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Date: 1867-01-10
By: The Montreal Herald
Citation: “Views of Confederation”, The Montreal Herald (10 January, 1867)
Other formats: TBA

VIEWS OF CONFEDERATION.

(From the Daily News (Ministerial.)

The ministerial delegates representing the North American colonies in England have agreed upon a bill intended to carry confederation into effect, and which will do so as soon as it receives the approval of the Imperial government and the sanction of the Imperial Parliament. All the action thus taken is so far only in the nature of the colonies making an unanimous representation of their wishes—a representation which will doubtless have great weight with the Colonial office and with Parliament and the people, but which nevertheless may be altered to suit the wishes of the government, and may be changed of course by the omnipotent will of Parliament.

There are indications that, however agreeably Ministers may have worked together in their deliberations in London on most points, one subject at least has not been settled without difficulty, perhaps not without resorting to an injurious compromise. We allude to the question of educational privileges, and the efforts made by the dignitaries of the Roman Catholic Church to procure fresh advantages in Upper Canada at the expense of the Common School system of this province. It would appear that the French Canadian delegates have made up their minds either to procure these advantages for their church or to oppose Confederation in case they fail. The question seems to have reached a stage in which those delegates can use such threats, or at least can hold out such hopes to their own people in Lower Canada, that are a virtual threat to the people of the Upper Province. They have been compelled to adopt such a course. Colonial Bishops, representatives of the hierarchy, are watching over them, and are taking care to enforce their views. The Protestants of Upper Canada have no such machinery at work to counteract these efforts. The principal delegate from this Province, Mr. John A. Macdonald, does not represent the feelings of the people of Upper Canada in regard to the sectarian aspect of educational matters—he does not even represent the views of the majority of his constituents in Kingston—and from him nothing but compliance with the encroachments of the dominant Lower Canadian party can be expected. The other delegates, though staunch enough, are a minority. It is to be feared therefore that Mr Galt’s plan has miscarried or has been modified to suit the views of Mr Cartier and his associates, acting with predetermined intentions to do the bidding of their church.

If these fears have any foundation and shall be justified by actual fact, the people of Upper Canada will have to appeal to the Imperial Parliament by petition, by every method that is open to them, in order to turn back the tide of encroachment. The bill, therefore, will be eagerly scanned to learn the action of the delegates on the educational question. If that action is unsatisfactory to the people of Upper Canada, our people must send over a deputation, charged with correcting the impressions produced by the action of the delegates. Such a body of men would meet with a ready hearing in London. They would be received courteously at the Colonial office, for Lord Carnarvon is not wedded to the views of Mr Cartier and Mr Macdonald ; they would gain a hearing from Mr Cardwell and the Liberal leaders, while the whole metropolitan press would be open to them to work upon the public opinion of England. Our cause would be a strong one, and we may hope that no harm can be done to our cherished institutions provided we only stir ourselves. Let the people then be on their guard and ready for action. Possibly there may be little time to lose.

It will be the desire of colonial ministers to hasten the bill through the Imperial Parliament. The English, however, like to hasten slowly, and Parliament may prefer to put the measure into such a form as will give the people of Canada an opportunity of passing judgment upon it, or may delay its action so as to give time for the fullest consideration of so important a measure as that which would settle the destinies of a new empire. Perhaps the question of Reform may materially affect the the progress of the bill to unite the colonies. It must of course share the fate of ministers if an adverse vote on reform compels the administration to dissolve the House. Delays would then occur that would inevitably postpone the realization of the project of colonial union.

We have not been so much pleased in a long time as last night at Mechanics’ Hall, by the views of Weston & Co. and the ballads of Dr. Franklin Clement.