The British responded by sending Lord Durham to British North America to appraise the situation and in , Durham submitted a report titled Report on the Affairs of British North America calling for the union of the Canadas, responsible government for the British North American colonies, and measures to encourage the assimilation of French-Canadians.
Upper and Lower Canada were united in and by , a governor general was in place who would - in theory - ensure a system of responsible government where the governor would yield to the will of the legislature and cabinet. In February Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , co-leader with Robert Baldwin of Canada's Reform government, introduced a bill in the legislature, then sitting in Montreal, that would compensate those who could prove their losses and had not been convicted of sedition.
Lafontaine felt that compensation would help to heal the rift that had been opened in the aftermath of the rebellion, thus containing the influence of more radical French-Canadian nationalists such as Louis-Joseph Papineau.
The Tories ' opposition to the bill was fierce. Since some rebels at least those who had escaped conviction or exile would be able to claim compensation for losses, the Tories claimed the bill was in fact a reward to traitors. They were also upset at the perceived loss of political power to French-Canadians. The Quebec Act includes activity. Episode 5 A Question of Loyalties. Conflict in Quebec, United Empire Loyalists includes activity.
Sir Isaac Brock and Tecumseh. Episode 6 The Pathfinders. The Fur Trade in Canada includes activity. The Selkirk Settlers. The Gold Rush. Episode 7 Rebellion and Reform. The Rebellions of A Land of Hope. Episode 8 The Great Enterprise. Newcomers to Canada. The Making of Confederation includes activity. Confederation in the Maritimes. This was the first big test of responsible government: a system of government in which the executive law makers must have the confidence support of a majority in the elected legislative assembly.
A Country by Consent is a national history of Canada which studies the major political events that have shaped the country, presented in a cohesive, chronological narrative. Many of these main events are introduced by an audiovisual overview, enlivened by narration, sound effects and music.
This was the first digital, multimedia history of Canada. The questions which I wish to put to the noble Earl are—first, whether any official correspondence has taken place upon this important subject between himself and the Governor General of Canada?
In reply to the questions put to me by the noble Lord, I have to inform your Lordships that no official correspondence has taken place upon the subject referred to by him.
I have further to inform your Lordships that the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly are not yet in the possession of the Colonial Office. It has never been the practice that the votes and proceedings of the colonial legislatures should be sent from any of the colonies enclosed to the Secretary of State.
We have accounts in the local newspapers; but formal reports of these proceedings have never usually been in the possession of the Secretary of State for the Colonies until the close of the session of the colonial legislatures. Some time since this inconvenience attracted my notice, and I wrote a circular to the Governors of the principal colonies, directing that by every mail the votes and proceedings of the legislative assemblies should be transmitted to the Secretary of State.
But with respect to the correspondence on this subject, I must further add, that the private letters which have passed between myself and the Earl of Elgin are confined, so far as they relate to this subject, to the expression of his opinion that it was his duty to decide upon his own responsibility, when this Bill should be tendered to him, whether he would accept it or reject it, or whether he would reserve it for the sanction of Her Majesty's Government; leaving it to them, when he had acted in accordance with his constitutional duty, to determine whether the decision to which he should so have come should be approved by Her Majesty in Council or otherwise.
It will rest with Her Majesty in Council ultimately to determine whether this Bill is to come in force or not; but the Governor General has stated to me, that he thought it inexpedient, until he was called upon to take some measure on the subject—until he was called upon to act in the matter, that he should make any report whatever upon it, because he conceived it to be inexpedient that it should be known in the colony what would be the course which he should ultimately think it right to take.
The Act which had been passed through the two branches of the legislature, had not, at the date of the last advices, been tendered to him for his assent; and, upon inquiry, I find that it is the usual practice of the legislature in Canada, as of most others, not to tender any public Act to the Governor, for his acceptance or refusal, until the close of the session, unless there existed some special reason for bringing the Act into early operation.
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