Stranica 57 [57]
OCR
— tö simán Government. They were of the opinion that, by ing evils would be destroyed. It remained for Baldwin to propose the constitutional measure by which the country was tided over the quicksands of danger, and our institutions placed upon a permanent foundation. GOURLAY’S MEETINGS. The following is a short account of the meetings held in the Johnstown District :— In South Crosby, on the 6th of June, 1818, at the school house; Joseph in the Chair. Chapman Pennock was appointed Representative, and Nathan Ketchum, Clerk. Committee: Joseph Merriman, Henry Halladay, Aaron Pennock. In Kitley, June 22nd, 1818, at the school house of William Tallman. Benjamin Lyman, J. P., was appointed Chairman ; Captain Duncan Livingston was chosen Representative, and T. S. Root, Clerk. Merriman Committee: Benjamin Lyman, William W. Brown, John Arnold. In Bastard, June 23rd, 1818, at the house of E. Ryerson Chamberlain. Barnabas Chipman was chosen Chairman; Dr. George Breakenridge, Representative; and Silas Smith, Clerk. Committee: William Stevens, Daniel Terrie, Sheldon Nichols, Judson Stoddard. In Lansdowne, June 23rd, Mrs. Lee. Nathan Hicock was chosen Chairman and also Representative; Oliver Eaton, Clerk. Committee: William Parish, John Struthers, Allan Sweet, Isaac Soper. In Yonge, June 24th, 1818, at the houses of John Dickson and Stephen Andrews; Captain Joseph Wiltse and William Thompson in the Chair. Benoni Wiltse was chosen Representative, and Andrew Teed, Clerk. Committee: John Dickson, Squire Mott, Daniel Phillips, William Thompson, Walter Adams, Thomas P. Kenyon. In Elizabethtown, June 26th, 1818, at the house of Mr. Dayton. Thomas Smith, J. P., occupied the _ Chair, and was also chosen Representative ; John 2 . Kilborn, Clerk. Committee: Truelove Butler, Vina cent Booth, Edward Howard, John Ketchum, Abra"Éogajan Dayton, J. P. 2 . A general meeting was held at the house of 1 . Abraham Dayton, Elizabethtown, on the zóth of (June, 1818. 8 . Representatives present: . Duncan Levingston, Kitley. eo Jr. George Breakenridge, Bastard. 1a Nathan Hicock, Yonge. A c he apr n Pennock, Crosby. klliceck was chosen Representative to proceed Timothy Soper, 1818, at the house of hy Ps +) 2 jé he = : F ' tt. aa p . == e! | Committee: Abraham Dayton, Thomas Smith, Edward Howard, John Kilborn. The grounds for complaint were ample and various. In 1825, the vote for reporting the debates was dishonored by the Governor. Petitions from the people demanded economy and retrenchment, regulations for the sale of wild lands, the abolition of Crown and Clergy Reserves and all reservations, except for educational purposes; the abolition of banking monopolies, the simplification of law practice and the reduction of fees, the equal distribution of intestate estates, the establishing of new modes for trying impeachments, the control of the public revenue by the representatives of the people, a revision of the jury selecting system, a repeal of the everlasting Salary Bill; for disqualifying priests and bishops from holding seats in the two Councils, for taking votes at convenient places, for allowing the people to control local taxes, for the abolition of the tea monopoly, and for the equal representation of the people in the House. Gourlay was at one time confined in gaol, but was finally released. Mackenzie held several meetings in the District, which led to many interruptions and agitations of a violent character. One of the gravest evils complained of was that elections were held only at central points, and continued for many days under circumstances which frequently led to disturbances and even bloodshed. At Beverly (Delta) riots broke out during the polling, in which bands of armed men, brought all the way from Ottawa, insulted, beat and maltreated the yeomanry of the surrounding country, Ogle R. Gowan was the most prominent assailant occasions appeared at meetings held by that gentleman, and replied with a bitterness which increased the general dissatisfaction. Gowan, led away by prejudice, denounced all by whom he was opposed as traitors and demagogues. United Empire Loyalists and their descendants were accused of sedition, and to prevent the assembling of conventions, Jonas Jones, of Brockville, on the 28th of October, 1816, introduced a bill intituled “An Act for the Prevention of Certain Meetings Within this Province.” Twelve, out of the thirteen The law was, however, repealed two years afterwards. continued to increase. The great mass of the
