In 1847 he was appointed Governor General of Canada by the Prime Minister Earl Grey . Under Lord Elgin , the first real attempts began at establishing responsible government in Canada . Lord Elgin became the first Governor General to distance himself from the affairs of the legislature . Since then , the Governor-General has had a largely symbolic role with regards to the political affairs of the country . As Governor-General , he wrestled with the costs of receiving high levels of immigration in the Canadas , a major issue in the constant debate about immigration during the 19th century . In 1849 the Baldwin-Lafontaine government passed the Rebellion Losses Bill , compensating French Canadians for losses suffered during the Rebellions of 1837 . Lord Elgin granted royal assent to the bill despite heated Tory opposition and his own misgivings over how his action would be received in England . The decision sparked the Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal by an English-speaking mob . Elgin was assaulted . Instead of calling in the military , he withdrew his family to their country residence and allowed civil authorities to restore order . The French-speaking minority in the Canadian legislature also unsuccessfully tried to have him removed from his post . However , due to his relations with the United States , his support of the self-government and defence of the colony , and his settlement of the free-trade and fishery questions , he was raised to the British peerage as Baron Elgin in 1849
Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal
Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal
James Bruce, 8th Earl of Elgin