Lord Durham 5 Parliamentary Papers Collection

London: British Governement, 1838. 1st Edition. Disbound. Very Good. Five (5) important and scarce Parliamentary Papers published between the nomination of Lord Durham as Governor General and High Commissioner to British North America and just before his resignation in September 1838; dealing with his Nomination, his Acceptance of the Post, his Terms of Reference, his Powers, his Titles, his Duties, the Constitution of a Special Council, all Appointments made by him to the Special Council, Copies of Ordinances and Proclamations and all Minutes of the Proceedings; in relation with Lower Canada, Upper Canada, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. From January 20th to August 2nd 1838. The House of Commons. Some edge open tears, otherwise very good condition.

John George Lambton, Lord Durham (1792-1840), 1st Earl of Durham, politician,

DOCUMENT #1, Parliamentary Paper #86, January 23rd 1838, pp. 3

British Prime Minister Lord Melbourne persuaded the Earl of Durham to become Governor General and High Commissioner to British North America with responsibility for preparing a report on the Canadian Rebellions of 1837, by investigating the causes of the twin rebellions in the colonies of Upper and Lower Canada. The preliminary Terms of Reference of his assignment are presented in the Lower Canada and Upper Canada Extract of a despatch from Lord Glenelg to the Earl of Durham G.C.B. dated Downing-street, 20th January 1838

Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be printed 23 January 1838

GLENELG, Charles Grant, Baron

[London] : [HMSO], [1838]

Parliamentary paper ;no. 86, 1838

"Presented by Her Majesty's command."

"Ordered, by the House of Commons, to be printed, 23 January 1838."

At foot of t.p.: 86.

Folio, dispatch 3 pages ; 35 cm.

DOCUMENT #2, Parliamentary Paper #252, March 28th 1838, pp. 2

Title: Correspondence relating to the establishment of the Earl of Durham, as Governor General of British North America and Her Majesty's High Commissioner.

The letter of confirmation by the British Government of the assignment and Durham's letter of acceptance are presented in the "Earl of Durham Correspondence relating to the Establishment of the Earl of Durham as Governor General of British North America and Her Majesty's High Commissioner." p.252

Ordered, by The House of Commons, to be printed 28 March 1838

2pp. 8 x 12-3/4 inches.

DOCUMENT #3, Parliamentary Paper #256, July 10th 1838, pp. 21

Between March 30th and February 5th 1838, Durham received "The Commissions under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, appointing the Earl of Durham Captain General and Governor­ in-Chief of the Provinces of Lower Canada (March 30th], Upper Canada (March 10th), Nova Scotia (February 6th], New Brunswick (March 30th) and the Island of Prince Edward (February 6th)."

Copies of Commissions under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Queen, Defender appointing Earl of Durham High Commissioner and Governor General of all her Majesty's provinces on the Continent of North America, and of the Islands of Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland. Schedule.

No.1 dated 30th March 1838

No.2 dated 30th March 1838

No.3 dated 6th February 1838

No.4 dated 30th March 1838

No.5 dated 6th February 1838

DOCUMENT #4, Parliamentary Paper #249, July 9th 1838, pp 1

On April 13th 1838, Durham was given at the Court at Windsor, "An Instruction under the Royal Signet and Sign Manual authorizing the Governor of Lower Canada to Constitute a Special Council" "for the Affairs of Our said Province of Lower Canada; and for that purpose to appoint or authorize the Governor to appoint such and so many Special Councillors as to us should seem meet..."

On May 29th 1838 Durham landed in Lower Canada. His administration was warmly endorsed by the English minority in Lower Canada, the moderate reformers in Upper Canada and the American government, as well as the authorities at home.

DOCUMENT #5, Parliamentary Paper #325, August 2'1d 1838, pp. 10

On August 2nd 1838, the Colonial Department printed "Copies of all Appointments made by the Earl of Durham to the Special Council of Lower Canada; and Copies of all Ordinances passed in such Special Council, together with the Dates of the same respectively; of any Proclamation issued by the Earl of Durham on the 28th of June last; and all Minutes of the Proceedings of the Special Council of Lower Canada on the 28th of June last" "The first Step which I took on my Arrival was to examine most carefully the List of Prisoners and the Depositions affecting each...I next applied myself...to the Discouragement of any Notion of the Possibility of a general Amnesty, and announced that my Determination was to punish the guilty and to extend Mercy to the misguided...I passed an Ordinance by which the Prisoners who pleaded guilty are transported from the Continent of America during her Majesty's Pleasure. M. Papineau and his Associates, who fled from Justice, are prevented form re-entering the Province...That it shall and may be lawful for Her Majesty to transport to the Island of Bermuda the said prisoners..."

When the British government refused to sanction an ordinance exiling a handful of political prisoners to Bermuda, Durham submitted his letter of resignation September 29th 1838 and sailed from Quebec November 1st 1838 to England where in January 1839 he completed his famous Report on the Affairs of British North America or The Durham Report.

His major recommendation was to reunite the Canadas in order to accelerate the assimilation of the French Canadians, whom he characterized as a people without a history or a culture; the union of the Canadas (Act of Union) and the unified Province of Canada were brought into effect in 1841.

He also recommended a reorganization of the system of colonial government, but the British government refused to accept the principle of Responsible Government.

The Durham Report was controversial for recommending the assimilation of the French Canadians through a union of Upper and Lower Canada; Durham became a loathed figure among French Canadians. However, Durham's Report is generally regarded to have played an important role in the development of Canadian democracy and political autonomy from Britain, through its support for responsible government.