At the Quebec Conference on October tenth, 1864, the delegates agreed on seventy-two resolutions that set out which powers each level of government would have. Their decision was based on the desire to have a strong federal government with limited power for the provincial government. This was partially based on what the delegates had seen happen with the United States" government and the British system of government, which were the two extremes in terms of federal versus provincial levels of control. The delegates saw that the US Constitution caused problems by according too much power to each individual states, and ultimately led to the American Civil War. Also, they did not want a legislative union like Britain had, because minority rights, like those of the Welsh and Scots were not protected. To decide on what should be controlled by which level of government, the delegates looked at what needed to be uniform throughout the country, and what could vary from province to province. The delegates proposed that the federal government would control currency and weight and the measuring system, as well as controlling taxes, and duties on imported goods. Control of the post office, transportation system, and communication between provinces went to the federal government. The criminal law system and military defense also made the list of powers for the federal government. The federal level had the most powers; powers for the provincial government were those which would not interfere with the overall governance of the country. The needs of the Canadiens were met by allowing the provinces to control administration of the justice system. Needs that would differ across the provinces were provided for; the provincial government was allowed to judge things such as what kind of education was provided. Also, matters like infrastructure, and local trade and business the provincial government also controlled.
