the canadian dominion-第18部分

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isters。　Their　proposals　met　with　favor。　A　series　of　banquets　brought　the　plans　before　the　public；　seemingly　with　good　results。　The　conference　was　resumed　a　month　later　at　Quebec。　Here；　in　sixteen　working　days；　delegates　from　Canada；　Nova　Scotia；　New　Brunswick；　Prince　Edward　Island；　and　also　from　Newfoundland；　thirty…three　in　all；　after　frank　and　full　deliberation　behind　closed　doors；　agreed　upon　the　terms　of　union。　Macdonald's　insistence　upon　a　legislative　union；　wiping　out　all　provincial　boundaries；　was　overridden；　but　the　lesson　of　the　conflict　between　the　federal　and　state　jurisdiction　in　the　United　States　was　seen　in　provisions　to　strengthen　the　central　authority。　The　general　government　was　empowered　to　appoint　the　lieutenant　governors　of　the　various　provinces　and　to　veto　any　provincial　law；　to　it　were　assigned　all　legislative　powers　not　specifically　granted　to　the　provinces；　and　a　subsidy　granted　by　the　general　government　in　lieu　of　the　customs　revenues　resigned　by　the　provinces　still　further　increased　their　dependence　upon　the　central　authority。

It　had　taken　less　than　three　weeks　to　draw　up　the　plan　of　union。　It　took　nearly　three　years　to　secure　its　adoption。　So　far　as　Canada　was　concerned；　little　trouble　was　encountered。　British　traditions　of　parliamentary　supremacy　prevented　any　direct　submission　of　the　question　to　the　people；　but　their　support　was　clearly　manifested　in　the　press　and　on　the　platform；　and　the　legislature　ratified　the　project　with　emphatic　majorities　from　both　sections　of　the　province。　Though　it　did　not　pass　without　opposition；　particularly　from　the　Rouges　under　Dorion　and　from　steadfast　supporters　of　old　ways　like　Christopher　Dunkin　and　Sandfield　Macdonald；　the　fight　was　only　halfhearted。　Not　so；　however；　in　the　provinces　by　the　sea。　The　delegates　who　returned　from　the　Quebec　Conference　were　astounded　to　meet　a　storm　of　criticism。　Local　pride　and　local　prejudice　were　aroused。　The　thrifty　maritime　population　feared　Canadian　extravagance　and　Canadian　high　tariffs。　They　were　content　to　remain　as　they　were　and　fearful　of　the　unknown。　Here　and　there　advocates　of　annexation　to　the　United　States　swelled　the　chorus。　Merchants　in　Halifax　and　St。　John　feared　that　trade　would　be　drawn　away　to　Montreal。　Above　all；　Howe；　whether　because　of　personal　pique　or　of　intense　local　patriotism；　had　put　himself　at　the　head　of　the　agitation　against　union；　and　his　eloquence　could　still　play　upon　the　prejudices　of　the　people。　The　Tilley　Government　in　New　Brunswick　was　swept　out　of　power　early　in　1865。　Prince　Edward　Island　and　Newfoundland　both　drew　back；　the　one　for　eight　years；　the　other　to　remain　outside　the　fold　to　the　present　day。　In　Nova　Scotia　a　similar　fate　was　averted　only　by　Tupper's　Fabian　tactics。　Then　the　tide　turned。　In　New　Brunswick　the　Fenian　Raids；　pressure　from　the　Colonial　Office；　and　the　blunders　of　the　anti…Confederate　Government　brought　Tilley　back　to　power　on　a　Confederation　platform　a　year　later。　Tupper　seized　the　occasion　and　carried　his　motion　through　the　Nova　Scotia　House。　Without　seeking　further　warrant　the　delegates　from　Canada；　Nova　Scotia；　and　New　Brunswick　met　in　London　late　in　1866；　and　there　in　consultation　with　the　Colonial　Office　drew　up　the　final　resolutions。　They　were　embodied　in　the　British　North　America　Act　which　went　through　the　Imperial　Parliament　not　only　without　raising　questions　but　even　without　exciting　interest。　On　July　1；　1867；　the　Dominion　of　Canada；　as　the　new　federation　was　to　be　known；　came　into　being。　It　is　a　curious　coincidence　that　the　same　date　witnessed　the　establishment　of　the　North　German　Bund；　which　in　less　than　three　years　was　to　expand　into　the　German　Empire。



CHAPTER　IV。　THE　DAYS　OF　TRIAL

The　federation　of　the　four　provinces　was　an　excellent　achievement；　but　it　was　only　a　beginning　on　the　long；　hard　road　to　nationhood。　The　Fathers　of　Confederation　had　set　their　goal　and　had　proclaimed　their　faith。　It　remained　for　the　next　generation　to　seek　to　make　their　vision　a　reality。　It　was　still　necessary　to　make　the　Dominion　actual　by　bringing　in　all　the　lands　from　sea　to　sea。　And　when；　on　paper；　Canada　covered　half　a　continent；　union　had　yet　to　be　given　body　and　substance　by　railway　building　and　continuous　settlement。　The　task　of　welding　two　races　and　many　scattered　provinces　into　a　single　people　would　call　for　all　the　statesmanship　and　prudence　the　country　had　to　give。　To　chart　the　relations　between　the　federal　and　the　provincial　authorities；　which　had　so　nearly　brought　to　shipwreck　the　federal　experiment　of　Canada's　great　neighbor；　was　like　navigating　an　unknown　sea。　And　what　was　to　be　the　attitude　of　the　new　Dominion；　half　nation；　half　colony；　to　the　mother　country　and　to　the　republic　to　the　south；　no　one　could　yet　foretell。

The　first　problem　which　faced　the　Dominion　was　the　organization　of　the　new　machinery　of　government。　It　was　necessary　to　choose　a　federal　Administration　to　guide　the　Parliament　which　was　soon　to　meet　at　Ottawa；　the　capital　of　the　old　Canada　since　1858　and　now　accepted　as　the　capital　of　the　larger　Canada。　It　was　necessary　also　to　establish　provincial　Governments　in　Canada　West；　henceforth　known　as　Ontario　and　in　Canada　East；　or　Quebec。　The　provinces　of　New　Brunswick　and　Nova　Scotia　were　to　retain　their　existing　provincial　Governments。

There　was　no　doubt　as　to　whom　the　Governor　General；　Lord　Monck；　should　call　to　form　the　first　federal　Administration。　Macdonald　had　proved　himself　easily　the　greatest　leader　of　men　the　four　provinces　had　produced。　The　entrance　of　two　new　provinces　into　the　union；　with　all　the　possibilities　of　new　party　groupings　and　new　personal　alliances　it　involved；　created　a　situation　in　which　he　had　no　rival。　His　great　antagonist；　Brown；　passed　off　the　parliamentary　stage。　When　he　proposed　a　coalition　to　carry　through　federation；　Brown　had　recognized　that　he　was　sacrificing　his　chief　political　asset；　the　discontent　of　Canada　West。　But　he　was　too　true　a　patriot　to　hesitate　a　moment　on　that　score；　and　in　any　case　he　was　sufficiently　confident　of　his　own　abilities　to　believe　that　he　could　hold　his　own　in　a　fresh　field。　In　this　expectation　he　was　deceived。　No　man　among　his　contemporaries　surpassed　him　in　sheer　ability；　in　fearless　honesty；　in　vigor　of　debate；　but　he　lacked　Macdonald's　genial　and　supple　art　of　managing　men。　And　with　broad　questions　of　state　policy　for　the　moment　out　of　the　way；　it　was　capacity　in　managing　men　that　was　to　count　in　determining　success。　Never　afterward　did　Brown　take　an　active　part　in　parliamentary　life；　though　still　a　power　in　the　land　through　his　newspaper；　the　Toronto　〃Globe〃；　which　was　regarded　as　the　Scotch　Presbyterian's　second　Bible。　Of　the　other　leaders　of　old　Canada；　Cartier　with　failing　health　was　losing　his　vigor　and　losing　also　the　prestige　with　his　party　which　his　solid　Canada　East　majority　had　given　him；　Galt　soon　retired　to　private　business；　with　occasional　incursions　into　diplomacy；　and　McGee　fell　a　victim　in　1868　to　a　Fenian　assassin。　From　the　Maritime　Provinces　the　ablest　recruit　was　Tupper；　the　most　dogged　fighter　in　Canadian　parliamentary　annals　and　a　lifelong　sworn　ally　of　Macdonald。

It　was　at　first　uncertain　what　the　grouping　of　parties　would　be。　Macdonald　naturally　wished　to　retain　the　coalition　which　assured　him　unquestioned　mastery；　and　the　popular　desire　to　give　Confederation　a　good　start　also　favored　such　a　course。　In　his　first　Cabinet；　formed　with　infinite　difficulty；　with　provinces；　parties；　religions；　races；　all　to　consider　in　filling　a　limited　number　of　posts；　Macdonald　included　six　Liberal　ministers　out　of　thirteen；　three　from　Ontario；　and　three　from　the　Maritime　Provinces。　Yet　if　an　Opposition　had　not　existed；　it　would　have　been　necessary　to　create　one　in　order　to　work　the　parliamentary　machine。　The　attempt　to　keep　the　coalition　together　did　not　long　succeed。　On　the　eve　of　the　first　federal　election　the　Ontario　Reformers　in　convention　decided　to　oppose　the　Government；　even　though　it　contained　three　of　their　former　leaders。　In　the　contest；　held　in　August　and　September；　1867；　Macdonald　triumphed　in　every　province　except　Nova　Scotia　but　faced　a　growing　Opposition　party。　Under　the　virtual　leadership　of　Alexander　Mackenzie；　fragments　of　parties　from　the　four　provinces　were　united　into　a　single　Liberal　group。　In　a　few　years　the　majority　of　the　Liberal　rank　and　file　were　back　in　the　fold；　and　the　Liberal　members　in　the　Cabinet　had　become　frankly　Conservative。　Coalition　had　faded　away。


Within　six　years　after　Confederation　the　whole　northern　half　of　the　continent　had　been　absorbed　by　Canada。　The　four　original　provinces　comprised　only　one…tenth　of　the　area　of　the　present　Dominion；　some　377；000　square　miles　as　against　3；730；000　today。　The　most　easterly　of　the　provinces；　little　Prince　Edward　Island；　had　drawn　back　in　1865；　content　in　isolation。　Eight　years　later　this　province　entered　the　fold。　Hard　times　and　a　glimpse　of　the　financial　strength　of　the　new　federation　had　wrought　a　change　of　heart。　The　solution　of　the　century…old　problem　of　the　island；　absentee　landlordism；　threatened　to　strain　the　finances　of　the　province；　and　men　began　to　look　to　Ottawa　for　relief。　A　railway　crisis　turned　their　thoughts　in　the　same　direction。　The　provincial　authorities　had　recently　arranged　for　the　building　of　a　narrow…gauge　road　from　one　end　of　the　island　to　the　other。　It　was　agreed　that　the　contractors　should　be　paid　5000　pounds　a　mile　in　provincial　debentures；　but　without　any　stipulation　as　to　the　total　length；　so　that　the　builders　caused　the　railway　to　meander　and　zigzag　freely　in　search　of　lower　grades　or　long　paying　stretches。　In　1873；　which　was　everywhere　a　year　of　black　depression；　it　was　found　that　these　debentures；　which　were　pledged　by　the　contractors　to　a　local　bank　for　advances；　could　not　be　sold　except　at　a　heavy　loss。　The　directors　of　the　bank　were　influential　in　the　Government　of　the　province。　It　was　not　surprising；　therefore；　that　the　government　soon　opened　negotiations　with　Ottawa。　The　Dominion　authorities　offered　generous　terms；　financing　the　land　purchase　scheme；　and　taking　over　the　railway。　Some　of　the　islanders　made　bitter　charges；　but　the　Legislature　confirmed　the　agreement；　and　on　July　1；　1873；　Prince　Edward　Island　entered　Confederation。

While　Prince　Edward　Island　was　deci