acknowledged by his party that he will be prepared to answer any
questions which the Government may feel disposed to put to him." This
intimation is followed by the expression of a confidence that his
Lordship will discountenance "the system of sending agents from the
British North American colonies, and their being received by the
Government." A hope is expressed that should Mr. Baldwin directly or
indirectly communicate with the Colonial Office during his stay in
England, he may be effectually sat upon, and that he may receive "that
style of answer," a copy of which may be transmitted to Sir Francis, and
published in the Canadian papers, as a means of deterring further
"left-handed attacks upon the constitution." It may be added that the
expression of confidence above referred to was justified by the result,
as Mr. Baldwin, during his stay in England, was not admitted to an
interview with Lord Glenelg, though a written statement of his views was
received by his Lordship, and submitted to the Cabinet.

The Reformers, moderate and radical, were brought closer together by the
agitated state of the public mind, and by the efforts of the official
party to destroy their influence. Several weeks before the dissolution
actually took place it became known that such a step was imminent, and
quiet preparations were made for the general election which was to
follow. The formation of the Canadian Alliance Society by the Radicals,
towards the close of 1834, has already been referred to.[243] Neither
the platform of this society nor the mode of conducting it was such as
to commend it to Reformers generally, and it was now deemed advisable to
organize a new association on a broader basis, with a special eye to
cooeperation with Reformers who resided in the rural districts. This was
accordingly done under the auspices of some of the leading Reformers of
Toronto. In contradistinction to the British Constitutional Society
mentioned towards the close of the last chapter, the new association was
called the Constitutional Reform Society. Dr. Baldwin accepted the
Presidency, and Francis Hincks, who was then engaged in commercial life
in Toronto, was appointed Secretary. Steps were taken to counteract the
misrepresentations of the official party, and generally for the
efficient maintenance of the impending election campaign. The Reformers
seem to have greatly underestimated the efforts of their opponents. As
the event proved, they were also h