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
The ex-Attorney-General followed the ex-Solicitor-General to England,
where he represented his case to the new Colonial Minister. After giving
much attention to the matter, Mr. Stanley expressed himself as satisfied
with the explanations which had been offered. The explanations seem to
have chiefly consisted of solemn declarations on the part of Mr.
Boulton that he had been insufficiently informed of the views of the
Home Government, and that he had had no desire whatever to set up his
own will in opposition to those views.[160] He doubtless professed his
readiness to go any length in the way of sycophancy which might be
required of him for the future. It was however impossible to restore him
to the Attorney-Generalship, as a successor to that office had been
appointed in the person of Mr. Robert Sympson Jameson,[161] an English
barrister, who had actually sailed from Liverpool for Canada, and was
already well on his way thither. Mr. Boulton was informed that he should
have the first good appointment at the Secretary's disposal. His success
was even greater than that of his recent colleague, for on the 17th of
June he was notified that the King had been graciously pleased to accept
of his further services, and that the Colonial Secretary had His
Majesty's commands to offer him the appointment of Chief Justice of
Newfoundland, which situation had recently become vacant.[162] This
appointment was fully approved by the Earl of Ripon, under whose advice
he had been dismissed from the Attorney-Generalship of Upper
Canada,[163] but who had been induced to change his views after hearing
Mr. Boulton's explanations.
Mr. Boulton's triumph, however, was to be followed by a downfall more
humiliating than that which he had so narrowly escaped. He repaired to
Newfoundland in the autumn, and entered upon the performance of his
duties. He had not been long in his new position before he had aroused a
feeling of disgust and alarm on the part of a large proportion of the
public and the profession. He began by being arbitrary, tyrannical and
unjust. He proceeded from bad to worse, until it was found impossible to
permit him to retain his position.[164] There is no need to follow the
proceedings adopted against him. He was not finally got rid of until
1838, when he returned to Upper Canada, and once more entered political
life as member for Niagara. The Home Government turned a deaf ear to his
perpetual applications for employment, and would have nothing more to do
with him. Some years after the Union of the Provinces, finding that he
had nothing to hope for from the Conservative party, who refused to
elevate him to a judgeship, he abandoned them, and for some time acted
with Mr. Baldwin. It seems almost cruel to record the fact that he
supported Responsible Government and the Rebellion Losses Bill.
FOOTNOTES:
[148] _Ante_, p. 229.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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