our West India produce, and they will view with
hatred your schools of unprotected emigrants. Impatiently will they wait
for the moment in which they shall obtain their freedom, and become part
of that happy, and, for our interests, already too powerful republic. A
war will be waged through an unrestricted press upon your government
and your people. In America you will be held up as the oppressors of
mankind, and millions will daily pray for your signal and immediate
defeat. The fatal moment will at length arrive; the standard of
independence will be raised; thousands of Americans will cross the
frontier, and the history of Texas will tell the tale of the Canadian
revolt."

In reply to Mr. Roebuck's declamation, Sir G. Grey, the colonial
under-secretary, appealed to all the papers on the table, to all the
instructions which had been sent out to the local government, and to
every act which had been done in pursuance of these institutions, and he
asked if anything had been done of which a free and independent people
had the slightest right to complain? Every grievance which had arisen
out of former misgovernment had been redressed: and now the house of
assembly took their stand on another ground, and declared that if the
constitution were not altered they would stop the supplies. The cry was
raised by the house of assembly in Lower Canada alone; the people of
Upper Canada disclaimed any share in it. The debate was adjourned to
another day, when it was opened by Mr. Hume, who, in a speech of three
hours' duration, impugned the whole conduct and policy of the government
towards Canada. Finally, the three first resolutions being simply
declaratory, were agreed to without division. The fourth, also, was
carried on a division by a majority of three hundred and eighteen
against fifty-six. This resolution was to the effect, "That in
the existing state of Lower Canada, it is unadvisable to make the
legislative council of that province an elective body; but that it is
expedient that measures be adopted for securing to that branch of the
legislature a greater degree of public confidence."

After this decision ministers expressed a hope that the opponents of
the resolutions would not throw any obstacle in the way of government.
Delay, however, was the object of the Canadian party, apparently in the
hope of giving time for a demonstration of popular feeling on the other
side of the Atlantic. The committee was not resumed till the 14