TORONTO OF OLD. 347 



lay out Building Estate, draw Ground plans, Sections and Elevations to order, and upon the 

 most approved European and English customs. Also to make estimates and provide contracts 

 •with pro2Kr securities to prevent impostures, for the performance of the same. E. Angell. 

 N. B. — Land proprietors having estate to dispose of, and persons requiring any branch of the 

 above profession to be done, will meet with the most respectful attention on applicatton by 

 letter, or at this office. York, Oct. 2." [1820J. The expression, " York Price Current Office," 

 above used, is explained by the fact that Mr. Angell commenced at this early date the publica- 

 tion of a monthly " Land Price Current List of Estates on Sale in Upper Canada, to be circu- 

 lated in England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales." Near Mr. Angell, on the same side, lived also 

 Mr. Cummins, the manager of the Upper Canada Gazette ■-pimting office ; and, at a later period, 

 Mr. Watson, another well-known master-printer of York, who lost his life during the great 

 fire of 1849, in endeavoring to save a favorite press from destruction, in the third storey of a 

 building at the corner of King and Nelson streets, a position occupied subsequently by the 

 Caxton-press of Mr. Hill.— On some of the fences along here, we remember seeing, in 1827-8, 

 an inscription wi-itten up in chalk or white paint, memorable to ourselves personally, as being 

 the occasion of our first taldng serious notice of one of the political questions that were locally 

 stirring the people of Upper Canada. The words inscribed were— -No Aliens ! Like the 

 Liberty, Equality, Erateenity, which we ourselves also subsequently saw painted on the 

 walls of Paris ; these words were intended at once to express and to rouse public feeling ; only 

 In the present instance, as we suppose now, the inscription emanated from the oligarchieat 

 rather than the popular side. The spirit of it probably was "Down with Aliens,"— and B-.ot 

 " Away with the odious distinction of Aliens !" A dispute had arisen between the Uppe?' and 

 the Lower House as to the legal terms in which full civil rights should be conferred on a 

 considerable ortion of the inhabitants of the country. After the aclcnowledgmeut of Inde- 

 pendence in 1783, emigrants from the United States to the British Provinces came in no longer 

 as British subjects, but as foreigners. Many such emigrants had acquired property and 

 exercised the franchise without taking upon themselves, formally, the obligations of BritisUi 

 subjects. After the war of 1812, the law in regard to this matter began to be distinctly remem- 

 bered. The desire then was to check an undue immigration from the southern side of the o-reat 

 lakes ; but the effect of the revival of the law was to throw doubt on the land titles of many 

 inhabitants of long standing ; doubt on their claim to vote and to fill any civil office. The 

 consent of the Crown was freely given to legislate on the subject : and in 1825-6 the Pai-liament 

 resolved to settle the question. But a dispute arose between the Lower and Upper House. 

 The Legislative Council sent down a Bill which was so amended in terms by the House of 

 Assembly that the former body declared it then to be "at variance with the laws and estab- 

 lished policy of Great Britain, as well as of the United States ; and therefore, if passed into a 

 law by this Legislature, would aflford no relief to many of those persons who were born in the 

 United States, and who have come into and settled in this Province." The Upper House party 

 set down as disloyal all that expressed themselves satisfied with the Lower House amendments. 

 It was from the Upper House party, we think, that the cry of "No Aliens !" had proceeded. 

 The Aliens measure had been precipitated by the cases of Barnabas BidweU and of his son 

 Marshall, of whom the former, after being elected, and taking his seat as member for Lennox 

 and Addington, had been expelled the House, on the ground of his being an alien; and the 

 latter had met with difficulties at the outset of his political career, from the same objection 

 against him. In the case of the former, however, his alien character was not the only thing 

 to his disadvantage. — It was in connection with the expulsion of Barnabas Bidvvell that Dr. 

 Strachan gave to a member of the Lower House, when hesitating as to the legality of such a 

 step, the remarkable piece of advice, " Turn him out, turn him out ! Never mind the law !" — 

 a dictum that passed into an adage locally, quoted usually in the Aberdeen dialect. Irritating 

 political questions have now, for the most part, been disposed of in Canada. We have entered, 

 into the rest, in this respect, secured for us by our predecessors. The very fences which,, 

 some forty years ago, were muttering " No Aliens I" we saw, during the time of the last general 

 election, exhibiting in conspicuous painted characters, the following exhortation: "To the 

 Electors of the Dominion — Put in Powell's Pump"— a humourous advertisement, of course, of - 

 a particular contrivance for raising water from depths. We think it a sign of general peace 

 and content, when the populace are expected to enjoy a little jest of this sort.— A small compact. 



