[boueinot] builders OF NOVA SCOTLA 187 



Thie formieir would be miOist oonveniemt for me, for I should live in the midst 

 of imy constituemts'. If we have a ooinfederaitiion of all the Provinces, the 

 capital sihould be Quebec^-the natural foaitress — >the Gibraltar of British 

 America. Montreal is indefensible, and I put Halifax out of the question, 

 as it is mot central. 



But suppose, sir, we wiere united to-inorrow. Mi&hit we no,t have some 

 diversities of In'terest ? It is just probaible that the farmers of Western 

 Canada, in their anxiety to gat thjedr wlheajt into the United States, mig-ht 

 throw our fisheries overboard. The memiber for Annapolis hopes such would 

 not be the case ; so do I. But he will agree with tme, that the inteirests 

 of all the Colonies are mot ithe same in every respect ; and what we have 

 to fear is, that the smaller Provinces may be swamped, and their interests 

 saorifioed, for the benefit of tlieir more populous meiiffhlbiouTis. Past experience 

 leads me to g-uard agiainst such a oomting'enoy, for I know .tlhat in negotiatioms 

 wiiich deeply stirred the hopes of our peorple, Canada has been satisfied to sac- 

 rifioe natiomal and provincial imterests, for mot very wieiffhity nor very worthy 

 consideratioms. 



There is yet another position, Mr. Chairman, which North America may 

 aspire to ; and to my mind it presents a solution of all the difficulties which 

 attach to this question in other directions. I think the time is raipidly 

 approaching, w4ien there must be Infused into the Britisih Empire an element 

 of strength which has scarcely yet been regarded. North America must ere 

 long claim consolidation into the realm of England as an integral portion of 

 the Empire, or she will hoist her own flag. Let us loiok at this proposition 

 In its biroadest light and in its local bearings. We lare, and ever will be, a 

 commercial people. It iis our interest to have free trade, and close alliance 

 wLtih the largest number of humian beings wiho produce and consume ; who 

 have commodities to carry, and who will give the greatest activity to our 

 commercial marine ; provided always, that our security and honour can be 

 as well maintained. Suppose Nova Scotia were to form a union with New 

 Bmnswick and Canada, to-morrow, and they wetre all to withdrarw from the 

 empire, as they will, if not elevated to equality with their British brethren. 

 Sir, I do not undervalue the olaimis or stalnding of the Ooloinies ; but we wiould 

 withdraw from an empira peopled by hundreds of millions, and unite 

 our fortunes with but two and a half millions of people, with an 

 exposed frontier of fifteen hundred miles, and with no fleets and armies to 

 spare, to proteict our sea coast. Suppose we should prefer annexation to an 

 independent national existence ; we should become allied to but thirty mil- 

 lions ; and though the proportionate advantages would be greater, the loss 

 by withdrawing from the mother country would be immense. We should be 

 part of thirty millions of people, it is true ; but they have neither troops 

 nor ships of war to spare to aid us in any great emergency, and they would 

 have enough to do to defend themselves. Now, sir, let me claim your atten- 

 tion for a moment, while I develop another view of this question. What Is 

 tihe British Empire ? Look at tihe outlying portions of it, which contain : — 



Inhabitants. 



West Indies 900.000 



Australia 307,645 



Africa 218,908 



Ceylon 1,506,326 



Mauritius 159,243 



New Zealand 204,000 



India 94,210,218 



97,506,240 



