Canada's Founding DebatesJanet Ajzenstat, Paul Romney, Ian Gentles, William D. Gairdner Canada's Founding Debates is about Confederation—about the process that brought together six out of the seven territories of British North America in the years 1864-73 to form a country called Canada. It presents excerpts from the debates on Confederation in all of the colonial parliaments from Newfoundland to British Columbia and in the constituent assembly of the Red River Colony. The voices of the powerful and those of lesser note mingle in impassioned debate on the pros and cons of creating or joining the new country, and in defining its nature. In short explanatory essays and provocative annotations, the editors sketch the historical context of the debates and draw out the significance of what was said. By organizing the debates thematically, they bring out the depth of the founders' concern for issues that are as vital today as they were then: the meaning of liberty, the merits of democracy, the best form of self-government, the tension between collective and individual rights, the rule of law, the requirements of political leadership, and, of course, the nature of Canadian nationality. Canada's Founding Debates offers a fresh and often surprising perspective on Canada's origins, history, and political character. Previously published by Stoddart Publishing, 1999. |
From inside the book
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... houses (a House of Commons, called the Legislative Assembly or House of Assembly, and a Senate, called the Legislative Council). Yet Britain withheld the vital principle, responsible government. Why? Until the mid-nineteenth century ...
... House of Assembly, January 27, 1865 Ambrose Shea: We are here rival parties, one having possession of the government whose chief aim was to keep themselves in office, and who made every public question subordinate to this object. On the ...
... House of Assembly, February 11, 1869 F.B.T. Carter: The constitution was composed of those three estates to which they were already so well accustomed – the monarch, the Senate, and the House of Commons, elected by the people; with that ...
... House of Assembly, February 23, 1869 Henry Renouf: We are not able to legislate for ourselves, and thus we are wanted to enter the union and send eight men to the dominion to do there what thirty cannot here accomplish. Palpable ...
... House of Assembly, March 30, 1865 Alexander Anderson: As far as I can see, there is no chance of gaining anything, but there are many chances to lose. I think the offer is something like this: if we will give up one-half of our revenue ...
Contents
PART THREE WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT IDENTITY | |
British or Canadian? | |
What Is a Canadian? | |
PART FOUR WHAT THEY SAID ABOUT THE NEW NATIONALITY | |
Minorities and Minority Rights | |
PART FIVE HOW TO MAKE A CONSTITUTION | |
Pro and | |
Appendixes | |
Afterword on Books | |
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Canada's Founding Debates Janet Ajzenstat,Paul Romney,Ian Gentles,William Gairdner No preview available - 2017 |