The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-14 00:00:00

The Confederation of British North
America.

QUEBEC, Oct. 1.

The following semi-cfficial communication rela-
tive to the Confederation of the Canadian provinces,
has been published :

QUEBEC, Sept. 23.

A good deal of public interest is felt as to the
recent visit of members of the Canadian Government
to the maritime provinces. People are anxious to
know the nature of the federative scheme brought
under the attention of the Charlottetown Conference,
the reception it received from the maritime dele-
gates, and the probability of its being acceptable to
the several provinces. But little reserve is now
necessary as to the proceedings of the conference,
or as to the general scope of the scheme of Federa-
tion now under consideration. It is only as to details
which have yet to be discussed and determined
end as to which diversities of opinion may arise
among the numerous contracting parties, that re-
serve is expedient. The measure cannot be framed
from any one point of view ; it trust be a work of
compromise. Objections from east, west, and centre
will have to he debated and overcome ; and it would
be manifestly unwise and injurious to give publicity
to details that circumstances may hereafter cause
to be modified and abandoned.

Thus far all the proceedings of the Canadian
Government have been entirely unofficial and in-
formal. The provinces of Nova Scotia, Brunswick,
and Prince Edward's Island had agreed to hold a
conference at Charlottetown, the capital of Prince
Edward's Island, to consider the propriety of
uniting their fortunes under one Government and
Legislature. The Canadian Government sought
leave to attend that conference, for the purpose of
inviting the attention of the delegates to the larger
question of a federative union of all the British
North American provinces. Consent was at once
given, and on the first day of the conference the
Canadian deputes presented themselves at Char-
lottezown, and were mast cordially received. The
Government of N cv fou n dland was not represented
in the conference, but communications from it have
been received, heartily sympathising with the
movement, and expressing a desire to take part in
any future proceedings.

The Conference commenced its deliberations on
Thursday, the Ist of September, and continued to
sit daily at Charlottetown, until the Bth, when an
adjournment took place to Saturday, the 10th, at
the city of Halifax.
The proceeding of the Conference were conducted
with closed doors ; but it is understood that the
question of union in all its bearings was fully debated
and the conclusion unanimously arrived at that a
confederation of the British North Ametican
colonies would be highly advantageous to all the
provinces, provided equitable terms of union could
be agreed upon. No insurmountable obstacles were
encountered, and a formal Conference of the govern-
ments of Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Newfoundland, and Prince Edward's Island has been
summoned by his Excellency the Governor-General,
to meet at Quebec on the 10th October, for the pur-
pose of ascertaining formally vt hether the details of
a scheme of confederation, acceptable to all, can be
arranged.
The Canadian delegates were deeply impressed
by the great material resources and the gratifying
industrial prosperity of the maritime provinces.
There is not one of them who does not subscribe
heartily to the conclusion arrived at by the Con•
ference, that a federation of all the provinces would
be highly advantageous.
Thus far nothing definite as to the details of the
scheme has been agreed upon ; notwithstanding the
discussions of the last three weeks, every point will
be open to unfettered inquiry by the Quebec Con-
ference. No one, however, could have failed to
gather from the newspapers of the Lower Provinces
the general outlines of the scheme under considera-
tion at Charlotteville.

It appears to have been suggested that the
Confederation might consist for the present of
three sections, namely :—Upper Canada, Lower
Canada, and the Maritime Provinces, coming into
the Union either collectively or separately, and
hat provision might be made for the admission
into the Union hereafter on equitable terms of the
North-West territory, British Columbia, and Van-
couver. The whole country might have one name,
say Canada or Arcadia.
it appears to have been suggested that each of
the provinces should have a local legislature and
Executive, charged with the control of all local
matters ; and that in a General Legislature and
Executive should be vested the control of affairs
common to the whole country. It seems to have
been held as indisputable that the functions of the
general and local governments, and the subjects
delegated to each must be clearly defined in the
Constitution, so as to prevent collision and give
security for local interests, the whole to be em-
bodied in an act of Imperial Parliament.
In regard to the construction of the General or
Federal Legislature, the representation in the
Lower House on sectional equality, the mode of
selecting the members of the Upper House is a fer-
tile subject of discussion. Some favour election for
a term of years by the people, others prefer to have
their election vested in the Local Legislatures,
while others again advocate their appointment for
of the day, The solution may be found in a solu,
tion of these views.
The Federal Government would be constituted as
now, the representative of the Crown being advised
by an administration possessing the confidence of
Parliament.

To the Federal authority thus constituted would
obviously be committed all questions of trade, navi•
gation, currency, banking, general taxation, bank.
ruptcy, and criminal law. It would have coLtrol
of the militia and defence, of coinage, weights and
measures, lighthouses, sea fisheries, letters patent
and copyright, naturalisation, the census, the postal
service, immigration, inter-colonial works, &c.
The manner in which the local Legislatures
should be constructed affords scope for debate.
There are those who advocate for each section two
Legislative Chambers, while others prefer one
Chamber. Some are for an Executive Government
responsible as at present, to the Legislature;
while others are in favour of the Lieutenant-
Governors and other chief officials being elected by
the people. It would of course be desirable that
all the local Governments should be constituted on
some uniform plan, but this does not seem abso-
lutely essential, in the event of serious variance of
opinion arising.
As to the powers and duties to be committed to
the local Governments, there is also room for much
discussion. Manifestly, however, Lower Canada
will insist that all judicial and legal matters—in
fact, the whole body of civil and municipai law,
with the exception of criminal law—must be vested
in the local Legislatures. It is equally clear that
Upper Canada and New Brunswick will contend
that the wild lands of the several sections should
be vested in the local Governments. The control
of roads, bridges, and harbours—with the exception
of international. works—of inland fisheries, of
education, of prisons, hospitals and charities, of
agriculture, and all other local matters would
naturally be committed to the local bodies. It has
been suggested that provision should be made for
the educational interests of the minority in each
section.

A difficulty would manifestly arise in committing
these details to the Local Legislatures from the
absence of local revenues to meet the necessary
expenditures. It has been suggested that an allow-
ance from the public revenue might b 3 distributed
for local purposes according to population, inasmuch
as the General Government will, by the federative
arrangement, be relieved from charges now borne
y each province, and will have absorbed all the
sources of revenu3 from which they are now
defrayed.
It is very fortunate that little or no difficulty
seems to present itself on the subject to the Federal
finances. On the consu•nmation of the Union all
the debts and assets of the several provinces would
of course be assumed by the Federal Government;
and a close examination of the financial position of
each province shows that no injustice would be in-
flicted by this arrangement. The debt and the annual
burden now borne by the people of the several prof