhelmed　in　the　first　election　at　a　wave　of　the　great　tribune's　hand。　Business　was　blocked；　supplies　were　not　voted；　and　civil　servants　made　shift　without　salary　as　best　they　could。

The　British　Government　awoke；　or　half　awoke；　to　the　seriousness　of　the　situation。　In　1835　a　Royal　Commission　of　three；　with　the　new　Governor　General；　Lord　Gosford；　as　chairman；　was　appointed　to　make　inquiries　and　to　recommend　a　policy。　Gosford；　a