he
new Assembly showed seventy members voting for Papineau as speaker, and
only six voting against him.

The Resolutions were forwarded to Westminster, both through the
Assembly's agent in London and through Lord Aylmer, who received the
address embodying the Resolutions, despite the fact that they demanded
his own impeachment. The British House of Commons appointed a special
committee to inquire into the grievances of which the Resolutions
complained; but there followed {45} no immediate action by the
government. The years 1834 and 1835 saw much disturbance in British
politics: there were no less than four successive ministers at the
Colonial Office. It was natural that there should be some delay in
dealing with the troubles of Lower Canada. In the spring of 1835,
however, the government made up its mind about the course to pursue.
It decided to send to Canada a royal commission for the purpose of
investigating, and if possible settling, the questions in dispute. It
was thought advisable to combine in one person the office of chief
royal commissioner and that of governor of Canada. To clear the way
for this arrangement Lord Aylmer was recalled. But he was expressly
relieved from all censure: it was merely recognized by the authorities
that his unfortunate relations with the Assembly made it unlikely that
he would be able to offer any assistance in a solution of the problem.

The unenviable position of governor and chief royal commissioner was
offered in turn to several English statesmen and declined by all of
them. It was eventually accepted by Lord Gosford, an Irish peer
without experience in public life. With him were associated as
commissioners Sir Charles Grey, afterwards {46} governor of Jamaica,
and Sir George Gipps, afterwards governor of New South Wales. These
two men were evidently intended to offset each other: Grey was commonly
rated as a Tory, while Gipps was a Liberal. Lord Gosford's appointment
caused much surprise. He was a stranger in politics and in civil
government. There is no doubt that his appointment was a last
resource. But his Irish geniality and his facility in being all things
to all men were no small recommendations for a governor who was to
attempt to set things right in Canada.

The policy of Lord Glenelg, the colonial secretary during Gosford's
period of office, was to do everything in his power to conciliate the
Canadian _Patriotes_, short of making any real constitutiona