The three maritime provinces, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island, were inclined to a separate union among them selves, especially with a view to a reduction of the expenses of government. A conference of delegates from those three maritime provinces was held at Charlottetown (1864). To that conference delegates were sent by the coalition government of Canada to propose a wider union. The result was a conference at Quebec (1865), at which 12 delegates were present from Canada, 7 from New Brunswick, 5 from Nova Scotia, 7 from Prince Edward Island, 2 from Newfoundland. That conference sat for 18 days and passed 72 resolutions on which the act of union was afterward based and which each delegation undertook to submit to its own government.
By the Parliament of the two Canadas the scheme was at once accepted and by a large majority, though there was a long debate in which a speaker of the opposition glanced at the geographical unfitness of the long and broken line of provinces for political union. New Brunswick, not being adroitly approached, at first rejected the scheme, but presently ac quiesced. In Nova Scotia the resistance was very strong, but it still remains a mystery by what arguments a legislature elected expressly to oppose confederation was brought round to its support. Brought round, however, the legis lature of Nova Scotia was. Howe, after a vain appeal to the British Parliament to set Nova Scotia free, himself took office in the confed eration government. Prince Edward Island held out, but came in at last. British Columbia threatened repudiation of the union, till the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, which was the condition of her entrance, was assured. Newfoundland still remains unf ed
erated. But a great addition was soon after ward made to the Dominion by the purchase of the Hudson's Bay country now comprising the province of Manitoba and the Northwest Ter ritories. The accession of Newfoundland alone is wanted to complete the scheme of con federation. The scheme having been framed by the colonial legislature, was laid for revision before the British government, and by it em bodied in the British North American Act (30 and 31 Vict. Cap. 3; 1867).
When confederation was passed, party lines were drawn again. Brown seceded from the confederation government and the political en mity between him and Sir John Macdonald be came as bitter as before.
The Federal constitution was never submit ted, like the Constitution of the United States, to the people. It was alleged that in a general election which followed, and in which the con federation government was sustained, the peo ple virtually expressed their approbation. But it is obvious to remark that in this election other issues were submitted and other influ ences, that of party especially, played their part. So that it cannot be truly said that the consti ution of Canada has even been distinctly rati fied by the Canadian people.
See articles on this series: UNDER BRITISH RULE TO CONFEDERATION; THE MARITIME PROV INCES ; CONFEDERATION ; SINCE CONFEDERATION ; IMPERIAL FEDERATION; CONSTITUTION. See also the history of the different provinces in this work.