s
last fight, he threw himself with an amazing energy. And he did not
have to fight alone. There was no little dislike for the
LaFontaine-Baldwin Cabinet and no slight exultation when it was
supposed to be 'dismissed' by a loyal and manly governor. There is no
doubt that in this struggle Metcalfe overstepped the metes and bounds
within which a colonial governor could rightly act. He abandoned any
attitude of official impartiality. He espoused the cause of one party,
and used his great influence to aid that party to power. In the
meantime he had no executive, or an executive of one; and all {93}
through the summer of 1844 he was tireless in his efforts to persuade
men of standing to accept office under Draper. The crux of the
situation was to obtain French-Canadian support for an English Tory
governor. One prominent Frenchman after another was 'approached,' but
without success. Finally Metcalfe managed to scrape together a
ministry which included such noted French Canadians as 'Beau' Viger and
D. B. Papineau, a brother of the leader of '37. Then, having dissolved
the Assembly, the governor issued writs for a new election. That
election in the autumn of 1844 was attended with great riot and
disorder. Both sides resorted to violence. When the House assembled,
it was found that Metcalfe and the Tories had triumphed. The Reformers
were in the minority. While Lower Canada had returned LaFontaine with
a strong following, the western province had sent a phalanx to support
the governor. Among the other curiosities of this remarkable election
was the defeat of Viger by Wolfred Nelson, lately in arms against Her
Majesty's government. In this contest a young lawyer of Scottish
descent carried Kingston for the Tories. He was destined to go far.
His name was John Alexander Macdonald.

{94}

Metcalfe had triumphed, but he held power by a very narrow majority;
the parties stood forty-six to thirty-eight. In the usual trial of
strength--the election of a Speaker--Sir Allan MacNab was chosen by a
majority of only three votes. And yet Draper, that expert balancer on
the tight rope, managed to carry on a government under these conditions
for three full years. Perceiving that he must secure the support of
the French if his party was to survive at all, he adroitly brought in
favourite Reform measures as if they were his own, thus cutting the
ground from under his opponents' feet. For example, English had been
made th