After the despatches of the Colonial Secretary had reached the Provincial Government, some of those who had opposed union on the ground of loyalty now began with much consistency to inveigh against the alleged "undue pressure" of the Imperial Government; while many declared that "an atrocious system for the coercion of the colonies into the hateful bond" had been inaugurated in the Home Office. The truth is, neither pressure nor coercion was exercised from the Colonial Office, since no proceeding could have been more fatal to the prospects of the confederation. The home Ministry had grown to be enthusiastic supporters of the "new dominion" scheme, and stated their views at much length in their despatches to the colonial governors, whom they wished to give to the project every possible proper support at their command; but that was all. On the one hand, Mr. John A. Macdonald and his colleagues avouched the loyalty of the Provinces to the Crown, and declared that the colonists would spend their only dollar and shed the last drop of their blood in maintaining connection with the mother-land. The parent was much moved at these earnest and lavish protestations of the child, and in token of her appreciation and gratitude guaranteed a loan for the construction of an intercolonial railway, admitted her obligation to defend the colonies with all the resources at her command, and consented to strengthen the fortifications at Quebec, and provide armaments. Among other things, the home Government undertook to ascertain what were the rights of the Hudson Bay Company, with a view to the cession of the Northwest Territory to the Dominion.
A meeting of the Canadian Parliament to discuss the report of the delegates was called for August 8th. The chief work of the session was a consideration of the report of the delegates to England. The Government carried its measures by overwhelming majorities, and there appeared to be no disposition to tolerate the obstruction of the small band of opposition. The result of the labors of the commission, appointed in 1857, to frame a civil code for Lower Canada was presented to the Legislature, and M. Cartier introduced a bill to carry it into effect. The code went into operation on August 1st in the following year. The House rose after a six-weeks' session; and in the autumn the public offices were removed to the new capital in the wilderness, one hundred twenty miles up the Ottawa River. During the summer, for the sake of convenience, the cabinet meetings were held in Montreal.
The last session of the Provincial Parliament met at Ottawa on June 8th. The Ministry's speech expressed the hope that the union scheme would soon be un fait accompli, and that the next Parliament would embrace an assemblage not only of the federate representatives of Canada, but of every colony in British North America. There was brisk discussion upon some of the Government measures, but the opposition found themselves, in comparison with their opponents, as "that small infantry warred on by cranes," and hence, as the session wore on, learned not to offer opposition where nothing was to be gained. A series of resolutions defining the Constitution of Upper and Lower Canada under the proposed confederation, which subsequently were, in great measure, incorporated in the Imperial act, was passed.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
– Jesus, Matthew 11:28