the canadian dominion-第29章
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and military preparations on the part of all the powers of Europe。 A new scramble for colonies and possessions overseas began； with the late comers nervously eager to make up for time lost。 In this reaction Britain shared。 Protection raised its head again in England； only by tariffs and tariff bargaining； the Fair Traders insisted； could the country hold its own。 Odds and ends of territory overseas were annexed and a new value was attached to the existing colonies。 The possibility of obtaining from them military support and trade privileges； the desirability of returning to the old ideal of a self…contained and centralized empire； appealed now to influential groups。 This goal might be attained by different paths。 From the United Kingdom came the policy of imperial federation and from the colonies the policy of preferential trade as means to this end。
In 1884 the Imperial Federation League was organized in London with important men of both parties in its ranks。 It urged the setting up in London of a new Parliament； in which the United Kingdom and all the colonies where white men predominated would be represented according to population。 This Parliament would have power to frame policies； to make laws； and to levy taxes for the whole Empire。 To the colonist it offered an opportunity to share in the control of foreign affairs； to the Englishman it offered the support of colonies fast growing to power and the assurance of one harmonious policy for all the Empire。 Both in Britain and overseas the movement received wide support and seemed for a time likely to sweep all before it。 Then a halt came。
Imperial federation had been brought forward a generation too late to succeed。 The Empire had been developing upon lines which could not be made to conform to the plans for centralized parliamentary control。 It was not possible to go back to the parting of the ways。 Slowly； unconsciously； unevenly； yet steadily； the colonies had been ceasing to be dependencies and had been becoming nations。 With Canada in the vanguard they had been taking over one power after another which had formerly been wielded by the Government of the United Kingdom。 It was not likely that they would relinquish these powers or that self…governing colonies would consent to be subordinated to a Parliament in London in which each would have only a fragmentary representation。
The policy of imperial cooperation which began to take shape during this period sought to reconcile the existing desire for continuing the connection with the mother country with the growing sense of national independence。 This policy involved two different courses of action： first； the colonies must assert and secure complete self…government on terms of equality with the United Kingdom； second； they must unite as partners or allies in carrying out common tasks and policies and in building up machinery for mutual consultation and harmonious action。
It was chiefly in matters of trade and tariffs that progress was made in the direction of self…government。 Galt had asserted in 1859 Canada's right to make her own tariffs； and Macdonald twenty years later had carried still further the policy of levying duties upon English as well as foreign goods。 That economic point was therefore settled； but it was a slower matter to secure control of treaty…making powers。 When Galt and Huntington urged this right in 1871 and when Blake and Mackenzie pressed it ten years later； Macdonald opposed such a demand as equivalent to an effort for independence。 Yet he himself was compelled to change his conservative attitude。 After 1877 Canada ceased to be bound by commercial treaties made by the United Kingdom； unless it expressly desired to be included。 In 1879 Galt was sent to Europe to negotiate Canadian trade agreements with France and Spain； and in the next decade Tupper carried negotiations with France to a successful conclusion； though the treaty was formally concluded between France and Britain。 By 1891 the Canadian Parliament could assert with truth that 〃the self…governing colonies are recognized as possessing the right to define their respective fiscal relations to all countries。〃 But Canada as yet took no step toward assuming a share in her own naval defense； though the Australasian colonies made a beginning； along colonial rather than national lines； by making a money contribution to the British navy。
The second task confronting the policy of imperial cooperation was a harder one。 For a partnership between colony and mother country there were no precedents。 Centralized empires there had been； colonies there had been which had grown into independent states； but there was no instance of an empire ceasing to be an empire； of colonies becoming self…governing states and then turning to closer and cooperative union with one another and with the mother country。
Along this unblazed trail two important advances were made。 The initiative in the first came from Canada。 In 1880 a High Commissioner was appointed to represent Canada in London。 The appointment of Sir Alexander Galt and the policy which it involved were significant。 The Governor…General had ceased to be a real power； he was becoming the representative not of the British Government but of the King； and； like the King； he governed by the advice of the responsible ministers in the land where he resided。 His place as the link between the Government of Canada and the Government of Britain was now taken in part by the High Commissioner。 The relationship of Canada to the United Kingdom was becoming one of equality not of subordination。
The initiative in the second step came from Britain； though Canada's leaders gave the movement its final direction。 Imperial federationists urged Lord Salisbury to summon a conference of the colonies to discuss the question they had at heart。 Salisbury doubted the wisdom of such a policy but agreed in 1887 to call a conference to discuss matters of trade and defense。 Every self…governing colony sent representatives to this first Colonial Conference； but little immediate fruit came of its sessions。 In 1894 a second Conference was held at Ottawa； mainly to discuss intercolonial preferential trade。 Only a beginning had been made； but already the Conferences were coming to be regarded as meetings of independent governments and not； as the federationists had hoped； the germ of a single dominating new government。 The Imperial Federation League began to realize that it was making little progress and dissolved in 1893。
Preferential trade was the alternative path to imperial federation。 Macdonald had urged it in 1879 when he found British resentment strong against his new tariff。 Again； ten years later； when reciprocity with the United States was finding favor in Canada； imperialists urged the counterclaims of a policy of imperial reciprocity； of special tariff privileges to other parts of the Empire。 The stumbling…block in the way of such a policy was England's adherence to free trade。 For the protectionist colonies preference would mean only a reduction of an existing tariff。 For the United Kingdom； however； it would mean a complete reversal of fiscal policy and the abandonment of free trade for protection in order to make discrimination possible。 Few Englishmen believed such a reversal possible； though every trade depression revived talk of 〃fair trade〃 or tariffs for bargaining purposes。 A further obstacle to preferential trade lay in the existence of treaties with Belgium and Germany； concluded in the sixties； assuring them all tariff privileges granted by any British colony to Great Britain or to sister colonies。 In 1892 the Liberal Opposition in Canada indicated the line upon which action was eventually to be taken by urging a resolution in favor of granting an immediate and unconditional preference on British goods as a step toward freer trade and in the interest of the Canadian consumer。
Little came of looking either to London or to Washington。 Until the middle nineties Canada remained commercially stagnant and politically distracted。 Then came a change of heart and a change of policy。 The Dominion realized at last that it must work out its own salvation。
In March； 1891； Sir John Macdonald was returned to office for
