The 1837 Canadian Rebellion

This series has four easy 5 minute installments. This first installment: Corruption and The Family Compact.

Introduction
After the War of 1812, while Canada was making satisfactory material progress, its political condition was deplorable. In both Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada public feeling was aroused over the irresponsible character of the Executive Council, and found vent in many stormy scenes in the Legislature and in angry outbursts in the press. In Lower Canada, the English minority were indignant at the misappropriation of public funds and the high-handed acts of the Governor and the Executive. In the Upper Province there was a plentiful crop of grievances. Among these were the scandalous system on which the public lands were granted, and the partiality shown in the issue of land-patents and other favors in the gift of the Crown. A vigorously enforced Alien Act, di rected against immigrants from the United States supposed to be tainted with republicanism, added to the ferment of the time.

The chief authors of these abuses were the members of the Executive and Legislative Councils, who, by their close alliances for mutual advantage, came to be known by the rather sinister designation of the “Family Compact.” Strongly attached to the latter, in their disposal of offices of emolument and other Crown patronage, was a somewhat unscrupulous and dishonest following.

Other causes were also at work which produced disaffection in both Provinces and finally led to rebellion. Of these causes, one was the political game of the dominant ruling party to thwart the Assembly in its efforts to remove the abuses that had crept in with irresponsible government, and to obtain control of the revenues. A radical change in the constitution was sought to be made to remedy matters, including a demand that the Executive Council should in some measure become responsible to the people, and that the Legislative Council should be made an elective rather than a Crown-nominated body. As these demands and suggestions were not complied with, the next step, as will be seen below was rebellion.

This selection is from A Short History of the Canadian People by George Bryce published in 1914. For works benefiting from the latest research see the “More information” section at the bottom of these pages.

George Bryce (1844-1931) was a Presbyterian minister and a prolific author, writing on many topics including history. He was President of The Royal Society of Canadq.

Time: 1837

The conflict for free government in Lower Canada was intensified by the fact that while the Assembly was chiefly French-Canadian, in the Legislative and Executive Councils there was a British majority. The Earl of Dalhousie, who had been for some years Governor of Nova Scotia, arrived in Lower Canada in 1820. Belonging to the class of high disciplinarians, though he had shown himself a friend of education and social progress in Nova Scotia, he was yet, as has been said, a soldier rather than a statesman. The Lieutenant-Governor of Lower Canada, Mr. Burton, was popular, but the French-Canadians were never reconciled to the stern commander. Lord Dalhousie was much hampered by the vacillating policy of the British Ministry, and as he was a man with whom there was no finesse or intrigue, his position was often unenviable.

The Lower Canadian Assembly, year after year, passed resolutions declaring their grievances, the people sent “monster petitions” ; the French-Canadian press, and an English newspaper published in Montreal, the Vindicator, constantly excited the populace to discontent. The idol of the French-Canadians at this time was Speaker Papineau, of whom we shall hear more anon.

In the excited state of public feeling, Papineau had given ex pression to opinions about the Governor which, as proceeding from the Speaker of the Assembly, especially from one who had served as speaker in six Parliaments, were considered disrespect ful to the Crown. On the summoning of the new House, in 1827, though it was known that Lord Dalhousie disapproved of him, Papineau was, by a large majority, chosen Speaker of the Assembly. The Governor refused to recognize the agitator. The House persisted in its course, when the old soldier prorogued the Assembly. Lord Dalhousie also deprived a number of the militia officers of their commissions for insolence. In 1827 petitions, largely signed, were presented to the King, asking for legislative control of Lower Canadian affairs.

New fuel was added to the flame by a statement of Sir John Colborne to the Upper Canadian Legislature, in his last message, to the effect that the Lower Canadian agitation had filled his mind with deep “regret, anxiety, and apprehension,” and had done injury to the country. The Lower Canadian Assembly repudiated these statements, and in 1836 Speaker Papineau addressed to Mr. Bidwell, Speaker of the Upper Canadian Assembly, a lengthy letter, defending their agitation, and adding certain remarks which were regarded by some as seditious. It was unfortunate that Sir John Colborne, a natural despot, should have been at this juncture appointed to Lower Canada to command the forces.

The agitation among the French-Canadians began to assume a serious aspect. Loud appeals were made for an equality of rights with their British fellow-subjects. The Assembly, which was chiefly French-Canadian, threw off all reserve, and by all classes sentiments hostile to Britain were freely uttered from the platform and upon the streets. The cry was that the Legislative Council should be elective, and that the Assembly ought to control the provincial exchequer. The control of the revenue had been, in 1832, given over to the Assembly by the British Government to quiet the clamor. Now it was determined by the Assembly to compel further concessions by refusing to pay the judges and other executive officers.

A British commission was appointed in 1835 to inquire into the state of Lower Canada ; and the possibility that a report favorable to French-Canadian desires might be made, led the British people of Montreal, Quebec, and the English settlements in Lower Canada to organize themselves into “Constitutional Associations.” The main questions of liberty were now obscured. The leaders of the French-Canadians appealed to their following to support the cause of their downtrodden race.

On constitutional questions, such as the Executive Council being responsible to the Assembly, many of the English people of Lower Canada agreed with the French-Canadians, but it seemed as if the French leaders were making the matter one of British connection and British influence rather than of executive reform. In consequence, the appeals of the Constitutional Associations were much more moderate and statesmanlike than the wild denunciations of the authors of the “ninety-two resolutions.” And yet the success of the British party, in their contention, meant welding the fetters of an oligarchy upon the people. It was a perplexing case for British statesmen.

On the report of the “Commission” coming before the Imperial Parliament, Lord John Russell, in 1837, moved four resolutions, reciting that the Lower Canadian Assembly had granted no supplies since 1832; that upward of one hundred forty-two thousand pounds was due to the judges and civil servants ; that the request to have the Legislative Council made elective be not granted; but that that branch of the Legislature be changed, that it might secure a greater degree of public confidence.

The so-called “patriots” were infuriated when the news of this action reached Canada. The Vindicator declared:

Hence forth there must be no peace in the Province — -no quarter for the plunderers. Agitate! Agitate! Agitate! Destroy the revenue; denounce the oppressors. Everything is lawful when the fundamental liberties are in danger. The guards die — they never surrender!”

These were certainly extravagant expressions. They were the outburst of feeling after five years of agitation.

The leader of the movement was Speaker Papineau. In 1817 he was elected Speaker of the Assembly, and with one short interval he continued so until the rebellion. Papineau was a brilliant orator, an energetic and useful member of Assembly, a political student, though somewhat vain and aggressive, and on the whole lacking in balance of mind.

At this juncture of the Russell resolutions Papineau was prepared to go wildly into anything — -even independence, or annexation to the United States. Associated with the rebellious Speaker in the agitation was a man of very different qualities this was Doctor Wolfred Nelson. He was a man of high scholastic attainments, of calm and ready judgment, was highly respected, and had a boundless influence over the people in the southern counties of Lower Canada. Believing that the struggle in Lower Canada was one for liberty, and that the oligarchy in the Lower Province was as tyrannical and self-seeking as the Family Compact in Upper Canada, Nelson had allied himself with Papineau and the French-Canadians.

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