34 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



The Legislative Council of the old colony of British Columbia 

 had consisted of fifteen members; by the Act of Union the number 

 was increased to twenty-three, but without any distribution of seats. 

 Governor Seymour allotted them as follows: five to members of his 

 executive council; nine to magistrates selected by himself; and nine 

 to persons elected by the people, being five from the mainland and 

 four from the island; all to hold office for two years. ^ It will thus be 

 seen that fourteen of the twenty-three members were directly selected 

 and appointed by the Governor. Thus, in the eyes of the community, 

 the Legislative Council was divided into fourteen "official" members 

 and nine "popular" members. Technically the whole body was 

 appointed by the Governor; but, as regards the popular members, 

 he, in practice, always appointed those who had obtained the majority 

 of votes in the election. 



The first session of this Legislative Council was held in January, 

 1867. In his opening speech Seymour referred to the depressed 

 condition of the colony as "the considerable, though I trust temporary, 

 depression existing in several parts of the colony," and later: "Gloomy 

 as our present position may be, I think we can look to the future with 

 confidence," and yet later: "Great as is the present temporary financial 

 embarrassment"; but in it all he had no suggestion to make for the 

 betterment of the existing condition; he could only "trust" and 

 "hope."^ Governor Seymour, in truth, was a drifter, not a builder. 

 "Laissez-faire" might well have been his motto. The Quebec Confer- 

 ence in the resolution expressing the desire for federation of the 

 British North American provinces had included the statement "pro- 

 vision being made for the admission into the union on equitable terms 

 of the North West Territory, British Columbia, and Vancouver 

 Island";^ and after years of discussion the Act was before Parliament; 

 but not one word had he upon the subject. 



The people were, however, watching the progress of events, and in 

 public meetings were already considering the abstract question: 

 "Resolved that it is desirable that this colony should be united to the 

 British North American Confederation." 



In March, 1867, while the British North America Act was passing 

 through Parliament, Amor DeCosmos, one of the popular members 

 and an early and consistent advocate of union with Canada, intro- 

 duced into the Legislative Council a motion upon the subject of 

 Confederation. Its consideration was adjourned for one week to 



^Seymours' Letters, January 17, 1867 in Union Papers, pt. Ill, p. 37. 



-Union Papers, pt. Ill, p. 39. 



'Canadian Historical Review, vol. I, p. 32. 



