During the contest people on the hustings actually demanded of the
candidates: "Do you vote for the House of Assembly or for Sir Francis
Head?"--a question which, as Sir Francis himself remarks, amounted in
plain terms to this: "Are you for a republican government, or are you
not?"--See _Memorandum on the Present Political State of the Canadas_,
in _Narrative_, chap. vi.

[247] Lord Durham, reasoning from such evidence as he had before him,
proceeds upon the assumption that no patents were issued except to
persons entitled to the land. But, as his Lordship admits, the granting
of patents at all under such circumstances was an act of official
favouritism which no Lieutenant-Governor with a proper sense of his duty
would have permitted. See _Report_, U.C. folio edition, p. 51.

[248] This was at Streetsville, while the contest for the Second Riding
of York was in progress between William Lyon Mackenzie and Edward
William Thomson.

[249] See his speech in the Assembly on January 30th, 1837.

[250] From official returns it appears that 1,478 patents passed the
Great Seal between the 20th of April (the date of the prorogation) and
the close of the contest in June. Of this number 1,245 were issued in
pursuance of Orders in Council made prior to Sir Francis Head's arrival
in the Province. Between his arrival and the close of the election 233
were issued, whereof only 150 were issued under Order in Council on his
authority. But that the entire 1,478 were passed under Sir Francis's
regime within a very brief period; that a special staff of clerks was
employed for the purpose; that for the first time in the history of the
Province these patents were distributed at the polling-booths by
Government agents who were strong adherents of the official party, and
who were moreover dependent upon the Government for their
situations--these are circumstances which admit of but one brief
explanation. The only one of these agents whom the Committee of Inquiry
ventured to summon before them was Mr. Welsley Richey, of Barrie, who,
on his examination, deposed that he mentioned to the Lieutenant-Governor
that the persons who wanted their deeds were entitled to them, and that
_he thought they would vote for Constitutional candidates_; that Sir F.
B. Head strictly commanded witness not in any manner to interfere as
Government agent, or to use any influence which his situation gave him
at the election; that out of a number not exceeding 130 paten