The first general election in 1841 was marked by considerable threats of violence and intimidation by supporters of one of the candidates,
Michael McCulloch. McCulloch was a supporter of the Governor General,
Lord Sydenham, who was trying to ensure that as many English-speaking members were elected from Canada East, part of the British government's policy of assimilation of French-Canadians. The reform candidate was
Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine, who was campaigning on a policy of a reform alliance between Canada East and Canada West, to achieve popular control of the government by means of
responsible government. LaFontaine's "Address to the Electors of Terrebonne" set out his platform of constitutional changes and other reforms. Terrebonne had a French-Canadian majority, but the riding was targeted by Sydenham and McCulloch's supporters as a constituency that could return an English-speaking supporter of the union. One of the English-language newspapers made this point expressly in the run-up to the election: At this time, it was not unknown for the supporters of a candidate to try to take control of the poll and prevent the supporters of the other candidates from voting. The single poll was intentionally located in
New Glasgow, one of the few towns in the constituency that had an English-speaking majority. Lafontaine led his supporters in a march to New Glasgow, which was distant from the centre of the constituency. Many of his group were armed with clubs and pitchforks, which was not uncommon in the elections. As they approached the poll, they encountered a group of six or seven hundred supporters of McCulloch, most armed with clubs, some with firearms. Many of them had been brought in from other parts of the province. Sporadic fighting began to break out, with blood-stains appearing on the snow. The danger of violence and risks to personal safety of his supporters was so great that LaFontaine was forced to withdraw his candidacy to avoid major bloodshed. As the sole candidate with voters at the poll, McCulloch was elected.
Robert Baldwin, one of the leaders of the
reform movement in Canada West, proposed that Lafontaine then stand for election in a by-election in an electoral district in Canada West,
York 4th. Lafontaine did so and was elected as a member from Canada West. Baldwin's proposal was one of the starting points for the alliance between Baldwin and Lafontaine, which ultimately led to the establishment of
responsible government in the Province of Canada in 1849. == Abolition ==