The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-20 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEB. 20, 1867.

The Government has certainly begun the session
with the determination to work in earnest, and no
one can say that any time has been lost. Last

night in the House of Lords the British North

American Bill was read a second time, and the Earl

of CARNARVON introduced it to the notice of the

house in an excellent speech, which seemed to meet

the approval it deserved.

The noble lord truly

said at the commencement of his discourse that this

was one of the most important and wisest measures

that for many years had been brought into Parlia-
ment by a Colonial Minister. There is this satis-
factory reflection concerning the step referred to,

namely, that from both sides of the house approval
of the main objects of the measure was entertained.
While we fully concur in the favourable opinion

expressed by the noble lord of the doings of Mr.
CARDWELL, we think that such an expression re-
flects great credit upon him, and shows that he is
animated by no mean jealousy. It must, we feel
assured, be a source of great satisfaction to Mr.

CARDWELL himself that the pains he took in this
matter will not be thrown away, but that the good
work will be brought to a triumphant termi-
nation under the auspices of his successors.

As Lord CARNARVON said, the question of
Confederation in one shape or other has
been before the House for the last forty years, and
hence most people are tolerably familiar with the
subject. Sir E. HEAD, when Governor-General of

Canada, in 1858, announced this grand principle
to the Canadian Parliament, but it was to no avail,
for difficulties interposed ; and, with one
delay and another, nothing definite was
done until the last year, when delegates came
from the various provinces to hold communica-
tions with her MAJSTY'S Government on the subject.
The noble lord assured the House that they must

Look upon the Bill he introduced to their notice no

only in the light of an agreement between parties,
but in the nature of a compact, as it embodied the
resolutions on which the scheme was based, as well
as the results of the deliberation with the delegates.
The details of the measure seem, upon considera-
tion, to be all that can be desired. The appoint-

ment of the Governor-General is almost the only
diftet tie that connects the Confederation with the
mother country. This office will be one of great
dignity, and the salary will not be less than
ten thousand pounds, which sum is to be payable

out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of
Canada. The Lieutenant-Governors are to be ap-
pointed by the Governor-General, and to hold
office for five years, not being removable except for
causes shown ; a General or Central Parliament ;

and next a local Legislature in each province. This
Central Parliament will consist of two Chambers.
The Upper House is to be called the Senate, and
the other, "in affectionate remembrance of pas-
sages in English history, is to be called the House
of Commons." As might naturally be supposed,
the local matters will be dealt with by the
Provincial Legislatures, while those questions
which are common to the Confederated
Provinces would be settled by the Central
Parliament. It is found very advisable to have
two Houses to legislate, or elseall important matters
would be left to the decision of one,which might be
rash, hasty, or ill-advised. The name of Canada
is to be given to this new Confederation at the sug-

gestion of the delegates themselves. We fully
agree with Lord CARNARVON in the approval of
the plan of the delegates, in taking for their plan
of formation the " monarchical principle under
which they have lived so long, and which they desire
to transmit to their descendants." We also hope with
him that in time Prince Edward's Island, British
Columbia, Newfoundland, and Vancouver's Island,
will join the Confederation, as was at first contem-
plated, but has unfortunately not been realised as
yet. It has been desired by many that a legislative
union could have been adopted by all the Provinces,
but as yet such a thing has been found quite im-
practicable. The noble lord entered into some expla-
nations respecting Canada having set up a Protec-
tionist policy against the Free Trade policy of the other
provinces, in which he statedthat already Free Trade
has made a considerable advance in Canada, and that
the very circumstance of entering into this confe-
deration would naturally increase the development
of that principle.
Lord CARNARVON believes, and we think with
justice, that the carrying out of this great reform
will tend to remove in a great measure the differ-
ences that have existed between Upper and Lower
Canada ; and as for the objections raised in some
quarters, of a portion of the community of Nova
Scotia being adverse to this union, he speedily dis-
posed of them by saying that 4 was only a small
minority that represented this view of the case.
The representation of these provinces is to be based
upon the principle of population, which entirely re-
moves the objection that while Upper Canada has
the largest population, it has only an equal voice in
the representation. In concluding his excellent
speech the noble lord declared that the future pro-
spects of the confederated provinces were bright
and happy ones, and that with care and caution the
best results may follow from the plans here laid
down in the bill. In cases of emergency
such a scheme appeared the best security for
defence, and although all would look with
alarm upon a war between them and the
United States, still it is necessary in the
framing of this measure to take all possible con-
tingencies into consideration. Finally, there was
great truth in the observations of the noble lord as
to the qualifications possessed by those provinces
for forming a successful confederation. Of the
four federations that have been made two have
passed away, while two still remain. One is Switzer-
land, one of the smallest States in the family of
Europe ; the other, the United States, one of the
greatest of the great nations of the world.
federation which is about to be formed will, we
hope N% ith the noble lord, be worthy to take its
place by the side of the United States of America."
We are now, as he elegantly expressed it, laying

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