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Date: 1866-11-21
By: Montreal Herald
Citation: “The Offer to Prince Edward Island” Montreal Herald (21 November 1866).
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THE OFFER TO PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND.—We print to-day some correspondence showing the present position of this subject. When we read the first part of the minute of the Canadian Executive Council, we confess to having felt the satisfaction of believing that, for once at all events, our Government were disposed to act uprightly and with an eye to the interests which they assume to represent. On reading further, however, we found that the objections made were but prudery, and that the substantial sin against sound political morals and the interests of Canada was to be committed, in spite of an apparent coyness which applies only to the formalities. It is rather remarkable that, even in respect to these formalities, these gentlemen have announced their intention to do, on another subject, precisely the thing which they have declared they dare not venture to do on the one in question; from which, if the Prince Edward Islanders are wise, they will take the hint to think of the adage about the relative value of birds in the hand and in the bush. The Canadian Council can not think of recommending any change in the Constitution—therefore they can do nothing in that direction to further the concession of $800,000 demanded by the Prince Edward Islanders. But, when it is a question of getting Mr. Galt into the ring again, there is no difficulty felt in assuring the Protestant inhabitants of Lower Canada that he is going home for the purpose of altering the Constitution, more or less, in their behalf. Leaving aside that part of the subject, however, and the question whether these people are most or least sincere when they tell the Prince Edward Islanders that the Quebec Constitution is too sacred to be altered, or when they tell the Lower Canadian Protestants that it is not half so sacred as the conciliating of Mr. Galt’s resignation with his renewed connection with the Ministry, we come to the subsequent proposition that our Ministry is substantially ready, in some way or other, to give the people of Prince Edward’s Island nearly a million of money out of the common chest of the Confederation which is to be. Let us look a little at that proposition, and we shall see, after having paid off our own Seigniorial Tenure, the supreme justice of asking us to pay off the fee simple of every farm in this one of the Lower Provinces. The people of Canada will be, we think, about five-sevenths of the population of the “new nation.” Therefore, the first suck of this one of Mr. Brown’s additional calves will be for some $572,500, laid out to bribe folks to make their own fortunes, if that be, as we are told it will be, the consequence of Confederation. We have heard in the States of the “vote yourself a farm party,” and have generally understood that it was based upon some Agrarian or Socialist ideas. We now find that it is a measure adopted by extreme conservatives, and introduced by them into the policy and legislation of the British Empire. As to this mode of securing adhesion to any given policy, we suppose there can be no doubt of its efficacy. In spite of all the loyalty and conservatism of the British farmer, it would prove a sore trial, even of his virtues to guarantee his farm in fee simple if he would only vote in favour of a Republic. In the same way we shall not much wonder if the farmers of Prince Edward’s Island should accept Confederation, which, uninfluenced by appeals to their pockets they have resisted, as they would doubtless accept anything else that promised to give farms for nothing to those who had not paid for them, and to refund the price to those who had paid. But let it be remembered that the Parliament of England is asked to legislate on Confederation, not upon any judgment which it has formed for itself; for no one pretends that it has taken any pains to have a judgment; but upon a representation that the people of the Provinces have formed an opinion in favour of the projected change. Now what sort of an opinion is that which is obtained by paying away nearly a million of money among a class not exceeding in all that of one moderately sized city? Who will be surprised if, hereafter, legislation thus obtained shall turn out to be as rotten, as the means of procuring it were corrupt?