w England as she can be in any part of Old England."[2] Grey in turn
had to complain, not merely of indifference, but of misrepresentation,
and that too in a crisis in Canadian politics, the Rebellion Losses
agitation; "I am misrepresented in _The Times_ in a manner which I fear
may do much mischief in Canada. I am reported as having said that the
connexion between Canada and this country was drawing rapidly to a
close. This is {233} the very opposite of what I really said."[3] How
irresponsible and inconsistent a great newspaper could be may be
gathered from the treatment by _The Times_ of the Annexationist
movement in 1849. Professing at first a calm resignation, it refused
for the country "the sterile honour of maintaining a reluctant colony
in galling subjection"; yet, shortly afterwards, it took the high
imperial line of argument and predicted that "the destined future of
Canada, and the disposition of her people" would prevent so unfortunate
an ending to the connection.[4] The fact is that in all political
questions demanding expert knowledge, newspaper opinion is practically
worthless; except in cases where the services of some specialist are
called in, and there the expert exercises influence, not through his
articles, but because, elsewhere, he has made good his claims to be
heard. Canadian problems owed nothing of their solution to the British
press.

Another factor, irresponsible and indirect, yet closer to the scene of
political action than the press, was assumed in those years to have a
great {234} influence on events--the permanent element in the Colonial
Office, and more especially the permanent under-secretary, James
Stephen. Charles Buller's pamphlet on _Responsible Government for the
Colonies_ formulates the charge against the permanent men in a famous
satiric passage. Buller had been speaking of the incessant change of
ministers in the Colonial Office--ten secretaries of state in little
more than so many years. "Perplexed with the vast variety of subjects
presented to him--alike appalled by the important and unimportant
matters forced on his attention--every Secretary of State is obliged at
the outset to rely on the aid of some better informed member of his
office. His Parliamentary Under-Secretary is generally as new to the
business as himself: and even if they had not been brought in together,
the tenure of office by the Under-Secretary having on the average been
quite as short as that of