_;
Parkman, _Pioneers of France_.

=Company of the West Indies (Compagnie des Indes Occidentales).=
Chartered by Louis XIV, 1664, following the cancellation of the charter
of the Company of New France. Its field of operations was enormous,
covering the west coast of Africa, the east coast of South America from
the Amazon to the Orinoco, Canada, Acadia, and Newfoundland. The
Christianization of the native tribes was given as the principal object
of the Company, commerce being of only secondary importance. Despite its
many privileges, and the readiness with which its stock was subscribed,
it did not prosper, and by 1672 was hopelessly in debt. Three years
later its charter was revoked, so far as Canada was concerned. =Index=:
=L= Resigns its charter, 145. =E= Creates seigniories, 175. =Bib.=:
Douglas, _Old France in the New World_; Parkman, _Old Regime_.

=Conde, Prince Henri de= (1588-1646). =Ch= Licenses three vessels to
trade in St. Lawrence, 78; letter to, in Champlain's _Quatrieme Voyage_,
79; contributes to building of Recollet Convent, 117; source of trouble
to the colony, 122; incarcerated for conspiracy, 122; released, and
transfers his commission to the Duke of Montmorency, 127. =F=
Lieutenant-general of New France, 12. =Bib.=: Parkman, _Pioneers of
France_.

=Confederation.= The first definite step in the movement looking towards
the union of the British North American colonies, was the Charlottetown
Conference, 1864. Delegates from the three Maritime Provinces met to
consider the union of those provinces. At the Conference, delegates from
Canada (constituting what are now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec)
appeared, and urged the broadening of the discussion to cover all the
provinces. Out of this meeting grew the Quebec Conference, of the same
year, attended by delegates from Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick,
Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland; the two latter subsequently
withdrew from the movement. The Quebec Conference drew up a series of
resolutions, which were made the basis of the final legislation. In 1866
delegates from the provinces met at the Westminster Hotel in London, and
framed the British North America Act. The Act was passed by the Imperial
Parliament, and received the queen's assent, March, 1867. It was
proclaimed throughout the new Dominion of Canada, July 1, 1867. Manitoba
was created a province, July 15, 1870. British Columbia joined the
union, July 20, 1871; and Prince Edward Is