ish Dominions in honour of 'God Save the King.'" The letter went on
to say that "finding the statement corroborated, upon inquiry," the
Commander of the Forces called upon Captain Matthews to explain conduct
which was pronounced to be "utterly disloyal and disgraceful." Even this
was not all. By a subsequent letter, received from the Board of
Ordnance, the Captain was directed to repair forthwith to Quebec, and
there remain until he could, by the first vessel in the spring, proceed
to England, there to give an account of his conduct. This order was
stated to have been made in consequence of a communication from the
authorities in Canada to Lord Bathurst, the Colonial Secretary, and by
him transmitted to the Master-General and Board of Ordnance.

Mr. Mackenzie asserts that the object of the authorities was to get the
Captain out of the Province, and thus deprive the Opposition of his
vote, "in order to give the local Government a preponderance in the
Legislature against the people's rights."[88] This, however, can hardly
be accepted as a full or true explanation, as the Captain's absence at
the time would not have given such a preponderance to the Government on
any test vote. The weakening of the Opposition may or may not have been
one of the objects sought to be achieved by the Captain's accusers. If
so, it signally failed. Captain Matthews, be it understood, was not in
receipt of half-pay, but of a pension. He had served twenty-seven years,
and, on his corps being totally disbanded, he had settled in Upper
Canada with the approbation of the Government. Having since been elected
a member of the Provincial Assembly, his first duty was to that body,
and it was necessary that he should obtain its leave before proceeding
to obey the order of the Master-General. Accordingly, on Thursday, the
28th of December, 1826, he rose in his place and made a motion involving
an application for leave of absence. He explained the circumstances,
and, in the course of the debate which ensued, expressly stated that he
asked for leave, not with any desire of its being granted, but merely in
order that the House might do its duty. The Opposition stood faithfully
by him in this emergency. The House felt that the honour of one of its
members was concerned. It refused the application for leave, and, on
motion of Mr. Rolph, set on foot an inquiry into the circumstances on
its own behalf.

The inquiry was searching and minute, and the witnesses wer