"Government of Canada, actilng for its Legislature and
"people, cannot, through those feelings of deference
"which they owe to the Imperial authorities, in any
" manner waive or diminish the right of the people of
"Canada to decide for themselves both as to the mode
"and extent to which taxation shall be imposed. The.
"Provincial Ministry are at all times ready to afford
"explanations in regard to the acts of the Legislature
"to which they are party-but, subject to their duty
" and allegiance to Her Majesty, their responsibility in
"all general questions of policy must be to the Provin-
"cial Parliament, by whose confidence thev administer
"the affairs of the country. And in the irposition of
"taxation, it is so plainly necessary that the Administra-
"tion and the people should be in accord, that the
"f?rmer cannot admit responsibility, or require appro-
"val, beyond that of the local Legislature. Self-govern-
"ment would be utterly annihilated if the views of the
"Imperial Government were to be preferred to those
"of the people of Canada. It is, therefore, the duty of
"'the present Government distinctly to affirm the right
" of the Canadian Legislature to adjust the taxation of
" the people in the way they deem best-even if it
" Ehould unfortunately happen to meet the disapproval
"of the Imperial Ministry. Her Majesty cannot be
' advised to disallow such acts, unless Her advisers are
"prepared to assume the administration of the affairs
"of the Colony, irrespective of the views of its inhabi-
" tants. The Imperial Government are not respon-
"sible for the debts and engagements of Canada,
"they do not maintain its Judicial, Educational,
"or Civil Service, they contribute nothing to the
"internal government of the country; and the Pro-
v' incial Legislature, acting through a Ministry directly
" responsible to it, has to make provision for all these
"wants; they must necessarily claim and exercise the
"widest latitude as to the nature and extent of the
"burdens to be placed uponl the industry of the people.
The Provincial Government believes that His Grace
" must share their own convictions on this important
" subject, but as serious evil would have resulted had
' His Grace takenl a different course, it is wiser to
" prevent future complication by distinctly stating the