Majesty's Government, that a writ issued by the English Court of Queen's Bench had been served in this province, and the expediency of preventing by legislation any conflict of judicial jurisdiction. Canada was jealous of its privileges and authority. The debate on the address developed a good deal of ill feeling, relative to the unpleasant occurrences which had taken place during the visit of the Prince of Wales. It was stated that the Orangemen had been insulted in not being permitted to give a loyal welcome to his Royal Highness after their own fashion; that the Freemasons had been treated with disrespect, in not being allowed to lay the corner-stone of the public buildings at Ottawa, after having been invited to do so; and that indignities had also been offered to the Presbyterian and Methodist bodies, in connexion with the presentation of their addresses. Amendments to the address, embodying these complainings, were, however, voted down by large majorities; and a motion by Mr John Sandfield Macdonald, asserting that ministers should adhere to the double-majority principle, a favourite idea with him, was lost on a division of sixty-five to forty-six. A direct motion of "want of confidence" in the Cabinet was also lost by a vote of sixty-two to forty-nine; and on the 22d terminated six days of weary and profitless debating on the address. Still, it was quite evident that the position of ministers was becoming weaker.

After the Easter recess, a portion of the returns of the census, taken at the close of the past year, was laid before the House. These documents showed a large increase in the population of the country. In 1841 the population of Upper Canada was 465,375; in 1851, 952,061; while in 1861 it had reached 1,396,091. On the other hand, the population of Lower Canada in 1841 was 690,782; in 1851, 890,261; and in 1861 it stood at 1,110,444. It will thus be seen that the population of all Canada, at the beginning of 1861, was 2,506,755. But the rate of increase had been much more rapid in the Upper than in the Lower Province, and the number of its inhabitants was now 285,427 in excess of that of the latter. This circumstance gave new hope to the members of the Reform party in the House, and they eagerly turned to the question of representation by population, as the sure panacea for the evils of French domination. They were strongly opposed by the ministerial party, the Premier making, on the 19th of April, a forcible speech in opposition to the motion embodying their views, and were again beaten. But the principle they now advocated was subsequently interwoven with the Imperial Act of Confederation, and which gave nineteen new members to Upper Canada. The long debates had consumed much of

the time of the Assembly, and this session drew towards its close without having added any noticeable legislation to the statute-book. On the 8th of May, Parliament was prorogued, and in a few weeks afterwards was dissolved, and the writs issued for a new election. The contest throughout Upper Canada was most vigorously conducted on both sides, and resulted in favour of the Reform party. But its leader, Mr Brown, lost much of his prestige, being beaten in Toronto by a majority of 191, owing to the union of the Orangemen and Roman Catholics against him; while at the same time Cartier defeated Dorion, the Rouge leader, in Montreal East.

Meanwhile, the troops of the belligerent states were marshalling themselves on the banks of the Potomac, for the conflict which could not now be very long deferred. Westward, at the fork of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, a body of Federal troops prevented supplies from reaching the Confederate States, while, at the same time, preparations were made to blockade their ports, and so narrow their resources seaward. This course was a virtual concession of the sovereign authority of these states to levy war, and led to the declaration of Lord John Russell, that the South must now be regarded as a de facto power, and be accorded belligerent rights. On the 13th of May the Queen's proclamation was issued, warning all her subjects to maintain a strict neutrality, and afford aid to neither of the contending parties. On the 21st of July the battle of Bull's Run took place, and the first deep torrent of blood shed in a fratricidal war, during the progress of which fully fifty thousand Canadians, despite the Queen's proclamation, entered the Northern army as volunteers, while comparatively few in number attached themselves to the forces of the Confederate States.

But, while the attention of the people of Canada was eagerly turned to the progress of the bitter civil conflict now waged in a neighbouring nation, so intimately connected with them by commercial relations, and a common language and lineage, their country peacefully reposed in the shadow of the British flag, and presented, after its election contests had terminated, but few domestic events to record. On the 28th of August, William Lyon Mackenzie's wearisome life came to a close, and the troubled spirit sank to rest. Pecuniary embarrassment had thrown a gloom over the last days of his existence. Destitute of income, with failing health, and deeply in debt, he had been living on credit, and his bills matured without time bringing the means to pay them. The confidence in the future which had lit up his path during the darkest periods of his life failed him at last, and he ceased even to hope. There remained

for the erring, though honest patriot, but one course now open-to lay down and die, to quit a world which had no longer a solitary ray of genial sunshine for him. During his last illness, he refused all medicine, would comply with no physician's directions, and the grave soon closed over all his troubles.

In October, Sir Edmund Head ceased to be Governor-General of Canada. On the 23d of that month, his successor, Lord Monck, arrived at Quebec, and on the following day was duly sworn in. On the same day, Sir Edmund departed for Boston, en route for England. As already seen, he also had become unpopular with a portion of the community, and had recently been made the subject of a large amount of censure. Like his predecessor, Lord

Elgin, he hastened to leave, without regret, a country which had been fatal to the reputations of so many Governors-General, and who had unwisely identified themselves with one or the other of its political parties.

CH

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE GOVERNMENT OF LORD MONCK.

HARLES STANLEY MONCK was born at Templemore, in the county of Tipperary, Ireland, in 1819. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin, he was called to the Irish bar in 1841. In 1849 he succeeded to the family title and estates, and in 1852 first entered the Imperial Parliament as the member for Portsmouth, an English constituency. In 1858 he was appointed a Lord of the Treasury by the Palmerston administration, and held that office for two years.

Such was the brief record of a man whose prudent career as a Governor-General has made him many friends and very few enemies, and who has stood well with all its political parties throughout his long term of office, and during which this country passed through a most critical period of its history. He had scarcely taken the reins of government firmly in his hands, when what was known as the Trent difficulty arose between Great Britain and the United States, and which, for a time, threatened to involve them in a war, in which Canada, had it occurred, must have acted a most important part. Captain Wilkes, of the United States steamship Jacinto, took by force on the 9th of November the Confederate Commissioners, Mason and Slidell, from the British mail steamer Trent, plying between Vera Cruz and Southampton, in utter defiance of the law of nations, and the rights of a neutral power.

Hitherto, a strong sympathy for the United States had existed in Canada, and the secession of the South was regarded with little favour by the great bulk of its people; but the Trent difficulty, and the idle boastings and threats of the more unscrupulous portion of the American press, now rapidly changed the current of public sentiment, and turned it largely into indifference, or in the direction of the weaker party-the South. As the year drew towards its close, the whole country was rapidly springing to arms, in expectation of

immediate hostilities. Volunteer companies were being formed in every direction, steps were taken to organise the militia force, and steamship after steamship, freighted with troops and munitions of war, arrived from the mother-country. While the excitement produced by these occurrences culminated to its meridian, Canada was thrown into the saddest mourning by the intelligence that Prince Albert, the amiable and high-minded consort of the Queen, had, on the 15th of December, expired of gastric fever. Deep indeed was the sympathy of the people of Canada for their bereaved Sovereign, who had long since won their hearts by her virtuous and prudent conduct, and by the true womanly instincts of her nature. While this country still mourned the irreparable loss which the empire had sustained, the war-cloud passed away: Mason and Slidell were surrendered to the British Government, and were speedily on their way to Europe.

The beginning of the new year was not distinguished by any domestic events of importance. Parliament met at Quebec 1862. on the 21st of March, and Lord Monck came down in no small state to open its proceedings. A large portion of the inhabitants were out of doors to witness his progress, and fifteen hundred volunteers and a force of regular troops lined both sides of the streets through which he passed. The garrison guns, manned by the Royal Artillery, thundered forth their salute from Durham Terrace, far and wide, over land and water; a battery of volunteer artillery repeated the welcome elsewhere; while the hearty cheers of the dense masses of spectators hailed, in a still more acceptable fashion, the appearance of their new Governor-General. At the chamber of the Legislative Council a brilliant assemblage of military and civil dignitaries greeted his arrival, and gave additional lustre to the ancient ceremonies of the occasion.

Parliament having been opened with the due formalities, the Assembly proceeded to elect Joseph E. Turcotte as their Speaker, by a majority of thirteen over the opposition candidate, Mr Sicotte; and that duty performed, his Excellency made a second visit to the House to deliver his "opening" speech. It paid a fitting tribute to the memory of the deceased Prince Consort; stated how the feeling of loyalty exhibited by the Canadian people during the recent Trent difficulty had been graciously recognised in the Queen's Speech on the opening of the Imperial Parliament; and congratulated the Legislature on the abundant harvest of the preceding year, and the satisfactory condition of trade, notwithstanding the partial derangement to which it had been subjected by the