ate councillors had a steady and decisive majority in the existing
Assembly; and the governor-general found it necessary to face the risk
of an appeal to the country. The fate of Lower Canada he could imagine
beforehand; nothing but accident could prevent the return of an
overwhelming majority against his men. Even among the western British
settlers an unprejudiced observer reported early in 1844 that more than
nine-tenths of the western voters were supporters of the late Executive
Council.[20] Montreal, which, thanks to Sydenham's manoeuvres, counted
among the British seats, returned an opponent of the new Ministers at a
bye-election in April, 1844, although the {179} government party
explained away the defeat by stories of Irish violence. But Metcalfe's
extraordinary persistence, and his belief that the battle was really
one for the continuance of the British connection, gave him and his
supporters renewed vigour, and, even to-day, the election of November,
1844, is remembered as one of the fiercest in the history of the
colony. Politics in Canada still recognized force as one of the
natural, if not quite legitimate, elements in the situation, and it was
eminently characteristic of local conditions that, early in his term of
office, Metcalfe should have reported that meetings had been held near
Kingston at which large numbers of persons attended armed with
bludgeons, and, in some cases, with firearms.[21] Montreal, with all
its possibilities of conflict, and with its reputation for disorder to
maintain, led the-way in election riots. In April, 1844, according to
the loyalists, the reformers had won through the use of Irish labourers
brought in from the Lachine canal. However that may be, the military
had been called in, and at least one death had resulted from the
confused rioting of the day.[22] In November, the loyalists in their
turn organized {180} a counter demonstration, and the success of the
loyal party was not altogether disconnected with physical force.[23]
From the west came similar stories of violence and trickery. In the
West Riding of Halton, the Tories were said to have delayed voting,
which seemed to be setting against them, by various stratagems,
including the swearing in of old grey-headed men as of 21 years of age,
and among the accusations made by the defeated candidate was one that
certain deputy returning officers had allowed seven women to vote for
the sitting member.[24] On the whole t