TOPICS OF THE DAY.
BOUNCING BEN.
DR. Joarrsorr tells us, on the authority of Lowth and Shakspere, that " bouncing" signifies boldness in boasting. Such is Mr. Rawes's method of defending his "noble friend," whose " oblo- quy " he is so eager and "proud to share.:' Never was the Co- lonial empire of Britain so flourishing and happy as under the rule of Lord Grey. The policy of the present Colonial Minister has been everywhere perfect, his appointments admirable, and his success unrivalled. He has done nothing wrong in any part of his wide dominions, nor even made a mistake. Mr. Hawes only longs " humbly "—lie own humility is as great as his pride in Lord Grey's glory—for a small share of the infinite credit due to his chief. But there are some things for which Lord Grey de- serves peculiar praise ; and amongst these there is one still more especially remarkable for redounding to his honour.
" What has my noble friend done since he came to the Colonial Office? In Canada, when Lord Grey came into office, responsible government existed in little more than the name; it had been promised, but the promise had not been carried into effect. Lord Elgin is no relative of Earl Grey's ; so that there can be no family patronage there. A responsible government has been firmly and perfectly established in Canada; and, notwithstanding the disturbed state of the Continent of Europe during the last year, perfect tranquillity has been preserved in Canada. I have seen a letter this day from the colony, bearing testimony to the general tranquillity that prevails, and the satisfaction felt under the administration of Lord Elgin. In New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, representative governments have also been established."
Let us compare these assertions with the facts.
" Lord Elgin is no relative of Earl Grey's; so there can be no family patronage there." If we may believe the Peerage, Lord Elgin is the husband of Lady Mary Lambton, the daughter of Lord Grey's sister. Is that a relationship ? Mr. Hawes might say, No; relationship is connexion by blood ; and that is only a connexion by marriage. So, if somebody, marrying your niece, becomes your nephew-in-law, he is " no relative "; and if you appoint him to an office worth 7,0001. a year, " there can be no family patronage there." Near, however, as is the connexion by marriage between Lord Elgin and Lord Grey, it may not have existed when Lord Elgin was appointed Governor-General of Canada ; and when, moreover, unless we are greatly, mistaken, Lord Grey procured for him besides, the reversion of a British peerage as soon as he should have done with the 7,000/. a year. No ; at that time, it may be, he was not even connected by marriage with Lord Grey. But at least he was engaged and going to be married to Lord. Grey's niece ; • and he was actually married to her before he left England to take possession of his government, with the reversion of a British peerage in his pocket. Thus, the disposal of Lord Grey's patronage in this instance, as it looks like giving a marriage-portion to his niece, has even an uglier look of " family patronage" than if Lord Elgin had been Lord Grey's blood relation, or his nephew by marriage before he was appointed to the government and promised the peerage: in either of the latter cases, the appearance of a family consideration would have been wanting. Still, if the letter of Mr. Hawes's boast is true—if " Lord Elgin is no relative of Earl Grey's "—its spirit has a close affinity (we speak in the impersonal sense) to something which the Reform Bill was said to have been carried by. In the personal sense, we only venture to call it bouncing.
This very bold boasting in the matter of family is, however, surpassed in impudence by Mr. Hawes's s statements with respect to responsible and representative government in British North America. The statements are two in number ; and if they were founded in fact, they would indeed redound to the honour of the Colonial Minister concerning whom they were made. But they happen to have no foundation in fact. The first statement is, that Lord Grey has bestowed "responsible go- vernment" upon Canada; the second, that he has "also" esta- blished " representative governments " in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland. This is what Mr. Hawes's "noble friend has done since he came to the Colonial Office."
Taking the statements in their order, we must premise with respect to the former, that " responsible government " has a pe- culiar meaning when applied to Canada. It signifies govern- ment, not by the Colonial Office, nor by the Governor, but by a provincial cabinet of Ministers possessing the confidence and sup- port of a majority in the House of Assembly or representative body of the province : it signifies the government of Canada by a constitutional system of responsibility for Ministers, exactly like that which was established at home by the Revolution of 1688, but is just now suspended here by the curious condition of our party politics. This is what Upper Canada rebelled for in 1837, and what, according to Lord Durham, would have prevented the rebellions in Lower Canadaif it had been established there before that memorable year of colonial rebellion. In the year 1839, Lord Durham, as "Lord High Commissioner for inquiring into the state of her Majesty's British North American Provinces," by his celebrated Report to the Queen, first propounded officially the theory of responsible government for colonies. He also urged its immediate application in practice to the two Canadian. Provinces, the union of which under one legislature he moreover recom- mended. His recommendation of a legislative union was adopted by the Imperial power. His recommendation of responsible go- vernment for the united province was neither adopted in words by the Imperial Government, (which, the fear of rebellion being past, again left everything concerning Canada to be managed by the Colonial Office,) nor adopted in practice by the first Governor of United Canada, Mr. Poulett Thompson, afterwards Lord Sy- denham. On the contrary, Lord Sydenham was remarkable for governing the colony himself ; for using his Executive Council as mere instruments of his own will, directed by his own judg- ment; for ruling, instead of only reigning according to the theory of responsible government. By dint of great labour, un- scrupulous management, and not a little corruption, the means of which were afforded in the Imperial guarantee of interest on a provincial loan of -1,600,0004 for public works, Lord Sydenham kept the support of a majority in the Provincial Parliament of the United Province during its first session ; but he did this with difficulty, was compelled at last to abandon some of his measures lest they should be defeated by a hostile vote, and prorogued the Parliament, with a flourish of trumpets, only just in time to die with the reputation of a successful Governor. Everybody ac- quainted with the colony knows, that if he had lived and re- mained in Canada, his system of personal management by the Sovereign would have exploded in his own hands, like Louis Philippe's, which it closely resembled, and which was the very re- verse of responsible government. In fact, it did explode soon after his death. When his successor, Sir Charles Bagot, met the Pro- vincial Parliament in its second session, the Executive Council or Ministry, which he inherited from Lord Sydenham, and which had never enjoyed the confidence of the Assembly, was supported. by only a small minority in that body. It was therefore necessary for Sir Charles Bagot to take some very decided step. He took that of forming a Ministry which was sure to be supported by a great majority of the Assembly. Without any sort of instructions from the Imperial Government on the subject, with old Tory prejudices against responsible government for colonies, with a natural dread of the reproaches at home which he would incur, and did actually incur, for appointing so-called " rebels" to the highest offices, he had the sense and courage to do the only thing that, under the circumstances in which Lord Syden- ham left Canada, could have prevented a violent collision between the Crown and Assembly, and a return to the "constituted anarchy" of former times. By choosing a Min- istry with regard to nothing but their enjoyment of the public confidence, and by letting them govern whilst he only reigned, he gave full effect in practice to the principle of respon- sible government. It was he who established, as it was Lord Durham who recommended, that principle in the government of Canada. Mr. Hawes says, that " when Lord Grey came into office, responsible government existed in little more than the name ; it had been promised, but the promise had not been car- ried into effect." The truth is that had not been promised, and that it had been carried into full effect. For when Lord Metcalfe succeeded Sir Charles Bagot, though a serious difference took place between him and the Ministry bequeathed to him by his pre- decessor, whereupon those gentlemen resigned, he formed another Ministry, which appealed to the country by a general election, and which was supported by a majority of the new Assembly down to Lord Elgin's arrival in Canada. By that time—that is, in nearly four years—the Metcalfe Ministry was used up, as Minis- tries are apt to be here in less time ; and then Lord Elgin imi- tated Lord Metcalfe by resorting to a general election, and form- ing a new Ministry which is supported by a majority in the new Assembly. This newest Canadian Ministry was composed of the very same " rebels " whom Sir Charles Begot dared to be the first to place in high office. In this respect, therefore, Lord Elgin is but a humble imitator of one of his predecessors. We are as- sured and believe, that he more closely follows Sir Charles Bagot's example in only reigning himself whilst his Ministry govern. For pursuing the wise course plainly marked out by others, he deserves credit, no doubt. He has not attempted to upset or impede responsible government in Canada. That glory is his, and, by reflection, Lord Grey's, with a "humble share " for Mr. Hawes : but what a difference between that and the bold boasting of Mr. Benjamin Hawes I If anybody were so unkind as to call him Bouncing Ben, the sobriquet would stick to him by means of its appropriateness rather than its alliteration.* Mr. Hawes's second boast is, that "since Lord Grey came to the Colonial Office," "representative governments have been es- tablished in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland." With respect to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, the statement is as true as if it were said that Lord Grey established representa- tive government in England. In both of those colonies there was a House of Assembly elected by very democratic suffrage, if not before Lord Grey was born, certainly long before he and Mr. Hawes " came to the Colonial Office." Some years ago, the re- presentative constitution of Newfoundland was made less demo- cratic by an act of the Imperial Parliament ; and if that act has been repealed at Lord Grey's suggestion, he may be said to have in some measure restored representative government among the small community of fishermen who inhabit a speck of Newfound- land. But what a difference again between the assertion and the fact I The boast of Lord Grey's being the author of represents- ' We are assured that in one respect Lord Elgin does not give full effect to the responsible-government theory. According to that theory, the Governor is a pro- vincial king, and should maintain a court, so far at least as his salary permits. Lord Sydenham, Sir Charles Begot, and Lord Metcalfe, spent more than their salaries on courtly hospitality; the last of them a great deal more. Lord Elgin spends less, and a Feat deal less. It is notorious in Canada, that he must be " making a purse out of his salary, and thus, if not lowering the ffignity,.cer- cer- tainly impairing the lustre of his viceregal office. What is called his " stingi- ness'' produces an uncomfortable feeling among the colonists, and leads them to complain that their semi-sovereign is enriching himself at their expense.
Live government in these colonies is so extravagant as well as groundless, that we fancy Mr. Hawes may have been misreported in this instance, and that he said, not "representative," but " re- sponsible" government : but if so, the boasting is still of that bold kind which is politely called bouncing. In these colonies, as in Canada, responsible government has been gradually more or less established, as the inevitable consequence of Lord Durham's exposure of the old system and his recommendation of another ; and we may observe, that in Nova Scotia, where the new system works beat, because the leading colonists happen to be men of very superior and statesmanlike abilities, the Governor who has administered it under Lord Grey—namely, Sir John Hervey— has been a governor of one or other of the British North American Provinces for nearly twenty years. But, whether Mr. Hawes said "responsible" or "representative," he equally bragged of what has no existence save of course in his own belief. As it is impos- sible that two men could believe so erroneously, Lord Grey, who heard him, must have been at least astonished—gossip adds that he seemed highly gratified—at the bouncing of his honourable though "bumble" friend. Wbat the public may think of it all, is another question; but at least we have taken care that they shall not be imposed upon in this case through the ignorance of Colonial matters which is a necessary attribute of the Imperial public mind, and of which none are more fully aware than Lord Grey and Mr. Benjamin Hawes.
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