Mr. Bidwell was first elected to the House of Assembly in 1824;
re-elected and chosen Speaker in 1828. On the death of George IV., in
1830, a new general election took place, when the Reform party were
reduced to a minority, and Mr. Bidwell was not re-elected Speaker; but
he greatly distinguished himself in the debates of the House. In 1834, a
new general election took place; a large majority of Reformers were
returned, and Mr. Bidwell was again elected Speaker. In May, 1836, Sir
F. B. Head dissolved the House of Assembly, and Mr. Bidwell and his
colleague, the late Peter Perry, were defeated in the united counties of
Lennox and Addington, which Mr. Bidwell had represented in Parliament
during twelve years. From that time (May, 1836) Mr. Bidwell never
attended a political meeting, or took any part in politics.

[62] As stated by Dr. Ryerson, in the above note, Mr. Bidwell took no
part in politics after his political defeat in May, 1836. In a note to
Mr. W. L. Mackenzie, dated August 3rd, 1837, Mr. Bidwell said: Having
learned from the _Constitution_ of yesterday that I was chosen as a
delegate to a Provincial Convention, I think it right without delay to
inform you ... that I must be excused from undertaking the duties of
that appointment.... I cannot but regret that my name should have been
used without my consent, or previous knowledge, by which I am driven to
the disagreeable necessity of thus publicly declining [the] appointment,
etc. In the _Guardian_ of 27th September, where this letter appears, it
is stated that Mr. Mackenzie did not publish it in the _Constitution_
until the 20th September--six weeks after he had received it.

In a letter from Mr. Bidwell, dated, the 30th April, 1837, to Dr.
O'Callaghan, of Montreal, he said: Retired from public life, probably
for ever; I still look with the deepest sympathy on the efforts of those
who are actively contending for the great principles of liberty, and
good government, etc.--"_Political History of Canada_, 1840-1855, by Sir
Francis Hincks, 1877, page 7."

[63] Sir Alexander Campbell, now Minister of Justice, in a note to the
Editor, thus explains this circumstance:--In the winter of 1837-38, I
was a student-at-law, and a resident of Kingston. Dr. Ryerson was then
the Methodist minister in charge of the only congregation of that body
in town. The rebellion of 1837-8, had led to excited, and very bitter
feelings--arrests had been frequent; and it was not prudent