great question then is, How can you come before the country
forthwith to the best advantage? I would take the liberty of offering
the following suggestions, which have probably occurred to yourself,
with others that I shall not mention: 1. Ought not the views of the
Government, on the great questions, be put forth in some more
authoritative, or formal and imposing way, than has yet been adopted? I
know not whether it would be in order for the Governor-General to issue
a proclamation in some such form as Lord Durham adopted, when he made
his extraordinary appeal to the inhabitants of British North America. In
such a document, whatever ought to be the form of its promulgation, the
question and doctrine of responsible government should be stated with an
explicitness that will leave the ex-Council party no room to cavil, or
justify further resistance on that subject. You have this advantage,
that you can state your case as you please, and as fully as you please,
to the country. 2. Ought there not to be more effective means used than
have yet been employed to circulate the refutations of the ex-Council's
publications amongst their own supporters? Every one you gain from that
side counts two, in more ways than one. And from what I have understood,
I am persuaded the chief desideratum is to furnish them with the
refutations of the attacks of the late Councillors. A proper improvement
of means for nearly two months might accomplish a great deal, and would
soon reduce them to a minority, in a large majority of the counties in
Upper Canada.

On the 18th September, Mr. Higginson wrote to Dr. Ryerson:

The question of meeting the present Parliament, or of going to the
people, has at last been decided in favour of the latter measure.
There was so much to be said, _pro_ and _con_, that it was a most
difficult point to decide. If the Government could have reckoned
with any degree of certainty upon a majority in the House, which
they unfortunately could not, there would have been the strongest
reasons, as your brother so forcibly put them, for not dissolving.
Your suggestion to Hon. Mr. Draper as to Mr. Scobie filling the
Inspector-Generalship, engages the attention of His Excellency and
the Council. Can the gentleman referred to command a seat? I fear
not.

They complain of a great want of information in the Colborne
District. I mean Dr. Gilchrist's portion of it, wher