126 



BRITISH NORTH AMERICA. 



With the sanction of the Cabinet, we assented to this 

 proposal, undertaking that if the negotiation should 

 be successful, we, on the part of the Crown, being 

 satisfied that the amount of the indemnity was reason- 

 able, and the security sufficient, would apply to the 

 Imperial Parliament to sanction the arrangement and 

 to guarantee the amount. 



On the last point, it seemed sufficient that her 

 Majesty's Government should accept the assurances 

 given by the Canadian Ministers on the part of Cana- 

 da, that that Province is ready to devote all her re- 

 sources both in men and money to the maintenance of 

 her connection with the Mother Country, and should 

 assure them in return that the Imperial Government 

 fullv acknowledged the reciprocal obligation of de- 

 fending every portion of the Empire with all the re- 

 sources at its command. 



The Canadian Ministers in conclusion said, that 

 they hoped it would be understood that the present 

 communications did not in any way affect or alter 

 the correspondence which had already passed be- 

 tween the Imperial Government and the Governments 

 of the British North American Provinces on the sub- 

 ject of the Intercolonial Railway. To this we entirely 

 agreed. 



The preceding despatch was also sent hy the 

 same Minister to the Lieutenant-Governor of 

 New Brunswick, together with a letter, urging 

 upon that Province the following considerations, . 

 as motives to its hearty cooperation in the sys- 

 tem of Confederation : 



You will, at the same time, express to the Legis- 

 lature of New Brunswick the strong and deliberate 

 opinion of her Majesty's Government, that it is an 

 object much to be desired, that all the British North 

 American Colonies should agree to unite in one Gov- 

 ernment. In the territorial extent of Canada, and in 

 the maritime and commercial enterprise of the Lower 

 Provinces, her Majesty's Government see the ele- 

 ments of power which only require to be combined 

 in order to secure for the Province which shall pos- 

 sess them all, a place amongst the most considerable 

 communities of the world. In the spirit of loyalty to 

 the British Crown, of attachment to British connec- 

 tion, and of love for British Institutions, by which 

 all the Provinces are animated alike, her Majesty's 

 Government recognize the bond by which all may be 

 combined under one Government. Such an union 

 seems to her Majesty's Government to recommend 

 itself to the Provinces on many grounds of moral and 

 material advantage, as giving a well-founded prospect 

 of improved administration and increased prosperity. 

 But there is one consideration which her Majesty's 

 Government feel it more especially their duty to press 

 upon the Legislature of New Brunswick. Looking 

 to the determination which this country has ever ex- 

 hibited to regard the defence of the colonies as a 

 matter of Imperial concern, the colonies must recog- 

 nize a right and even acknowledge an obligation in- 

 cumbent on the Home Government to urge with 

 earnestness and just authority the measures which 

 they consider to be most expedient on the part of the 

 colonies with a view to their own defence. Nor can 

 it be doubtful that the Provinces of British North 

 America are incapable, when separated and divided 

 from each other, of making those just and sufficient 

 preparations for national defence, which would be 

 easily undertaken by a Province uniting in itself 

 all the population and all the resources of the 

 whole. 



I am aware that this project, so novel as well as so 

 important, has not been at once accepted in New 

 Brunswick with that cordiality which has marked its 

 acceptance by the Legislature of Canada, but her 

 Majesty's Government trust that after a full and care- 

 ful examination of the subject in all its bearings, the 

 Maritime Provinces will perceive the great advan- 

 tages which in the opinion of her Majesty's Govern- 



ment the proposed Union is calculated to confer upon 

 them all. I have, &c., 



(Signed) EDWARD CARDWELL. 



No time was lost on the return of the dele- 

 gation to Canada in assembling the Legislature, 

 not only to submit the result of the mission, 

 hut also to take up a large amount of business 

 pending from the preceding session. 



A short time previous to this event the co- 

 alition was slightly convulsed by the death of 

 the Premier, Sir E. P. Tach6, and the claims 

 put forth by both Conservatives and Reformers 

 for the vacant office. Mr. Macdonald, the next 

 in succession, and well qualified by his political 

 attainments for the position, was named by his 

 Excellency for the post, but his appointment 

 was resisted by the Reformers, on the ground 

 that it would involve a change from the origi- 

 nal state of the Ministry when they entered it. 

 To meet the difficulty, both parties at length 

 agreed on Sir Narcisse F. Belleau, a respect- 

 able Liberal Conservative, and he accordingly 

 was installed as Head of the Government. The 

 second session, commencing on the 8th August, 

 lasted for nearly two months. Explanations 

 were given on all the questions negotiated by 

 the delegation of the Home Government, in- 

 cluding that on the Northwest Territory, but 

 none of them were in a sufficiently forward 

 state to be the subject of legislation. A num- 

 ber of other important measures, however, were 

 brought up and passed. 



In October a " Confederate Council of Trade," 

 composed of one member from each Govern- 

 ment of the Maritime Provinces and Canada, 

 assembled at Quebec, to consider the present 

 and future trade policy of the British American 

 Colonies with foreign countries ; and it is prob- 

 able that arising out of this conference a very 

 important commission was appointed toward 

 the close of the year, with the approval and 

 cooperation of the Imperial Government, com- 

 posed of William McDougall, Provincial Secre- 

 tary (as Chief), Thomas Ryan, M. L. C., J. W. 

 Dunscomb, of Quebec, and A. M. Delisle, of 

 Montreal, on behalf of Canada ; Isaac Le Vis- 



conte, Financial Secretary, and McDonald, 



on the part of Nova Scotia ; A. J. Smith, on the 

 part of New Brunswick, and J. C. Pope, on the 

 part of Prince Edward's Island, to inquire into 

 the practicability of opening trade relations 

 with the "West Indies, Cuba, Brazil, and per- 

 haps Mexico. The movement is one of the 

 greatest commercial importance to British North 

 America, and has excited the liveliest feelings 

 of interest both in England and in the depend- 

 encies and countries concerned. The gentle- 

 men appointecTbn this responsible and momen- 

 tous undertaking, are all men holding prominent 

 positions in their respective Provinces. 



The Commission sailed for England in No- 

 vember, and having there conferred with, and 

 being accredited by the British Government to 

 the several countries they may be required to 

 visit, were to sail for the West Indies early in 

 tbe ensuing year. Their duties are to collect 



