north america-1-第23章

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wn　was　selected；　which　is　situated　on　the　lower　end　of　Lake　Ontario；　in　the　upper　province。　　But　Kingstown　was　found　to　be　inconvenient；　lacking　space　and　accommodation　for　those　who　had　to　follow　the　government；　and　the　Governor　removed　it　and　himself　to　Montreal。　　Montreal　is　in　the　lower　province；　but　is　very　central　to　both　the　provinces；　and　it　is　moreover　the　chief　town　in　Canada。　This　would　have　done　very　well　but　for　an　unforeseen　misfortune。　It　will　be　remembered　by　most　readers　that　in　1837　took　place　the　Mackenzie…Papineau　rebellion；　of　which　those　who　were　then　old　enough　to　be　politicians　heard　so　much　in　England。　　I　am　not　going　back　to　recount　the　history　of　the　period；　otherwise　than　to　say　that　the　English　Canadians　at　that　time；　in　withstanding　and　combating　the　rebels；　did　considerable　injury　to　the　property　of　certain　French　Canadians；　and　that；　when　the　rebellion　had　blown　over　and　those　in　fault　had　been　pardoned；　a　question　arose　whether　or　no　the　government　should　make　good　the　losses　of　those　French　Canadians　who　had　been　injured。　　The　English　Canadians　protested　that　it　would　be　monstrous　that　they　should　be　taxed　to　repair　damages　suffered　by　rebels；　and　made　necessary　in　the　suppression　of　rebellion。　　The　French　Canadians　declared　that　the　rebellion　had　been　only　a　just　assertion　of　their　rights；　that　if　there　had　been　crime　on　the　part　of　those　who　took　up　arms；　that　crime　had　been　condoned；　and　that　the　damages　had　not　fallen　exclusively　or　even　chiefly　on　those　who　had　done　so。　　I　will　give　no　opinion　on　the　merits　of　the　question；　but　simply　say　that　blood　ran　very　hot　when　it　was　discussed。　　At　last　the　Houses　of　the　Provincial　Parliament；　then　assembled　at　Montreal；　decreed　that　the　losses　should　be　made　good　by　the　public　treasury；　and　the　English　mob　in　Montreal；　when　this　decree　became　known；　was　roused　to　great　wrath　by　a　decision　which　seemed　to　be　condemnatory　of　English　loyalty。　　It　pelted　Lord　Elgin；　the　Governor…General；　with　rotten　eggs；　and　burned　down　the　Parliament　house。　　Hence　there　arose；　not　unnaturally；　a　strong　feeling　of　anger　on　the　part　of　the　local　government　against　Montreal；　and　moreover　there　was　no　longer　a　house　in　which　the　Parliament　could　be　held　in　that　town。　　For　these　conjoint　reasons　it　was　decided　to　move　the　seat　of　government　again；　and　it　was　resolved　that　the　Governor　and　the　Parliament　should　sit　alternately　at　Toronto　in　Upper　Canada；　and　at　Quebec　in　Lower　Canada；　remaining　four　years　at　each　place。　　They　went　at　first　to　Toronto　for　two　years　only；　having　agreed　that　they　should　be　there　on　this　occasion　only　for　the　remainder　of　the　term　of　the　then　Parliament。　　After　that　they　were　at　Quebec　for　four　years；　then　at　Toronto　for　four；　and　now　again　are　at　Quebec。　　But　this　arrangement　has　been　found　very　inconvenient。　　In　the　first　place　there　is　a　great　national　expenditure　incurred　in　moving　old　records　and　in　keeping　double　records；　in　moving　the　library；　and；　as　I　have　been　informed；　even　the　pictures。　　The　government　clerks　also　are　called　on　to　move　as　the　government　moves；　and　though　an　allowance　is　made　to　them　from　the　national　purse　to　cover　their　loss；　the　arrangement　has　nevertheless　been　felt　by　them　to　be　a　grievance；　as　may　be　well　understood。　　The　accommodation　also　for　the　ministers　of　the　government　and　for　members　of　the　two　Houses　has　been　insufficient。　　Hotels；　lodgings；　and　furnished　houses　could　not　be　provided　to　the　extent　required；　seeing　that　they　would　be　left　nearly　empty　for　every　alternate　space　of　four　years。　Indeed；　it　needs　but　little　argument　to　prove　that　the　plan　adopted　must　have　been　a　thoroughly　uncomfortable　plan；　and　the　wonder　is　that　it　should　have　been　adopted。　　Lower　Canada　had　undertaken　to　make　all　her　leading　citizens　wretched；　providing　Upper　Canada　would　treat　hers　with　equal　severity。　　This　has　now　gone　on　for　some　twelve　years；　and　as　the　system　was　found　to　be　an　unendurable　nuisance；　it　has　been　at　last　admitted　that　some　steps　must　be　taken　toward　selecting　one　capital　for　the　country。　I　should　here；　in　justice　to　the　Canadians；　state　a　remark　made　to　me　on　this　matter　by　one　of　the　present　leading　politicians　of　the　colony。　　I　cannot　think　that　the　migratory　scheme　was　good　but　he　defended　it；　asserting　that　it　had　done　very　much　to　amalgamate　the　people　of　the　two　provinces；　that　it　had　brought　Lower　Canadians　into　Upper　Canada；　and　Upper　Canadians　into　Lower　Canada；　teaching　English　to　those　who　spoke　only　French　before；　and　making　each　pleasantly　acquainted　with　the　other。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　somethingperhaps　muchhas　been　done　in　this　way；　but　valuable　as　the　result　may　have　been；　I　cannot　think　it　worth　the　cost　of　the　means　employed。　　The　best　answer　to　the　above　argument　consists　in　the　undoubted　fact　that　a　migratory　government　would　never　have　been　established　for　such　a　reason。　　It　was　so　established　because　Montreal；　the　central　town；　had　given　offense；　and　because　the　jealousy　of　the　provinces　against　each　other　would　not　admit　of　the　government　being　placed　entirely　at　Quebec；　or　entirely　at　Toronto。　But　it　was　necessary　that　some　step　should　be　taken；　and　as　it　was　found　to　be　unlikely　that　any　resolution　should　be　reached　by　the　joint　provinces　themselves；　it　was　loyally　and　wisely　determined　to　refer　the　matter　to　the　Queen。　　That　Her　Majesty　has　constitutionally　the　power　to　call　the　Parliament　of　Canada　at　any　town　of　Canada　which　she　may　select；　admits；　I　conceive；　of　no　doubt。　　It　is；　I　imagine；　within　her　prerogative　to　call　the　Parliament　of　England　where　she　may　please　within　that　realm；　though　her　lieges　would　be　somewhat　startled　if　it　were　called　otherwhere　than　in　London。　　It　was　therefore　well　done　to　ask　Her　Majesty　to　act　as　arbiter　in　the　matter。　　But　there　are　not　wanting　those　in　Canada　who　say　that　in　referring　the　matter　to　the　Queen　it　was　in　truth　referring　it　to　those　by　whom　very　many　of　the　Canadians　were　least　willing　to　be　guided　in　the　matter；　to　the　Governor…General　namely；　and　the　Colonial　Secretary。　　Many　indeed　in　Canada　now　declare　that　the　decision　simply　placed　the　matter　in　the　hands　of　the　Governor…General。　Be　that　as　it　may；　I　do　not　think　that　any　unbiased　traveler　will　doubt　that　the　best　possible　selection　has　been　made；　presuming　always；　as　we　may　presume　in　the　discussion；　that　Montreal　could　not　be　selected。　　I　take　for　granted　that　the　rejection　of　Montreal　was　regarded　as　a　sine　qua　non　in　the　decision。　　To　me　it　appears　grievous　that　this　should　have　been　so。　　It　is　a　great　thing　for　any　country　to　have　a　large；　leading；　world…known　city；　and　I　think　that　the　government　should　combine　with　the　commerce　of　the　country　in　carrying　out　this　object。　　But　commerce　can　do　a　great　deal　more　for　government　than　government　can　do　for　commerce。　　Government　has　selected　Ottawa　as　the　capital　of　Canada；　but　commerce　has　already　made　Montreal　the　capital；　and　Montreal　will　be　the　chief　city　of　Canada；　let　government　do　what　it　may　to　foster　the　other　town。　The　idea　of　spiting　a　town　because　there　has　been　a　row　in　it　seems　to　me　to　be　preposterous。　　The　row　was　not　the　work　of　those　who　have　made　Montreal　rich　and　respectable。　　Montreal　is　more　cent