North America, its extent and future." The Canadian Nature says, "the 41st. James Anderson published a letter in the Montreal Gazette, during 1858, 43rd. Bristol (England) merchants urged upon the Imperial Government the im- DATE. 1858 1858 1858 1859 1859 An 44th. Liberal Convention held in Toronto in November, 1859, passed a resolution 46th. The Canadian Legislature discussed the question of Union in connection with 1860 1860 47th. Hon. Charles Tupper (now Sir Chas., Bart.) delivered a lecture in favour of Confederation, in St. John, N.B.... 1860 48th. Sir John A. Macdonald, in an address to the electors of Kingston, said "The Government will not relax its exertions to effect a Confederation of the British North American Provinces.' 49th. Hon. Joseph Howe moved a resolution in the Nova Scotian Assembly re- 50th. Duke of New castle, then Colonial Secretary, in a despatch to the Governor 52nd. Delegates from the Maritime Provinces, under authority of Mr. Howe's resolu- The following are the names of delegates usually called the "Fathers of Con- CANADA. Hon. Sir Etienne P. Taché, Premier. "John A. Macdonald, Attorney General, West. Geo. E. Cartier, Attorney General, East. 1861 1861 1862 1864 1864 1864 1864 66 64 Wm. McDougall, Provincial Secretary. Geo Brown, President of Council. 66 66 66 66 A. T. Galt, Minister of Finance. Alexander Campbell, Commissioner of Crown Lands. H. L. Langevin, Solicitor General, East. "T. D. McGee, Minister of Agriculture. J. Cockburn, Solicitor General, West. J. C. Chapais, Commissioner of Public Works. 55th. Hon. Joseph Cauchon wrote a Pamphlet in favour of Confederation in Assembly by 91 to 33. The 91 who voted for Union comprised 54 from 58th. Delegates from all the Provinces-Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, in accordance with the terms of the resolutions passed by the Legislatures of the Maritime Provinces, proceeded to England and organized in London, with Sir John A. Macdonald as chairman.. 59th. Union Act, as framed by the Conference, passed by the Imperial Parliament and received the Queen's assent, March... 60th. Royal Proclamation of the Union issued from Windsor Castle, May 22nd. 62nd. Imperial Order in Council issued transferring Rupert's Land and the North- DATE. 1865 1865 1866 1866 1867 1867 1867 1870 1870 1871 .1870-71-72 66th. Prince Edward Island joined the Confederation, 1st July 1873 1876 69th. Boundaries between Ontario and Manitoba defined by decision of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of England. 1880 1884 70th. North-west Territories given representation in Federal Parliament. Act... 71st. North-west Territories given Elective Assembly. Act. 1886 1888 72nd. Northerly, westerly and easterly boundaries of Ontario defined by Imperial Parliament. (See Dominion Acts, 1890).. 1889 73rd. Right of appeal from decision of the Supreme Court of North-west Territories 1891 to Her Majesty in Privy Council, granted by Order in Council, 30th July. 74th. Right of appeal from decision of Court of Queen's Bench, Manitoba, to Her Majesty in Privy Council, granted by Imperial Order in Council, 26th November (See Order in Council in Dominion Statute, 1894).. 1892 51. In connection with the foregoing digest of the genesis of Confederation it is proposed to give from year to year, biographical notes of those who took part in the conception and development of that great idea, so that the people of Canada, and especially the young people, may have a vivid realization of the fathers and grandfathers of Confederation. NOTE 1.-Francis Nicholson came under the favourable notice of King James II., and when, in 1686, a couple of companies of soldiers were sent to the North American colonies, Captain Francis Nicholson was in command of one of them. They landed in Boston in the month of December, 1686. In April, 1688, Captain Nicholson was commissioned LieutenantGovernor of New England, and accompanied Sir Edmund Andros, his superior officer, to New York, and was left in command when Andros went to Boston to thwart movements, then in progress, calculated to bring on an Indian war. The changes which resulted from the death of James and the accession of William and Mary caused Nicholson's removal. He went to London and so successfully presented his case that he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Virginia. He took an active part in the affairs of the colony, instituted athletic games, and so powerfully supported the efforts to provide Virginia with a college that the College of William and Mary sprang into being. He performed his duties so well that the Assembly voted him a gratuity of £300, which the Crown allowed him to accept. In 1692 he was superseded and returned to England. In 1693 he was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Maryland. At the close of his term of office there, in 1698, he was appointed Governor in Chief of Virginia. He carried things with a high hand, till at length the Council wearied, with the continual strife, petitioned in 1703 for his removal, which was ordered by the home authorities. Nicholson went to London in 1705. Notwithstanding these evidences of Nicholson's unpopularity, his co-operation was sought when the colonies were in great straits on account of the incursions from Canada, and in 1708 the Governments of New York, Massachussetts, Connecticut, East and West Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island addressed him, urging him to take command of all their troops. Nicholson accepted the position, went to England, secured promises of troops, and returning to Boston, set about the task of providing a well drilled colonial contingent. The English troops, however, were needed in Portugal by the exigencies of the European situation. The attempt to curb Canada by way of Lake Champlain failed, and Nicholson, who was in command of the Lake Champlain contingent, had to dismiss the 1,500 troops he had collected, after burning the transport vessels he had built on the lake. At the request of the several colonies he sailed for England, commissioned to procure assistance for the reduction of Port Royal (now Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia). The fates being propitious, he succeeded in obtaining from the English authorities the ships of war and the men required, and in September, 1710, the armament sailed from Boston. It consisted of thirty-six vessels. The French Governor, Subercase, made a spirited resistance, but after some days' fighting, surrendered. He After the conquest of Port Royal, which he renamed Annapolis Royal, in honour of Queen Anne, Nicholson went to England. was recalled in 1711 and given charge of a second land expedition to move against Montreal by way of Lake Champlain, while Vetch, then Governor of Nova Scotia, was summoned to Boston to take command of the 1,500 provincials who accompanied the British forces which sailed from Boston to enter the Canadian territory by way of the Gulf and River St. Lawrence. After this expedition had proved a complete failure through the wreck of several of the transports on the Isle aux Eufs on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, and the incapacity of the Admiral, Nicholson returned to England and in 1713 was appointed Governor of Nova Scotia, having as the special object of his governorship the settlement of the French question which had arisen from the terms of the capitulation agreed upon by himself and Subercase in 1710, and subsequently ratified by the Treaty of Utrecht. Nicholson showed the worst side of his nature during the term of his office, and the records of the time are filled with personal complaints of his conduct. He succeeded, however, in preventing the emigration of the Acadians to Isle Royale (Cape Breton). After his term of office in Nova Scotia expired, he returned to England and was Knighted. In 1720 he was appointed Governor of South Carolina and administered his office with his accustomed ability till 1725, when he was made a Lieutenant-General and returned to London, where he died in 1728. He was a singular compound and was a man of terrible temper. After he had been in one of his fits while he had command of the army, an Indian said to one of his officers, "the General is drunk ;" "No," said the officer, "he never drinks liquor." The Indian replied, "I don't mean that he is drunk with rum; he was born drunk," a statement which carries in it the germ of Lombroso's central idea about criminals, and of Naidau's about degenerates. It is told of Nicholson, that falling in love, his suit was opposed by the father of the lady. Nicholson swore to have his blood. Hearing that she was about to be married he threatened to cut the throats of the bridegroom, of the minister who should perform the service, and of the justice of the peace who should issue the license. Suspecting as a rival a clergyman, he waylaid him on the road and in the King's name and as his superior in the church forbade the pastor to enter the lady's house or to speak with her. Notwithstanding his choleric temper and the peculiarities in which he indulged, Nicholson must have possessed the power to command in an eminent degree. Probably no other man ever acted as governor in so many different provinces. He had a broad and comprehensive view of public affairs and was one of the earliest advocates of a grand scheme of confederation to embrace all the provinces on the North American Continent, the object of which was the defence of these colonies against the encroachments of the French on the north and against the hostile Indians on the borders. He submitted his plan to the King who heartily approved of it and recommended the measure to the favourable consideration of the assemblies. Virginia, however, would have nothing to do with the scheme, which fact so exasperated Nicholson that he recommended that all the American colonies be placed under a Viceroy, and a standing army maintained among them at their own expense. His project was not received with favour by Queen Anne and her ministers. A writer in the Magazine of American History says, "such a career of more than 38 years in the Royal service was remarkable for that day; and when the nature of the service is examined, it becomes more remarkable. For Nicholson, in his Maryland and Carolina experience, had to deal with what was one of the most difficult problems of colonial policy-proprietary governments; while on his Virginia governorship he had to contend with the spirit of growing democracy. That he was successful in the one and unsuccessful in the other is no condemnation of his general capacity for leadership. Perhaps a suave, gentle nature might have placated Virginia, but the rugged force of a soldier was needed to give peace to Carolina, while his leaning to the church and education gave him an influence in Maryland apart from his mere authority. His very ambitions gave him strength, for he foresaw the necessity of uniting the English colonies against the French settlements, and while the means at his disposal were inadequate to carry out his aims, a generation had hardly passed when the encroachments of the French led to the first public employment of Washington to check them. In the light of subsequent history we can give great praise to Nicholson's political foresight and his generous aid to the gentler arts of peace. If his personal failings have given him a bad name, his good deeds should be remembered, and in that remembrance should participate New England, New York, Maryland, Virginia and South Carolina." To this list may be added the Maritime provinces of Eastern Canada. 52. The following is a list of the Governors General of Canada since Confederation, with the dates of their respective appointments : GOVERNORS GENERAL OF CANADA. NAME. The Rt. Hon. Viscount Monck, G.C.M.G The Rt. Hon. Lord Lisgar, G.C.M.G. (Sir John Young). The Rt. Hon. the Marquis of Lorne, K.T., G.C.M.G., P.C., &c. * Succeeded to the Earldom of Derby on the death of his brother, April 21st, 1893. 53. The succeeding tables give the names of the present members of the Dominion Government, arranged according to precedence, and of the members of the Privy Council, and the dates of the opening and closing of each session composing the different Parliaments since Confederation. |