2009-04
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2009
Report on The Affairs of British North America From The Earl of Durham..., London, 1839, 9" x 13," 120pp. VG. ... plus, "Appendix to Report on The Affairs of British North America From The Earl of Durham...," London, 1839, 9" x 13," 64pp., VG. The notable British Whig politician John George Lambton, 1st Earl of Durham, was sent to the Canadas in 1838 to investigate and report on the causes of the rebellions of 1837-38. Durham recommended that Upper and Lower Canada be united into one province, which would give British Canadians a slight advantage in population. He also encouraged immigration to Canada from Britain, to overwhelm the existing numbers of French Canadians and hopefully assimilate them into British culture. He also recommended responsible government, in which the governor general would be a figurehead and the legislative assembly would hold a great deal of power. In the responsible government, the legislative assembly would be elected by the people. The party with majority would hold power and as long as they held support, they would keep power. The general conclusions of the report that pertained to self governance were enacted in Australia and New Zealand and other mostly ethnically British colonies. The report became a Magna Carta for representative self government.
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