User:Mr Serjeant Buzfuz/Russell Resolutions

The Russell Resolutions (also known as the Ten Resolutions) were a set of resolutions passed by the British House of Commons in 1837, dealing with the colonial government of Lower Canada. They were introduced by Lord John Russell, the Home Secretary, in response to the Ninety-Two Resolutions passed by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1834.

The Ninety-Two Resolutions had criticised the constitutional structure of Lower Canada, including the powers of the governor (appointed by the a British government) and the Legislative Council (whose members were appointed for life by the governor) and had demanded greater control of the colonial government by the Assembly. The Russell Resolutions rejected the proposals put forward in the Ninety-Two Resolutions.

The British government's rejection of the Ninety-Two Resolutions was a significant contributing factor to the outbreak of the Lower Canada Rebellion in November 1837.

Background: Constitutional issues in Lower Canada
Lower Canada was created in 1791 by the Constitutional Act 1791, passed by the British Parliament. The act divided the old Province of Quebec into Lower Canada (covering what is now southern Quebec) and Upper Canada (covering what is now southern Ontario. It created the constitutional structure for Lower Canada, modelled on the British Parliament:  an elected Legislative Assembly;  an appointed Legislative Council;  and the Governor, appointed by the British government.

Royal Commission into Lower Canada
Gosford Commission

Passage of the Russell Resolutions
The Resolutions were drafted in February and March of 1837, and circulated prior to their introduction. Russell then began to introduce them in the House of Commons, beginning on March 6, 1837, with each resolution being debated and voted on separately.

An initial procedural amendment was made to prevent the resolutions from being considered. That amendment was defeated on a recorded division of 152 to 124. Debates on the resolutions then proceeded over the next ## days, with each resolution being considered separately. The first three resolutions passed, without a recorded division. The fourth, rejecting the proposal to make the Legislative Council elective, was passed, after an amendment to make the Council elective was defeated on a division of 318 to 56.

Political impact in Lower Canada
Assembly of the Six Counties

melt spoons into bullets

outbreak of hostilities, St Denis