hile
his ministry, proud of their triumph, offered them many gratuitous
affronts. The British party, on the other hand, conducted itself
with much arrogance and violence, to which it was moved as much by the
free-trade measures of the imperial parliament as by any grievance
it felt in connection with the Lower Canada Indemnity Bill, or the
ascendancy of the French party in the local government. An assembly had
been convened from all parts of Canada, and other portions of the North
American colonies, which called itself the "British League;" this body
was ostensibly formed to consider the interests of the country, which it
was assumed were neglected by the parliament and government. The
League assembled on the 25th of July, and broke up after six days'
deliberations, on the day when parliament was prorogued. It was
the intention of those who formed it to alarm the government by an
impression that a movement would be made for annexation with the United
States, and many were really in favour of such a measure. There were
objections which, however, weighed against such a step in the minds of
the British party generally. One was the antipathy felt to negro slavery
under any circumstances, but more especially as tolerated in the United
States. Another was the hostility generally entertained in the latter
to the principle of an Established Church, whereas nearly all the
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Methodists of the party were in favour
of state establishments of religion, which had been one of the most
fertile sources of party dispute in both the Canadas. It was generally
supposed that the United States' policy would be more in favour of
the protective system than Great Britain; and that Canada could form
stipulations on that basis which would render her annexation a mutual
advantage. This, however, was denied strongly by many of the party,
and doubted by more. Before the League closed its labours, it issued a
manifesto to all the colonies of Great Britain in America, and passed
the following resolution, which sufficiently sets forth the spirit
of the manifesto itself:--"Resolved--That a president, six
vice-presidents, secretaries, a treasurer, and an executive committee of
ten, be appointed by the convention for the purpose of conducting at the
seat of government the general business of the league. Every township,
village, town, and city in the province will have its branch; and in
each district the presidents and vice-p