Page 111 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

Since Prince Edward Island had rejecled Conlederation besed upon
ihe Quebw Resoluiions beeause it coneidered such a scheme "would
prove politically, commercialIy and financially disastrous to the rights
and Lest inierests of its people", the Dominion realized that it would
have to make a inore generous 3ettlement to offset these deeIared disad-
vantages if it were to sueceed in indueing the Island to enler Confedera-
tion. Aeeordingly, the terriis of Confederation offered to Prinee Edward
IsIand in 1869 were more generous than those provided by the Quebec
Resolutions. The new provisions were "better" in lhat the Dominion
government proriiised to establish ef6eient steam service end constant
eoriimunication between lhe Island and the Mainland and to provide a
loan oI $800,000 to enable the lslend to purchese the proprietarv lands
iI thÏs eompensation eould not be obtained from the Imperial governrnent.
The attitude of Prinee Edward lslanders to th- proposals revealed
that ihey were still so bent on mainteining their independence that 03
ihe nominion offered more eonceasions ihey were prepared to dernand
sdditional onee. They refusd IO aeeept the new proposals. Thev mein-
~ained that the proposed terms did not jnrlude an adequa~e solution of
ihe land question bmause the $800.000 rompensaiion should corne f rom
the Imperial government aecompanied by a guarantee that the proprie-
iors would be compelled to sel1 their landg- Thev al50 aeserted that the
Dominion should build a railway on the Island. The reaetion of Prince
Edward Island to the "betier terms" made it apparent that only the
presence 01 some eompelling erisis would ever induce it to enter into
union with Canada.

In the year 1871 the Ieland government unwittingly took a step
that wae destined to provide the emergeney whieh led to Confederation.
In the session of the Legialature of ihat yeer a railway bill was passed
whieh was decisive in rnaking the Island a province of the Dominion.
Two years later railway liebilities so imperilled the Island'e position in
the money market aud bruu~ht its eeoniimy so elose to callapse that the
Island government reluetantly admitted that Confederation was the only
possible solution. Delegetes from the Ieland entered into negotiations
with the Dominion end subrnitted terms of Confederation to the eleetors.
The people were informed that ~heir independenee could not be main-
tained any louger since lhe Island was encumbered with a debt entirely
disproportionate tu its resources. They were also advised that increased
taxation, beeides bein~ unbearable, would on1 y postpone the inevitable
which in the end wuutd have to be accepted. The people reluctantly
yielded to these ar, murnents.

The role plaved hv Prince Edward Island iu the final act of the
Confederai ion drame was in perfect harriiony wilh previous perform-
ances. Confederation was viewed primarily in terms of the financiaI
settlement. The eleciors while voting in favour of the prineiple of Con-
federation gave the mandate to the party that promised to seeure stjll
better terms of admispion. The new government entered into further
negotiations with the Dominion and obtained a iew additionel con-
cessions. In May, 1873, the new terms were carrid almost unanimouely