NEWS OF THE WEEK.

No additional intelligence from Canada has reached England during the week ; but we have seen numerous private letters and newspapers, which, though not addressed to ourselves, enable us to place before the reader a sketch of the actual state of parties and of public feeling in the Canadas at the time when the Great Western sailed. And it will be most useful to cull more abun- dantly from those sources which have either not been open to our contemporaries, or been neglected by them—those which make us best acquainted with the feelings and views of the disaffected part of the population, which is, unfortunately, the great ma- jority.

Lord DURHAM'S measures and general conduct had failed to procure for his government the confidence either of the French Canadians or the British Liberals. The Ordinances, the value or expediency of which was inferred in this country mainly from their supposed popularity, are unpopular ; and the various endeavours of the officials to coax the leaders of the people, bad disgusted, not conciliated, the parties to whom the overtures were made. The private interviews, promises, and threats, employed to procure evidence against the prisoners, who were to be brought before the regular tribunals of the country, were regarded as in- famous, and irritated extremely the friends and partisans of the accused. The appointments, not given to persons who came from England with Lord DURHAM, were chiefly conferred upon those of the " British" party. And this leaning of the Government to the party of the minority was viewed with suspicion and anger.

These remarks apply principally to Lower Canada, and speak the " French," as opposed to the " British " view of affairs. But in the Upper Province there had been similar symptoms of disaf- fection. One remarkable instance occurred at Kingston. which proved that if the juries of Lower Canada had popular sym- pathies, Sir GEORGE ARTHUR could not safely put the people under his rule in the jury-box. The Honourable Colonel HENRY DUNDAS had gone beyond the letter of his authority, in imprisoning for seven days, without a Magistrate's warrant, the gaoler at Fort Dundas, charged with aiding the escape of some rebels committed to his safe keeping ; the gaoler being a civilian. The aggrieved party brought his action against Colonel DUNDAS for 1,0001.: the Attorney-General defended the Colonel, and the Judge charged strongly in his favour ; but the Jury gave the plaintiff 2001. damages. The verdict is regarded as a triumph over the Government, and evidence that to abet the escape of the rebels from Fort Dundas was not considered a very heinous offence. The execution of LOUNT and MATHEWS had embittered the feelings of the Liberals towards the Government; and the " per- secution " of the American portion of the population, by Governor ARTHUR and his officials, by no means allayed their hostility.

In both provinces, trade was nearly at a stand. The banks in '17,)per Canada were, in fact, bankrupt—unable to resume specie payments, though the resumption in the United States was uni- versal. The crops were seriously damaged ; the value of real estates falling rapidly ; immigration stopped, while on the other hand a fearful process of depopulation was going on, multitudes quitting our colonies for the United States. All along the fron- tier, preparations for the transportation of arms and supplies to the disaffected were made; and it was much doubted whether the United States troops would prevent it—there was no doubt that midi a duty would be most displeasing to them. Secret societies were formed all over the two provinces. The refugee leaders of the French Canadians, it was said, discouraged the people from insurrection ; but it was feared that their advice would not be followed, as the spirit of animosity against the " Bri- tish " party and the Government had increased in force and extent since the suppression of the outbreak last winter. In Upper Canada, too, the recognition by Lord DURHAM of the " Church," in his reply to an address from the clergy, and the establishment of

endowed rectories—a measure which met with general reprobation when attempted some years ago—had disgusted the mass of the people ; for the Episcopalians are the smallest of all the sects. In every direction there were elements of discord, and the anticipa- tion of a troubled winter was universal.

The " British" party, up to the reception of the news from England that the Ordinances bad been disallowed, railed at the Government for its leniency to the rebels : but when they found from Lord DURHAM'S despatch to Lord GLENELG, that he aimed at satisfying Sir JOHN COLBORNE and the British party, their curses were changed to blessings ; and the Governor-General will therefore return to this country with Orange letters of credit to Lord GLENELe. His successor will be welcomed by the British party; for to this state matters have come, that the sway of the minority over the bulk of the population must be maintained by the means which they demand—force. That a military despotism will be endured by the Canadians, is not expected. Trampled upon by the power of England, they have yet the resource of flight from oppression. The "British" policy, perhaps, is to drive the French Canadians from their country, and colonize their lands with Englishmen. In this they may possibly succeed. The mode of procedure, best adapted to effect their purpose may be learned from Marshal PASKIE- VITCH, who is allowed to have been eminently successful in

a similar undertaking in Poland. The Morning Chronicle refers to the treatment of Louisiana by the United States, as a precedent for swamping the "nation Canadienne." Would that the

United States policy had been followed in Canada, or that it could

now be followed: we imagine it would not altogether harmonize with those interests which the Chronicle has represented fbr two

or three years past, with more of fierce partisanship than any

Liberal journal in this country. The Americans forced no irre- sponsible Council of their own race on the French population.

They extended their own simple and free political institutions to

the new member of the Union. There was no minority sup- ported by military force ; no Governor sent from Washington ;

no interference with guaranteed and constitutional rights of the

Louisianians. Their conduct was, in essential points, the reverse of that pursued by the British in Canada ; and very different have been the results. There is an amalgamation of races, interests,

and political sympathies in Louisiana ; and as little danger of' in- surrection, or quarrels to be settled in the field of battle, as in Massachusetts. The Anglo-Americans have gained the as- cendancy, by means of superior enterprise and vigour, mental and bodily ; and in a great degree the French population has already been Americanized. In Canada, the two races are ranged in bitter hostility to each other ; because the British minority, instead of being left to make its own way, has been patronized and encouraged by the Government at home in acting the part of conquerors—not fellow citizens. Thus, while there is peace with prosperity in Louisiana, the Canadas are a prey to the evils of in- testine discord and foreign domination.

It is difficult to say how far the condition of the Colonies would have been improved by the measures which Lord DURHAM was employed upon, when the intelligence from England interrupted him. Four of those measures, we understand, had reference to the tenures of land, a general registry, free municipal institu- tions, and national education : and Lord DURHAM probably as- sumed, that though his powers did not extend to any alteration of the representative system, or enable him to execute his scheine of a general confederation of the North American Provinces, lie could have effected administrative improvements, embracing all the above subjects, by ordinances. Though no longer confident in his power to promulgate such, or any Iaa s, Lord DURHAM, it is under- stood, would not leave Canada until they were completed, as well as his general report on the Provinces : in which !ase, he will not return to England quite so early as was mentiot, d last week. It is also said to be his intention to have a person. 1 interview with the American President at Washington, on the st lject of the North- eastern boundary, and the mutual relations of tee British provinces and the United States.

While the actual condition of the Canadas, and the policy henceforth to be pursued there, have been for the most part slurred by the newspapers, many columns have been occupied with articles on the old and exhausted topic, the legality of the Ordinances ! Indeed, the subject has been more thoroughly

discussed than when it was before Parliament. The Standard with much ingenuity and talent, and the Chronicle with its usual bitterness towards the French Canadians, have maintained.

not only the expediency, but the strict legality of the Ordinances— the small mistake about Bermuda alone excepted ; while the Ministerial papers generally assert the illegality of the Ordinances, and that Ministers could not do otherwise than rescind them. The Standard, laying especial stress upon the nature of the duties Lord DURHAM was called upon to perform—the country under his rule being in a state of rebellion not admitting of the application or administration of ordinary laws—claims fur him a combination of legislative and judicial authority, which sets him above all the usual restraints imposed upon governors and states- men. To make out a defence of Lord DURHAM, the Standard in effect argues that he was invested with a real, instead of the false Dictatorship which Ministerial people feigned ; and by virtue of this power, superior to mere law, he was entitled to pass acts of attainder. That the Canada Coercion Act gave no such autho- rity, we know full well ; but as the whole question will be re- opened in Parliament, it is useless to go over all the points which can be raised upon it, now. We trust the time is far distant when Englishmen will be induced, by any ingenious theory of the combination of legislative with judicial functions in a ruler, to sanction the enormity of sentencing suspected persons to banishment and to death itself without the opportunity of defence. To fix upon an adequate cause for maintaining the legality of the Ordinances so earnestly and elaborately at the present time, when the proper season has passed by, is a puzzle. The discussion would seem to have no practical use. But there must be a motive for it; and it will perhaps not be too uncharitable to suspect an arriere pensee—a design to resort to measures which can only be justified on the arbitrary principles upheld by the organs of the " British " Canadian party among us. If the Act of last session and the administration of Lord DURHAM did not go far enough, the remedy may be applied in the next session and the ensuing campaign. The news by the Great Western made a stir among Minis- ters; and rumours of changes in the Cabinet, as well as of the appointment of Lord DURHAM'S successor, have been rife. Earl SPENCER has been at Windsor; and there is a story that the Colonial Secretaryship was offered to him. He soon escaped, however, to Holkham, and more congenial pursuits ; and Lord GLENELG remains where he was. The Duke of RICHMOND and Lord NORMANHY have both been mentioned as likely to go to Canada. The Irish Viceroy might naturally presume that his experience in governing one turbulent country fits him to rule another. But we guess that the Canadian republicans are not so easily coaxed into loyalty as the " hereditary bondsmen." They demand measures, scrutinize suspiciously the acts of men, and are not deluded by the smoothest professions and finest phrases that ever flowed from the lips of a Lord and a Whig.