|
Union of the Canada's |
Stalemate |
Responsible
Government | Elgin Report
|
Responsible Government Maritimes |
Newfoundland |
Barkerville
From the formation of the Union of the
Union of the Canada's can a realignment of political
forces in both Upper and Lower Canada. Rather then a
majority English party vs. a minority French party, the
philosophies of radicalism and these of conservatives
coalesced in both Canada East and Canada West. George
Brown led a the new agrarian party in Canada West, known
as the Clear Grits with a platform of anti-big,
business, more democracy for the voters and an
opposition to French Canadian domination. In Canada East
the Party Rouge was led by A.A. Dorian and also opposed
English business interest such as the Bank of Montréal,
the Grand Trunk Railway and various shipping and land
companies but differed form the Clear Grits in their
policy of protecting French culture.
The establishment interests were led by
John A. Macdonald in Western Canada and G.E Cartier in
Canada East who led the conservative Bleus. Together
they formed the Liberal Conservative party who that only
by submerging racial prejudice could they promote the
commercial interests of both the English along the St
Lawrence valley and their French Canadian partners. The
Clear Grits and the Rouge party could not find the
common ground to work together in the resistance to the
Liberal Conservatives.
The Governments which
the Liberal Conservatives formed where assembled only
with difficult negotiation and due to slender majorities
or even numbers which were a few short of a majority,
the clung to power with the support of loose fish. These
loose fish were elected as independents and might or
might not support the Liberal Conservatives. The working
majority was usually just enough o keep the Liberal
Conservatives in power. This fractured political makeup
led to instability and deadlock.
We had election after
election, we had ministry after ministry, with the same
result. Parties were so equally balanced, that the vote
of one member might decide the fate of the
Administration, and the course of legislation for a year
or a series of years. This course of things was well
calculated to arouse the earnest consideration of every
lover of this country, and I am happy to say it had that
effect. None were more impressed by this momentous state
of affairs, and the grave apprehensions that existed of
a state of anarchy destroyed our credit, destroying our
prosperity, destroying our progress, than were the
members of this present House; and the leading statesmen
on both sides seemed to have come to the common
conclusion, that some step must be taken to relieve the
country from the deadlock and impending anarchy that
hung over us.
John A. Macdonald -
February 6, 1865
A new solution had to be found which
would break the balance of impasse which had developed
in the Union of the Canada's. The unlikely accelerant of
this process would be the main critic of the government
and the biggest road bloc to a stable system, George
Brown. |
