streets and keep the peace.
Meanwhile the coroner's jury, after a very rigorous investigation, agreed
unanimously to a verdict acquitting M. Lafontaine of all blame, and finding
fault with the civic authorities for their remissness. This verdict was
important, for two of the jury were Orangemen, who had marched in the
procession at the funeral of the young man who was shot. The public
acknowledged its importance, and two of the most violent Tory newspapers
had articles apologising to Lafontaine for having so unfairly judged him
beforehand. 'From, these and other indications (wrote Lord Elgin) I begin
to hope that there may be some return to common sense in Montreal.'

[Removal of Government from Montreal.]

My advisers, however (he proceeds), now protest that it will be
impossible to maintain the seat of Government here. We had a long
discussion on this point yesterday. All seem to be agreed, that if a
removal from this town takes place, it must be on the condition
prescribed in the address of the Assembly presented to me last
Session, viz. that there shall henceforward be Parliaments held
alternately in the Upper and Lower Provinces. A removal from this to
any other fixed point would be the certain ruin of the party making
it. Therefore removal from Montreal implies the adoption of the system
(which, although it has a good deal to recommend it, is certainly open
to great objections) of alternating Parliaments. But this is not the
only difficulty. The French members of the Administration ... are
willing to go to Toronto for four years at the close of the present
Parliament, but they give many reasons, which appear to have in a
great measure satisfied their Upper Canada colleagues, for insisting
on Quebec as the first point to be made. Now I have great objection to
going to Quebec at present. I fear it would be considered, both here
and in England, as an admission that the Government is under French-
Canadian influence, and that it cannot maintain itself in Upper
Canada. I, therefore, concluded in favour of a few days more being
given in order to see whether or not the movement now in progress in
Montreal may be so directed as to render it possible to retain the
seat of Government there.

This hope was disappointed, and he was obliged to admit the necessity of
removal. On September 3 he wrote again:--

We have had, since I