November 5, 1867 — Parl(dot)gc(dot)1867

DOMINION GOVERNMENT TO CHECK US EXPANSIONISM

A memo written by Sir Frederick Bruce just weeks before his death in Washington in September warns that the Western citizens of the United States have set their sites on the North West Territory and immediate action is required in order to prevent it falling into the hands of that nation.

The memo from Bruce, Her Majesty’s late representative to the United States, to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, His Grace, the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos, advises the Duke that if the territory, including the Saskatchewan River and the Red River Settlement “is not shortly occupied with settlers who can (illegible) its natural resources to account, it will be over-run by squatters rushing up from Montana with whom the Hudson Bay Company and the Canadian authorities will find it very difficult to deal.”

Bruce further warns that the Secretary of State for the United States, William Seward is strongly in favour of American expansionism.

Upon Buckingham and Chandos’s request to our Governor-General, His Excellency Lord Monck, Hon. William McDougall (Public Works) will move a motion “For the incorporation of Rupert’s Land, and the Northwestern Territory, with Canada”. The motion will be moved on November 11, 1867. The resolution is copied above (1867-0107).

SIR BRUCE’S ASSESSMENT OF THE DOMINION ELECTION CAMPAIGN

In his memo to Buckingham and Chandos, Sir Bruce offers a scathing indictment of the recent election campaign in this country. In discussing whether or not the Dominion government can be successful in populating the west and inducing the Pacific colonies to join Confederation, Sir Bruce warns that even if those question are settled

there remains the grave question yet to be settled — whether the Union of the Atlantic Provinces is going to work. There is not, thus far, in the progress of the Confederation scheme, the slightest indication that the different sectional interests in Canada are any nearer being reconciled than they were before Confederation was spoken of.

There is a political contest now in progress there of a more bitter kind than anything we remember to have read of — all turning upon some petty local or personal issue. There is no policy laid before the people. There are no measures to be voted for, or against. There is simply the old contemptible fight for the spoils, aggravated, apparently, by the groupie of the Provinces into one pot of political communion.

A Dominion government after that fashion will not attract lesser or greater communities. It will have hard work, we fear, to hold together even with the powerful supply of British (illegible), imported for the building of new garrisons and other great public works.

GOVERNMENT MATTERS

A roundup of recent Orders-in-Council:

$1000 has been laid aside (1867-0110) for the construction of a sidewalk on the viaduct of the Union Suspension Bridge in Ottawa to alleviate the great danger and inconvenience incurred by pedestrians crossing the bridge.
The Dominion government has extended $15,000 on the subsidy account to Nova Scotia (1867-0117) for that province to pay sums coming due for roads and other services. The province had asked for $30,000.
His Honour, Sir Narcisse Fortunât Belleau, the Lieutenant-Governor of Québec, has resigned his seat in the Senate of Canada (1867-0119). Hon. Joseph Cauchon has been appointed in his stead and will represent the Stadacona Division. The resignation and appointment appear to indicate the correctness of rumours that M. Cauchon will be appointed Speaker of the Senate.