Soon after the close of the session Messrs Macdonald, Galt, Cartier, and Brown went to England to confer with the imperial authorities on various matters of grave public import.  The British government agreed to guarantee a loan for the construction of the Intercolonial Railway and gave additional assurances of their deep interest in the proposed confederation.  An understanding was reached with respect to the mutual obligations of the parent state and the dependency to provide for the defences of the country.  Preliminary steps were taken in the direction of acquiring the north-west from the Hudson’s Bay Company on equitable terms whenever their exact legal rights were ascertained.  The report of the delegates was laid before the Canadian parliament during a very short session held in August and September of 1865.  It was then that parliament formally ratified the Civil Code of Lower Canada, with which must be always honourably associated the name of Mr. Cartier.

In the maritime provinces, however, the prospect for some months was far from encouraging.  Much dissatisfaction was expressed with the financial terms, and the haste with which the maritime delegates had yielded to the propositions of the Canadian government and given their adhesion to the larger scheme, when they were only authorised in the first instance by their respective legislatures to consider the feasibility of a union of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island.  In New Brunswick Mr. Tilley found himself in a minority as a result of an appeal to the people on the question in 1865, but his successor Mr., afterwards Sir, Albert Smith, minister of marine in the Mackenzie government of 1873-78, was forced to resign a year later on some question purposely raised by Lieutenant-Governor Hamilton Gordon, then very anxious to carry the union before he left the province.  A new government was immediately formed by Mr. Peter Mitchell, a very energetic Liberal politician—­the first minister of marine in the first Dominion ministry—­who had notoriously influenced the lieutenant-governor in his arbitrary action of practically dismissing the Smith cabinet.  On an appeal to the people Mr. Mitchell was sustained, and the new legislature gave its approval to the union by a large majority.  The opinion then generally prevailed in New Brunswick that a federation was essential to the security of the provinces, then threatened by the Fenians, and would strengthen the hands of the parent state on the American continent.  In Nova Scotia the situation was aggravated by the fact that the opposition was led by Mr. Howe, who had always been the idol of a large party in the country, and an earnest and consistent supporter of the right of the people to be first consulted on every measure immediately affecting their interests.  He succeeded in creating a powerful sentiment against the terms of the measure—­especially the financial conditions—­and it was not possible during 1865 to carry it in the legislature.  It