1855.] 



THE PRIZE ESSAYS. 



353 



.second edition, tho.se inaccuracies and omissions, wWcli arc 

 clearly traceable to the hurry in which the essay was prepared : 



"Tlie people, I may say, of all North America — I mean the descen- 

 ilants of the Bi'itisli race, and emigrants from Britain — are, perhap.?, 

 of .all others the best trained to understand and to enjoy the benefits 

 of representative institutions. Their habits of self-reliance and the 

 necessity for combination to effect the simple purposes of existence — 

 to build the log hut far in the woods ; to "log" the first acres of ground 

 cleared ; to throw a bridge over a stream, or to clear a road into the 

 forest, — naturally lead them to respect skill, and to put themselves 

 under the guidance of talent. The leading spirit of a '■'loijghKj bee," 

 and the genius who presides over the construction of a barn, what 

 more natural than that they should be elected, at the annual meeting 

 of the neighbourhood, to oversee the construction of bridges, and to 

 judge of, and inspect, the proper height of fences? And this is the 

 first legislation such a people have to do. The useful individual, too, 

 in a settlement, who draws deeds and wills, and settles disputes without 

 Law, and gives good advice without cost, what more natural, also, than 

 that he should be selected by the people he benefits by his education 

 and his kindness, to make their laws, and to guard their interests ? 

 The Can.adian people, too, have no tenant rights, nor " trades unions" 

 to secure higher wages, or to prevent too many hours work. Their 

 necessities are their orators. Their ways and means of living, and 

 taking the best care of what their labour brings them, are the princi- 

 ples by which they are governed. Their democracj' begins at the right 

 end ; for, instead of weaving theories to control the property of others, 

 they think of but the best means of taking care of their own. Need it 

 be wondered at, then, that a people so educated — and such has been 

 the universal education of North America — should know how to govern 

 themselves ; should gradually rise from the consideration of the affairs 

 of a neighbourhood to those of a county and of a country ; that they 

 should have sufficient conservatism to guard the fruits of their industry, 

 and sufBcient democracy to insist upon the right to do so. And such 

 is a true picture of the Canadian people. Their municipal system i.s 

 but a small remove from the leader of the " loygiiiff bee" being elected 

 builder of the bridge, and their parliament is but a higher class in the 

 same school of practical self-government. Their being given in fact 

 the entire control of their own affairs was but removing expert seamen 

 into a larger ship ; and Great Britain has but to consider, in dealing 

 with her other colonies, that the ship is alw.ays adapted to the sailors. 

 For, the understanding a people is of infinitely greater importance, in 

 giving them a constitution, than the understanding ever so well abstract 

 principles of government." 



We now proceed to examine the essay by Mr. Alexander 

 Morris, A. M., to which was awarded the second prize. Mr, 

 Morris in his preface " disclaims all pretension to originality," 

 and tells us that " his labour has been the plodding one of a 

 compiler." This essay is about one-fourth longer than Mr. 

 Hogan's, and embraces copious extracts from the admirable 

 reports of jMossrs. Logan and Murray; the first chapter, re- 

 ferring to the geological structure of Canada, being condensed 

 from the Report of Progress for the year 1843. The descrip- 

 tions of the geographical features of the 'Ottawa Region and of 

 the Ea.stcrn Townships, are very full and complete, and in 

 general, the geography of Canada is given with considerable 

 minuteness of detail. 



Mr. Morris has, however, succeeded in disarming criticism, 

 by limiting himself strictly to the duties of a compiler, without 

 entering into any speculations or descriptions, which give a 

 charm to Jlr. Ilogan's essay, and contribute so much to make 

 it a readable book. Indeed the second prize essay may be de- 

 scribed as a condensed scricsof miniature Blue ]5ook.s, in which 

 the chief facts relating to the products of the forest, the mines 

 and fisheries, agricultural produce, manufactures, and com- 

 merce, arc given with considerable precision and in the plainest 

 language. The chapters on social institutions, educational 

 institutions, political institutions, and statistics, while contain- 

 ing a very large amount of information, are evidently written 

 by a gentleman whose form of thought and style of expression 

 have been influenced by the study of a rigid profession, which 



of all others is least susceptible of adding a charm to the de- 

 scription of social progress, or interest to the dry enumeration 

 of political and commercial triumjihs. Mr. Morris's professional 

 position enables him to write with advantage on the political 

 affiiirs of Canada : — 



" The Government of the Province is conducted by a Governor 

 General, appointed by the Crown, who presides at the deliberations of 

 an Executive Council nominated by the Crown, but who must, according 

 to the theory of Responsible Government, in practical force in Canada, 

 possess the confidence of the people, as evinced by a majority of the 

 House of Assembly; and who, consequently, may lose their places on 

 a vote of w.ant of confidence. The Executive Council is composed of 

 the following officials, viz. : a President of the Committees of the 

 Council (who is' also Chairman of the Bureau of Agricultui-e, and of 

 the Board of Registration and Statistics ;) a Provincial Secretary, an 

 Inspector General, a Commissioner of Crown Lands, a Receiver General, 

 one Attorney and one Solicitor General, one of each for each section of 

 the Province ; a Commissioner of the Board of Public Works, and a 

 Postmaster General. These incumbents preside over the public de- 

 partments indicated by their titles, in addition to exercising the functions 

 of Executive Councillors. On the acceptance of office, the incumbent 

 elect, unless a Legislative Councilloi-, must present himself to the 

 people for re-election. The Solicitors General are not necessarily 

 Members of the Cabinet. 



"Such is the system of governing by Legislative majorities and 

 responsibility to the electors, which is in force in Canada. Practically 

 the Government of the Province is self-government, the British Gov- 

 ernment rarely interposing the weight of its authority,, but, on the 

 contrary, distinctly enunciating its desire to allow the Province the 

 widest latitude in self-government, compatible with the Colonial relation. 

 In fact, the Canadas enjoy tlie largest measure of political liberty 

 posse-scd by any country or people. The public offices, and the seats in 

 the Legislature, are practically open to all. The people, by their 

 representatives in Parliament, regul.ate all matters of Provincial inte- 

 rest, and by their municipal system they regulate their municipal 

 matters, while they possess and exercise the power of rejecting at the 

 polls those who have forfeited their confidence. The inhabitants of 

 Canada arc bound to Britain by the ties of common interest, common 

 origin, and filial attachment. Owing a grateful allegiance to their 

 Sovereign, they are proud to share the heritage of Britain's ancestral 

 glories, while they are not slow in evincing their sympathy with her 

 struggles, as the magnificent grant of £20,000 sterling, gracefully 

 appropriated by the Legislature to the Patriotic Fund, and to the 

 widows and orphans of the soldiers of her ally, France, proudly shews. 

 The policy of Britain is a wise one. She is building up, on the broad 

 foundations of a sound political liberty, freedom of thought and 

 conscience, a colony which will one day, (though the connection will 

 never be rudely severed,) attain the position of a nation, and peopled 

 by inhabitants knit to Britain by the strongest ties of blood, and iden- 

 ti"ty of feeling, will strengthen her hands and support her position by 

 the reflex influence of sound, n.ational and constitutional sentiment.^ 



" The future of Canada is a brilliant one : a great problem is being 

 wrought out in her history ; and, on review of her immense resonrces, 

 and on a glance at her hardy, self-reliant population, the mind is irre- 

 sistably urged to the conclusion that her destiny is a grand one, and 

 that, on this American continent, she may yet be destined to play no 

 insignificant part among the role of people." 



T)r. Lillic's essay, entitled " Canada — Physical, Economic 

 and Social," was passed by unread, " on the alleged ground of 

 the illcgibleness of the manuscript ;" the author has therefore 

 a.ssumcd the rciSponsibility of its publication, partly on account 

 of the fact of his having written being generally known, and 

 partly in the hope of diilfusing information respecting Canada. 

 Dr. Lillic's essay is more than dcmblo the size of Mr. Hogan's, 

 and considerably exceeds that of 3Ir. Morris, — it contains . 

 nearly 294 pages of printed matter, together with two excellent 

 :Maps, one of Upper Canada and the other of Lower Canada. 

 Tiio essay is diviilcd into three parts, as its title implies. One 

 hundred" and thirty pages arc devoted to the physical descrip- 

 tion of the country, the subject of geology forming by for the 

 most important and extensive of this division. One hundred 

 and seven pages arc devoted to the economical history of Ca- 



