_"Uncertain Sounds"_
I may illustrate the consequences of vacillation and delay in the
vigorous government of the Hudson's Bay territory, and in all distant
parts of the Empire, by giving a verbatim copy of a Bill ordered to be
"printed and introduced" in July, 1866, into the "House of
Representatives" of the United States, at Washington, providing for
relieving the Queen of her sovereign rights in the British territories
between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. The only excuse--an excuse far
from valid for so monstrous a proposal--was that no one knew what the
British Government were inclined to do; and at Washington no one
believed that John Bull would "make a fight of it;" while everyone knew
that if a similar Bill, with the object of enabling the Southern States
to come under the dominion of the Queen, had been introduced into the
British House of Commons, the United States Ambassador "to the Court of
St. James'" would have been recalled--to begin with. The British
Ambassador took no notice, made no remonstrance; but the advent of Mr.
Disraeli to power discouraged such outrages, and led in the following
year to the passing of the Act for Confederation. In printing this
Bill, my object is to show the mischief, mischief which half-a-dozen
times in my lifetime has placed before my countrymen the alternative of
ignominious concessions or war between English-speaking people, of
"uncertain sounds.
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