faith in the idea of Colonial Government, if based on principles of justice and freedom; and, as regards the particular case of Canada, the conviction that nothing was wanted to secure her loyalty but a removal of the commercial restrictions which placed her at a disadvantage in competing with her neighbours of the Union.  To understand the scope of his policy during the next few years, it will be necessary to dwell at some length on each of these points; but for the present we must return to the circumstances which gave occasion to the letter which we have quoted.

[Sidenote:  Manifesto.]

While ready, as that letter shows, to make every allowance for the utterances of thoughtless folly, or of well-founded discontent on the part of the people, Lord Elgin felt the necessity of checking at once such demonstrations on the part of paid servants of the Crown.  Accordingly, when an elaborate manifesto appeared in favour of ‘annexation,’ bearing the signatures of several persons—­magistrates, Queen’s counsel, militia officers, and others—­holding commissions at the pleasure of the Crown, he caused a circular to be addressed to all such persons with the view of ascertaining whether their names had been attached with their own consent.  Some of these letters were answered in the negative, some in the affirmative, and others by denying the right of the Government to put the question, and declining to reply to it.  Lord Elgin resolved, with the advice of his executive council, to remove from such offices as are held during the pleasure of the Crown, the gentlemen who admitted the genuineness of their signatures, and those who refused to disavow them.

[Sidenote:  Remedial measures.]

’In this course, says Lord Grey,[1] ’we thought it right to support him; and a despatch was addressed to him signifying the Queen’s approval of his having dismissed from Her service those who had signed the address, and Her Majesty’s commands to resist to the utmost any attempt that might be made to bring about a separation of Canada from the British dominions,’ But the necessity for such acts of severity only increased Lord Elgin’s desire to remove every reasonable ground of complaint and discontent; to shut out, as he said, the advocates of annexation from every plea which could grace or dignify rebellion.  He felt, indeed, an assured confidence that, by carrying out fearlessly the principle of self-government, he had ’cast an acorn into time,’ which could not fail to bring forth the fruit of political contentment.  But, in the meantime, for the immediate security of the connection between the colony and the mother-country he thought, as we have already seen, that two measures were indispensable, viz. the removal of the existing restrictions on navigation, and the establishment of reciprocal free trade with the United States.

Judging after the event we may, perhaps, be inclined to think that the importance which he attached to the latter of these measures was exaggerated; especially as the annexation movement had died away, and content, commercial as well as political, had returned to the Province long before it was carried.  But we cannot form a correct view of his policy without giving some prominence to a subject which occupied, for many years, so large a share of his thoughts and of his energies.