n of Sir Francis, afterwards Sir Edmund Walker
Head, Governor-General of Canada. It is said that at a meeting of the
Cabinet, while the selection of a successor to Sir John Colborne was
under consideration, one of the Ministers suggested that "young Head"
would be a likely man for the position--the person meant being Edmund
Walker Head, who was even then known as possessing wide political
knowledge, in so far, at least, as such knowledge can be obtained from
books. Edmund was moreover known to many public men in Great Britain as
an able writer on political subjects, and was a protege of the Marquis
of Lansdowne, who was at this time President of the Council, and, by
consequence, a colleague of Lord Glenelg. Edmund, as well as Francis,
was a Poor-Law Commissioner, though he occupied a more exalted position
than his kinsman. Thus, it is argued, there was some show of excuse for
confusing the one with the other. Lord Glenelg, so the story goes, took
the suggestion of his colleague as applying to Sir Francis, and acted
upon it; and before the error was discovered the appointment had been
offered to and accepted by the wrong man.[199] How much truth there may
be in this account of the matter it is not easy to say. Such a blunder
would imply an amount of carelessness barely conceivable in the
management of an important Department of the State. Sir Francis Hincks,
however, who has enjoyed exceptional opportunities of discussing the
story with leading English statesmen, is strongly disposed to believe
it.[200] Whatever opinion may be formed as to its truth or falsity,
certain it is that Sir Francis Bond Head received the appointment, and
that his conduct in Upper Canada did more to alienate the minds of the
colonists generally than anything which had been done by either Sir John
Colborne or Sir Peregrine Maitland. There is this to be said on his
behalf: that he came to Canada at a very critical time--at a time when
diplomatic shrewdness and statesmanlike sagacity were imperatively
demanded of one occupying the position of Lieutenant-Governor. Injustice
had so long borne sway in the land that many of the inhabitants had
ceased to hope for better times. Many despaired of the future, and a
few, whose natural element was opposition, had little desire to be
conciliated.[201] Even a born statesman would have found his task by no
means a sinecure.

To statesmanship no shadow of pretence could be made on behalf of Sir
Francis Head. The