In early 1838, there were cross-border raids into Essex county from the American side of the boundary, by groups known as the Hunter Patriots, who wanted to establish American-style republicanism in Upper Canada.
[1] The Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada, Sir George Arthur, considered that Prince acquitted himself well in leading the militia forces under his command.
Prince led the militia in dispersing the attack, but also gave the order for execution of anyone who was captured.
Sitting as an independent Reformer, he was successful in getting legislation enacted which was of general benefit to his constituents, including the creation of the Western District bank, land titles regulation, and close season game laws.
Following the rebellion in Upper Canada, and the similar rebellion in 1837–1838 in Lower Canada (now Quebec), the British government decided to merge the two provinces into a single province, as recommended by Lord Durham in the Durham Report.
[2][3] Despite facing public criticism for the executions of the Hunter Patriots, a duel, a court martial and a debate in Parliament over his actions, Prince was reelected from Essex in 1841, 1844, 1847 and 1851.
[4] He did not participate in the vote on the proposal for the merger of Upper Canada with Lower Canada, as recommended in Lord Durham's Report, but he gave it general support, although he later expressed reservations about some of the provisions of the Union Act, 1840.
[1] Although he had supported the suppression of the rebellion in 1837, Prince was consistent to the theme of independence during his time in the Assembly.
[1] Towards the end of his life, Prince's thoughts on independence had evolved to the point where he questioned whether he should have defended Canada and the monarchy.
Canadian historian Fred Landon refers to Prince in the 1850s as being a duplicitous politician.In the 1850s...there was more prejudice [against the African Diaspora] in Chatham, due in part to the attitude of a member for parliament for Essex County, who did not hesitate to declare himself the refugees' friend when an election impended, but blackguarded (disparaged) the race at other times, even on the floor of the Canadian Parliament.