UNION OF THE CANADAS• UNION APPROVED BUT NO

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT – COLONIAL SECRETARY LORD RUSSEL

BELIEVES RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT IS FOR NATIONS NOT COLONIES

• NEW GOVERNOR, CHARLES EDWARD POULETT THOMSON (SOON TO BE BARON SYDENHAM) ARRIVES OCT 1839– TO OVERSEE ASSIMILATION OF

CANADIENS WITHIN A UNITED COLONY– IMPLEMENTED WITH EASE IN LOWER CANADA – CONSTITUTION STILL SUSPENDED FROM REBELLION

– CANADIEN REFORMERS WHO HAD SUPPORTED DURHAM’S CALL FOR RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT IN SPITE OF HIS RACIST VIEWS OPPOSE UNION ACT

C.E.P. THOMSON, LORD SYDENHAM OF

SYDENHAM & TORONTO

UNION OF THE CANADAS

• FAMILY COMPACT STILL UNCONVINCED

– EQUAL SEATS WITH LOWER CANADA

– UPPER CANADA HAS ONLY 450,000 PEOPLE TO LOWER CANADA’S 650,000

– COMBINE DEBT OF THE 2 COLONIES– UPPER CANADA OWES 1.2 MILLION

POUNDS TO LOWER CANADA’S DEBT OF 95,000

– CAPITAL TO BE KINGSTON– ENGLISH TO BE SOLE LANGUAGE OF

RECORD

• UPPER CANADA’S ASSEMBLY IS CONVINCED BY:

LOUIS-HIPPOLYTE LAFONTAINE SUPPORTED RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT

BUT OPPOSED THE UNION ACT

• UPPER CANADA BRINGS 450,000 PEOPLE AND A DEBT OF 1.2 MILLION POUNDS

• 2.7 POUNDS PER PERSON

• LOWER CANADA BRINGS 650,000 PEOPLE AND A DEBT OF 95,000 POUNDS

• 0.15 POUNDS PER PERSON

NEW COLONY OF CANADA HAS ‘CANADA WEST’ & ‘CANADA EAST’ IN PLACE OF UPPER CANADA AND LOWER CANADA

FIRST ELECTION AFTER UNION ACT• NEW CONSTITUTION MUST BE TESTED IN AN

ELECTION– EMBARRASSMENT TO THE GOVERNMENT IF AN ANTI-

UNION MAJORITY IS ELECTED

FEDERAL CONSTITUENCY OF ESQUIMALT JUAN DE FUCA

• GOVERNOR ACTIVELY CAMPAIGNS

• FRENCH CANADIEN CONSTITUENCIES ARE GERRYMANDERED(ALTERED TO FAVOURSELECT CANDIDATES)

• RESULTS IN: • 20 FRENCH CANADIENS• 20 MODERATE REFORMERS• 24 GOVERNMENT CANDIDATES