62 OUR ISLAND STORY

trade and communication with the mainland, ”and during Which period this Island could receive no possible. benefit from the rail? roads and other public works which Islanders would, equally with the people of those provinces, be taxed to construct.” .

And the fourth reason for refusing to enter the Union, upon the Quebec terms, was the necessity of uniting in a Confederation with Canada for the purpose of defence upon terms which in other respects are unfair to the people of Prince Edward Island, and “thereby sacrificing our commercial and financial intere'sts for the sake of securing the co-operation of Canada in a military point of View, it being our abiding hope and conviction that, so long as we remain a loyal and attached colony of Great Britain, under whose protecting sway and benign influence we have so long had the happiness to live, and endeavor to aid by a reasonable con- tribution towards the defence of our colony, by placing our militia service upon a sounder and safer footing than it has hitherto at- tained, the powerful aid of our Mother Country Will continue, as heretofore, to be extended to us in common with the other North American dependencies of the British CroWn.” . i i

It was added by the assembled legislators that “for the. fore: going reasons, and many others which we could urge, we beg most humbly and respectfully to state to your Majesty that we, the representatives of your faithful subjects, the people of Prince ' Edward Island, in Colonial Parliament assembled, do disagree to the recommendations contained in the said report of the Quebec Conference, and on the part of Prince Edward ISland doemphati- cally decline a union.” '-

The Imperial Government and the Canadian statesmen en- gaged 1n the consummation of the Union continued, neverthe- less, their efforts to induce the Government and people of Prince Edward Island to join the Confederation. By correspondence and by delegations, in which Sir Etienne Cartier and other distin- ' guished men took part, plessure was brought to bear upon thOSe Who were in control of business and affairs 1n this Island. While in London, 1n the year 1866, the Hon. James C Pope had inter- Vlews with Sir John A. Macdonald, who was then engaged 1n pre- paring for the Union that had been agreed upon by the larger