ONTARIO AND QUEBEC. 21
the St Lawrence was freed from the Navigation Laws’, and
the Colony obtained full power to reduce or repeal duties
imposed by Imperial Acts on goods imported into CanadaZ.
At the time of the Union of 1840 Lower Canada possessed Pao:
the larger population, but in a short time immigration into
Upper Canada gave that province an excess in population of
250,000 over its neighbour. A demand soon arose in Upper
Canada for a redistribution of the representation, and “repre-
sentation in proportion to population” became the important
political question of the day. Parties at length became so
balanced that from the 21st May, 1862, to the end of June,
1864, there were no less than five different ministries in
office®, and the efficient conduct of public business became
impossible. In 1864 the maritime provinces began to enter-
tain the idea of a union, and on the defeat of the Taché-
Macdonald ministry in June of that year overtures were made
by the opposition to the Hon. John A. Macdonald which re-
sulted in the formation of a coalition ministry pledged to the
adoption of a federal union of all the provinces.
Permission was asked to attend the Conference of the Charlotte.
delegates of the Maritime Conference at Charlottetown, and ai
delegates on behalf of Canada were also present at the ad- {oo
journed Conference held at Quebec. Little difficulty was
found in obtaining the adhesion of the legislature to the
proposed scheme of confederation: the legislative Council by
45 votes to 15, and the Assembly by 91 votes to 33, adopted
the address to Her Majesty praying her to submit an Act to
the Imperial Parliament for the union of all the provinces®.
In reading the list® of Governors of Ontario and Quebec List of
it must be remembered that the Governor of the Province hind
of Canada, was also Governor-General until the federation:
112 & 13 Vie. (i) c. 29. 2 9 & 10 Vie. (i) c. 94. 3 Burinot, p. 40,
* Debates in the Parliament of Canada on Confederation, Quebec, 1865,
3 See Appendix.
