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BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 



British North America it now rests to decide 

 whether the vast tract of country which they 

 inhabit shall be consolidated into a State, com- 

 bining within its area all the elements of na- 

 tional greatness, providing for the security of 

 its component parts, and contributing to the 

 strength and stability of the Empire ; or whether 

 the several Provinces of which it is constituted 

 shall remain in their present fragmentary and 

 isolated condition, comparatively powerless for 

 mutual aid, and incapable of undertaking their 

 proper share of Imperial responsibility." 



In reply to this address the Commons ex- 

 pressed deep regret that outrages had been 

 committed on the commerce and territory of 

 the United States by persons who sought refuge 

 in Canada; they were gratified that a system 

 of detective police had been organized on the 

 frontier line, and at the zeal and activity 1 dis- 

 played by the volunteer force when called upon 

 for active service, and promised that the esti- 

 mates'for this expenditure should receive prompt 

 attention. Other subjects of a local nature were 

 also noticed. This address of the Commons 

 was adopted by a vote of 71 to 17. 



On the 3d of February the then Premier, the 

 late Sir E. P. Tach6, moved in the Legislative 

 Council, " That an humble address be present- 

 ed to her Majesty, praying that she may be 

 graciously pleased to cause a measure to be 

 submitted to the Imperial Parliament for the 

 purpose of uniting the Colonies of Canada, 

 Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, 

 and Prince Edward Island, in one Government, 

 with provisions based on the resolutions which 

 were adopted at a conference of Delegates from 

 the said colonies, held at the city of Quebec on 

 the 10th of October, 1864" (see AXXTTAL CY- 

 CLOPAEDIA), and on the 6th of the same month, 

 the Hon. John A. Macdonald, Attorney-Gen- 

 eral of Upper Canada, as leader in the Legislative 

 Assembly, also moved a similar resolution in a 

 speech of great length and eloquence. He 

 dealt with the question as a whole, entering 

 into its history ; the state of feeling and the 

 balance of parties in the British American 

 Provinces prior to the Conference ; the Con- 

 ference itself, and the feeling of unanimity 

 which prevailed in its deliberations ; the diffi- 

 culties which met them, arising from the differ- 

 ence of nationality, religion, and laws, in the 

 several colonies which were represented;, the 

 mutual advantages of union both in an econom- 

 ical point of view in saving the vast expenses 

 of maintaining separate Governments with all 

 their attendant machinery, and as a means of 

 organization and strength for defensive pur- 

 poses, and also for binding the colonies in 

 closer connection with the mother country, 

 the Constitution of the General Government, 

 and going minutely into all the provisions on 

 this latter point. The importance of the Prov- 

 inces when united he thus describes : 



We find ourselves with a population approaching 

 four millions of souls. Such a population in Europe 

 would make a second, or, at least, a third-rate power. 



And with a rapidly increasing population for I arc 

 satisfied that under this union our population will in- 

 crease in a still greater ratio than ever before with 

 increased credit with a higher position in the eyes 

 of Europe with the increased security we can offer 

 to immigrants, who would naturally prefer to seek a 

 new home in what is known to them as a great coun- 

 try, than in any one little colony or another with 

 all this I am satisfied that, great as has been our in- 

 crease in the last twenty-five years since the union 

 between Upper and Lower Canada, our future prog- 

 ress, during the next quarter of a century, will be 

 vastly greater. And when, by means of this rapid 

 increase, we become a nation of eight or nine millions 

 of inhabitants, our alliance will be worthy of being 

 sought by the great nations of the earth. I am proud 

 to believe that our desire for a permanent alliance 

 will be reciprocated in England. I know that there 

 is a party in England but it is inconsiderable in 

 numbers, though strong in intellect and power 

 which speaks of the desirability of getting rid of the 

 colonies ; but I believe such is not the feeling of the 

 statesmen and the people of England. I believe it 

 will never be the deliberately expressed determina- 

 tion of the Government of Great Britain. The colo- 

 nies are now in a transition state. Gradually a dif- 

 ferent colonial system is being developed and it will 

 become, year by year, less a case of dependence on 

 our part, and or overruling protection on the part of 

 the mother country, and more a case of a healthy 

 and cordial alliance. Instead of looking upon us as 

 a merely dependent colony, England win have in us 

 a friendly nation a subordinate but still a powerful 

 people to stand by her in North America in peace 

 or in war. The people of Australia will be such an- 

 other subordinate nation. And England will have 

 this advantage, if her colonies progress under the 

 new colonial system, as I believe they will, that, 

 though at war with all the rest of the world, she will 

 be able to look to the subordinate nations in alliance 

 with her, and owing allegiance to the same Sov- 

 reign, who will assist in enabling her again to meet 

 the whole world in arms, as she has done before. 

 And if, in the great Napoleonic war, with every port 

 in Europe closed against her commerce, she was yet 

 able to hold her own, how much more will that be the 

 case when she has a colonial empire rapidly increas- 

 ing in power, in wealth, in influence, and in position. 

 It is true that we stand in danger, as we have stood 

 in danger again and again in Canada, of being plung- 

 ed into war and suffering all its dreadful conse- 

 quences, as the result of causes over which we have 

 no control, by reason of their connection. This, 

 however, did not intimidate us. At the very mea- 

 tion of the prospect of a war some time ago, how 

 were the feelings of the people aroused from one ex- 

 tremity of British America to the other, and prepara- 

 tions made for meeting its worst consequences. Al- 

 though the people of this country are fully aware of 

 the horrors of war should a war arise, unfortunately, 

 between the United States and England, and we all 

 pray it never may they are still ready to encounter 

 all perils of that Kind, for the sake of the connection 

 with England. There is not one adverse voice, not 

 one adverse opinion on that point. 



The debate, which was conducted in an excel- 

 lent spirit, proceeded in the Legislative Council 

 until the 20th of February, when the motion 

 was carried by* vote of forty-five to fifteen. In 

 the Assembly the discussion was not brought to 

 a close until the 14th of March, and would, no 

 doubt, have continued to a much longer dnte, 

 but for the decisive conduct of the administra- 

 tion in laying aside almost all other important 

 legislation to the furtherance of this grand ob- 

 ject. The address was carried by an overwl elm- 

 ing majority, ninety-one to thirty-three. 



