ars remained unaltered. At the commencement of his speech,
Lord John Russell proposed a bill to suspend for a certain time the
existing constitution of Lower Canada; and at the same time moved
an address pledging the house to assist her majesty in restoring
tranquillity to her Canadian dominions, His lordship in the course of
his speech gave an outline of the intended bill. Mr. Hume entered
at considerable length into a recapitulation of the past and present
grievances of the Canadians. He laid the blame of all that had passed
upon the government; and said that "it was not the man who shed blood,
but the man who stimulated him to shed it, who was the guilty
party." Mr. Grote likewise opposed the proposed address. He threw the
responsibility of the failure of the measure which had been taken to
adjust the financial disputes, upon Lord Ripon. Not content, he
said, with advancing a claim to the appropriation of the casual and
territorial revenues to the purposes of civil government without the
consent of the house of assembly, that noble lord had thought fit to
propose to make them over to the clergy; a step which was at once novel
and preposterous, and only embroiled matters still further. Sir Robert
Peel promised his cordial assent to the address, because this country
had acted with justice and liberality towards Canada. He thought that
the military force in the colony should have been immediately increased.
In reply, Lord Howick endeavoured to show that the government was not
culpable in omitting to back their resolutions of the last year with a
military force. He argued that regiments were not necessary to put down
meetings: they could not stop speeches, prevent resolutions, or obtain
juries to convict men for seditious practices. An additional regiment
introduced into Halifax had, in fact, served greatly to increase the
existing discontents. Mr. Charles Buller supported the address: the law
should be vindicated, and the insurgents put down without parley, unless
we were prepared to consent to a separation, and leave Canada to itself.
There was no ground for separation, nor could we with any regard to the
interests of the colony consent to abandon it; but we ought to comply
without delay with all the just demands of the Canadians. Mr. Leader
complained of being taken by surprise; and wished the house to adjourn
for the purpose of giving himself and his friends time to consider what
course they should take, and an opportu