On Tuesday Mr. Bright brought forward his motion for a
Commission to proceed to Nova Scotia and inquire into the griev- ances alleged by the Nova Scotians against the Act of last session which incorporated them in the Dominion of British North America, with his usual ability. Ile was not, however, quite candid in maintaining, as he did, that the Nova &aim's had been surprised into a Confederation which they had never contem- plated and never approved. The Nova Scotiaas, who have passed the most furious resolutions against any conceivable union with Canada, as well as against that actual union to which they are subjected, were the first to urge union, and were entirely unanimous, in 1862, in recommending it. Nay, the Nova Scotian Assembly and Council of last year (1867) passed resolutions, not only in favour of some such general union, but of the actual Dominion in which they are now included. The new Nova Scotian Parliament apparently repudiates this step. Out of 38 members of it, 36 are hostile to the union ; and out of 19 delegates to the central government at Ottawa, 17 are anxious to obtain a divorce from that government. Moreover, it is maintained that a special dissolution should have been taken on this question alone. Yet no one denies the legal competency of the Parliament to do what it did ; and we must say we think the Imperial interest in this matter has a prior right to be heard. We are not bound to keep Nova Scotia on her own terms. The Dominion seems to be doing all in its power to meet the views of Nova Scotia on the tariff, and, on the whole we are glad that Mr. Bright's motion was decisively rejected by a majority of 96,-183 votes against 87.
