General, under certain circumstances, to summon to the Senate three or six additional senators. The Bill finally became law, under the title of the British North America Act, 1867, on the 29th of March, and July 1 was proclaimed the day on which the new Constitution should take effect. A supplementary Act was also passed, authorizing a guarantee of interest on a loan to be raised by Canada towards the construction of a railway connecting Quebec and Halifax.

Thus was the Dominion born, though as yet, it must be remembered, its dimensions were small compared with what they were to be. Macdonald desired the more imposing title of Kingdom of Canada, and deplored the matter-of-fact attitude of English politicians; but after all, the future of Canada was in its own hands to make or to mar. No doubt, at the time of the British North America Act, many in England in their hearts approved of it as a half-way house to peaceful independence. There was required the experience of subsequent years before British statesmen could feel the proud confidence in the future which is now felt generally.

It has already been noticed that among the main motives moving in the direction of confederation was the desire for a greater Canada. It was then natural that, when once the Union was achieved, negotiations should have been entered upon with a view to securing to the Dominion Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory. As Lord Strathcona has pointed out, 'The acquisition and development of the Hudson Bay Territory was impossible prior to the confederation of the Dominion. No less a body than United Canada could have acquired and administered so large a domain, or have undertaken the construction of railways, without which its development could only have been slow and uncertain.' Resolutions were passed in the Canadian House of Commons in December, 1867, asking the Crown to unite Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory to Canada. Before effect

could be given to these resolutions, a private arrangement was necessary between Canada and the Hudson Bay Company. With this object, Sir George Cartier and Mr. McDougall, the proposer of the resolutions in the Canadian Parliament, visited England. Largely owing to the tact and diplomacy of the Secretary of State, Lord Granville, an agreement was arrived at, under which, in consideration of the sum of £300,000 and of certain reserved tracts of land, the Hudson Bay Company surrendered its territorial rights to the Crown, an arrangement to this effect having already received the sanction of the Imperial Legislature. It is unnecessary to recapitulate here the successive blunders which led to the Red River rebellion of 1869, which was suppressed by Colonel Wolseley's expedition of the following year. For present purposes, it is enough to note that by a Canadian Statute of 1870, the new Province of Manitoba was admitted a member of the Dominion. This Act was confirmed by an Imperial Statute of 1871, which declared that the Parliament of Canada might from time to time establish new Provinces in any territories forming part of the Dominion, and provide among other things for their representation in Parliament. Under the provisions of these laws Manitoba was given three senators, as well as representation in the House of Commons according to population. In 1905 the two new Provinces of Saskatchewan and Alberta were carved out of the North-West Territory ⚫ and even now Western Canada is only in the beginnings of its greatness.

But even when Canada possessed its valuable hinterlands stretching to the Rocky Mountains, something was still lacking before British North America could become an organic whole. West of the Rockies was a valuable country, with an outlook to the Pacific Ocean, without which the Dominion would never have reached its full growth. Among the Quebec resolutions was one declaring that the communications with the North-Western Terri

tory, and the improvements required for the development of the trade of the great West with the seaboard, are regarded by this Conference as subjects of the highest importance to the federated Provinces, and shall be prosecuted at the earliest possible period that the state of the finances will permit.'

Fortunately, British Columbia was anxious to join forces with the Dominion. Vancouver Island had been leased in 1843 to the Hudson Bay Company. That company, intent upon the fur trade, saw in settlements a natural enemy. Nevertheless, the advantages of Vancouver Island for the purposes of colonization were too manifest for the reluctance of the company to prevent its development. On the mainland gold was discovered in the bed of the Fraser River in 1856, and from this time there set in a constant stream of immigration. At first, British Columbia, as it was named at the suggestion of Queen Victoria, and Vancouver Island were under the same Governor, but the interests of their populations seemed to be different, and, when a form of Constitution was given British Columbia in 1858, it was separated from Vancouver Island. The two Colonies were, however, again placed under a common government by an Act of Parliament of 1866. The population was as yet very small, and, to a great extent, migratory, so that the Home Government was unable to introduce responsible or even representative government. British Columbia was quick to recognize the significance of the passing of the British North America Act. In January, 1868, an unofficial memorial was presented to the Dominion Government, which suggested terms on which union would be acceptable. Such a union was desirable on many grounds, both financial and political; but a strong inducement was the expectation of a transcontinental waggon-road from Lake Superior to the point on the Lower Fraser river whence it was navigable, within a period of two years after joining the Confederation. The acquisition by the

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Dominion of Rupert's Land and the North-West Territory made easier the way for union with British Columbia. When the proposals of British Columbia were considered by the Dominion Government, they were found to be reasonable, and such as, in the main, might be accepted. A transcontinental railway having now been decided upon, it seemed unnecessary to make another main road. The undertaking of the Dominion Government was therefore worded: The Government of the Dominion undertakes to secure the commencement simultaneously, within two years from the date of the union, of the construction of the railway from the Pacific towards the Rocky Mountains, and from such point as may be selected east of the Rocky Mountains towards the Pacific, to connect the seaboard of British Columbia with the railway system of Canada; and, further, to secure the completion of such railway within ten years from the date of such union.'

Under the 146th section of the British North America Act power was given to the Crown, on addresses from the Houses of the Parliament of Canada and from the Legislature of British Columbia, to admit that Colony into the Union on such terms and conditions as were expressed in the addresses. British Columbia was therefore admitted into the Union under an Order in Council dated May 16, 1871, which embodied the terms accepted by both the Dominion and British Columbian Legislatures. Under these, British Columbia was entitled to be represented in the Senate by three members and by six members in the House of Commons: such representation to be increased with the growth of population according to the provisions of the main Act.

The difficulties which subsequently arose from the delay in beginning the work of the transcontinental railway do not belong to our present subject. It must always be remembered, however, that, if Canada has become or is in the way of becoming a real nation, with national

aspirations and ideals common to it as a whole, it is largely due to the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is this which has covered with flesh and blood the dry bones of the Union brought into being by the provisions of the British North America Act. With the acquisition of British Columbia the Dominion stretched from ocean to ocean; though in 1873 it secured a new member, by the entrance into it of Prince Edward Island under the terms of the same section of the British North America Act as that which applied to British Columbia. In this case financial exigencies effected what had hitherto proved impossible. The representation of Prince Edward Island in the Senate was provided for in the British North America Act, which enacted that on its joining the Union the island should receive four senators, the number of senators for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick being respectively reduced from twelve to ten. Prince Edward Island started with six members in the House of Commons. By an Order in Council, dated July 31, 1880, all British territories and possessions in North America not already included within the Dominion of Canada, and all islands adjacent (with the exception of Newfoundland and its dependencies), were annexed to and formed part of the Dominion of Canada. Lastly, under an Imperial Act of 1886, doubt was set at rest with regard to the power of the Dominion Parliament to make provision for the representation in the Senate and House of Commons of Canada of any territories which, while forming part of the Dominion of Canada, were not included in any of its Provinces. In 1895 Newfoundland, under the stress of financial failures, sought to join the Confederation; but the Dominion Ministry was not quick to seize the proffered hand, and the opportunity, once missed, has never recurred.

Having sketched, however baldly, the history of Canadian federation, we are able to arrive at certain