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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m6thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 I I CONVENTION OF THE REFORM PA -»i ■ ■ » «♦- Toronto, June 13, 1867. Dear Sib, We are instructed by the Executive Committee of the Reform Association of Upper Canada to inform you that A GENERAL CONVENTION of the Reform party of Upper Canada will be held in the Music Hall, TOROIsTO, ON THURSDAY, THE 27th JUNE, and to invite your earnest co-operation in the movement. The suggestion that such a gathering of Reformers as that of the great Convention of 1859 would at this moment be of vast service to the Liberal cause was pressed upon the Exe- cutive Committee from a number of quarters; and, after mature consid^mtion, the following circular was prepared and sent to the Reform members of the existing House of Assembly, to the Reform candidates now before the people for election to the House of Commons and House of Assembly, to the Editors of Reform journals, and to the Office-bearers of all Branch Reform Associations known by us to be in active operation : — " Dear Sir,— On the &thj November, 1859, the greatest Political assemlilage ever convened in Canada met in the City of Torottto, to consider the relations between Upper atod Lower Canada and the Financial and Political evils that had resulted therefrom, and to devise .constitutional changes fitted to remedy the said, abuses, and secure good government for the Province. Five hundred and seventy prominent and influential men from all sections of Upper Canada took.rfai-t in the proceeduiga of that Convention, and conclusions were arrived at which have stamped their, impress mdelibly onthe future history of our country. Tfee formation of the Upper Canada Reform Association was the work of that Convention ; and the Branches of that Association established thi-oughout Upwr f ^anada, have tended in a great measure to secure those political sucqesaea at the elections that the Reform party has siucef achieved. Resolutions were adoptefi by that Convention setting loi-th the politipaV.,eyils existmg in the Province and the right remedies for them; theae resotutibus have stood thft test of fierce party criticism and invective for years^ and have at last been adopted with the almost, unammous assent oiF the people of Canada, Nova Scoti* and Now Brunswick, and with the hearty approbation of our fellow;- subjects throughout the British Empire, as the basis of the new Federal Constitution for the government of British America. To remind you how completely the suggestions of the Reforin Convention of 1859 were in harmony with the Imperial (Confederation Act of 1867, we re-publish the Resolutions adopted by the Convention : 1 Resolved—" That the existhig Legislative Union of Upper and Lower Canada 1ms. faij^d to realize the aiiticipa- *' tions'of its promoters, has resulted in, a heavy public debt, burdensome taxation, great political abuses, and universal "dissatisfaction throughout Upper Canada ; and it is the matured conviction of this asseinW, from the^ antagonisms " developed through ditference of origin, local interests and other causes, that the Union, ii^, its ..present torm, can no " longer be continued mth advantage to the people. , ... •2 Resolved — " That highly, desimble as it would be, while the existing Union is maintained, that local legislation "should not be forced on one section of the Province against the wishes of a majority of the repesentatives ot that sectioii " -yet this Assembly is of opinion that the plan of government known as the " Double Majority!' would be no pennanent " remedy lor existing evils. .. , r • i * i 3 Resolted,—" That, necessarv as it is that strict constitutional restraints on the power ot the Legislature and " Executive, in regai-d to the borrowmg and expenditure of money andother mattei-s, should form part of any satislactopy, "change of the exiting Constitutional system-yet the imposition of such restraints would not alone remedy the evils " under which the country now labours. ""^i_. . ,. . . ^ ., 4 Resolved,— " That without entering on the discussion of other objections, this aMembly^lsot opmioii. that -O^^^^ " delay which must occur in obtaining the sanction of the Lower Provinces to a Federal Union of all the British Is orth " American Colonies, places that measure beyond consideration as a remedy for present, evils. _. ■ 5. Resolved,-'^ That in the opinion of this assembly, tiie best practicable rem^y iov the evils now enwmit^m "the Bovemment of Canada, is to be found in the formation of two or more local Gw-emments, to which shall bfecdm- • " mUtS tS^ontrol of all matters of a local or sectional chamcter, and some joint authority charged with such matters a* " are necessarilv common to both sections of the Province. , .- x- 6 i2«iaia;k-" That whUe the details of the clianges' proposed in the l^st^resolution ai*.n«:es8anly subject tor ire SSmentT yet this assembly., deems- it impemtivfe to declare that no Government i^uld be satisfactory ta " future arrangement) yet Uamuitt tne people) jpper ibly, deexns' it imper iriucruisnoi based on tne priseipie -"i-"' bv Pr>T> it1n tiHti s / folio J •^^'^yJ'''^"'^'" "'' *''' ^*'^'''"fi«". l'""''""'^ at th„ ('o„venti..n of 18.3!), jTovMed in^er alw in Article III., a« meeting ir>£!;Z'I^''";>':;hf!'{!^ ""'""'%'!*" *''n A^Hociation .hallhe nmiuvinl l.y an ...xecutive ..onuuitt.Hs I'-'MinK itn fi.-.t "f ^''^CSo/J Kl3 t moXr Parliunu...t s„l,s..ril.in,, t.. Ihi. ....„:4it„tion, an.l all pms ,1 ' t to tim»'t^'^°''^r*"^| .""'^^ be membi-iH, with Kudi other in(Mul...rs of th.- associatimi as thu .•oiumitte.. nmv from time th^ji^lrpot ' ' '""•' '^'^l"""* '^^ "^'" '"»''''-'^' "'"» ''"'"I'f "'1<- ".).! ».y-huv.s. ten l-einKa'^u .;;,,„ fl.r 'abhI 18^'lf Ul "'J'n ''':■""''""; '"'•'' ^'-'^'•"•'^ "; ^^-^ '--"^tnutea at a Ilelonu n.eetin^ hehl in this (Jitv ..^^.e yih Apnl, 1867, and the follo\vin«™»n^=^i»S ^^^ ^"ie^s of thoi. act heartily and unitedl/f ,r coinmonSs Ivt Se coSg general JlttiJnr '""'"' *^"'^;'^"'*^ Reform party to such a glS^Ef ^i^JS^^cSiS^elieiS tot^Tr l^t:^?^^' ''l ^''*^'™ ^^^^V'-^ "-* -«>« ^'^ previous communication with frienToflr^^e th"^^^^^^^^^ t ^.T"" ^. "", "^T"™*^:^" r*» private circuar should be addressed to the TTnner Pinn.in wT! T country It was accordingly detei-mined that a- ^bdidates of the Reform miySw sbiS^elec^f^^^^^^^^^ the present House of Assembly, to li.^ ' and to Editors 6f newspa™e?s sLEinrSe^.i^^^^^^^^^^^^ rSS , IrJv t'"'- ^"'^ 1 ?^"^^ Reform As«o^^iati.,n,,; Convention would be advantageous toiL cause rndwhrtbertlT i'-t?Vr T'"??,^'^'*'*^'; "' ^'^^'"^ «Fni«n ™cli a vehi6htdayfor itsassemblirioT ^' '*"'^ ''^^**"''^ "'^ ^"'* Thursday of this month (June) would be a con^ " We have the honour to be, , 7' .; "Dear Sir, . . ^ . . "Yours respectfully, "S. SPBEULL, ( Joint . " J- D. EDGAR, ( Secre*arib8." .;,. ?^«r««PO»«e to this Circular from all sections of the Province, and from Heformers ofaU shades of opmicm, has been m the highest degree satisfactory. The movement is ahnost univeluy haUed with enthtmasm as ca culated to unite cordially all sections of the Reform party, aiTadd " at additional strength m the- coming electoral contest. Tims strengthened by popular oSnio ^hrlto ^1 -x. ^^^^^^^^''^ti^^ Committee have deemed it advisable to adhere as closely as possible to the ba<,f<, tin ' m^::zr^!^:t =s^i- -?----" ti^u^^ "■'-- ~ -"■ --^'-"- a^ .-.c^tiuns ui uiu panj, ana it is hoped that no differ-- ences on incidental questions, arising' from occurences of late yearn, will debar takiuf,' ])art in llie movement. The Convention is to consist (.f A 1)ELE(;ATK FUoM THE J{KF()iniKFi'7n- TOWN AND TOWNSHIP MVNUIVAWVY IN VVWAi CANADA-and alM'efnr„? , ol the existn.u. Mouse of Assembly, all Jleform Candidates for the Fe.leral and Local ' • ■ - ^ the new constitution, all Ortice-bearers of Brunch Keform Associations, an.l all K.Utors ,,f 31 .Journals, vvdl be e,r.qfffno members of the C.mvention. As the assemblv, however, is n.erely for .lis cussion and organization, and to elicit the feeling of the country at the present juncture, it wouhl be liighly inex])edient to Innit the number of delegates from each municipality by any absolute rule so as to exclude prommer.t and Mell-infonned men.bers of the party. It is reconuuended, however that the number o^t Delegates fron. any nmnicipality .should n.,t exceed tive-exce,)t in the case of large Towns The office-bearers of the Association will be in attendance at the Music Hall at lo , 'clock ou the nmrnnig ..f the Convention, but the chair will not be taken until one o'clock, after the arrival of the noon trams from the West and East. • Arrangements have l,een made with the (Jreat Western, (Jrand Tru.ik, and N.)rthern Railway Companies, so that Members of the Convention may obtain tickets to and from Toronto for one fare. We artdress this Circular to jou, Sir, in the belief that jou will feel heartily disDosed to m operate with he Association in making the coming gathering .a great succesi We ask Z on Z ZTeZZlT'' *" '*'' ''''' '' """ ''' *"« ««"'^"»" "' «eleg'ates\o";;";;en?,or .i::;cr;m; We are. Dear Sir, Youi's truly. SAMUEL SPKEULL, i Joint J. D. EDGAR, f Secretaries.