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 ii. 
 
 FROM THE 
 
 THRl RIVIRS " INttUIRlR," 
 
 OP 
 
 Saturday 14, and Tuesday 17th April, 1855. 
 
 «MM.^»^^t^ #^^S^^MM 
 
 PERMANENCY OF THE SEAT OF 
 GOVERNMENT. 
 
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 Petitions are now distributed throughout the coun- 
 try for signatures, requesting his Excellency to ex- 
 ercise the prerogative of the Crown, and select some 
 permanent place for the annual assembling of Parlia- 
 ment. 
 
 We have been frequently told that the system of 
 itinerant Parliaments has effected much good for the 
 country. This has been so often and so energetically 
 reiterated, that the public gave it a kind of passive 
 credence, without questioning its clainl to belief. 
 The assertion was regarded as a sort of axiom challen- 
 ging our assent by its self-evident truth. This im- 
 pression has evaporated, and the people are now ex- 
 amining the reasons, if any, that sustain the assertion. 
 The plaiTsible, indeed the only one, is, that these pe- 
 riodical migrations of Parliament have made both 
 sections of the Province better acquainted ; that they 
 have thus discovered each others good points, and 
 learned mutually to prize and adopt what is laudable 
 in each. Now this is a very pleasant picture, exhibit- 
 ed for public contemplation; but we deny, and with- 
 out any restriction on the denial, tiiat the people of 
 both sections of Canada have mutually learned more 
 of each other, from the shuttlecock system of Govern- 
 ment. Any experience gained this way was confined 
 to the Hon. Gentlemen who compose the Legislature. 
 We are not aware of any public effort made by them 
 to disseminate their new and enlarged impressions. 
 
ostentatiously trumpetted to the public as the results 
 of a system worked out by the doctrine of exchange. 
 The advocates of a stroUing Government should poLt 
 to some tangible good, conferred by it on the com- 
 munity^ What prejudice peculiar to either section 
 ot the Provmce, has been removed or ameliorated ? 
 What political tenet has been abandoned ? What 
 vunous doctrine in legislation has been abjured ? 
 What constitutional fallacy has been exploded? 
 INone Our legislation is as distinctive in its charac- 
 ter and as sectional as ever, and until we see our 
 l^arhament legislating for Canada, as a unity, we must 
 refuse credence to the benefits that the self-love or 
 self-deception of some would lead us to believe ac- 
 crued from the present system. The Members of 
 Parliament who travelled periodically to exchange 
 courtesies in a character semi-official and semi-social,~ 
 a kmd of mongrel Legislative deputation,-.may have 
 had the angularities of their ideas and opinions, and 
 perhaps prejudices, rounded ofl^'by the friction of con- 
 tact ; but we have yet to learn that this very desira- 
 ble " consummation " could not have been achieved 
 in a permanent residence, as well as in a shifting habi- 
 tation. Admit there has been a cultivation of " broth- 
 erly love " (which, by the way, if the debates of the 
 present session be an index, we may reasonably 
 doubt) at what an enormous cost to the public is it at- 
 tamed. If any mutual knowledge has been gained 
 by the people of both sections, (and we believe there 
 has,) It is not through the system of alternate Par- 
 haments. Other and more powerful agencies have 
 effectively achieved what this system was, and is, im- 
 potent to perform. Had the Government never left 
 Montreal,— and its flight from that city was rank re- 
 venge, moral and physical cowardice,— this mutual 
 knowledge and appreciation wguld not have been im- 
 peded. Had the Government in its flight nestled it- 
 self in " a lodge in some wilderness," beyond the 
 verge of civilization, we would still recognize each 
 other, and increased esteem would be produced by 
 the recognition. It is downright egotism for our 
 Legislators ro assume for a moment, that social in- 
 
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 telligcnco and social esteem must be filtered through 
 them before they reach the people. The Commerce 
 of Canada will bring her children into contact, with- 
 out the intervention of Legislative Assemblies. It is 
 this that has effected what is credited to the alter- 
 nate system, and that will unite in a bond of common 
 interests, the inhabitants of the colony. It is worse 
 than idle,-it is most culpa.ble,-to talk of a separa- 
 tion of the sections of the Province. It is only a 
 petty, silly, superficial party threat, to subserve the 
 views of a political chque. Were the shred of parch- 
 ment or paper that represents the connection, destroy- 
 ed to-niorrow, the East and West would not only re- 
 main united, but the Union would be more consolida- 
 ted. The common welfare points that way, and le- 
 gislative acts are impotent to retard, obstruct, or dis- 
 solve a Union, based on such a principle. We have 
 been so plentifully stuffed witli the political humbug 
 of "separation" that we nauseate the very word. 
 If the Ministry proposed such a measure now, the 
 people would coerce them to its rejection. The Un- 
 ion that expediency put on paper ; and which was 
 merely the result of circumstances ; has been conhr- 
 med, cemented, and rendered permanent by the ne- 
 cessity for mutual co-operation, to secure mutual ad- 
 vantages ; and this our rulers can neither weaken nor 
 dissolve. We want Upper Canada and she wants 
 us ; the sooner therefore the bubble of separation is 
 exploded, the more creditable will it be for the vera- 
 city and intelligence of public men. " Separation " 
 is one of the popular delusions, nurtured and matured 
 by political ingenuity. It has, however, been so long 
 exposed to the public gaze, presented in so many at- 
 titudes, thai its novelty has disappeared, and the ap- 
 petite for monstrosities satiated. 
 
 If our Legislators are guided by public opinion, as 
 they profess to be, can they see nothing indicative in 
 the indifference the people manifest to the selection of 
 a locality for the Government. We only ask for a 
 permanent place, and not have the archives of the 
 Province periodically endangered by flood and fire. 
 We also wish to be relieved from the enormous, 
 
and very unjustifiable expense of periodical migra- 
 tion. An opinion is becoming prevalent that the pre- 
 sence of the Government is a very doubtful good. 
 Certainly Montreal is quite indifferent. Her experi- 
 ence does not make her anxious for the return of the 
 Parliament. Quebec withholds her invitation. Ot- 
 tawa gives a kind of half-welcome. Kingston is si- 
 lent, and Hamilton indifferent. The course most in 
 accordance with reason and public feeling is, that 
 Grovernment select some locality, and stay there. 
 
 Our devil timidly suggests that members of the 
 House of Assembly should tack an additional P. to 
 their names; M. P. P. P. would then read, Member 
 of the Provincial Pendulum Parliament.' He says 
 the idea was suggested by the boyish pastime of 
 swinging, in which, at each revolution he shouted, 
 " here we go up, there we go down.".— Poor little 
 devil, he stumbled on a plain truth, viz., that some 
 men never get beyond the intellectual standard of 
 boys. So innocent is our little imp that he thinks 
 the " top and marbles" a logical complement of the 
 pendulum. 
 
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 (From the Three Rivers Inquirer of April Yl.) 
 
 A portion of the Upper Canada Press aflTnct to be 
 mightily surprised at the independent position assumed 
 by the Legislative Council, in relation to the perma- 
 nent seat of Government. It is asked with a theatri- 
 cal start of surprise what has the Legislative Council 
 to do with the business 1 why interfere with the 
 decision of the Legislative Assembly ? There is a 
 feigned alarm lest both Houses be brought into col- 
 lision, and a delicate anxiety lest his Excellency be 
 placed in an " awkward position." The act of the 
 Legislative Council is stigmatized " an extraordinary 
 step," — a trespass on the preserves of the House of 
 Assembly. It is sneeringly asserted that the opinion 
 of the Legislative Council was neither asked nor re- 
 quired in the matter, — that it is a body " effete and 
 will soon be defunct.' This, and much more of silly 
 verbiage is now exuding from some of the Upper 
 Canada Press. The motive for all this pretty effu- 
 sion is transparent. If Toronto suck the paps of 
 Government for the next four years, afterwards 
 some of her neighbouring cities may have a similar 
 indulgence, and at length, the Legislative Dairy be 
 permanently pastured in Western Canada. 
 
 We do not blame them for preferring themselves 
 to others ; they would be more than patriots, if they 
 did not; and no one supposes them to be self-sacrificing 
 saints ; but we ask them not to put themselves forward 
 as the advocates of a system of reckless plunder, nor 
 tax the Province to pander to their selfish crotchets. 
 Every candid and reasonable ai-gument tells in favor 
 of an immediate extinction of the gigantic improvi- 
 dence of a migratory Legislature ; and any argument 
 that is good to terminate this system of Parliamentary 
 emigration, at the end of four years, is still stronger 
 in favour of prompt extinction. It is fresh in ihe 
 memory of our readers how the mania for retrench- 
 ment seized on the public. The howl in the Upper 
 Province was so loud and long, that a Committee was 
 
6 
 
 appointed to make imjuisition, as an appeasing ob- 
 lation to the popular demand. This Committee en- 
 tered on the repulsive business of discovering the 
 exact minimum of bread and butter that ought to sus- 
 tain life. The public then imagined that the subordi- 
 nate clerks of the Legislature could "dine on a 
 sunbeam and sup on the grilled wing of a blue-bottle 
 fly." Even the first minister of the Crown in Canada 
 was doled out a pittance, not enough to supply the 
 necessary hospitalities of his position ; and so fur was 
 the expensive economy pushed, that peculation was 
 made, more than temptation, almost a necessity. The 
 demon of retrenchment was at length appeased by 
 the diminished incomes of the Clerks, and the pinched 
 sustenance of their families ; and it is only this session 
 that our rulers have plucked up moral courage to 
 make some indemnification for the popular injustice. 
 Yet now, when it is necessary to subserve a local 
 purpose, the retrenchment theory is abandoned as a 
 thing " stale and unprofitable," repudiated as a barren 
 investment, unproductive of political capital. Where 
 is the consistency of the men, who, a few years 
 since, shouted with such energy, as if the salvation of 
 the colony depended on the strength of their lungs, 
 for the reduction of salaries to the starving point; and 
 now vociferously justify the profligate expenditure of 
 thousands. We ai-e inevitably forced to conclude 
 that intense selfishness involving the most reprehensi- 
 ble contradiction, opposes the immediate selection of 
 a permanent seat of Government. 
 
 The Hamilton Sjicctator asks, "What has the 
 Legislative Council to do in the business," We an- 
 swer, just as much as the Legislative Assembly. Is 
 the Council not recognized as a constitution- ' compo- 
 nent of the Legislature ? Do we accept measures at 
 the hands of the popular branch, as law, without the 
 concurrence of the Upper House % The Legislative 
 Council possess the right to originate any measures 
 (money ones excepted) that the other branch has. 
 And this right is secured by usage, constitutional law, 
 and in virtue of their nomination by the Crown. 
 They are the veriest cowards, the most unfaithful of 
 
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 public stewards, if ihey shrin.. ''om the exercise of 
 a right, they hold in trust for the public welfaie. By 
 their position they are partially removed from the in- 
 fluence of popular clamor, and will not servilely lend 
 the ear to the whispered insinuation of the oily pa- 
 triot, or the noisy demand of the demagogue. This, 
 which is their peculiar excellence, constitutes the 
 *• head and /rent" of their oftence. Heretofore the 
 Legislative Council has been scoffed at, twitted, and 
 held up to public censure, because it did not originate 
 measures ; and now when it proposes one of immense 
 advantage to every man in Canada, their conduct is 
 reprobated by denying their light to independent le- 
 gislative action. There is conjured a dreamy dread 
 of collision between both Houses, a visionary and un- 
 real phantom to be created by the absence of unanim- 
 ity. There is no more danger of collision, on this 
 question, from the present Legislative Council than 
 there will be from the imbecile abortion by which it 
 is to be succeeded. We had a recent " collision " 
 on the Seigniorial Tenure Act and what was the re- 
 sult ? The House of Assembly swallowed wholesale, 
 the expurgations and amendments of the UpperHouse. 
 The House of Assembly displayed no fastidiousness 
 in accepting the corrections in their Bill. Like rea- 
 sonable men they admitted their fallibility, and dis- 
 played a very commendable docility in adopting a 
 corrected copy of their Act. If both branches assume 
 a dogged hostility and deem it a point of honor to 
 admit no recession, then a collision may be reo-arded 
 as injurious to the legislative character of both bran- 
 ches ; but while there exists a mutual readiness to en- 
 tertain and examine calmly the measures of each oth- 
 er, with the view, ultimately, of reaching a just decis- 
 ion, collisions, so far from being objects of dread, are 
 positive advantages. 
 
 It is further flippantly said, " The opinion of the 
 Upper House was neither asked nor required in the 
 matter." But did the country ask^^he opinion of the 
 Lower House, as to the claim oi" Toronto to the seat 
 of Government ? The opinion was gratuitously vol- 
 unteered ; and if the Legislative Council, in the ex- 
 
8 
 
 erciee of their duty, cli8j)lay some anxiety for thu care- 
 ful adminiBtration of the public revenue, are they to 
 be sneerinfrly told " they are a body effete and will 
 goon be defunct." But if they are " effete " who 
 contributed most largely to render thern such 1 The 
 ultra loyal Upper Canadians. The Legislative Council 
 committed a grave error in yielding their concurrence 
 to the Rebellion Losses Bill; they stumbled then, 
 and have yet scarcely recovered their former attitude. 
 Who lent them the parting kick in their fall ? the loyal 
 'par excellence of Western Canada. They were revil- 
 ed, snubbed, scoffed, scorned, maligned, buffeted, and 
 slandered, for doing precisely what the popular re- 
 presentatives had performed. The popular branch 
 originated and cai-ried the Rebellion Losses Bill, and 
 the public with the fickleness of a weather-cock, 
 sought protection from the Legislativ Council against 
 their own representatives ; and because it was with 
 held, the "Sovereign people " vented their displea- 
 sure in coarse abuse. There is some excuse for the 
 Legislative Councillors for this serious error. The 
 Lower House was arrayed against them, counte- 
 nanced by a very plastic Governor. This, though no 
 justification, is a palliative pica; but now when about to 
 make some expiation for the former offence, they are 
 greeted with a growl of scorn. Truly the vilest sin- 
 ners make the most earnest saints. If there were one 
 doctrine, more than another, the peculiar idol of con- 
 servative worship, it was that of constitutional re- 
 straint on the extravagance of the popular branch ; 
 yet so impatient are these very conservatives to 
 launch us on the muddy and turbulent wave of de- 
 mocracy, that they cannot patiently wait for a devel- 
 opement of the New Legislative Council Bill, but 
 vilify the present Council and question its constitu- 
 tional right to exercise its undoubted privileges. 
 
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