8 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Early in 1821, Sir Peregrine Maitland drew the attention of 

 Parliament to the matter and it was carefully considered. A Joint 

 Committee of both Houses made an elaborate report, December 22, 

 1821, setting out in detail the history and the difficulties which had 

 arisen, and recommended that "A person of talent and respectability 

 sufficient to solicit and represent the interests of this Province should 

 be commissioned to present the Address at the foot of the Throne." 

 Chief Justice Powell expected to be appointed and had been spoken 

 to by the Lieutenant-Governor in that sense, but both Houses united 

 in an Address to Sir Peregrine Maitland asking him to appoint John 

 Beverley Robinson, the Attorney-General, who had had general charge 

 of the matter for the House and who probably knew more about it than 

 any one else. Robinson was appointed, to Powell's dismay and 

 indignation, and this put an end to the lifelong personal friendship 

 of these two eminent men.^^ 



When Robinson was in England he combated the scheme which 

 had been decided upon by the Home Administration for the Union 

 of the two Canadas: in this he did not act officially but expressed 

 his own views. Opinion was divided in the Province as to the merits 

 of the proposition: it would not be very far from literal fact to say 

 that, on the whole, the Liberals were in favour and the Tories adverse. 

 However that may be, the House, by a vote of 18 to 15, resolved that 

 the representatives did not feel themselves competent to speak on 

 such an important matter for their constituents, as the proposed 

 change had not been contemplated at the time of the election: a 

 subsequent motion to expunge was lost on a vote of 4 to 18. 



The Legislative Council passed an Address to His Majesty 

 confessing their "inability to decide upon the general policy of the 

 measure." ^^ 



The very strongest opposition was manifested in Lower Canada, 

 and the Bill was allowed to drop — ^the matter not to be seriously 

 taken up again till after Lord Durham's Report. 



i^See this Report in 11 Ont. Arch. Rep. (1914), pp. 97-115. Address for the 

 appointment of Robinson, 11 Ont. Arch. Rep. (1914), pp. 164, 176. For the quarrel 

 see the Powell MSS. and many letters of Robinson, Strachan and others in the 

 Can. Arch. Sundries, U.C., 1822. Powell shows up very badly in this matter — ira 

 furor hrevis — apparently his usual robust common sense failed him, and indeed a 

 general failing of his faculties is noticeable at this time. Valde deflendus. 



"The Draft Bill will be found 11 Ont. Arch. Rep. (1914), pp. 237-243. The 

 proceedings in the House are in 11 Ont. Arch. Rep. (1914), pp. 300, 303, 304, 310, 

 311, 318, 322 (Resolution), 342 (Motion to expunge); in the Council, 12 Ont. Arch. 

 Rep. (1915), pp. 145, 146 (the Address). 



