Section II, 1921 [15] Traxs R.S.C. 



Coventor Mus grave and Confederation 



By His Honour Judge F. W. Howay, LL.B., F.R.S.C. 



(Read May Meeting, 1921) 



In my paper last year I sketched the connection of Governor 

 Seymour with the Confederation movement in British Columbia, 

 showing that the Legislative Council, when the subject was first 

 introduced in 1867, was unanimously in its favour; that before the 

 opening of the session of 1868 the opinion of all the "official" and of 

 certain of the "popular" members had cooled into apathy and 

 indifference, (if no worse), which in the following year developed into 

 downright opposition; and that the Governor was regarded, and 

 rightly regarded, as the person mainly responsible for this altered 

 attitude. 



Seymour died on board H.M.S. Sparrowhawk at Bella Coola on 

 10th June, 1869. The news reached Victoria on the 14th and was 

 immediately transmitted to Downing Street. The next day a notifi- 

 cation was received from Lord Granville that Anthony Musgrave 

 would be appointed in his stead. This unusual celerity was only 

 indirectly connected with the late Governor's views on Confederation; 

 Seymour, who was in poor health, had applied for leave of absence, 

 and Musgrave had, in accordance with Sir John A. Macdonald's 

 wish, been fixed upon as his successor.^ 



Musgrave was appointed 16th June, 1869. The official intima- 

 tion of his appointment, da'ted the following day, contained this 

 sentence: "I shall have occasion to address you on the question now 

 in agitation of the incorporation of British Columbia with the 

 Dominion of Canada." In pursuance of this intention Lord Gran- 

 ville, on 14th August, 1869, dealt with the subject in a lengthy de- 

 spatch. "The question," he said, "therefore presents itself, whether 

 this single colony should be excluded from the great body politic 

 which is thus forming itself. On this question the colony itself does 

 not appear to be unanimous. But as far as I can judge from the 

 despatches which have reached me, I should conjecture that the 

 prevailing opinion was in favour of union. I have no hesitation in 

 stating that such is also the opinion of Her Majesty's Government." 

 After marshalling the arguments in favour of Confederation he 

 announced that he felt "bound on an occasion like the present to 

 give for the consideration of the community and the guidance of Her 



