Document Information

Date: 1866-05-24
By: Montreal Herald
Citation: “ANOTHER PROTEST AGAINST CONFEDERATION FROM THE LOWER PROVINCES” Montreal Herald (24 mai, 1866)
Other formats: TBA

ANOTHER PROTEST AGAINST CONFEDERATION FROM THE LOWER PROVINCES.

—We cannot of course undertake to prophecy as to the result of the elections in New Brunswick; but if there is not a majority, large or small, in favour of the measure, the adverse feeling must be intense; because all men acquainted either with politics or history must be quite aware of the difficulty of sustaining a struggle for principle against such influences as are now being employed in New Brunswick. If an English Sovereign were personally as powerful and wealthy in comparison to the People of England as the government of Great Britain is in comparison to the people of little New Brunswick, what could not be got a Parliamentary majority to carry, simply by letting it be known, that he would worry out any Ministry which did not think as he did! Even as it was, and dealing with the haughty and rich Whig families of England, George the 3rd contrived for some time to do as he pleased, by distinguishing the friends of the King from the friends of the Ministry. If the Colonial Office now, instead of desiring to know what is the spontaneous opinion and wish of the People, shall only desire a colourable popular sanction for working out its own designs, such as the two Napoleons even thought it decent to secure before they overthrew the constitution in France, there is no doubt that sooner or later it will bully or bribe a population of a quarter of million of poor farmers, whose public men, instead of being social magnates, are too often like our own, so hungry and so covetous—so pressed by want, or devoured by avarice—that, as a rule, they will commit any rascality, short of a Penitentiary offence, in order to obtain or retain an office of emolument. We have too much respect for the character of Mr. Cardwell to believe that he has any intention of engaging in such an enterprise or of doing anything intentionally inconsistent with good faith to those to whose spontaneous arbitrage he professes to leave the decision. However that may be, it is quite quite evident, that except under some extraordinary seduction or pressure, the public mind in the Maritime Provinces cannot be brought to understand the pretended advantages of Confederation. Perhaps by judicious manipulations even Prince Edward’s Island may be brought “to change its opinion.” In other words perhaps a certain number of politicians there may be brought to see fortune in docility, and to hold that they may creep out of past professions without attracting a too painful share of public opinion, when men of the reputation and independent position of our Canadian Browns and Ferguson Blairs, and Howlands can forget that there are any Corruptionists, or Papists, or Lower Canadian dominationists, and act as if all those obnoxious parties had been treated with disinfectants, and so rendered wholesome. The first and unbiased judgment of Prince Edwards Island, however, remains what it has always been on this question,—the same indeed as that of all the other Maritime Provinces. The leader of the government just before the close of the session, which we may add, as a significant fact, is to be followed by a general election, proposed this very uncompromising set of resolutions:—

“This House having had under consideration the message of His Excellency the Lieutentant Governor communication a Despatch from the Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, Her Majesty’s Principle of state for the Colonial Department upon the subject of a Federation of the British North American Provinces; and having most carefully and earnestly considered the project in all its bearings:

“ Resolved, As the deliberate opinion of this House, that any Union of the British North American Colonies which would embrace P. E. Island, upon the terms and principles set forth in the Resolutions of the Conference of Quebec, held on the 10th of October, 1874, would not only be unjust to the inhabitants of this Colony, but prove disastrous to their dearest and most cherished rights and interests as a free people, enjoying the blessings of a priceless constitution guaranteed to them by the Imperial Government of Great Britain.

“ That considering the isolated, peculiar, and exceptional position of Prince Edward Island, as contrasted with the other British North American Provinces and Colonies, this House deems it to be its duty, as the Constitutional representative of the people of Prince Edward Island, to reaffirm the decision so clearly and unequivocally declared by this House in the resolutions passed by it, in its last session, upon the subject of a union of the British North American colonies, and afterwards communicated by the joint address of the legislative Council and House of Assembly of this colony to her Majesty’s Imperial Government.

“ Resolved further—That even if a union of the Continental provinces of British North America should have the effect of strengthening and binding more closely together these provinces, or advancing their material and commercial interests, this House cannot admit that a Federal Union of the North American colonies, that would include Prince Edward Island, could ever be accomplished upon terms that would prove advantageous to the interests and well being of the people of this Island, cut out of and separated as it is, and must ever remain, from the neighbouring Provinces, by an immoveable barrier of ice for many months in the year; and this House deems it to be its sacred and imperative duty to declare and record its conviction, as it now does, that any Federal Union of the North American Colonies, that would include Prince Edward Island, would be as hostile to the feelings and wishes, as it would be opposed to the best and most vital interests, of its people.

“Resolved Further, That while this House cannot assent to a Federal Union of this Island with the other Colonies, they recognize it to be the duty of this Colony to contribute, from its local revenues towards its defence, in fair and just proportion to its means.”

Well, there is an opposition in Prince Edward’s Island, and some of the members of it are Confederationists. Among these is Mr. Whelan, who, it will be remembered, was a delegate to Canada, and who, though not with any great exhibition of firmness, has upon the whole showed that he would go as far in favour of the Quebec scheme as he dared. This gentleman moved a resolution in amendment; and we may be sure that it expressed the extreme Confederate view which the boldst politician of the Province could venture on. Here it is—all its effect being, to pronounce a somewhat milder censure upon the pet project, as a practical measure, than the one contained in the main motion:

“Resolved, as the opinion of this House, that the Confederation of Her Majesty’s American Colonial Possessions would be,—while in conformity with Her Majesty’s frequently expressed desire—conducive to their welfare, separately and collectively. And this House believes that a plan of Confederation might be so framed as not to involve the sacrifice of any material interests on the part of any Province; but inasmuch as the people of Prince Edward Island do not appear to be prepared to regard with any favour the project of Confederation, it is unwise to press it upon public attention, as its discussion is only calculated to produce excitement and apprehension, without reasonable cause.

“And further resolved, as the opinion of this House, that there should be no vote passed by the Legislature of this country in favour of a Confederation of the Provinces until the people shall first be afforded an opportunity of pronouncing their judgment on the question at a general Election.”

So strong is the feeling in Prince Edward, however, that even the compromise contained in this amendment, though it completely threw overboard the proposed plan, was too weak to express the sentiment of the House, and the amendment was accordingly rejected and the main motion carried by a majority of two to one. An address to Her Majesty, founded upon these resolutions, was afterwards agreed to. We may remark en passant that the Examiner, a Confederate organ —the newspaper in fact of Mr. Whelan himself,—expresses the hope “that Her Majesty “the Queen will not be disturbed by the rebuff which the Legislature of this island has “given to her Colonial policy.” We should say not, simply because in accordance with the regular working of the constitution, the House of Assembly of Prince Edward has not given any rebuff to her Colonial policy; but on the contrary has affirmed it. The policy of Her Majesty in Prince Edward Island is the policy of her local Ministry, just as her policy in England is that of her English local Ministry—of Earl Russell to day, perhaps of Earl Derby to-morrow—and he must be a poor spirited Colonist who will give up to Mr. Cardwell the influence which justly belongs only to our own public men who have a personal residence and interest in the Colony, and enjoy the confidence of its people.