It is worth

that ever has been done in this country, and will be of more solid advantage to it than all the loans and all the troops you can make or send. ten Unions and was ten times as difficult."

In dealing with both the question of the Union and the Clergy Reserves question much of his success was due to his holding himself absolutely aloof from either party. He saw that the previous governors had failed because "they threw themselves into the hands of one party or the other and became their slave." He, on the other hand, determined to yield to neither of them. He "took the moderate from both sides-rejected the extremes-and governed" as he thought right. He was satisfied that the mass of the people were moderate in their demands and attached to British Institutions; he believed that "they had been oppressed by a miserable little oligarchy on the one hand and excited by a few factious demagogues on the other." He expected greater difficulties in settling matters in Lower Canada, but when he turned his undivided attention to affairs in that Province he showed himself desirous to protect the French Canadians in a fair share of political power, and to maintain their equality with their fellow subjects, and the French were not long in recognizing that in him they had a genuine friend.

His good work received the approval of the Queen, and in 1840 he was raised to the peerage with the title of Baron Sydenham of Sydenham in Toronto and Kent. During this year he visited many parts of the country, and was greatly impressed with the possibilities of its future. He was everywhere enthusiastically received, and his journey in both Upper and Lower Canada was, to use his own words, a triumph-a series of ovations.

On February 5, a proclamation was issued declaring the re-union of Upper and Lower Canada, and on February 10, Lord Sydenham officially proclaimed the Union of the Provinces. Kingston was made the capital of Canada, and Messrs. Sullivan, Dunn, Odgen, Draper, Baldwin, Day, Daly, and Harrison were chosen for the first Council.

It looked for a time as if Lord Sydenham would never preside over the United Canadian Parliament. He was in ill-health, and so severe were several of the attacks of gout that his life was despaired of; indeed, he had almost given up all hope of ever again seeing the other side of the Atlantic.

However, he had the gratification of meeting his parliament, and in his speech from the throne spoke hopefully of the future. On several questions which he introduced he had a stiff fight, but with the exception of one or two minor points, was in every case successful, and saw the Union "irrevocably established and the new government thoroughly organized."

During the summer months he resided at Alwington House, on the lake shore, near Kingston, and the quiet of the spot and the healthy lake breezes gave him new strength. He liked his work and would willingly have remained in Canada, but he knew he had not long to live. The sweetest music to his ears would be the guns pealing from the rock of Quebec wishing him a safe journey to the motherland. He longed for the end of the session, and wrote hopefully to his friends of seeing them again. He was confident that nothing could break the Union. "Canada," he said, "must henceforth go on well unless it is most terribly mismanaged;" and he gave wise advice as to the kind of successor who should be sent out to take his place.

"What I have seen, however," he wrote early in the session, "and had to do in the course of the last three weeks, strengthens my opinion of the absolute necessity of your sending out as my successor someone with House of Commons and Ministerial habits-a person who will not shrink from work, and who will govern, as I do, himself. Such a man-not a soldier, but a statesman-will find no difficulties in his path that he cannot easily surmount; for everything will be in grooves running of itself, and only requiring general direction.”

His health was so far recovered by September as to enable him to take. breezy rides along the beautiful lake shore. On the 4th of September, as he was cantering up a hill near Alwington House, without any thought of danger, his horse stumbled, threw him and fell on him, breaking the large bone of his leg. He was carried to his home and at first the doctors gave hopes of his recovery, but his constitution was so undermined by gout, which now, as he said, coward-like stepped in to add to his sufferings. Still he expected to be confined to his bed for not more than three or four weeks, and expressed hopes of sailing for England in the autumn.

He did not permit the intense pain he was enduring to interfere with his conduct of the business of the country. The questions before the Legislature occupied his mind, and the officers of the government and leading members of both Houses visited him, and he gave them advice and discussed public matters with them.

On the 11th of September he was so hopeful of an early recovery that he wrote to Lord Falkland, Governor of Nova Scotia, in a cheerful vein requesting to have the frigate "Pique" sent to Quebec to be in readiness to carry him to England as soon as he was strong enough to begin the journey. There is much of pathos in his words: "She brought me out, and I should like to go home in her."

He continued to make final preparations for leaving Canada with a full sense of having done well the work he was sent from England to do. He was able to write to Lord John Russell in the following terms:

"You will have seen that I was determined to do all my business before coming away; and a pretty session it will be. Every measure will have been triumphantly carried. Though I could not get the Bank through, it must succeed another year. The House of Assembly wished to defer it for the session; but in the meantime they have taxed the issues of private banks, which will insure its passing. My successor, therefore, will have little of legislation even left for him."

The state of his health was now more critical, and the pain he was suffering became more intense, but he continued to examine Bills sent up to him by the Legislature, and busied himself preparing the speech with which he intended to close the session. He spent Friday, September 17, in giving the final touches to his address. But even while he was working on it his physicians and friends realized that he had only a few days, at the outside, to live. They had given up all hope of his recovery, but he was still hopeful. However, on the 18th of the month he, too, saw that he was dying, but even on that day had the public affairs of Canada at heart. He suffered intense pain, but no complaining word came from his lips, and on Sunday, the 19th, this life, so short, yet so full of good work for England and her greatest colony, ended.

His death was deeply lamented in Canada. His friends, and even his enemies, recognized that he was the ablest man yet sent from England to govern this country. He had been cut off when his work for British North America was but begun. He was only forty-two years old when he died, and yet what a splendid record he had left behind! He had done as much as any man of his time to pave the way for English free trade, and he had shown England how a statesman should deal with the colonies. His labors in Canada brought calm after turmoil and rebellion, and his death on the field of his labors set a seal to his work.

CHAPTER XX.

SIR JOHN BEVERLEY ROBINSON.

BY J. CASTELL HOPKINS.

Sir John Beverley Robinson a Descendant of an Old Yorkshire Family-His Father a Veteran of the Revolutionary War-Born at Berthier, Quebec, July 26, 1791-Educated By John Strachan-Begins the Study of Law-Appointed Attorney-General of Upper Canada-A Soldier of the War of 1812-First Representative of the Town of York in the Assembly— Sent to England on an Important Mission-The Imperial Government Offers him the Position of Chief-Justice of the Island of Mauritius-Appointed Chief-Justice of Upper Canada-Favors the Clergy Reserves and Opposes Responsible Government-Volunteers for the Defence of Toronto in the Rebellion of 1837-Declines the Honor of Knighthood— Made a Companion of the Bath in 1850-Created a Baron of the United Kingdom in 1854 -Received the Degree of D. C. L. from the University of Oxford-His Death January 31 1863-For Upwards of half a Century a Foremost Figure in Upper Canada.

TH

HE Hon. Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart., C. B., D. C. L., was a descendant of an old Yorkshire family which had a lineage running back to the time of Henry VII. His father was Christopher Robinson, who during the Revolutionary war, received a commission in the famous "Queen's Rangers" under Colonel Simcoe, afterwards the first governor of Upper Canada.

He was born at Berthier, Quebec, July 26, 1791, and when seven years of age removed with his parents to York, the then Provincial capital. Some two years later he was sent to Kingston to the school of the afterwards celebrated Bishop Strachan. Being a very bright and attractive boy, the great educator became very fond of him and proud of his proficiency. It was, therefore, quite natural that the opinions of the youth should be moulded by the learned doctor, and it was during this early formative period that young Robinson's political convictions, which he ever after conscientiously held, were formed. During his entire political career, indeed, he was very susceptible to the powerful influence of his early teacher. When about