Background to Confederation in the Canadas : Background to Confederation in the Canadas Sources:
Careless: The Union of the Canadas
Careless: Brown of The Globe
Creighton: The Young Politician
The Rebellions and Union: The Rebellions and Union British react to Rebellions with Act of Union, 1841
Two Objectives:
Responsible Government
Assimilation of French Canadians
Legislative Union: Legislative Union Institutional element of assimilation was “legislative union”
Upper & Lower Canada fused
One legislative assembly
42 seats for each section of Union
Under-represented Lower Canada
Responsible Government: Responsible Government Struggle for responsible government marks 1840s
Cohesive alliance of Reformers in Upper & Lower Canada defeat Tories & Ultramontanes
Alliance crumbles in 1850s
Sectionalism & Gridlock: Sectionalism & Gridlock 1850s marked by sectionalism, gridlock and unstable government
Tensions are:
Religious (1): Catholic vs Protestant
Religious (2): Church vs. State
Constitutional: Republican vs British Government
Regional: West vs East
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State Rouge Blues
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State Tories – Liberal-Progressive Rouge Clear Grits Blues
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State Tories – Liberal-Progressive Rouge Clear Grits Blues Ind. Reform
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State Tories – Liberal-Progressive Rouge Clear Grits Blues Ind. Reform 2 6 30 18 20 6
Sectionalism & Gridlock: Sectionalism & Gridlock Situation is problematic because:
No majority party
Parties are not disciplined
Alliances are made & broken by patronage & quid pro quo
Common Schools Bill, 1850
Clergy Reserves Act – Seigneurial Bill, 1853
Sectionalism & Gridlock: Sectionalism & Gridlock Just as often situation exacerbated by:
Sectional tension:
University Endowments
Sectional Strategies:
Movement of Capital
Events:
Gavazzi Riots 1853
“£10,000 Job” Scandal
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A1
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A2 A1
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A2 A3
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A3 A4
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A4 A5
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions American Republicanism British Responsible Government State Church A5 A1
Chaos in Multiple Dimensions: Chaos in Multiple Dimensions No equilibrium in 2+ dimensions
Clearly, not all alliances possible,…but
Opposition could always break coalitions
Vulnerable to events
Hamstrung by institutions (double-majority)
How do we get out of this??…
Escaping Gridlock & Chaos: Escaping Gridlock & Chaos Brown & Macdonald searching for stable solution:
Step-by-step elimination of political dimensions
Move to unidimensional politics or dimension-by-dimension median
Brown’s Problem: Brown’s Problem Sectarian appeals give Brown solid but limited support
How can Brown expand his appeal?
Brown’s Strategy: Brown’s Strategy The Globe champions Tory-Blue alliance on church-state dimension (1851)
Events & issues undermine this strategy:
Supplementary School Bill, 1852
Ecclesiastical Corporations Bill, 1853
Gavazzi Riots, 1853
Macdonald’s Strategy: Macdonald’s Strategy English-French coalition a fixed fact:
“No man in his senses can suppose that this government can for a century to come be governed by a totally unfrenchified government.”
(Careless 1967, 189)
Macdonald’s Problem: Macdonald’s Problem How to remove issues that exacerbate French-English tension…
… and still get elected?
Sideline Tories by championing secularization against Hincks-Morin cabinet
Focus on shared commercial (rail) interests
Macdonald’s Response: Macdonald’s Response Moderate Liberal-Progressives
Sideline Tories by supporting secularization against Hincks-Morin cabinet
Focus on shared commercial (rail) interests
Ideological Map of the Canadas: Ideological Map of the Canadas Catholic Protestant British Republican Church State Rouge Clear Grits Blues Ind. Reform Liberal-Progressives Tories
Macdonald’s Ideological Vision: Macdonald’s Ideological Vision Catholic Protestant Commercial Rural Rouge Clear Grits Blues Ind. Reform Liberal-Progressives Tories
Brown’s Alternative Strategy: Brown’s Alternative Strategy By 1852 Canada West underrepresented
“Rep-by-Pop”
Removes Catholic “advantages”
Limits church influence in state affairs
Avoids gridlock of “double-majority”
Rep-by-pop “without regard to a separating line between Upper and Lower Canada” lost 57-15 (March 1853)
Brown’s Ideological Vision: Brown’s Ideological Vision Double-Majority Rep-by-Pop Commercial Rural Rouge Clear Grits Blues Ind. Reform Liberal-Progressives Tories
Brown’s New Problem: Brown’s New Problem Can he ally with Rouges?
“It is clear that the natural allies of the Reformers of Upper Canada are the Rouges.”
Brown to Sandfield Macdonald (1854)
(Careless 1960, v. 1, 191)
The Double Majority Problem: The Double Majority Problem In effect, Cabinet required majorities in West & East
Hincks’ resignation: “I could not command the confidence of the section of the province to which I belong.”
(Careless 1967, 210)
Is double-majority a constitutional rule?
Hincks: “exceedingly desirable in practical politics, but quite absurd as a constitutional requirement.
Advantage Macdonald: Advantage Macdonald Hincks loses vote on speaker, 59-62 (5 Sept 1854)
BUT supports Macdonald’s coalition!
“Of all the abortions it could enter the mind of men to conceive – it is the greatest.”
The Globe, Sept 12, 1854
38 MPs condemn new cabinet
Move & Counter-move: Move & Counter-move Macdonald gets rid of sectional issues (e.g., Clergy Reserves, Seigneurial Bill )
Brown builds bridges:
Supports Clergy Reserves & Seigneurial Bill
Invites Grits to form united Reform party, 1856
Dorion & Brown: Dorion & Brown Dorion (Rouge leader) opines on federation in 1856
Brown writes Holton:
“No honest man can desire that we remain as we are. Yet what other way out of our difficulties can be suggested but a legislative union with rep by pop -- a federal union – or dissolution.”
(Careless 1960, 253)
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Difficult to hide sectionalism:
Taché Act
Corrigan murder trial, 1856
Movement of Capital Question
21 May 1955 – won by 70-47 … but no double-majority
Ask Queen to decide!
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Difficult to hide sectionalism:
Taché Act
Corrigan murder trial, 1856
Movement of Capital Question
21 May 1955 – won by 70-47 … but no double-majority
Ask Queen to decide!
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Queen chooses Ottawa… Ottawa!
Rouge motion that Ottawa unacceptable
Splits Blues and passes 64-50
Cabinet calls adjournment: 61-50
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Macdonald & Cartier resign!
Head sends for Brown:
“The Governor General gives no pledge or promise, express or implied, with reference to dissolving Parliament.”
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Brown & Dorion weak
Ministers have to face by-elections
Lose confidence vote 70-31
The Double-Shuffle: The Double-Shuffle Brown & Dorion weak
Ministers have to face by-elections
Lose confidence vote 70-31
Independence of Parliament Act, 1857