ose in which they were compelled to choose
between those interests and their devotion to the Crown, it was once
more abundantly manifest that theirs was the veriest lip-loyalty. The
burning of the Parliament Buildings at Montreal was as direct an act of
treason as was the affair at Montgomery's Farm.

[Sidenote: 1829.]

In 1828 there was a general election, in the course of which the
Executive party made tremendous exertions to regain a predominating
influence in the Assembly. They perceived plainly enough that a hostile
majority in the Lower House must in the end prove fatal to them. They
might temporarily set it at naught, through their control over the
Legislative Council and the absence of ministerial responsibility, but
they could not hope to keep up such a farce for all time. This knowledge
impelled them to adopt every means which their ingenuity could devise to
secure the return of candidates who might be relied upon to support
their policy. Their success was by no means proportionate to their
efforts. When the returns were all in it appeared that the Opposition
had rather gained than lost by the contest. Two staunch members of the
Compact were defeated in what had theretofore been regarded as safe Tory
boroughs, and Attorney-General Robinson's majority in the Town of York
was greatly diminished. All the most prominent Reformers were returned,
and at the opening of the session on the 8th of January, 1829, Rolph,
Bidwell, Perry, Matthews and Dr. Baldwin took their seats on the
Opposition benches. To their number was now added William Lyon
Mackenzie, who had been returned for the County of York. His election
was a surprise to the Government party, and was pronounced by them to be
an everlasting disgrace to the intelligent and populous constituency
which had returned him. He repaid such compliments as these with others
of a like character, and gave back as much as he received, if not with
usury, at least with fair interest.

Mr. Bidwell was elected to the Speaker's chair by the new Assembly, and
on every test question the Government were left in a hopeless minority.
The vote on the Address in Reply will afford some clue to the political
complexion of the House. It referred to the Lieutenant-Governor's
advisers as having deeply wounded the feelings and injured the best
interests of the country; yet it was carried with only one dissentient
vote--that of J. H. Samson, one of the members for Hastings. Reform was
evid