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'\ •feJiW^*;',''^: t^^-ti 6 plore a circumstance tending to deprive it of the advantages which your Excellency's experience in its government, knowledge of its resources, and anxiety for its welfare, guided by your acknowledged character for uprightness of purpose, must have secured to it, had your continuance here been per- mitted. Connected more particularly with the trade of the colony, both collectively and as individuals, we gratefully acknowledge the readiness so constantly evinced by your Excellency to advance its commercial interests, and must not omit especially to instance your Lordship's well-timed repre- sentations to the Home Government against the abuses of the Court of Vice-Admiralty, and yet more, those in favour of our Lumber Trade, that grand staple of this and the other British North American provinces. Assailed as this most essential branch of our commerce has been, and continues to be, by a combination of persons ignorant of its importance, or interested in its downfall, we feel doubly sensible of the value of your Excellency's testimony in its behalf, ground- ed too on your personal observation of its beneficial results. Strongly persuaded of the close connexion between the commercial and political rela- tions of a country, and fully sensible that security to trade can alone exist under the protection of a well ordered and consistent government, we view with apprehension the inconsiderate removal of your Excellency, as indicating a system of colonial policy, which, ready at the clamour of faction to sacrifice individual right to temporary expe- dience, threatens to subvert those national principles of good faith which have long given stabiUty and character to British in- stitutions throughout the world. May it please your Excellency, In respectfully taking our leave, we ven- ture to express a hope that the affairs of Canada may still continue to occupy a place in your Lordship's recollection, and that the influence which his Majesty's approbation of your conduct cannot fail to confer, may be used, as we are sure it will be, to pro- mote the true interests of this country. • iTr'^^W^KSK^S^ 8 We beg respectfully and most cordially to convey to your Lordship and to Lady Ayl- mer, our sincere wishes for your prolonged happiness, and for your prosperous voyage to that land whose battles your Lordship has fought, and whose honours you have won. Quebec, 25th July, 1836. Answer to the Address of the Board of Trade, Quebec. Gentlemen, I THANK you very sincerely for the ex- pressions of regret at my approaching de- parture from this country, conveyed in this Address from the Committee of Trade, re- presenting the mercantile community of the city of Quebec ; a community for which I shall ever entertain sentiments of esteem and regard. I feel. Gentlemen, that I possess but slen- der claims to your thanks on account of any benefit which may have been obtained for me comiuercicii iuiuicDtD v^i vmc; -^^^.^^^j [ I 9 during my administration. Although ani- mated by a constant desire to promote those as well as all other public interests in the province ; my efforts to that effect have been invariably met and counteracted by a bane- ful influence in the province, whose only chance of prolonging its existence is by re- tardino- the general improvement of the country ; and many of those moments which under more fortunate circumstances, I should have been able to devote to the advance- ment of some useful undertaking, or some beneficial public measure, have been un- avoidably occupied in contending (under disadvantages to which I forbear more par- ticularly to allude on the present occasion) against assaults, some open, others disguised, levelled against the most valuable interests of the province, political as well as commer- cial, and which, should they be renewed and crowned with ultimate success, must prove fatal to the connexion between Lower Canada and the mother Country. I am fully sensible. Gentlemen, of the great importance to British North America of the Lum-ber Trade, and be assured that, B f 10 although my official connexion with this country will cease to exist upon my depar- ture from it, no opportunity shall be neg- lected by me hereafter of upholding that valuable branch of commerce, and of pro- moting as far as my very limited means will permit, every measure calculated to advance the commercial interests of Lower Canada. And now. Gentlemen, in separating from you, let me desire of you to accept from Lady Aylmer and myself our very sincere thanks for the obliging expressions regarding us both, contained in the concluding passage of your Address, and in return to receive our cordial good wishes for the health and happiness of all those Gentlemen and their families, who are parties to it ; and for the increasing prosperity of the commercial in- terest of the city of Quebec. Castla of St. Lewis, Quebec, 25th July, 1835. r 11 Address from the Trustees and Stewards of the Three Rivers Race Course, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Lordship, WE, the undersigned the Trustees and Stewards, for the time being, of the Three Rivers Race Course, respectfully beg permission to approach your Lordship with the expression of our sincere regret at the annunciation and prospect of your Lord- ship's departure from this province, of whose public councils and social happiness your Lordship has been so long the guardian and ornamert. We feel it to be a duty especially incum- bent upon us to thank your Lordship for the manner in which you have been pleased to distinguish the Three Rivers Race Course ; for having at onc^e patronized the same with a liberality worthy of a true sportsman, and for three successive years presented us with 12 a liandsome silver cup, to be run for by horses bred in the province: thus generously promoting innocent amusement in a coun- try as yet but young in the sporting world, and the rural and agricultural interests of one of the most valuable provinces in the British Empire. And now, my Lord, farewell! We beg to assure your Lordship that, in common with all classes of his Majesty's loyal sub- jects in this province, we shall ever enter- tain a high sense of your Lordship's distin- guished worth in public and private life, as a liberal sportsman; and that we shall always rejoice to hear of your Lordship's welfare and happiness. In conclusion, we beg that your Lord- ship may be pleased to convey to Lady Aylmer the sentiments of our sincere esteem, and of our grateful remembrance of the coun- tenance which her Ladyship was so kind as to confer upon the Three Rivers Races. Three Rivers, Lower Canada, 28th July, 1836. 13 Ariswer to the Address from the Trustees and Stewards of the Three Rivers Race Course. Gentlemen, I REQUEST of you to accept of my warm thanks for this Address, expres- sive of seitiments regarding myself per- sonally which cannot fail of being highly grateful to my feelings. It is very satisfactory to me to learn that my attendance at the Three Rivers Races has been favourably considered by the Sub- scribers, Trustees, and Stewards ; and that, in doing that which has been productive of so much pleasure and satisfaction to myself, I have at the same time been so fortunate as to contribute to the advancement of the rural and agricultural interests of the Pro- vince. It is with no small degree of regret. Gen- tlemen, that I takp leave of you ; and be assured 1 shall nevur forget the kind atten- tion with which I have been received on the 14 occasions of my periodical attendance at your races, and more especially by their patron and chief supporter, the Honourable M. Bell, whose friendship and good opinion I shall ever esteem it an honour to possess. I shall not fail. Gentlemen, to communi- cate to Lady Aylmer the obliging expres- sions regarding her, conveyed in the con- cluding passage of vour Address, and which I am confident will be duly appreciated by lier. Address from the Members of the Mon- treal Turf Club. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, WE the Subscribers, Members of the Montreal Turf Club, and others, British subjects, inhabitants of the city of Montreal and its vicinity, avail ourselves of this occasion (which we are sorry to say may be the last) to express our regret, both m 15 on public and private grounds, at the re- moval of your Lordship from the govern- ment of this province. At present it be- comes for us a pleasing duty to tender our cordial thanks to your Lordship for the liberality with which your Lordship has en- couraged amongst us one of those national sports to which British subjects are so much attached. It is not alone to the British principles of government that we wish to cling. We are also anxious to preserve, as much as circum- stances will permit, the sports and pastimes of our early home. Thrice has this truly national sport been enjoyed at Three Rivers under the patron- age of your Lordship, and on each of these occasions has your Lordship bestowed upon the winner of sport a valuable silver cup, in a manner trulv sfratifying, and with an affabihty of higher value than even the gift itself The effects of the encouragement thus given to the improvement in the breed of that noble animal the " horse " are already apparent, and its advantages sensibly felt in I in an agricultural point of view throughout the province. From the many proofs we have had of your Lordship s solicitude and paternal care, we indulge in the hope that that solicitude and care will not expire with your Lordship's administration. And although we have to regret in the retirement of your .Lordship from the government of the province, the loss of that patronage which has on so many occasions been extended to us, yet we hope that whatever may have been thought worthy of your Lordship's attention here will not be forgotten by your Lordship else- where. Upon this it is that we presume to flat- ter ourselves, that through the intercession of your Lordship, this province (which can boast of having been honoured by his Ma- jesty's presence) may obtain that mark of royal favour which his Majesty has on many occasions graciously condescended to bestow on different parts of the united kingdom, a royal plate to be run for alternately i* Que- bec, Montreal, and Three Rivers, by maiden horses bred in the province. 17 In parting with your Lordship, we beg leave to tender the assurance of our highest respect and esteem for your Lordship's cha- racter. We shall ever feel a deep interest in your Lordship's health and happiness, and we wish your Lordship, with all our hearts, a prosperous voyage and happy re- turn. Montreal, July 1835. Answer to the Address from the Members of the Montreal Turf Club, Gentlemen, T THANK you most sincerely for the -*- Address which you have done me the favour to present to me on the part of the Members of the Montreal Turf Club, and others, and which is flattering to my feel- ings in no ordinary degree. It is moreover peculiary gratifying to me to learn that any little encouragement I have had it in my power to extend to the races established at this place, has had the effect of turning the attention of the public to the improvement I 18 If if of the breed of that noble animal the " horse." You may be assured, Gentlemen, that on my return to England I shall not fail to use my best endeavours to obtain for this pro- vince that mark of royal favour by which our Sovereigns have evinced their anxiety for the improvement of the breed of horses, and which has not I beheve been confined to the United Kingdom, a king's plate hav- ing, as I have been credibly informed, been bestowed upon the Island of Jamaica. Ooce more. Gentlemen, accept my thanks for your Address, which I shall ever pre- serve with care as a valuable testimony of personal regard on the part of the highly respef.table body of Subscribers, whose names are affixed to it, and, believe me, the anxiety I have on all occasions expressed for the prosperity of Lower Canada is not a transient sentiment which will expire with my official connexion with the province. Wherever my destiny may lead me, its in- terests shall never be lost sight of by me, nor shall any opportunity of promoting them 19 Address from the Members of the Com- mittee of Trade of Montreal. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, WE the undersigned, his Majesty's loyal subjects, the Members of the Com- mittee of Trade of Montreal, beg to assure your Lordship of our unfeigned regret at your approaching departure from this pro- vince. Before that event takes place we are de- sirous of expressing our gratitude for the attention you have bestowed upon the com- mercial interests of this province ; your care to obtain correct information; and the prompt consideration which the communi- cations of our Association have invariably received from your Lc ^hip. During your administration of the go- vernment, your Lordship has manifested an — J. J«,,*~-^ i-,^ «-v-.^»-»-»<^*-rt -fV*/-! TtKi'rkiTvvP^^P'nt 20 I !! It of the internal communications, and all local ameliorations ; a desire which, we regret to say, has not been productive of those bene- fits to the country which might have been expected, in consequence of the political distractions unhappily existing in this pro- vince. From what your Excellency has effected, and the knowledge you possess of the trade and resources of the Canadas, we confi- dently rely, that, although your Lordship is about to retire from the administration of the government, you will not become indif- ferent to the commercial end agricultural interests of the inhabitants ; but that you will, at the seat of the Imperial Govern- ment, embrace any opportunity that may present itself, of impressing on the minds of his Majesty's Ministers the expediency of preserving the advantages which we at present enjoy, and the good policy of ex- tending to these provinces such others as may not be inconsistent with the general interests of the empire. We pray that our gracious Sovereign may give your Lurdtihip that reception, and 21 grant you those rewards, which an honour- able and impartial discharge of your public duties in times of peculiar difficulty so justly merit. Montreal, 30th July, 1835. V V f 1 r '■ Answer to the Address of the Members of the Committee of Trade of Montreal. Gentlemen, T REQUEST that you will do me the ^ favour to accept my very sincere thanks for the expression of regret at my approach- ing departure from this province, conveyed in this address of the Committee of Trade of Montreal. It would have been highly gratifying to me if the attention, you are so obliging as to say I have bestowed upon the commer- cial interests, and the internal communica- tions of the province, had been attended with the beneficial results which might have been expected. I entered upon the administration of the 22 Government of this province with every dis- position to devote my undivided attention to objects of real utility. Under what circum- stances, and through what means, my efforts to give effect to that disposition have been paralyzed and rendered unavailing it is un- necessary for me now to describe ; but the result has been, that at the close of an ad- ministration of nearly five years duration, I have little to lay claim to beyond an ardent desire to be serviceable to the province, without the power of accomplishing it. Be assured, however, Gentlemen, that that desire to be serviceable to Lower Ca- nada will not desert me when absent from, and no longer officially connected with it • and that on my return to the seat of the Imperial Government I shall not fail to urge the expediency of preserving to you the advan*a«^. ■ you already enjoy, and the good policy of extending to these provinces such other advantages as may not be incon- sistent with the general interests of the empire. In answer to the concluding passage of your Address, I will only say that during 23 the whole course of my administration it has been my anxious study to discharge my pubhc duties with justice and strict impar- tiaUty. Address from the Constitutional Associa- tion of Quebec. TO THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, WE, the Executive Committee of the Constitutional Association of Que- bec, deputed at a general meeting of the Members to present an humble Address to your Excellency, on your administration of the affairs of this province being terminated, beg leave most respectfully to express the unfeigned regret of the Association at your Excellency's approaching departure. Your Excellency's untimely recall at the present crisis of affairs is the more to be de- plored, as it precludes you from bringing to maturity the nieasure now in progress to- V 1.' 24 wards the adjustm'^nt of the political diffi- culties which have so long retarded the prosperity of the province, and will necessa- rily deprive the Royal Commissioners of the advantages to be derived from the experi- ence and local knowledge which your Ex- cellency has acquired during a residence of nearly five years in Lower Canada. We regret that the policy adopted by the Secretary of State towards your Lordship, and the motives on which his decision is grounded tend to convey the impression that his Majesty's Ministers are prepared to sacrifice the rights and interests of the inhabitants of British and Irish origin, resi- dent within this province, to the misrepre- sentation and clamour of a designing party, who availing themselves of peculiar and ac- cidental circumstances have misled his Mbp jesty's Government, openly questioned the just subordination of the colony to the parent state, and avowedly inculcated resistance to its authority. We therefore humbly pray that your Excellency will be pleased to convey to the foot of the Throne the views of the Asso- H 25 ciation, as expressed in a series of resolu- tions, of which we respectfully submit a copy, and that you will assure our gracious Sovereign that he has not in the wide ex- tent of his dominions, subjects more loyal or more devoted than the members of this Association, nor any more firm in their determination to maintain his authority throughout the colony, and defend the rights, privileges, and immunities which his Majesty's predecessors have been graciously pleased to bestow on its inhabitants. In respectfully taking lea\ e of your Ex- cellency, we feel that we should not perform our duty to those whom we represent, did we not assure you of the profound respect felt by all for your exalted and manly cha- racter, and convey our sincere and heartfelt wishes that you may long enjoy the happi- ness to which a consciousness of having merited and received your Sovereign's un- qualified approbation so justly entitles you ; and our hope that when the King may again require your Excellency's services, it may be in a situation where your liberal and extended views will be more justly ap- i) "i ri ? 26 predated, and a fairer field afforded to carry them into effect than unfortunately for the inhabitants has been the case in Lower Canada. Quebec, 5th August, 1835. Ansiver to the Address from the Constitu- tional Association of Quebec. Gentlemen, I RECEIVE with sentiments of heartfelt satisfaction the kind expressions of re- gret at my approaching departure from this province, conveyed in tlie Address which you have just done me the favour to present to me on the part of the Constitutional As- sociation of Quebec. The relation in which I have been made to stand with the House of Assembly in discharging my public duty, having been assigned as a motive for my recall from this government by his Majesty's Ministers, I find it necessary to advert to certain pro- ceedings of the Assembly regarding myself. On two several occasions within the last 27 two years, complaints of the most serious nature, affecting my public character and conduct in the administration of the govern- ment of this Province, have been brought forward by the House of Assembly, in peti- tions addressed to the King and the two houses of ths Imperial Parliament. Their petition addressed to the House of Com- mons, in the first instance, contained an urgent appeal to that honourable House to bring and to support impeachments against me before the House of Lords ; but although the committee to which that petition was referred was engaged during three months in investigating the various subjects of com- plaint it contained, their report subsequently adopted by the House does not allude in the remotest degree to the demand of the Assem- bly for my impeachment. Nevertheless the Assembly, no\Nise dis- couraged by the failure of this first attempt, again approached the House of Commons during the present session of the Imperial Parliament with a renewed demand for my impeachment; and to their former com- plaints others of a still darker complexion H 28 were added. But all to no purpose — for it does not appear that any steps whatever have been taken by the House upon this second petition of the Assembly. For the success of the House of Assem- bly in their attempts to injure me in the esti- mation of his Majesty and his confidential advisers, I have only to refer to the Des- patches from the Colonial Department, re- cently published by my order in the Official Gazette of the province. From the above rapid sketch it will be perceived that the various efforts of the House of Assembly to injure my public cha- racter have only ended in exposing the impotence of their hostility towards me. But there is another point of view in which this subject deserves to be regarded, and it is one which involves considerations of infinitely more importance than any of a personal nature affecting an individual like myself The failure of these repeated attempts to establish the truth of charges so solemnly and so earnestly brought under the consider- ation of the King, and the two Houses of 29 the Imperial Parliament, unavoidably places the moral character of the House of Assem- bly in a very equivocal position ; and it may therefore be reasonably expected that the Assembly, in order to redeem its own credit, and in justice to their constituents, who are necessarily (however innocently and uncon- sciously) involved in this disreputable suit, undertaken in their name and on their be- half: the Assembly, I say, cannot but con- sider themselves imperatively called upon to renew their demand to the House of Commons for my impeachment before the House of Lords. Should any such demand be made, the House of Assembly may be assured of hav- ing my best wishes for the success of it ; it is what I have long and ardently looked forward to ; for if, happily, their cause should ever come to a hearing before the House of Lords, my accusers will find when in pre- sence of that august tribunal, that assertions, however confidentHjlly advanced, will not there be suffered to pass current for facts, neither will vituperation be mistaken for argument. •i 30 I come now to the subject of my recall from this government, which I cannot pass over in silence, since it is in fact the parti- cular circumstance which has given rise to your Address. It would be highly unjust towards those Ministers of the Crown who spontaneously, and without any solicitation whatever on my part, did me the honour of selecting me for the very important office of Governor in Chief of British North America, to suppose that upon that occasion they were actuated by any other motive than a conscientious belief that by so doing they best consulted the public interest. In like manner those other Ministers of the Crown who have subsequently filled the situation of Secretary of State for the Colo- nial Department, and whose approval of my public conduct you are already acquainted with, must have considered that by main- taining me in the office of Governor in Chief they also were consulting^ the public interest. His Majesty's present Ministers, how- ever, immediately upon coming into office, have taken an opposite view of this Subject, ■-Its 31 for I am now informed by Lord Glenelg, his Majesty's principal Secretary of State for the Colonial Department, in his despatch of the 6th of May last, addressed to me, (which will be found amongst the despatches recently published by my order in the offi- cial Gazette of the province, for general information) that " he shall best consult the public interest by apprizing me that my administration of the affairs of Lower Ca- nada must be considered as finally termi- nated." Although differing, as it would appear, from his predecessors in office upon this subject, it would be equally unjust to with- hold from Lord Glenelg the belief that in removing me from the office of Governor in Chief of British North America, his lord- ship is sincerely convinced that he is " best consulting the public interest." I will therefore only add that as the faith- ful servant and devoted subject of the King, and as the firm and constant friend of the people of Lower Canada of every origin, I do most sincerely wish tlat those measures which his Majesty shall be advised to adopt 32 for the settlement of the disordered and conrf plicated affairs of this province may have the effect of establishing the authority of his Majesty's Government upon a solid and lasting foundation, for thereby alone will the public interest be " best consulted." I cannot, Gentlemen, avoid saying a few words in answer to that part of your Ad- dress in which regret is expressed at what you are pleased to consider my *' untimely recall " from this government. I undertook the government of Lower Canada with a full knowledge of the prin- cipal difficulties with which it was sur- rounded, but these I did not despair of sur- mounting by a steady course of policy founded on the strictest impartiality, and although circumstances beyond my control have hitherto stood in the way of my suc- cess, I am, nevertheless, of opinion that the present state of the province, unpromising as it may appear to a superficial observer, holds out every encouragement to the adop- tion of measures that would at once put an end to the difficulties to which I have alluded, and which will cease to be formid- w 33 % able from the very moment of their being fairly grappled with. To have been the instrument of carrying such measures into effect, would be to me a never failing source of gratification during the remainder of my Hfe. Since, however, this has been denied me, I have only to hope that on my return to the seat of the Imperial Government, the representations it will be my duty to make, may be pro- ductive of good to the Province. Should such be the result of my removal from this "* ^'^ernmeut, and that after having ceased to >ii3cially connected with Lower Canada, .L jiiall have the good fortune to accomplish more for its advantage than it was in my power to effect during my administration of its affairs, — then, Gentlemen, I shall say, that my recall, far from being " untimely,*' will have proved a singularly well-timed measure. You may be assured that I shall not fail to convey, if I may be so permitted, to the foot of the Throne the views of the Con- stitutional Association as expressed in the resolutions of which you have delivered me r 34 a copy ; and in an especial manner I shall consider it to be my duty to represent to our gracious Sovereign (what is in truth the conviction of my own mind) that he has not in the wide extent of his dominions, sub- jects more loyal and devoted than the mem- bers of the Constitutional Association of Quebec. The flattering testimony of the regard and good opinion of the Constitutional Association of Quebec, addressed to me in the concluding passage of your Address, could not fail to prove highly gratifying to my feelings under any circumstances. How much more so is it when I consider the eftbrts which have with such unwearied perseverance been made, to blacken and defame my character from the very hour of my arrival in Canada to the present time ; and that during that pc/iod every act of mine has been made the theme either of virulent invective, or unworthy detraction. But, Gentlemen, the evil has produced its own remedy, since the favourable sen- timents towards me expressed in your Ad- dress, and for wliich I now offer my warm 35 and sincere thanks to the Constitutional Association of Quebec, have furnished uie with the best answer that can be made to those who have sought to injure me in the estimation of my fellow subjects. And now, Gentlemen, farewell, and may every happiness and prosperity attend you, and all those who are parties to the Address which has just been communicated to me. Address from the Inhabitants of the Town of Three Rivers and its Neighbourhood. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, WE, the undersigned Inhabitants of the Town of Three Rivers, and the Neighbourhood, respectfully beg permission to approach your Lordship with feelings of deep regret at the anticipated retirement of your Excellency from the administration of the government of this Province, where you l»o»Tr» o/-k Irvrini' onrl ar\ \\r\T%f\%\r'a]rAxT TnoiptaiTied wmmm '36 the just principles of Constitutional Govern- ment. We particularly regret that at the moment when engaged in the defence of the Con- stitutional Rights and Political Institutions of our Country, we should be deprived of the benefits arising from your Lordship's experience, wisdom, and prudence, which have hitherto shielded us from crude and speculative innovations. We trust, however, that your Lordship will be pleased to assure our beloved Monarch, that it is our fixed determination, as loyal subjects, to maintain our constitu- tion of government in its primitive integrity by every means in our power, and that we shall feel entire confidence in our success, while, in common with his Majesty we are defending the palladium of our inalienable rights. While assuring your Lordship that we shall ever cherish a grateful remembrance of your virtues, both public and private, we beg the favour of your Lordship to convey to Ladv Avlmer the unfeigned sentiments of our high esteem; and that along with 37 your Lordship, we sincerely wish her Lady- ship a safe and pleasant voyage to the land of the fair and the brave. Three Rivers, 24th August, 1835. Answer to the Address from the Inhabitants of the Town of Three Rivers and its Neighbourhood. Gentlemen, I REQUEST that you will accept for yourselves, and that you will convey to the Inhabitants of the Town of Three Rivers, and the Neighbourhood, who are subscribers to the Address which you have done me the favour to present to me, my very sincere thanks for this gratifying testi- mony of their approval of my public conduct in the administration of the government of this Province. From the moment of entering upon the administration of the government of Lower Canada until that in which it was trans- ferred to the hands of my successor, I have constantly, and strenuously defended tne *ii 38 Constitution as by Law established, and I have endeavoured at the same time to pro- mote the general interests of the Province to the best of my judgment and ability. You may be assured, Gentlemen, that should an opportunity of doing so be afforded me, I shall not fail to make known to our beloved Monarch your fixed deter- mination to maintain by every means in your power your constitution of government in its primitive integrity. On the part of Lady Aylmer and on my own part, I thank you, Gentlemen, and all the subscribers to this Address, most cordi- ally for the obliging expressions of regard towards us both which it conveys, and of which we shall ever retain the most grateful recollection. 39 Address from the Inhabitants of the Town- ship of Grenville, and the Augmentation thereto. i-'i I I TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, GOV. GEN. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, THE Inhabitants of the Township of Grenville and the Augmentation thereto, bet*- leave to address a farewell to their re- spected Governor. It is not permitted that we should express our surprise and regret that your Excel- lency should be thus precipitately with- drawn from a government of unparalleled difficulty (at so critical a period), in the administration of which it is our duty to pronounce the approbation of loyal and dutiful subjects to his Majesty, for your Excellency's care. Taking into consideration your Excel- i ! 40 lency's high standing for moral rectitude, correctness of purpose, and anxious desire to reconcile the adverse and contending opinions of persons and parties under your difficult government, we should but poorly express our thanks for your unwearied zeal for his Majesty, and thoughtful considera- tion for his subjects, were we to trammel our affectionate farewell with further re- mark ; it is, however, much to be regretted, that all your care and solicitude should be met by a refractory, ungrateful and disloyal spirit on the part of certain leaders of a misguided party ; but within your own noble breast you will always discover the proper approbation of a good man, inde- pendently of the exaltation of rank, the sovereignty of power, or the flattery of sycophants. We have asked nothing from you, have received nothing from you, nor can we expect anything from you beyond the hope with which we conclude this Ad- dress, but we cannot permit your Excel- lency to depart \vithout oftering our un- bought tribute of honour and esteem. We again bid your Excellency farewell, and 41 when in after time you shall permit your memory to recur to this, we pray you re- member those who approved your adminis- tration. — Farewell. Answer to the Address from the Inhabitants of the Township of Grenville, and the Augmentation thereto. Quebec, September the 3rd, 1835. Sir, T CANNOT delegate to another the task ^ of answering your letter of the 27th ultimo, addressed to Lieutenant Colonel Craig, accompanying an Address to me from the Inhabitants of the Township of Grenville, and the Augmentation thereto, upon my approaching departure from this province. I will, t1 erefore, request of you to accept direct from myself the expression of my warm and sincere thanks for your obliging comnmnication ; and that you will do me the favour to assure the subscribers to the Address which accompanied it, that i I i 42 my feelings have experienced a very high degree of gratification on perusing the effusions of their loyal and independent minds as therein expressed. Pray, Sir, assure them, moreover, that although my connection with the affairs of Lower Canada has ceased, probably for ever, the prosperity and happiness of the Province will at all times be to me an object of deep interest ; and that, wherever my destiny may lead me, I shall carry with me the most grateful remembrance of this honest and disinterested testimony of the regard and good opinion of the Inhabitants of the Township of Grenville, and the Aug- mentation thereto. I remain, Sir, Your very obedient humble Servant, (Signed) AYLMER. To Lieut. Col. Kaines, &c. &c. &c. •mu 43 Address from the Inhabitants of the Town- ships of Hull and Templeton. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, 'Vlf E the Inhabitants of the Townships of Hull and Templeton in the county of the Ottawa and district of Montreal, with no ordinary respect, present this humble Address to your Excellency; re- gardful of the manner in which you have conducted the difficult government of Lower Canada, conferred upon you by our most gracious Sovereign, notwithstand- mg the conflicting circumstances which have been opposed thereto by a disaffected party of our fellow subjects, whose unfaithful discord renders them unqualified to appre- ciate the great advantages exhibited in our excellent constitution for their participation and their rising gen* ration. We therefore embrace the present period to express to your Excellency our unshaken ! f i loyalty to our King, with our earnest wishes and zealous feelings for the perity of Canada, whilst we mingle with sorrow and deep regret your sudden and unexpected departure from amongst us, and deplore the circumstances of your Lordship's untimely recall, — particularly at a crisis, when your matured experience in the government could have best availed for the purposes of solving those anomalies (which it is pretended) exist in our excellent constitution : And can but deplore the event of that misguidance which has called forth this expedient, as but little lies in our power to neutralize th* effects of this recall — beyond our expressions and feelings of veneration for your Excellency's future welfare : so we fearlessly and publicly thank your Lordship for the praiseworthy and independent principles that have regu- lated your administration. And although about to be deprived of your fatherly energy in the encouragement of the juvenile arts and sciences, together with that of the Lumber Trade, so highly essential to the bettering the condition of the Provinces ; we respectfully request that your Excellency may remember us when L ijii 45 ulterior visits require your eloquence at the seat of the Imperial Government, and that you will hazard your mental talents in sup- port of that line of policy which may con- tinue to encourage the staple commodity of Canada : namely, the Lumber Trade in all its branches, — the enterprizes in which sup- port many thousands of his Majesty's sub- jects, both here and in the parent state. And although incompetent demagogues attach blame to your administration, we who are a numerous population, chiefly of British origin, seriously concur, that you are deserving of a triumph instead of a per- secution ; and that your character should be placed on the pedestal of public virtue. Consequently, we beg that your Excel- lency, together with Lady Aylmer, will be pleased to accept our last homage of respect and esteem, in a genuine, cordial, and warm- hearted farewell. From Hull, in the county of the Ottawa, on the twenty-fifth day of August, and in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty five. The Answer to this Address tvas convened in n letter written hv Lieutenant Paunter, A.L.C., addressed, hi Lord Aylmer's command, to Philimore Wright, Esq, n 1 hi 1 46 Address from the Inhabitants of Quebec and its Vicinity. TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. MATTHEW LORD AYLMER, K.C.B. ETC. ETC. ETC. May it please your Excellency, ^IITE his Majesty's faithful and loyal * ^ subjects, Inhabitants of the City and Vicinity of Quebec, beg leave respectfully to address your Excellency, on the termi- nation of your government of these pro- vinces. We assure your Lordship in sincerity, that we regard the event with extreme regret, whether as affecting the public weal of the province, the interests of all charities and public institutions, or the private happi- ness of this society, which your Lordship has so truly adorned. We are deeply sensible of the arduous and anxious duties which have devolved on voiir Excellency since you have assumed ^j 47 this government, and of the devotion to them of all your energies. And it has been a source of high gratification to us, to observe that your Excellency's performance of them has called forth the approbation of his Majesty, and every successive Colo- nial Minister, who during that period has held the seals. We beg leave to bear testimony to the earnest desire which your Excellency has invariably evinced to promote the welfare, prosperity, and general interests of the pro- vince, to the support and encouragement which your Excellency has zealously afforded to all useful institutions and undertakings, and the ready aid which the commercial interests have at all times commanded from your Lordship. On the other hand,— we acknowledge the efforts of your Excellency to remove all real greivances. We have observed with satisfaction the enquiries and examinations personally made by your Excellency, as to the internal means of communication and improvable resources of the country, and the endea- vours of your Lordship to promote the set- i! ^l ii :i , t ll ■ i 48 dements in Lower Canada of the emigrant population from the British Isles. It is deeply to be deplored, that the poHtical heats and animosities which have existed in the Colony have so blinded many from its true interests, that they have failed to avail themselves of the zeal and declared feelings of devotion to the country which have actuated your Lordship; unhappily indeed we have U, regret the reverse, every obstacle having avowedly been thrown into the way of your Excellency's views and plans, by a party labouring to mislead the exemplary inhabitants of the country, and putting forth pretensions anything but such as your Lordship would naturally have e;:- pected from finish subjects living under the mildest government in the universe. We view the recall of your Excellency from the government of Lower Canada, as a serious misfortune to the province at the present juncture, when royal commissioners are about to enter into an enquiry into the political difficulties of the country : it will thus be deprived of the valuabi experience and knowledge of your Lordship during 49 that solemn investigation ; but at the seat of the Imperial Government, his Majesty will be made aware, through your Excel- lency, of the real state of Lower Canada, and the true character and ^^osition of his Majesty's subjects therein. Praying your Excelleocy to accept our best wishes for your health, your future prosperity and happiness, and with grateful feelings to Lady Aylmer, to whom the in- habitants of Quebec are so much indebted for her charities, her patronage of useful in- stitutions, her kindness and hospitalities, we respectfully take our leave, assuring your Excellency that we shall long remember your administration of the government of this province, with sentiments of respect and esteem. 50 Answer to the Address from the Inhabitants of QuebeCf and its Vicinity. Gentlemen, I BEG of you to accept my grateful thanks for this truly gratifying Address, upon the termination of my government of these Provinces. The regret you are pleased to express at that event calls for a corresponding expres- sion of regret on my part, that my anxious endeavours to promote the general welfare of Canada should have fallen (as they have) so far short of those hopes and expectations, which I was sanguine enough to entertain at the commencement of my administration. I forbear to dwell upon this subject, and will only desire of you to be assured that to promote the true interests of Lower Canada to the utmost extent of my ability and to the best of my judgment, has been the object which (to the exclusion I might add of almost every other) has constantly 51 occupied my thoughts during the whole course of my administration. I thank you warmly and sincerely in my own name, and in that of Lady Aylmer, for the kind expressions regarding us both, contained in the concluding passage of your Address. Believe me, Gentlemen, our hearts are deeply penetrated with a sense of these and other proofs of kindness and regard which we are daily receiving from the Inhabitants of the City and Vici- nity of Quebec. In return, we cordially wish that all happiness, health, and pros- perity, may attend you and yours. Quebec, September 16th, 1835. 52 CONCLUSION. il TN addition to the foregoing Addresses, -*■ Lord Aylmer received other proofs of the regard and approval of the people of Lower Canada. It may not be amiss here to mention, that although his departure from the shores of the St. Laurence was attended by demon- strations of kindly feeling on the part of the inhabitants of Quebec, which have made an impression on his mind never to be effaced, it was rendered remarkable on the other hand by the absence of his successor, who, contrary to the invariable custom of the Province on a change of governors, declined accompanying him to the place of embarkation. In what light this discourteous and un- precedented proceeding was regarded at the Colonial Office, (where, however, it was probably well received) Lord Aylmer has never been informed ; at all events it had I > i i > < I > i > 53 not the effect of injuring him in the estima- tion of the Canadian public, but the very reverse. The effect of the new policy prescribed by his Majesty's Ministers for the govern- ment of Lower Canada, was not long in manifesting itself in the shape of a Rebellion, instigated and headed by those very men who had strenuously opposed Lord Aylmer's administration from its commencement to its termination ; and whose favour and sup- port it was the object of his removal from the office of Governor in Chief of British North America to obtain. No. 15, Eaton Square, January, 1847. PRINTKD Foil J.VMEH CARPENTER, OLD BONO STRFET, DY CHARLES WHITTINOIIAM, TOOKS COURT, CIIANCERV LANE.