44 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



first member of the House of Commons for the district, expressed the 

 view of the colonists: "There can be no question as to the almost 

 unanimous feeling throughout the colony in favour of Confederation. 

 Public meetings have been held everywhere, from the mountains to 

 the sea, from Victoria to Cariboo. The entire press of the colony, 

 whatever their opinions on other questions may be, holds but one on 

 this. Even the Government has declared in its favour; but though 

 the Legislative Council of 1867 passed a resolution in favour of Con- 

 federation, the official members, in the session of 1868, annulled that 

 resolution on the ground that delay was necessary. Delay! — delay 

 for what ? To enable them to retain their offices a little longer, and 

 stave off, for a year at least, the inevitable event which must seal 

 their doom."' 



In September, 1868, a convention met in Yale to discuss and take 

 united action upon Confederation and its allied questions. Twenty- 

 six delegates, including three members of the Legislative Council, 

 were present, representing Victoria, Metchosin, Salt Spring Island, 

 Esquimau, New Westminster, Burrard Inlet, Harrison River, Yale, 

 Lytton, Lac La Hache, Williams Lake, Quesnel, and Cariboo. Their 

 deliberations occupied three days, and covered every phase of colonial 

 affairs. The convention affirmed the terms of union presented by 

 Mr. DeCosmos in 1868 and voted down the official majority. They 

 condemned the existing form of government; the Executive Council, 

 they declared, was "irresponsible or not accountable to the people for 

 the administration of its respective departments and under the 

 present constitution is but an echo of the Governor and generally 

 antagonistic to the well-being of the colony." As regards the Legis- 

 lative Council the convention stated: "That the officials who form a 

 m.ajority of the Council vote as the Executive intimates whenever 

 required, and that, consequently, the majority of the Council has no 

 real independence, is a sham legislature, the Governor and Executive 

 Council being virtually the Legislature of the colony." The civil list, 

 the administration of the colony, the debt and the increasing taxation 

 were all discussed, and the attitude of the Governor and his satellites 

 severely criticised.^ 



The resolutions of the convention were forwarded to Governor 

 Seymour. "Let not even His Excellency, the Governor, venture to 

 sneer at it (the convention) in his dispatches," said Mr. Robson. The 

 committee, who handed these resolutions to Seymour, requested him 

 "to take such measures as may determine, at the earliest possible 



1 Begg's History of British Columbia, p. 379. 

 * Confederation Papers, pp. 18-26. 



