in no part of England have I ever been more warmly
greeted, or received more unequivocal marks of respect from all ranks
and classes. I announce this fact with much satisfaction, as it is
an unerring mark of the feelings with which the measures which I have
adopted for the public good have been regarded by the great majority of
the inhabitants of the two provinces." It is quite clear, however, that
Lord Durham had not conciliated the great body of the people. During the
month of September, those who were charged with the crime of murdering
the French Canadian, Chartrand, were tried, and although they were
arraigned before a jury consisting exclusively of French Canadians, and
were moreover notoriously guilty, they were acquitted. On this subject,
in one of his reports, Lord Durham says:--"A perusal of the notes
of the chief-justice in this case, will satisfy every candid and
well-ordered mind, that a base and cruel assassination, committed
without a single circumstance of provocation or palliation, was brought
home by evidence, which no man ever pretended to doubt, against the
prisoners, whom the jury nevertheless acquitted. The duty of giving this
dishonest verdict had been most assiduously inculcated by the French
press before the trial came on; the jurors are said to have been kept
for some time in the hands of zealous partizans, whose business it was
not only to influence their inclination, but to stimulate their courage;
the array of the leaders of the party who were present at the trial, was
supposed to be collected for the same purpose; and it is notorious that
the acquittal was celebrated at public entertainments, to which the
jurors were invited, in order that they might be thanked for their
verdict." This intelligence seems to have had the effect of opening
the eyes of Lord Glenelg and his colleagues, as to the impolicy of the
restrictions which had been imposed upon the colonial authorities with
respect to the trial of political offenders. In his reply, Lord Glenelg
stated that it was the desire of her majesty's government that an
ordinance should be passed by the special council of Lower Canada,
constituting a tribunal for the trial of treason and murder; leaving it
to Lord Durham's own discretion how such a tribunal should be formed. It
does not appear, however, that Lord Durham adopted any plan for securing
the conviction of such offenders as it might be deemed expedient to
bring to trial. He scarcely, inde