ich flourished by reason of those very
grievances. The whole of the Family Compact influence arrayed itself
against him in deadly enmity. Francis Gore arrived in the capacity of
Lieutenant-Governor in the summer of 1806. He was informed by his
Councillors that Judge Thorpe was a dangerous and revolutionary
personage. It was certain that the past year had been signalized by a
decided propensity on the part of the people to assert themselves
against the intolerable exactions of their oppressors, and that a spirit
of opposition was on the increase throughout the land. Governor Gore and
his Councillors reversed the inductive process, and attributed the
popular discontent to the influence of the new judge. This seeming
conviction on their parts was strengthened by certain remarks of Judge
Thorpe himself, made in reply to an address from the Grand Jury of the
London District. "The art of governing," said he, "is a difficult
science. Knowledge is not instinctive, and the days of inspiration have
passed away. Therefore, when there was neither talent, education,
information, nor even manners in the Administration, little could be
expected, and nothing was produced." The reference here is manifestly to
the _regime_ of Governor Hunter and Commodore Grant; and the intimation
is that better things are to be hoped for under the recently-arrived
Governor. "But," continued the judge, "there is an ultimate point of
depression, as well as of exaltation, from whence all human affairs
naturally advance or recede. Therefore, proportionate to your
depression, we may expect your progress in prosperity will advance with
accelerated velocity." He also in the course of his address, inveighed
against the Alien Act of 1804. When he reached York, at the close of the
circuit, he laid before the new Lieutenant-Governor the various
recapitulations of grievances which had been entrusted to him. They were
received by Mr. Gore and his Councillors with a very ill grace. The
complaints from the London District were stated with great vigour and
lucidity, and as they had got into print they could not be suppressed or
wholly ignored. An attempt was made to show that the chapter of
grievances had been presented by the jurors, not because there was
really anything of importance to complain of, but because Judge Thorpe
himself had instigated them to such a course. As this charge was openly
made, Mr. Thorpe in his capacity of a Justice of the King's Bench,
caused