French Canadian. In
furtherance of this policy it was provided in the Union Act (1840) that
all the proceedings of parliament should be printed in the English
language only. At that time the French Canadians numbered more than
one-half the people of Canada, and the great majority of them knew no
other language than French. No wonder that this provision was felt by
them to be a hardship, or that it tended to embitter them and to
increase their hostility to the Union. Macdonald had not sat in
parliament a month before the Government of which he was a supporter
proposed and carried in the House of Assembly a resolution providing
for the removal of this restriction. {35} During the ensuing two years
the same Government opened negotiations (which came to nothing at the
time) with certain leaders among the French Canadians looking towards
political co-operation, and similar though equally fruitless overtures
were made to them during the weeks following Macdonald's admission into
the Draper Cabinet. This policy Macdonald had deliberately adopted and
carried with him into Opposition.

In a letter outlining the political campaign of 1854, he says in so
many words:

My belief is that there must be a material alteration in the character
of the new House. I believe also that there must be a change of
Ministry after the election, and, _from my friendly relations with the
French_, I am inclined to believe my assistance would be sought.[9]

Meanwhile the cleavage in the Reform ranks was daily becoming wider.
Indeed, as has been said, the Radical section of the Upper-Canadian
representation, known as the Clear Grit party, were frequently to be
found voting with the Conservative Opposition, with whom they had
nothing in common save dislike and {36} distrust of the Government.
The result of the elections of 1854 showed that no one of the three
parties--the Ministerialists, the Opposition, or the Clear Grits and
Lower-Canadian Rouges combined--had an independent majority. Upon one
point, however, the two last-named groups were equally determined,
namely, the defeat of the Government. This they promptly effected by a
junction of forces. The leader of the regular Opposition, Sir Allan
MacNab, was 'sent for.' But his following did not exceed forty, while
the defeated party numbered fifty-five, and the extreme Radicals about
thirty-five. It was obvious that no Ministry could be formed
exclusively from one party; it was equ