the public
peace, the violators of the law, the enemies of the Crown and of the
British Empire will find in me an uncompromising opponent, determined
to put in force against them all the powers civil and military with
which I have been invested.' It was a policy of firmness united to
conciliation that Durham announced. He came bearing the sheathed sword
in one hand and the olive branch in the other. The proclamation was
well received; the Canadians were ready to accept him as 'a friend and
arbitrator.' He was to earn the right to both titles.

Durham was determined to begin with a clean slate. With a
characteristic disregard for precedent, he dismissed the existing
Executive Council as well as Colborne's special band of advisers, and
formed two new councils in their place, consisting of {10} members of
his personal staff, military officers, Canadian judges, the provincial
secretary, and the commissary-general. Together they formed a
committee of investigation and advice; and, being composed of both
local and non-local elements, it was a committee specially fitted to
supply the necessary information, and to judge all questions
dispassionately from an outside point of view. This committee acting
with the High Commissioner took the place of regular constitutional
government in Lower Canada. It was an arbitrary makeshift adopted to
meet a crisis.

During the long, tedious voyage of the _Hastings_ the High Commissioner
had not been idle. He had worked steadily for many hours a day at the
knotty Canadian question, studying papers, drafting plans, discussing
point after point with his secretaries. Once in the country, he set to
work in the most thoroughgoing and systematic way to gather further
knowledge. He appointed commissions to report on all special problems
of government--education, immigration, municipal government, the
management of the crown lands. He obtained reports from all sources;
he conferred with men of all shades {11} of political opinion; he
called representative deputations from the uttermost regions under his
sway; he made a flying visit to Niagara in order to see the country
with his own eyes and to study conditions. Such labours were beyond
the capacity of any one man; but Durham was ably supported by his band
of loyal helpers and a public eager to co-operate. The result of all
this activity was the amassing of the priceless data from which was
formed the great document known as Lord Durha