Robert Baldwin ( May 12 , 1804 – December 9 , 1858 ) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who , with his political partner Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine , led the first responsible ministry in Canada . " Responsible Government " marked the country 's democratic independence , without a revolution , although not without violence . This achievement also included the introduction of municipal government , the introduction of a modern legal system and the Canadian Jury system , and the abolishing of imprisonment for debt . Baldwin is also noted for resisting a decades-long tradition of Orange Order terrorism of political reform in the colony , that went so far as to burn the Parliament buildings in Montreal in 1849
burn the Parliament buildings in Montreal in 1849
Burning of the Parliament Buildings in Montreal
Robert Baldwin