TORONTO OF OLD. 183 



Dr. Dunlop, Dr. Rees and Mr. Fothergill, and patronized by successive Lieutenant-Governors, 

 was probably too bold in its conception, and too advanced to be justly appreciated and 

 earnestly taken up by a sufficient number of the contemporary public forty years ago. It 

 consequently fell to the ground. It is to be regretted that, at all events, the land, for -wliicli 

 an order in Council stands recorded, was not secured in perpetuity as a source of revenue for 

 the promotion of Science. In the Canadian Institute we have the kind of Association which 

 was designed by Drs. Dunlop and Rees and Mr. Fothergill, but minus the revenue which two 

 or three building lots in a flourishing city would conveniently supply without wronging anyone- 



Capt. iEneas Shaw, the original locatee of the park-lot next westward of Colonel Shank's 

 second lot, was afterwards well known in Upper Canada as Major General Shaw. Like so 

 many of our early men of note he was a Scotchman ; a Shaw of Tordorach in Strathnairn. 

 Possessed of great vigour and decision, his adopted country availed itself of his services in a 

 civil as well as a military capacity, making him a member of the legislative and executive 

 councils. The name by which his house and estate at this point were known, was Oakhill. 

 The primitive domicile still exists and in 1871 is yet occupied by one of his many descendants, 

 Capt. Alex. Shaw. 



Of Col. Joseph Bouehette, whose name is read on the following allotment, we have had occa- 

 sion, already to speak. He was one of the many French Canadians of eminence who, in the 

 early days, were distinguished for their chivalrous attachment to the cause and service of 

 England. The successor of Col. Bouehette in the proprietorship of the park lot at which we 

 have arrived, was Col. Givins. — He, as we have already seen, was one of the companions of 

 Gov. Simcoe in the first explorations of Upper Canada. Before obtaining a commission in 

 the army, he had been as a youth employed in the North West, and had acquired a familiar 

 acquaintance with the Otchibway and Huron dialects. This acquisition rendered his services 

 of especial value to the Government in its dealings with the native tribes, among whom also 

 the mettle and ardor and energy of his own natural character gave him a powerful influence. 

 At the express desire of Governor Simcoe he studied and mastered the dialects of the Six 

 Nations, as weU as those of the Otchibways and their Mississagua allies. We ourselves 

 remember seeing a considerable body of Indian chiefs kept in order and good humour mainly 

 through the tact exercised by Col. Givins. This was at a Council held in the garden at Gov- 

 ernment House some forty years since, and presided over by the then Lieut. -Governor Sir 

 John Colborne. 



Col. Givins was Superintendent of Indian Affairs dovnr to the year 1842. In 1828 his 

 name was connected with an incident that locally made a noise for a time. A committee of 

 the House of Assembly, desiring to have his evidance and that of Col. Coffin, Adjutant General 

 of Militia, in relation to a trespass by one Forsyth on Government property at the Falls of 

 Niagara, commanded their presence at a certain day and hour. On referring to Sir Peregririe 

 Maitland, the Lieutenant-Governor at the time, and also Commander-in-Chief of the Forces, 

 permission to obey the mandate of the House was refused. Col. Givins and Col. Coffin were 

 then arrested by the Sergeant-at-arms, after forcible entry effected at their respective domi- 

 ciles, and were kept confined in the common gaol untU the close of the session. The following 

 is Col. Coffin's letter to Major HiUier, private secretary to the Governor, on the occasion : 



"York, March 22nd, 1828. 

 " Sir, — I beg leave to request that you will state to the Lieutenant Governor that in obedience 

 to the communication I received through you, that his Excellency could not give me permission 

 to attend a Committee of the House of Assembly for the reasons therein , stated, that I did 

 not attend the said Committee, and that in consequence thereof, I have been committed this 

 evening to the common gaol of the Home District, by order of the House of Assembly. I have 

 therefore to pray that his Excellency will be pleased to direct that I may have the advice and 

 assistance of the Crown Officers, to enable me to take such steps as I may be instructed on the 

 occasion. I have the honour, &c., N. Coffin, Adj. Gen. of Militia." 



No redress was to be had. The Executive Council reported in regard to this letter that upon 

 mature consideration they could not advise that the Government should interfere to give any 

 direction to the Crown Officers, as therein solicited. Sir Peregrine Maitland was removed from 

 the Government in the same year. Sir George Murray, who in that year succeeded Mi-. Huskis- 



