om those used as public offices, and a general improvement in
the matter of pavements, drains, and other public utilities became
manifest. Meanwhile, however, Toronto had far outstripped its sometime
rival. In 1824 the population of Toronto (then York) had been less
than 1700, while that of Kingston had been about 3000, yet in 1848
Toronto counted 23,500 inhabitants to Kingston's 8400. Still, Kingston
jogged along very comfortably, and Macdonald added steadily to his
reputation and practice. On September 1, 1843, he formed a partnership
with his quondam student Alexander Campbell, who had just been admitted
to the bar. It was not long before Macdonald became prominent as a
citizen of Kingston. In March 1843 he was elected to the city council
for what is now a portion of Frontenac and Cataraqui wards. But a
higher destiny awaited him.

The rebellion which had broken out in Lower Canada and spread to the
upper {15} province, while the future prime minister was quietly
applying himself to business, had been suppressed. In Upper Canada,
indeed, it had never assumed a serious character. Its leaders, or some
of them at any rate, had received the reward of their transgressions.
Lord Durham had come to Canada, charged with the arduous duty of
ascertaining the cause of the grave disorders which afflicted the
colony. He had executed his difficult task with rare skill, but had
gone home broken-hearted to die, leaving behind him a report which will
ever remain a monument no less to his powers of observation and
analysis than to the clearness and vigour of his literary style.[1]
The {16} union of Upper and Lower Canada, advocated by Lord Durham, had
taken place. The seat of government had been fixed at Kingston, and
the experiment of a united Canada had begun.

We have seen that Macdonald, at the outbreak of the rebellion, hastened
to place his military services at the disposal of the crown. On the
restoration of law and order we find his political sympathies ever on
the side of what used to be called the governor's party. This does not
mean that at any time of his career he was a member of, or in full
sympathy with, the high Toryism of the 'Family Compact.' In those days
he does not even seem to have classed himself as a Tory.[2] Like many
moderate men in the province, Macdonald sided with this party because
he hated sedition. The members of the 'Family {17} Compact' who stood
by the governor were devotedly loyal t