



Produced by Al Haines









[Frontispiece: The Fathers of Confederation.  After a painting by
Robert Harris.]





THE FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION

A Chronicle of the Birth of the Dominion


by

A. H. U. COLQUHOUN





TORONTO

GLASGOW, BROOK & COMPANY

1916




  _Copyright in all Countries subscribing to
  the Berne Convention_




  TO

  COLONEL GEORGE T. DENISON

  WHOSE LIFE-WORK IS PROOF THAT
  LOYALTY TO THE EMPIRE IS
  FIDELITY TO CANADA




{ix}

CONTENTS

                                                                  Page

    I. THE DAWN OF THE MOVEMENT .................   1
   II. OBSTACLES TO UNION ....................  11
  III. THE EVE OF CONFEDERATION .................  21
   IV. THE HOUR AND THE MEN ...................  30
    V. THE CHARLOTTETOWN CONFERENCE ...............  44
   VI. THE QUEBEC CONFERENCE...................  56
  VII. THE RESULTS OF THE CONFERENCE...............  65
 VIII. THE DEBATES OF 1865....................  84
   IX. ROCKS IN THE CHANNEL ...................  97
    X. 'THE BATTLE OF UNION'................... 108
   XI. THE FRAMING OF THE BILL.................. 119
  XII. THE FIRST DOMINION MINISTRY................ 137
 XIII. FROM SEA TO SEA...................... 158
  XIV. THE WORK OF THE FATHERS.................. 188
       BIBLIOGRAPHICAL NOTE ................... 191
       INDEX........................... 193




{xi}

ILLUSTRATIONS

THE FATHERS OF CONFEDERATION............    _Frontispiece_
  After the painting by Robert Harris.

WILLIAM SMITH ...................   _facing page_ 4
  From a portrait in the Parliament Buildings, Ottawa.

SIR ALEXANDER T. GALT ...............      "     "   16
  From a photograph by Topley.

GEORGE BROWN....................      "     "   32
  From a photograph in the possession of Mrs Freeland
  Barbour, Edinburgh.

SIR GEORGE CARTIER.................      "     "   42
  From a painting in the Chateau de Ramezay.

SIR JOHN A. MACDONALD ...............      "     "   80
  From the painting by A. Dickson Patterson.

SIR CHARLES TUPPER, BART. .............      "     "  116
  From a photograph by Elliott and Fry, London.

ALEXANDRE ANTONIN TACHE ..............      "     "  166
  From a photograph lent by Rev. L. Messier, St Boniface.

AN ELECTION CAMPAIGN--GEORGE BROWN ADDRESSING AN AUDIENCE
  OF FARMERS....................      "     "  180
  From a colour drawing by C. W. Jefferys.




{1}

CHAPTER I

THE DAWN OF THE MOVEMENT

The sources of the Canadian Dominion must be sought in the period
immediately following the