68
COMMONS DEBATES February 18, 1870
[...] leading public men of both the great parties,
who had so long and so fiercely struggled with
each other, than the fact that in the presence of
a great necessity, they had forgotten what was
due to party, in order that they might accomplish an important measure indispensable
to
the progress, properity and security of their
common country. If there was any foundation
for the statement of the honourable member
for Lambton, as to the present critical condition of our country, he must see that
the same
necessity existed for the patriotic combination
of those who in the first place sacrificed party
considerations for the accomplishment of the
Confederation of British North America. He
was persuaded, notwithstanding the remarks
of the hon. gentleman who had just spoken,
that the great Reform party who had sacrificed
so much at the shrine of patriotism since the
inception of the measure, would not recede
from the position they had assumed when they
declared in the face of the people that they
would forget for a time the duty they owed to
party, and combine with those with whom,
throughout their political career, they had been
placed in a position of the strongest antagonism. It was only necessary to listen
to the
remarks of the hon. gentleman to see that the
reasons which impelled the heads of the great
parties in this country to combine and forget
their previous hostility towards each other,
still existed to impel them to preserve the same
unflinching attitude which they believed the
best interests of the people demanded. Did the
hon. gentleman wish the people to believe that
this question was settled, when he told the
House in such forcible terms that the Province
of Nova Scotia was still disaffected, and that
the North-West Territory was in the midst of
an insurrection? Was the hon. gentleman,
under such circumstances, prepared to light
the torch of party discord, and return to the
state of things that existed before the formation of that political combination which
had
already achieved so much for the country at
large? The House would not forget how, in the
struggles for party ascendancy, denomination
had been arrayed against denomination,
nationality against nationality, section against
section, until the credit of Canada was dragged
down to the lowest ebb, and the credit of New
Brunswick and Nova Scotia also imperilled
and, indeed, materially affected by the same
causes. He regretted that the Hon. Mr. Brown,
to whom honour would be ever accorded for
the part he took in the inception of the Coalition which had brought about such great
results, should have thought proper, at the
most critical period of our political history, to
withdraw his support and co-operation from a
Government, framed upon principles so elevated and so essential to the best interests
of the
69
country. From the very first hour they came
into power, they had steadily kept in view the
patriotic object which they had pledged themselves to accomplish. He had listened
with the
deepest attention to the criticism of gentlemen
who had been former supporters of the Government as well as of those who were their
persistent opponents. They had pronounced the
efforts of the Coalition to advance the great
measure of Confederation entirely ineffective.
He defied those honourable gentlemen to show
in what respects there had been a failure. He
would like them to point to the pages of history
and show where as much had been done in as
short a time in the case of any similar measure
of national importance. That measure had consolidated four millions of people who
had been
previously separated in different Provinces,
embracing a territory of nearly four hundred
thousand square miles exclusive of the North-
West. The political systems of the Provinces
had been changed and brought under one government, without a single blow being struck.
Instead of resulting in failure, the combination
of parties had led to the most magnificent
success. In the Province of Nova Scotia a great
change had been effected in a remarkably
short time; it was only necessary to compare its
present condition with that which it occupied
when he first stood up to address that House,
to see what the wise policy of the Administration had accomplished. A calm and impartial
review of the present situation of the Confederation, from one end to the other, would
at
once show that a great revolution had been
effected peacefully and successfully, through
the statesmanlike efforts of the men who had
combined with the most patriotic aims in view.
As respects the North-West difficulty, he
entertained the most sanguine expectations
that it would be speedily arranged most satisfactorily. This opinion was based on
information he had derived from the visit he had been
able to pay that country, only a few weeks
previously. He had the pleasure of passing
some days within the territory itself, and some
weeks in a section of country characterized by
similar natural features and resources; and he
must say that his opinion of the capabilities of
the country had been considerably elevated. He
had listened, with great pain, to the remarks
that had fallen from the honourable member
from Terrebonne. The position that that honourable gentleman had assumed, with respect
to that delicate question, was untenable, and
calculated to sacrifice the best interests of the
Dominion. That territory afforded a field of
immigration that could not be found in any
other part of British North America. At an
early day the House would have the satisfaction of knowing that, by the annexation
of the
North-West, they had not only strengthened
77
ests of the country, that the House should wait
until the policy of the Government on so
important a question was brought down and
fully explained. If the Finance Minister succeeded in dealing with this great question
in a
manner satisfactory to the great commercial
interests involved, he would obtain as he
deserved the support of the House and the
thanks of the country. After a calm and dispassionate review of the course pursued
by the
Government, he believed that a large majority
of the House would agree with him in the
opinion that the time had not arrived when
power could be entrusted in the hands of the
gentlemen opposite, without seriously retarding the great work of consolidating and
extending the Confederation of British North
America from Newfoundland to Vancouver's
Island, and imperiling the best interests of all
classes of our people. (Loud cheering.)
Hon. Mr. Huntington then reviewed the
speech of the member for Cumberland. That
hon. gentleman had no doubt good cause for
congratulation. He had boasted that Nova
Scotia had been conciliated, but though a few
gentlemen had been conciliated, was there any
more faith in the Dominion among the people
of Nova Scotia?
Hon. Dr. Tupper said the people of Nova
Scotia had as often as the opportunity offered,
by large majorities endorsed the action of gentlemen who had joined the government,
and
more volunteers had offered themselves for
enrolment than the Act required.
Hon. Mr. Huntington went on to refer to
the North-West difficulties, and condemned
the government's policy on that question. It
was the same policy, the same want of foresight, that they had followed in reference
to
Newfoundland and Prince Edward's Island.
There might be glory in future for Confederation, but the government deserved no creditthey
were but carrying out the inevitable
Imperial policy. The hon. member for Cumberland should be the last man to ask them
to give [...]
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