ised an influence in Canadian affairs, such as
not even Lord John Russell attempted. Judged from his colonial
despatches, Stanley seems to have found it very hard to understand that
there could be another side to any question on which he had made up his
mind. His party had consented to a modification of the old oligarchic
rule in Canada; but they were intent upon limiting the scope of the
{129} change, and upon conducting all their operations in a very
conservative spirit. Stanley's instructions to Bagot had been drawn up
in no ungenerous fashion. Bagot was to know no distinctions of
national origin or religious creed, and in so far as it might be
consistent with his duty to his Sovereign, he was to consult the wishes
of the mass of the community.[1] Their happiness it was his main duty
to secure. In ecclesiastical matters, Stanley, who had changed his
party rather than consent to weaken the Anglican Church in Ireland, was
willing to acknowledge "that the habits and opinions of the people of
Canada were, in the main, averse from the absolute predominance of any
single church."[2] But the theory inspiring the instructions was one
which denied to the colonists any but the most partial responsibility
and independence, and which regarded their party divisions as factious
and at times treasonable. This disbelief in the reality of Canadian
parties was, however, discounted, and yet at the same time rendered
more insulting to the reformers, because the colonial secretary
regarded the fragments of old Family Compact Toryism as still the best
guarantee in Canada for the British connection. "Although {130} I am
far from wishing to re-establish the old Family Compact of Upper
Canada," he wrote, at a later date, "if you come into difficulties,
that is the class of men to fall back upon, rather than the
ultra-liberal party."[3] Confidence in political adventurers and the
disaffected French seemed to him a kind of madness. In addition to
this attitude towards existing parties, Stanley held stiffly to every
constitutional expedient which asserted the supremacy of the Imperial
government. The Union had, by fixing a Civil List, taken the power of
the purse within certain limits from Canadian hands, and this Civil
List Stanley regarded as quite essential to the maintenance of British
authority.[4] In fact, any discussion of the subject seemed to him the
"reopening of a chapter which has already led to such serious
consequences