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...With such a body of Prisoners in Jail, and such numbers out on bail; together with the embarrassment which arises from the terms of the Proclamation which have been issued; and the Act of the Provincial Parliament which has been passed- the strong desire of many that the severest punishment should be inflicted, and the wish of others that it should be mitigated - you may imagine that the commencement of my campaign here is at least troublesome and anxious.After a week's anxious consideration in the Executive Council, I hope a Majority of Members are brought over to the opinion that it is possible, consistently with a due regard to Public justice, to extend Pardons very largely, and not to proceed to trial with the Miltitude of cases which have been presented by the Grand Jury. In some cases, however, in which the Prisoners were actually parties to Murder and arson, the Law must take its course, and two of the most guilty are now under sentence and will be executed on the 12th Inst. ...Sir Francis Head persuaded himself that there was a general loyal feeling here - Certainly there was a gratifying exhibition of Loyalty at the moment to put down that worthless creature McKenzie; and, no doubt there is a very considerable body of excellent persons well affected towards the Constitution - but, what has become of the Numbers who for years have been known as Reformers, and very disaffected ones too? Where are the persons who returned a Majority of Reformers to the House of Assembly, and elected McKenzie Mayor of Toronto?... ["The Arthurs Papers. Being the Papers Mainly Confidential, Private, and Demi-Official of Sir George Arthur, K. C. H., Last Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada in the Manuscript Collection of the Toronto Public Libraries", Ed. by Charles R. Sanderson. Toronto Public Libraries and University of Toronto Press, 1943,1947.]
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