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 SPESEdllfi3S 
 
 "v**' 
 
 \/f» /.. ., i.<./>'i 
 
 v/ 
 
 CONFEPjfcRATION 
 
 or TRB 
 
 Mtt8^ Jlor(0/<9mertcan ]Jrooince$, 
 
 DEUVBRBD IN THl LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 
 
 ON THE 9th Ml> 10th DATS OF MARCH, 1865, 
 
 BT 
 
 DAVID BDRD JONES, ESQ., 
 
 MEMBEl/FOR LEEDS (SOUTH RIDINO); 
 
 ▲MO 
 
 WALTJR SHANLY, ESQ., 
 
 MEMBEBTOR GRENYILLE (SOUTH RIDING). 
 
 OnEBBO: 
 
 INTED/Y HUNTER, ROSE & CO., ST. URSULB STREET. 
 
 1865. 
 
 -■%i 
 
 % 
 
2460 
 
< 
 
 
 
 
 CONFEDERATION 
 
 OP THE 
 
 BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN PROVINCES. 
 
 SPEECH BY MR. D. FORD JONES, DILIVERED MARCH 0, 1865. 
 
 Mil. D. roilD JONES resumed the 
 atljourucd debate. Ho said — I rise, Mr. 
 Speakkr, to address the IIouso on the reso- 
 lutions which jou hold in your hand in 
 favor of a Confederation of all the Provinces 
 of British North America. I feel that the 
 question is one invoIvin<j .such very great 
 interests, involving a change in the whole 
 constitution of the country, and involvin" 
 conscjuences which may plunge us into 
 great diificultie^t, or which may have the 
 very opposite effect— that I feel great dilB- 
 denco and embarrassment in approaching 
 it. Bui I feel it is a duty I owe to myself' 
 and to those who sent mo here, that I should 
 express my opinions on this proposed union, 
 before I record my vote on the resolutions 
 now before the House. I desire to do this, 
 because I cannot give my approval to the 
 whole scheme, some of its details being such 
 that I cannot support them. 
 
 Hon. i^lR. HOLTON— Hear, hear. 
 Mr. JONES— The way iu which I look 
 at this question does not at all depend on 
 whether this hon. gentleman or that hon. 
 gentleman may be at the head of affairs in 
 this country; or whether wo may have a 
 Coalition Oovernnieut or a purely party 
 Government; but I consider we should look 
 at the scheme on its own merits, and deal 
 with it as a whole, giving a fair and square 
 vote on the resolutions as a whole. (Hear, 
 hear.) I think, therefore, that the course 
 which has been taken by the Government 
 to obtain such vote is the wise and honest 
 course. (Hear, hear.) I think they deserve 
 credit for the stop they have taken with a 
 view to bringing this debate to a close. We 
 have been debating this question day after 
 day for a number of weeks, and I must any 
 that the opposition given by hon. gentlemen 
 on the other side has been of a very factious 
 character ; time after time they have risen 
 
 to make motions on this, that, and the other 
 thing, keeping the House Irom addressing 
 itself to the matter really under debate, and 
 protracting unnecessarily the decision of the 
 question. Only the night before last, when 
 an hon. gentleman had ri^en for the purpose 
 of addressing the House, they cried out that 
 he was too late, and called ibr an adjourn- 
 ment of the debate; and yet, when it 
 was agreed to, they wnsted two or three 
 hours in moving additions to that motion 
 for adjournment. This was done, too, by 
 hon. gentlemen who wore well conversant 
 with the rules of this House, and who nuf^t 
 have known that these motions were not in 
 order. At midnight they ware too tired to 
 allow the debate to go on, and yet they kept 
 the House sitting after that till three in the 
 morning, discussing more points of order. 
 (Hear, hear.) That has been the course 
 pursued by hon. gentlemen opposite. And 
 what, on the other hand, has been the course 
 pursued by the Administration '>. Did they 
 not put a motion on the notice paper — a 
 motion which the factiousness of lion, gen- 
 tlemen opposite prevented from being put to 
 the vote— to give further time for Uie dis- 
 cussion of this question, by resolving that 
 instead of its being taken up at half-past 
 seven, it should be taken up at three, the 
 whole time of the Elouse being devoted to 
 it 'i We have been debating the question 
 for weeks, and though hon. gcntlmen oppo- 
 site have been in their places, they have not 
 proposed a single amendment. And yet, 
 after this had gone on for such a length of 
 time, so soon as the " previous question" is 
 moved, those hon. gentlemen get up and cry 
 out that they are gagged. Even after the 
 House began U^ discuss the question at 
 three o'clock, these hon. gentlemen day 
 after day wasted the time by getting in one 
 side-wind after another, in order t"o create 
 
 
2 
 
 delay, to k;c if souicthiog iniglit not turn 
 up aL'aiiist tlie i^ulicmc. Now, at last, they 
 have~g(it soiiiflliiiiir. SoinL'tliing has turned 
 up in Now Jh'uiiswick, luid f suppose they 
 will now jicrmit us to 'iouie to a vote. (Hear, 
 hear.) In discussiiijj; this <iiiestion, I do 
 uot sec any necessity i'or -join-; back eight or 
 ten years to tlie .•'pceehes ot'hon. members. 
 1 do not see why leiigtliy o.\traets should be 
 read to sliow that tlio huii. member for 
 Montmoreney n[iposed the uiiiou of the pro- 
 vinces in ISoS, or tliat tlio lum. uiembcr for 
 Ifochplaga, at that time, was in favor of it. 
 1 do not' see what that has to do with the 
 question belovc u^. It is now submitted in 
 a practical form for our decision, and what 
 we have tcr do is to give a square vote, yea 
 or ni.y, tliiit we arc in favor of this Confede- 
 ration, or th;it we are against it. Our 
 circumstances have changed within the last 
 few years; but it is not on that account 
 merely that I now suj'port this union. I 
 have alway.^, upon every occasion, on the 
 hustings, at public meetings and elsewhere, 
 advocated a union of the Ikitish North 
 American I'roviuees; and -vere our relations 
 with the United Slates in the same i'avorable 
 |'„rm tliat existed some five or six years 
 siuee. 1 wouhl still give my support to a 
 union. U is, therefore, sir, not because I 
 think there i~ a groat present necessity for 
 the scheme being brought to a speedy con- 
 clusion that I now support it. That present 
 iicccssitv, however, now exists, and I do not 
 see why other lion, gentlemen, alter a lapse 
 of five or sis years, when times have changed, 
 and a greater urgency has arisen for such a 
 *union,'"shouUl not be allowed to change Uicir 
 minds. " Wise men change their minds; 
 fnols liave no minds to change." (Hear, 
 hear.) Shortly before the meeting of this 
 House, I advertised that T would hold a 
 series of Tiicctings in the Hiding of South 
 Leeds, for tiie jmrpose of placing my views 
 upon this question before my constituents, 
 and to sec whether their views accorded 
 with my own ; men of all shades of politics 
 were requested to attend these meetings, 
 and they were very numerously and respect- 
 ably attended, not only by those who sup- 
 ported me, but also by those who were my 
 most bitter opponents at the last election. 
 ,\ndataU of those meetings, some six or 
 seven, not a single voice was raided agiiust 
 the uoion of tlii-^e provine ■.- with the Pro- 
 vinces of Nova Scotia, New iJrunswick, 
 Newfoundland, and Trince Edward Island. 
 All appeared to think such a union advisable 
 
 and necessary 
 purposes, but 
 
 not only for commercial 
 because it would tend to 
 strengthen the tias that bound us to the 
 Moiirer Country. It has been said that 
 this union has never been before the people, 
 that it has never been a test question at the 
 polls. Now, sir, so long ago as tho year 
 
 "1S2(), this union was advocated by Sir 
 Joii.v IJeverlky Roiunson, one of the most 
 able men this country has ever produced ; 
 subsequently, on ditVerent occasions, it was 
 adverted to by Lord DuRH.VM in his cele- 
 brated report— also by the British American 
 League, presided over by the late lamented 
 Hon', CfKO. MoFFATT, of Montreal, and 
 latterly in that despatch to the home Gov- 
 crnraent, in October, 1858, over the signa- 
 tures of tho Hon. Messrs. Cartikii, Galt 
 and Uuss. Why action was not taken upon 
 that despatch, I cannot .say; I leave this 
 matter in the hands of those who at that 
 time administered the affairs of this country, 
 and who arc responsible for the course they 
 pursued in allowing it to be dropped.^ Sir, 
 the union of these provinces would, m my 
 humble opinion, be of the very greatest ad- 
 vantage to us in many points. It would 
 strengthen, and not weaken, as has been said 
 by its opponents, the ties that bind us to 
 the Jlother Country. It would give us a 
 standing in the eyes of the world. Instead 
 of being several small, disjointed and frag- 
 mentary provinces, as was so ably expressed 
 in the Speech from the Throne, wo would 
 form one great nationality, with a population 
 to begin with of nearly 4,000,000 people, 
 which would place us among the list of the 
 first countries of the world. (Hear, hear.) It 
 would tend to strengthen our securities both 
 here and in the Mother Country. Instead 
 of our stocks and our bonds Icing quoted as 
 if by accident on tho Stock Exchange in 
 London, they would be looked for daily, and 
 sought after. It would give us an increased 
 market for our produce and our manufactures, 
 and it would tend more than anything else 
 to cause a tide of emigration to flow to our 
 shores. (Hear, hear.) Now the emigrant 
 in coming to America is perplexed to know 
 to which of the different provinces he shall 
 "0, and when ho speaks of going to America, 
 the only place he thinks of is New lork. 
 It would create a daily line of steamships 
 from the dift'ercntpointsof Europe to Halifax, 
 
 the nearest point and shortest sea voyage 
 to this country— and with the Intercolo- 
 nial Railway to bring the emigrant directly 
 through to Canada, who Tyill say that we 
 

 shall not liave a tide of emigration to our 
 shores such as we cm scarcely im!i<;ino ? 
 The only emigration wo now have is that 
 induced to come by friends who have made 
 this country a homo and have prospered. 
 These, sir, arc the reasons, from a political 
 point of view, why I support the resolutions 
 now in your hand. And, sir, in speaking 
 in a comirercial sense, and as a commerciul 
 man, they shall also have my full and 
 hearty support. (Hear, hear.) Does any 
 one pretend to say that by the addition of 
 nearly a million of inhabitants to these 
 provinces, a thrifty and intelligent people, 
 that this country will not bo made more 
 prosperous? Does any onu pretend to say, 
 that by taking away the barriers that exist 
 to trade, with a million of people living close 
 alongside of us, that this country will not bo 
 advanced ? Will we not have largely-increased 
 markets for our manufactures when those 
 hostile tariffs that now meet us at every port 
 in the Maritime Provinces, restricting our 
 trade with them, arc removed ? Will we not 
 have an increased market for our produce 
 when we are linked together by the [nterco- 
 lonial Railroad, and when a free interchange 
 of all our commodities exists? Can we 
 remain, as at present, without any highway 
 of our own to the Atlantic, for ingress or 
 egress, for five months of the year ?' (Hear, 
 hear.) When we .^co the hostility existing 
 towards us, and forcibly shown towards US', 
 by the press, tho people, and the Govem- 
 nient of the United States, by the enf- '•;. 
 ment of the obnoxious passport system, -} . 
 the notice oi the abrogation of the llecipro 
 eity treaty, by the annulling of the bonding 
 system, by the notice given to the Govern- 
 ment of Great Britain that the treaty 
 regarding armed vessels on our lakes is to 
 be done away with— when our farmers can- 
 not sond their produce for five months of 
 the year to a market ; when our merchants, 
 for the same period, cannot get their stocks 
 of merchandise for the supply of the wants 
 of the country; when we are dependent 
 on the generosity of a foreign country 
 even for tiic paasage of our mails to Old 
 England — when that is our position, shall it 
 be said that this union with the Lower 
 Provinces is not desirable, and that we shall 
 not, as soon as possible, have a railroad 
 across our territory to the Atlantic seaboard, 
 to Halifax, one of the best harbors in the 
 world ? Shall we be indebted, be subservient 
 to, be at the mercy of a foreign country for 
 our yery cxistciine? (Hoar, hear.) Sir, shall 
 
 we remain dependent njon that country for 
 all these things, or shall we not rather put, 
 our own shoulders to the wli.el, throwing 
 oft our supiiieuess ami inertia, and by 
 building thu Intereolonial Uailwi.y, provide 
 an outlet fur ourselves i" (Hear, hear.) And 
 simultaneously with the eunstruiticm of lliat 
 great work, 1 hold that for the In iKUt of 
 the commereial interests of the eoiintry, wu 
 ought to enlarge and deepen imr canals. 
 (Hear, hear.) I de.-ire now to read a 
 iMinute of the i'l.vccutive Council, is.sued by 
 the SaNUFIKLD MACDONAI.D-DdltloN (Jov- 
 ernment, under date lUth February, 1804. 
 It is as follows : — 
 
 Although no formal jiclion, iiiiiinitlvo of (he 
 .slronKth uflhe party lio.stile to the coMtinuHiice 
 oflhe lleeiprofity Ircaly, has yit talceii jiiaee, 
 information of an authentie ehariu ter, as to the 
 opiiiion.s and purposes of iiitiiit,'iaial pulilie men 
 in the United States, has forced ii|iuii the com- 
 mittee the conviction that there is imminent dan- 
 ger of its spceily abrrv.'alion, nnless prompt and 
 vigorous ste[is ho tahen by Her Majesty's fni- 
 lierial advisers to avert what wouhl ha goneraiiy 
 regarded by the people of Canada a.s'^a grea't 
 calamity. 
 
 And in another place it is stated : — 
 
 Under the boneflcicnt operatioii of the system 
 of self-government, which the lalci policv of the 
 Mother Country has accorded to C,inadii,"in com- 
 mon with the other colonies possessini; represent- 
 ative institutions, eoniliiiiecl with tin; iHj\'anta"-es 
 secured by the Kociprocity treaty of nn uim;- 
 strictcd commerce with our nearest n<iglil):)is in 
 the natural productions of the two countries, all 
 agitation for organic elmnges has ci-ased, uU 
 dissatisfaction Willi the existing i)olitiial n^lulions 
 of the province has wholly disappeaied. 
 
 From this Minute it appears to have been 
 the opinion of theSANDi-iKM) .Macuonal,!)- 
 DoRlON Government that the abrogation of 
 the lleciproeity treaty would probably be 
 a great calamity to this country. But 1 am 
 not of that opinion, and I believe, that the 
 people of this country will never be so 
 reduced as to go on their knees to pray the 
 Government of the United States to continue 
 the treaty. (Hear, hear.) Indeed, for the 
 past year or two, in consequence of the 
 difference in the currency between the two 
 countries, we have felt almost as though 
 that treaty had been put an end to already. 
 la consequence of the state of the currency, 
 many of the best interests of ;his countiy 
 have been injured, tlic mining interest of 
 the province has been put a stop to, and the 
 lumbering interest, oneofthc most important 
 of our many important interests, crippled 
 
and paralysed. ^Ilcar.) What much greater 
 injury can bcfiill u.s, by the abrogation of the 
 Reciprocity treaty, than that we now suffer 
 throiigli tlie derangement of the currency ? 
 Instead of the repeal of the Reciprocity 
 treaty being a great calamity, it will lead 
 to an agitation i'or organic changes which 
 cannot fail to be of the greatest advantages 
 to the future prosperity of the country. For 
 my part I do not at all like the idea of a 
 docujnent of that kind, emanating from our 
 Canadian Governnjeot, fdling into the hands 
 of the American people, and leading them 
 to believe that in our estimation the repeal 
 by them of the Reciprocity treaty would be 
 I'ulainitous to this country. (Hear, hear.) 
 1 repeat that I do not believe that (he abro- 
 gation of that treaty will eventually be 
 detriincntal to our interests. It is true that 
 we may suft'cr for four or five years, and 
 suffer greatly, but we will be thrown upon 
 our own resources, and ultimately become 
 strong and sclf-nliant. Our merchants will 
 no longer be denied an outlet to the ocean 
 during five or six months in the year, except 
 by the favor of forbearance of our Yankee 
 neighbors. Let us put our hands in our 
 pockets to build this Intercolonial Railway, 
 and we will be opening away to the ocean to 
 our merchants and our farmers for shipping 
 their products over their own territory. And 
 when we are in that position, we shall bo 
 able to say to the people of the United States 
 — " You shall no longer be allowed to parti- 
 cipate in the benefits of our fisheries — we 
 will close the navigation of our canals against 
 you— and we will cease to permit, without 
 the payment of a heavy duty, the importa- 
 tion into this country of your coarse grains 
 for the supply of our distillers andbrewers." 
 And, sir, when it is stated that the impor- 
 tations of these grains have amounted to 
 nearly two millions of bushels annually, it 
 will be seen that after all the reciprocity is 
 not altogether on one side. (Hear, hear.) 
 I think that they will then acknowledge it 
 will be better for them to bo on more friendly 
 terms with this province, seeing that we 
 control the navigation of the Welland and 
 St. Lawrence canals, the natural outlet for 
 the products of the Western States, which 
 in 18G3, amounted to the enormous quantity 
 of five hundred and twenty million bushels 
 of grain — they will be dependent upon us, 
 instead of our relying upon them. Compared 
 with the St. Lawrence navigation tLa Erie 
 canal is but a ditch, and it is closed by the 
 frost earlier in the season than our lake and 
 
 river navigation. When all these advantages 
 which wo enjoy are considered, the people 
 of the United States will see how much 
 better it is to be on terms of friendship and 
 amity with us, iii.«toad of, to use a vulgar 
 but forcible phrase, " cutting otl' their ncso 
 to spite their face." (Hear, hear.) With 
 regard to the proposed resolutions, I stated 
 at the outset that there were portions of the 
 scheme to which I objected, and I m:iy now, 
 sir, be allowed briefly to adv'crt to tlicm. 
 I would prefer that the wholo power was 
 concentrated under one head by a Ijcgislativc 
 union, rather than a Federal union. I fear 
 that the machinery will bo complex, and 
 that we will find, under the proposed 
 system, that the expenses of the Government 
 will be much greater than if we had one 
 General Government without these additions 
 of local legislatures for each of the provinces. 
 (Hear, hear.) Rut I am happy to say that 
 the proposed Federal system is not a reflex 
 of the old Federal union of thel'nited States. 
 Notwithstanding, some honorable gentlemen 
 have praised the Federal system in the 
 States as worthy of imitation, still I think 
 our proposed system much to be preferred. 
 It differs in this — the United States Federal 
 system was formed from a number of sov- 
 ereign states, with sovereign powers, dele- 
 gating to a central power just as much or as 
 little of their power as tlicy chose ; thereby 
 the doctrine of state rights obtained, and, 
 as we have seen within the last four years, 
 has been the cause of bloodshed and civil 
 war, it may be to the probable destruction of 
 that Federal union. Our case is exactly the 
 reverse. Instead of the Central (lovcrnmeut 
 receiving its power from the different [pro- 
 vinces, it gives to those provinces just as 
 much or as little as it chooses, llcav what 
 the 45th resolution says — " In regard to all 
 subjects in which jurisdiction belongs to 
 both the general and local legislatures, the 
 laws or the General Parliament shall control 
 and supersede those made by the local le- 
 gislatures, and the latter shall be void so 
 for as inconsistent with the former," This 
 places the whole control in the hands of the 
 General Government, making the union a.s 
 nearly legislative as the circumstances of 
 the various provinces would admit. So much 
 is this the ease that the hon. member for 
 Hochelaga fears that it would eventually 
 result in a legislative union — a result to 
 my mind most devoutly to be desired. (Hear, 
 hear.) There arc two or three more of the 
 points of the resolutions to which I have 
 
objection. The public lands arc placed at 
 (ho disposal of the local legislatures ; iuinii- 
 gratiou also is in the bands of the local Ic- 
 j^isiatures, and the sua coast fisheries ore in 
 the hands of the local lej^islatures. These 
 are matters coninioa to the whole, and should, 
 for many reasons, be under the control of the 
 • luneral Government. These various interests, 
 however, are all covered by the 45th resolu- 
 tion of the Confcrtnce which I have just 
 read, and which declares that when con- 
 .sistent with the welfare of the General 
 Government, their control will be taken from 
 the local lef,Mslatures. (Hear, hear.) I have, 
 ii.s briefly as pi)ssiblo,8hown that in my opinion, 
 in our political and our commercial relations 
 wc would be beuelited by the union of Canada 
 with the Maritime Provinces. I have also 
 adverted briefly to the objections which I 
 hold to the proposed mode of carrying out 
 the union. I shall now endeavor to show 
 that as a means of defence it is highly de- 
 sirable. If there is one thing more desirable 
 than another, it is to have the whole forces 
 of the country under one governing power. 
 How might it fare with us, in case of war or 
 invasion, with the provinces disunited? 
 Objections could now be made against the 
 withdrawal of a portion of the militia from 
 one province to the others, without the 
 consent of the government of that province, 
 and before they could be brought into the 
 field, valuable time would be lost, red-tapeism 
 would s'and in the way, and the delay might 
 be dangerous. (Hear, hear.) liy being united 
 and controlled under one head, troops could 
 be thrown upon any point attacked, at a 
 momcri*':^ ootice. Objections have been made 
 by h.;>' entlemen to any expenditure for 
 the pu pose of building fortifications, at pro- 
 per points, for the defence of the country; 
 but I am satisfied there is no reasonable sum 
 tl at may be required that will be grudged 
 by the people of Canada; for if there is any 
 purpose for which they will contribute cheer- 
 fully, it is for the defence of their country, 
 urn) to continue the connection and cement 
 the tie that binds us to the Mother Country. 
 (Hear, hear.) It has been also stated that 
 we could not defend ourselves against an 
 overwhelming power such as the United 
 States. Time was when we did defend our- 
 selves, and that suceessfully ; and if the time 
 should ever come again, the people of Canada 
 and of the Maritime Trovinces will not be 
 found backward to defend evorytliiug they 
 hold sacred find most dear. (Hear, hear.) It 
 bus ftlso been said that wo should keep a 
 
 strict neutrality; in fact that our neutrality 
 should bo guaranteed by Knghunl, Franco 
 and the United States, in case war should 
 unfortunately take place betiveeu them. Hut 
 such an idea is too absurd to be eunsidered 
 fur a moment. Would the people of this 
 country submit to .■^ucll an arrangement even 
 if attempted to be carried out? AVouhl we 
 allow England, if forced to go to war with 
 the United States, want the airsistance of her 
 Canadian subjects ? Could we restrain the 
 people of Canada from doing their duty, when 
 they saw the Mother (Country battling with 
 her foes ? If I thought such would bo the 
 ease, I should deny my country, for we should 
 be held up to the scorn and drrision of the 
 world. (Hear, hear.) On thef|Ucstion of our 
 defences, I desire to read an extract from the 
 report of Col. Jeuvois, the able engineer 
 sent out to report upon the practicability of 
 defending Canada against attack : — 
 
 The qucUion appears to be whether the liritish 
 (orco now in Canada sliall be withdrawn in order 
 to avoid the risk of its dt feat, or wlietlior the 
 ni?cc?sary measure shall ho taken to c'nul)le tliut 
 force to he of u.se for the defence of the country. 
 The sum remiircd for the con.strurtii.n of the 
 proposed works and arinuinents at Montreal and 
 Quebec would only be abuui ono year's p.xpenso 
 of the regular force we now maintain in Ciinada. 
 It is a delusion to suppose that force can bo of 
 any use for the defence of the country, without 
 fortifications to compcn.-fate for the eo'mparativo 
 smallness of its numbers. V.wan whcji aided by 
 the whole of the local militia that etuld at pie- 
 sent bo made available, it would, in the event 
 of war, bo obliged to retreat before the sujierior 
 numbers by which it would be attacked, and it 
 woidd be fortunate if it succeeded in embarking at 
 Quebec, and putting to sea without serious defeat. 
 On the other hand, if tlio work.s now recom- 
 mended be constructed, the vital points of the 
 country could be defended, and the regular -irniv 
 would become a. nucleus and support, round 
 which the people of Canada would rally to resi.n 
 aggression, and to preserve that connection with 
 the Mother Country which tlieir loyalty, their 
 interests, and their love of true freedom alike 
 make them desirous to maiitain. 
 
 Such is the report of Col. Jervois, one of 
 the ablest men on those subjects in the Kng- 
 lish .service, and I think it can with greater 
 reason be relied upon than all the mere asser- 
 tions of lion, members, who arc not supposed 
 to know much, if anything zt all, upon a sub- 
 ject which they have never made a study, and 
 upon which they have had no experience 
 whatever. (Hear, hear.) Sir J. Walsh 
 alsi, a few days sinco, in a speech upon an 
 Address to Her Majesty for papers and cor- 
 respondence with the American Government 
 
6 
 
 in relutioD tutho lieuiprocit^ treaty, and tlio 
 notice fur a finality of'tlio treaty restricting 
 tliu numlier oi iirtucd Htoauicra upon our 
 inland waters, spoke tlius :— 
 
 There ini;,'ht bo some hon. f^ciitlemcn who 
 •.voiilil cuiitetnpliite, without Hhanie or rej^rct, 
 the total and entire iiovoianoc of the connection 
 between England and Canada, and who would 
 say that thi.s country would get rid thiireby of a 
 Bource of much enibarrussiiicnt, expense and 
 trouble. He would, however, ttdl thiisf hon. 
 gcntknicn that Great Itiitain could not, if she 
 would, cut Canada adrilt. An long as Canada 
 retaiMccI her desire to bo connected witli this 
 country — as long as (Canada preserved her spirit 
 and her resolution to bo independent of America, 
 80 long would England be bound by her lionor, 
 by her iutoreat.s, and by every motive that could 
 instigate a generous or patriotic nation, to sus- 
 tain, protect and vindicate the rights of Canada, 
 and to guard her, whether as an ally or a depen- 
 dency, against the aggresaiona of the United 
 States ; it was impossible for Engliiml to shrink 
 from the obligation. The day might come when 
 the Chancellor of the Exchequer would come 
 down, and in ha])py jihase and with mellifluous 
 eloquence, congratulate the House upon having 
 cmaticipatcd iljelf from a source of military e.\- 
 pendituie. He might felicitate the House that 
 liirmingham was sending admirably finished 
 Armstrong and Whitworth guns to arm the new 
 naval forces of America on the Canadian lakes. 
 He might congratulate the House that Birming- 
 ham was sending out a plentiful supply of fetters 
 and handcuffs to be used in coercing the refrac- 
 tory Americans. The right hon. gentleman 
 might, at the banic time, be able to congratulate 
 the House upon u vast amount of commercial 
 prosperity, and announce that he was able to 
 reduce the income tax a penny or two pence on 
 the pound. Rut if ever that day should come, 
 and if ever that speech were made, the whole 
 world would observe that the old English oak 
 
 wan not only withered in its limbs, but was rotten 
 at its heart. There was, in fact, no escape from 
 the obligation which bound Great Uritain, by 
 every tie of national honor and interest, to main- 
 tain and defend Canada. The question was not 
 one merely 1,'etwcon EnglHn(l and Canada, but 
 wos one between ICngland and the United ."'ites. 
 It appeared to him that the rolice given by the 
 Araerii'an Governmetit was an act of such unmis- 
 takable liostility, that it iihnost amounted to .i 
 declaration of war, and at a much earlier period 
 of our history, it would ha\ebeen so regarded. 
 
 When such views are held in England, when 
 80 strong a desire is manifested in Canada to 
 maintain our connection with England, and 
 to remaiu under the shcdtering folds of tljat 
 flag wo iovo ho well, shall it bo .said that we 
 have not the spirit left to defend ourselves 'f 
 I know, air, that the people of Canada will 
 not be backward, should ever that time ar- 
 rive. I feel that there is some of the .spirit 
 of 1812 still left among us. 1 am convinced 
 that the blood of those men who left the 
 United States, when they gained their indc- 
 
 fiendonce, and who gave up all in order to 
 ive under the protection of the laws of Old 
 England — the blood of those old U. K. 
 Loyalists, I .say, still courses through our 
 vein.s. (Hear.) Sir, 1 trust that this uuion 
 may be conaummated, in order that Britiah 
 power on the continent may be consolidated, 
 our connection with the Mother Country 
 cemented and streugtheued, and that under 
 this union this country may be made a 
 happy home for hundred of thousands of 
 emigrants from the Mother Country — a 
 happy and con entcd home for all now living 
 here, and for our children and children's 
 children for generations to come. (Hoar, 
 hear, and cheers.) 
 
 J 
 
 SPEECH BY MR. SHANLY, DELIVERED MARCH 10, 1865. 
 
 Mr. SIIANLY said — la rising to address 
 the House on the great question under 
 debate, it is not my intention to go minutely 
 into the subject ; for after all that ha.s been 
 taid, and tho great length to which the 
 debate has dragged on, I cannot expect to be 
 able to (\s. the attention of my hearers for 
 very long, even were the subject one to 
 which I could speak authoratively, instead 
 of being, as it is, one that the ablest and 
 most statesmanlike among us must in a great 
 measure accept upon faith — trusting to the 
 future to develope the excellencies claimed 
 for it ou the one hand, or to establish the 
 
 faults that are charged on it on the other. 
 But though I do not pretend to be able to 
 say anything new on the subject, or to throw 
 any light ou the uncertain future that lies 
 before ua, still I would be unwilling that in, 
 perhaps, the most imjiortant division ever 
 taken in a Colonial Legislature, my vote 
 should be recorded without my lir^ stating 
 somo, at all events, of the reasons that 
 actuate me in voting as I intend to vote. 
 One feature has been strikingly observable 
 in the debate, and that is, that from first to 
 last, as far as it has yot gone, no new thing 
 liqs been oflfered or suggested. The pro- 
 
 year. 
 
* 
 
 grnramt of Confederation stands now exactly 
 as It was presented in a v«'m/ private form 
 to the representatives of the people of this 
 country sonio four months n-^o. The pro- 
 moters of the sehomo have added nothin'- 
 to, taken nnthinir from the original bill of 
 ;iro and they have as good as told us, 
 frankly and s.,uarely, that ihoy would add 
 nothing to, take nothing from it if they could. 
 The opponents of the project on the other 
 liiMci, while giving it a sweeping condom- 
 niition, ofter nothing, suggest nothing to 
 replace that which ihey so summarily reject. 
 .Nothing IS easier than to find fault with 
 other men's work; it is a talent that wo all 
 possess, and that few of us ever think to 
 i.ido under a bushel Fur myself, though 
 m lavor of the scheme, being equally at a 
 loss with otner honorable members to say 
 anything now upon it, ', too, will have to 
 turn my tault-finding instincts in the first 
 instance. The honorable member for Mon- 
 treulCentro (Hon. 3Ir. Rose) has said in his 
 able speech (hat if wo eould not improve on 
 tlic project, wo should forbear to find fault 
 with It. I do not agree with him. On the 
 contrary, I conceive that even though ap- 
 proving ot the resolutions ns a whole, it is 
 the duty of members speaking to the question 
 to point out and ph. 30 ou record the faults 
 that strike then as likely to require correc- 
 tion by and by. And first of ■ill~eomin<r to 
 discuss Confederation f r m my own stand- 
 point—I would ,uy that I have long looked 
 orwardto the time when the whole of the 
 IJritish A orth American Provinces would be 
 united under one stable government ; belicv- 
 Jng, as I always have believed ever since I 
 Cii.ne to know this country well, that we pos- 
 sos.sall the elements, in natural resources and 
 endowments, and in distinctive geographical 
 position, to form the ground-work of a power 
 on this continent. I feared, nevertheless, 
 when the project was foreshadowed here last 
 year, that the time wa.<; not yet full for 
 t)ringing about the desired combination. I 
 ieared that the almost total separation, poll- 
 tical and social, which had heretofore existed 
 between ourselves and the provinces below, 
 might possibly cause a permature union to 
 result m permanent estrangement. It ap- 
 peared to me that we should first have 
 cultivated social and commercial relations 
 with our kindred on the seaboard before 
 uniting, for better for worse, in a political 
 alliance. These were the views which T t.ook 
 of the Confederation project when it was so 
 suddenly sprung upon us at the close of last 
 
 session ; and I confess that I still entertain 
 grave apprehonHions thai, we may bo about to 
 come together upon too .short an .icquaint 
 ance, before we have an opportunity of 
 knowing one another, and learning to adapt 
 ourselves the one to the other. In this con- 
 sists my broad and general objection, not to 
 the principle of Confidcralion. but to the 
 hastiness with wl ich it u .sought (0 be car- 
 ried out— threatening, lis 1 IVar, to m.-ir our 
 de.«tiny m striving to overtake it. To the 
 details of the scheme itself 1 hold one strong 
 and marked objection, which f desire (o 
 record, though I know that this i.s not the 
 time or place for remedying delectivc details 
 I allude to the Federal feature of the pro- 
 ject r own to a rooted dislike, if not to'tho 
 K-deral principle or Federal theory, at 
 all events to the practical results of (he 
 working 0' I'le system; and neither the 
 warm eulogium which th. Hon. President 
 
 oltheCouncil (Hon, Mr. ]}RonN)has passed 
 upon the system as illustrnted by its work- 
 ing in the United States, nor the milder 
 cleJence of the system pronou.iccd by my 
 hon. friend of the lion. Minister of Agricul- 
 ture (Hon. Mr. UcMv.k), has served to 
 clothe It in other than most distasteful 
 colors in my sight. However the Federal 
 system of government may have tended to 
 promote the material growth of the United 
 States-and it would not be safe to assert 
 that such a country, with such a people, 
 would have failed to attain to emly greatness 
 under any form of free government— how- 
 ever, I rjpeaS the Federal form of govern- 
 ment may have promoted the material 
 progress of the United States, it does not 
 seem to me to have elevated, politioallv 
 speaking at all events, the moral standard 
 ot the people of the United States. One 
 most marked and evil result of the system 
 has been to produce politicians rather than • 
 statesmen— swa-ras of the former to a very 
 limited proportion of the latter; and I would 
 much tear, if we are to see Canada rcdivided 
 that the petty pailiaments of the separated 
 provinces will prove to be but i)reparatorv 
 schools for that class of politicians who take 
 to politics as to a trade, and whoso after- 
 presence in the greater Assembly— to which 
 they would all aspire— would serve to de- 
 press the standard of political worth, to 
 lower the tone of political morality, which 
 we might hope to see prevail in a Confeder- 
 ated larhament of ISiiiish North America 
 under a purely legislative union, which 
 is the description of union into which I 
 
8 
 
 truHt to see tlio present imperfect Constitu- 
 tioD, or proposed Constitution, eventually 
 merge. Tor tbe reason stated I have looked 
 upon this Federal scheme of union with 
 dislike and distrust. Eut the promoters 
 of the scheme, most of whom, it must be 
 admitted, have appeared hero rather as its 
 apologists than its upholders, tell us that it 
 is a necessity of circumstances, an unavoid- 
 able consequence of difference in language, 
 laws and local intcrci^ts between Upper and 
 Lower Canada on the one part, and an 
 absence of community of local interests be- 
 tween us here in Canada and the Maritime 
 Provinces on the other hand. The latter 
 part of the argument is undoubtedly cor- 
 rect ;_ but, admitting the whole of the 
 
 premises, for argument sake, the other 
 question naturally suggests itself: Is Con- 
 federation, even in the faulty form in which 
 it is laid before us, to be accepted as a 
 likely remedy for the evils under which we 
 now labor in Canada, and as a possible 
 antidote against the greater evils which 
 threaten us in the near future ? I would 
 answer that question in my own way, and 
 from my own point of view by an 1 by ; 
 meanwhile I would ask to be permiltcd to 
 say a word in respect of the financial phase 
 of the (,'onfeJeration project; and upon that 
 point I !eel it dilhcult to agree with my hon. 
 friend the Ifun. FinaiiCe Minister, in assum- 
 ing tiiat the joint expenses of the two local 
 govoinmcnls here in Canada may be kept 
 so much below what we arc now paying for 
 our single form of guvernmeut, as to leave a 
 wide margin towards defrayinu:, if not 
 wholly to cover, our proportion of the es- 
 pen.ses of ihc (icneral Government. I can 
 hardly venture to take such a cnnlciii--<Ii-rosc 
 view of our jiosition as that. I will not 
 weary the House with estimates and figures, 
 whicii, after all, can be but problematical 
 and conjectural ; but I would venture to 
 predict that under our new condition of 
 existeneo, with its (/»(j.st national obligations, 
 our expenditure must increase largely be- 
 yond the limits tliat we liavo hithci'to been 
 accustomed to. 1 believe that to be au 
 inevitable result of the Confederation; but 
 I also believe that there is a future loom- 
 ing ujiDu US — Confederation or no Con- 
 federation — which will involve us in duties 
 and re.-pon,sibilities which We must not 
 shirk — which, in fact, we cannot shirk if we 
 would. The signs of the times are not to bo 
 mistaken, and I fear we have an expensive 
 future befbie us for some time to come, 
 
 Bat if, in bringing about a union of all these 
 provinces, we were in reality laying the sure 
 foundation of social, commercial, and politi- 
 cal prosperity— if we felt that in reality we 
 were laying the ground-work, as it were, of 
 a new nation on this continent — wo might 
 justly, along with the great benefits we be- 
 queath to posterity— benefits which we, in 
 our generation, cannot hope to enjoy in their 
 fulness— bequeath to them also the financial 
 burden which would seem to be the ordained 
 and inevitable accompaniment of progressive 
 nationality. And if I felt as.sured in my 
 own mind that this measure of Confederation, 
 faulty as it is, promised even a fair chance 
 for stiocessfuUy solving a great political 
 difficulty, I for one would not fear to take 
 my share of the responsibility of increasing 
 the expenses of government and adding to 
 the debt of tho country, I have alluded to 
 the expenses attendant on Confederation as 
 being, to a certain extent, conjectural and 
 problematical; but there is one item of its 
 cost which is not of that character. The 
 Intercolonial Railway is a vital part of tho 
 Confederation project— the latter could have 
 no useful, practical existence without tho 
 former. As a commercial undertaking, tho 
 Intercolonial Railway presents no attrac- 
 tions, it offers no material for a flattering 
 prospectus; we could not invite to it the 
 attention of European capitalists as pre- 
 senting an elegible investment for their sur- 
 plus funds. Rut for the establishing of 
 Uioscintimate social and eotumereial relations 
 indispensable to political unity between our- 
 selves and tho sister provinces, the railway 
 is a neces.sity. It will, therefore, have to be 
 undertaken and paid for purely as a national 
 work, and it is right that the people of Canada 
 should know and understand in tho outset 
 what tho probable addition to our public 
 debt would be in connection with the G8th 
 resolution. I do not think the proportion of 
 the cost of the railway fulling to tho share 
 of Canada can bo much short of what we 
 have already given towards the construction 
 of the Grand Trunk Railway— at all events 
 from twelve to fourteen millions of dollars. 
 If it shall come about that tho sense of the 
 people is to bo taken on the Confederation 
 question, the Intercolonial Railway feature 
 in the plan will prove the most difficult to 
 reconcile tho people to, and especially tho 
 people of Upper Canada. In my own con- 
 stituency — and I may venture to assort that 
 there are not many hon. members in the 
 IIouso stronger in their constituencies than 
 
9 
 
 we, in 
 
 pureirrthe''°rf„f'r'^^°'".° "^ *^'«°'°" 
 purely on the Confederation ssuo. and as 
 
 the advocate of Confederacv, I know that 
 
 denuncafon of the 68th resolution would 
 
 InitcZffT'''^'^ '" thehand^ofany 
 anti-Confederate opponent whomicrht chooi 
 
 tlTZTlTt t''' -"^ ^-^ the elet 
 Tk ' u ' T""'*^ ^"^ prepared to face that 
 difficulty and in the fullest confidence that 
 1 could do so successfully and tr^LS 
 ant y, f satisfied that I eoull-and ifi" 
 I could-show to my people that ?,n 
 
 ^Z^L '^f'^^^'^> -on'iitfte t 
 trcolonial Railway luseparately interwoven 
 a Its web, IS essential to our existence as a 
 
 ,^"''«\P'=°Pl<=- (Hear, hear.) TZun^ 
 
 to in the resolutions bc.uro us, I have asked 
 njyself this question-Is Confedeution as 
 
 Titi:/"" ' "!|y. ''^ tJ^e plaaTay b 
 Jil^oly to worK .fell for the future of thn 
 
 sTtaoffh''''^'^^°P'^^1-^^^«''-^^^^^ 
 h1 fi? . I ^^"^ ''^'y ^'■^^'' Po^'t'cal difficul- 
 ties that beset us ? It would be in vlin tl 
 attempt to conceal from ourse Jer Jhl" 
 oauada IS at th s moment approaching the 
 most critical period of her hitherto existence 
 Threatened with aggression from w ho° t 
 we are not.n a gratifying condition of pros 
 penty within, let blue'books and census 
 returns say what they will to the contrary 
 Oreatand momentous events are transoS 
 just beyoad our frontier-events whfchTvf 
 already seriously and injuriously affected us 
 commercially, and which must ineviSlv in 
 some ray or other, affect us poliSy A 
 P ople until recently devoted only toYodut 
 trial pursuits and the development of the J 
 
 gieat military power. To use their own 
 expression, the Americans are "makio" 
 us tory very fast," and it is impossibT thaf 
 hat eventful history can be manufactured in 
 a territory separated from our own by S t^ 
 uoio than an imaginary line, without our 
 having eventually some'part'ia its page/ 
 lor good or for evil. In fact we cannot con 
 cea from ourselves that some greanhange 
 IS impending over the destinies of "S 
 e. untry_a change that will present itself to 
 us la some form or other, and that before 
 ong, without its being in o'ur power to avert 
 
 .Ihcro IS fast growing up in England a feel 
 mg of wont of confidence in Canad./ wt 
 SCO it m ihu tone of the press, in the oar' 
 lamentary debates and elsJwheiV WeC 
 tofd tfiat wo arc giving more trouble to the 
 
 almosf fn . "f confideuco,auiountiu<r 
 
 uilUOSt to COntplnnf I1..0 ~! "'o> 
 
 towards us in1ir'^5;LtS;.tcr^' tie 
 
 of our°"rTu' T',*7'^o„r'"' ''"'''''"'~ 
 growth and our process- h.^tTlT'"""^ 
 
 dearer kindred in the old worl,l \vu\ 
 
 10 inspire confidence in us abrm.I • t,. 
 command respect ; to defy eon ten pt? The 
 t^Pf" t\'"' '" ^' the practical qucS 
 „nl^ England that we must rely more 
 
 have hither(o existed. First there i.f^ 
 aU.mpt to stand alone as aTc^'rorti '„- 
 aaty on this contircnt-that is one alterna- 
 tive Seeondiy, there is the pro.spee 1 "id 
 out to us in the resolutions-na uoiraunio 
 
 Xn:db%^^^^'^^^""^s 
 
 Sower'nn .V *^'°°"P^'^°''«"''J"tcdBriti.,h 
 power on this continent. The last nn,> 
 inevitable alternative, if we re °t t lotie 
 two, IS exactly that stated by my honoJoble 
 friend from South Lanark (Mr. lioZ')!l 
 absorption into the United States It is I^ 
 vain to shut our eyes to that f ct, o that 
 the time is at hand when we will have to 
 
 aiternative-and I can sneak from as 
 thorough an acquaintance with tl leTant" 
 feehngsand wishes of the people ofTan! 
 ada as any honorable gentleman in thi. 
 House po.scsses-would%e most distasle! 
 lul to the great mass of the people of 
 this country. (Loud Cheers.^ ^r'ZJll 
 
 Mould amount to a sonteneo of ox,,atri.tion 
 uptunng the ties and associationsof uqu ! 
 ter of a century. (Hear, hear.) WheJmy 
 
10 
 
 honorable friend the Hon. Attorney Gen- 
 eral for Upper Canada introduced the reso- 
 lutioDs to the IIousc, he gave us to under- 
 stand that the question, or the details of the 
 fiucstion, were scarcely to be considered as 
 open for debate. He told us plainly and 
 squarely that the project must be viewed as 
 a treaty already scaled and signed between 
 the contracting parties, and would have to 
 be accepted as a whole or rejected as a whole. 
 I felt the force of the situation then, and 
 when the same honorable gentleman came 
 down here a few days since, and, in refer- 
 ence to the new phase of difficulty resulting 
 t>om the turn taken by the elections in New 
 lirunswick, announced that prompt and vig- 
 orous action was necessary, in a somewhat 
 difl'eront direction from that originally con- 
 templated, 1 felt tliG force of the situation 
 even more fully than at first. (Hear, hear.) 
 And 1 would here ask to be allowed to di- 
 gress a moment from the main question. I 
 wish to take this opportunity of saying that 
 I never had more than a sort of a half-con- 
 fidence in the Government as now constitut- 
 ed. When the leaders of the Conservative 
 party, with whom I have always acted, saw 
 fit last year to make certain political com- 
 binations which, even they must admit, 
 astonished and startled the country — com- 
 binations resulting in the present Coalition 
 Ministry— I claimed that I and every mem- 
 ber of the Conservative party, in this House 
 or out of it, who cho.se to dissent from the 
 course adopted by our leaders, liad a ri^ht 
 to hold ourselves absolved from all party 
 ties and obligations whatever. I claimed ' 
 then as I claim now, (hat from thenceforward 
 T owed no political allegiance, no party fealty, 
 to any man or any body of men on the floor 
 of this House. In electing to adopt for my- 
 self the anomalous and hybrid position of an 
 " independent member," T knew full well 
 that it was to " burn my ship"— to cast awny 
 from mo all chances of political advance- 
 ment ; but I never had political aspirations 
 that warred with my own notions of political 
 honor and consistency, or witn my love of 
 personal independence. But when "reat 
 changes in our political relations are taking 
 place ; when all feel, as I believe all do feel, 
 that a great and momentous event is impend- 
 ing; when, under such circumstances, my 
 hon. friend the Honorable Attorney General 
 for Upper Canada announces, as he has done, 
 in a frank, bold, manly and statesmanlike 
 manner, prompt and vigorous policv on the 
 
 part of the Govcrumetjt' in deali 
 
 unlooked-for difficulty— I allude to the diffi- 
 culty growing out of the New Brunswick 
 elections— I will tell that hon. gentleman 
 that ho and his colleagues may now — and 
 always when boldly grappling wi(h the pol- 
 itical emergencies of the country— count on 
 a cordial, earnest and admiring support from 
 mc. (Hear, hear.) Without further dis- 
 cussion or debate, I cast my vote for and my 
 lot with the Confederation, and this I do in 
 the fullest confidence and belief that, how- 
 ever faulty may be certain of the details of 
 the scheme, and however awkward it m:iy 
 be to work out some of its provisions sue- ' 
 cessfuUy, the resources of the people of these 
 provinces, their innate adaptation for self- 
 government, will be found fully equal to 
 overcoming all the difficulties and obstacles 
 that may beset their path. I fully believe 
 that the faults which I now object to in the 
 plan of Confederation will, like the diseases 
 incident to childhood, grow out of our sys- 
 tem as wo advance in political strength and 
 stature, and that when another decade has 
 passed over us we will be found a strong, 
 united British people, ready and able, m 
 peace or in war, to hold our own upon this 
 continent. (Cheers.) 
 
 It being six o'clock, the Speaker left the 
 chair. 
 
 After the recess, 
 
 Mtt. SHANLY, resuming his remarks, 
 said— Before the House rose, [ had expres- 
 sed my belief that the people of this country 
 would be found equal to any emergency tha't 
 might arise in working out the Con.stitutiori 
 embraced in the resolutions, and would 
 prove themselves capable of altering or 
 amending it until it worked effectually and 
 well for the benefit of the whole country. 
 And in making the choice which I know 
 the people of this country will make—as 
 between annexation to the United States and 
 connection with Great Britiin— as between 
 republicanism and monarchy—as between 
 Canada our country, or Canada our state 
 —I believe they will be choosing that 
 which will best advance the material pros- 
 pects, and best onsurn the future happiness 
 and greatness of the CDuntry. If we were 
 to be absorbed into the Republic, and beoomo 
 a state of the Union, that would in no way 
 relieve us of the great undertakings that 
 are before us for the improvement and de- 
 velopment of our resources. Wo would 
 still have a largo debt on our hands, of 
 whinlj, unaid-d, wo would have to bear the 
 
 ug mtU au burden; our canals and other pqblio worksi 
 
'-ging or extending them wo,f|P,'r° °^ •="- 
 charged upon a H.-m.— T","'^ ''^^^ *» be 
 
 raise from customs 1,^ . ' '"'"° ^° °ow 
 to the improvement of ,^-°'? ^°"'^ g«' ""t 
 but would be poured Ln^>.-^ ^'"°''^»' 
 Genera] Gove nSa? W \' °°^'" °'' ^^e 
 not understand how a ' 1'? -"i-'-' ^ ''" 
 «ven of those who re/arS nS" ?°'"^''^"' 
 'rom a material point ol'^l^ '","'' "«"«" 
 vocate annexation to fLr"'"- °^'^' ^'»" '^'^■ 
 ''clievc there are 1 ^ "'"^'^ ^'^'^s I 
 }vbo, though e terS nYnfrr-^ '° ^^""^^'^ 
 Jojalty to the C ow„ oV^n I '"f -"^ ^'•»° 
 •hat in some waj o "tJerS"'^' '™'S'°° 
 '-"^f'y tell howi-Lnil ^^^*"'°°°tc''- 
 «bo«t an extra:rdinarn„1"s"udr '', ''•'"" 
 prosperity. I diffpr » f- , '^^'^" ^''^'e of 
 •naterial ^and praetal nr-'f^' /^^" '" ^^e 
 "■e theorists a^nd v isbnanV ' °f '''''> ^'^"^ 
 «o 'nlse a conviction Rnt'''''' ""'^'t^'" 
 thi« country, with dimiJ-'l' I "'°"''' "«'^' '« 
 command, to bTenabS'^ ""^'"^ «' **« 
 peat works thou" h ^j-i h '^l"^ ""' ''"°«« 
 J'ope to become °reaT bl ^^ '^ """''^ 
 means for constru?t;r„ • "'*' ^'"^3^8 an 1 
 ;;till puzzle o"; fl S,r, -/-ving which 
 
 been of opinion, since? fil ^''' "'^'^J's 
 
 c'ToCully 'the fu ure of Snn?" i" P°"^^' 
 
 "ture does not denend t \ *''''* ^''^t 
 
 ■•'"d.s as upon our Sr^ S.^^r ^"^ 
 
 fbose who have tilled"! soirof 7''?!,*° 
 t"'n or explored the vast fnrM i^'"''* ^"- 
 
 just on a par with 7),^ ,.^"'" country is 
 «tate of New yi T'^'"" P»rt of the 
 
 Vermont anTNe'VamnsT-'^ '^' ^""''^ °f 
 climatic conditions «n7":f. '.° '^^^P^ct of 
 
 ''•'•' wc posS "e immen'""'^',"""^ "^ «««'• 
 "'ose countries .n"T°f"'^^"'"^Se over 
 
 - a ^liBtinc^vJ'position'L^'^f? ^^'"i^ g'^'^^ 
 "'0 possession orXZu •^" °°°tinent- 
 "f "ur f.ct It ' ,r ' "^e"- which flows 
 ""'• great chain „finhn"/'' '^^ "^«' «°d 
 
 ?c«ti„yorthiseou tyt toTf" ^f-^' «'c 
 "ut we cannot fulfil 7 > • ° ^orJ^cd out. 
 
 .^'"yofthi,;::i^t'J';j,;;';'^'!"y-orthedes. 
 
 ;■> the market plac^e br~tL r'""« ''^'^ 
 bor has suggested doin J'„ .u- " ''°"- "'cui- 
 "ur naturaThi.S.l ° °°""°S*'' 'fflprove 
 
 •development of „ur rL ™''"^""«c *br the 
 that wn havo , hi .'"'"T''^- ^ believ« 
 ""y before .:s but thlt .-^k ''""""bio deal 
 
 /nr.v^UncjJarge expenditure; and 
 
 °"r yery e.istencf Thl iZ '^P^°'' ^°•• 
 our .nternal navigation is K «'"!'"' '^' 
 
 undertaking we should consid!! u'\ ^"^^ 
 commcrcialpurnoses 1 f ^'' whether for 
 
 fence. And a?re' J,*?'" ''"""P"''^ "^ '^c 
 commercial in e eft fn J' P-'""'""''"' «^'°"r 
 our navigation what Ir, . ""P'-o^'omcnt of 
 could ^^oexleZoltT1so, I woulda.sk, 
 
 of the .seaboard states but JJ^^l '' "°' «"« 
 way interested in divcrt?nJT '^ ^'^ '° ^^''^'"y 
 fron, our into "he ir o^„^ t^'^T''" "-^^J" 
 endeavoring to obstruct,. •°°'''' ""'^ '" 
 calculated 1o attract that .° '"'P^^^'cn^ent.s 
 f^awrence. The Wc,t n 9^*'^° '" "^^ «'• 
 would have interests fnn '''"' <^o»btle,ss, 
 they are not in a po iUo„7o?en T''' "■^' ^"^ 
 r'al aid for the oL^T .• '^"'^'"" "^ ^ate- 
 
 being themsefves ZZZ!^7or1r ""''^'' 
 carrying out thp!.. ".""^ the means of 
 
 -cuts, ^ I believe 'tir that""' 'T^'''' 
 material point of yiel n "''" f"""'" a 
 
 thinker must adm that 7^ ""Prejudiced 
 
 PerityandimpoSncellt-"' ^''^'''' P'-os- 
 iudividualitv ani ; f-'" Preserving our 
 
 heritageteVwV:;^^^^^ 
 
 (Hear, hear.) I fegi „,;^!/.'^' ""cement. 
 
 tenthsof the people of P 'T'" "'^' "'"c- 
 deterredfromSintoi T'^'"' '"'"''^ ""^ bo 
 through the fear tl. hol'^"'''' '^ ^ ""tion 
 have to strike a hinl • ^ .'"•''•>' '^""'e day 
 country; and of all nT '" 't^'"'' "^ their 
 
 or of sentiment h"sh:^!il" f '''^^^^y 
 brave and loyarpcople '^'^^."'''.^o ^ear to a 
 
 envied po-sseVsof hke ;. "m'^- ^''' "^^^ 
 greatest river in the woHd ♦^'^'^ ""' '^' 
 one of the great nortnir? ..^ \° ^'^^Pcrs of ■ 
 I trust that'oanadians w% "^'^"''^ ' ^"^ 
 yield possession of ?h!ir^ "r" ^° ^'^""'' to 
 from them by ?orce - \irA"^'*^"'^^'=«'od 
 
 force, they may rest' «.:^V'"' ""•'^^ be a 
 ficient to ore 4,a"eh "e ' ""''^•"•dy «uf- 
 rrovinces, but all tho ni ^""P''' °f these 
 besides. Hear hd' 7^ ° the Empire 
 said I would not . nii • r'i''°"g'» ^ have 
 claim the attention of he I'r ^''''^^' ^ '""«' 
 nioments longer wl ill T ^°"l' ^"'^ " few 
 very important p'oi^ A ?.""'' "P"'' °"« 
 r«;olution, foresC wing' : ^, ^.^^'h 
 by Canad, „ d^^ the "Lt /r^TT^ 
 ?• f"? ^^orth-^Vest ferritorv Tf, ^'V""^^, 
 'n this House one hon TpTk ^f ° ''^ "ot 
 O'atcs more fully than ?[ ""l' ''PP^^' 
 
 -turalresou..ial:;t'fute^^;,ro1 
 
12 
 
 that territory ; but I am not of that class of 
 Banguino and visionary politicians who would 
 risk losing all by grasping too much, and in 
 the vast dominion extending from Lake 
 Superior to the shores of Newfoundland, the 
 Confederacy will have ample scope for the 
 energy and enterprise of her people for a 
 long time to come. The Noith-West terri- 
 tory, I'rom its geographical position as regards 
 us, is very difficult of access. A broad tract 
 of barren and in..ospitable country inter- 
 venes between Lake Superior and the fertile 
 plains of the Red River and the Saskatche- 
 wan, which for seven months out of the 
 twelve are, in fact, wholly inaccessiblo to us 
 save through a foreign country, renderiof it 
 next to impossible for us alone to effect 
 close connection with and colonization of 
 that country. We cannot jump all at once 
 from the position of colonists to that of 
 colonizers. That great territory can only be 
 developed, colonized and preserved to us by 
 the exercise of that fostering care which the 
 Empire has ever bestowed upon her colonies 
 in their infancy. The Hon. President of 
 the Council (Hon. Mr. Brown), in the 
 course uf the debate, said he hoped to see 
 the day when our young men would go forth 
 from among us to settle the North-Wcst 
 territory, t harbor no such wish. On the 
 contrary, one of the fondest, hopes I cherish 
 as a result of Confederation is, that it will 
 so attract capital and enterprise to the pro- 
 vinces, so tend to dcvelopo our internal 
 resources, as to offer to the youth of the 
 country a field for the exercise of that 
 laudable energy and ambition which now 
 cause so many of them to leave their own 
 hearths and cast their lot with strangers. 
 One of the greatest ills that Canada now 
 suffers from is, that the young men born 
 and brought up in her midst look abroad 
 for their future, and bestow their energies 
 and talents on another land ; and, although 
 an immigrant myself, I know and acuTit 
 that a man born and brought up here is 
 worth any two immigrants for the arduous 
 task of clearing and settling what remains 
 to us of the public domain. I hope and 
 trust that the Confederation of the Provinces 
 will create sufficient inducements to keep 
 the young men of the country at homo. 
 (Hear, hear.) It is in that hope that I 
 support the measure. I trust at the same 
 time th.it the great Nortls^Vcst territory 
 will be preserved to our flag, and that, 
 fostered by the Mother Country, it will in 
 
 time become great and populous, and finally 
 extend the British American nation to the 
 shores of the Pacific. It would be unfair, 
 at this late stage of the debate, to enter 
 further into details. I promised that I 
 would not do so. With details, iodced, it 
 has all along appeared tome wa had little to 
 do now. If the project as a whole be good, 
 surely means will be found, as wo go on, to 
 remedy objectionable details. With all its 
 defects — and I admit there are many defects 
 — there never was a written Constitution 
 but had its defects— I feel confident that the 
 general design sot forth in the resolutions 
 meets with the approval of a large majority 
 of the people of Canada at all events ; audit 
 would be an insult to the sound common 
 sense of a people that have so long proved 
 themselves capable of judging for them- 
 selves and of governing themselves, to sup- 
 pose them incapable of adjusting, from time 
 to time, aa occasion arises, the minor details 
 or defects of a system of government to 
 which they have resolved on according a 
 fair trial. (Hear, hear.) And now, Mr. 
 Speaker, what I had to say on this import- 
 ant subject of Confederation I have said. 
 I promised that I would not weary the House 
 by entering into details ; I trust that I have 
 not done so; but I may bo permitted to 
 express a hope — a hope founded in a deep 
 and abiding belief— that the people of these 
 provinces are and will prove themselves 
 equal to the great undertaking that is before 
 them; that aided by all the commercial 
 power of Britain in time of peace, by all her 
 military and maritime power in war, should 
 war unhappily come about, we will show to 
 the world that we are not unworthy scions 
 of the noble races of which we come, but that 
 we are competent to successfully work out 
 to a great end the task that is intrusted to 
 us--the noblest and worthiest task that can 
 be intrusted to an intelligent and enlightened 
 people— that of making for themselves a 
 name and a place among the nations of the 
 earth ; that of building up — to borrow a 
 quotation aptly introduced into his able 
 speech by my lion, friend from South l^anark 
 — a quotation from the speech of a renowned 
 British statesman, when speaking on a great 
 colonial question— that of building up " one 
 of those great monuments with which Eng- 
 land marks the records of her deeds— not 
 pyramids and obelisks, but states and com- 
 monwealths, whose history shall be written 
 
 
 in her 
 
 languase. 
 
 (Cheers.) 
 
) and finally 
 ation to the 
 
 be unfair, 
 e, to enter 
 ised that I 
 , indeed, it 
 had little to 
 ole be good, 
 fo go on, to 
 iVith all its 
 lany defects 
 JoDstitution 
 !Dt that the 
 
 resolutions 
 go majority 
 ents; and it 
 id common 
 ong proved 
 
 for them- 
 768, to sup- 
 , from time 
 inor details 
 jrDmcut to 
 ccording a 
 
 DOW, Mr. 
 his import- 
 have said. 
 ' the House 
 that I have 
 irraitted to 
 
 in a deep 
 lie of these 
 themselves 
 It is before 
 ioramercial 
 , by all her 
 far, should 
 ill show to 
 rthy scions 
 >c, but that 
 ' work out 
 itrusted to 
 k that can 
 nlightened 
 nisclves a 
 c«!)s of the 
 
 borrow a 
 
 hi,s able 
 ith Lanark 
 
 renowned 
 on a great 
 ; up " one 
 lich Eng- 
 eeds — not 
 
 and uuut- 
 )e written