THE IMPERIAL FEDERATION LEAGUE
In 1884 a movement was begun in England, and the Imperial Federation
League was formed, for the purpose of securing the Federation of the
whole Empire, on somewhat the same lines as the Confederation of
Canada. The Right Hon. W. E. Forster was the moving spirit, and the
first President of the organisation. The objects of the League are
clearly laid down in the following resolutions defining its nature and
objects, which were passed at an adjourned conference held in London on
the 18th November, 1884:
That a Society be now formed to be called "The Imperial Federation
League."
That the object of the League be to secure by Federation the permanent
Unity of the Empire.
That no scheme of Federation should interfere with the existing rights
of local Parliaments as regards local affairs.
That any scheme of Imperial Federation should combine, on an equitable
basis, the resources of the Empire for the maintenance of common
interests and adequately provide for an organised defence of common
rights.
That the League use every constitutional means to bring about the
object for which it is formed and invite the support of men of all
political parties.
That the membership of the League be open to any British subject who
accepts the principles of the League, and pays a yearly registration
fee of not less than one shilling.
That donations and subscriptions be invited for providing means for
conducting the business of the League.
That British subjects throughout the Empire be invited to become
members, and to form and organise Branches of the League which may
place their representatives on the General Committee.
It will be seen that the main object of this League was to secure by
Federation the permanent Unity of the Empire. The existing rights
of local Parliaments as to local affairs were to be preserved,
but the resources of the Empire were to be combined to maintain
common interests, and to provide for an organised defence of common
rights. That was the whole scheme in a nutshell, to form a Federated
Parliament, which would not interfere with local affairs, but would
have power to use the resources of the Empire for common defence. No
other object was given to the public. It was really formed to secure
colonial contributions to Imperial Defence.
The Imperial Federation League in Canada was inaugurated at a meeting
held in Montreal under the leadership of the late Mr. D'Alton McCarthy,
M.P., on the 9th day of May, 1885. A large number of prominent men
were present, and speeches were made by Jehu Matthews, Benjamin Allen,
M.P., D'Alton McCarthy, Senator Plumb, G. R. R. Cockburn, Edgar Baker,
M.P., Hector Cameron, M.P., A. W. Ross, M.P., Hugh McLennan, Senator
Macfarlane, Alexander McNeill, M.P., Dr. Potts, Hon. George E. Foster,
M.P., and Principal G. M. Grant. The first branch of the Canadian
League was organised at the small town of Ingersoll in Ontario in May,
1886, principally through the exertions of Mr. J. Castell Hopkins,
then a young man twenty-two years of age, and a junior clerk in the
agency of the Imperial Bank of that place. Mr. M. Walsh was elected
President, and Mr. Hopkins Secretary. Mr. Hopkins has ever since been
an active and industrious supporter of the movement. An influential
branch was inaugurated in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in December, 1886, of
which his Grace Archbishop O'Brien was one of the foremost members. The
next branch was established at Peterborough on the 28th April, 1887,
mainly through the exertions of Mr. J. M. Long. A small branch was
also started in Victoria, but in 1888 had not been affiliated to the
Canadian organisation.
In 1886, Lt.-Colonel Wm. Hamilton Merritt, one of the officers of my
regiment, came to me and endeavoured to enlist my sympathies in the
new movement. I discussed the whole subject fully with him. He had
hoped to get me to accept the presidency of the branch to be formed in
Toronto. I refused to take any part in the matter, feeling that Canada
was getting along very well, but that she had only just expended nearly
$150,000,000 in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and
that she required some years of steady development before she could
undertake any further expenditures on a large scale for Imperial
defence, for I saw this was the main object of the League in England.
I did not think the time had come, nor the necessity, for pressing
this point, and that public opinion would not be in favour of any such
movement.
It will be seen that Imperial Federation made very little progress
for the first two or three years. In 1885, 1886, and 1887, only
three branches, and, with the exception of Halifax, very small and
uninfluential ones, had been established in all Canada.
There was no branch in Toronto, the most Imperialistic and most loyal
of all the cities of Canada, and up to the fall of 1887 the movement
had made but little headway.
In the year 1887, however, a movement arose which changed the whole
features of the case, which altered all the conditions, and made it
necessary for all loyal men in Canada to consider seriously the future
of their country. This movement, known as Commercial Union will be
dealt with in the next chapter.