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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 Le<Tislature of Nova Scotia, which re-assembled on the twenty-second 
 February, 18''6(i, was opened by a speech from the Lieutenant-Governor. Not a 
 word was said in that speech, or in the address in reply, respecting either a Union 
 of the MariCm^ Pr.winr.os. or the Confederation of all the British American 
 Colonies. Lulled into security by this marked omission in the lieutenant- 
 Governor's speech, and fully believing that the Confederation Scheme was 
 abandoned by the Government, the Petitions then in course of signature were 
 
HHU 
 
 ( 3 ) 
 
 at once saspended. but even then one hundred and thirty Petitions, signed by 
 over 8 50^^^^^^^^^^^^ were presented, praying that no fundan^ent.^ ^'^^^'^':ZZ 
 in the Institutions of the country, and none were presented in favour of Canadian 
 
 '"irtdution introduced by the loader of the Government on the tenj^b 
 April 1866, authorizing the appointment of Delegates to arrange a Scheme 
 of Confederation, was a surprise to the entire country. 
 
 No time was given to the people to hold meetings, or sign petitions, and the 
 Resolution was hurried through the House in indecent haste, under a threat 
 from the leader of the Government (Dr. Tapper) that he would move the 
 
 '"iredeir^hich preceded the adoption of the Resolution, assumed through- 
 out that the CoifedemtL would include Prince Edward's Island and Newfound- 
 Zl^ltll is no evidence that the Delegation wouUl have been authorized 
 had it been known that those two Provinces were to be left out. 
 
 DdTgates appointed by the Government of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New. 
 Brrn^w ifto arrange a Confederation of the British North American Provinces 
 ^Xd England in the summer of 1866. There were six from Nova Scotia s.x 
 frim New Brunswick, and five from Canada. Therelwas also a counter-delegation, 
 "manatedfrom the people of Nova Scotia, consisting of Messrs Howe, 
 Innand aid McDonald, who, besides urging the views of the vast major.^^^^^ 
 Lt Province upon Her Majesty's Minister., were also the bearers of a Petitic. 
 o the House of Commons, signed by 31,000 persons, asking that they might be 
 Iwed tTspetk at the hustings before any Act was passed, which Petition was 
 r.rp<?pnted bv Admiral Erskine in March, 1867. 
 
 'no heed was given to this reasonable request. Even a delay of a few 
 weekfuntU the elections in Nova Scotia should come off-the f^^^f^^-^ 
 Then vithin three months of expiring by lapse of tinie-was refused an^^h^^^^^ 
 of the five Provinces of British North America were united bv Act of 
 
 '''"e thirty-one Members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly 
 who V ted for the Resolution of tenth April, 1866, thirteen did not offer 
 ovre-el ction on the eighteenth September, 1867; and of the eighteen who 
 ^d Ascend the hustings., only two were returned, ^oth jf Jhe^ by na^^^^ 
 maiorities under protest for bribery and corruption; and of the tttj -seven 
 Zbers elected L the Dominion Parliament and the local Legislature, only 
 three were avowedly in favour of Confederation. 
 
 The unanimity of the Assembly of Nova Scotia, when ,t met, and its refnsa 
 to do any business under the Act of Confederation, pending the question ot 
 repeal, is referred to in another paper ; but the gravity of the qiiestion and the 
 ntens hostility of the people to this unfortunate measure, cannot be adequately 
 Xd from the action' of the representative body with all their decision .n 
 unanimity. One of the latest acts of that body, m their Session of 1868, was to 
 authorize the Delegation which is now here, in the following terms :- 
 
 « Resolved-That the Delegates so appointed are to urge upon the attention 
 ^. of the British Government and the Imperial Parliament the strong feelings of 
 » thisHcuse and of the people of Nova Scotia, upon the question of Confede a- 
 " tiot^t they arc to a' k for the restoration of the Consti^tion o this country 
 " as i xist.d previously to the passage of the British North America Act 
 as 11 exisieu I. J flUorition of '-^ amnndment to, such Act ; and 
 
 " that they are not to accept anj alteration oi, - -i-i— - ■ ,„„,„„^ i,, th,^ 
 
 " that thev are hereby authorized, if necessary, to retain counsel learnea in tin, 
 » faw to plead the claims of Nova Scotia at the bar of the House of Commons, 
 
<i w v» 
 
 ( 4 ) 
 
 " and to take all such other and necessary steps for carrying out the Resolutions 
 " of this House as may be deemed advisable." 
 
 And that the Assembly is not in advance, but rather in the rear of public 
 opinion, is evidenced by the universal uprising of the people of the country, who 
 in every one of the eighteen Counties have held pubMc meetings at which the 
 British North America Act was condemned, and its repeal demanded in tones 
 which show that the population are terribly in earnest. At one of these 
 meetings, perhaps the most important, because held in the Metropolis, the 
 following significant Resolution was unanimously adopted-" That in the opinion 
 " of this meeting, the Act of Union, aa p-issed and ma^le law by the Imperial 
 " Parliament, has no claim upon the loyalty of the people of Nova Scotia, any 
 « obedience yielded to that Act being a matter of coercion, and not given with 
 •' the free assent of a free -sople." . 
 
 The Delegates submit that the case is a grave one, involving Imperial as 
 weU as Colonial interests, demanding prompt inquiry and prompt redress. 
 
 THE FBEE TRADE ARGUMENT. 
 
 Without Confederation, it is said, we could not have Free Trade between 
 Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. All the natural products of those 
 Provinces-of the soil, the sea, the mine, and the forest-passed freely between 
 them before Confedemtion was thought of. everything, in short, except manufac- 
 tured goods. And in 18G2, two years before the Quebec scheme was suggested, 
 the Government of Canada propounded the free interchange of manufactured 
 articlcL between the Colonies, which was then declined as premature by Nova 
 Scotia and New Brunswick. It is true that Free Trade sweeps away the 
 Custom-houses as between the Provinces, but it retains them all against the 
 Mother Country ; and, to the extent of the consumption of Nova Scotia, increases 
 the duty on British manufactured goods from 10 to 15 per cent. The Dominion 
 Parliament at its first Session imposed h.avy duties on many articles which 
 previously came into Nova Scotia free of tax. Take a single illustration. All 
 the types, printing materials, and printing-paper used in the Province were 
 imported from England free; they are now taxed 15 per cent., to protect one 
 type-foundry and two or three paper-mills in Canada, at once enhancing the cost 
 of those articles to the Nova Scotians and restraining the industry of the Mother 
 Country. 
 
 THE INTERCOLONIAIi RAILWAY. 
 
 Then it is argued that the Intercolonial Railroad would not be built unless 
 the Provinces confederated. Arrangements were made to construct that road m 
 1862, each Province pledging itself separately to provide its share, under sanction 
 of the Imperial authorities; and it is because Canada failed to fulfil her pledge, 
 that that Lrreat public work was not completed. But grave doubts have lately 
 arisen as to the value of this railway. Traversing, as it would, hundreds of 
 miles of wilderness country-much of it barren, broken, and unfit for settlement- 
 
( 6 ) 
 
 h^n 
 
 it could not be expected to pay even working expenses for many years to 
 come: and if comparatively useless a.s a commercial speculation, running as 
 it must for at least sixty miles, witl.in twenty-seven miles of the Amencan 
 frontier, it is evident that it would be absolutely useless ob ^ 'neans of 
 Defence, should there unhappily be a war between this country and tl'^ Umted 
 States. For purely Commercial purposes it can be amply demonstrated that a 
 railway from the seaboard, at Halifax, to St. John, New Brunswick, and Bangor 
 in the State of Maine, besides connecting the two Maritime Provinces with all 
 the Railwavs of the United States, would also connect them with the Canadian 
 Railways, 'and bring Montreal, Toronto, &c., twenty-fiv. miles nearer Halifax 
 than by any one of the Linos recommended by the engineers for the Intercolomal 
 Failing, then, to be profitable in a commercial view, or valuable as a means o 
 defence, it would appear reasonable that the Imperial guarantee of £3,000,000 
 sterling should be withdrawn; as the interest, to say nothing of the cos ot 
 running ,he road, will be a heavy charge on the Provinces, with the possibility 
 that the ultimate payment of the Loan may be thrown upon the Mother Country. 
 The Province of Nova Scotia was prepared, before the Confederation, t 
 have constructed its lair proportion of this Railway, without any recourse to an 
 Imperial guarantee, and had entered into contracts for that purpose. It is still 
 ready, when freed from the burden of the British North America Act, to under- 
 take that responsibility. A Resolution to that effect was passed m the House ot 
 Assemblv of Nova Scotia by a majority of 27 against 5, on 24th February, 1868. 
 
 THE FORTIFICATION AND DEFENCE ARGUMENT. 
 
 It is said that under Confederation the Provinces will appropriate much 
 larger sumo than heretofore for local defence, and relieve the Mother Country 
 from the heavy expenditure of keeping large bodies of troops in the British North 
 American Colonies. So far, however, no relief has been afforded the tax-payors 
 of England by Confederation. Not a single regiment has been withdrawn from 
 Canada, and not a penny saved to the Imperial Exchequer since the x rovmces 
 
 were confederated. ,. .i. .„ 
 
 Nor has the Dominion Government done anything to realize the expe. ta- 
 tions of the Parliament and people of England. The Province of Canada alone 
 exnended over £:^00,000 upon her Militia in the year immediately preceding the 
 passage of the Confederation Act, to say nothing of the Militia expenditure 
 in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The Militia grant of the entire Dominion 
 for the first year of Confederation, instead of exceeding the above amount is 
 estimated at £180,000, about half the sum voted by the three Provmccs when 
 separate the year before. -i *u„ 
 
 The Militia BiU lately introduced in the Dominion Parliament provides for 
 the actual employment of but 50,000 Militia, who are liable to eight days drill 
 This is for the whole Dominion ; whereas in Nova Scotia alone upwards o 
 45,C90 were called out and drilled five days last year, equal to a tota o 
 225,000 days' drill of a Provincial population of 370,000, agamst the dnl 
 of 400 000 days for a Dominion population estimated at nearly 4,00U,UUU. 
 Nova Scotia inl866 spent over £30,000 for lior Militia, far more than her share 
 under the Bill lately introduced by the Canadian Minister of Mihtia. 
 
Then it will be paid that the Dominion Government propose to expend 
 £220,000 yearly, for five years, ujk)!! fortifications — £1,100,000 in all. Yes; but 
 the Jiritish Govcrnmcut are expected to gua.-anteo the Loan, at an interest not 
 cxcoodinp 4 per cent., with a sinkinfj fund of 1 per cent. The expenditure of 
 €220,000 sterlinfi; a year, spread over seven different localities in Canada and 
 New Brunswick, cannot do much pood, and may do much harm. The grant for 
 fortifications will probably bo looked upon as a menace by the United States, 
 and if ten times as large as it is would offer no serious obstacles to Canada 
 bein-? invaded and overrun, should the Americans desire the conquest of the 
 country above Quebec. But assuming the exjwnditure a wise one, after all what 
 is it when the money is borrowed and spent? An annual charge of £5."»,()()0 
 sterling per annum ; the Nova Scotian share of which— if we apply the Canadian 
 principle of representation by population — would l)e £5,500 a year ; a sum they 
 would cheerfully pay, if released from the operation of the "British North 
 " America Act." 
 
 EXISTING ENGAGEMENTS. 
 
 It will no doubt be urged, as an argument against the Nova Scotians, that 
 pecuniary engagements have been entered into since the Act of Union was passed, 
 and that it would, therefore, be unjust to the public creditor, to repeal the 
 •' British North America Act." No serious difficulty could possibly arise on 
 this point, as far as Nova Scotia is concerned. All the undertakings for 
 important public works were made before any Delegation from that Province was 
 sent to England, and long before the Act referred to was passed. Arrangements 
 had previously been made to borrou, on the Provincial credit, all the money 
 necessary to build the Ptailroad to Pictou, now completed and open for traffic. 
 A contract had also been entered into with English capitalists, to construct a Line 
 of' Railway from Windsor to Annapolis, now in course of construction, the 
 ' Province engaging to pay the Company a subvention of £1G,320 sterling a year 
 for twenty years, or to capitalize the amount ; the latter course was subseiiuently 
 adopted, by the Nova Scotia Government engaging to pay the Company the sum 
 of £220,li(IO sterling in full, in Provincial Debentures at par, bearing 6 per cent, 
 interest. This was done in the Session of 18()7. 
 
 And a further Contract was made by the Government of Nova Scotia with 
 an English Company to construct that portion of the so-called Intercolonial 
 Railway, which running from Truro to the New Brunswick frontier, would unite 
 those two Provinces, and when the Line now rapidly building is completed, with 
 the entire railway system of Canada and the United States. That engagement, 
 made in 1S05, the Contractors profess their readiness to fulfil, and hold the 
 Province liable for the promised subvention of £24,000 sterling a year for twenty 
 
 yeare. 
 
 All these liabilities, incurred by the Government and Legislature of Nova 
 Scotia, were made some time before the Provinces were Confederated, anil in 
 full reliance upon the adequacy of the revenues of the Province to meet all the 
 (charges so created. 
 
( 7 ) 
 
 ;if*;i 
 
 TAXATION AND FINANCE. 
 
 It Is also strongly urged by the advocates of Confederation, that the peci"'iary 
 enca.cn>ent. 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. 
 
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 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. 
 
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