Cochran, Andrew William. Eight letters to Roderick Mackenzie, 1823-1837. An electronic transcription. MFTP #0004

have heard of them, promise favourably enough for Sir Robt Peel's Ministry; — especially as the returns of which we have certain accounts are from the very worst of the constituencies, — the boroughs and towns, where the poorer & worse class of voters have the most influence.

Lord Aberdeen who has got the Seals of the Colonies has the character of an able man; I wish the Governor could have received his commands before opening the Session[.] I think they may be expected next week, as we see that dispatches left the Colonial office on the 8th Jany, — no doubt by the regular January mail; but they might to have sent them by New York[.] Yet we can hardly hope that the new Minister would have had time between the 20th December when he got the keys of the office boxes, and the 8th January, to make himself master of our long standing difficulties and to come to a well matured decision as to the best remedy for them; and I very much fear that if he sould take up that which he would have found prepared to his hand by his predecessor, we should find it any thing but a cure for our evils[.] There is one satisfaction we have, that the Duke of Wellington three years ago had a clear insight (as you may have seen by a Protest of his in the Lords, published last week in the Quebec Mercury) into one great cause of the embarassments of Govt, the transfer to the Assembly of the uncontrouled power over the 14th of the King.

The Assembly will immediately apply to the Govr, as soon as they have answered his Speech (if they do answer it at all) for an advance of money in account of their contingencies for their last and present year; and

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