358 



The Progress of the Neto Doniinion. 



March 





sivencss of knowledge which show 

 that a colonial statesman can rise 

 beyond that "colonial littleness" 

 which the 'Times' very recently 

 went out of its way to describe 

 as the principal characteristic of 

 Canadian public life. 



The people of Canada now enjoy 

 a system of government that is in 

 complete harmony with their social 

 and material condition, and fully 

 equal to tlieir wants and necessities 

 for years to come. Representative 

 institutions were established in 

 Canada less than a century ago, 

 and have expanded according to 

 the progress of the country in 

 population and wealth. The in- 

 habitants, in the dav s of tlie French 

 regime, had no system of local gov- 

 ernment, and were even restrain- 

 ed from holding public meetings. 

 The government was administered 

 througli a few French officials, 

 who derived tlieir instructions di- 

 rectly from the king and his 

 Mir isters. Assomblies were given 

 to the provinces of Upper and 

 Lower Canada in 1792, and the 

 people were from that time edu- 

 cated in self - government. The 

 history of tlie forty years follow- 

 ing was one of bickerings and con- 

 troversies between the governors 

 and the Assemblies. The fatal de- 

 fect of the early constitutions was 

 the irresponsible character of the 

 executive; and it was not until the 

 ill-advised rebellion of 1887-88 

 broke out, and the attention of 

 England was necessarily given to 

 the political condition of the coun- 

 try, that British statesmen at last 

 recognised the mistakes of their 

 previous policy, and consented to 

 extend the constitutional liberties 

 of the people of the North American 

 provinces. The immediate results 

 of this wise change of policy were 

 the union of the Canadas in 1840, 

 and the concession of responsible 

 government. This was the com- 

 mencement of a new era in colonial 



history, from which must date the 

 remarkable development of Canada. 

 Concession after concession was 

 made to the colonies by the Brit- 

 ish Government until they were 

 finally permitted to manage their 

 own affairs williout the interfer- 

 ence of the parent State. By 

 the federal union of 18C7, the 

 provinces are in the possession of 

 powers almost imperial in their 

 nature. The central Government 

 now has the power to appoint and 

 dismiss the lieutenant - governors 

 of the several sections constitutincf 

 the Dominion, and to establish new 

 provinces within the vast North- 

 west Territory, which is exclusively 

 under its control. The constitu- 

 tion also invests the central Gov- 

 ernment with the right of disal- 

 lowing the acts of the provincial 

 legislatures whenever they conflict 

 with the powers given, either in 

 express terms or by necessary im- 

 plication, to the Dominion Parlia- 

 ment. The right of disallowance 

 has been exercised on several occa- 

 sions, and is likely to prove a source 

 of much controversy from time to 

 time between the several provinces 

 and the general Government. The 

 history of the federal system of 

 the United States shows us very 

 clearly that the various members 

 of the Union must always regard 

 with jealousy and suspicion any 

 interference with their legislative 

 action, and that the central author- 

 ity is bound to act strictly within 

 the letter and spirit of its consti- 

 tutional limitations, in order that 

 the federal machinery may move 

 without that friction which, sooner 

 or later, must lead to troublesome 

 complications. At i)resent wc only 

 refer to this important constitu- 

 tional provision as showing the 

 large power given to the Govern- 

 ment of Canada under the Act of 

 Confederation. If it were not for 

 the facts that the sovereign is still 

 represented by a Governor-General, 



