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PUBLIC DOCUMENTS. 



In the hope that the day will soon be reached, 

 when, under Divine favor, these States may be al- 

 lowed to enter on their former peaceful pursuits, and 

 to develop the abundant natural resources with 

 vyhich they are blessed, let us then resolutely con- 

 tinue to devote our united and unimpaired energies 

 to the defence of our homes, our lives, and our lib- 

 erties. This is the true path to peace. Let us tread 

 it with confidence in the assured result. 



JEFFERSON DAVIS. 



RICHMOND, November 7, 1SG4. 



REPOHT of resolutions adopted at a Conference of Del- 

 egates from the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia 

 and $ew Brunswick, and the Colonies of New- 

 foundland and Prince Ed-ward Island, held at the 

 'City of Quebec, lOtJi October, 1864, as the basis of 

 a proposed Confederation, of those Provinces and 

 Colonies. 



1. The best interests and present and future pros- 

 perity of British North America will be promoted by 

 a Federal Union under the crown of Great Britain, 

 provided such Union can be effected on principles 

 just to the several Provinces. 



2. In the Federation of the British North American 

 Provinces, the system of Government best adapted 

 under existing circumstances to protect the diversi- 

 fied interests of the several Provinces, and secure ef- 

 ficiency, harmony, and permanency in the working 

 of the Union, would be a General Government 

 charged with matters of common interest to the 

 whole country, and local Governments for each of 

 the Canadas, and for the Provinces of Nova Scotia, 

 New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, charged 

 with the control of local matters in their respective 

 sections; provision being made for the admission 

 into the Union on equitable terms of Newfoundland, 

 the Northwest Territory, British Columbia, and Van- 

 couver. 



3. In framing a Constitution for the General Gov- 

 ernment, the Conference, with a view to the perpet- 

 uation of o'ir connection with the mother country, 

 ond to the promotion of the best interests of the 

 people of these Provinces, desire to follow the model 

 of the British Constitution, so far as our circumstan- 

 ces will permit. 



4. The executive authority or Government shall 

 be vested in the Sovereign of the United Kingdom 

 of Great Britain and Ireland, and be administered 

 according to the well-understood principles of the 

 British Constitution by the Sovereign personally, or 

 by the Representative of the Sovereign duly author- 

 ized. 



5. The Sovereign, or Representative of the Sover- 

 eign, shall be commander-iu-chief of the land and 

 naval militia forces. 



6. There shall bo a General Legislature or Parlia- 

 ment for the Federated Provinces, composed of a 

 Legislative Council and a House of Commons. 



7. For the purpose of forming the Legislative 

 Council, the Federated Provinces shall be considered 

 as consisting of three divisions: 1st, Upper Canada; 

 2d, Lower Canada ; 3d, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, 

 and Prince Edward Island each division with an 

 equal representation in the Legislative Council. 



8. Upper Canada shall be represented in the Leg- 

 islative Council by twenty-four Members, Lower 

 Canada by twenty-four Members, and the three Mar- 

 itime Provinces by twenty-four Members, of which 

 Nova Scotia shall have ten, New Brunswick ten, and 

 Prince Edward Island four Members. 



9. The Colony of Newfoundland shall be entitled 

 to enter the proposed Union, with a Representation 

 in the Legislative Council of four Members. 



10. The Northwest Territory, British Columbia, 

 and Vancouver, shall be admitted into the Union, 

 on such terms and conditions as the Parliament of 

 the Federated Provinces shall deem equitable, and 

 as shall receive the assent of Her Majesty; and in 



the case of the Province of Lritis'.j Columbia 01 

 Vancouver, as shall be agreed to by thi Legislature 

 of such Province. 



11. The Members of the Legislative Council shall 

 be appointed by the Crown, under the Great Seal of 

 the General Government, and shall hold office during 

 life. If any Legislative Councillor shall, for two con' 

 secutive sessions of Parliament, fail to give bis at 

 tendance in the said Council, his seat shall thereby 

 become vacant. 



12. The Members of the Legislative Council shall 

 be British subjects by birth or naturalization, of the 

 full age of thirty years, shall possess a continuoua 

 real property qualification of four thousand dollars 

 over and above all incumbrances, and shall be and 

 continue worth that sum over and above their debts 

 and liabilities ; but in the case of Newfoundland and 

 Prince Edward Island, the property may be either 

 real or personal. 



13. If any question shall arise as to the qualifica- 

 tion of a Legislative Councillor, the same shall be 

 determined by the Council. 



14. The first selection of the Members of the Leg- 

 islative Council shall be made, except as regards 

 Prince Edward Island, from the Legislative Councils 

 of the various Provinces, so far as a sufficient num- 

 ber be found qualified and willing to serve; such 

 Members shall be appointed by the Crown, at the 

 recommendation of the General Executive Govern- 

 ment, upon the nomination of the respective local 

 Governments, and in such nomination due regard 

 shall be had to the claims of the Members of the 

 Legislative Council of the opposition in each Prov- 

 ince, so that all political parties may as nearly as 

 possible be fairly represented. 



15. The Speaker of the Legislative Council (unless 

 otherwise provided by Parliament) shall be appoint- 

 ed by the Crown from among the Members of the 

 Legislative Council, and shall hold office during 

 pleasure, and shall only be entitled to a casting vote 

 on an equality of votes. 



16. Each of the twenty-four Legislative Council- 

 lors representing Lower Canada in the Legislative 

 Council of the General Legislature, shall be appoint- 

 ed to represent one of the twenty-four Electoral Di- 

 visions mentioned in Schedule A, of Chapter first, 

 of the Consolidated Statutes of Canada, and such 

 Councillor shall reside or possess his qualification in 

 the Division he is appointed to represent. 



17. The basis of Representation in the House of 

 Commons shall be population, as determined by the 

 official census every ten years ; and the number of 

 Members at first shall be 194, distributed as follows: 



Upper Canada, 82 



Lower Canada, 65 



Nova Scotia, ......... 19 



New Brunswick, 15 



Newfoundland, 8 



Prince Edward Island, 5 



18. Until the official census of 1871 has been made 

 up, there shall be no change in the number of Rep- 

 resentatives from the several sections. 



19. Immediately after the completion of the cen- 

 sus of 1871, and immediately* after every decennial 

 census thereafter, the Representation from each sec- 

 tion in the House of Commons shall be readjusted on 

 the basis of population. 



20. For the purpose of such readjustments, Lower 

 Canada shall always be assigned sixty-five Members, 

 and each of the other sections shall at each readjust- 

 ment receive, for the ten years then next succeeding, 

 the number of Members to which it will be entitled, 

 on the same ratio of representation to population as 

 Lower Canada will enjoy according to the census 

 last taken, by having sixtj r -five Members. 



21. No reduction shall be made in the number of 

 Members returned by any section, unless its popula- 

 tion shall have decreased relatively to the populatiou 

 of the whole Union, to the extent of five per centum. 



22. In computing at each decennial period, th 



