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Date: 1865-01-26
By: Viscount Monck
Citation: Despatch from Viscount Monck to Right Hon. Edward Cardwell (26 January 1865) in UK, Parliament, Correspondence respecting the Proposed Union of the British North American Provinces (London: George Edward Eyre and William Spottiswoode, 1867).
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No. 6.

Copy of a DESPATCH from Viscount MONCK to the Right Hon. EDWARD CARDWELL, M.P.

(No. 32.)                                                                                                                                                                           Quebec, January 26, 1865.

                                                                                                                                                                  (Received February 9, 1865.)

SIR,                                                                                                                                                   (Answered, No. 21, February 15, 1865, p. 12.)

I HAVE the honour to enclose copies of Addresses presented to me by the two Houses of the Legislature in answer to the speech from the Throne, and of my replies.

I have, &c.

The Right Hon. Edward Cardwell, M.P.,                                                                         (Signed)                  MONCK.

&c.            &c.            &c.

Enclosure 1 in No. 6.

To His Excellency the Right Honourable CHARLES STANLEY, Viscount MONCK, Baron MONCK, of Ballytrammon, in the County of Wexford. Governor-General of British North America, and Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Island of Prince Edward, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c., &c., &c.

                                                                                                            (Extract)

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY:

We recall with satisfaction your Excellency’s statement at the close of the last session of Parliament, that it was your intention, in conjunction with your Ministers, to prepare and submit to Parliament a measure for the solution of the constitutional problem, the discussion of which has for some years agitated the Province.

We receive with earnest attention your Excellency’s announcement, that a careful consideration of the general position of British North America induced the conviction that the circumstances of the times afforded the opportunity, not merely for the settlement of a question of provincial politics, but also for the simultaneous creation of a new nationality.

We thank your Excellency for informing us that preliminary negotiations were opened by your Excellency with the Lieutenant Governors of the Provinces of British North America: and that the result was that a meeting was held at Quebec, in the month of October last, composed of delegates from those Colonies, representing all shapes of political party in their several communities, nominated but the Lieutenant-Governors of their respective Provinces, who assembled here, with the sanction of the Crown and at your Excellency’s invitation, to confer with the member of the Canadian ministry on the possibility of effecting a Union of all the Provinces of British North America.

We have learned with the deepest interest that this Conference, after lengthened deliberations, arrived at the conclusion that a federal Union of these Provinces was feasible and desirable, and that the result of its labours is a plan of constitution for the proposed Union, embodied in a series of resolutions, which, with other papers relating to the subject, your Excellency has directed to be laid before Parliament: and that the general design of a Union, and the particular plan by which it is proposed to carry that intention into effect, have both received the cordial approbation of the Imperial Government.

An Imperial Act of Parliament being necessary in order to give effect to the contemplated Union of the Colonies, this house is gratified to learn that your Excellency has been […] informed by the Secretary of State that Her Majesty’s Ministers will be prepared to introduce a Bill for that purpose into the Imperial Parliament, so soon as they shall have been notified that the proposal has received the sanction of the Legislatures representing the several Provinces affect by it.

And we assure your Excellency that this subject, which you have been pleased to commend to our attention, and the importance of which to ourselves and to our descendants it is impossible to exaggerate, shall receive from this House the calm, earnest, and impartial consideration which your Excellency claims for it.

We desire to convey to your Excellency a sense of the profound respect with which this House has received the assurance of your conviction that with the public men of British North America in now rests to decide whether the vast tract of country which they inhabit shall be considered into a State, combining within its area all the elements of national greatness, providing for the security of its component parts, and contributing to the strength and stability of the Empire : or whether the several Provinces of which it is constituted shall remain in their present fragmentary and isolated condition, comparatively powerless for metal aid, and incapable of undertaking their proper share of Imperial responsibility.

We unite with your Excellency in fervently praying that in the discussion of an issue of such moment, our minds may be guided to conclusions which shall redound to the hour of our Sovereign, and to the welfare of Her subjects.

[Page 7]

Enclosure 2 in No. 6.

Mr. SPEAKER and Gentleman of the Legislative Council.

         I THANK you for your address. I am convinced that you will apply yourselves to the consideration of the important matters that will be laid before you in a calm and dispassionate spirit.

Enclosure 3 in No. 6.

To his Excellency the Right Honourable CHARLES STANLEY, Viscount MONCK, Baron MONCK, of Ballytrammon, in the Country of Wexford, Governor-General of British North America, and Captain-General and Governor-in-Chief in and over the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Island of Prince Edward, and Vice-Admiral of the same, &c., &c., &c.

                                                                                                            (Extract.)

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY :

We have not ceased to bear in mind, that at the close of the last session of Parliament your Excellency graciously informed us that it was your intention, in conjunction with your Ministers, to prepare and submit to us a measure for the solution of the constitutional problem, the discussion of which has for some Yeats agitated this Province.

We receive from your Excellency, with the most profound attention, the announcement,—

That a careful consideration of the general probation of British North America induced the conviction, that the circumstances of the times afforded the opportunity, not merely for the settlement of a question of provincial politics, but also for the simultaneous creation of a new nationality :

That preliminary negotiations were opened by your Excellency with the Lieutenant-Governors of the other Provinces of British North America, and that the result was that a meeting was held at Quebec in the month of October last, composed of delegates from those Colonies, representing all shades of political party in their several communities, nominated by the Lieutenant-Governors of their respective Provinces, who assembled here with the sanction of the Crown and at your Excellency’s invitation, to confer with the members of the Canadian Ministry on the possibility of effecting a union of all the Provinces of British North America :

That this Conference, after lengthened deliberations, arrived at the conclusion that a federal Union of these Provinces was feasible and desirable, and the result of its labours is a plan of constitution for the proposed Union, embodied in a series of resolutions, which, with other papers relating to the subject, your Excellency has directed to be laid before us :

And that the general design of Union, and the particular plant by which it is proposed to carry that intentioned into effect, have both received the cordial approbation of the Imperial Government.

Inasmuch as an Imperial Act of Parliament will be necessary in order to give effect to the contemplated Union of the Colonies, we are gratified to learn from your Excellency that you have been officially informed by the Secretary of State, that Her Majesty’s Ministers will be prepared to introduce a Bill for that purpose into the Imperial Parliament, so soon as they shall have been notified the the proposal has received the sanction of the Legislatures representing the several Provinces affected by it.

Your Excellency may rest assured that in giving our attention to this subject, the importance of which, to ourselves and to our descendants, it is impossible to exaggerate, we shall bestow upon it our calm, earnest, and impartial consideration.

We receive with deference the expression of your Excellency’s conviction, that with the public men of British North America it now rests to decide whether the vast tract of country which they inhabit shall be consolidated into a State, combining within its area all the elements of national greatness, providing for the security of its component parts, and contributing to the strength and stability of the Empire ; or whether the several Provinces of which it is constituted shall remain in their present fragmentary and isolated condition, comparatively powerless for mutual aid, and incapable of undertaking their proper share of Imperial responsibility.

And we unite with your Excellency in the fervent prayer, that in the discussion of an issue of such moment, our minds may be guided to conclusions which shall redound to the hour of our Sovereign, and to the Welfare of Her Subjects.

Enclosure 4 in No. 6.

Mr. SPEAKER and Gentlemen of the Legislative Assembly.

                  I THANK you for this address. I am happy to hear they you re prepared to enter at once upon the discussion of the several important subjects that I have submitted to you.