Stranica 57 [57]
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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, Repre¬
sentative; 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, Vin¬
a 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
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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 disquali¬
fying 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 gentle¬
man, 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 assem¬
bling 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