Alexander Galt, a business man and financial intellect, is recognized as perhaps one of the paramount politicians of his time. Alexander Galt's contribution to economic development and his passion for defending minority religious rights to education truly made him one of the fathers of confederation. First producing a federal union proposal, and then aiding a coalition government party in instating confederation in Canada, to finally becoming finance minister under John A. Macdonald. .
Alexander Galt, a Montreal businessman and railway promoter, began urging the British provinces to for a union in the late 1850s. In 1858, Galt agreed to become minister of finance in John A. Macdonald's cabinet on the condition that the Canadian Provincial government would work towards such a union. Galt attended the three conferences at Charlottetown, Quebec, and London, and was largely responsible for working out the financial terms of confederation. .
Alexander Galt had a plan for the federation of the British North American colonies. Like others observing the political scene, Galt had conscious of the escalating difficulties in maintaining equality in representation between Lower and Upper Canada within a proposed union. He however, believed the solution lay within replacing the union with a federative system which would be accepted by the colonies. Galt had a detailed conception of how the organization of the power within such a federation may be organized. A central government with both fundamental as well as residual powers, a supreme court instated, and payment of federal subsidies to the provinces. Galt persuaded his colleagues to attempt at instating this federal union as the new .
-1-.
-2-.
government. The federal union was met with opposition when brought to the attention of imperial authorities. They showed no enthusiasm for the plan, and other colonies made little response. Following the discontinuation of his federal union proposal, Galt concentrated on resolving the financial problems which had increasingly plagued the province.
