ough
different channels, that they regretted things had gone so far. 'But,' he
adds, 'whether the gales from England will stir the tempest again or not
remains to be seen.'

[Sidenote: Opinions in England.]

And, in effect, the next post from England came laden with speeches and
newspaper articles, denouncing, in no measured terms, the 'suicidal folly
of rewarding rebels for rebellion.' A London journal of influence, speaking
of the British population as affected by the measure in question, said:--
'They are tolerably able to take care of themselves, and we very much
misconstrue the tone adopted by the English press and the English public in
the province, if they do not find some means of resisting the heavy blow
and great discouragement which is aimed at them.' Such passages were read
with avidity in the colony, and construed to mean that sympathy would be
extended from influential quarters at home to those who sought to annul the
obnoxious decision of the local Legislature, whatever might be the means to
which they resorted for the attainment of that end. It may be doubted,
however, whether any extraneous disturbance of this kind had much to do
with the volcanic outburst of local passions which ensued, and which is now
to be related.

[Sidenote: The Bill is passed,]

The Bill was passed in the Assembly by forty-seven votes to eighteen. On
analysing the votes, it was found that out of thirty-one members from Upper
Canada who voted on the occasion, seventeen supported and fourteen opposed
it; and that of ten members for Lower Canada, of British descent, six
supported and four opposed it.

These facts (wrote Lord Elgin) seemed altogether irreconcilable with
the allegation that the question was one on which the two races were
arrayed against each other throughout the province generally. I
considered, therefore, that by reserving the Bill, I should only cast
on Her Majesty and Her Majesty's advisers a responsibility which
ought, in the first instance at least, to rest on my own shoulders,
and that I should awaken in the minds of the people at large, even of
those who were indifferent or hostile to the Bill, doubts as to the
sincerity with which it was intended that constitutional Government
should be carried on in Canada; doubts which it is my firm conviction,
if they were to obtain generally, would be fatal to the connection.

[Sidenote: and receives the Royal Assent.]