The British Isles Are A Quasi-Confederation, And
The Old French Dukedoms Were Confederated In The States-General.
It is
a principle that runs through all the history of civilization in one
form or another, and exists alike in monarchies and democracies; and
having adopted it as the principle of our future government, there were
only the details to arrange and agree upon.
Those details are before
you. It is not in our power to alter any of them even if the House
desires it. If the House desires, it can reject the treaty, but
we cannot, nor can the other Provinces, which took part in its
negociation, consent that it shall be altered in the slightest
particular.
"Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to have detained the House so long, and was
not aware till I had been some time on my legs, that my physical
strength was so inadequate to the exposition of those few points which,
not specially noticed by my predecessors in this debate, I undertook to
speak upon. We stand at present in this position: we are bound in
honour, we are bound in good faith, to four Provinces occupied by our
fellow colonists, to carry out the measure of Union agreed upon here in
the last week of October. We are bound to carry it to the foot of the
Throne, and ask there from Her Majesty, according to the first
resolution of the Address, that she will be graciously pleased to
direct legislation to be had on this subject.
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