OUTBREAK IN CANADA.

Nelson Examiner and New Zealand Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 394, 22 September 1849, Page 115

OUTBREAK IN CANADA.

Montreal, April 26, 1849. '" The work has at length fairly commenced. It was announced yesterday afternoon in all the places of public resort, that his Excellency would go down to Parliament, and sanction numerous bills, particularly the one relating to the Customs. It was never presumed for one moment, however, that the notorious and detested " Rebel Bill" was to be one of them. At 4 p.m., the hour appointed for the ceremony, a fair assemblage of people were collected in front of the Parliamentary buildings. It was not till 5 p.m., that the Governor entered the Council Chamber, and took his seat on the throne. In the meantime, a rumour had got abroad that the "Rebel Bill" was, indeed, to be assented to. The report quickly spread, and before the conclusion of the ceremony, a crowd, numbering about 1,500 persons, were collected together to receive the representative of British sovereignty, with the long announced honours. The royal sanction was given to forty-eight bills, amongst which, the crowd were informed by those who had been in the interior of the building, was the obnoxious bill. About six o'clock his Excellency entered the carriage, and was driven off at a rapid rate, amidst curses, yells, hootings, and a shower of rotten eggs, dirt, and stones. Lord Elgin had to run the gauntlet of the various missiles, for the distance of 100 yards. The carriage windows were down, and Colonel Bruce was inside with him. Three eggs entered the carriage, and some struck his lordship in the face. Horses, equipage, footmen, &c, were all completely covered with the unsavoury missiles. The staff fared very little better. The fact of the royal sanction having been given to the " Rebellionlosses Bill " now spread like wildfire. By seven o'clock alarm bells were ringing all over the town, and criers went through the streets calling a mass meeting to be held on the Champ de Mars at eight o'clock. By the appointed time upwards of 2,000 people had assembled, and by nine o'clock it had swelled to 5,009. A series of resolutions were proposed and passed, amidst universal applause. After the passing of the last resolution, one of the popular leaders of the mob got upon the chair, and addressed them in the most violent and inflammatory manner, amidst continued and deafening cheers. " The time for action has arrived. We must work. We have passed resolutions enough. They have been disregarded. To the Parliament House !" A chord in the hearts of the.multitude had been touched which every heart re-echoed. The moving thousands, preceeded by torches, marched at a furious rate in the direction of the Legislature. At 10 p.m. 8,000 persons were in front of the buildings where the Assembly was in full session at the time. A shower of stones, " as thick as leaves in Valambrosa," were poured in upon the windows, which, from the brilliant manner in which they were lighted, afforded a most tempting mark. When the stones came pouring in, the members of the Assembly thought it time to beat a retreat, and retired into ihe lobby, there to await the issue of events. No , sooner had the members left, than about 100 of the mob, armed to the teeth, rushed into the I Assembly-room, and their leader, swearing! he would come Oliver Cromwell over them, seated himself in the Speaker's chair, assumed the hat, and announced with stentorian lungs, " Gentlemen, the French Parliament is dissohed," and adding, " we are all going to h—111"h — 11 1" One brawny fellow then seized hold of the mace, which from the house being in committee at the time, lay on Ihe table, and having shouldered it, marched off. The rest set to work, and the destruction commenced, i • • ;

While this body of men were smashing everything inside the Legislative Assembly-room, a cry of fire was suddenly raised. Colonel Gugy heading the members, clerks, and ladies, rushed through the hall of the house, and out at the principal door, agreeably surprised at not finding themselves stopped. The fury and rapidity with which the flames spread can hardly be imagined ; in less than fifteen minutes the whole of the wing occupied by the House of Assembly was in flames, and owing to the intimate communication between the two houses, the Upper House was rapidly involved in the same destruction.

The mob now amounted to almost incredible numbers, and .remained stoical spectators of the scene. The troops arrived shortly afterwards, and were received with loud cheers, which several companies of the 23d Regiment returned. One soldier, a private, fired his musket in the air : he was immediately arrested, and sent to the guardhouse. By eleven o'clock, nothing but the smouldering ruins of the house — in which a measure fraught with iniquity and injustice was introduced, passed, and received the royal assentnow remain ; a fitting tribute to the rage of an insulted people. None regret the loss of the building— every one the splendid libraries, in which were the archives and records of Canada for hundreds of years ; valuable works from every quarter of the globe, were heaped in profusion within those walls; 1,100 volumes of records of the British House of Commons, of which no other copy was extant, were destroyed. Not eighty dollars' worth of property was saved. The Queen's picture waa saved from the burning buildings, but destroyed in the streets. The party in charge of the mace carried it to Donegana's Hotel, and placed it in. the hands of Sir Allan M'Nab. No lives were lost T. W. Turner, Esq., of the Montreal Courier, Sir Allan M'Nab, and the Hon. W. Badgely, in attempting to save some books from the library, were nearly ldbt. They were obliged to drop the works and rush for the Legislative Council Chamber door, which, to their horror, they found locked. Their cries were heard by a party in the library of the Council, who had axes, and the panel was smashed in : they then escaped by a ladder from the balcony. It was rumoured amongst the mob that the French members were hid in the cellars, and would be destroyed by the fire. The announcement was received with the most brutal cheers. At twelve o'clock, satisfied with the work of the evening, the multitude dispersed. His Excellency the Governor- General, with his family, came into town, and remained all night under the protection of a large guard at Government-house. Early this morning, Messrs. Mack, Howard, Montgomerie, and Ferris, pro-

prietors of the Montreal Gazette, were arrested on i a charge of arson. They" were taken before the police magistrates, and after an examination of a few hours, remanded to jail till to-morrow. The excitement during the day was intense. A mob of 3,000 persons accompanied them to the jail. Through the influence of their leaders, the mob were prevented from any outbreak. Had they chose to do so, the 100 soldiers who guarded the cabs would have soon been settled. But it was represented that more good would arise from their incarceration for a few hours. In the evening it was announced that a meeting would beheld on the Champ de Mars to-morrow, at two o'clock ; the honourable G. Moffatt to be in the chair, when the peace and safety of the country will be discussed. It has already been decided that safety and peace can only be insured by his Excellency going home. Notice will be given him to quit the confines of Canada before the expiration of the week. Sir B. DUrban is to be called upon to administer the affairs of the country till he receives tidings from home. A French magistrate, named Arniott, who went with the prisoners, was nearly torn to pieces by the mob. An assemblage of persons was collected outside the Government House during the whole day, for the purpose of laying hold of the ministry, and were only prevented from entering the house by the presence of the military, with whom it is the determination of British party not to quarrel, and it was also by the military desire. The soldiery enjoyed the fun excessively, and many were the scoffs and jeers passed by both officers and men on the French party. Every now a.nd then one of the ministry would make his appearance at the door, and quickly retire at the ferocious •Kbwls of the mob l that greeted his presence. The Gove/norjwfls not in town, he having left in the morning. Half a regiment is stationed at Monklands. About eight o'clock the mob was augmented to several thousand. Messrs. Lafontaine and Holmes determined to make an attempt to get out in a cab through the mob, which they succeeded in doing, after the cab had been turned round half-a-dozen times, the lives frightened out of them, and their clothes torn, and bespotted wi& the yolks of eggs. The frontier of the mob then gave way; and one of their leaders have given the word, "To Mr. Ilincks's house," the multitude moved off in the direction of Beaver Hall. Three cheers were given for the military as they passed the guard house. Having arrived at Mr. Hincks's residence, the work of destruction began; and all the windows and doors of Messrs. Hincks.-^lmes, and Wilson's (a Radical) dwellings were smashed to pieces. Luckily at that moment a cry was made, "To Mr. LafontaineV which, together with the account that •Mr. Hincks had moved during the day, comjdetely drew off the mob. Immediately upon ./arriving, the house of Mr. Lafontaine, which was | quite new and finished, also the property of Mr. ] L. hunself (although he had not moved into if) i was furiously attacked. The outbuildings were ! set on 6re, and the house completely gutted — furniture smashed, magnificent pier-glasses broken to pieces, feather beds ripped up, and every sort of destruction* possible. Three times the house * was set on fire, but put out by the leaders. After the work was accomplished, and the mob retiring, they found^tbemselves in the presence of a body troops, VK whom they immediately gave three *cheers, ana^assed by. Thus ended the second night, but the worst has to come ; for what is determined to be done to-day, will be led on by men of standing, influence, and wealth. The mob will be armed, and assistance is momentarily expected from the townships. A number of young Frenchmen enrolled themselves as a body guard to protect • Lord Elgin, who strange to say, ran the inevitable consequences of accepting such assistance, viz., the long talked of war of races. The St. Andrew's Society have met, and expelled his lordship from the roll of the Society, returning him, at the same time, his subscription, with interest for all the «irae it has been in their hands. The Curling •Club have met and done the same. It, is said that his Excellency bitterly accuses , his ministry of^iaviug misadvised him. No telegaraph reports have been received from Upper^ so iha^we are in ignorance of what is going on. Some underhand work is going on with' the telegraph office and the Government, although denied by the managers of the telegraph.

Montreal, April 27, 1849. After the fearful occurrences on the nights of the 25th and 2Gthinstant, despatches were forwarded to his Excellency Sir B. DUrban, residing at Sorel, requesting his presence in the metropolis. The ministry desired him to proclaim martial law, but were sternly refused. A mass meeting was called for 2 ,pjn., the same day (Friday), and, the proceedings were opened in the Champ de Mars. About 3,000 persons were present, and everything passed off in a quiet and orderly manner. Each speaker used his best exertion •to request the assemblage to disperse peaceably, and without indulging in any out* break similar to those lately indulged in. In the evening, Lord Elgin and his rebel ministry committed a most fearful and unpardonable blander, Arms were issued by Colonel Tache, one of the ministry, und Colonel Bruce, on an order, ir w said, of Lord Elgin, as Lieutenant4*eneral, to a number of French Canadian garcons, who bad enrolled themselves as a body guard, to . pfotect the traitor-rewarding peers. These men, to, Una number, of about 500, were sworn in as special constables, and had served out to each of them a rntlavs and a brace of pistols. The " Guard* " (as they have been amusingly called) |hen proceeded to the open space in front of the llonsecour Market, and then proceeded to drilllug. The officers appointed to the command of these veteran* were uotorious rebels of '37 and '38, and to whose swiftness of foot in those years is qUone to be attributed to* fact of their being first tacommaod on this occasion. In the meantime word was brought to Sir B. DUrban, at that time closeted with the cabinet, to the effect of what «U going on. His Excellency then demanded by whose authority it bad been dared to be done, and seat General Gore to disarm them. Sir Benjamin also hauled the rebels over the coals for the manner in which all their proceedings had been and were conducted. 1M military were *

drawn up all this time in the principal streets and the artillery ready, in Dalhouse-square. In the meantime the^Guards happened to come into contact with a small party of English, into whom they immediately blazed. The result was, that i one young man fell, wounded in the thigh, though not dangerously. Upon General Gore's arriving to take away the arms, they positively refused to give them up. This morning, as soon as the occurrences of the night became known, a furor of excitement 'prevailed that I have never seen equalled. The British party were in raptures of delight, and but for the prompt and energetic steps taken by the leaders of the English party, the " body guard would have dearly repented their display." A deputation immediately waited upon the General, and politely informed him, that if the special constables were not disarmed, the British party would do it themselves. It was also intimated by them, that not only were arms in the loyalists' hands, but cannon also. The release of the prisoners was also demanded. A promise was given that it would be done immediately. Accordingly all the constables that could be found, were made to disarm. A great many, however, never will be got back, as the parties to whom they were given immediately secreted them. Arming is rapidly going on amongst the " British," and should a turn out be necessary, I have every reason to believe it would be no contemptible display. The Irish are well organized, and armed ; but being all annexationists, hold aloof for the present. In the afternoon, according to promise, the Government released, on bail, the prisoners who had been committed to gaol. At first they were desirous of retaining the man (Perry) charged with arson w but the other four gentlemen refused to leave without him, nnd he was also let out. These gentlemen have published letters, addressed to Colonel Guay, requesting him, in his capacity as a member of Parliament, to bring the matter before the Legislature. Montreal, April 30, 18 19. Tidhigs have reached us from Quebec, that in that stronghold of the French Canadians, Lord Elgin was burnt in effigy, although the troops were out at the time. A message has been sent from Kingston, offering assistance. Mr. Murray has moved the whole county of Hastings, and 2,000 men will march from there on Montreal, when requisite. Frontenac has 1,000 ready. In Cornwall, J. S. Macdonald's, M. P., house has been burnt, and offers of assistance to Montreal have been made. Amid the bills of Glenparry, also, they are strapping on the kilts and buckling on the claymores. In two days more, it is expected, everything : will be complete, and then the first act, it is | considered, ought to be the ordering home of i Lord Elgin, the meeting of the convention, and strengthening the reins of Government in Mr. Bergen's hands. The people will not lose tbe 'opportunity afforded to them now to put down the French, and if the ministry think that the mere recall of Lord Elgin, and disallowing of the Rebellion Bill is all the British party are determined to have, they are much mistaken. They will be satisfied with nothing less than the putting down of the French faction, the abolishing of their laws, and the treating of them as a conquered people. It will be a terrible blow to these poor deluded creatures, but it is determined on. They, probably, will trust in the magnanimity of England, but England will simply have to choose on of two things — either the desire to retain the Canadas and the love of her British subjects in them, or the fickle friendship of the French Canadians, who have twice, dog-like, bitten the hand that protected them.

I will conclude this letter with a short quotation from the celebrated report of Lord Durham, and which may be set forth as the true exposition of the evils which afflict this province, and will account for the stern determination which the British people have come to in the matter : —

"At the root of the disorders of Lower Canada lies the conflict of tbe two races which compose its 'population. Until this is settled, no Government is practicable ; for whether the public institutions be reformed or left unchanged ; whether the powers of the Government be entrusted to the majority or the minority, we may rest assured that while the hostility of the races continues, whichever of them is entrusted with power will use it for partial purposes."

Montreal, May 1, 1849. At two o'clock yesterday, the hour appointed for the representative of British Majesty to make his entree into the capital of the Canadas, the streets were thronged with thousands of excited citizens, of all classes and creeds. As the hours wore slowly on, the expectation of the multitude rose and fell, as the various rumours swept by them. At one time a despatch had been sent, respecting the danger to him of coming in ; another, that he was seriously ill ; and lastly, that he was already on his way, but through the back street. The lost vibration from the tower of the English Church had hardly announced the hour of three, when the clang of arms and the tramp of horses, with the deeper roll of the carriage, announced the approach of the Vice Royal cortege. The crowd of people extended through Great St. James-street, the Place D'Armes, into Notre Dame, to the Government-house, near Donegana's hotel. Hardly had the escort entered Great St. James-street, at a gallop, than a prolonged howl, such as has never been heard in this metropolis before, and I think never will be again, rose from the people, mingled with curses, both loud and deep. As he passed the barracks, bis eye caught the flag of England floating half-mast high, and I thought his Up qoivered. Tbe yells never ceased all this time ; and at the entrance into the Place D'Armes a more serious reception awaited him. Some eggs and dirt fell in profusion about his ears. At this pomt — the entrance to Notre Dame-street from the Place D'Armes — a company of the 23rd Regiment were stationed, who closed in behind the troop after it had passed, and marched to the guard house .opposite Kelson's •olmnn, and then were drawn across -the street. As hit Lordship passed the court-house, a great number of persons who where hanging on to the

iron ratlings, from their elevated position, cast I stones and eggs into the carriage. Three eggs struck, and one stone, which cut his hands. His brother, Colonel Bruce, was; also in the equipage. The Governor- General having been safely carried into Government-house, the next job to be accomplished was the managing to bring the representatives of the people to his presence. At fijur o'clock forty radical members left the Bonsecour Market, St. Paul-street — the present Parliament House — (which is immediately behind the old Government house), headed by the ministry. Their appearance was the signal for a terrific yell and a shower of stones, which were cast over the heads of the soldiery who protected them. A French magistrate, surrounded by soldiers, read three or four words of the Riot Act, and ordered the troops to fire ; but the colonel, Sir H. Dalrymple, of the 71st Regiment, saw no neccsssity for it, and laughingly commanded his men to charge. The people and soldiery, amidst united laughter, scampered and advanced for about three hundered yards, when the crowd halted, and gave three cheers for the 71st Regiment, and their devil of a commander, Sir H. Dalrymple. So low did the troops carry their bayonets, that half a dozen men ran the points of their bayonets into the blocks, and were nearly pitched on their heads. In the mean time, the members proceeded up a little back lane into Notre Dame-street, where they were again received with eggs and stones, and at last reached the steps of the Government house. To describe the appearance of the " choice of the people," presented at this moment, is the work of no mortal pen. Ministers with shattered tiles, seconders .of rebellion covered with unsavoury yolks of rotten eggs, and countenances as pale as death, made up the scene.

These men entered the Government house, in this' distressing plight, to offer up an address to the representative of British sovereignty in Canada, congratulating him on the peace of the country.

The petition to recall Lord Elgin is rapidly filling up. A meeting has been held in Kingston, and a petition to the Queen to recall Lord Elgin is circulating for signature.

Since the issuing of the Address of the British party, calling,, upon the people to preserve the peace, no more riots have occurred.