the canadian dominion-第15章

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For　half　a　century　the　attempt　had　been　made　to　govern　the　Canadas　as　separate　provinces　and　with　the　half　measure　of　freedom　involved　in　representative　government。　For　the　next　quarter　of　a　century　the　experiment　of　responsible　government　together　with　union　of　the　two　provinces　was　to　be　given　its　trial。

The　union　of　the　two　provinces　was　the　phase　of　Durham's　policy　which　met　fullest　acceptance　in　England。　It　was　not　possible；　in　the　view　of　the　British　Ministry；　to　take　away　permanently　from　the　people　of　Lower　Canada　the　measure　of　self…government　involved　in　permitting　them　to　choose　their　representatives　in　a　House　of　Assembly。　It　was　equally　impossible；　they　considered；　to　permit　a　French…Canadian　majority　ever　again　to　bring　all　government　to　a　standstill。　The　only　solution　of　the　problem　was　to　unite　the　two　provinces　and　thus　swamp　the　French　Canadians　by　an　English　majority。　Lower　Canada；　Durham　had　insisted；　must　be　made　〃an　English　province。〃　Sooner　or　later　the　French　Canadians　must　lose　their　separate　nationality；　and　it　was；　he　contended；　the　part　of　statesmanship　to　make　it　sooner。　Union；　moreover；　would　make　possible　a　common　financial　policy　and　an　energetic　development　of　the　resources　of　both　provinces。

This　was　the　first　task　set　Durham's　successor；　Charles　Poulett　Thomson；　better　known　as　Lord　Sydenham。　Like　Durham　he　was　a　man　of　outstanding　capacity。　The　British　Government　had　learned　at　last　to　send　men　of　the　caliber　the　emergency　demanded。　Like　Durham　he　was　a　wealthy　Radical　politician；　but　there　the　resemblance　ended。　Where　Durham　played　the　dictator；　Sydenham　preferred　to　intrigue　and　to　manage　men；　to　win　them　by　his　adroitness　and　to　convince　them　by　his　energy　and　his　business　knowledge。　He　was　well　fitted　for　the　transition　tasks　before　him；　though　too　masterful　to　fill　the　role　of　ornamental　monarch　which　the　advocates　of　responsible　government　had　cast　for　the　Governor。

Sydenham　reached　Canada　in　October；　1839。　With　the　assistance　of　James　Stuart；　now　a　baronet　and　Chief　Justice　of　Lower　Canada；　he　drafted　a　union　measure。　In　Lower　Canada　the　Assembly　had　been　suspended；　and　the　Special　Council　appointed　in　its　stead　accepted　the　bill　without　serious　demur。　More　difficulty　was　found　in　Upper　Canada；　where　the　Family　Compact；　still　entrenched　in　the　Legislative　Council；　feared　the　risk　to　their　own　position　that　union　would　bring　and　shrank　from　the　task　of　assimilating　half　a　million　disaffected　French　Canadians。　But　with　the　support　of　the　Reformers　and　of　the　more　moderate　among　the　Family　Compact　party；　Sydenham　forced　his　measure　through。　A　confirming　bill　passed　the　British　Parliament；　and　on　February　10；　1841；　the　Union　of　Canada　was　proclaimed。

The　Act　provided　for　the　union　of　the　two　provinces；　under　a　Governor；　an　appointed　Legislative　Council；　and　an　elective　Assembly。　In　the　Assembly　each　section　of　the　new　province　was　to　receive　equal　representation；　though　the　population　of　Lower　Canada　still　greatly　exceeded　that　of　Upper　Canada。　The　Assembly　was　to　have　full　control　of　all　revenues；　and　in　return　a　permanent　civil　list　was　granted。　Either　English　or　French　could　be　used　in　debate；　but　all　parliamentary　journals　and　papers　were　to　be　printed　in　English　only。*

*　From　1841　to　1867　the　whole　province　was　legally　known　as　the　〃Province　of　Canada。〃　Yet　a　measure　of　administrative　separation　between　the　old　sections　remained；　and　the　terms　〃Canada　East〃　and　〃Canada　West〃　received　official　sanction。　The　older　terms；　〃Lower　Canada〃　and　〃Upper　Canada；〃　lingered　on　in　popular　usage。


In　June；　1841；　the　first　Parliament　of　united　Canada　met　at　Kingston；　which　as　the　most　central　point　had　been　chosen　as　the　new　capital。　Under　Sydenham's　shrewd　and　energetic　leadership　a　business　programme　of　long…delayed　reforms　was　put　through。　A　large　loan；　guaranteed　by　the　British　Government；　made　possible　extensive　provision　for　building　roads；　bridges；　and　canals　around　the　rapids　in　the　St。　Lawrence。　Municipal　institutions　were　set　up；　and　reforms　were　effected　in　the　provincial　administration。

Lord　John　Russell　in　England　and　Sydenham　in　Canada　were　anxious　to　keep　the　question　of　responsible　government　in　the　background。　For　the　first　busy　months　they　succeeded；　but　the　new　Parliament　contained　men　quite　as　strong　willed　as　either　and　of　quite　other　views。　Before　the　first　session　had　begun；　Baldwin　and　the　new　French…Canadian　leader；　La　Fontaine；　had　raised　the　issue　and　begun　a　new　struggle　in　which　their　single…minded　devotion　and　unflinching　courage　were　to　attain　a　complete　success。

Responsible　government　was　in　1841　only　a　phrase；　a　watchword。　Its　full　implications　became　clear　only　after　many　years。　It　meant　three　things：　cabinet　government；　self…government；　and　party　government。　It　meant　that　the　government　of　the　country　should　be　carried　on　by　a　Cabinet　or　Executive　Council；　all　members　of　Parliament；　all　belonging　to　the　party　which　had　the　majority　in　the　Assembly；　and　under　the　leadership　of　a　Prime　Minister；　the　working　head　of　the　Government。　The　nominal　head；　Governor　or　King；　could　act　only　on　the　advice　of　his　ministers；　who　alone　were　held　responsible　to　Parliament　for　the　course　of　the　Government。　It　meant；　further；　national　self…government。　The　Governor　could　not　serve　two　masters。　If　he　must　take　the　advice　of　his　ministers　in　Canada；　he　could　not　take　the　possibly　conflicting　advice　of　ministers　in　London。　The　people　of　Canada　would　be　the　ultimate　court　of　appeal。　And　finally；　responsible　government　meant　party　government。　The　cabinet　system　presupposed　a　definite　and　united　majority　behind　the　Government。　It　was　the　business　of　the　party　system　to　provide　that　majority；　to　insure　responsible　and　steady　action；　and　at　the　same　time　responsible　criticism　from　Her　Majesty's　loyal　Opposition。　Baldwin　saw　this　clearly　in　1841；　but　it　took　hard　fighting　throughout　the　forties　to　bring　all　his　fellow　countrymen　to　see　likewise　and　to　induce　the　English　Government　to　resign　itself　to　the　prospect。

Sydenham　fought　against　responsible　government　but　advanced　it　against　his　will。　The　only　sense　in　which　he；　like　Russell；　was　prepared　to　concede　such　liberty　was　that　the　Governor　should　choose　his　advisers　as　far　as　possible　from　men　having　the　confidence　of　the　Assembly。　They　were　to　be　his　advisers　only；　in　fact　as　well　as　form。　The　Governor　was　still　to　govern；　was　to　be　Prime　Minister　and　Governor　in　one。　When　Baldwin；　who　had　been　given　a　seat　in　the　Executive　Council；　demanded　in　1841　that　this　body　should　be　reconstructed　in　such　a　way　as　to　include　some　French…Canadian　members　and　to　exclude　the　Family　Compact　men；　Sydenham　flatly　refused。　Baldwin　then　resigned　and　went　into　opposition；　but　Sydenham　unwillingly　played　into　his　hand。　By　choosing　his　council　solely　from　members　of　the　two　Houses；　he　established　a　definite　connection　between　Executive　and　Assembly　and　thus　gave　an　opportunity　for　the　discussion　of　the　administration　of　policy　in　the　House　and　for　the　forming　of　government　and　opposition　parties。　Before　the　first　session　closed；　the　majority　which　Sydenham　had　built　up　by　acting　as　a　party　leader　at　the　very　time　he　was　deriding　parties　as　mere　factions；　crumbled　away；　and　he　was　forced　to　accept　resolutions　insisting　that　the　Governor's　advisers　must　be　men　〃possessed　of　the　confidence　of　the　representatives　of　the　people。〃　Fate　ended　his　work　at　its　height。　Riding　home　one　September　evening；　he　was　thrown　from　his　horse　and　died　from　the　injuries　before　the　month　was　out。

It　fell　to　the　Tory　Government　of　Peel　to　choose　Sydenham's　successor。　They　named　Sir　Charles　Bagot；　already　distinguished　for　his　career　in　diplomacy　and　known　for　his　hand　in　matters　which　were　to　interest　the　greater　Canada；　the　Rush…Bagot　Convention　with　the　United　States　and　the　treaty　with　Russia　which　fixed；　only　too　vaguely；　the　boundaries　of　Alaska。　He　was　under　strict　injunctions　from　the　Colonial　Secretary；　Lord　Stanley；　to　continue　Sydenham's　policy　and　to　make　no　further　concession　to　the　demands　for　responsible　government　or　party　control。　Yet　this　Tory　nominee　of　a　Tory　Cabinet；　in　his　brief　term　of　office；　insured　a　great　advance　along　this　very　path