THE ROARING FORTIES 91 



had firmly in their control all branches of the 

 administration save the assembly. The oppo 

 sition party consisted of the later immigrants, 

 whose origin and characteristics were much like 

 those of the people who were filling up the 

 neighboring borders of the United States. They 

 were of the dissenting creeds, for example, while 

 the aristocratic party, known commonly as the 

 United Empire Loyalists, preserved in general 

 a connection with the Church of England. This 

 matter of ecclesiastical attachment had no lit 

 tle influence in the critical politics of the time; 

 for profound issues of educational and fiscal 

 policy turned on the conflicting interests of the 

 various sects. 



The aspect of affairs in Lower Canada as 

 sumed a threatening character in 1836. For 

 four years prior to that date the assembly had 

 refused to vote the money for the judicial and 

 administrative service. The British home gov 

 ernment was much embarrassed by the situa 

 tion; for the Whig traditions of the cabinet 

 pointed to sympathy with the ostensible prin 

 ciples of the popular party, and both the English 

 Radicals and the Irish followers of O Con- 

 nell vigorously sustained the cause of the dis 

 contented French as the cause of liberty and 



