1891-92. ] CORRESPONDENCE OF LIEUT.-COL. COFFIN. 287 
At this the Patriot (so called) party was roused to deep indignation ; 
meetings for remonstrance were held frequently and in various places, 
and Papineau and others made hot revolutionary speeches. The excite- 
ment was intense, and at its height when William IV. died, and Queen 
Victoria ascended the throne. On August t8th, Lord Gosford assembled 
Parliament once more. The Governor made a dignified speech. The 
Home Government, he said, wished to give them another opportunity of 
considering their action before the Imperial authorities passed an Act 
which would deprive the Provincial Legislature of that control over its 
own revenues which it was desirable that it should have, “ a result for 
the attainment of which Her Majesty’s Government would willingly 
make every sacrifice, save that of the honor and integrity of the Crown.” 
In the address in reply, presented eight days later, the Assembly 
pressed their former demands with more persistence than ever, and 
warned the mother country that if she carried her resolutions into effect 
her supremacy in British America would no longer depend “upon the 
feelings of affection, of duty, and of mutual interest” but upon “ physi- 
cal and material force.’ Her exercise of power was compared with that 
of “the most despotic governments of civilized Europe.” Lord Gosford 
regretted the obstinacy of the Assembly, and dissolved the House by 
proclamation. 
Many were the appeals now made by Papineau and his followers for 
the people “to lay down their lives on the altars of their country.” It 
was clear that blood must be shed, and both “ Patriots” and “ Loyalists” 
began to prepare for the coming struggle. On the 6th November the 
first conflict took place. The so-called “Sons of Liberty ” were leaving 
the place where they had been assembled, when they were met by a 
small number of members of the Doric Club, and a general fight ensued. 
This was followed by an attack upon the house of a Mr. Idler, where the 
Sons of Liberty met, the wrecking of Mr. Papineau’s home and the sack 
of the office of the Vindicator. The Riot Act was read, and the magis- 
trates of Montreal and Quebec issued proclamations forbidding the 
assembling of bodies of men for drill, and prohibiting “all public meet- 
ings and processions which are of a nature to disturb the public peace.” 
A new commission of the peace was issued for the district of Montreal, 
which removed sixty-one magistrates suspected of disloyalty. 
Meanwhile the troops were being concentrated in Montreal, where Sir 
John Colborne, now Commander of the Forces, had fixed his head-quar- 
ters. Not only New Brunswick and Nova Scotia sent aid, but even 
Upper Canada, through Sir Francis Head, despatched all the regulars in 
the Province, the Governor having determined to rely wholly on his 
militia. 
