gave the Government an opportunity of providing a very remarkable, and to all appearances, a most complete refutation of the charges in question. Mr. Charles Duncombe, a lead which had predominated in the last, found itself reduced to a very considerable minority. The proceedings of the assembly were in conformity with its constituent elements. Laying aside the agitation of speculative grieving agitator in the province, deemauces, and organic changes, it ed it advisable to reduce what directed its attention principally were before but vague and exaggeto the material interests of the rated reports to a specific catalogue colony, and to measures of inter- of grievances, and whether, as he nal improvement. Very soon after himself affirmed, deputed by his its meeting, it appears to have brother reformers, or presuming voted the application of 500,000l. to act, though quite unauthorized, to the improvement of the roads; in their names, as was asserted on a measure which is reported not the other side, he proceeded to the to have met with the support, mother country, and having emthough it did not encounter the bodied his charges against the local resistance, of this opposition. government in a petition, caused it to be presented to the House of Commons. This document, after stating, that the petitioner had been deputed, by the reformers of the province, for the purpose of laying before the throne and the House of Commons, the dangerous crisis at which the affairs of Upper Canada had arrived, through the unconstitutional violence and outrages practised and sanctioned by Sir F. Head, and those under his immediate influence and control, at the late elections, contained various specific charges against Returningofficers for refusing votes, legally tendered, and encouraging riots at the polling places. It alleged moreover, that the polling places had. been changed from their former situations, to suit the purposes of Government; that Sir F. Head, the Attorney general, the Solicitor general, and almost every public functionary, had made common cause with "the Tories and Orangemen" against "the Reformers." That the Returning-officers were appointed by the lieutenant governor from among such persons as were known to be most likely to The much agitated question of the clergy reserves came also under the consideration of the assembly, and a resolution moved by the Solicitor General of the colony, declaring it to be the opinion of the House that the proceeds arising from the sales of the clergy reserves should be applied to the purposes of moral and religious education," was carried by a majority of thirty-five to twenty-one. Imprisonment for debt, and the law of primogeniture, also formed subjects of discussion, and a bill for abolishing the latter was introduced and rejected. "The Reformers," as they styled themselves, acted as is usual with a defeated party, under this reverse of fortune. They attributed the predominance of the Government to undue influence, to violence, and to fraud; and they contended that the new legislature did not represent the sense of the people. Such allegations are common enough, and pass for what they are worth. But in this instance the reformers or, at least, a section of their number, took a step, which forward his views. That by the law no elector can vote upon a freehold, the transfer title of which has been less than three months in his possession, and registered as such; and that Sir Francis Head had issued large numbers of patents or grants of land, under the Great Seal, in many cases for only a quarter of an acre of wild uncultivated land, such grants being generally dated subsequent to the dissolution of Parliament, and in some cases even after the opening of the poll, at which the holders of such grants voted. That the quantity of such patents, to be prepared, was so great, as to require an additional number of clerks to get them ready, and that thousands of such grants were issued, and voted upon. That such grants were distributed openly, at the places of election, to persons who had not applied for them, and without payment of the usual fee. That the reformers had been exposed, without protection, to violence from "bands of Orangemen," who had committed the greatest excesses. And that, by these, and other unconstitutional acts, the real electors had been overwhelmed, and their franchise rendered of no avail. A copy of this petition was communicated by Sir Francis Head . to the house of assembly, in a message which that body referred to a select committee. The report of that committee, as given in January of the present year, is a very remarkable state paper, and of great length. After showing, that Mr. Duncombe had assumed the title of delegate of the reformers, without any authority whatever, the report enters upon the details of the petition, every article of which is minutely sifted, and every charge contained in it, authority of Sir Francis Head, between the prorogation of the assembly. and close of the election was 150. The whole number of patents issued under orders of council, since his arrival in the province to the close of the election, was 233, and these to women as well as men, to all descriptions of persons, and all upon the ordinary terms." The report concludes with an indignant repudiation of Mr. Joseph Hume, whose conduct with regard to the affairs of Canada, is severely reprobated, and contains, throughout, assurances of a determination, to support the British connection in defiance of brawling adventurers on either side of the Atlantic. The session now approached a close, previous to which, the Lower House presented the following address to the lieutenant-governor. "May it please your Excellency, "At the close of a long and laborious session, we, his majesty's faithful subjects, the Commons of Upper Canada, beg leave to present for the consideration of your excellency, as the representative of our most gracious sovereign, sundry bills granting monies for the support of the civil government, and for the advancement of various important public works, in which, we have every reason to believe, the people of the province feel a deep interest. "In affording aid and support (to the great extent which during the present session we have felt it our duty to do) to the improvement of our land and water communication, and other great public objects, some of them originating in private enterprise, we trust it will be seen, that we have been actuated by an earnest desire to advance, and establish on a firm basis, the general prosperity of the province. And we confidently anticipate, that under a judicious and careful management of the large sums thus appropriated, the reasonable expectations of his majesty's subjects will be fully realized. "Your excellency will perceive from the bills offered for the royal assent, making more ample provision for the administration of justice, for the support and advancement of education, for the protection and security of our trade and shipping, for the introduction of a new system in the land-granting department, and for the extension of the circulating medium of the province, that the recommendations of your excellency at the opening of the session have not been disregarded; and we trust, that evidence will be found in the result of our labours, that we have not been unmindful of the great public interests committed to our care." On the 4th of March the lieutenant-governor prorogued parliament. In his speech delivered upon that occasion, he noticed the results which had been secured by their firmness, loyalty, and public spirit. He acknowledged, the unremitting attention of the two chambers, and, after particularising the measures, from which he antici- . pated the greatest advantages to the internal prosperity of the province, he applauded the harmony which had prevailed between the two branches of the legislature, and concluded by exhorting them to encourage, in their various districts, those feelings of loyalty, and unanimity, which had distinguished their own deliberations during a session, the result of which would, he believed, be grati fying to thelr sovereign, advantageous to their country, and conducive to the general prosperity of the empire. During this session, 109 bills had received the assent of the lieutenant-governor. They principally related to railways, harbours, markets, to navigation, to the establishment of boundaries, and to the regulation of banks. And in the anticipation of the demand for la bour, which the proposed public works would create, Sir Francis Head wrote to the poor-law commissioners at home, to state, that artificers and labourers would be much wanted. In a subsequent chapter will be found an account of the commercial convulsion, which, during the spring of this year, distracted the United States, and which, followed by an universal suspension of specie payments, and in many instances, of every sort of payment, carried, as was natural, alarm and consternation into the neighbouring provinces. Meetings of merchants and others, accordingly, were held at Kingston, Toronto, Montreal, Quebec, and other leading places in the Canadas, for the purpose of devising what course, under the extraordinary state of things prevailing among their neighbours, was proper to be adopted. The great apprehension, entertained by the Canadians, was, that their banks would be drained of specie; and it was rumoured, that measures were in train for that purpose in the United States. As the only means of counteracting these schemes, a general suspension of specie payments was proposed, and was adopted by the Quebec, and some other banks; and it is said, that this was done with the universal sanction of the public; the carrying of the resolutions to this effect, being in many instances, accompanied by the most enthusiastic cheering. This step does not seem to have affected the credit of the banks; as a general conviction prevailed, that it resulted from the state of things elsewhere, and was merely a precautionary measure, unconnected with any difficulties on the part of the banks themselves. These proceedings took place in the middle of May. In the mean time, the leading banks in Upper Canada had applied to Sir Francis Head for his advice in this emergency; and the directors of the bank of Upper Canada received a communication from his excellency, in substance as follows. After intimating his confidence in the character and credit of the bank, and the absence of all wish on his part to influence the directors in their determination, the lieutenant-governor proceeded to state, that as it appeared to be their wish, that he should solicit the assistance of the commissarygeneral at Quebec, he was willing to do so, and even to address Lord Gosford on the subject, provided he clearly understood, that the bank had positively determined, under no circumstances whatever, to suspend cash payments, but, on the contrary, honourably to pay out their specie, if necessary, to the very last shilling. principle of a monarchy," continued his excellency "is honour and from that principle the licutenant-governor will never consent to depart." This communication was dated the 17th of May. And upon its being read to the directors of the bank, they unanimously resolved, that they were "determined, "The in no event, to suspend cash payments, while there remained any specie in their vaults." On the 22nd of the same month a letter was addressed, by order of his excellency, to each of the three chartered banks of Upper Canada, highly approving "of the course which the banks were then pursuing, in honourably fulfilling, regardless of all consequences, the engagements they had solemnly entered into with the public. The lieutenant-governor" proceeded the letter" feels confident, that, within the province of Upper Canada, all well-disposed people will be desirous to support the banks in the creditable duty they are performing; but as suction from without may possibly have the effect of draining specie from their vaults, the lieutenant-governor desires me to inform you, that on his receiving from the president of any chartered bank in Upper Canada the accompanying declaration, signed by the president, cashier, and major part of the directors, the lieutenant-governor in council will be prepared to assume the serious responsibility of enabling the said banks, until thirty days after the next meeting of the legislature, and under certain restrictions, to continue their business, without the necessity of redeeming their notes in specie." The declaration above mentioned was to the effect, that the bank in the course of business, and under circumstances it could not control, had, actually in the redemption of its outstanding bills, paid out all the specie in its possession or immediate power, and for bona fide want of such specie, and for no other cause, was forced to suspend specie payments. However, as the mercantile embarrassments of the colony con tinued to increase, Sir Francis resolved to summon an extraordinary session of the legislature. Accordingly on the 19th of June, the chambers met, and on the following day, Allan Napier M' Nab, esq. was chosen for their Speaker, in the room of Mr. A. M'Clean, who had been made a judge since the last session. Sir Francis Head, having approved of this appointment, proceeded to address the provincial parliament. He had convened them, he said, because he deemed it constitutional, that they should be called upon to share in the consideration of the commercial difficulties which had assailed the province. Having adverted to the nature of the evil, and to the course which the banks had adopted, he said, that although it was anticipated, that their coffers would be immediately exhausted, yet, such had been the confidence which was reposed in their probity and solvency, that their notes had, contrary to expectation, retained their value, and in the exchanges, which were hourly effected throughout the province, they were still at par with specie. But it had been submitted to him from various quarters-that if present circumstances should continue, the banks of the province, must inevitably be drained of their specie. It had been explained to him, that by suspending payment, with their coffers full, the banks would be saved the expense of replenishing their vaults. The amount of this saving it would be easy to estimate. On the other hand they were to weigh what the province would lose by its banks breaking faith with the public, on the ground of a supposed necessity, or |