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Date: 1864-08-06
By: The Globe
Citation: “Canadian Federation in the Imperial Parliament,” The Globe [Toronto] (6 August 1864).
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CANADIAN FEDERATION IN THE IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

In the House of Commons, on the 19th of July, Sir J. Walsh asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether he would have any objection to lay upon the table of the House the despatches recently received from the Governor General of Canada and the other Governors of our North American colonies, relative to the recent ministerial changes and the project of a federal union of those colonies; and whether it was his intention before the close of the session to make any statement, or to afford any information to the House on the important legislative crisis which appeared to be impeding in the constitution of those colonies.

Mr. Cardwell said that it was understood that the new Government which had been formed in Canada by the union of the two political parties intended to prepare measures for the purpose of settling the constitutional difficulties which had prevailed between the Upper and Lower Provinces, by what is called the federative principles applied to Canada itself, with provision for the future reception of the Maritime Provinces and the Northwest Territory. When these measures were passed they would, he understood, be communicated to the Home Government, but as they had not yet passed he could not give any information respecting them.