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advocates of “ Rep. by Pop.” and had spoken strongly in its favour up to the very eve of entering the Ministry. The Globe opened its batteries upon them for their inconsistency, and taxed them with a venal desertion of their principles. A good many Upper Canadian Reformers took a similar stand, but the Assembly and the country at large were in favour of giving the new Ministers a fair trial. The leaders of the late Government declared that they would offer no factious opposition, either at the polls or elsewhere, but would even assist their successors in completing the legislation of the session. They acted up to their declarations, and the Macdonald- Sicotte Administration thus found themselves strong enough to proceed to the development of some features of the policy which had been announced on their behalf. They completed the unfinished business of the session, which was brought to a close on the 9th of June. Among the measures passed after their accession to power were à short Militia Bill, making provision for the maintenance of a volunteer force, but being much less comprehensive in its provisions than the defeated measure which had led to the fall of the late Government.

Some of the foremost English journals expressed themselves strongly upon the subject of the defeat of the Macdonald-Cartier Government’s Militia Bill. The prevalent feeling in the mother country seemed to be that Canada was disposed to shirk her responsibilities, and to leave England to provide for her defence against foreign aggression. At such a distance from the scene of action, and with very inadequate knowledge of public opinion here, Englishmen have always been conspicuous for shooting wide of the mark where Canadian aflairs are concerned. At this juncture they would seem to have been farther astray than usual. Mr. Macdonald’s measure had been defeated, partly because its enactment would have involved an expenditure greater than the necessities of the case

demanded : freuter certainly than the pecuniary condition of the 28—2

426 The Last Forty Years.

Province would have justified: and partly because it had been introduced under the auspices of an Administration whereof the Canadian people had begun to grow weary. There was no want of loyalty among us ; no desire to avoid our responsibilities, pecuniary or other. But the tone adopted by the English ; 3—which of course echoed the opinions of many leading statesmen and scholars in the kingdom—-during the summer of 1852, struck a blow at Canadian loyalty from which it has never fully recovered. One journal declared that we were a colony of greedy self-seekers, and that neither credit nor advantage to the mother country was to be derived from any longer continuing the connection with us. Another more coarsely remarked that our loyalty was in our breeches pockets. At least a score of widelv-read journals took occasion to gird at us. The Premier himself—Lurd Palmerston— asserted from his place in the House of Commons, with a considerable appearance of ill-temper, that Her Majesty's Government had done as much for the defence of Canada as they intended to do, and that it rested with Canadians themselves either to do the remainder or to disgrace the stock whence they had sprung. The Governor- General, Lord Monck, in more diplomatic language, expressed similar opinions at a public dinner in Montreal. Canadians generally felt that they had received a succession of unmerited slaps in the face. Assured]y there is loyalty in Canada at the present day, but it is a sentiment of radically different stripe from that which animated us during the discussions arising out of the Trent affair; and any one who has carefully watched the progress of public opinion among us during the last twenty years will admit that a change first began to be apparent during the summer of 1862.

The Government set on foot a rigid system of economy in the public service during the summer and autumn. The staff of clerks in the various departments was reduced, and the strictest supervision was exercised over every branch of expenditure. As a

The Eve of Confederation. 427

necessary result a considerable saving was effected, and the state of the public finances was to that extent improved. Among the twelve Legislative Councillors returned at the biennial election of this year was Mr. Holton, who, with the exception of his brief tenure of office in the Brown-Dorion Administration, had taken no part in public affairs since the general election of 1857, when he had been defeated in Montreal by Solicitor-General Rose. He was now returned by acclamation for the Victoria Division, which embraced a great portion of the city of Montreal.

The neighbouring republic continued to be the theatre of war, and during the latter months of 1862 Canada began to be sensible of being materially affected thereby. Columbia’s necessity was Canada's opportunity. The rebellion had of course seriously interfered with the raising of food and farm-stock in the States, and the demand for those commodities had become much greater than the domestic supply. Dealers naturally turned to Canada as the cheapest and most accessible foreign market, and the Province was overrun by Americans who bought up cattle, poultry, eggs, and other staple articles of food, in enormous quantities. Horses were also in great requisition for cavalry purposes. Prices rose with the increased demand, and money flowed into the country in a steady stream. Our farmers, who had never before enjoyed such a golden opportunity, not even during the Crimean War, took full advantage of the situation, and throve apace upon the necessities of their neighbours. The experience of seven or eight years before had not been thrown away upon them, and as a rule they did not repeat the senseless extravagance of that period. The Americans did not relish the high rates of duty imposed by the Provincial Parliament, and had already begun to raise an outcry against the contemplated renewal of the Reciprocity Treaty of 1854. Such was the condition of affairs at the close of 1862.

The intercolonial line of railway from Quebec to Halifax con-

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428 The Last Forty Years.

tinued meanwhile to form the subject of discussion between Canada, the Maritime Provinces and the mother country. Mr. Dorion did not regard the enterprise with favour, as he considered it to be in advance of our necessities and resources. As his colleagues did not concur in this view, but kept up negotiations with a view to the construction of the road, he formally withdrew from the Government on the 27th of January, and was succeeded in the Provincial Secretaryship* by the Hon. Jacques Olivier Bureau, a member of the Rouge party, who sat in the Legislative Council as member for the De Lorimier Division.

Parliament met on the 12th of February. During the preceding summer Sir Allan MacNab had succumbed to an attack of gout of exceptional severity, and had found relief in the grave from the many cares whereby he had long been beset. The extraordinary circumstances connected with his last illness, death and burial are still fresh in the memory of many readers of these pages. His death had left vacant the post of Speaker of the Legislative Council, and the first duty of the members of that body, after the assembling of Parliament, was to elect his successor. They fulfilled that duty by electing the Hon. (now Sir) Alexander Campbell, a popular lawyer of Kingston, who had been returned to the Upper House for the Cataraqui Division at the biennial election of 1858. He was a Liberal-Conservative, and had long been a partner in business of the Hon. John A. Macdonald. His election to the Speakership was unanimous. On the following day the Governor delivered the Speech from the Throne. It recommended the enactment of several measures of public utility, but contained nothing of historic interest, An amendment to the Address in Reply, in favour of representation by population, and expressing regret that the Government had not resolved to do justice to Upper Canada, was moved in the Assembly

* The portfolio was first offered to Mr. Loranger, who declined it, and accepted a seat on the bench,

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