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Date: 1865-01-26
By: The Montreal Herald
Citation: “The Debate on the Address”, The Montreal Herald (26 January, 1865)
Other formats: TBA

THE DEBATE ON THE ADDRESS.

—If the divisions on the Address in answer to the Speech from the Throne were to be taken as an exact exponent of the force and volume of opposition which the project of Confederation was to meet with in Parliament, it would result that never was measure of the same importance carried with so little clashing of rival and opposite interests. Out of the whole house, only twenty-five members were found to vote against any of the resolutions, and these upon a mere phrase. It may very well be doubted whether it was adviseable in any point of view to raise a contest upon such a point. It was not likely to bring out the strength of the sentiment of the House upon the main subject, and it did something to increase the eclat of the majority by the contemptible numbers of the minority. The friends of the measure, therefore, must not blind themselves to the fact that twenty-five votes do not sum up, by any means, the whole weight of metal which will be directed against the project. Whatever critical objection there may be to the phrase “new nationality,” there are, of course, those members who think that verbal criticism hardly forms a worthy subject of a vote. They are used to take speeches from the Throne to mean nothing, and have no idea of registering themselves in the minority upon objections to simple inanities. On the other divisions there were, we suppose, more than Mr. Holton who conceived a simple negative out of place. We understand that at Quebec the present calculation is that forty members are opposed to the scheme. This number would be less formidable if it were equally distributed; but a much larger proportion being from Lower than from Upper Canada, it may happen that the adverse vote from that portion of the country will be heavy as compared to the whole number of its representatives, and thus a question may arise whether the Ministry will choose to go on, with a large expression of opinion from one of the constituent States of the Confederation against them. These speculations may at present, however, be regarded as somewhat premature. The progress of the session, according to what is, perhaps, the normal course of affairs, may tend to increase the Ministerial majority. But it is manifest that there are elements in the present coalition camp, perhaps, more utterly repellent than any that were ever brought together for a common purpose. These may find themselves incapable of continuing to coalesce, even for a common purpose. This, however, though a probable, we hold to be by no means the most probable contingency. Whatever may be the strength arrayed against the project, it is almost certain that it will be directed against details, or take the form of a demand for an appeal to the people. This demand, if made, will receive strength and countenance from the course which has been determined upon in New Brunswick. There it now appears that the Ministry have resolved that the House shall meet only pro forma, and shall be immediately dissolved, after transacting as much business as may be required to constitute a session. We learn from private sources that this arrangement has been made in deference to the opinion of Mr. Fisher, the late Attorney-General, who, though not a member of the Ministry, is influential in the party from which the Government is taken. This will give an opportunity for a more extended discussion than would probably have been obtained by any other method, as at the hustings the various competitors for public favour will be stimulated to debate the merits and demerits of the scheme with vivacity and zeal.