Document Information

Date: 1865-03-17
By: The Canadian Gleaner
Citation: “The Vote on Confederation,” The Canadian Gleaner (17 March 1865)
Other formats: Click here to view the original document (PDF).

THE VOTE ON CONFEDERATION

[…] As for the English-speaking Lower Canada members who voted with the majority we will say little. They one and all voted against the wishes of the majority of their constituents. We need not say how bitterly we regret seeing Mr. Somerville casting his vote in such company and for such a measure. That he did so conscientiously, and honestly thought he was acting for the good of his constituents, we readily believe, but we are as assuredly convinced that he acted wrong and laboured under a grave error of judgement. That he may soon see his error and retrieve must be the desire of all his well-wishers. It is but fair towards M. Somerville to state that before the vote was taken he extorted from the Ministry a guarantee that many of the rights of the Protestants of Lower Canada (including education) should be respected under Confederation. We long ago expressed our conviction of the utter worthlessness of paper guarantees to people under our circumstances. It will be a deplorable day for the Protestants of Lower Canada when their rights will depend solely on the forbearance of the French majority and on half a dozen written guarantees.