then,” Robert said. “Let us proceed
to tackle these issues one by one. Who would like to begin?”
At this point Graves Chilton slipped into the
room so quietly that only Garnet Macaulay noticed him poised above
a tea-trolley just inside the doorway. Macaulay dipped his chin,
and Chilton sidled around the delegates and deposited a steaming
cup of coffee before each one without ruffling a cuff or stinting
the flow of conversation. He even managed to slip a dish of
macaroons silently alongside Robert Baldwin’s coffee cup. Chilton
alone was to be allowed into the room at predetermined intervals to
serve refreshment and clear away unwanted dishes, after which he
was to slip across the hall to his office, where he kept watch with
the door open. Again, Marc was impressed with the security
precautions Macaulay had taken. No employee was to leave the
grounds of Elmgrove between now and Friday evening: sufficient
supplies of food and drink had been laid in for the duration. They
were snowbound, and safe. The rest was up to the men in this
room.
***
Looking steadily at Bérubé while he spoke and Marc
translated, Francis Hincks said, “The economic development of each
of our provinces has been stunted and strangled for almost ten
years because successive governors and their reactionary
administrations have been terrified of the emergence of an
entrepreneurial middle class, one whose success would threaten
their chokehold on the banking system and challenge their right to
appoint their friends and relations to government posts, where
their incompetence compounds the injury. Both provinces need public
improvements to foster trade and industry. Our roads are a
disgrace, our canal system is in need of renewal and expansion, our
city streets need paving, and our postal service must be
modernized.”
Bérubé nodded enthusiastically long before
Marc had finished translating.
“But these improvements will be financed
principally by one province, will they not?”
It was LaFontaine, who had spoken for the
first time on an issue, and all eyes turned to him. But he did not
elaborate. Finally, Hincks said, “You are referring, of course, to
the fact that the Upper Canadian debt of eighty thousand pounds
will be taken over by the new dominion?”
Tremblay did not wait for the translation.
“In being compelled to merge with you, we are to start out as an
insolvent state!” he said angrily. “At the present we in Quebec
have no public debt, not a penny! How can we begin to collaborate
with you English when such an inequity stares us in the face?”
“I agree, sir, that the inequity exists,”
Hincks said, “and we did all we could last fall in our Assembly to
get better terms for the union. But the union itself is as good as
made. We can’t be expected to review or regret the terms that will
be law in a month or two.”
“Yes, but it is also expected that we begin
by being able to trust one another and to feel comfortable with
each other’s motives,” Tremblay said, not quite as angrily but
forcefully nonetheless. “When we see the terms of union so
blatantly stacked against us – we’ve got half the seats but
three-fifths of the population and only your language is to
be spoken in the Legislature – how are we to put any faith in your
claims and promises?”
“Mr. LaFontaine here has spoken eloquently
from a dozen platforms about the injustices of the Union Act,”
Bergeron said evenly. “We have come here with our distinguished
leader as a courtesy to him – to listen and judge for ourselves
whether there are English voices worth our attention. It is you , sirs, who must convince us that our dangerous
journey and audacious gamble have been worthwhile.”
LaFontaine made no sign that he acknowledged
the reference to him or approved of the remark itself. Marc was
beginning to wonder what sort of game he was playing.
It was Robert who calmed the waters. “I
suggest, Mr. Tremblay, that we all remember how we
to tackle these issues one by one. Who would like to begin?”
At this point Graves Chilton slipped into the
room so quietly that only Garnet Macaulay noticed him poised above
a tea-trolley just inside the doorway. Macaulay dipped his chin,
and Chilton sidled around the delegates and deposited a steaming
cup of coffee before each one without ruffling a cuff or stinting
the flow of conversation. He even managed to slip a dish of
macaroons silently alongside Robert Baldwin’s coffee cup. Chilton
alone was to be allowed into the room at predetermined intervals to
serve refreshment and clear away unwanted dishes, after which he
was to slip across the hall to his office, where he kept watch with
the door open. Again, Marc was impressed with the security
precautions Macaulay had taken. No employee was to leave the
grounds of Elmgrove between now and Friday evening: sufficient
supplies of food and drink had been laid in for the duration. They
were snowbound, and safe. The rest was up to the men in this
room.
***
Looking steadily at Bérubé while he spoke and Marc
translated, Francis Hincks said, “The economic development of each
of our provinces has been stunted and strangled for almost ten
years because successive governors and their reactionary
administrations have been terrified of the emergence of an
entrepreneurial middle class, one whose success would threaten
their chokehold on the banking system and challenge their right to
appoint their friends and relations to government posts, where
their incompetence compounds the injury. Both provinces need public
improvements to foster trade and industry. Our roads are a
disgrace, our canal system is in need of renewal and expansion, our
city streets need paving, and our postal service must be
modernized.”
Bérubé nodded enthusiastically long before
Marc had finished translating.
“But these improvements will be financed
principally by one province, will they not?”
It was LaFontaine, who had spoken for the
first time on an issue, and all eyes turned to him. But he did not
elaborate. Finally, Hincks said, “You are referring, of course, to
the fact that the Upper Canadian debt of eighty thousand pounds
will be taken over by the new dominion?”
Tremblay did not wait for the translation.
“In being compelled to merge with you, we are to start out as an
insolvent state!” he said angrily. “At the present we in Quebec
have no public debt, not a penny! How can we begin to collaborate
with you English when such an inequity stares us in the face?”
“I agree, sir, that the inequity exists,”
Hincks said, “and we did all we could last fall in our Assembly to
get better terms for the union. But the union itself is as good as
made. We can’t be expected to review or regret the terms that will
be law in a month or two.”
“Yes, but it is also expected that we begin
by being able to trust one another and to feel comfortable with
each other’s motives,” Tremblay said, not quite as angrily but
forcefully nonetheless. “When we see the terms of union so
blatantly stacked against us – we’ve got half the seats but
three-fifths of the population and only your language is to
be spoken in the Legislature – how are we to put any faith in your
claims and promises?”
“Mr. LaFontaine here has spoken eloquently
from a dozen platforms about the injustices of the Union Act,”
Bergeron said evenly. “We have come here with our distinguished
leader as a courtesy to him – to listen and judge for ourselves
whether there are English voices worth our attention. It is you , sirs, who must convince us that our dangerous
journey and audacious gamble have been worthwhile.”
LaFontaine made no sign that he acknowledged
the reference to him or approved of the remark itself. Marc was
beginning to wonder what sort of game he was playing.
It was Robert who calmed the waters. “I
suggest, Mr. Tremblay, that we all remember how we
Similar Books
