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1911
When Canada achieved nationhood status in
1867 it had not been granted all of the rights and
responsibilities of a sovereign state. Foreign relations
were still to be handles by the British Government as it
did for all other members of the British Empire. When
disputes arose with other countries, mainly the US in
the case of Canada, the British Government would arrange
for negotiations or an agreement resolution process to
settle the matter. In some cases such as the negotiating
of the Washington Treaty, they invited Canada to send a
representative to serve on a commission but in general
the Imperial Governments authority was uncontested.
The mass of
immigration form Great Britain helped to maintain and in
some areas such as Manitoba, expand the ties and
feelings of fraternity towards Great Britain in almost
all of English Canada but in French Canada the
relationship had always been somewhat superficial. It
was strongest among the formally educate segment of
French Canadian society but they were very aware of the
lack of any depth in the rest of the society.
In 1880 an
office known as the Canadian High Commissioner to London
was created to coordinate affairs of mutual interest to
Canada and Great Britain. The trend towards great
autonomy and more control over all of its affairs
continued into the late 1880's but as the 1890's began a
change in policy in Britain began to appear.
The situation in Europe was evolving with
the rise of Germany and the beginnings of real
industrialization in Russia. There was a global rush to
scope up all unclaimed lands as colonies by the European
powers and this imperialism ultimately resulted in
increased competition between the powers in many other
spheres. The Germans began to build a grand fleet which
would potentially challenge Britain for supremacy of the
seas. The British reaction to this arms race was to take
quick stock of it's resources and support within the
Empire and to begin a strategic consolidation of it's
colonies and Dominions in order to stand up to the
Germans. During
the American revolutionary war there were some in
Britain who felt that a better way to have travelled
would have been the creation of a Grand Parliament which
would have had members from the British colonies and
settlements from around the world assembled in London to
rule the Empire. These feelings began to re-emerge and
in the 1890' and Imperial outlook emerged in Britain
which instead of cutting the Empire members free from
centralized control, promoted a view whereby certain
areas of government would become more centralized and
controlled from London for the good of the Empire.
In 1895 Joseph Chamberlain became the
Colonial Secretary and immediately began to advance his
view that defence, world trade, international law and
order and some other issues could all be established and
enforced with greater strength and result if it was done
from London with the support of all of the member of the
Empire. These feelings and this view was also promoted
and supported to a degree in the Empire and in
particular English Canada. In 1897 when Laurier's new
government brought down their first budget they
showed their acceptance of no reciprocity deal with the
United States but they also proposed a policy of
Imperial Preference whereby certain items and industries
would see a reduction in tariffs and duties if the items
came from great Britain. This was the type of trade
barrier elimination that Chamberlain, in Britain wanted.
A great trading partnership, with Britain at the centre
was the objective of the pro-imperial preference
promoters.
The Colonial
Conference of 1897 was the brain child of Chamberlain
who saw the gathering of the leaders of the members of
the British Empire in London for Queen Victoria's
"Diamond Jubilee" as an ideal opportunity to
launch his idea of an Imperial Council. He felt that
Laurier would be a supporter of this plan to create a
council composed of representatives from all of
Britain's self governing colonies and military and trade
matters could be made the first issues addressed by this
new Empire styled council. Laurier however, countered
Chamberlain's points with equally persuasive counter
points and a resolution was finally passed that accepted
relations as they currently existed.
The South African war
drew Canadians into the fight for he British Empire but
the Canadian Government had resisted a formal
declaration of war and the issue of Imperial Government
as opposed to complete responsible government came to a
head with the Naval Bill in 1910 resulting in Lauriers
loss of the 1911 and the participation of Canada in
World War I which resulted in a renewal and dramatic
growth of Canadian nationalism and a return to the path
towards full nationhood. |
