BALDWIN 



550 



BALFOUR 



financially independent. The son studied law 

 and became his fathers partner in 1825. Their 

 practice was large, but the .-on was drawn into 

 politics, and after one defeat on a technicality 

 was elected to the Upper Canada assembly in 

 1830. He lost his seat at the general elections 

 in 1831, but during the next few yean labored 

 as a private citizen for the great cause which 



inid at heart. This cause was responsible 

 government, which means the expression of the 

 popular will through a ministry responsible to 

 the people's chosen representatives, the legis- 

 lature. Believing that Sir Francis Bond Head. 



. Governor-General, agreed with his views, 

 Baldwin accepted an appointment to the ex- 

 ouncil in 1836, but speedily resigned 

 when he found that he had been deceived. 

 The struggle for responsible government 

 reached a climax in the rebellion of 1837, of 

 which Baldwin disapproved. One of its results 

 was the union of Upper and Lower Canada in 

 1841. With high hopes Baldwin again accepted 

 an appointment to the council, but when it 

 appeared that Lord Sydenham, the Governor- 

 General, was placing obstacles in the way of 

 real responsible government, Baldwin refused 

 to lend his name to the support of the Gov- 

 ernor-General and resigned. 



In 1842 Sir Charles Bagot, appointed to suc- 

 ceed Lord Sydenham, fully recognized the prin- 

 ciple at stake by summoning to his council 

 only the leaders in whom the assembly had 

 confidence. Of this ministry Baldwin was the 

 head. In 1843, however, Baron Metcalfe com- 

 pelled the resignation of the Baldwin ministry, 

 and not until 1848 was responsible government 

 established beyond recall. Baldwin, with Sir 

 Louis Lafontaine, organized a ministry, which 

 held office for three years. During this period 

 the amount of constructive legislation was un- 

 precedented, including the organization of the 

 municipal system in Ontario, the establishment 

 of the University of Toronto on a non-sec- 

 tarian basis, the creation of the courts of com- 

 mon pleas and chancery and the abolition of 

 primogeniture (which see). Unfortunately, 

 Baldwin's moderation did not meet the ap- 

 proval of many radical reformers. He refused, 

 moreover, to pledge himself to secure the 

 secularization of the "clergy reserves," and in 

 1851 was defeated for reelection. 



His health was already impaired, and the 

 remainder of his days was spent in retirement. 

 His defeat in 1851 was a bitter blow, but he 

 preferred defeat to office held by deceiving the 

 voters as to his views. "I go to the House," 



he said, "as a free man, or I go not at all. 

 If you approve of my opinions, and elect me, 

 1 shall carry them out in Parliament. If I 

 should alter those opinions I will come back 

 and surrender my trust, when you will have an 

 opportunity of reeled ing me or of choosing 

 another candidate; but I shall pledge myself 

 at the bidding of no man." Throughout his 

 life those were his principles. G.H.L. 



BALEARIC, bale air' ik, ISLES, a group of 

 fifteen islands forming a Spanish province, sit- 

 uated in the Mediterranean Sea a short dis- 

 tance east of Spain, the largest of which are 

 Majorca and Minorca. Their combined area 

 is 1,935 square miles. The coasts are rugged 

 and. dangerous but Minorca has one of the 

 finest harbors in Europe. Vines, olives and 

 other fruits are cultivated and the fisheries are 

 valuable. The islands, previously forming a 

 separate kingdom, were annexed to Spain in 

 1343. Population 311,650. 



BALFE, half, MICHAEL WILLIAM (1808-1870), 

 the composer to whom the world will always 

 be grateful for the bright and tuneful opera 

 The Bohemian Girl. It contains three songs 

 that are widely known and loved Heart Bowed 

 Down, Then You'll Remember Me and / 

 Dreamt I Dwelt in Marble Halls. 



Balfe was born in Dublin. He early dis- 

 played remarkable ability as a musician, play- 

 ing difficult pieces for the violin at the age of 

 seven, and writing a ballad two years later 

 that was sung in public by a well-known artiste. 

 At sixteen he joined the Drury Lane The- 

 ater orchestra, where he played the violin, 

 and soon after went to Italy to study. In 

 1827 he was singing in Italian grand opera 

 at Paris, but soon returned to Italy to take 

 up the work of operatic composition. Of the 

 thirty operas which he composed the ones 

 which have found the highest favor with the 

 public are, besides his Bohemian Girl, The 

 Rose oj Castile and Satanella. His operas 

 please by reason of their sweet melodies and 

 gayety. 



BAL'FOUR, ARTHUR JAMES (1848- ), one 

 of the foremost of present-day British states- 

 men, for more than twenty years the leader 

 of the Conservative party in the House of 

 Commons and Prime Minister from 1902 to 

 1905. Even after 1912, when he retired from 

 official leadership of the Conservatives, he still 

 remained in many ways their chief, and he 

 was probably the most influential private mem- 

 ber in Parliament. In 1915, when the War of 

 the Nations caused the formation of a coalition 



