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House of Commons, 19 April 1895, Canadian Confederation with Newfoundland

13 [APRIL 19, 1895] 14
[...] has been most materially reduced. Take. in the first place, 'the goods that have been entered for consumption. In this year, as against/last year—and I am speaking as to values—there has been a decrease of eight millions and a half worth of goods; then, the duty collected on these goods, as contrasted with the preceding year, has been less by a million and three-quarters of dollars. But the most noticeable changes have been in respect of the very goods which were aflected by a reduction in the tariff, as witnessed in the fact that the revenue derivable from woollen goods has decreased, as compared with the preceding year, by a million and a half; the revenue in respect of iron has decreased by a million and a quarter; and that in respect to silks, by $300,000. The great falling off in the excise this year of $1,000,000 as compared with last year, has, too, helped to increase that deficit. Now, Sir, on the whole there is a deficit, but the reasons are' ample, the matter is explainable; and the fact that there is a deficit this year will not be looked upon by the country as a proof that such a state of affairs must exist under a Conservative Administration, but the people will regard it as a rarity and a novelty. I trust, Sir, that the deficit will not amount to what has been prophesied, and that, having a due regard to the efficiency of the public service, economy may be practised to such an extent as to make that deficit as small as possible. Now I come to another clause in the Address, that which makes mention of the probable admission of the oldest British colony in America as part of the confederation. When the scheme of confederation was broached and when it was effected in 1867, aye, and even before that, it was thought by the fathers of confederation that this great work would never be consummated, would never be finally completed, until within our borders was embraced every colony in North America under the flag of Great Britain; and from time to time overtures and propositions have been made to that end. I am pleased to see that at last they have taken a tangible form, and in this city, as the capital of the Dominion, a very important conference was held a few weeks ago, from which we trust beneficial results will follow. The terms of the offer upon which Newfoundland proposes coming into this confederacy, and the terms which were offered by the Federal Government, have not yet been made public; but I think I echo the hope of every Canadian, and of every parliamentarian, irrespective of politics, that those terms may be of such a nature that a consummation of that union may be brought about. We, in this portion of the Dominion, particularly in the province of Ontario, not having been in touch with the people of Newfoundland, have only known it as rather a sterile, bleak and inhospitable island ; but I am happy to say that our views in that respect have been entirely changed by a speech delivered in Ottawa last week by the Hon. Mr. Bond. With their thrifty, industrious and hardy population, of somewhat over 200,000, engaged, as they are, largely in the greatest of all hardships, the fishing industry, also interested as they are interested in the lumber business, and interested as they are in the great industry of mining, in which $5,000,000 is invested; not having, as we, in the western provinces have, great manufacturing enterprises, it must of necessity result that they should be, and would be in due course of. time, if any considerable interchange of commodities took place. good customers of ours, as of the $7,000,000 worth of goods imported into that island, only $2,500,000 worth came from these provinces. So I believe that, if that consolidation is brought about, if that colony is admitted, a union will be accomplished which will greatly add to the material prosperity of the whole Dominion. Moreover, Sir. we will then guard and control every entrance to the British possessions on the Atlantic; and then it will be the proud boast of every Canadian, that from the western shores of this continent, where the waters of. the Pacific lave the golden sands of British Columbia, to the far east, where Newfoundland's rock-bound coasts are dashed by the billows of the Atlantic, all shall be under the sway of the confederation of Canada.
Mr. BELLEY. (Translation) In rising to second the motion just moved. by the hon. member for East Simcoe (Mr. Bennett), I must say that the Manitoba school question referred to in the Speech from the Throne has given rise to that other question Whether the moment had not come to break the tie which unites us to the Dominion and seek elsewhere other destinies for us. Many wise and enlightened people, men from all sections of the community and from all races, have had, in the face of the general mistrust which for nearly five years now has unsettled every mind, to painfully consider whether the Dominion could last much longer, and whether the time had not come, as I said, to break the tie which unites us to it, should not Manitoba or the Federal Government remedy the injustices done and replace, so to say, in its former position the fundamental stone which the Manitoba Government had taken out of the very basis of the Dominion structure. Thank God, owing to the spirit of justice of the people, owing to the common sense which prevails everywhere in the Dominion, owing especially to the courage shown by the Government with respect to that school question, the minds may now regain their composedness, uneasiness may disappear and hope revive among all the races which have made this country their own. For these reasons, I might be allowed to tender to the executive our most sincere thanks on [...]

Source:

Canada. House of Commons Debates, 1875-1949. Provided by the Library of Parliament.

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

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