He just won't stop

Another Durham gem that is sure to engender controversy/hatred of the author:

There can hardly be conceived a nationality more destitute of all that can invigorate and elevate a people, than that which is exhibited by the descendants of the French in Lower Canada, owing to their retaining their peculiar language and manners. They are a people with no history, and no literature.

How to make people hate you

There are many lessons that can be learned from Lord Durham and his report. Sometimes he explains how proper administrative structures matter, sometimes he demonstrates that colonists will be the main victims of their own mistakes in a democratic context, and, most importantly, he demonstrates how to get the better part of a country's linguistic group to hate him for the rest of time.

I think the following quote does a good job of demonstrating this last point:

A plan by which it is proposed to ensure the tranquil government of Lower Canada, must include in itself the means of putting an end to the agitation of national disputes in the legislature, by settling, at once and for ever the national character of the Province. I entertain no doubts as to the national character which must be given to Lower Canada; it must be that of the British Empire; that of the majority of the population of British North America; that of the great race which must, in the lapse of no long period of time, be predominant over the whole North American continent.

Of course, he doesn't stop there. He goes on and on impending dominance of the English and their way of life, really cementing his place in history.

Wisdom from Durham

In justifying a greater degree of independence for the colonies of British North America, Durham suggests that

The colonists may not always know what laws are the best for them, or which of their countrymen are the fittest for conducting their affairs; but, at least, they have a greater interest in coming to a right judgement on these points, and will take greater pains to do so than those whose welfare is remotely and slightly affected by the good or bad legislation of these portions of the Empire. If the colonists make bad laws, and select improper persons to conduct their affairs, they will generally be the only, always the greatest, sufferers; and, like the people of other countries, they must bear the ills which they bring on themselves, until they choose to apply the remedy.

While he doesn't seem have a lot of faith in the 'colonists,' I do think his broader point makes some sense.

Why Durham wants taxes

Just a few pages later one gets Durham's assessment of the previously described (somewhat anemic) revenue stream:

This immunity from taxation has sometimes been spoken of as a great privilege of the people of Lower Canada, and a great proof of the justice and benevolence of their government. The description which I have given of the singularly defective provision made for the discharge of the most important duties of both the general and the local government will, I think, make it appear that this apparent saving of the pockets of the people has been caused by their privation of many of the institutions which every civilized community ought to possess. A people can hardly be congratulated on having had at little cost a rude and imperfect administration of justice, hardly the semblance of police, no public provision for education, lighting, and bad pavements in its cities, and means of communication so imperfect, that the loss of time, and wear and tear caused in taking any article to market, may probably be estimated at ten times the expense of good roads.

It seems that Durham might have been an early supporter of something approximating our contemporary welfare state.

Government revenue in Canada before Canada was Canada

Because I have already introduced the concept of municipal finance today, it seems appropriate for me to also include what Durham had to say about the source of government revenue in the 1830s

With the exception of the small amount now derived from the casual and territorial funds, the public revenue of Lower Canada is derived from duties imposed, partly by imperial and partly by provincial statutes. These duties are, in great proportion, levied upon articles imported into the Colony from Great Britain and foreign countries; they are collected at the principal ports by officers of the Imperial Customs.

At the time of the writing of the report the total revenue collected was about £100 000.

My how things have changed since those old pre-income tax and pre-welfare state days.

We're not so innocent

Many observers of the Canadian political system, myself included, take pride in (or at least appreciate) the fact that Canadian legislation is not burdened with unrelated amendments and riders (the range of goals associated with this practice potentially being quite varied). This, of course, is in contrast to the (perceived) frequent occurrence of this practice in the US.

Not surprisingly, it turns out that Canada hasn't always been free of this practice. It seems that in the pre-Durham/United Province of Canada days the existence of this practice was something that Durham highlighted and repudiated in his report

As Durham was kind enough to note,

“A singular instance of this occurred in 1836 with respect to the renewal of the Jury Law, to which the Assembly attached great importance, and to which the Legislative Council felt a strong repugnance, on account of its having in effect placed the juries entirely in the hands of the French portion of the population. In order to secure the renewal of this law, the Assembly coupled it in the same Bill, by which it renewed the tolls of the Lachine Canal, calculating on the Council not venturing to defeat a measure of so much importance to the revenue of the latter, by resisting the former. The Council, however, rejected the Bill; and thus the Canal remained toll-free for a whole season, because the two Houses differed about a jury law.”