was
little more than a blank. Lord Glenelg had an elaborate paper of
instructions prepared for the new Lieutenant-Governor, This was intended
as the Imperial response to the strong representations which had been
received from Upper Canada in the course of the year. Sir Francis was
directed to communicate the substance of his instructions to both Houses
of the Provincial Parliament. Having been schooled for a few days by Mr.
Stephen, and having gone down to Brighton and been presented to the
King, he set sail, with his suite, from Liverpool for Canada, by way of
New York. While crossing the Atlantic he devoted some time to studying
his instructions, together with the Seventh Report of the Grievance
Committee, with which he had been provided at the Colonial office.[204]
Upon arriving at New York he pushed on to his final destination. "There
would be no end to this chapter," he writes, in the third chapter of his
"Narrative," "were I to describe the simplicity of mind, ill-naturedly
called ignorance, with which I approached the city of Toronto. With Mr.
Mackenzie's heavy book of lamentations in my portmanteau, and with my
remedial instructions in my writing case, I considered myself as a
political physician, who, whether regularly educated or not, was about
to effect a surprising cure; for, as I never doubted for a moment either
the existence of the 553 pages of grievances, nor that I would
mercilessly destroy them, root and branch, I felt perfectly confident
that I should very soon be able proudly to report that the grievances of
Upper Canada were defunct--in fact, that I had veni-ed, vidi-ed and
vici-ed them." Infatuated man, to compare himself to Caesar, even in this
half-jocular manner, at such a time, and to suppose that the bitter
animosities which had been accumulating for the best part of a
generation could be swept out of existence at the mere wave of the hand
of such a weak substitute for "the mighty Julius" as he!

[Sidenote: 1836.]

He reached Toronto on the 23rd of January, 1836. Sir John Colborne was
just ready to take his departure, to the great regret of the official
party, and very much to the delight of the Reformers, who had been led
to believe that the incoming Lieutenant-Governor was a thorough-going
Liberal, sent over expressly to redress their grievances, and to hurl
the Compact from the seat of power which they had so long usurped.
Parliament had been assembled on the 14th of the month, and had ev