My Hon.
Friend The Finance Minister Mentioned The Other Evening Several Strong
Motives For Union - Free Access To The Sea,
An extended market, breaking
down of hostile tariffs, a more diversified field for labour and
capital, our enhanced credit with
England, and our greater
effectiveness when united for assistance in time of danger. The Hon.
President of the Council, last night also enumerated several motives
for Union in relation to the commercial advantages which will flow from
it, and other powerful reasons which may be advanced in favour of it.
But the motives to such a comprehensive change as we propose, must be
mixed motives - partly commercial, partly military, and partly
political; and I shall go over a few - not strained or simulated -
motives which must move many people of all these Provinces, and which
are rather of a social, or, strictly speaking, political than of a
financial kind. In the first place, I echo what was stated in the
speech last night of my hon. friend, the President of the Council - that
we cannot stand still; we cannot stave off some great change; we cannot
stand alone - Province apart from Province - if we would; and that we are
in a state of political transition. All, even honorable gentlemen who
are opposed to this description of Union, admit that we must do
something, and that that something must not be a mere temporary
expedient. We are compelled, by warning voices from within and without,
to make a change, and a great change.
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