# Canada and the Canadian Question

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CANADA AND THE CANADIAN QUESTION
CANADA
AND
THE CANADIAN QUESTION
BY GOLDWIN SMITH, D.C.L.
With Map.
London & New York MACMILLAN AND CO. TORONTO: HUNTER, ROSE AND CO. 1891
All rights reserved
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
The Subject
CHAPTER II
The French Province
CHAPTER III
The British Provinces
Ontario the core of the Confederation—Its chief industries—Structure of society and social sentiment—Effects of democracy in the household and on juvenile character—City life—The public school system—The ​Churches—Nationalities and national societies—Canadian respect for law—Public justice and the bench—Social life—The climate—Pastimes—Commerce and industry—Trade organisations—Social problems—City government—Literature, Art, and Science—Journalism—Emigration and native feeling towards the emigrant Migration of Canadians to the United States—Practical fusion of the two nations—The Maritime Provinces, Nova Scotia, New Bunswick, and Prince Edward Island—Manitoba and the North-West—British Columbia. Page 24
CHAPTER IV
French Canada before the Conquest
CHAPTER V
French Canada after the Conquest
CHAPTER VI
History of Upper Canada
CHAPTER VII
The United Provinces
CHAPTER VIII
The Federal Constitution
The monarchical element of the Constitution—The Governor-General—His loss of political power—His social and other functions—The office devoid of constitutional value—Baronetcies and knighthoods—Futility of ​attempts to introduce aristocracy into the New World—Canada in reality a Federal Republic—Deviations of the Canadian Constitution from the American model—Powers of the central government and legislature—The veto power—The Canadian Senate compared with the American Senate, and with the British House of Lords—The Canadian House of Commons and its composition—Localism in elections—Party government—Weak points of the elective system—Provincial governments and legislatures—The interpretation of the Constitution—The Supreme Court—The Civil Service—The Judiciary—Canada practically independent of the mother country—Canada affords no precedent for Irish Home Rule—A written constitution a necessity of democracy—Ottawa as the seat of government. Page 147
CHAPTER IX
Fruits of Confederation
CHAPTER X
The Canada Question
Commercial Union—Mr. Bayard on the subject—The name Commercial Union adopted in contradistinction to Political Union. Account of the movement—Her own continent the natural market of Canada—Reciprocity of trade or reciprocity of tariffs the motto of the Conservative leader—The continent an economical whole—Reciprocity the dictate of nature—Special strength of the ease with regard to the mininerals of Canda—The shipping interest of Canada needs the freedom of the coasting trade—The Americans on their side ready for Reciprority—Policy of Mr. Blaine—Answer to the assertion of Protectionists that there can be a profitable trade between Canada and the United States—Remarkable growth of the trade in eggs when free from duty—Prevalence of sumggling under the present system—Special hardship resulting form the tariff to Manitoba at the Maritime Provinces—Comparison of the British with the American market—Reasons why the near market is the best—Counter-proposal of an Imperial Zollverein—Fatal objections to that plan—Efforts of the Caroline government to open up new markets ​—The natural interests of Canada all in favour of Reciprocity—Objections to Commercial Union between the United States and Canada similar to those made between England and Scotland—Appeal of Protectionists to Imperial sentiment—Answer to the allegation that Commercial Union would be annexation in disguise—Practical difficulties of the scheme enhanced by the M'Kinley tariff—The policy of the M'Kinley Act not likely to endure—A new commercial era apparently dawning for the United States. Page 281
APPENDICES—
A. Mr. Henry W. Darling on Banking 303 B. Mr. Thomas Shaw on Agriculture in Ontario 307 C. Mr. T. D. Ledyard on Mining 321
This work was published before January 1, 1930, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.
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