Opinions on the " startlitig " news from Canada come
forth in the daily papers with more or less confidence. A writer in the Morning Chronicle, who is obviously kept well-informed on Canadian affairs, ex- presses cordial satisfaction at its general nature, but appears to regret
that better men have not been offered by the working of the Parliamen- tary majority for Sir Charles Bagot's application of the great principle of " responsible government "—
" When we express our great satisfaction at this result, it is not, we mad confess, at the individuals whom their influence in the Assembly has thus brought into office. Mr. Baldwin is a very honest, but not a very skilful or
practical politician. Mr. Lafontaine is a gentleman of great pretensions, but, we suspect, little solidity of judgment ; and his reputation for political virtue
is by no means above suspicion. Mr. Girouard, who was imprisoned during the insurrection of 1837, and suffered greatly on account of unjust suspicions of disloyalty, is, from all we hear, much the ablest of those who have joined the Government. The men of greatest practical talent in the Executive Council are the old members, Messrs. Hincks, Daly, and Harrison."
The Whig journal expresses a natural regret that the consummation of the Durham policy should have been left by the Whigs to grace the present Administration-
" We may be allowed almost to express a regret that such a consummation. has been brought about by a Tory Governor-General. But this, after all, is only one of many proofs of the fact that Government, in the present day, whether in the hands of Tories or of Liberals, must be carried on on liberal prin- ciples. Nevertheless, it must he said, that this adoption of Lord Durham's ad- mirable principle does great honour to Sir Charles Begot. His must be re- garded as no imperfect or insincere adoption of it. Unwilling, in the first place, ' it may have been ; but since he saw that he must adopt it, he has gone into it thoroughly and cheerfully. We have only to wish that his excellent intentions may not be counteracted by orders from home; and that he may be allowed to carry out thoroughly and consistently the admirable career which, to his honour, he has commenced.
" Strange that, after all the outcry against Lord Durham's Canadian govern- ment, and his Report, the great liberal principle of that Report should be now first fully realized by a Tory Government ! " We do not pretend to predict that the Provincial Government now con- stituted will be of long duration, or do much service. We shall be content if its establishment satisfies the majority for a while ; and if, when the majority turns against it, it shall make way for those who shall then possess the public coo fidence."
The Times this morning, like the Post yesterday, is puzzled by Sir Charles Bagot's conces.ion of power to Mr. Lafontaine and Mr. Gi- rouard, who were actively engaged in the Rebellion of '37, and for whose apprehension rewards of 500/. were offered. It does not object to the principle of removing distinctions of caste and admitting the French Canadians to power ; but thinks it a libel on the race to sup- pose that better men could not have been found. It supposes, how- ever, that there may be further explanations to come of the reasons which limited Sir Charles's choice. No doubt there are "explanations," and cogent reasons to boot In the mean time, be it remembered, that Mr. Lafontaine and Mr. Girouard were marked for punishment in '37 for the same reason which now marks them for power—they were leading men of their race, then in temporary insurrection, as they still are, now that the race is quiet and well-affected.
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