IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) . ^> ■ om /A Photographic Sciences Corporation m s '^^ \ V \\ atad imprea- sion. and anding on the laat page with a printad or iliuatratad impraasion. The laat recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol ^^(meening "CON- TINUEO"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever appliea. Lea axempiaires originaux d&nt !a couv«rturs an papier eat imprimie sont fiimte an commanpant par la premier plat at an tarminant soit par la derni^re piage qui comporte une empreinte d'lmp'-eQaion ou d'iilustration. soit par la sacond plat, saiion la caa. Tous laa autras axamplairos originaux sont filmte an commandant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte dimpreaaion ou d'llluatration at an tarminant par la dcrniira page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un dee symboles suivants apparaitra sur la demiAre image de cheque microfiche, salon le caa: le symbols — »• signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN". Mapa, piatea, charts, etc.. mey be filmed at different reduction ratioa. Thoae too large to be entirely included in one expoaure ara filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to bottom, aa many framea aa required. The following dfagrama illuatrate the method: Lee cartea. planches, tableaux, ate. peuvent dtra fiimte * dee taux de rMuction diff*ren». Loraque le document eat trop grand pour itre reproduit en un seui clich*. ii eat film* i partir do Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche it droite, et de heut en baa, en prenant le nombre d'images nicessaira. Laa diagrammea suivants iilustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 12 3 4 5 6 Hh7 CANADIAN CONFEDEEATION. INFORMATION IN RELATION TO PETITION OF NOVA SCOTIA DELEGATES. HISTOBICAIi. Lore Durham's Report, 1839, recommended Legislative Union of the British North American Provinces, but strictly enjoined that it should be done with the free consent of all the Colonies, and that a Royal Commission should be 3°nt out tc> arrange the terms and the basis of repre;3entation. Although the question of Colonial Union had been more than once discussed in the Nova Scotia Legislature previous to 1861, the greatest possible difference of opinion was expressed by the several speakers : some preferring a Legislative, others a Federal Union, and one of them, Mr, Howe, advocated an Incorporation of the Colonies with the Mother Country, with representation in the Imperial Parliament; but no Resolution was moved or vote taken until the above year. The scheme for confederating the Provinces took its rise in Canada, where, owing to dead locks in its Legislature, and frequent changes of administration, a Federal Union of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward's Island was suggested by the Canadian Government as the remedy for the internal dissensions of Canada. The first Legislative action taken in Nova Scotia was in 1861, when the House of Assembly, without debate or division, authorized the appointment of a Dele- gation, to confer with Delegates from the other Provinces as to the expediency of a Legislative or Federal Union of the whole group, or a Union of the Maritime Provinces only, with a view to the question being " set at rest." Delegates from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick met the Executive Council of Canada, in September, 1862, when, after a brief conference, it was decided, without a dissentient voice, that until the projected Intercolonial Railroad was built, and free trade between the Provinces established, it would be premature to discuss the subject. And in this way the question was set at rest ; no one in the Nova Scotia Jjtjislature objecting to t/te result of the Delegatim.. A general election came off in No> a Scotia in May, 1863, the chief issues before the country being a scheme of retrenchment, and a question in relation to the franchise, but it does not appear that in any instance the important subject of Colonial Union was brought to the notice of the Electors. A new Provincial Government was formed in Nova Scotia immediately after the Elections, with Dr. Tupper as Premier, who, at the first meeting of Parliament, carried a Resolution authorizing the appointment of Delegates to consider, in conjunction with Delegates from New Brunswick and Prince Edward's Island, the expediency of a Legislative Union of the three jMaritime Provinces. Earlj' in the same year, after a succession of dead locks and changes of Administration, a Coalition Government was formed in Canada, charged with the policy of combining all the British North American Provinces in a Federal ( 2 ) Union or, if that was found impracticable, to apply the Federal Principle to Canada alone, with a Central Parliament, based on representation by population, for the whole Province, and local Legislatures for Upper and Lower Canada. Delegates duly accredited from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward's Island met at Charlottetown in August, 18G4, but before they had well begun the work with which they were charged-the Legislative Union of the Maritime Provinces-their proceedings were suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a strong Delegation from Canada, who succeeded in breaking up th^ conference and leading the Convention away from their official mission to the consideration of the other question— a Federal Union of all the Provinces. The Delegates from the Maritime Provinces having abandoned the work with which the'y were charged by their several Legislatures, proceeded with the Canadian Depulation to Quebec, where, in October, 18G^, the Resolutions known as the " Quebec Scheme," for confederating Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward's Island, were adopted. That the policy of Confederation down to this period was Canadian, and not Imperial, is proved by the fact that the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Cardwell acquiesced in the policy of legislatively uniting the Maritime Provinces, and approved of the hesitancy of the then Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia to permit the Delegates to proceed to Canada and discuss the larger Union. The scheme prepared at Quebec, and concocted in secret, excited great alarm and apprehension in Nova Scotia, from the moment it was published; so much so, that old party lines were at cnce broken down, and the masses of the people, by a common instinct, united together to resist a measure which threatened to rob them of their revenues and self-government. The country was aroused, public meetings were held, and when the Legis- lature met iu February, 1865, the Provincial Government-although pledged by the Governor's speech to submit the Confederation Scheme to the Legislature —did not dare to bring the measure down, but in its stead revived the Resolution of March, 1864, for x Legislative Union of the Maritime Provinces, and so strong was the feeling in the Assembly, that the Preamble, stating that— " Whereas, under existing circumstances, an immediate Union of the " British North American Colonies has become impracticable,— ^nd. whereas " a Legislative Union of the Maritime Provinces is desirable whether the " larger Union be accomplished or not," " had to be subsequently abandoned, because the House would not, even by impli- cation, recognize the expediency of any Union between Nova Scotia and Canada. One hundred and eighty-three Petitions, signed by over L5,000 persons, praying the Assembly not to adopt the Confederation Scheme without consulting the people at the polls, were presented to the House in the Session of 180o, and only one petition was presented in its favour. It would apperr that no effective measures were taken to carry out the tore- going Resolution, which found no favour with the then Colonial Secretary, Mr Cardwell, either by correspondence with the Government of New Brunswick and Prince Edward's Island, or by meetings of Delegates from the Maritime Provinces The Leent. of Nova Scotia were so heavy at the tirao " The Br. t>sh North " America Act" was passed, that whetlier confederated or not she would have been forced to largely increase her taxation. Assuming, for t;e moment, this a legation to be true, the increased burdens would, after all, only be teu,>orary, asmucha.by«uicteconomy in the expenditure, and the .norease of revenue inC'ient to a steadily-growing population, the Government would, m a very short 7^:1 ir. a conditL,; to return to a low tariff, ander which great pubUe works wore' con,i,leted. and the Province has flourished. On the contrary, while Nova Scotia remains under the opemtion of the Act referred to, she can look for no reduction of taxation, but must necessarily be exposed to an increase of hose protective duties which have alreadv been adopted by the P-hament at OUawa and will be inevitable to meet the largo expenditures contemplated by he rnnadian Government, which have not been provided for in the adjustment of the Dresent tariff. Nor docs it at all follow that f increased taxes would be necessary on the part of Nova Scotia, if out of the Union, that these would be imposed, as Z LI, upon the manufactures of England. Indeed, there ^^^^^^^ no difficultv in raising a considerable amount of revenue upon other articles of g neral consumption, without, to any appreciable extent, dimmishing the comforts of the people, to say nothing of the raising of money by other modes of taxation than uTDon importations from abroad. . .,., p, . It can easily be shewn that the Province of Nova Scotia, if left m possession of its Revenues, would now be in a position to amply provide for the payment of Interest on her Public Debt, for the support of Civil Government, M.litia, Educatio: . &c., leaving a large sum applicable to the local services of the count^^ The ^ross estimated expenditure for the financial year, 866 the laigest ever authorized by the Legislature of the Province, amounted to £326,03o stfirlin- and the gross revenue, for the same period, was £341, i 71 sterling. But it will bo said, in reply, that the interest on the Public Debt has large y increased since that time, and that the Customs and Excise Revenues for 186. irdata have yet been published showing the exact amount derived from other sources*) exhibits a falling-off for the year. Assuming both those statements as correct, the Account w.uld stand thus :- Income. AS per Report of Committco of Public Accounts for year ending 30t> September, 1866 Deduct alleged falling-oflf of revenue for 18C7 as compared with 180o SterliDK. £341,771 25,509 £316,262 EXPKNDITUBK. .. £326,035 published, but not authenticated (see Papers X a; d 1 ) _J 3Cl,327 And there will appear to be a deficiency of £45,065 But then it must be borne in mind that the grants of 1866, which were greatly in excess of any previous year, included large sums for permanent public . The faUing-off. if any, in these must be trifling, inasmuch a8 the Customs and Excise Duties constitute the chief sources of revenue. ;iil4 ( 8 ) works, (loductlng which, and roducinf? the road a^d orldRo flervico to tho sura granted in lb(]5 (vide Paper Z), a saving of .£4!),000 sterling might be effected, leaving ni ley enough to provide aa liberally for Civil Government, Interest on Debt, Militia, EducaUon, and other public services of tho country as by the Estimate of 18Ci>. And this result is obtained without following the Canadian example ol heavy impasts or. British and othei* goods, or b>- tho adoption of Stamp Duties, Taxes on Nowspajwrs, and Ti .es on tho Bank CirouUitiou of the Province. But, then, it may Iw objected that no provision is made in the above statement for that jwrtion of the Intercolonial Railroad which is fairly charge- able against the Province of Nova Scotia. Assuming the public mon-.-ys sLould be expended on tu3 Canadian principle— representation by [X)pulaUon — Nova Scotia will perform hor fair and full share of the obligation if she constructs that section of the Railway which Ue3 witiiin her own border, a distance of seventy miles, between Truro p.nd the frontier of New Brunswick. This she was under coiitract to do in 1805, at an annual charge of £24,000 sterling, a contract she is still prepared to carry out, if released from Confederation, without Imperial aid or gucraritee. This charge could be met in a variety of ways, until tho Revenues of the Province come up again, as they are sure to do, from the natural increase c ' >pulatinn and the rapid growth of income from her coal and gold mines, sL- . the Reciprocity Treaty with the United States be renewed. A tax of one per cent, upon Imports, to be taken off when the Revenue crme up, would give nearly all the money reouirrJ ; or the deficiency might be made good by teraporaiy loans*, and even a reduction in the local expenditure would be cheerfully submitted to by the people, for a few years, to carry out existing engagements and uphold the long and well-c .b" aued credit of the Provmce. ^