{"http:\/\/dx.doi.org\/10.14288\/1.0064395":{"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/terms#identifierAIP":[{"value":"42a7da27-bc86-4f53-86bb-e34bfecdb187","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/dataProvider":[{"value":"CONTENTdm","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/alternative":[{"value":"HON. MR. MCBRIDE'S MISSION TO ENGLAND.","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isReferencedBy":[{"value":"http:\/\/resolve.library.ubc.ca\/cgi-bin\/catsearch?bid=1198198","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/isPartOf":[{"value":"Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/creator":[{"value":"British Columbia. Legislative Assembly","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/issued":[{"value":"2014-12-10","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"[1908]","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/aggregatedCHO":[{"value":"https:\/\/open.library.ubc.ca\/collections\/bcsessional\/items\/1.0064395\/source.json","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/elements\/1.1\/format":[{"value":"application\/pdf","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2009\/08\/skos-reference\/skos.html#note":[{"value":" REPORT\nOn the subject of the Mission of the Hon. Richard McBride, Special Agent and\nDelegate of the Province of British Columbia to England, with regard to the\nclaim of the Province for special treatment at the hands of the Dominion of\nCanada.\nBy Command.\nHENRY ESSON YOUNG,\nProvincial Secretary.\nProvincial Secretary's Office,\nDecember 28th, 1907.\nTo His Honour James Dunsmuir,\nLieutenant-Governor of the Province of British Columbia :\nMay it Please Your Honour :\nI have the honour to submit for your consideration my report on a special mission to\nEngland in connection with the Bill recently before the Imperial Parliament, having for its\nobject the readjustment of the subsidies paid by the Dominion of Canada to the various\nProvinces. My visit, as you are aware, had special reference to the terms of the Bill in\nquestion, by which it was proposed to make the settlement \"final and unalterable,\" and I was\nentrusted by Your Honour to proceed to London and lay before His Majesty's Government\nthe views of your Government and of the Legislature of British Columbia with respect to the\ninadvisability, in the interests of this Province, of enacting the measure in the language of the\nresolutions passed by the Dominion Parliament.\nPursuant to my commission as special delegate on behalf of your Government, I left\nVictoria on the 11th day of April, 1907, arriving at Ottawa on April 16th. The same day I\ncalled upon the Hon. R. W. Scott, Secretary of State, and requested that I be given the\ncredentials necessary to place me in official communication with the Secretary of State for the\nColonies. These I received on the day following, and leaving Ottawa the same afternoon, I\nsailed from St. John, New Brunswick, on April 19th, arriving in London on Saturday, the 27th\nday of April.\nOn the following Tuesday I visited the Colonial Office and requested the favour of an\ninterview with Lord Elgin, Secretary of State for the Colonies. This was arranged for Friday,\nthe 3rd day of May ; and upon that day I waited upon His Lordship, presented my credentials,\nas well as the Petition which accompanies this Report (No. 6), and later, for the further information of His Lordship, sent to the Colonial Office copies of the Reports of the various\nDelegations from the Government of British Columbia to Ottawa (vide B. C. Sessional Papers\n1901, p. 545; 1903, p. K 3 ; 1904, p. G 15 ; 1905, p. F 39), and the Report of the Inter-\nProvincial Conference at Ottawa of 1906 (vide Sessional Papers 1907, p. D 1).\nIn the course of this interview I set forth as fully as possible the position of British\nColumbia with regard to the case for special treatment by the Dominion, and particularly\npointed out the hardship that would be inflicted upon the Province if the proposed grant from\nthe Dominion of $100,000 per annum for ten years should be pronounced by the Imperial\nParliament in the British North America Act as a \" final and unalterable \" settlement of the\nspecial claims of this Province. C 2 Hon. Mr. McBeide's Mission to England. 1908\nI made it clear to His Lordship that while I realised that no Act of Parliament could be\nregarded as \" final and unalterable \" in its effect, yet the using of such words in the text would\nseem to express an intention on the part of the Dominion Parliament and of a majority of the\nGovernments of the Provinces of Canada, against which the Government, Legislature and\npeople of British Columbia were resolutely opposed, and that if allowed to remain would be\nprejudical in the extreme to the hope of the question of our special claim ever being again\nopened up.\nOn Monday, the 6th day of May, I met, by appointment, Mr. Winston Churchill, M. P.,\nParliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and had a long conversation with\nhim and with Sir Francis J. Hopwood, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies,\ndealing with the subject of my mission.\nI met Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada, in London on two occasions with a\nview to amicable settlement of the difficulty by agreement, but he was unwilling to accept any\nmodification in the text of the Bill.\nDuring the next few weeks further interviews took place with the officials of the Colonial\nOffice.\nWith reference to the various discussions I had on the subject of my mission, I found\nthat the feeling at first prevailed that as the Dominion Parliament and the Governments of\nthe Provinces of Canada, with the single exception of that of British Columbia, had asked for\nthe Bill in the form proposed, the Imperial Parliament was bound to respect their wishes and\ngive them effect. Otherwise it would appear as an interference in the domestic affairs of\nCanada, a course to which His Majesty's Government or the members of the Imperial Parliament would be wholly averse. I had some difficulty in dissipating this view of the case, but\nI was, as you will observe by the correspondence, quite successful. I endeavoured to make it\nclear that, while in some respects Confederation might be regarded as a pact among Provinces\nas well as with the Dominion, the Terms of Union, in each instance, represented a separate\nand distinct treaty with Canada entered into without reference to the terms granted to other\nProvinces, and that, therefore, it followed that in changing the Terms of Union we had to\ndeal with the Dominion alone. To say that British Columbia was bound to accept the terms\nof subsidy recommended by the other Provinces would be to coerce that Province and to\nseriously invade provincial rights. I asked that the Province be permitted to settle its claims\nfor increased allowance with the Dominion Government in its own way ; and pointed out that,\nso far as such a course being one of interference in the domestic affairs of Canada, it left the\nImperial authorities in a position of perfect neutrality; whereas passing the Act in the form\nproposed, the Imperial Government was taking sides with the Dominion of Canada against the\nProvince in their dispute and confirming an act to which the people of British Columbia were\nutterly opposed. I am happy to say that this view ultimately prevailed and the Bill in its\nmodified form, with the words \"final and unalterable\" eliminated, was introduced and passed\nthe House of Commons without opposition.\nOn the 5th day of June I received the following official communication :\u2014\n\" Downing Street,\nJune 5th, 1907.\n\u00ab SIK) I am directed by the Earl of Elgin to inform you that his Lordship has given the\nmost careful consideration to the documents which you presented to him and to the views\nadvanced against the proposed amendment of the British North America Act fixing the scale\nof payments to be made by the Dominion of Canada to the several Provinces.\n\" 2. Lord Elgin fully appreciates the force of the opinion expressed that the British\nNorth America Act was the result of terms of union agreed upon by the contracting Provinces and that its terms cannot be altered merely at the wish of the Dominion Government. 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 3\n\" 3. But, in this case, besides the unanimous approval of the Dominion Parliament in\nwhich British Columbia is of course represented to the proposed amendment of section 118 of\nthe British North America Act, his Lordship is bound to take into account the fact, that at\nthe Conference of 1906 the representatives of all the other Provinces of Canada have concurred\nin fixing at $100,000 annually for ten years the additional allowance payable to British\nColumbia, while re-jecting the claim of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan for additional\ngrants, and that they also rejected the proposal that the claim of any province should be\nreferred to arbitration.\n\" 4. His Lordship feels, therefore, that in view of the unanimity of the Dominion Government and of all the Provincial Governments, save that of British Columbia, he would not in\nthe interests of Canada be justified in any effort to override the decision of the Dominion\nParliament or to compel the reference of the question to arbitration.\n\" 5. I am to add that no mention will be made in the Imperial Act of the settlement being\n\" final and unalterable,\" such terms being obviously inappropriate in a legislative enactment.\n\" 6. His Lordship also desires it to be understood that he expressed no opinion upon the\nsufficiency or otherwise of the quantum of extra contribution awarded to British Columbia.\n\" I am, Sir,\n\"Your obedient servant,\n(Signed)        \" H. Bertram Cox.\"\nI next day sent the following acknowledgment to Lord Elgin :\u2014\n\" Hotel Victoria, London, W. C,\n\"June 5th, 1907.\n\"My Lord,\u2014I have the honour to acknowledge a communication of this date, over the\nsignature of Mr. H. Bertram Cox, informing me of the decision of Your Lordship on the\nquestion of the protest of the Province of British Columbia against the enactment by the\nImperial Parliament of certain legislation, in amendment of the British North America Act,\nsought by the Dominion Government.\n\" 2. With reference to paragraphs 2, 3 and 4 thereof, in view of the fact that the Terms\nof Union between British Columbia and Canada are virtually a treaty, I beg most respectfully\nto adhere to the position that the circumstance of the Dominion Parliament and the other\nProvinces, acting in unison and substantially in opposition to the demands of British Columbia,\nshould not be considered as at all prejudicial to the rights of the Province. Furthermore, the\nattention of Your Lordship is directed to the fact that, at the Conference at Ottawa during\nOctober last, I protested that British Columbia's claim should not be considered by that\nConference, but was one as between the Governments of British Columbia and the Dominion.\n\" 3. With respect to paragraph 5, section 2 of the Resolutions of the Legislature of\nBritish Columbia, passed on March 25th last, among other things, protested against the settlement being made ' final and unalterable,' and it is with much satisfaction that I note the\nassurance of Your Lordship that no mention of these terms will be made in the Imperial Act\nabout to be submitted.\n\" 4. In so far as paragraph 6 is concerned, since Your Lordship has decided to express\nno opinion upon the sufficiency of the extra contribution to British Columbia, it is made clear\nbeyond question that the right of the Province to still press upon the Dominion for better\nand fairer terms is in no way prejudiced.\n\" 5. In a general way I would venture to observe that Your Lordship appreciates the\nforce of the opinion expressed that the British North America Act was the result of terms\nagreed upon by the contracting Provinces, individually, and the Dominion, and is not to be\naltered solely at the wish of the Parliament of Canada. This lies at the basis of our contention. Although the principles which underlie the Act of Confederation are common and\nuniform, the financial arrangements under which the Provinces entered the Dominion are\nessentially separate and distinct, based upon special conditions in each Province. The Terms\nof Union between British Columbia and the Dominion of Canada are in many respects unlike\nthose of the other Provinces in Canada; therefore, special requirements cannot in justice be\nmade subject to the will or arbitrament of an inter-Provincial Conference having only in view\nthe basis of a re-adjustment uniformly applicable to all.\n\" 6. The Dominion Government has admitted the right of British Columbia to special\nrecognition, but the question as to the additional allowance to which that Province is entitled C 4 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\nstill remains. The extra contribution to British Columbia, offered by the Dominion Government, is deemed wholly insufficient; therefore, it would appear that a fair and adequate\nsettlement can best be arrived at by a competent Commission of Enquiry.\n\" I have the honour to be,\n\" My Lord,\n\" Your Lordship's most obedient servant,\ni \"Richard McBride.\n\" The Right Honourable\n\" The Earl of Elgin, K. 67., etc., etc.\"\nOn the 13th day of June the British North America Bill \"To make further provision\nwith respect to the sums of money to be paid by Canada to the several Provinces of the\nDominion,\" was introduced by Mr. Churchill in the House of Commons.    (Appendix A.)\nThis Bill was read a second time on June 21st, and passed its third reading on June 27th.\nNext day I took my departure from London, arriving at Victoria on the 14th day of July.\nImmediately upon my return home my attention was directed to a statement in press\ndespatches from London to the effect that the words \" final and unalterable \" were proposed\nto be inserted in the B N.A. Bill, in the House of Lords.\nWhile unable to believe that such a course could be followed by His Majesty's Government, in view of the definite assurance given in the letter from the Colonial Office of the 5th\nday of June, already referred to, I deemed it my duty to communicate to Lord Elgin that\nsuch a report was abroad, and I therefore cabled on the 15th day of July as follows :\u2014\n\"Victoria, B.C., July 15th, 1907.\n\" Colonial Secretary, London :\n\" Press despatches state proposal submitted Lords inclusion ' final and unalterable ' B. N.\nA. Amendment. While impossible accept this seriously in view of your assurances to me in\nyour letter June fifth and Under Secretary's statements in Commons feel it my duty to report\nto you circulation of this report.\n\" R. McBride.\"\nOn July 17th I sent a further cablegram to Lord Elgin as follows : \u2014\n\"Victoria, July 17, 1907.\n\"Right Honourable Earl of Elgin,\nColonial Secretary, London :\n\" In the absence of an official answer to my cable fifteenth instant I beg most respectfully\nto submit that should it be determined to alter B. N. A. Act Amendment as passed by\nCommons June 27th your Lordship will so arrange that right of British Columbia to negotiate\nfurther with Dominion is in no way embarrassed or controlled.\n\"R. McBride.\"\nThe following cable reply was received from Lord Elgin :\u2014\n\"London, July 18th, 1907.\n\" Honourable R. McBride, Victoria :\n\" Your telegrams fifteenth and eighteenth July. For reasons given in letter fifth June\nwords final and unalterable were not and are not included in enacting part of Bill, but at\nrequest of Dominion Government address to Dominion Parliament is referred to in preamble\nand full text inserted as schedule to Bill. Imperial Act cannot affect right of future negotiations.\n\" Elgin.\"\nIt will be seen from Lord Elgin's cablegram to me, and by referring to the official report\nof his remarks in moving the amendment in Committee of the Whole on the 16th day of July\nin the House of Lords (Parliamentary Debates, 1907, vol. 178, p. 467), that the words \"final\nand unalterable \" were not inserted in the text of the Bill, the amendment merely adding the 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 5\naddress of the Dominion Government as a schedule, still preserving to British Columbia the\nright'to press its claims for special consideration on the Dominion. The Act as finally\nassented to on the 9th of August, 1907, is annexed to this report.    (Appendix B).\nYour Honour will undoubtedly be gratified to learn that although burdened with the\nmany duties incident to the sitting of Parliament and of the Imperial Conference, Lord Elgin\nand Mr. Churchill afforded me the fullest opportunity to present my case. I also desire to\nacknowledge the many kindnesses I received at the hands of Sir Francis Hopwood and of Mr.\nHamar Greenwood, M.P., Parliamentary Secretary to Mr. Churchill.\nI wish to bear testimony to the assistance rendered by Mr. J. H. Turner, Agent-General\nfor British Columbia, and his unremitting attention to the various details in which his\nservices could be made useful.\nI desire also to express my appreciation of the many courtesies extended to me by Lord\nStrathcona, High Commissioner for Canada, during my stay in London.\nI have the honour to be,\nSir,\nYour obedient servant,\nRICHARD McBRIDE.  CORRESPONDENCE   AND   PAPERS\nConnected   with   the   Honourable   Richard   McBride's   Mission\nto   England.\n[No. 1.]\nThe Lieutenant-Governor to the Secretary of State, Ottawa.\nVictoria, B. C, 2nd April, 1907.\nSir,\u2014I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of an approved Minute, dated\n30th March last, covering a copy of a Resolution of the Legislative Assembly, with reference\nto the financial subsidies to the Provinces and to the claims of British Columbia to special\nrecognition.\nI have, &c,\n(Signed)        James Dunsmuir,\nThe Honourable Lieutenant-Governor.\nThe Secretary of State.\nCopy of a Report of a  Committee of the Honourable the Executive Council, approved by His\nHonour the Lieutenant-Governor on the SOth day of March, 1907.\nThe Committee of Council submit for the approval of His Honour the Lieutenant-\nGovernor the Resolution of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia,\nwith reference to the financial subsidies to the Provinces and to the claims of British Columbia\nto special recognition, hereto attached, and advise that a copy thereof be forwarded to the\nHonourable the Secretary of State of Canada for the consideration of His Excellency the\nGovernor-General in Council, and that a further copy of the Resolution be forwarded to His\nExcellency with a request that it be transmitted to the Right Honourable the Secretary of\nState for the Colonies.\n(Signed)        Fred. J. Fulton,\nClerk of the Executive Council.\nCopy of a Resolution passed by the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia\non the \"25th of March, 1907.\nWhereas, by letter dated the 10th clay of September, 1906, the Right Hon. Sir Wilfrid\nLaurier, G. C. M. G., invited the Honourable Richard McBride, Premier of British Columbia,\nto attend a Conference with the Dominion Government to discuss the financial subsidies to the\nProvinces, which said invitation was accepted by the said Honourable Richard McBride:\nAnd whereas, the said Conference was held at Ottawa, from October Sth to 13th, inclusive,\nbeing attended by said Honourable Richard McBride, as Premier, on behalf of the Province\nof British Columbia :\nAnd whereas, by a resolution of the said Conference, passed on October 10th, 1896, it\nwas resolved \" That the subject-matter of the resolutions adopted by the Conference of the\nrepresentatives of the several Provinces, held at Quebec, in December, 1 902, and which were\nshortly thereafter presented to the Government of the Dominion and which were ratified by the Legislatures of the then existing Provinces, except that of British Columbia, be now\npressed upon the Government of the Dominion for immediate and favourable action, under\nreserve of the right of any Province to now submit to such Government memoranda, in writing,\nconcerning any claims it may have to larger sums than those set out in the said resolutions,\nor to additional consideration or recognition.\"\nAnd whereas, in pursuance of the said resolution, the said Honourable Richard McBride\nsubmitted such memoranda to the Government of the Dominion, setting forth the claims of\nBritish Columbia to special recognition :\nAnd whereas, in order to obtain a just and impartial investigation of such claims for\nspecial recognition, it was, in the said memoranda, suggested that \"The Government of British\nColumbia, in view of all the considerations which have been advanced in support of the claims\nof that Province, reaffirms its position in regard to the desirability of a complete investigation\nby a competent tribunal of the merits of the Provincial contention. It is therefore asked that\na Commission be appointed consisting of three persons of eminent repute, one to be named by\nthe Government of the Dominion of Canada, one by the Government of British Columbia, and\nthe third by the Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies. It is asked that the reply\nof the Dominion Government be made definite and final within three months from the present\ntime.\"\nAnd whereas the said request for such competent tribunal was refused by the Right Hon.\nSir Wilfrid Laurier in the following words, as appears by the Minutes of the meetings of the\nsaid Conference with the Dominion Government:\u2014\n\" I have given careful consideration to the memorial of British Columbia's Government,\nand particularly to the request that a Commission be appointed for the purpose of inquiring\ninto the financial relations between the Dominion and the Province. I have been unable to\nreach the conclusion that the appointment of such a Commission would be the best way of\ndealing with a question of this kind. I fear that such a course would not lead to the harmonious settlement of the grants to Provinces, which all should desire to bring about. However,\nI regard the matter at present more as one for the opinion of the Conference than for the\njudgment of the Dominion Government. You have assembled for the purpose of considering\nthe sums which should properly be paid by the Dominion to the Provinces in the way of\nsubsidy and allowance for the maintenance of Government. The British Columbia proposal\ncomes entirely within the chief purpose of this Conference. If this Conference, after hearing\nMr. McBride's arguments in support of his contention, reach the conclusion that an arbitration should take place, through a Commission, for the purpose of dealing with the claim of\nBritish Columbia, that would present the matter to the Dominion Government in a new light,\nand, while I am not prepared to express any final opinion, I can say at once that such a\nrecommendation from the Conference would have great weight with us, and we should feel\nbound to give it further consideration. While I give you this expression of my own views\nand of the views of my colleagues who are here with me, I shall, if you will permit me, offer\na suggestion. I think there is a disposition on the part of the Conference to recognise that\nthe conditions in British Columbia, owing to the vastness of her territory, to its mountainous\ncharacter, and the sparseness of her population, create exceptional difficulties which should be\ntaken into consideration in the adjustment of the distribution of the grants in aid of Provincial Governments. I am, myself, disposed to admit that such is the case. I would strongly\nadvise that Mr. McBride avail himself of the good disposition which is manifested in the\nConference, and at once approach the question of what allowance, in addition to that already\ncontemplated, should be made to meet British Columbia's difficulties. It is a question which,\nafter all, can better be settled here than anywhere else. I feel assured that the Conference\nwill be willing to deal with the matter in a spirit of fairness to British Columbia. I propose,\ntherefore, that we shall leave you to discuss the question frankly with one another, and come\nto you again when probably you will have reached some satisfactory agreement.\"\nAnd whereas, on October 12th, 1906, the said Conference, by a majority vote Resolved,\u2014\n\"That, in the opinion of the Conference, it is inadvisable that the claim, in the way of\nsubsidies, of any Province be referred to arbitration.\"\nAnd whereas, the said Honourable Richard McBride protested against the said last-\nnamed resolution in the following words :\u2014\" I protest that the question of British Columbia's\nclaim upon the Dominion Government for a reference should not be considered by this Conference, but that it is a question between the Government of British Columbia and the\nDominion Government.\" 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 9\nAnd whereas, in despite of this protest, the said Conference proceeded to discuss the right\nof this Province to exceptional treatment, and, on October 12th, 1906, the following resolution was introduced thereat: \u2014\n\" That in view of the large area, geographical position and very exceptional physical\nfeatures of the Province of British Columbia, it is the opinion of this Conference that the\nsaid Province should receive a reasonable additional allowance for the purposes of civil\ngovernment, in excess of the provisions made in the Quebec Resolutions of 1902, and that\nsuch additional allowance should be to the extent of one hundred thousand dollars, annually,\nfor ten years.\"\nAnd whereas, in a further endeavour to secure harmonious action by the said Conference,\nand at the same time secure a measure of justice for the Province of British Columbia, the\nsaid Honourable Richard McBride proposed, by way of substitution for the last quoted\nresolution, the following alternative proposition :\u2014\n\" That in case the proposed readjustment of subsidies, as set out in the resolutions of the\nQuebec Conference of Provincial Premiers, be accepted by the Dominion Government, there\nshall be paid to the Province of British Columbia each and every year, in addition to the payments and subsidies otherwise provided, an amount understood to be what the Dominion of\nCanada is willing to pay, and the Province of British Columbia to receive, as a nominal\nrecognition of the disabilities borne by the Province, owing to peculiar physical conditions,\nand from other causes set forth in the case of British Columbia for Better Terms and accompanying memorandum:\n\" That the said annual amount shall be fixed in the following manner :\n\" $1 per head of the population until the amount reaches $300,000 ; to remain fixed until\nthe population is 400,000 :\n\"75 cents per head of the population thereafter until the amount reaches $400,000 per\nannum ; to remain fixed until the population is 800,000 :\n\" 50 cents per head of the population thereafter until the amount reaches $500,000 ; to\nremain fixed until the population is 1,500,000 :\n\" 33J cents per head of the population thereafter until the amount reaches $600,000; to\nremain fixed until the population is 2,500,000 :\n\" 25 cents per head of the population thereafter \" ;\nwhich was not entertained by the said Conference :\nAnd whereas, the said Honourable Richard McBride thereupon withdrew from the said\nConference, which thereupon passed the said resolution :\nAnd whereas, the said Honourable Richard McBride again appealed to the said Conference, by a letter to the Hon. L. Gouin, the Chairman of the same, in the following terms :\u2014\nOttawa, October 13th, 1906.\n\" Honourable L. Gouin,\n\" Chairman Inter-Provincial Conference, Ottawa :\n\" Sir,\u2014In view of the critical stage reached in the negotiations in respect to the\nadditional allowance claimed by British Columbia, I desire to place my position clearly and\nexplicitly on record.\n\" There are three main phases of the case of the Province determining the attitude of its\nGovernment, to which I wish particularly to direct the attention of the members of this\nConference :\n\" 1. British Columbia did not secure as favourable terms upon entering Confederation as\nsubsequent events have shown it was entitled to have obtained.\n\" 2. The Province, by reason of its peculiar circumstances, has contributed, and still\ncontinues to contribute, per head, enormously in excess of the average of the rest of the\nDominion to the Federal Treasury.\n\" 3. Owing to the physical conditions of British Columbia, the average cost of administration per capita, has, for a period covering thirty years, been shown to be five times that of\nthe other Provinces. The physical conditions to which I refer either do not exist at all in the\nother Provinces or not by any means in the same degree.\n\"There has been no attempt made to dispute the facts of our case, and I hold that our\ncontentions are incontrovertible. I cannot, therefore, be expected to forego the pressing of\nclaims founded upon such facts, for the sole purpose of arriving at unanimity and harmony in this Conference, however desirable in itself the latter may be.    Even were I disposed to make\nthe sacrifice, the people of the Province would not exonerate me.\n\"I take the position that if the members of this Conference recognise the claims of\nBritish Columbia for special consideration they are morally bound to give them their support.\nIf, on the other hand, they do not admit their validity, it is, I admit, equally incumbent in\ntheir case to assist in having our claims investigated before a competent and independent\ntribunal. Our contentions are sound or they are not sound. With this in view, I have\ninsisted upon a formal declaration of the attitude of this Conference being placed on record\nbefore proceeding with a discussion of the terms I have proposed.\n\" As to the terms of the settlement in respect to additional allowance, there is no exact\nmathematical basis upon which to proceed. I have endeavoured, however, to come to a just\nconclusion as to what should be a fair compensation for our special condition and circumstances.\n\" The underlying principle I have kept in mind in respect to our physical disabilities,\nwhich is our main claim for compensation, is that the allowance should not be based on\npopulation alone, but also upon the cost of administration per head of the population. It is\nobviously very much cheaper to administer a small, compact area with a large population,\nthan to administer a larger, broken area with a scattered population.\n\" The disparity under this head in the case of British Columbia is so great that no\ngeneral allowance considered adequate for the other Provinces can uniformly and justly apply\nto its conditions.\n\" Our disabilities are of a permanent character and can never be overcome. Therefore,\nthe additional allowance for this condition must, if admitted at all, remain as permanent as\nthe disabilities are.\n\" It is true that with the increase of our population, the relative cost per head may, and\nprobably will, slightly decrease in time, but while the ratio of disparity may alter, the general\ncondition will always remain.\n\" Moreover, our requirements for developments in the immediate future, and by reason of\nsparse population, are per head greater than they will be after some time to come.\n\" Consideration also must be had for the disabilities and conditions of the past as well as\nfor those of the future.\n\" Therefore, the proposal I have submitted, as to amounts asked, has been framed on a\nsliding scale which conforms to the principles we have laid down. It applies, so to speak,\nautomatically, or as nearly so as we can conceive it should apply.\n\" I wish to state here in all earnestness that I cannot depart from those principles in any\nsettlement we may make in respect to our special claims. I am not bound to the exact letter\nof our demands, and I am willing to go as far as possible, consistent with our general position, to\nmeet the wishes of my confreres on this occasion; but, unless the members of this Conference\nare prepared to go much further in my direction than they have done, it is useless to discuss\nsuch an arrangement as is contained in the resolation of to-day, and I had no other alternative other than to protest and to retire, declining to take further part in the proceedings.\n\" No one has been more anxious than I am to reach a conclusion that will be unanimous.\nI have done the utmost, in the interest of our common cause, to bring about such a result.\n\" I have the honour to be, Sir,\n\" Faithfully yours,\n\" Richard McBride.\"\nwhich was replied to in the following terms :\n\" Honourable Richard McBride,\n\" Prime Minister of British Columbia.\n\" Dear Sir,\u2014I am instructed by the Interprovincial Conference to acknowledge the\nreceipt of your letter of the 13th instant, setting forth the position assumed by you towards\nit, and, in answer, to state as follows :\u2014\n\" The resolution to which you refer and which was adopted on the day you addressed\nyour letter to me, reads thus :\n\" That in view of the large area, geographical position and very exceptional physical\nfeatures of the Province of British Columbia, it is the opinion of this Conference that the said\nProvince should receive a reasonable additional allowance  for the purposes of Civil Govern- 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 11\nment in excess of the provisions made in the Quebec Resolutions of 1902, and that such\nadditional allowance should be to the extent of one hundred thousand dollars annually for ten\nyears.'\"\n\" This resolution shows distinctly that the Conference recognised the claim of British\nColumbia for exceptional treatment. I am specially directed to add that it was passed after\nall the data presented by you had been fully considered.\"\n\" I have the honour to be, Sir,\n\"Yours respectfully,\n\"Lomer Gouin,\n\"Chairman of the Conference.\"\nand the Conference shortly afterwards dissolved.\nAnd whereas, notice has been given by the Right Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier in\nthe Dominion House of Commons at Ottawa, that an humble address be presented to His\nMajesty praying for an amendment to the \" British North America Act,\" to amend the scale\nof payments to be made by Canada to the several Provinces of the Dominion for the support\nof their Governments and Legislatures, the proposed amendments being as follows :\u2014\n\"(a.) Instead of the amounts now paid, the sums hereafter payable yearly by Canada to\nthe several Provinces for the support of their Governments and Legislatures to be according\nto the population, and as follows :\u2014\n\" 1. Where the population of the Province is under 150,000, $100,000.\n\"2. Where the population of the Province is 150,000 but does not exceed 200,000,\n$150,000.\n\" 3. Where the population of the Province is 200,000 but does not exceed 400,000,\n$180,000,\n\"4. Where the population of the Province is 400,000 but does not exceed 800,000,\n$190,000.\n\" 5. Where the populatiou of the Province is 800,000 but does not exceed 1,500,000,\n$220,000.\n\"6. Where the population of the Province exceeds 1,500,000, $240,000.\n\" (b.) Instead of an annual grant per head of population now allowed, the annual payment hereafter to be at the same rate of 80 cents per head, but on the population of each\nProvince as ascertained from time to time by the last decennial census, until such population\nexceeds 2,500.000, and at the rate of 60 cents per head for so much of said population as may\nexceed 2,500,000.\n\"(c.) An additional allowance to the extent of $100,000 annually for ten years to the\nProvince of British Columbia.\"\nSaid resolution proceeds : \" We pray that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased to\ncause a measure to be laid before the Imperial Parliament, at its present session, repealing the\nprovisions of section 118 of ' The British North America Act, 1867,' aforesaid, and substituting\ntherefor the scale of payments above set forth, which shall be a final and unalterable settlement of the amounts paid yearly to the several Provinces of the Dominion for their local\npurposes and the support of their Governments and Legislatures. Such grants shall be paid\nhalf-yearly, in advance, to each Province, but the Government of Canada shall deduct from\nsuch grants as against any Province all sums chargeable as interest on the public debt of\nthat Province in excess of the several amounts stipulated in the said Act.\n\"All of which we humbly pray Your Majesty to take into your most favourable and\ngracious consideration.\"\nBe it therefore Resolved\u2014\n1. That this House endorses the course taken by Honourable Richard McBride, Premier\nof British Columbia, at the said Conference in respect to all the foregoing described actions :\n2. That this House is further of the opinion that the proposed additional allowance of\n,000)  one hundred thousand dollars annually, for ten years, as compensation for the\nrecognised claims of British Columbia, is inadequate, and cannot be accepted as a final and\nunalterable settlement :\n3. That this House is of the opinion that a matter of such a voluminous nature as the\nclaims of British Columbia for special financial recognition by the Dominion was, and is, not\nof such a character as can be justly considered by a Conference of the kind above mentioned\nby reason of the fact that a proper investigation would occupy much more time than would be C 12 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\navailable at such a Conference were the claims of British Columbia only to be considered ; and\nthat a proper investigation of such claims would entail those charged with it visiting British\nColumbia and examining conditions on the spot; and that an independent tribunal such as\nsuggested in the memoranda mentioned above would be the only just method of arriving at a\nproper decision as to such claims; and that, particularly, in view of the fact that other\nProvinces of the Dominion are making similar claims of a financial character there is such a\nconflict of interest as would militate very strongly against an equitable decision as to the\nclaims of British Columbia being arrived at by a tribunal composed, in its entirety, of representatives of other Provinces :\n4. That an humble Address be presented to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor requesting that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor-General in\nCouncil for consideration ; and that a further copy thereof, accompanied by what documentary\nevidence His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may deem expedient, be transmitted\nto His Excellency the Governor-General, with the request that it be transmitted, through the\nproper channel, to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies.\n[No.  2.]\nThe Lieutenant-Governor to the Secretary of State, Ottawa.\nVictoria, B. C, 2nd April, 1907.\nSir,\u2014I have the honour to enclose, for the consideration of His Excellency the Governor-\nGeneral, copy of an approved Minute of the Executive Council of this Province dated 30th\nMarch last, referring to the Inter-Provincial Conference at Ottawa in October last, and to the\nResolution passed by the Legislative Assembly on the 5th March, endorsing the course taken\nby the Honourable Mr. McBride at the said Conference.\nThe Minute also represents, that with a view to the protection of the interests of this\nProvince, it is advisable that the case of British Columbia should be submitted for the consideration of the Imperial Government, and, in accordance with the advice of my Ministers, I\nhave appointed the Honourable Mr. McBride, the Premier of this Province, as Special Agent\nand Delegate, for the purpose of laying the appeal of British Columbia before the Imperial\nGovernment.\nAt the request of my Ministers, I beg you to inform His Excellency the Governor-General\nthat Mr. McBride has been duly appointed as such Special Agent and Delegate, and to move\nHis Excellency to acquaint the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies that\nMr. McBride has been authorised and instructed to place in his hands the case of this Province,\nand to take such steps as may be necessary to place the appeal of British Columbia before his\nMajesty's Government; and beg also to request that Mr. McBride be provided with a suitable\nintroduction to His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.\nI have, etc.,\n(Signed)        James Dunsmuir,\nLieutenant-Governor.\nThe Honourable the Secretary of State.\nCopy of a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Executive Council, approved by His\nHonour the Lieutenant-Governor on the SOth day of March, 1907.\nThe Committee of Council have had under consideration the report of the Honourable\nRichard McBride of the proceedings in the Inter-Provincial Conference at Ottawa in October,\n1906, submitted to the Legislative Assembly on March 20th, 1907, and the Committee remark :\nThat notice has been given in the Dominion House of Commons at Ottawa, by the Right\nHonourable Sir Wilfred Laurier, of an address to His Majesty the King, praying for an\namendment to the \" British North America Act,\" to amend the scale of payments to be made\nby Canada to the several Provinces of the Dominion for the support of their Governments and\nLegislatures ; and also for the payment of an additional allowance, to the extent of $100,000 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 13\nannually for ten years, to the Province of British Columbia; such payments to be a final and\nunalterable settlement of the amounts paid yearly to the several Provinces of the Dominion\nfor their local purposes and the support of their Governments and Legislatures;\nThat on March 25th, 1907, the Legislative Assembly resolved as follows :\n\" 1. That this House endorses the course taken by Honourable Richard McBride, Premier\nof British Columbia, at the said Conference, in respect to all the foregoing described actions :\n\"2. That this House is further of opinion that the proposed additional allowance of\n($100,000) one hundred thousand dollars annually, for ten years, as compensation for the\nrecognised claims of British Columbia, is inadequate and cannot be accepted as a final and\nunalterable settlement:\n\" 3. That this House is of the opinion that a matter of such a voluminous nature as the\nclaims of British Columbia for special financial recognition by the Dominion was, and is, not of\nsuch a character as can be justly considered by a Conference of the kind above mentioned, by\nreason of the fact that a proper investigation would occupy much more time than would be\navailable at such a conference were the claims of British Columbia only to be considered ; and\nthat a proper investigation of such claims would entail those charged with it visiting British\nColumbia and examining conditions on the spot; and that an independent tribunal, such as\nsuggested in the memoranda mentioned above, would be the only just method of arriving\nat a proper decision as to such claims ; and that, particularly in view of the fact that other\nProvinces of the Dominion are making similar claims of a financial character, there is such a\nconflict of interest as would militate very strongly against an equitable decision as to the claims\nof British Columbia being arrived at by a tribunal composed, in its entirety, of representatives of\nother Provinces :\n\" 4. That an humble Address be presented to His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor,\nrequesting that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to His Excellency the Governor-General\nin Council for consideration; and that a further copy thereof, accompanied by what documentary evidence His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor in Council may deem expedient, be\ntransmitted to His Excellency the Governor-General, with the request that it be transmitted,\nthrough the proper channel, to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies.\"\nThat with a view to the protection of the interests of this Province, it is advisable that\nthe case of British Columbia be submitted for the consideration of the Imperial Government :\nThe Committee, therefore, advise that, should this report be approved, the Honourable\nRichard McBride be appointed a Special Agent and Delegate, instructed to proceed to London\nfor the purpose of placing the appeal of British Columbia in the hands of the Secretary of\nState for the Colonies, and of taking such other steps as may be necessary to bring the case of\nBritish Columbia before his Majesty's Government; and request Your Honour to inform His\nExcellency the Governor-General of Mr. McBride's appointment, and ask that he be provided\nwith a suitable introduction to His Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.\n(Signed)        Fred. J. Fulton,\nClerk of the Executive Council.\n[No.  3.]\nThe Lieutenant-Governor to the Secretary of State, Ottawa.\nVictoria, B. C, 3rd April, 1907.\nSir,\u2014Referring to my letter of yesterday, I have the honour to enclose herewith, for\ntransmission to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a further copy\nof the resolution of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of British Columbia, with reference to the financial subsidies to the Provinces and to the claims of British Columbia to special\nrecognition.\nI have, etc.,\n(Signed)        James Dunsmuir,\nLieutenant-Governor.\nThe Honourable the Secretary of State,\nOttawa. C 14 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\n[No. 4.]\nThe Lieutenant-Governor to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, London.\nVictoria, B. C, 3rd April, 1907.\nMy Lord,\u2014I have the honour to state that I have, at the instance of my responsible\nadvisers, addressed to your Lordship a telegraphic despatch to the following effect:\u2014\n\"Colonial Secretary, London, 3rd April.\n\" Ministry desire notify you that delegate proceeds London immediately lay before you\ncase of British Columbia regarding proposed amendment British North America Act, grant\nfor special claims of Province as final and unalterable, being inadequate.\n\" I have, etc.,\n(Signed) \" James Dunsmuir,\n\" The Right Honourable the Secretary of State\nfor the Colonies, London.\"\n' Lieutenant-Governor.\n[No. 5.]\nTelegram.\nVictoria, B. C, 8th April, 1907.\nTo the Secretary oj State, Ottawa.\nReferring to my letter of 2nd instant, Mr. McBride will be passing through Ottawa on\n16th instant and will be glad to find credentials ready for him.\nJames Dunsmuir,\nLieutenant-Governor.\n[No. 6.]\nCopy of a Report of a Committee of the Honourable the Executive Council, approved by His\nHonour the Lieutenant-Governor on the 10th day cf April, 1907.\nTo His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor in Council :\u2014\nThe undersigned has the honour to recommend that the Memorial, hereunto appended, of\nthe case of British Columbia be adopted, and presented to the Right Honourable the Secretary\nof State for the Colonies by the Honourable Richard McBride, on behalf of the Committee of\nCouncil of British Columbia.\nDated this 9th day of April, A. D. 1907.\nHenry Esson Young,\nProvincial Secretary.\nTO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.\nMost Gracious Sovereign :\nWe, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Committee of the Executive\nCouncil of the Province of British Columbia in Council assembled, humbly approach Your\nMajesty for the purpose of duly presenting :\nThat in the month of October, 1906, on the invitation of the Right Honourable Sir\nWilfrid Laurier, G. C. M. G., the Honourable Richard McBride, Premier of British Columbia,\nattended at Ottawa a conference of the Premiers of the Provinces of Canada with the Dominion\nGovernment to discuss the financial subsidies of the Provinces :\nThat the following resolution was passed on October 9th, 1906, by the representatives of\nthe various Provinces, and was placed before the Dominion Government on October 10th,\n1906:\u2014 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 15\n\"That the subject-matter of the Resolutions adopted by the Conference of the representatives of the several Provinces, held at Quebec in December, 1902, and which were shortly\nthereafter presented to the Government of the Dominion and which were ratified by the\nLegislatures of the then existing Provinces, except that of British Columbia, be now pressed\nupon the Government of the Dominion for immediate and favourable action, under the reserve\nof the right of any Province to now submit to such Government memoranda, in writing,\nconcerning any claims it may have to larger sums than those set out in the said Resolutions,\nor to additional consideration or recognition.\"\n(Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, page 16 ; Exhibit \"\u25a0 A\" appended.)\nThat in pursuance of the said resolution the Honourable Richard McBride submitted a\nmemorandum to the Government of the Dominion setting forth the claims of British Columbia\nto special recognition.\n( Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference between Members of the Government of Canada and of\nthe various Provincial Governments, October 10th, Sessional Paper 29a of House of Commons of Canada,\n1907, page 7 et seq.; Exhibit \"45\" appended,)\nThat in order to obtain a just and impartial investigation of such claims for special\nrecognition, it was in the said memorandum suggested that\u2014\n\" The Government of British Columbia, in view of all the considerations which have begn\nadvanced in support of the claims of that Province, reaffirms its position in regard to the\ndesirability of a complete investigation, by a competent tribunal, of the merits of the Provincial contention. It is, therefore, asked that a Commission be appointed, consisting of three\npersons of eminent repute, one to be named by the Government of the Dominion of Canada,\none by the Government of British Columbia, and a third by the Honourable the Secretary of\nState for the Colonies. It is asked that the reply of the Dominion Government be made\ndefinite and final within three months of the present time.\"\nThat the said request for such competent tribunal was not granted by the Dominion\nGovernment; the Right Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier, on its behalf, saying :\u2014\n'\u2022 I have been unable to reach the conclusion that the appointment of such a Commission\nwould be the best wa}r of dealing with a question of the kind.\"\n( Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference between Members of the Government of Canada and of\nthe various Provincial Governments, October 12th, Sessional Paper No. 29a, 1907, of House of Commons of\nCanada, pages 11 and 12 ; Exhibit \" B \" appended.)\nThat on October 12th, 1906, the said Conference by a majority vote, resolved :\u2014\n\" That in the opinion of the Conference, it is inadvisable that the claim, in the way of\nsubsidies, of any Province be referred to arbitration.\"\n( Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, page 21; Exhibit \" A \" appended.)\nThat the Honourable Richard McBride protested against the last-named resolution in the\nfollowing words :\u2014\n\" I protest that the question of British Columbia's claim upon the Dominion Government\nfor a reference should not be considered by this Conference, but that it is a question between\nthe Government of British Columbia and- the Dominion Government.\"\nVide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference,  October 12th, 1906, p. 22; Exhibit \"A\" appended.)\nThat in spite of this protest the said Conference proceeded to discuss the right of this\nProvince to exceptional treatment; and that on October 12th, 1906, the following resolution\nwas introduced thereat:\u2014\n\" That in view of the large area, geographical position, and very exceptional physical\nfeatures of the Province of British Columbia, it is the opinion of this Conference that the said\nProvince should receive a reasonable additional allowance for the purposes of Civil Government, in excess of the provisions made in the Quebec Resolutions of 1902, and that such\nadditional allowance should be to the extent of one hundred thousand dollars annually for ten\nyears.\"\nVide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, October 13th, 1906, pages 22 and 33 ; Exhibit \" A \"\nappended.\nThat the Honourable Richard McBride pointed out to the Conference the total inadequacy\nof such proposed settlement, and submitted an alternative proposal setting forth a yearly\namount, in addition to the payment and subsidies otherwise provided, which the Province of C 16 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\nBritish Columbia was willing to receive as a nominal recognition of the disabilities borne by\nthe Province owing to peculiar physical conditions, and from other causes set forth in \" The\nCase of British Columbia for Better Terms,\" and accompanying memoranda.\n( Vide report of later-Provincial Conference submitted to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia,\nMarch 20th, 1907, pages d2-3, and d26 et seq.; Exhibit \" C\" appended.)\nThat this alternative proposal not being favourably received, the Honourable Richard\nMcBride withdrew from the Conference upon the introduction of an amendment to such\nresolution, favouring an allowance of half of said amount of one hundred thousand dollars to\nthe Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan.\n( Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, October 13th, 1906, page 24; Exhibit \" A \" appended.)\nThat according to the Minutes of said Conference, after the withdrawal of the Hon.\nRichard McBride, the amendment last mentioned was lost and the resolution passed in the\naffirmative, all present voting content.\nThat upon his withdrawal, the Honourable Richard McBride, on October 13th, 1906,\nagain pressed upon the Conference the claims of British Columbia to better treatment, by a\ncommunication to the Chairman, the Honourable L. Gouin.\n(Vide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, October 13th, 1906, page 25 et seq.; Exhibit \"A\"\nappended.)\nThat this communication was ineffective, as the Honourable Richard McBride was\ninformed by a reply from the Chairman of the Conference.\n(Fide Minutes of the Proceedings in Conference, October 13th, 1906, pages 28 and 29; Exhibit \"A\"\nappended.)\nThat on March 25tb, 1907, in the Dominion House of Commons, at Ottawa, on motion of\nthe Right Honourable Sir Wilfrid Laurier, it was resolved that an Address be presented to\nHis Majesty representing that it is expedient to amend the scale of payments, authorised under\nsection 118 of \"The British North America Act, 1867,\" to be made by Canada to the several\nProvinces of the Dominion for the support of their Governments and Legislatures by providing that:\u2014\n(A.) Instead of the amounts now paid the sums hereafter payable by Canada to the\nseveral Provinces for the support of their Governments and Legislatures to be\naccording to population, and as follows :\u2014\n(a.) Where the population of the Province is under 150,000, $100,000 ;\n(b.) Where the population of the Province is  150,000,  but does not exceed\n200,000,1150,000;\n(c.)   Where the population of the Province is 200,000,  but does not exceed\n400,000, $180,000;\n(d.) Where the population of the Province is 400,000, but does not exceed\n800,000,1190,000;\n(e.)   Where the population of the Province is 800,000, but does not exceed\n1,500,000, $220,000;\n(\/) Where the population of the Province exceeds 1,500,000, $240,000.\n(B.) Instead of an annual grant per head of population now allowed, the annual payment\nhereafter to be at the same rate of 80 cents per head, but on the population of\neach Province, as ascertained from time to time by the last decennial census, until\nsuch population exceeds 2,500,000, and at the rate of 60 cents per head for so\nmuch of said population as may exceed 2,500,000 :\n(C.) An additional allowance to the extent of $100,000 annually, for ten years, to the\nProvince of British Columbia.\nAnd said resolution prays\u2014\nThat His Majesty \" may be graciously pleased to cause a measure to be laid before the\nImperial Parliament, at its present Session, repealing the provisions of section 118 of 'The\nBritish North America Act, 1867,' aforesaid, and substituting therefor the scale of payments\nabove set forth, which shall be a final and unalterable settlement of the amounts paid yearly\nto the several Provinces of the Dominion for their local purposes and the support of their\nGovernments and Legislatures.\" 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 17\nThat on March 25th, 1907, a resolution, moved in the Legislative Assembly of British\nColumbia by the Honourable Mr. McBride, seconded by the Honourable Mr. Tatlow, was\npassed in the affirmative, endorsing the course taken by the Honourable Richard McBride at\nthe Inter-Provincial Conference at Ottawa in October, 1906 ; and further resolving that the\nproposed additional allowance of one hundred thousand dollars annually for ten years as compensation for the recognised claims of British Columbia is inadequate and cannot be accepted\nas a final and unalterable settlement; that the claims of British Columbia for special financial\nrecognition are not of such a character as can be considered by a Conference of the kind above\nmentioned by reason of the fact that a proper investigation would require more time than\nwould-be available at such a Conference, and would entail those charged with it visiting British\nColumbia and examining conditions on the spot; that for these and other reasons an independent tribunal, such as suggested in the memorandum mentioned above, would be the only\njust method of arriving at a proper decision as to such claims.\n(Vide copy of said resolutions transmitted to the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the\nColonies by His Honour the'Lieutenant-Governor.)\nYour petitioners submit that although the claims of British Columbia to special treatment\nwere recognised by both the Conference and the Dominion Government, as above indicated,\ndue consideration was not given to the fact that the physical disabilities of the Province are\npermanent and that the additional allowance for this condition must also remain permanent.\nThat owing to the physicial conditions the average cost of administration per capita in\nBritish Columbia for a period covering thirty years has been five times that of the other\nProvinces.\n{Vide table in the \" Case of British Columbia for Better Terms,\" published as appendix on page 15,\nSessional Paper No. 29a of 1907, of House of Commons of Canada ; Exhibit \" B\" appended ; also Report of\nInter-Provincial Conference submitted to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, March 20th, 1907,\npage 26 etseq.j Exhibit \"C\" appended.)\n..v 'i That the Province of British Columbia, by reason of its peculiar circumstances, contributes\nper head enormously in excess of the average of the rest of the Dominion to the Federal\nTreasury.\n( Vide tables of Revenues and Expenditures in the \"Case of British Columbia for Better Terms,\"published\nas appendix to Sessional Paper No. 29a, 1907, of House of Commons of Canada, page 15 ; also Report of the\nInter-Provineial Conference submitted to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, March 20th, 1907,\npage 26 et seq.; Exhibit \" C \" appended.)\nAnd taking these matters into consideration, combined with the reasons set out in the\nvarious memoranda submitted to the Dominion Government, copies of which are contained in\nthe Minutes of Conference, as well as in the Sessional Paper 29a, 1907, of the House of Commons\nof Canada, and the \"Case of British Columbia for Better Terms\" appended thereto, your\npetitioners submit that only by the appointment of a Commission, as set forth in the memorandum submitted to the Dominion Government by the Honourable Richard McBride, on\nOctober 10th, 1906, can a proper decision be arrived at with regard to the claims cf British\nColumbia.\nThat the proposed amendment to the \" British North America Act,\" allowing $100,000\na year for ten years as a final and unalterable settlement for the recognised claims of British\nColumbia would inflict an injustice, both because of the inadequacy of such compensation\nand by reason of the fact that the Province would be deprived of the right to have such\nclaims further recognised or considered.\nYour petitioners, therefore, humbly approach Your Majesty and pray that your Majesty\nmay be graciously pleased to take this, our Petition, into Your Majesty's favourable consideration in order that justice may be done to British Columbia.\nAnd your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray, etc.\n[Note.\u2014Exhibits above referred to were appended to Petition when presented.]\n[No. 7.]\nThe Under-Secretary of State, Ottawa, to the Honourable Richard McBride.\nOttawa, 15th April, 1907.\nSIE)\u2014I have the honour to enclose certified copy of a Minute of the Privy Council,\napproved by His Excellency the Governor-General, on the 15th April, 1907, advising that the\nSecretary of State for the Colonies be informed of your proposed visit to London as special C 18 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\ndelegate on behalf of your Province, to lay before His Majesty's Government the claim of\nBritish Columbia for special treatment at the hands of the Dominion, and transmitting\ncertain documents in connection therewith.\nA despatch to the above effect will be addressed by His Excellency the Administrator to\nthe Earl of Elgin. I have, etc.,\n(Signed)        J. Pope,\nThe Horourable Richard McBride, Under-Secretary of Slate.\nPremier of British Columbia,\nThe Russell, Ottawa.\nExtract from a Report of the Committee   to the Privy  Council, approved by the Governor-\nGeneral on the loth April, 1907.\nThe Committee of the Privy Council have had under consideration a cable despatch,\ndated 4th April, 1907, from the Right Honourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies,\nacquainting Your Excellency that he is in receipt of a telegram from the Lieutenant-Governor\nof British Columbia, to the effect that a special delegate on behalf of his Government is\nproceeding to London to lay before His Majesty's Government the claim of British Columbia\nto special treatment at the hands of the Dominion, in connection with the proposed re-adjustment of financial subsidies.\nThe Secretary of State of Canada, to whom the said despatch was referred, submits\u2014\n(1.) A Minute of the Executive Council of the Province of British Columbia, approved\nby the Lieutenant-Governor on the 30th March, 1907, forwarding a resolution of the Legislative Assembly dealing with the proposed re-adjustment of the financial subsidies paid to the\nProvinces by the Dominion, and the claim of British Columbia to special recognition in\nrelation thereto, with the request that this resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of State\nfor the Colonies.\n(2.) A further Minute, dated 30th March, 1907, recommending that the case of the\nProvince in regard to its claim upon the Dominion of Canada for such special treatment be\nsubmitted to His Majesty's Government; setting forth that the Honourable Richard McBride\nbe appointed special agent and delegate of the Province, to proceed to London for the purpose\nof placing the appeal of the Provincial Government in the hands of the Secretary of State for\nthe Colonies, and requesting that Your Excellency may provide Mr. McBride with a suitable\nintroduction to the Colonial Secretary.\nThe Committee of the Privy Council, on the recommendation of the Secretary of State,\nadvise that these requests of the Provincial Government of British Columbia be complied\nwith, and that Your Excellency be pleased to forward a copy of this Minute to the Right\nHonourable the Secretary of State for the Colonies.\nAll of which is respectfully submitted for approval.\n(Signed) Roddlphe Boudheau,\nActing Clerk of the Privy Council.\n[No.  8.]\nGovernment House, Ottawa, April 17th, 1907.\nMy Lord,\u2014I have the honour to introduce to Your Lordship's acquaintance and to\nrecommend to your good offices the bearer of this despatch, the Honourable Richard McBride,\nPrime Minister of the Lieutenant-Governor of British Columbia, who is proceeding to London\nas a special agent and delegate of the Government of the Province for the purpose of appealing\nto His Majesty's Government against the proposals of the Dominion Government for the\namendment of the British North America Act, of which Lord Grey had the honour to inform\nYour Lordship in his despatch No. 106 of the 16th ultimo.\nI would bespeak for Mr. McBride all possible facilities in presenting his case to His\nMajesty's Government. I have, etc.,\n(Signed)        C. Fitzpatrick,\nAdministrator.\nThe Right Honourable the Earl of Elgin, K. 67.,, etc., etc., etc. APPENDIX   A.\nBRITISH NORTH AMERICA ACT, 1907.\n[Bill as passed by the Imperial House of Commons on the 27th day of June, 1907.]\nA BILL\nTo make further provision with respect to the sums to be paid by       A.D. 1907.\nCanada to the several Provinces of the Dominion.\nBE it enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the\nadvice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons,\nin this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as\nfollows :\u2014\n1.  (1.) The following grants  shall be  made yearly by Canada to every Payments to be\nProvince,  which at   the commencement   of   this Act  is a Province  of the made by Canada\nDominion, for its local purposes and the support of its Government and to ^roylnces-\nLegislature :\u2014\n(a.) A fixed grant\u2014\nwhere the population of the Province is under one hundred and fifty\nthousand, of one hundred thousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is one hundred and fifty\nthousand, but does not exceed two hundred thousand, of one\nhundred and fifty thousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is two hundred thousand, but\ndoes not exceed four hundred thousand, of one hundred and eighty\nthousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is four hundred thousand, but\ndoes not exceed eight hundred thousand, of one hundred and ninety\nthousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is eight hundred thousand, but\ndoes not exceed one million five hundred thousand, of two hundred\nand twenty thousand, dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province exceeds one million five hundred thousand, of two hundred and forty thousand dollars ; and\n(b.) A grant at the rate of eighty cents per head of the population of the\nProvince up to the number of two million five hundred thousand,\nand at the rate of sixty cents per head of so much of the population\nas exceeds that number.\n(2.) An additional grant of one hundred thousand dollars shall be made\nyearly to the Province of British Columbia for a period of ten years from the\ncommencement of this Act.\n(3.) The population of a Province shall be ascertained from time to time\nin the case of the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta respectively by the last quinquennial census or statutory estimate of population\nmade under the Acts establishing those Provinces or any other Act of the\nParliament of Canada making provision for the purpose, and in the case of\nany other Province by the last decennial census for the time being. C 20 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. 1908\nA.D. 1907. (4.) The grants payable under this Act shall be paid half-yearly in advance\nto each Province.\n(5.) The grants payable under this Act shall be substituted for the grants\nor subsidies (in this Act referred to as existing grants) payable for the like\npurposes at the time of the passing of this Act to the several Provinces of\nthe Dominion under the provisions of section one hundred and eighteen of\nthe British North America Act, 1867, or of any Order in Council establishing\na Province, or of any Act of the Parliament of Canada containing directions\nfor the payment of any such grant or subsidy and those provisions shall cease\nto have effect.\n(6.) The Government of Canada shall have the same power of deducting\nsums charged against a Province on account of the interest on public debt in\nthe case of the grant payable under this Act to the Province as they have in\nthe case of the existing grant.\n(7.) Nothing in this Act shall affect the obligation of the Government of\nCanada to pay to any Province anj' grant which is payable to that Province,\nother than the existing grant for which the grant under this Act is substituted.\nShort title and 2. This Act may be cited as the British North America Act, 1907, and\ninterpretation. shall take effect as from the first day of July, nineteen hundred and. seven. 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 21\nAPPENDIX   B.\n[As amended in Committee in the House of Lords on the 16th day of  July, 1907.\nReceived the Royal Assent on the 9th day of August, 1907.]\n[7 Edw. 7.] British North America Act, 1907. [Cu. 11.]\nCHAPTER   11.\nAn Act to make further provision with respect to the sums to be paid       A. D. 1907.\nby Canada to the several Provinces of the Dominion.\n. [9th August, 1907.]\n\"TTTHEREAS an address has been presented to   His Majesty by the\nV V      Senate and Commons of Canada in the terms set forth in the schedule\nto this Act:\nBe it therefore enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and\nwith the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and\nCommons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the\nsame, as follows :\u2014\n1.\u2014(1) The following grants shall be made yearly by Canada to every payment3 to ^\nProvince,   which  at  the  commencement  of this  Act is a  Province of the made by Canada\nDominion, for its  local  purposes  and  the support of its Government and to Provinces.\nLegislature:\u2014\n(a) A fixed grant\u2014\nwhere the population of the Province is under one hundred and fifty\nthousand, of one hundred thousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is one hundred and fifty\nthousand, but does not exceed two hundred thousand, of one\nhundred and fifty thousand dollars;\nwhere the population of the Province is two hundred thousand,\nbut does not exceed four hundred thousand, of one hundred and\neighty thousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province is four hundred thousand,\nbut does not exceed eight hundred thousand, of one hundred and\nninety thousand dollars;\nwhere the population of the Province is eight hundred thousand,\nbut does not exceed one million five hundred thousand, of two\nhundred and twenty thousand dollars ;\nwhere the population of the Province exceeds one million five\nhundred thousand, of two hundred and forty thousand dollars ; and [7 Edw. 7] British North America Act, 1907. [Chap.   11.]\nA. D. 1907. (6) Subject to the special provisions  of this Act as to the Provinces of\nBritish Columbia and Prince Edward Island, a grant at the rate of\neighty cents per head of the population of the Province up to the\nnumber of two million five hundred thousand, and at the rate of\nsixty cents per head of so much of the population as exceeds that\nnumber.\n(2) An additional grant of one hundred thousand dollars shall be made\nyearly to the Province of British Columbia for a period of ten years from the\ncommencement of this Act.\n(3) The population of a Province shall be ascertained from time to time\nin the case of the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta\nrespectively by the last quinquennial census or statutory estimate of population made under the Acts establishing those Provinces or any other Act of\nthe Parliament of Canada making provision for the purpose, and in the case\nof any other Province by the last decennial census for the time being.\n(4) The grants payable under this Act shall be paid half-yearly in advance\nto each Province.\n(5) The grants payable under this Act shall be substituted for the grants\nor subsidies (in this Act referred to as existing grants) payable for the like\npurposes at the commencement of this Act to the several Provinces of the\n30 & 31 Vict. c. 3. Dominion under the provisions of section one hundred and eighteen of the\nBritish North America Act, 1867, or of any Order in Council establishing\na Province, or of any Act of the Parliament of Canada containing directions\nfor the payment of any such grant or subsidy, and those provisions shall\ncease to have effect.\n(6) The Government of Canada shall have the same power of deducting\nsums charged against a Province on account of the interest on public debt\nin the case of the grant payable under this Act to the Province as they have\nin the case of the existing grant.\n(7.) Nothing in this Act shall affect the obligation of the Government of\nCanada to pay to any Province any grant which is payable to that Province,\nother than the existing grant for which the grant under this Act is substituted.\n(8.) In the case of the Provinces of British Columbia and Prince Edward\nIsland, the amount paid on account of the grant payable per head of the\npopulation to the Provinces under this Act shall not at any time be less than\nthe amount of the corresponding grant payable at the commencement of this\nAct; and if it is found on any decennial census that the population of the\nProvince has decreased since the last decennial census, the amount paid on\naccount of the grant shall not be decreased below the amount then payable,\nnotwithstanding the decrease of the population.\nShort title and 2. This Act may be cited as the British North America Act,  1907, and\ninterpretation. shall take effect as from the first day of July, nineteen hundred and seven.\nSCHEDULE.\nTO THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.\nMost Gracious Sovereign,\nWe, Your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal subjects, the Senate and Commons of Canada, in Parliament assembled, humbly approach Your Majesty\nfor the purpose  of  representing that it is expedient  to  amend the seal 8 Ed. 7 Hon. Mr. McBride's Mission to England. C 23\n[7 Edw. 7.] British North America Act,  1907. [Chap.   11.]\nof payments authorised under section 118 of  the Acts of the Parliament of A.D. 1907.\nthe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, commonly called the\nBritish North America Act, 1867, or by or under any terms or conditions\nupon which any other Provinces were admitted to the Union, to be made by\nCanada to the several Provinces of the Dominion for the support of their\nGovernments and Legislatures by providing that\u2014\nA. Instead of the amounts now payable, the sums hereafter payable yearly\nby Canada to the several Provinces for the support of their Governments\nand Legislatures be according to population and as follows :\u2014\n(a.) Where the population of the Province is under 150,000, $100,000;\n(b.) Where the population of the Province is 150,000, but does not exceed\n200,000, $150,000;\n(c.) Where the population of the Province is 200,000, but does not exceed\n400,000, $180,000;\n(d.) Where the population of the Province is 400,000, but does not exceed\n800,000, $190,000 ;\n(e.) Where the population of the Province is 800,000, but does not exceed\n1,500,000, $220,000;\n(\/.) Where the population of the Province exceeds 1,500,000, $240,000.\nB. Instead of an annual grant per head of population now allowed, the\nannual payment hereafter be at the same rate of eighty cents per head, but\non the population of each Province, as ascertained from time to time by the\nlast decennial census, or in the case of the Provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta, respectively, by the last quinquennial census or statutory\nestimate, until such population exceeds 2,500,000, and at the rate of sixty\ncents per head for so much of said population as may exceed 2,500,000.\nC. An additional allowance to the extent of one hundred thousand dollars\nannually be paid for ten years to the Province of British Columbia.\nD. Nothing herein contained shall in any way supersede or affect the\nterms special to any particular Province upon which such Province became\npart of the Dominion of Canada, or the right of any Province to the payment of any special grant heretofore made by the Parliament of Canada to\nany Province for any special purpose in such grant expressed.\nWe pray that Your Majesty may be graciously pleased to cause a measure\nto be laid before the Imperial Parliament at its present Session repealing\nthe provisions of section 118 of the British North America Act, 1867, aforesaid, and substituting therefor the scale of payments above set forth, which\nshall be a final and unalterable settlement of the amounts to be paid yearly\nto the several Provinces of the Dominion for their local purposes, and the\nsupport of their Governments and Legislatures.\nSuch grants shall be paid half-yearly in advance to each Province, but the\nGovernment of Canada shall deduct from such grants as against any Province\nall sums chargeable as interest on the public debt of that Province in excess\nof the several amounts stipulated in the said Act.\nAll of which we humbly pray Your Majesty to take into your favourable\nand gracious consideration.\n(Signed)        R. Dandurand,\nSpeaker of the Senate.\n(Signed)        R. F. Sutherland,\nSpeaker of the House of Commons.\nSenate and House of Commons,\nOttawa, Canada, 26th April, 19^ .\nVICTORIA   B.C.:\nPrinted by Richaru Wolfkhdbn, I.S.O., V.D., Printer to the King's Most Excellent Majesty.\n1908.","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/hasType":[{"value":"Legislative proceedings","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/identifier":[{"value":"J110.L5 S7","type":"literal","lang":"en"},{"value":"1908_04_C1_C23","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/isShownAt":[{"value":"10.14288\/1.0064395","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/language":[{"value":"English","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/www.europeana.eu\/schemas\/edm\/provider":[{"value":"Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/publisher":[{"value":"Victoria, BC : Government Printer","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/rights":[{"value":"Images provided for research and reference use only. For permission to publish, copy or otherwise distribute these images please contact the Legislative Library of British Columbia","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/source":[{"value":"Original Format: Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. Library. Sessional Papers of the Province of British Columbia","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/title":[{"value":"REPORT On the subject of the Mission of the Hon. Richard McBride, Special Agent and Delegate of the Province of British Columbia to England, with regard to the claim of the Province for special treatment at the hands of the Dominion of Canada.","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/type":[{"value":"Text","type":"literal","lang":"en"}],"http:\/\/purl.org\/dc\/terms\/description":[{"value":"","type":"literal","lang":"en"}]}}