ght be called in commission, that is to say, there
was a prime minister for each section of Canada. If an Upper Canadian
were called upon to form a Ministry, his chief colleague from Lower
Canada shared with him much of the authority, and also a good deal of
the prestige and honour, of the office. Were a Lower Canadian
summoned, his principal Upper-Canadian colleague was associated with
him in the leadership of the Government. Thus Canada had the
administrations of Baldwin-LaFontaine, Hincks-Morin, Tache-Macdonald,
Macdonald-Cartier, Cartier-Macdonald, and others. This dual authority
was perhaps necessary at the time, but it had been attended by many
inconveniences, and the confederation of the provinces afforded a
fitting opportunity to bring it to an end. The governor-general, Lord
Monck, when confiding the duty of forming the first Dominion Cabinet to
Macdonald, addressed him in these terms:

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In authorizing you to undertake the duty of forming an administration
for the Dominion of Canada, I desire to express my strong opinion that,
in future, it shall be distinctly understood that the position of First
Minister shall be held by one person, who shall be responsible to the
Governor General for the appointment of the other Ministers, and that
the system of dual First Ministers, which has hitherto prevailed, shall
be put an end to. I think this is of importance, not only with
reference to the maintenance of satisfactory relations between the
Governor General and his Cabinet, but also with a view to the complete
consolidation of the Union which we have brought about.[6]

On the first Dominion Day, Lord Monck announced that John A. Macdonald
had been created a Knight Commander of the Bath, and that Cartier,
Galt, Tilley, Tupper, Howland, and M'Dougall had been made Companions
of the same order. Cartier and Galt considered this recognition of
their services inadequate and declined to receive the decoration. A
good deal of feeling was aroused in Lower Canada among the French {78}
Canadians at what was looked upon as a slight to the representative man
of their race. Cartier himself appears to have taken the matter
momentarily to heart, and is said to have shown a disposition to attach
some blame to Macdonald, who, of course, had nothing whatever to do
with it. It was this circumstance that gave rise to the stories,
echoes of which are heard even to-day, of dissensions between Macdonald
and Cartier. In th