104 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



banking and all trade questions, in the list of federal powers manifests, 

 again, the intention to give the central government greater power than 

 the United States government enjoyed. The federal Court of Appeal 

 was a natural capping-stone for the structure. 



Another interesting feature of the outline is the proposal to make 

 the provinces direct grants from the federal treasury, a device which 

 would incidentally give each province a direct "pecuniary interest 

 in the authority of the federal government," and thus strengthen still 

 further the central structure. The method suggested, the division 

 of the federal surplus revenue among the provinces, bears a greater 

 resemblance to the Australian than the Canadian plan of a fixed per 

 capita grant actually adopted, but the principle of provincial sub- 

 sidies is definitely laid down. 



On the whole. Gait's sketch of the proposed constitution is a 

 very close anticipation of the plan actually adopted, and makes it 

 clear that already by 1858 some at least had thought to good purpose 

 upon the great theme which soon all were to have in mind. 



