FIFTH PERIOD Lord John Russell was not prepared to accept in its entirety Lord Durham's proposal for full responsible government, but in his instructions to Sydenham, he at least shewed a new path to the British Government (see No. CXLII). Sydenham's plan of being his own first minister and of calling to the service of the Government the best men, without forming what we know technically as a Cabinet, was well suited for a time of stress. The recent rebellions had left memories out of all proportion to their importance. The French-Canadians were full of melancholy suspicion, and feared that Durham's suggestion for their absorption might be attempted. Sydenham's successor, Sir Charles Bagot, went further, but Sir Charles Metcalfe, who followed, had little belief in the possibility of establishing full responsible government (see No. CLX), and under him the old sore was re-opened. Fortunately, Sir Robert Peel's ministry fell at another difficult moment in Canadian history, and Lord John Russell came into power with Earl Grey as Secretary of State for the Colonial Department. Almost at once the new Government decided to grant full responsible government, and the principle was laid down by Earl Grey himself: "This country has no interest whatever in exercising any greater influence on the internal affairs of the colonies than is indispensable either for the purpose of preventing any one colony from adopting measures injurious to another or to the Empire at large." It has been impossible to give examples of documents which would illustrate in full the development of representative government in the Maritime Provinces. Joseph Howe's letters (Nos. CXXXVII-CXL) prepared the way. Lord Falkland's failure in Nova Scotia to imitate Sydenham's policy accelerated the development and to his successor, Sir John Harvey, were sent despatches in which the principles of full responsible government were laid down (Nos. CLXI; CLXII). Nova Scotia and New Brunswick passed through a comparatively uneventful history to their full self-government. In Canada, however, there were, after the Act of Union, eight years of experimenting, and it was not till the arrival of Lord Elgin as Governor-General that Canada had a system of Cabinet Government in full working order. Elgin received similar instructions to those given to Sir John Harvey. With these as a working scheme, he faced immediate issues and with him responsible government triumphed. His correspondence (Nos. CLXIIICLXXII) illustrates his purpose and throws light on the diffi 1 Earl Grey, The Colonial Policy of Lord John Russell, Vol. I., p. 17 (2 vols., London, 1853). culties which he encountered. Earl Grey summed up his rule in Canada: "In conformity with the principles laid down, it was Lord Elgin's first object in assuming the government of the province to withdraw from the position of depending for support on one party into which Lord Metcalfe had, by unfortunate circumstances been brought. He was to act generally on the advice of his Executive Council and to receive as members of that body those persons who might be pointed out to him as entitled to be so by their possessing the confidence of the Assembly. But he was careful to avoid identifying himself with the party from the ranks of which the actual Council was drawn, and to make it generally understood that, if public opinion required it, he was equally ready to accept their opponents as his advisers, uninfluenced by any personal preferences or objections." New difficulties, however, continued to arise in the workings of the Canadian constitution which led up to and hastened Confederation. Cabinet Government, as understood in Great Britain and as set up in Canada by Lord Elgin, implies government by party. Two strong parties are its usual and best guarantee for success. In Canada the number of parties was legion-Upper Canadian Reformers; Upper Canadian Conservatives; French-Canadian Radicals; French-Canadian Conservatives, with a small, but efficient, group that carried on the most extreme Tory traditions of Upper Canada. It was impossible to combine parties of the same name, for there was no common political platform behind a common name. Coalition government was the result, with all the weaknesses to which such a form of government is heir. Then the religious and racial difficulties did not tend to disappear under the influence of parliamentary and election oratory. The issues at stake, too, were often only local, in which Upper Canadian and Lower Canadian had no common interest. These difficulties led to serious consequences. We find two Premiers, one French, one English. Before long it becomes a constitutional convention that a ministry must command a majority in English-speaking as well as in French-speaking Canada. The whole scheme of government soon became full of anomalies, and ministries quickly followed one another to defeat. Then came the party cry of "Representation by population," which threatened to overthrow the pact of the Act of Union. The Civil War in the United States and the "Trent Affair" helped to bring into relief the weakness of government in Canada, and finally the Canadian Government fell back on the untried scheme suggested in Lord Durham's Report-a federation of British North America. Large extracts have been made from the Confederation Debates in the Canadian Parliament (No. CLXXVIII). These extracts illustrate, as far as space would allow, every point of view. The history can be followed in Pope, Confederation Documents (Toronto, 1895), and Memoirs of Sir John Macdonald (2 vols. 1894); G. R. Parkin, Sir John Macdonald; J. H. Gray, Confederation of Canada (Toronto, 1872). Earl Grey, op. cit., p. 213. CLVII SYDENHAM'S SPEECH TO CANADIAN PARLIAMENT [Trans. Imperial Blue Books relating to Canada, 1841-43, Vol. XIV.] 15th June, 1841. Honourable Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and Gentlemen of the House of Assembly. I have deemed it right to assemble you at the earliest period which the circumstances of the Province and the duties imposed upon me by the Imperial Act for the Union of the Canadas, under which this Legislature is constituted, have admited; and it is with sincere satisfaction that I now meet you to deliberate on the great and important interests committed to our charge. A subject of Her Majesty, an inhabitant of this Province', has been forcibly detained in the neighbouring States charged with a pretended crime. No time was lost by the Executive of this Province in remonstrating against this proceeding, and provision was made for insuring to the individual the means of defence pending the further action of Her Majesty's Government. The Queen's Representative at Washington has since been instructed to demand his release. Of the result of that demand I am not yet apprised, but I have the Queen's commands to assure her faithful subjects in Canada of her Majesty's fixed determination to protect them with the whole weight of her power. Arrangements were completed during the course of last summer by which, under the directions of the Treasury, the rates of Postage between all parts of this Colony and the United Kingdom were greatly reduced; and a more speedy and regular conveyance of letters between different parts of this Province has since been established by arrangements made by the Deputy Postmaster-General under my directions. A commission has been appointed by me to inquire into and report upon the Post-office system of British North America, and I confidently anticipate that the result of its labours will be the establishment of a plan securing improvements in the internal communication by post within the Colony equal to those which we have already obtained in the communication with the mother-country. Many subjects of deep importance to the future welfare of the Province demand your early attention, upon some of which I have directed bills to be prepared, which will be submitted for your consideration. Amongst them, first in importance at the present juncture of affairs is the adoption of measures for developing the resources of the Province by well-considered and extensive public works. The rapid settlement of the country-the value of every man's property within it—the advancement of his future fortunes are deeply affected by this question. The improvement of the Navigation from the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Huron to the Ocean-the establishment of new internal communications in the inland districts are works requiring a great outlay, but promising commensurate returns. To undertake them successfully large funds will undoubtedly be required, and the financial condition of the Province, as it stands at present, would seem to forbid the attempt. But I have the satisfaction of informing you that I have received authority from Her Majesty's government to state that they are prepared to call upon the Imperial Parliament to afford their assistance towards these important undertakings. In the full belief that peace and tranquillity will be happily re-established in this province, under the constitution settled by Parliament, and that nothing but a relief from its most pressing difficulties is wanting to its rapid advancement to prosperity, they will propose to Parliament, by affording the guarantee of the Imperial Treasury for a loan to the extent of no less than a million 1 See Scrope, op. cit., pp. 224 ff. JJ |