ed
the House, and declared unfit and unworthy to hold a seat therein during
the existing Parliament. But his constituency stood loyally by him, and
again re-elected him by an overwhelming majority within a few weeks
after this second expulsion. His popularity reached a higher point than
ever. Public meetings were held all over the Province to protest against
the measures which had been adopted towards him, and petitions to the
King and the Imperial Parliament were again circulated and signed by
great numbers of the inhabitants. These meetings proved so successful
that the Government party deemed it wise to take some steps of a similar
character on their own behalf, with a view to checkmating the operations
of the Reformers. Nothing is more easy than to obtain signatures to
petitions, which are frequently signed without being read. Opposition
meetings were held by supporters of the Government, at which excuses
were attempted to be made for the expulsions of Mackenzie, and at which
counter petitions to the King and Parliament of Great Britain were
signed by many thousands of persons. One of the meetings was held at
Hamilton on the 19th of March, and Mackenzie attended it by special
invitation. That same night an attack was made upon him by certain
myrmidons of the official party, who kicked and beat him severely. At
another meeting held at York four days later the proceedings became so
riotous that the Sheriff professed himself unable to preserve the peace.
An attack was made upon the office of the _Advocate_, the windows of
which were broken. The town remained in a very disturbed state
throughout the ensuing night, and a large proportion of the inhabitants
did not venture to seek repose. Mackenzie deemed it prudent to retire
into the country for several weeks; and almost immediately after his
return to town he set off on an important mission to England. It was
considered that the most effectual method of impressing the
subject-matter of the various Reform petitions upon those to whom they
were addressed would he to send Mackenzie himself across the Atlantic to
present them, and to urge the many much-needed colonial reforms upon the
attention of members of the British House of Commons. It was believed
that he could accomplish the various objects of his mission and return
in time to take his seat in the Assembly at its opening towards the
close of the year. He deputed the editing and publication of the
_Advocate_ to other h