CONFEDERATION.
Mr. Annand wished to ask a question of the
government in connection with the subject before the House. He had seen a paragraph
in
the organ of the government, the
Colonist,
which he thought required an explanation.—
The paragraph alluded to a certain meeting
recently held at Cornwall, known to be represented by John Sandfield Macdonald, a
late
Premier of Canada; without further preface, he
would read the following curious statement
from the paper referred to:—
" FROM CANADA.—Cornwall, Canada March
2.—At a public demonstration and dinner to
the members of the Government last night,
speeches were made by Galt, Howland,' Macdonald and Cartier. Macdonald asserted that
the Confederation of the Provinces was now
certain to take place in a few weeks."
He would attach very little importance to
this declaration if it did not come from a source
like that of the Attorney General West of
Canada, and had not been republished by the
organ of the government of Nova Scotia. It
was a matter of very serious import to the people of this "province when they learned
rom
such authority that their rights and privileges
were to be swept away without their being consulted. It was time, he thought, to ask
the government whether they had any information on the subject which might give the
House
and country to understand what was meant by
the significant remarks of the Canadian statesman. He would also like to know whether
the
government were prepared to state if Confederation was to take place without consulting
the
House or without being referred to the people
of this country.
Hon PROV SEC'Y said that now he had no
difficulty in believing that there was no precedent—no ordinary rules that could be
expected
to measure the scope of the ingenuity of the
hon gentleman who had just addressed the
House. He thought it rather a curious course
for him to ask for an explanation of speeches
made at a public dinner in another province.—
The hon gentleman must certainly be attempting a joke at the expense of the administration
when he propounded such a question, and asked
them to give an explicit answer. He (Dr T)
could certainly say that he had no information
that enabled him to state upon what data Mr
Macdonald made such statements as those referred to. He had certainly read these statements
with just as much surprise as had the
hon member himself. As respects the position
of the question of Confederation, it was almost
unnecessary to say much to the House. As
every gentleman was aware, it had not at any
time been brought forward as a Government
measure. Inasmuch as the Government had
obtained the services and co-operation of leading gentlemen of the Opposition, they
could
not bring forward the subject in a party aspect. Gentlemen who had held responsible
positions in connection with the party opposed
to that now in power were invited to give their
assistance to the Government in relation to this
great question. It was therefore impossible to
present the question except as one in which
both members of the Government and gentlemen connected with the Opposition took a
deep
interest. In that condition the question had
been brought down to the House to be considered and dealt with in such a manner as
it
should direct. Before the question was brought
up during the session of 1865, circumstances
transpired in the neighboring Province which
gave a new aspect to matters.
The Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick,
in the exercise of his judgment, dissolved the
Legislature, and the result was that an overwhelming number of the gentlemen who were
returned declared themselves hostile to the
proposed scheme of Union arranged at Quebec.
That having taken place, the House would at
once see that the Government of this Province
and the gentlemen interested in the question
found themselves placed in an entirely altered
position. He had no hesitation in saying that
whilst he believed that the scheme of Union as
devised at Quebec was of vast and vital importance to British North America—and to
no portion of it more than to Nova Scotia—yet, under
54
DEBATES AND PROCEEDINGS
existing circumstances, he considered that the
question was in that condition that it could not
be dealt with practically. It was obvious that
whilst New Brunswick assumed such an attitude, Nova Scotia, however favorable to Union,
could not stir in the matter. When the Legislature was called together on the present
occasion, the circumstances that existed last year
still continued, and it would be altogether futile for Nova Scotia to move at present.
Should
the time come when the question could he taken up, not as a hypothetical measure,
but in a
definite, practical shape, it would be quite time
enough for the Government to declare their
policy. He had never shrunk from expressing
his opinions fully and explicitly whenever this
great question had come up. He could not understand the position of the hon. member
for
East Halifax, who declared himself opposed to
the scheme of Union, and yet at the same time
exhibited such a strong anxiety to bring the
question to the notice of the House. He could
only hope that the hon. gentleman—and he argued from his views as propounded elsewhere
—had seen the error of his ways, and was now
anxious to make all the atonement he could.
He believed, indeed, that that hon. gentleman
had else here gone so far as to charge the Government with a dereliction of duty,
because
they had not pressed the question on the consideration of the Legislature.
Mr. S. CAMPBELL said that the hon. Provincial Secretary had not given that answer to the
questions put to him that was expected of him.
that hon. gentleman had exercised some ingenuity in asserting that the statement in
question was an after-dinner speech, and that
therefore there was no reliance to be placed
upon it.
Hon. PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said that he
would be very sorry to charge the members of
any Administration with making statements
in which no reliance could be placed.
Mr. S. CAMPBELL went on to say that the
Provincial Secretary had certainly said that it
was an after-dinner speech; but did not everybody know that the
British Colonist, the organ
of the Government, had republished the statement. But not only did the Canadian statesman
in question make the speech, but there
was a number of other prominent public men
of Canada present who apparently endorsed
the statement. The old adage said,
In vino
veritas; and we might therefore fairly assume
that the gentleman who spoke under such influences spoke the truth. On the other hand,
it might be considered a legitimate argument
against union with Canada if we were told that
its public men were persons of such a character that no reliance could be placed on
their
statements. He could not understand the argument of the Provincial Secretary in respect
to New Brunswick. What had that Province
to do with Nova Scotia? We were able to attend to our own affairs, independent of
the action of any other Colony. He would not dwell
further on the subject at present, except to say
that the Provincial Secretary had not given an
answer to the question put to him by the hon.
member for East Halifax, namely—Whether it
was the intention of the Government to force
the measure upon the House and country, without an appeal to the people? Until that
question was answered, the House must believe
that there was something in the significant
statement made by the Hon. John A. Macdonald.
Hon. PROV. SECRETARY said that he was
glad that the hon. member for Guysboro had
called his attention to a question which he had
forgotten to answer. He would without hesitation say that the Government would not
be
a party to any action outside of the Legislature
that would interfere with the constitution of
the country .
Mr. ANNAND said that the Provincial Secretary had sat down without answering the
question put to him—whether any attempt
would be made to obtain Confederation without
an appeal to the people. On that important
point the hon. gentleman had been entirely
silent, and the House and country would undoubtedly understand his reasons. The hon.
gentleman had said that the question of Union
was an open one, and the enquiry naturally
suggested itself, were the members of the Administration united on the measure or
not.
Looking at some of the gentlemen whose
opinions he (Mr. A.) knew pretty well, he believed that they were not unanimous. 0n
the
other hand, looking at the records to be found
in the Assembly, he would be inclined to sav
that they were unanimous. He would now
ask the Provincial Secretary to explain the
fact, that he had not carried out the pledge he
had made to his colleagues at Quebec—that he
would submit this question to the House and
country. The spirited gentleman, who was recently Premier of New Brunswick, put the
question to the people of that Province, and
redeemed his pledge. The question had been
submitted for consideration in P. E. Island, and
in Newfoundland.—The Gov. of the latter Province had shown he was bound to submit
the
question irrespective of his advisers. How was
it that the Government of Nova Scotia occupied
a position so very different? He thought that
the Provincial Secretary was shirking the
question when he should deal with it manfully
—be prepared to stand or fall upon it.
Hon ATTORNEY GENERAL replied that when
he had read the statement in question, he considered that the government of this country
had very little responsibility in connection
with Confederation. In view, however, of all
that the hon. member for East Halifax had expressed elsewhere in respect to Hon. J.
A.
Macdonald, it was very remarkable that he
should now be prepared to attach the slightest
credence to anything that hon. gentleman had
said .
He (Mr. H.) could certainly say that he was
not informed whether the expressions referred
to were actually made, or if made, what foundation they had. He had not the slightest
idea
what the object was in making these statements which appeared to startle some gentlemen
so exceedingly. It might be supposed
with much reason that the Attorney General
West had heard a good deal about reported
changes of public sentiment in New Brunswick, and believed that the Provinces were
nearer to Confederation than they had been
for the past year. Mr. Macdonald might think
that the Legislature of Nova Scotia, when it
found that the neighboring Province was ready
to accept union, would consider whether it
should not take up the question, and deal with
it practically. He (Mr. H.) was, however, entirely like a man groping in the dark
when he
OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.
55
attempted any explanations for statements of
which he knew really nothing whatever personally. It was difficult to understand how
the hon. member for Guysboro' could show the
House that this Province might stir in the matter of union independent of the action
of New
Brunswick. A glance at the map, and the
respective geographical positions of the Provinces of British North America, would
be a
sufficient answer to any reasonable man. If
New Brunswick erected a barrier between
Nova Scotia and Canada, we had to wait until
she decided to take it down. It was somewhat
amusing to hear the member for East Halifax
complain that the delegates had not carried out
the pledges made at Quebec. If any pledges
had been violated the hon. member surely was
not the proper party to complain. That hon.
gentleman's policy should bc to say nothing as
long as he saw the Government were not moving in respect to a measure to which he
professed so much hostility. No doubt the gentlemen to whom such pledges were stated
to have
been made perfectly understood the position of
this Province—that as long as New Brunswick
opposed the scheme, it was impracticable. The
question was not a Government one. and with
what fairness then were they asked to decide
upon a policy in the formation of which other
gentlemen were entitled to a voice? The question of union was one concerning the whole
people of Nova Scotia, and could not be treated
in a party aspect—Political parties were divided on the subject; members of the government
were sustained by influential gentlemen of the
opposition; and it was therefore impossible to
treat it except as an open question. It was
quite time to say whether the question should
be submitted to the people or not. when it
could come up in a practical shape. That was
an important constitutional question that
should be decided within the walls of the legislature, and the government would be
going beyond their functions if they interferred with its
decision. The government had no policy on
the subject, and could not come to any decision
upon it until the necessity for action arose.
Mr. McLELAN said that no doubt the Provincial Secretary and the Attorney General had
suffcient reason for surprise that the hon member for East Halifax should base an
enquiry
upon anything that Canadian statesmen might
say. Perhaps these two gentlemen had had an
opportunity of understanding the character and
habits of some of the public men of Canada,
and were perfectly well aware what faith was
to be put in their after-dinner speeches. But
persons who had not this intimate acquaintance
with the peculiarities of Canadian gentlemen,
naturally felt a great deal of astonishment on
reading such announcements as that in question. When such statements were published
in
an organ of the men in power it was high time
for those who valued the rights and liberties of
the people to make a move; and he was therefore glad that the hon member for East
Halifax had made the enquiry he had. No doubt it
would be satisfactory to learn that the members of the government were ignorant of
any
such arrangement as that intimated by Mr.
John A. Macdonald.
PETITIONS.
Mr C J CAMPBELL presented the following
petitions:
One from Bedque, asking for a change in a
mail route from Plaister Cove to that town.
One from J S McNeil, of Grand Narrows,
asking for an increase of salary as ferryman at
that place.
One from a number of inhabitants of Bedeque, asking for a special grant for a new
lineof
road from Bedeque River to that town.
One from D Morrison and other inhabitants
of St. Ann's, asking for a new line of road.
One from M McLean, ferryman, asking for
an increase of salary.
One asking for a grant of money for a road to
Gillis's Point.
One from 76 inhabitants of Cape North, complaining of an act passed by the House in
1852
in respect to church property.
One from inhabitants of Washabuck, for aid
towards a road.
Mr. S. MACDONNELL presented two petitions
(similar to that presented by Mr Campbell from
Cape North) from River Dennis and from
Whycocomagh. Â
(A bill on the subject of these petitions has
been introduced.)
Hon. Mr. SHANNON presented a petition, and
introduced a bill, in reference to the Union and
Axe Fire Companies of Halifax; also, the petition of J. S. Thompson Superintendent
of Money Order Office, Halifax, for an increase of salary.
Mr. S. MACDONNELL introduced an act to
incorporate the Strait of Canso Marine Railway
Company.
Mr. PRYOR introduced a bill to incorporate
the Merigomish Coal Mining Company; also
presented a petition from J . Kirby and ninety
others, praying for the substitution of assessment instead of voluntary subscription
for the
support of schools. Â
Mr.McKAY presented a petition from 300
persons of West Pictou, asking that the Government depute an engineer to lay on a
certain
line of road.
Mr. LONGLEY presented a petition from the
inhabitants of Annapolis, living in the vicinity
of Paradise, asking the Legislature to empower
the sessions to lay off a certain space of land
for the purpose of a public landing. He urged
the claims of the petitions to favorable consideration.
Mr. BALCOM presented a petition from Ecum
Secum River, between Guysboro' and East
Halifax, in reference to a line of road.
This individual participated in:
