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My Lord,

The important subject of this despatch is to inform your Lordship of the result of the elections which have taken place here in consequence of my having dissolved the Provincial Legislature on the 28th of May.

As soon as I determined on the 5th of March last {110} to make a stand against the unconstitutional demands of my late Executive Councillors (which, as your Lordship is aware, were strenuously supported by the House of Assembly), I became sensible that the only practicable method of breaking the republican party was by opening the eyes of the people to the traitorous designs of those who were leading them insensibly to revolution.

In proportion as the Constitutionists were observed to rally round the British flag (which I hoisted for the first time in the history of the Province on the roof of the Government House), the Republicans felt it necessary to make on their part every possible exertion; and as the period for the elections gradually approached, it became evident to every reflecting man in Lower Canada, that by the conflict about to take place in the Upper Province, Mr. Papineau’s power would either be materially increased or diminished, inasmuch as in one of my replies I had noticed his letter to Mr. Speaker Bidwell as follows:—

“But as Mr. Speaker Papineau has thought proper to promulgate in this province, ‘that the people of the Canadas, labouring under the accumulative wrongs proceeding from an Act of Parliament, unite as a man,’ I feel it necessary publicly to repudiate that assertion, by declaring what the state of opinion in Upper Canada really is.

“The people of Upper Canada detest democracy; they revere their Constitutional Charter, and are consequently staunch in allegiance to their King.

{111}

“They are perfectly aware that there exists in the Lower Province one or two individuals who inculcate the idea that this province is about to be disturbed by the interference of foreigners, whose power and whose numbers will prove invincible.

“In the name of every regiment of militia in Upper Canada, I publicly promulgate, let them come if they dare.”

The elections commenced on the 20th of June, and the struggle, as might be expected, was a desperate one. I am happy however to inform your Lordship, that the result has been successful, and that truth and justice have as usual prevailed.

In the late House of Assembly the Republicans had a majority of eleven. In the present House of Assembly the Constitutionists have a majority of twenty-five (there being now forty-five constitutional members, and only seventeen republican!)

In the late House there were thirteen American members; in the present House there are only seven, one of whom is a Constitutionist.

Among the Republicans who have lost their election are the following names:

“1. Mr. Speaker Bidwell,^[7] the twin or Siamese companion of Mr. Speaker Papineau.

“2. Mr. Peter Perry, the most powerful, as well {112} as the leading speaker of the Republicans; the chairman of the committee to whom was referred my correspondence with my Executive Council.

“3. Mr. W. L. M‘Kenzie, the Chairman of the Grievance Report, and arch-agitator of this province.”

As a single example of the reaction which has lately taken place in the public mind, I may state that the Solicitor-General, who is the leader of the constitutional party in the House of Assembly, was returned without opposition; that Mr. M‘Lean, the late constitutional Speaker, was returned at the head of his poll; while Mr. Speaker Bidwell, the avowed advocate for republican institutions, was the lowest of the four candidates for his county.

The effect which the election has produced in this country, and the excitement it will cause in Lower Canada, I will not attempt to describe, but will only express a hope that it will, in your Lordship’s estimation, sufficiently defend the course of policy which I have adopted on my arrival at this province, and which I had the honour to explain to your Lordship in my despatch of the 5th of February, as follows:—

“Under these circumstances I considered that the great danger I had to avoid, was the slightest attempt to conciliate any party; and that the only course for me to adopt, was to act fearlessly, undisguisedly, and straightforwardly for the interests of the country, to throw myself on the good sense and {113} good feeling of the people, and abide a result which I firmly believe will be triumphant.”

I have the honour to be,

My Lord,

Your lordship’s most obedient servant,

F. B. Head.

The Lord Glenelg, &c. &c. &c.

No. 57.

Toronto, 16th July, 1836.

My Lord,

In my last despatch, No. 56, dated 8th instant, I had the honour to inform your Lordship, that our elections have added forty constitutional votes to the House of Assembly, which is composed, as your Lordship is aware, of sixty-two members.

“The republican minority of course feel that their cause is desperate; and, as a last dying struggle, they have, I understand, been assembling at Toronto night after night, for the purpose of appealing for assistance to his Majesty’s Government!

Their conventions are so secret that it is impossible for me to know what passes there; but I have been informed, that they have actually despatched Dr. Duncombe,^[8] (an American, and a rank republican) {114} with complaints of some sort respecting the election.

I also beg to state to your Lordship, that I expect that Dr. Baldwin, Mr. George Ridout and Mr. Small, whom I have felt it necessary to dismiss from the situations they respectively hold, in consequence of the disrespectful language they have publicly used against me, will also seek to be supported by his Majesty’s Government.

I feel confident that your Lordship will discountenance this dark, unconstitutional practice of despatching agents from the province to his Majesty’s Government, to make secret complaints against the Lieutenant-Governor, which, of course, it is impossible for him to repel.

I will therefore merely assure your Lordship that in the elections, as well as in the prompt dismissal of a few of the ringleaders of the Republicans, I have acted cautiously and conscientiously.

I have the honour to be,

My Lord,

Your Lordship’s most obedient servant,

F. B. Head.

{115}

No. 60.

Toronto, 23rd July, 1836.

My Lord,

Until I know whether my past proceedings have been approved of or condemned, it feels cheerless to enter upon the consideration of the future: however, as it is absolutely necessary to consider what should be done at the meeting of the Provincial Legislature which might possibly take place in November, I feel it my duty to submit to your Lordship a few observations.

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In an evil hour we fatally surrendered, without bloodshed, the duties levied under 14 Geo. III.,^[9] the consequence of which has been, that the Republicans, instead of thanking us, have called upon us also to surrender the hereditary revenues of the Crown.

Your Lordship took the pains of ordering in detail a remedy for every single grievance in Mr. M‘Kenzie’s volume, and the Republicans instantly repaid you by calling for an immediate surrender of the power and responsibility of the Lieutenant-Governor. Little now remains in our hands, and if that little be conceded, if we give up the hereditary and territorial revenues of the Crown, in my humble opinion we {116} have King Lear’s fate before us, without his plea of inexperience.

I need hardly observe to your Lordship, that the British Constitution was granted to the inhabitants of the Canadas, merely for the internal government of their own property, and their own affairs; not to entitle them to claim possession of the property of the parent state! If once this distinction be confounded, not only will the property of the Crown be in danger, but the colony will actually be encouraged to demand its separation from the mother-country; but if the Crown voluntarily surrenders its actual property in this colony, before it has imbibed from the mother-country a hundredth part of the redundant population it is capable of sustaining, it may with equal justice be required to surrender its jurisdiction.

I feel quite confident that if the Lieutenant-Governor of this province, whoever he may be, will act with common firmness, he will not be seriously embarrassed by this refusal on the part of his Majesty’s Government; and if the territorial revenues were placed at the Lieutenant-Governor’s disposal, under such orders and precautions as his Majesty’s Government might think proper to direct, to be judiciously applied by him to those sort of improvements (such as road-making for instance) which would benefit the mother-country as well as the province, or if necessary, to be temporarily withheld, I believe that {117} the country, instead of factiously opposing the Lieutenant-Governor, would feel it their interest (which at present it is not) to live upon good terms with him; and there can be no doubt whatever, that, being disinterested, being unconnected with all jobs and local speculations, the Lieutenant-Governor of the province could direct the expenditure of the hereditary revenues of the Crown with greater advantage to the country than if they were to be intrusted to the people’s representatives.^[10]

Whether the Lieutenant-Governor or the House of Assembly is to have the expenditure of this money is the point which I respectfully submit to your Lordship’s consideration.

In my humble opinion it should be given to His Majesty’s representative.

1st. Because it is the property of the Crown, and not the property of the people; and

2ndly. Because it is politic to give the Lieutenant-Governor every possible constitutional support, and impolitic to throw that which legitimately belongs to his influence into the scale of the House {118} of Assembly, which already too clearly preponderates.

I have not yet been able to determine when the Legislature will assemble; but as it is very possible that it may be advisable it should do so early in November, I hope to receive immediate instructions.

I have, &c.,

F. B. Head.

The Lord Glenelg, &c. &c. &c.

[1]	The Honourable Colonel Wells is the only surviving member of these old councillors—a more loyal man does not exist in Upper Canada; so indeed was the late Honourable P. Robinson.

[2]	Of these four individuals, three have since either been tried for treason, or have absconded.

[3]	The reader is particularly requested to keep in mind these solemn warnings, as he will, ere long, read with astonishment the orders given by Her Majesty’s Government respecting them to Sir Archibald Campbell, Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick.

[4]	I beg the reader to determine whether or not this prophecy has been fulfilled?

[5]	In this almost single instance my recommendation was most strictly complied with.

[6]	“Let them come if they dare!”

[7]	The Government insisting on elevating Mr. Bidwell to the bench, after they had received this despatch, is surely incomprehensible.

[8]

This Dr. Duncombe crossed the Atlantic on his secret mission under a false name. On arriving in London he of course went to Mr. Hume, who seconded his charges against me of having “fabricated votes.” On his return to Upper Canada he failed even to appear before the House of Assembly to substantiate any one of his allegations, became a traitor in arms, ran away, and a reward of 500l. is now offered for his apprehension.

[9]	See the Duke of Wellington’s admirable protest against this fatal measure.

[10]

The Legislative Council, in their late able “Report on the State of the Province,” in speaking of the proposed surrender to Upper Canada of the casual and territorial revenues, in most disinterested terms declare, “that they are far from being impressed with the conviction that such a relinquishment of the just rights and prerogatives of the Crown will contribute to the welfare of the colony.” Yet, against the advice of two branches of the Legislature, the Colonial Office insist on surrendering them!