Editing Charles Tupper (section)

===Minister of Railways and Canals, 1879–1884===
In May 1879, Macdonald decided that completion of the railway was such a priority that he created a new ministry to focus on railways and canals, and Tupper became Canada's first [[Minister of Railways and Canals (Canada)|Minister of Railways and Canals]].<ref name="ODNB"/>

Tupper's motto as Minister of Railways and Canals was "Develop our resources".<ref name="ODNB"/> He stated "I have always supposed that the great object, in every country, and especially in a new country, was to draw as [many] [[Capitalism|capitalists]] into it as possible."<ref name="ODNB"/>

Tupper traveled to London in summer 1879 to attempt to persuade the British government (then headed by [[Benjamin Disraeli|the Earl of Beaconsfield]] in his second term as prime minister) to [[guarantee]] a [[Government bond|bond]] sale to be used to construct the railway.<ref name="ODNB"/> He was not successful, though he did manage to purchase 50,000 tons of steel rails at a bargain price.<ref name="ODNB"/> Tupper's old friend Sandford Fleming oversaw the railway construction, but his inability to keep costs down led to political controversy, and Tupper was forced to remove Fleming as Chief Engineer in May 1880.<ref name="ODNB"/>

1879 also saw Tupper made a [[Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George]], and thus entitled to use the postnominal letters "KCMG".<ref name="ODNB"/>

[[Image:Tupper1881.jpg|thumb|left|Tupper in September 1881]]
In 1880, [[George Stephen, 1st Baron Mount Stephen|George Stephen]] approached Tupper on behalf of a [[syndicate]] and asked to be allowed to take over construction of the railway.<ref name="ODNB"/> Convinced that Stephen's syndicate was up to the task, Tupper convinced the cabinet to back the plan at a meeting in June 1880 and, together with Macdonald, negotiated a contract with the syndicate in October.<ref name="ODNB"/> The syndicate successfully created the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] in February 1881 and assumed construction of the railway shortly thereafter.<ref name="ODNB"/>

In the following years, Tupper was a vocal supporter of the CPR during its competition with the [[Grand Trunk Railway]].<ref name="ODNB"/> In December 1883 he worked out a rescue plan for the CPR after it faced financial difficulties and persuaded his party and Parliament to accept the plan.<ref name="ODNB"/>

In addition to his support for completion of the CPR, Tupper also actively managed the existing railways in the colonies.<ref name="ODNB"/> Shortly after becoming minister in 1879, he forced the [[Intercolonial Railway]] to lower its freight rates, which had been a major grievance of Maritime business interests.<ref name="ODNB"/> He then forced the Grand Trunk Railway to sell its [[Rivière-du-Loup, Quebec|Rivière-du-Loup]] line to the Intercolonial Railway to complete a link between Halifax and the [[St. Lawrence Seaway]].<ref name="ODNB"/> He also refused to give the CPR [[running rights]] over the Intercolonial Railway, though he did convince the CPR to build the Short Line from Halifax to Saint John.<ref name="ODNB"/>

In terms of canals, Tupper's time as Minister of Railways and Canals is notable for large expenditures on widening the [[Welland Canal]] and deepening the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]].<ref name="ODNB"/>

====Deterioration of relationship with Macdonald and appointment as High Commissioner====
A rift developed between Tupper and Macdonald in 1879 over Sandford Fleming, whom Tupper supported but whom Macdonald wanted removed as Chief Engineer of the CPR.<ref name="ODNB"/> This rift was partially healed and Tupper and Macdonald managed to work together during the negotiations with George Stephen's syndicate in 1880, but the men were no longer close, and Tupper no longer seemed to be Macdonald's heir apparent.<ref name="ODNB"/> By early 1881 Tupper had determined that he should leave the cabinet.<ref name="ODNB"/> In March 1881 he asked Macdonald to appoint him as Canada's [[High Commissioner (Commonwealth)|High Commissioner]] in London. Macdonald initially refused, and [[Alexander Tilloch Galt]] retained the High Commissioner's post.<ref name="ODNB"/>

During the [[1882 Canadian federal election|1882 election]], Tupper campaigned only in Nova Scotia (he normally campaigned throughout the country): he was again successful, with the Conservatives winning 14 of Nova Scotia's 21 seats in the [[5th Canadian Parliament]].<ref name="ODNB"/> The 1882 election was personally significant for Tupper because it saw his son, [[Charles Hibbert Tupper]], elected as MP for [[Pictou (federal electoral district)|Pictou]].<ref name="ODNB"/>