[howay] governor SEYMOUR AND CONFEDERATION 37 



held on 28th January, 1868, to consider the subject. A lengthy 

 memorial was prepared, setting forth the resolution of the Legislative 

 Council and its approval by the residents of Victoria and Cariboo, 

 the two most influential and populous centres; that the newspapers 

 as a whole supported the movement; that, while a small party favored 

 annexation to the United States, there were others, including the 

 office holders, who opposed confederation; that, so far as could be 

 learned, the Governor had not made any proposition to the Dominion 

 Government relative to the admission of the colony; that the majority 

 of the Legislative Council "consisting of heads of Departments, Gold 

 Commissioners, Magistrates, and others, subject to Government 

 influence, can not be relied upon to urge on Confederation as it ought 

 to be at the present juncture;" and, therefore, that the Dominion 

 Government be asked to request the Imperial Government to issue 

 instructions with as little delay as possible to Governor Seymour to 

 conclude the negotiation along the line of certain terms therein set 

 out. The Mayor of Victoria and six prominent citizens were appointed 

 a committee to interview the Governor and urge him to work actively 

 in the issue. ^ 



Thus early in the discussion the opinion became crystallised that 

 the Governor was the great stumbling block; that his hostility, or, at 

 any rate, indifference to the project had caused a change in the views 

 of the official members even before such alteration had become officially 

 known; arid that the only method whereby results could be obtained 

 was by direct instructions to him as a colonial officer. That he did 

 on various occasions exercise his influence on the official members to 

 obtain action desired by him is admitted by Seymour in his corres- 

 pondence.^ 



On 6th March, 1868, the Dominion Government, adopting the 

 suggestion contained in the memorial, recommended that the Governor 

 General "communicate to his Grace, the Duke of Buckingham, a 

 copy of the memorial and resolutions referred to and request his 

 Grace to instruct Governor Seymour to take such steps as may be 

 deemed proper to move the Legislative Council of British Columbia 

 to further action in terms of the Imperial Act."^ 



Two weeks later the session of the Legislative Council for 1868 

 was opened. In referring to the confederation resolution of the 

 preceding year the Governor said: "Although I could not be blind to 

 difficulties which made me consider the resolution principally as the 



^ Daily British Colonist, March 27, 1868. 

 2 Union Papers, pt. Ill, pp. 35, 38, 39. 

 * Confederation Papers, p. 5. 



