throughout Quebec, as early
as September. My impression was that he was as concerned as you
that the Quebec people become immersed in local politics as soon as
possible.”
LaFontaine nodded his approval, which did not
come with a smile, however. Perhaps later, Marc thought.
“Gentlemen,” Garnet Macaulay said into the
momentary silence, “we have been at it for close to two hours. My
staff have prepared a light luncheon and set it out in the
dining-room. May I suggest that we repair to our own chambers to
freshen up, then proceed to our luncheon, and meet back here in
forty minutes?”
“I do believe we have reached consensus on a
basic party platform,” Hincks said happily. “I for one am ready to
celebrate with a little food and drink.”
“May I request one brief addition to the
platform,” Bérubé said, glancing at Robert, “before we leave step
one, that is?”
“It is brief, is it?” Hincks said with
a grin.
“Since we are making a sort of wish-list
here,” Bérubé continued before he could be stopped, “I suggest that
we go on record as a party endorsing Montreal as the natural
capital of Canada.”
This abrupt request caught the members
off-guard for a moment, as they were already anticipating the
pleasures that might await them in the dining-room. But Robert
replied graciously, “None of us has any particular liking for
Kingston as our capital, Daniel, but I’ve been told that Poulett
Thomson has already made up his mind about Kingston, despite its
being woefully unprepared for us.”
“I realize that,” Bérubé said, “but I’m
suggesting that we raise the issue as soon as we can in the new
Assembly, along with the use of French, and move to have the
capital shifted to Montreal as soon as possible.”
Robert looked around the table.
“I see no objection to making that a plank in
our platform,” Hincks said with some admiration for the Montreal
merchant’s willingness to engage freely in the give-and-take of
practical politics.
The others nodded in agreement, although
no-one other than Bérubé expected this item to be given a high
priority or to have an easy passage through the parliament if and
when it was proposed.
“Luncheon, then,” Macaulay said, rubbing his
hands together.
***
Mrs. Blodgett had recovered from her arthritis
enough to prepare the guests a cold repast whose delights kept them
in the dining-room a little beyond the allotted forty minutes. The
atmosphere was convivial, but the temptation to linger over the
mince tart and excellent coffee seemed to be prompted more by a
desire to delay the upcoming session in the library than to prolong
the gormandising. As they all knew well, step two would make step
one look like a walk in the park.
When they had finally reassembled, Macaulay
was quick to turn the proceedings over to Robert Baldwin.
“Gentlemen, I need not remind you,” Robert
began, “that the unprecedented achievement of this morning’s
deliberations will be for nought if the parliamentary system of the
new dominion does not exemplify the principles of responsible
government. All future governors must select the members of their
cabinet from among those elected to the majority party of the
Legislative Assembly, from their associates in the Legislative
Council, or any others who support the policies and maintain the
confidence of that Assembly. Moreover, should said cabinet at any
time lose the confidence of the Assembly, its members shall be
obliged to resign. This is the definition of responsible government
that my father and I have pressed upon successive governors for the
past dozen years, and one which Mr. Hincks and Mr. LaFontaine have
corresponded about for several months hitherto. Without the
adoption of this principle and the evolution of a strict party
politics, our agenda of reform will be stillborn.”
When Marc finished translating, no-one
responded for a moment. Then Bergeron said, “If you have been
unsuccessful so far, what makes
as September. My impression was that he was as concerned as you
that the Quebec people become immersed in local politics as soon as
possible.”
LaFontaine nodded his approval, which did not
come with a smile, however. Perhaps later, Marc thought.
“Gentlemen,” Garnet Macaulay said into the
momentary silence, “we have been at it for close to two hours. My
staff have prepared a light luncheon and set it out in the
dining-room. May I suggest that we repair to our own chambers to
freshen up, then proceed to our luncheon, and meet back here in
forty minutes?”
“I do believe we have reached consensus on a
basic party platform,” Hincks said happily. “I for one am ready to
celebrate with a little food and drink.”
“May I request one brief addition to the
platform,” Bérubé said, glancing at Robert, “before we leave step
one, that is?”
“It is brief, is it?” Hincks said with
a grin.
“Since we are making a sort of wish-list
here,” Bérubé continued before he could be stopped, “I suggest that
we go on record as a party endorsing Montreal as the natural
capital of Canada.”
This abrupt request caught the members
off-guard for a moment, as they were already anticipating the
pleasures that might await them in the dining-room. But Robert
replied graciously, “None of us has any particular liking for
Kingston as our capital, Daniel, but I’ve been told that Poulett
Thomson has already made up his mind about Kingston, despite its
being woefully unprepared for us.”
“I realize that,” Bérubé said, “but I’m
suggesting that we raise the issue as soon as we can in the new
Assembly, along with the use of French, and move to have the
capital shifted to Montreal as soon as possible.”
Robert looked around the table.
“I see no objection to making that a plank in
our platform,” Hincks said with some admiration for the Montreal
merchant’s willingness to engage freely in the give-and-take of
practical politics.
The others nodded in agreement, although
no-one other than Bérubé expected this item to be given a high
priority or to have an easy passage through the parliament if and
when it was proposed.
“Luncheon, then,” Macaulay said, rubbing his
hands together.
***
Mrs. Blodgett had recovered from her arthritis
enough to prepare the guests a cold repast whose delights kept them
in the dining-room a little beyond the allotted forty minutes. The
atmosphere was convivial, but the temptation to linger over the
mince tart and excellent coffee seemed to be prompted more by a
desire to delay the upcoming session in the library than to prolong
the gormandising. As they all knew well, step two would make step
one look like a walk in the park.
When they had finally reassembled, Macaulay
was quick to turn the proceedings over to Robert Baldwin.
“Gentlemen, I need not remind you,” Robert
began, “that the unprecedented achievement of this morning’s
deliberations will be for nought if the parliamentary system of the
new dominion does not exemplify the principles of responsible
government. All future governors must select the members of their
cabinet from among those elected to the majority party of the
Legislative Assembly, from their associates in the Legislative
Council, or any others who support the policies and maintain the
confidence of that Assembly. Moreover, should said cabinet at any
time lose the confidence of the Assembly, its members shall be
obliged to resign. This is the definition of responsible government
that my father and I have pressed upon successive governors for the
past dozen years, and one which Mr. Hincks and Mr. LaFontaine have
corresponded about for several months hitherto. Without the
adoption of this principle and the evolution of a strict party
politics, our agenda of reform will be stillborn.”
When Marc finished translating, no-one
responded for a moment. Then Bergeron said, “If you have been
unsuccessful so far, what makes
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