er Canada had half a
million more people than Lower Canada, and yet was only entitled to the
same number of members in the legislature. Another serious difficulty,
which arose out of the union, was the necessity, which not long
afterwards began to be recognized, of the government having a majority
in the legislature from each section of the province. This, in time,
grew to be so great an evil that the successful government of Canada
became almost impossible, for the majority for the government in one
province might at any time be disturbed by some local feeling, and as a
consequence the government overthrown. To trace the history of the
difficulties which arose from this cause would be to recite twenty years
of the history of Canada; but it is only necessary to point out thus
plainly the reasons for the willingness of the people of Upper and Lower
Canada to resort to confederation as a means of getting rid of their
embarrassments.

{MACDONALD-BROWN COALITION}

In 1863, the Hon. John Sandfield Macdonald was leader of the government,
but he was compelled to resign when parliament met in the early part of
1864, and in March of that year a new administration under the
premiership of Sir E. P. Tache was formed. This new government
developed very little strength, and was defeated on June 14th by a vote
of fifty-eight to sixty, on a question relative to some transaction
connected with bonds of the city of Montreal. A deadlock had come, and
as it was evident that no new government which could be formed was
likely to command sufficient support, it became necessary to make some
new arrangements in regard to the system of administration. Immediately
after the defeat of the government, Mr. George Brown, leader of the
Opposition, spoke to several supporters of the administration strongly
urging that the present time should be availed of for the purpose of
settling forever the constitutional difficulties between Upper and Lower
Canada, and assuring them that he was prepared to cooperate with the
existing or any other administration that would deal with the question
promptly and firmly, with a view to its final settlement. After much
negotiation Messrs. Brown, Mowat and McDougall, three prominent members
of the Reform party, agreed to enter the government for the purpose of
carrying out this policy based on a federal union of all the provinces.

{SCHEME OF MARITIME UNION}

Prior to this time there had been various efforts made by