We have been hard at work with our constitutional discussion for two days, and everything goes as well as we could possibly hope for. I do believe we will succeed. The discussion to-day lasted from 12 o'clock till 5.45, and from first to last it was highly interesting, most deeply interesting. For perhaps the first time in my political life I indulged in a regular chuckle of gratified pride (no higher sentiment) at the thought of my presiding over such a discussion by such men, there not being one man at the table who had not openly derided the idea of such a scene ever occurring in our lifetime. I could not help recalling many furious scenes in which several of those around me had bitterly denounced me for even proposing the consideration of the very subject they were then engaged in settling under my presidency! It will be an immense thing if we accomplish it. I don't believe any of us appreciate in its true importance the immensity of the work we are engaged in. But there is one thing peculiar about our position. There is no other instance on record of a colony peacefully remodelling its own constitution, such changes having been always the work of the parent state and not of the colonists themselves. Canada is rightly setting the example of a new and better state of things.

HALIFAX, Sept. 12, 1864.

Now for my travels. We sailed down the St. Lawrence in the good steamer Queen Victoria on Monday night, 29th August; had fine weather all the way, and enjoyed ourselves greatly. On Wednesday morning we reached Gaspé, and went into that beautiful little fishing town amid firing of cannon and all sorts of rejoicings. So far our negotiations have gone most favourably. We are all in favour of federation, if we can agree on conditions, and we have good hopes that we can do so.

QUEBEC, Sept. 19, 1864.

We left Halifax for St John, N. B., via Windsor. After a pleasant run by rail and boat, we got safely to our destination the same evening St. John is a pleasant city of 40,000 people, the most thriving place in the Maritime Provinces. On the night of our arrival we had a grand entertainment by the citizens, at which we all made speeches. The affair went off splendidly, and we made quite a good impression. Next morning we took steamer for Fredericton, the capital of the province, 84 miles from St. John, up the St. John river. This a noble stream, very picturesque; hills rising on both sides high above it, and gradually sloping down to its level. On our arrival we found the Governor's carriage waiting for Cartier, Galt and myself, he having invited us to be his guests during our stay at Fredericton, He is a son of Lord Aberdeen, who was a few years ago prime minister of Great Britain. Next day we returned to St. John; the same night took a special train for Shediac, where our steamer was awaiting us. We got safely on board at midnight on Friday, set sail for Quebec, and had a delightful run up the St. Lawrence. Our expedition has been all and more than we could have hoped

more.

QUEBEC, Sept. 23, 1864.

I sat down at 9 o'clock to write you a long letter, but before I had made a commencement the correspondent of the New York Herald came in to ask some hints on the subject of federation. He consumed an hour and While he was still with me in came Mr. Philips Day, a freshly arrived commissioner from the London Herald and Standard" Mother Gamp" and "Mrs. Harris," as Punch delights to designate them-on the same errand as the New York Herald man. I could not turn them out, so it was 12 before they went, and then came my messenger boy by appointment to take my letters and papers to the post office. Neither were begun,

so I set him to put up a lot of papers with my Halifax speech, and I addressed them to friends in Scotland and England. He is just gone, and is to come early in the morning for this. I have been up to the ears morning, noon and night since I wrote you, drawing up reports for council, framing minutes, and all sorts of things. My correspondence is fearfully in arrears,

I am happy to tell you that we won't have to sail from Liverpool until December. It will rejoice you to know that business claims will entirely harmonize with comfort, and that the first week in December will be our time of sailing. I intend, if all goes well, to sail by the China from New York on the 19th October.

I mark your crowing over the fine Arran weather, but cannot help noting the cautious wording, "Not a day lost!" Nothing about half days, and umbrellas and great-coats. What would the aboriginals of Arran think of ten weeks without a drop of rain or a cloud on the sky, night or day? That is a climate for you! The blessings we enjoy in Canada are unspeakable; though it must be confessed that such charming weather is hardly the thing for turnips!

I dined at the Governor-General's on Wednesday evening to meet Lord Lyons, the British ambassador at Washington. And whom else do you think I met! Why, the Earl of Airlie, the descendant of the lady of my song. I told him I had a great admiration for his great-great-great-grandmother, whom "the fause Argyle" entreated to "come doon and kiss me fairlie," or he would burn up the bonnie house o' Airlie-the unmannerly Covenanter that he was!

I enclose a confidential paper showing the outline of our federation scheme-it is for F. T.'s perusal. It will be published next week in the Canadian papers, to elicit criticism, without official sanction. It is, however, an accurate sketch of our scheme.

QUEBEC, Oct. 17, 1864.

For the first time since my return to Quebec, I have a quiet moment. Last week the council met at 9 o'clock, and sat till 11; the conference from 11 o'clock to 4. Council again from 4 o'clock to 6 or later, and after dinner came letter writing, resolutions, drafting, till all hours in the morn ing. This week we have council from 9 to 10 o'clock; conference from 10 to 2; council from 2 to 6; and conference from 7.30 as long as we like to sit.

The conference proceedings get along very well, considering we wer very near broken up on the question of the distribution of members in the Upper Chamber of the federal legislature, but fortunately we have this morning got the matter amicably compromised, after a loss of three days in discussing it. We have eight or ten other points of great difficulty yet to be got over, and it is impossible to say when we will get through. If the conference lasts all next week, I am distressed to say that I must delay my departure till the 9th November. I hope and believe that this will not be necessary; but I know that you would not wish me to imperil all my work, and ruin myself with my political friends throughout the country, by abandoning this great scheme at the very moment when a firm hand was most needful.

QUEBEC, Oct. 15, 1864.

I have just come from a grand ball given by the Executive Council to the Maritime delegates in the parliament buildings. It went off very well; but I have come to my quarters weary and worn, and with a shocking headache. We have had such a week of it. Council from 9 o'clock to 11, conference from 11 o'clock to 4; council again from 4 o'clock to 6, and sometimes till 7 every day, and then letters and orders in council to

write at night. It has been very hard work; however, the deliberations of the council go on harmoniously, and there is no appearance yet of any insurmountable obstacle. We progress very slowly, however, and how soon some difficulty may show itself no one can tell. The probability is that at least another week will be consumed, which will forbid the possibility of my leaving before the Scotia sails-the 2nd November, my poor dear mother's birthday. It cannot be helped, and we must not repine at doing our duty.

QUEBEC, October 21, 1864.

Since writing I have received a whole batch of letters from you, and I am delighted to hear that you are well and enjoying yourself so very much, and that baby is not only able to say pa-pa, but to stand up in the corner with a little help. It is no little deprivation to have lost all the pleasure of watching her progress to such an advanced stage of babyhood; in fact, the little darling will have ceased to be a baby before I get over

The conference is still sitting, and I am sorry to say there is no hope of our rising before the middle of next week. We have had pretty hard work to settle a number of knotty points, and have not done with them yet. We have settled the constitution of the federal executive, the federal senate, and the federal House of Commons; we have also settled the form of the local legislature and governments, but we have yet to determine the whole of the money questions, the school question, and the powers and functions of both general and local governments. There is yet plenty to do, and quite enough to split us up should we disagree. It is quite possible this may be the result, but we shall try to avoid it.

The position of matters is such that I cannot leave the conference at this moment. I must stick to the ship until the breakers are passed, and I see no hope of this being accomplished in time to let me off by the Scotia. It is quite possible that such a turn of affairs may occur as will render it necessary for me to see at once my parliamentary friends before finally assenting to the new constitution. It will therefore be safe to say that I cannot leave before the 9th November. I am more distressed than I can tell you, but it cannot be helped; I must do my duty in the position I have assumed. Nothing could save my reputation-more important still, nothing could ever restore peace of mind and self-respect to mewere this great movement to fail in consequence of my absence at the critical moment. The very moment I dare leave I will be off. We shall finish this business up, and retire, at least in the consciousness of having tried to do our duty.

TORONTO, Oct. 31, 1864.

We got through our work at Quebec very well. The constitution is not exactly to my mind in all its details; but as a whole, it is wonderfulreally wonderful. When one thinks of all the fighting we have had for fifteen years, and finds the very men who fought us every inch now going far beyond what we asked, I am amazed, and sometimes alarmed lest it all goes to pieces yet. We have yet to pass the ordeal of public opinion in the several provinces, and sad indeed will it be if the measure is not adopted by acclamation in them all. For Upper Canada, we may well rejoice the day it becomes law. Nearly all our past difficulties are ended by it, whatever new ones may arise.

I think I wrote you about the entertainments at Quebec-the ball given by the Executive Council, the drawing room held by the Governor-General, the ball given by the bachelors of Quebec, and the endless dinners and feastings in honour of our guests. The same sort of thing is now to go off in Montreal, Ottawa, and Toronto. On Friday they go on to the Falls, and home by New York and Boston. From the day they left home till

7

the day they get back, the whole of the delegates, and the ladies accompanying them, are the guests of Canada. 1 am hard at work preparing for my departure, and there is much to do. I send you photographs of a number of the members of our conference. I will get the balance of them on Thursday, and send them to you this day week. We must keep them as a memento of the great occasion. If we live twenty years, we will prize them much as recalling stirring times-that is, provided the feder ation goes on,

TORONTO, Nov. 7, 1864.

I am very sorry for all the disappointments you have had from week to week, but indeed it could not be helped, and they will soon end now. One week from the day you receive this letter I shall be with you, if all is well. I am writing before breakfast on Monday morning. The mail goes to-day at 11.30, and this is my last day in Toronto. I go to Quebec tomorrow morning; reach there on Wednesday; leave for Montreal on Saturday; leave Montreal for New York on Monday; reach New York on Tuesday; and sail by the Persia on Wednesday.

We have had great times in Toronto this week. The delegates arrived on Wednesday night, and only left for Montreal on Saturday. The déjeuner and ball went off splendidly; I only looked in at the ball for ten minutes, having urgent business requiring my attention at the office that night. I send you a copy of the Globe with the speeches at the déjeûner. People are making a fuss about my speech, which they say was the best I ever made, but that is stuff. This was the first time that the confederation scheme was really laid open to the public. No doubt right in saying that the French Canadians were restive about the scheme, but the feeling in favour of it is all but unanimous here, and I think there is a good chance of carrying it. At any rate, come what may, I can now get out of the affair, and out of public life, with honour, for I have had placed on record a scheme that would bring to an end all the grievances of which Upper Canada has so long complained.

QUEBEC, Nov. 11, 1864.

was

I left Toronto on Tuesday morning, and got here safely the next morn ing. Before leaving, among other things I bought a wall paper for dear little Maddie's room--a bright, lively pattern for the little darling to wonder at, and a pretty border round it.

LONDON, Dec. 5, 1864.

دو

The government here has given a "most gracious answer to our constitutional scheme. Nothing could be more laudatory. It outdoes anything that ever went to auy British colony-praises our statesmanship, discretion, loyalty, and so on.

LONDON, Dec. 6, 1864.

I went to see Gladstone last evening, and had an hour and a half with him-a most delightful talk, frank, able, clear-headed, and most straightforward. I was glad to find we agreed in almost everything, and I was able to put him right on many points that he had not clearly understood about Canada. From his kind manner one does feel he is a tremendous length beyond all others intellectually, as he has really shown himself to be. I had been an hour and a half with the ablest man in England, and though (as he remarked) we had been discussing the highest questions of statesmanship, he did not drag me by any means out of my depth. He was immensely civil; regretted he was going out of town to-morrow, but hoped to have the pleasure of seeing me again before I left England, and urged me to look in on him at any time; and so on.

LONDON, Dec. 8, 1864.

About that little bit of my letter concerning Gladstone, I thought it quite natural that you should read it aloud, as another proof of Dundreary's profound enunciation that “ every perthon maketh an ath of

himthelf at times."

I am glad to hear that baby was very wild yesterday. Kiss her dear little fingers for tearing my letter; it was a proof of her agricultural tastes. She knew the letter was from Captain Taylor, and she was luxuriating in the rambles she is to have with papa through the woods of Bothwell, and wanted to know how matters were proceeding for her reception. Oh, the day when that shall come!

QUEBEC, Feb. 7, 1865.

John A. opened the confederation debate last night. Cartier is now addressing his countrymen in English, and he is to do it in French afterwards. I was to have followed him, but as I am not yet ready, and as there will not be time enough left for me after Cartier closes, Galt has kindly agreed to follow Cartier, and leave me all to-morrow (after 7.30) to myself. If I am in the right frame, I will make a vigorous speech! It is in my mind, if I can get it out; so look out for Thursday morning's Globe.

QUEBEC, Feb. 9, 1865.

I commenced my speech at eight o'clock, and spoke till 12.30. The House was well filled the whole time, and I was listened to throughout with earnest attention. I suspect it was pretty successful, and between you and me, the argument in favour of the scheme is perfectly irresistible. When I closed, the members of all sides came round me, warmly congratulating me on the speech. They say it was far the best speech I ever delivered; but of that I am not certain. Kisses dear for little Maddie.

QUEBEC, February 24, 1865.
We have heretofore com-

The confederation debate goes slowly on. menced it at 7.30 every night, but hereafter we propose to begin the debate every day at 3 o'clock until it is closed. We don't expect that over 30 will vote against the measure.

The weather is beautiful.

I am wearying to be away, and looking out for another farm to which the select portion of the Bothwell flocks and herds may be carried.

Write all about little darling's daily doings. You cannot tell how much I enjoy all you say about her; kiss her for papa a thousand times.

QUEBEC, March 6, 1865.

It does pain me somewhat to part with Bothwell; I feel a blank. It' supplied relaxation when I wanted to escape from the pressure of thought about things around me. I believe thinking of Bothwell has been of essential service to my mind, and the working it out was most enjoyable. I could readily, to-morrow, without regret or hesitation, give up politics and the press and go on a large farm. I might tire of it, of course, but I don't think I would.

We are to have a great scene in the House to-day, and I am writing this before going down to it. The government of New Brunswick appealed to the people on confederation by a general election, and have got beaten. This puts a serious obstacle in the way of our scheme, and we mean to act promptly and decidedly upon it. At 3 o'clock we are to announce the necessity of carrying the resolutions for confederation at once, sending