1 82 THROUGH THREEFOLD TENSION 



Indifference or positive hostility was indeed the 

 attitude assumed toward even the projects of 

 commercial reciprocity that were being urged 

 upon the attention of the government by repre 

 sentatives of Canada. 



At Westminster and in England at large the 

 growth of the movement for annexation was 

 followed naturally with rather closer interest. 

 There was ample basis for the assertion of the 

 Canadian agitators that their proposed remedy 

 for colonial ills had its origin in Great Britain. 

 Ultimate separation had long since been de 

 clared by distinguished Britons to be a natural 

 incident of development in the colonies so soon 

 as the union with the mother-land should become 

 burdensome. On this principle, it was argued, 

 the British Government s concern in the matter 

 was limited to the question of separation. As 

 suming that the reasons for separation were 

 sufficient, the determination as to what shall 

 follow independence must be left to the colonists 

 themselves. Annexation proper, therefore, was 

 no matter for discussion with Great Britain. 



During the process of transition from protec 

 tion to free trade the debates of British politics 

 had furnished an impressive addition to the 

 list of great names sustaining the idea of even- 



