The Four New Nations.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 1, 26 September 1907, Page 10

The Four New Nations.

•THEIR IMPERIAL ' GROWTH. ... "There is not in Canada at the pre- : sent time a single British soldier to maintain British supremacy, . . The whole Australian continent has now been moulded into another nation under the flag. . . And I seo dawning- in . South Africa the day when there . will be another Confederation."

So spoke, 011 a Canadian " Dominion" day not long ago,-the Premier., of the "Old Dominion," as Canada* may now be called. To-day has dawned a day ho did not foresco, the day that greets a new Dominion. In the splendid galaxy of independent nations which make tho glory of the British Empiro, New Zealand has advanced to equal stato with Australia and with Canada. We havo\.traced ..theprogress of her history. , What ! .of: her Tho " okl Oorainicn." " Sire, I have fniAllerl your behest. I have d;scovered a great Dominion for France." So Jacqucs Cartic-v. Breton sailor, may have said in tho year 153!-, reporting to Einjr l''rai!e.:i I thy rt-sult wf fcaioC voyage to Canada. S; 1 v;-,:ry v;v,..' later a few Ivuisijiij- ;■, Jamestown ri;oro ucro i'o:;e i;:c.:e

Hoar —doubtless heard from Indians of tho rising fortifications of Quebec, and wondered for the fut-uro.,'Thoy could not dream of tho great British "Dominion" of which their enemies were building the foundation. A century and a half went by, while one grandee of Franco after another rufllod it in the vice-rcgal rcaidenco of Quobec. French voyageurs explored the onormous waterways, a...few colonial patriots dreamed dreams of the golden futuro of their country, but •La- Boiler-France-; shivered at the thought of- a 1 bleak, barren continent, and littlo onougli she did to help the •colonists. British statesmen, also, could" see nothing for snow-blindness. From tirao to time adventurous men of England filched, during the wars with iranco, portions of the rich inheritance which slio neglected, and as often British statesmen gave them .back ainoiig the torms of;poaco. Only Acadia, Hudson's Bay, and land, prises" of ' Marlborough's wars, wore hold. But tho day came when Y\'o!fo," by heroic daring, " with a handful of men added an Empire to British rule." It was no longer dis-. regarded; • . '•

With the establishment of representative institutions in' 1791, panada proper,, exclusive of Nova.Scotia, Now Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, becamo' a more or. less self-governing colony, in two divisions. Already the others-provinces iiad- govcrnments of their own. Tho French-Canadians, greatly' trusted," had 'shown a stolid adhpreii.cQ.to,.the new..regime during the revolt of the American colonies in ... Iw/j-P,'!,. ;...which .ilioj; _ refused to join. The invasion of British terri:tor.yv'by »tho-"United--States in 1812 found them patriots in its defence. Meanwhiio tho> provincial popular as-

semblies, tirod of always tailing second place to the (lovc.riicrs and Upper Houses -which, 'these appointed, had commenced ta.clamou" ii>r,moro rights, which at length were granted by. an Act of -•»

. But .now t!(c .province?... had rande such progress' that i t!io 'time was almost ripo for the ' fufftlmcnfc of a splendid vision of Lord "Durham and other seers —tiieir confederation into one Dominion. Anomalies of political roprcssntntion as between Upper and Lower Canada were arguments in favour of another sysfccm*of adminis•tration. In 'English-speali'ing Canada tlie United Empire Loyalists, sons of •mea who had i left;tbcir.jh.9r.los in the •United Staieo -sooner than plunge sword into . the Motherland, were j;ea!ou3 for the change. Tho FrcnchCanadians made common cause, becauuo to them the British flag; war guarantee of privileges granted in the prccc'ciing century. The leaders of the proyinsiiVl.... .governments — Canada (divided noi^iutA.Ontarioiiind Quebcc), iJoiii Scotia, Now Brunswick, and iriuco Edward Island—combined with leaders of tho Opposition parties tc effect so great a consummation. In tiio autunm ot IcGi..thirty-three provincial delegates, in tho-historic, city of Quebec, discussed momentous issues. Out of protracto(l counsels came renuu'kablc lagrerancnt. 'TerrAs of federal union were evolved in sevonty-twc unanimous. resolutions, which were thah' submitted 'to provincial legislatures. Only in New Brunswick did tlioir passage meet with any difficulty, ".fcorethoy failed to pass thn legislature till a 'second general ejection had bean held. In December, 1800, a smaller conference of delegates, which mot in Londdn, made slight amendments to'the'resolutions, and in ISO/ they wero confirmed by the Imperial Parliament, without a division, in the Lritisli _ iNortli America Act, which United, iii'tho'first' instance, Ontario. Quebec,.'NovirScbtia,.and New Branswick',;cftd m'adiS p'rovisiohfor the com.«lS,.'in.'of ;o ; thbr 'provinces;" Tho sam.' rear helped- to dn'vo them in, successively: fear of the potential enemy a< tbc-ir gates, the American Republic, it also made the conccpbion of Imperial alliance tho natural corollai" <il nationalisation.

.of 1807 was a dominion which consisted largely of inhospitable, unknown wilderness. Sine-', then provinces have been linked b;, railways, ocean joined to ocean, waterways developed, huge new territori-;: acquired and settled. . Already tbV Dominion calls itsc-lf "the granary o' tho Empire," whilo but onc-tliirtii-t' of...its .cultivable •land'-lia's yet bee; tilled; ■ : -Its-grbTvth''of'trade is claiiue-.i to havo exceeded, during recent year. l : "bat of any other country in tho world und in no other country of liko nopu -n/tion ~is there so 1 it-tic poverty Events may justify the claim: "Til-, twentieth century is.Canada's."