The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-02-18
NONE OF CANADA'S
PROVINCES SATISFIED
Newer Ones in Particular Offended Because Of Their
Treatment by the Dominion Government Secession
the Cry Often Heard Before. Is Renewed in British
Columbia

charters granted by the Manitoba gov
eminent to railways connecting with /
the United States railway system. The !
people rose en- masse and at a historic
demonstration at Fort Whyte, accom-
plished their purpose. Federal author
ity was defed, and could only have
been re-established and maintained by
military force. At this stage, SO mon
acing was the crisis, the federal gov
eminent capitulated. Thus Manitoba
won it's battle for railway freedom.
A still later conflict, which threat
ened at one time to disrupt the whole
dominion, was Manitoba struggle
against the federal government on the
school question. After long fight the
Dominion government, in 1895, intro
duced into the federal parliament a bill
overriding the Manitoba legislation and
re establishing separate schools in that
province. Public feeling in Manitoba
was wrought to the highest pitch
against this interference with provln-
cial rights i The provincial government
was prepared to go to any lengths to
| resist what It termed the coercion OF
the federal government. Had the fed
eral remedial bill been passed rebellion
would have resulted. In the meantime,
the whole Of the dominion was bitterly
divided over the issue. It happened,
however, that the life Of the federal
parliament expired before the remedial
bill had got to its third reading in the
/ commons. In the succeeding general
election the Tupper government, which
. had introduced 1t, was defeated. On
the formation Of the Laurier, govern
ment the bill was abandoned, and q
compromise was effected with the Man
itoba government which practically left
the public school system in that prov
ince intact. Actual rebellion or seces-
sion was thus again averted.
In Northwest Territories.
Armed rebellion, however, of a most
serious kind, the federal government
had had to cope with in the neighboring
, territories few years earlier. The
halfbreeds settled along the Saskatche-
wan river became dissatisfied that they
had not got even such rights as had
been granted to the Red River half
3 breeds in Manitoba. Representations
to Ottawa availed them nothing, and al
length. in 1885, they rose in rebellion
Louis Riel, who had led the rebellion Of
:. the Red River halfbreeds sixteen years
before, became their leader, and organ
o lied provincial government. Severa
: Of the Indian tribes were induced tt
= ioin them. The rebellion was seriou
= matter for the dominion to deal with
: The .sympathies of the French PROVING
= Of Quebec were with the French half
= breeds Of the west. But the integrit,
- Of the dominion required the suppress
. sion Of the rebellion even at the risk 3
q Quebec g resentment. The rebellio
u " was ultimately suppressed at consider
= able cost in money and life. After ]
:" was over, the surviving half breeds &C
% recognition of their holdings aceordin
"a "a to the system Of survey they had d
al manded, and also an issue Of land scri
i, in extinction. Of the half breed title
~ the territories.
10 Disaffection in the territories again:
~ confederation has not, however, bee
Id confined to the halfbreeds. For man
u. u years the white people asked to
" given the full status in confederate
~ that the people in other parts Of tt
- -, dominion enjoyed. For many yea
a1 their claims were ignored at Ottaw
"a At length, agitation against this di
.o1 elimination and. in favor of province
80 autonomy became SO serious in the te
w. ritories that it could no longer be SAT
10 ly ignored. At the last session Of t.
of dominion parliament, legislation W
he passed erecting the territories into t1
Ter Observation-Disclosures and Saskztchewa
on. But this has added fresh fuel to t
ter grievances Of the people Of the ter
on. tories. The constitutions of the NJ
ew provinces deprive the people Of the
ols provinces Of the educational freed,
i'm which the other provinces enjoy une
~ the British North American act. 7
ra, advocates of provincial rights in
49,. new provinces protest against their
80 80 equality with the other members
a., confederation in this regard. They a
nn protest that the federal government
~ kept the lands, timber and minerals
20 which in the original provinces Of !
10 dominion are owned by the PROVING
49, governments-and has not given an
10: .an equate subsidy in lieu Of them. In SO
~, other respects, ALSO they claim t
enO they have been curtailed Of rig
so.' which the older provinces enjoy.
, w. ready provincial rights pa
s s;se has been. formed in each of the51
~, ~ provinces to fight to the uttern
yet 70 ea5an5+;an A. +ha +
are grows in population and inf1ue7
- : which it is doing very rapidly, this
sue will become a serious one for {
ada. Judging from the history Of