in parliament, ready to misrepresent the facts and glory in a rebellion the causes of which they did not understand.  The animating motive with these persons was then—­and there were similar examples during the American revolution—­to assail the government of the day and make political capital against them, but, it must be admitted, in all fairness to the reform ministry of that day and even to preceding cabinets for some years, that the policy of all was to be just and conciliatory in their relations with the provincial agitators, though it is also evident that a more thorough knowledge of political conditions and a more resolute effort to a reach the bottom of grievances might have long before removed causes of irritation and saved the loss of property and life in 1837 and 1838.

In the presence of a grave emergency, the British government felt compelled to suspend the constitution of Lower Canada, and send out Lord Durham, a Liberal statesman of great ability, to act as governor-general and high commissioner “for the determining of certain important questions depending in the provinces of Upper and Lower Canada respecting the form and future government of the said provinces” Despite a certain haughtiness of manner which was apt to wound his inferiors and irritate his equals in position, he was possessed of a great fund of accurate political knowledge and a happy faculty of grasping all the essential facts of a difficult situation, and suggesting the best remedy to apply under all the circumstances.  He endeavoured, to the utmost of his ability, to redeem the pledge with which he entered on his mission to Canada, in the first instance “to assert the supremacy of her majesty’s government,” in the next “to vindicate the honour and dignity of the law,” and above all “to know nothing of a British, a French, or a Canadian party,” but “to look on them all alike as her majesty’s subjects.”  After he had appointed a special council he set to work energetically to secure the peace of the country.  Humanity was the distinguishing feature of his too short career in Canada.  A comprehensive amnesty was proclaimed to all those engaged in the rebellion with the exception of Dr. Wolfred Nelson, R.S.M.  Bouchette, Bonaventure Viger, Dr. Masson, and four others of less importance, who were ordered by an ordinance to be transported to Bermuda during the queen’s pleasure.  These persons, as well as sixteen others, including Papineau, who had fled from justice, were declared to be subject to death should they venture to enter the province.  Not a single rebel suffered death on the scaffold during Lord Durham’s administration.  Unfortunately the ordinance, transporting a number of persons without trial to an island where the governor-general had no jurisdiction, gave an opportunity to Lord Brougham, who hated the high commissioner, to attack him in the house of lords.  Lord Melbourne, then premier, was forced to repeal the ordinance and to consent to the passage of a bill indemnifying all those who