Public men and public life in Canada; the story of the Canadian confederacy, being recollections of Parliament and the press and embracing a succinct account of the stirring events which led to the confederation of British North America into the Dominion of Canada . sank into insignificance when comparedwith the gorgeous manner in which the ball-roomwas decorated and ornamented. To give a descrip-tion of the scene which met the eye of those whoentered would be utterly impossible. To be realizedit must have been seen. What with banners, paint-ings, mottoes, fountains, crowns and other devicesma
Public men and public life in Canada; the story of the Canadian confederacy, being recollections of Parliament and the press and embracing a succinct account of the stirring events which led to the confederation of British North America into the Dominion of Canada . sank into insignificance when comparedwith the gorgeous manner in which the ball-roomwas decorated and ornamented. To give a descrip-tion of the scene which met the eye of those whoentered would be utterly impossible. To be realizedit must have been seen. What with banners, paint-ings, mottoes, fountains, crowns and other devicesmade by means of gaslight, the ball-room presenteda scene so brilliant that common mortals almostfancied they had been suddenly transported to someenchanted palace by the magic wand of some modernmagician. About nine oclock the immense roombegan to fill, and ere ten oclock most of the guests 89 PUBLIC MEN AND PUBLIC LIFE IN CANADA had arrived. About this time it was estimated thatthere were about five thousand people was supplied by the Rochester Band and theBand of the Royal Canadian Rifles, to whose thrill-ing strains many tripped it on the light fantastictoe until daylight, when the gas was turned off andthe brilliant scene closed forever. 90. o O Pi o op I—( W< I—I CHAPTER IX SNAPSHOTS OF POLITICAL CELEBRITIES Toronto having become the capital, and the ten-sion between the two Provinces being steadily on theincrease, deep interest was manifested both in Upperand Lower Canada in the approaching session of theParliament of 1856. The Houses met on the 15th February with thecustomary military display, and for the first time Ilooked from the reporters gallery upon the assem-bled wisdom of Canada. These first impressionsare vividly recalled. They were tinged with feelingsakin to awe, but quite favourable to the appearanceand capacity of Canadian legislators. The old Par-liament Buildings, still existing but sadly degener-ated, seemed an imposing edifice in thos
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