On the 3rd of May Lord Melbourne presented the following message from
the queen to the imperial parliament:--"Her majesty thinks it proper
to acquaint the house of lords, that it appears to her majesty that the
future welfare of her majesty's subjects in Upper and Lower Canada would
be promoted by the union of the said provinces into one province for
the purpose of legislating, from and after the period to be fixed
by parliament. Her majesty therefore recommends it to the house, to
consider such measures as may be submitted to them for that purpose. Her
majesty is persuaded that the house of lords will be careful to combine
a due regard for the peace and security of these important provinces
with such provisions as may be conducive to the welfare of England, and
the permanent freedom and prosperity of her majesty's North American
provinces." The idea of uniting the two provinces originated in Lord
Durham's report, in which he gave several cogent reasons for such a
measure. The subject was taken into consideration on the 3rd of
June, when Lord John Russell said it became his duty to call upon
the parliament to lay the foundation of a permanent settlement of the
affairs of Canada. In his speech, his lordship recapitulated the various
circumstances connected with the subject of Canadian affairs. With
reference to the recommendation contained in her majesty's message, Lord
John said that the act of 1791 was founded on two principles: first,
that by dividing the province into two the French population might
remain in that portion called Lower Canada, whilst British emigrants
would have free scope for their industry, and power to establish their
own institutions and customs, in the other portion of the province,
which was to be called Upper Canada. Another reason was, the French
inhabitants being very loyal to the crown, of very simple habits, and
possessing institutions to which they were attached, it was advisable
that means for maintaining those institutions should be reserved to
them. His lordship acknowledged that there might have been at the time
reasons for introducing the constitutional act of 1791, but argued at
great length that it was a mistaken act of policy. The grievances which
had arisen out of it were manifold; and as a remedy for them he proposed
the re-union of the two provinces. Other remedies had been suggested,
but his lordship thought that they were not sufficient to meet the
exigencies of the case. In sup