that it was a breach of the conditions, for United States settlers to endeavour to occupy the country by force. The abandonment of the posts by the British he looked upon as a concession granted from their being without the limits of Canada. But as they were retained owing to the nonfulfilment of certain clauses of the treaty, these clauses having been violated, the treaty was not binding in other respects. These opinions appear to me to be clearly traceable in Simcoe's letters.

So long as sir Alured Clarke, as lieutenant-governor of Quebec, remained in command of the forces, there was no friction of authority. Clarke himself looked forward shortly to return home, and no point of unpleasantness presented itself. On Dorchester's return it was no longer the same. Dorchester conceived that Simcoe was his official subordinate, and, in the pressure of circumstances in which Canada was placed, enforced his own views. It was Simcoe's opinion that the capital of Upper Canada should be established on the Thames, approximately where the city of London now stands. Dorchester's view was that Toronto should be selected. Simcoe conceived that Toronto should be fortified and made a station for the shipping of lake Ontario. Dorchester gave the preference to Kingston, and objected to any fortifications being constructed at Toronto. Simcoe desired to retain as strong a force in Upper Canada as the number of the troops would permit; on the ground, that their withdrawal would destroy with the Indians all confidence in the power of Great Britain. Dorchester felt the necessity of concentrating in Lower Canada, for the defence of Quebec, what men he had at his disposal. Simcoe, before leaving London, had entered into a correspondence with Dundas, which he likewise continued from Niagara with the duke of Portland. He constantly wrote to Hammond, the British minister at Philadelphia. Thus he was in no way prepared to have his plans opposed and set aside.

He had written to Dundas in June, 1794, pointing out the

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ESTABLISHMENT OF CITIES.

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between himself and Dorchester as to the selection of a harbour, and at some length had sustained by argument the opinion why his policy should be observed.

Finding that his repeated representations did not obtain the attention which he felt they deserved, in December, 1795, he applied for leave of absence on account of ill health, recommending the senior councillor, Peter Russell, as the most suitable to administer the government. He added, if leave could not be granted, he wished to resign his office. Thus his retirement from his government was entirely his own act.

One of Simcoe's arguments in advocacy of his policy of establishing the posts he had recommended, on the Thames, Long-point, lake Erie, and at Matchedash bay, was his theory that the true principle for the establishment of future towns was to begin by quartering troops in a locality, "to create a solid and permanent system which would never spring up merely from agriculture, and would be late indeed if left to the culture of mercantile monopoly."

The experiences of a century have proved these theories to be entirely untenable. Indeed, it may be asserted as a broad principle that there are no means of artificially founding a city. If established for a purpose, the place attains the importance incident to the objects which have led to its being, but it does not go beyond them. No place can attain importance except from the direct influences which have called forth its prosperity, and as they prevail, or as they cease, the impetus of growth is regulated. The several military stations in Canada have remained more or less villages. In the province of Quebec, Sorel, Chambly, Laprairie, Saint John's, during the occupation of them by the garrisons, remained stationary. The access of population of late years apparent is traceable alone to the introduction of manufactures and to the commercial activity called forth by the increased prosperity of the surrounding district. Blairfindie, between Chambly and Saint John's, which, during the war of 1812, was occupied by some squadrons of the

cavalry regiment then in Canada, has so passed out of notice as not even to contain a post-office at a period when by political influence post-offices are established broadcast. Amherstburg, in Ontario, at the entrance of the Detroit river, is quietude itself. If Hamilton and London have become large and important cities, it is from being the centres of a rich farming district. The contrary, however, was Simcoe's theory, and he held it to be unanswerable.

Simcoe appears to have had little thought of the war with France, as it might affect Lower Canada, or that it was Dorchester's duty to be prepared for any expedition against Quebec. If we are to judge Simcoe by his letters, he regarded his principal duty to be the protection of Upper Canada against attack from the United States, and that this view should take precedence of all other considerations. In 1793 and 1794, until the wisdom of Washington led to Jay's mission to England, the violence of the republican party in its unfriendliness to Great Britain gave too much ground for the belief in the possibility of war. But when Dundas read Simcoe's letters, Jay had been in London upwards of three months, and Dundas had written his reproof to Dorchester for his address to the Miami Indians. Dundas never shewed particular friendliness to Dorchester, but he must have smiled somewhat grimly when, with the knowledge of the satisfactory progress of the negotiations with the United States, Simcoe complained that, in place of fortifying Toronto, Dorchester desired to secure the harbour of Kingston, "regarding the Saint Lawrence as the point of principal attention."

Simcoe brought to the notice of Dundas the fact that, owing to the defalcations of the superintendent at Michillimackinac, McKee had been assigned the additional duty of superintendence of that post. A court of inquiry had lately been held there, and it had been found that nearly one-half of the stores had been purloined. Simcoe suggested that McKee should be made an executive counsellor for Upper Canada, and constituted the president of a superintending

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committee, controlling the policy to be observed towards the Indians and reporting through Simcoe to Dorchester. Such a step would have placed under Simcoe's control the policy observed towards the Indians. Indeed, he asserted that it was not possible for the Indian affairs to be properly directed from Quebec. It was, in reality, one of the many instances of his endeavour to increase his powers and make himself independent of the governor-in-chief.

A proceeding of Simcoe setting discipline at defiance was the appointment of a captain McGill to purchase provisions for the troops in Upper Canada, independently of Dorchester's consent and without reference to the commissariat. Dorchester pointed out that the department might be thrown into confusion, and sent the treasury orders for Simcoe's consideration.*

A similar instance occurred in the Indian department. Dorchester, embarrassed by the absence in England of the superintendent general, sir John Johnson, in December, 1794, appointed McKee superintendent general and requested his attendance at Quebec. On his non-arrival, Dorchester addressed Simcoe, repeating his orders for McKee to proceed to Montreal, and asking explanations for delay. †

In reply to Dorchester's letters, Simcoe gave as the reason of McKee not having made the journey, that he was not present; and, as McKee could not return before May, he recommended that another officer should be employed.

In the spring of 1795, Simcoe again applied to Dorchester to make changes in the Indian department, basing the request upon a letter he had received from Dundas. The changes asked, he said, were grounded upon the determination to include them in the new commission to be issued to sir John Johnson. Dorchester replied by "sending for his satisfaction" copies of a letter he had himself written to lord Grenville, proposing an alteration in the commission, with an extract of

*

[Can. Arch., Q. 71, p. 221, 20th of October, 1794.]

+ [Can. Arch., Q. 71.2, p. 261, 26th of December, 1794. Ib., 21st of January, 1795, p. 292.]

a letter from Dundas on the subject. Dorchester could only suppose that the letter alluded to by Simcoe had been written by a clerk through some error, as it was so at variance with the spirit of his letter to lord Grenville. What was a proof of the correctness of this view was the text of the commission of sir John Johnson, an extract of which he enclosed; it had been drawn up in accord with Dorchester's recommendation. Dorchester added that he had no power to make the alterations asked, nor did his judgment allow him to recommend or approve them.

Even after the ratification of Jay's treaty, when all questions in dispute with the United States had been settled, Simcoe argued for the retention of troops in Upper Canada, urging that his whole system, and no particular part of it, had met with Dundas' approval. Dorchester replied to this attempt to override his authority by saying that he had conceived from the language of Dundas, addressed to himself, signifying his approval of Simcoe's views "being concise, general and unlimited," that he had sent all the necessary powers and instructions for carrying them into execution. "I did not apprehend," continues Dorchester, "that he (Dundas) expected more from me than that I should observe, he had suspended the powers granted by the king's commission to the commander in chief of his majesty's forces in North America, as well as the power of the governor of Upper Canada, so far as the complete execution of your projects might require. I flattered myself that my passive acquiescence in this suspension would fully answer Mr. Dundas' intentions, and I could but acknowledge the propriety and wisdom of placing the execution of this entire system in your own hands."

He proceeded to say that he had considered himself as wholly disengaged from the smallest interference, but if, contrary to all expectation, he must act, he must be directed by his own judgment, or "by distinct and precise orders from those whose station may qualify his obedience." It was his intention, as soon as the evacuation of the upper