give it his sanction, and so, on April 25, 1849, he gave the Royal assent to the Rebellion Losses Bill. The When he left the House of Parliament he was cheered and hooted, and, as he drove through the streets, the "respectable Tories" of Montreal pelted his carriage with all kinds of missiles. They called an open-air meeting at which inflammatory speeches were made, and the excited mob rushed to the Parliament House, broke the windows and burned the building to the ground, destroying a valuable library that was a distinct loss to the country. For several days the rioting continued, but Lord Elgin acted with great judgment, restraining the hand of the government and preventing bloodshed. House of Assembly voted an address to the Governor-General expressing their abhorrence of these riots. On April 30, Lord Elgin set out from "Monklands" for the Government House to receive the address and was escorted into the city by a troop of volunteers, but on the way his carriage was stoned and he was forced to return to his country residence. Rioting continued, and for a time the lives of the members of the government and the life of the Governor-General himself were in danger. The situation was most painful to Lord Elgin, but he in no way swerved from his position on the Rebellion Losses Bill. However, in order to prevent a collision between the French and English in Montreal, he remained for several weeks at "Monklands." The Tory papers of Montreal had the lack of generosity to state that his action was due to cowardice. The situation in Canada was such that he felt it his duty to tender his resignation to the Home government, but he was told "that to retire from the high office which the Queen had been pleased to entrust to you, and which from the value she puts upon your services it is her most anxious wish that you should retain it, should be out of the question." While he had the support of the Home government he was not without friends among the the English-speaking people of Canada, and many addresses of approval were sent to him; but the Montreal incendiaries were not to be appeased and rebellion broke out again in August. Lord Elgin and the government now saw how impossible it would be to retain the seat of government at Montreal, and so it was decided to remove it from the city. On account of the race difficulty and the long distances in the country it was decided that alternate meetings should be held at Quebec and Toronto. Under the circumstances it was concluded to hold the first meeting in Toronto; otherwise the cry of French rule would have been raised throughout Canada. Lord Elgin once more visited Upper Canada in order to get to know the people better. He had expected to be received with considerable animosity, but, while a small minority showed their hatred of him for his attitude on the Rebellion Losses Bill, the great majority of the people gave him everywhere an enthusiastic welcome. If His leniency with the mob was viewed in England with mixed feelings. The Home government was glad that bloodshed had been avoided but they could not understand his leniency. Of their attitude Elgin writes: "Lord Grey and Lord Russell both felt that either I was right or I was wrong. the latter I ought to be recalled, if the former I ought to make the law respected." The people in the United States took an interest in the situation and some of the leading politicians said to Lord Elgin, with regard to this matter, "We thought that you were quite right, but we could not understand why you did not shoot them down." His generous treatment of the rioters had its reward, and although there is still a race difficulty in Canada Lord Elgin did more than any other of our governors-general to unify the country, to make of one mind and one heart the people of diverse blood in Canada. While he was in the country some seven hundred thousand French people became reconciled to English rule. They saw that the representative of the Crown was eager to do them justice. The hard times and general discontent in Canada made many of the inhabitants of the country, and particularly the ultra-loyalists, look for relief towards the United States. Annexation was in the air and manifestoes were signed in many parts of the country in favor of it. Magistrates, Queen's counsels, militia officers and others holding positions under the Crow affixed their signatures to these manifestoes. Lord Elgin, although favorably disposed towards the American people, took decided steps to stop this movement. He had a circular addressed to all persons in any way connected with the government, whose names had been attached to these manifestoes, While taking this The restrictions on and he resolved, with the advice of his Executive Council, that if their names had been attached with their own consent or if they refused to disavow the genuineness of them, to have them dismissed from office. course he recognized that there was cause for discontent. navigation greatly interfered with Canadian trade, and he had some of these restrictions removed for the benefit of Canada. He likewise set to work to have reciprocity established with the United States, and although it was some years before this was accomplished, he did not cease in his efforts till it was a fact. Although opposed to annexation he sought to win the good-will of the American people. He visited Buffalo, Boston, and Portland and through his speeches in these cities made a most favorable impression in the United States. When he went to Washington, in 1854, for the purpose of concluding a reciprocity treaty, he was most favorably received, and had little difficulty in consummating one which, while favorable to the United States, did much to bring prosperity to Canada. While at the head of Canadian affairs he strove to make the Home government realize the importance of her greatest colony, and aimed at making those in authority treat her with the respect due what was practically a great self-governing people. The following extract from a letter to Earl Grey, in which he refers to a speech on the colonies by Lord John Russell, well illustrates his point of view. "One thing is, however, indispensable," he wrote, "to the success of this or any other system of Colonial government, you must renounce the habit of telling the colonies that the Colonial is a provisional existence. You must allow them to believe that, without severing the bonds which unite them to Great Britain, they may attain the degree of perfection and of social and political development to which organized communities of free men have a right to aspire." While endeavoring to make Canada a truly self-respecting and selfgoverning country, he was opposed to militarism. The matter of defences came up for consideration, and in this connection he said, "only one absurdity could be greater, pardon me for saying so, than the absurdity |