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House of Commons, 15 April 1869, Canadian Confederation with Newfoundland

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Thursday, April 15, 1869

The Parliament met this day for the despatch of business at three p.m.
A message was brought by René Kimber, Esquire, Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod:-
Mr. Speaker,
His Excellency, the Governor—General, desires the immediate attendance of this Honorable House in the Senate Chamber.
Accordingly, Mr. Speaker, with the House, went to the Senate Chamber;
And being returned,
Ordered, That the Honorable Sir John A. Macdonald have leave to bring in a Bill respecting the administration of Oaths of Office.
He accordingly presented the said Bill to the House, and the same was received and read the first time.
The following new members were introduced: Mr. Amos Wright, (West York), introduced by Messrs. Mackenzie and Holton; Mr. Pelletier, (Kamouraska), by Messrs. Joly and Tremblay; Mr. Pickard, (York, NB.), by Messrs. Connell and Burpee; Dr. Lacerte, (St. Maurice) and Mr. McDougall, (Three Rivers), by Mr. Langevin and Sir John A. Macdonald.
Mr. Speaker reported, That when the House did attend His Excellency the Governor General this day in the Senate Chamber, His Excellency was pleased to make a Speech to both Houses of Parliament, of which Mr. Speaker said he had, to prevent mistakes, obtained a copy, which he read to the House as followeth:-
Honorable Gentlemen of the Senate,-
Gentlemen of the House of Commons,-
I have great satisfaction in having recourse to your advice, and I rejoice to think that on this, the first occasion on which I have had the honour of addressing you, we may congratulate ourselves on the aspect of public affairs at home and abroad, on the prevalence of peaceful counsels amongst nations, and on indications of agreement and tranquility favorable alike to the development of foreign commerce and the prosecution of domestic industry.
2 COMMONS DEBATES April 15, 1869
The great scheme of Confederation was successfully inaugurated under the auspices of my Predeccessor.
It is to me a source of pride to find my name in honorable association with the rising fortunes of the Dominion of Canada, and I shall count it a happiness, as well as a duty, to co-operate, to the utmost of my ability, in furthering your efforts to strengthen the ties that bind the different provinces together, and to ensure the attachment of the people to the soil, by the enactment of wise and equal laws.
Your efforts in these directions seem now,
more than ever, likely to be called into action, inasmuch as the terms upon which great accessions are offered to the Dominion will be submitted for your immediate consideration. In consequence of the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos' despatch of the 8th August of last year, stating that His Grace proposed to enter into negotiations with the Hudson's Bay Company, as to the terms on which they would be willing to surrender their rights and claims in the North—West Territory, Lord Monck sent home to England two Members of the Privy Council as a deputation to watch the course of the proceedings and attend to the interests of Canada.
The conferences in London, and the correspondence on the subject have been brought to a definite issue by the proposal which, after a full review of the circumstances, Earl Granville made on the part of Her Majesty's Government for the consideration of the people of Canada and of the Hudson's Bay Company.
I have received the intelligence that the Hudson's Bay Company has, after some deliberation, decided upon accepting the terms laid down by the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
I have directed that the report of the mission, and all the papers connected therewith, shall be duly laid before Parliament, and I commend them to your serious consideration, in view of the great importance of the subject no less than in the hope that this long vexed question may be closed without further delay.
I was much gratified by communications from the Governor of Newfoundland, expressing the desire for admission into the Union which prevails amongst the inhabitants of that Colony, and especially by his despatch of the 20th March last, covering copies of Resolutions which have been passed by the [...]

Source:

Canada. House of Commons Debates, 1869. Edited by P.B. Waite. Ottawa: Queen's Printer, 1975. Original scans accessible at: http://parl.canadiana.ca/.

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Selection of input documents and completion of metadata: Gordon Lyall.

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