hold of the official party, who
would be almost certain to acquire a pernicious ascendency in municipal
affairs, to the detriment of the rest of the community. The Province at
large had already suffered enough from Compact domination, and it was
far from desirable to afford an opportunity for its exercise in a more
restricted field. Again, it was urged that the expense of a separate
administration for the city would more than counterbalance any
advantages to be derived therefrom. These views were put forward with
much vehemence by reformers, both in Parliament and through the medium
of the press. From all which it was evident that the impending elections
would afford a pretty accurate test of the strength of the respective
political parties in the city.

Generally speaking, the Tory vote in the capital had been largely in
excess of that polled by the Reformers. That it was not so in the spring
of 1834 was due in no small degree to public indignation at the unfair
treatment to which Mackenzie had been subjected. Persons who had never
recorded a Reform vote before now came forward to support candidates who
were known to be strong Reformers. It was not so much that these persons
sympathized with Mackenzie, who was by many of them held in detestation
and abhorrence; but they felt that gross injustice had been done,
against which it behooved them to record their formal protest. The
result was that the sanguine calculations of the Tories were altogether
falsified, and that a majority of Reform candidates were returned to the
first Council of the City of Toronto. Among the latter were Mackenzie
himself, who was elected as one of the aldermen for St. David's Ward,
and John Rolph, who was elected for the Ward of St. Patrick.

A few words of explanation are necessary in this place with regard to
Mr. Rolph. It will be remembered that he and the two Baldwins had
divested themselves of their gowns during the progress of the Willis
dispute, and had declined to transact any further business in a court
which they believed to be illegally constituted.[181] They did not again
present themselves before the court during Term until after the decision
of the Privy Council had set their minds at rest on the subject. There
was no longer anything to prevent them from resuming their practice. The
Baldwins did so, and Rolph for a time followed their example, albeit in
a half-hearted manner. He had long been profoundly disgusted with the
partiali