The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 1Dent, John Charles
History
The Story of the Upper Canadian Rebellion, Volume 1
Dent, John Charles
Canada -- History -- Rebellion, 1837-1838; Ontario -- Politics and government
referred to the Colonial Secretary in the most contemptuous terms.
Meanwhile, Mackenzie, who still remained in England, was in his absence
expelled from the Assembly a third time. On this occasion there was no
preliminary attempt to convict him of any fresh libel or breach of
privilege. The Law Officers of the Crown simplified the proceedings by
declaring that the House had a right to determine as to the eligibility
of members, and a resolution to that effect was moved and carried. It
was then resolved that the person returned for York was the same William
Lyon Mackenzie who had been twice expelled the House and declared unfit
to hold a seat therein; and that by reason thereof the said Mackenzie
could not sit or vote in the House as a member thereof. He was then
expelled for the third time, and a new writ was issued for the County of
York. The inhabitants of that constituency felt so much aggrieved, and
gave such loud-mouthed expression to their dissatisfaction, that no
candidate hostile to Mackenzie dared to present himself at the ensuing
election, and the choice of the people was returned by acclamation.
[Sidenote: 1833.]
The part taken by the Law Officers of the Crown in these repeated
expulsions was not acceptable to the Colonial Office. Neither was the
contemptuous manner in which they had seen fit to refer to the
Secretary's despatch written after the perusal of Mackenzie's memoir. A
missive on the former subject had been sent to Sir John Colborne some
months before the commencement of the session of 1832-3, the contents of
which seem to have been promptly communicated to Messieurs Boulton and
Hagerman.[154] Notwithstanding that communication, those gentlemen had
seen fit, soon after the opening of the session, to take a leading part
in another expulsion, and to make contemptuous references to the conduct
of the Colonial Secretary himself. The Attorney-General had expressed an
opinion that the Secretary might have found something better to do than
to sit down and answer "Mackenzie's rigmarole trash." Solicitor-General
Hagerman had remarked that the Secretary had stultified himself by
noticing statements which rested on no better authority than that of a
person who had been twice expelled the Assembly, and who had been
declared unfit to sit therein in consequence of his having "fabricated
and reiterated libels of the grossest description." Lord Goderich
signified his disapprobation of this conduct in the most emphatic manner
by dismissing the two virulent critics from office. Their dismissal was
effected by a despatch to Sir John Colborne dated March 6th, 1833. "By
the accounts I have lately received of the proceedings of the
Legislature of Upper Canada," wrote his Lordship, "I have learnt that
the Attorney and Solicitor-General of that Province have, in their
places in the Assembly, taken a part directly opposed to the avowed
policy of His Majesty's Government. As members of the Provincial
Parliament, Mr. Boulton and Mr.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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