Connor, George Skeffington. Born in Ireland. Educated at Trinity College, Dublin. Came to Canada, 1832, with William Hume Blake. Settled on a farm near Lake Simcoe. Called to the bar of Upper Canada, 1842. Sat in the Assembly as a Reformer, 1859-1862; judge of the Court of Queen's Bench, 1863. Died in Toronto, 1863. Bib.: Read, Lives of the Judges.
Conseil Souverain. See Sovereign Council.
Conservative Party. B Organized by Sir John A. Macdonald, out of old Tory party, 69; its debt to Canada First Association, 241. Bib.: Pope, Memoirs of Sir John A. Macdonald; Dent, Last Forty Years.
Constitution. Mc Newspaper, Mackenzie starts, 320; destroyed by mob, 321; draft constitution of provisional government published in, 356.
Constitutional Act, 1791. The Act was designed to harmonize the conflicting interests of French and English by dividing Quebec into two provinces,—Upper and Lower Canada,—thereby giving to each a larger control of its own local affairs. It established in each province a Legislative Council, appointed by the crown for life, and a Legislative Assembly, elected by the people. See other constitutional acts: Quebec Act, 1774; Union Act, 1840; British North America Act, 1867. Index: E Racial and political difficulties arising out of, 17, 18; Clergy Reserves granted by, 102, 119, 145, 150, 151, 158. C Its weak points, 6; constitution suspended after Rebellion of 1837, 11; its faults exposed by Durham, 12-13. B Clergy Reserves originate in, 51, 52. Sy A fatal compromise, 68; meant to confer privileges of British constitution, 73; its actual operation, 74-84; greatly increases power of French majority in Lower Canada, 72, 80. S Introduction of, 1; discussion of, 5-9; passed, 10; provisions of, 10-12; its far-reaching effects, 13; put in force by proclamation, 48. R Its terms and how they were applied, 29-35; Clergy Reserves, 46-47; Ryerson's interpretation of, on question of established church, 78; its effect on religious questions, 103. BL Its terms, 6-7; Pitt and Burke on, 6; Grenville on, 7; Simcoe on, 7; its results, 8; intended to obviate racial conflict, 8; makes landed provision for Church of England, 42, 343-344. P Divides Canada into two provinces, 21; its shortcomings, 21-23; abuse of personal power under, 24; constitution suspended, 25; suspension recommended by Sir James Craig, 29; Papineau's eulogy of, in 1820, 34-38. Mc Its objects, 48, 49; debate on the bill, 49, 50; handiwork of Pitt, 51; germ of the federal system, 51; divided Canada into two provinces, 52; created Legislative Assembly, 52; created Legislative Council, 52; created Executive Council, 53; General Simcoe on, 54; Goldwin Smith on, 54; Durham's commentary on, 53, 56; recommends revision of, 57; provisions creating Clergy Reserves, 70; effect on parliamentary rule summarized, 71, 72; Mackenzie declares war against, 72; silent on question of executive responsibility, 80; evils of system of government summarized, 73-75; Durham on evils of, 76, 77. Bib.: Bourinot, Parliamentary Procedure and Government and Manual of the Constitutional History of Canada; Houston, Canadian Constitutional Documents; Dominion Archives Report, 1890; Watson, Constitutional History of Canada; Durham, Report; Bradshaw, Self-Government in Canada; Egerton and Grant, Selected Speeches and Despatches relating to Canadian Constitutional History; Kingsford, History of Canada; Shortt and Doughty, Constitutional Documents of Canada.
Constitutional Associations. Sy Of Quebec and Montreal, their aims, 112; send delegations to Upper Canada and to England to urge union of the provinces, 112.
Constitutional Reform Society. BL Organized in Upper Canada, July 16, 1836. Dr William Baldwin, president, Francis Hincks, secretary, 42; its programme, 42.
Cook, Dr. Henry. T Tilley in his service, 7.
Cook, Captain James (1728-1779). Served in Canada during siege of Quebec, 1759. Discovered New Zealand, 1769, and New South Wales, 1770. In his famous voyage of 1776-1778, explored the north-west coast of America. Returning the following year, murdered by the natives of Owhyhee or Hawaii, in the Sandwich Islands. Index: D At Nootka, 14; motive of his voyage to North-West Coast, 17; his skill, courage, and endurance, 19; search for North-West passage, 19; his voyage of 1778, 20; refits his ship at Nootka, 20; names the Sound, 20; denies existence of Fonte's and De Fuca's channels, 21; discovers and names Prince William's Sound and Cook's Inlet, 21; visits Unalaska, 21; sails through and names Bering Strait, 21; reaches the Arctic, 21; killed by natives, at Sandwich Islands, Feb. 14, 1779, 21; his narrative published, 1784, 21. Bib.: Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. For biog., see Besant, Captain Cook; Laut, Vikings of the Pacific; Dict. Nat. Biog.
Cook River. D Named by Captain Cook, 21; Captain Douglas there in 1788, 27, 28.