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Untitled Article
sioners have been heard to say that an elective council should b € granted , but for the mixed origin of the people . Well , then , was the reply—grant an elective council to Upper Canada . The Upper Ca * nadians demand an elective council , and are not of « mixed origin . * True , ' rejoined the wily sub-Commissioners , ¦* but there is not the unanimity ' which prevails in Lower Canada . " * * *
The " sub-Commissioners" are certainly most skilful dialecticians . Here the Canadians are certainly reduced to a most cruel dilemma . The Lower Canadians consist of about 450 , 000 persons of French origin , and 150 , 000 of " other origin ; " of these , nearly all the first are in favour of " the Elective Principle , " as are also half , or perhaps two-thirds of the latter . * In other words about nine-tenths of the whole people desire an elective council . But although nearly unanimous they are of " mixed origin" and so according to the doctrine of the sub-Commissioners they are to have no reform . In Upper Canada
on the other hand , the argument is shifted to suit the circumstances . There the people are not of mixed origin , but then they are not unanimous . It is only two-thirds ^* of the whole population that is in favour of reform , and so reform is to be denied until the opposition of the minority can be nullified .
A more atrocious political doctrine was , perhaps , never broached . Its effect would be to perpetuate all existing abuses , to render reform impossible , and virtually to give up the governing power to the minority . Taking the population of the two Canadas together at 1 , 000 , 000 , the utmost number of persons represented in the two Assemblies by persons opposed to the elective principle , is 175 , 000 , or not much over one-sixth of the population , and yet effect is still to be given to the will of this minority by the abominable doctrine alluded to in the above
extract . Every newspaper received from the Colony—and they now ( January 26 th ) reach as late as the 24 th of December—bears some evidence that the partial improvements which have taken place under Lord Gosford ' s administration are wholly insufficient to quiet the country . The determination of the Assembly is to adhere to their demand , for " the great remedial measure —an elective second Chamber , " and with nothing short of this
will they be contented . All other reforms , say they , would afford no security for the future . It is on a responsible legislature that they place their sole reliance . By withholding supplies ( the course , be it remembered , recommended to their
• The numbers indicated by the Election returns aro 479 ,: > OO , represented by persons in favour of the Elective principle , and 3 ^ , 500 b y members opposed thereto . See article Canada in our September number . t This was the proportion in 1 H 34 . Tlimo is reason to believe that since then the Reformers of Upper Canada have greatly increased . Questions of Reform have gained strength in tbe Assembly by discussion ; and there is , out of the House , an extensive organization of Reform Association whicii ou ^ ht to he regurde ^ l u # u striking . si ^ n of the timed .
Untitled Article
l \ 6 Recent Occurrences in Canada *
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1836, page 116, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2654/page/52/
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