of Upper Canada begin to show
an appreciation of his talents, than the Upper Canadian oligarchy saw
in him a formidable rival to be got rid of by any means. A special Act
was passed to incapacitate Mr. Bidwell from holding a seat in the
Assembly. He was to be considered an alien and to be treated as an
alien as the Act directed. Mr. Barnabas Bidwell was expelled. The
spirit of opposition to a bad government was not, however, lessened by
such a course of action. New champions of the people's privileges
arose. Colonial red-tapism and colonial empiric aristocracy could with
difficulty sustain itself. Mr. Bidwell's son was brought to the
hustings by the supporters of his father. He was not, without
difficulty to obtain a seat. At the first election, the returning
officer, one of the original Timothy Brodeurs, contrived to give his
adversary a majority. A protest was entered, however, and after
distinguishing himself in an able defence of his rights at the Bar of
the House, the return was set aside.[35] Another election ensued, and
the returning officer refused to receive any votes for Mr. Bidwell, on
the ground of his being an alien. The return was again protested
against, and the election again set aside. At last a fair election was
allowed, when Mr. Bidwell, junior, was triumphantly returned to
parliament. In 1824, many other reform members were elected to
parliament, and on several questions, there was a decided majority
against the faction. A new expedient was hit upon to get rid of these
intruders. An "Alien Bill," to make aliens of those who had taken
advantage of the various proclamations to United Empire loyalists to
enter and settle in the province was attempted to be carried. Sir
Peregrine Maitland and his advisers were not content with interdicting
liberty of speech and liberty of action. They attempted to seize the
property and very means of those to whom the faith of the government
was pledged for protection. They attempted to sweep out of the country
those who had received their titles to lands, thirty years back, and
had, for that length of time occupied their farms. And they,
consequently, attempted to alienate, and so get rid of men who had
enjoyed, for a great length of time, the full privileges of British
subjects, and who were British subjects in sympathy and in reality as
in law. Indeed it was only by the united exertions of the people that
the calamity was turned aside. The concoctors of the scheme took