Editing Charles Tupper (section)

====Quebec Conference, October 1864====
The [[Quebec Conference, 1864|Quebec Conference]] was held on October 10, as a follow-up to the Charlottetown Conference, with [[Colony of Newfoundland|Newfoundland]] only attending to observe.<ref name="ODNB"/> Tupper headed the Nova Scotia delegation to the Quebec Conference.<ref name="ODNB"/> He supported a legislative union of the colonies (which would mean that there would be only one legislature for the united colonies).<ref name="ODNB"/> However, the [[French Canadian]] delegates to the conference, notably [[George-Étienne Cartier]] and [[Hector-Louis Langevin]], strongly opposed the idea of a legislative union. Tupper threw his weight behind Macdonald's proposal for a [[Federalism|federal]] union, which would see each colony retain its own legislature, with a central legislature in charge of common interests.<ref name="ODNB"/> Tupper argued in favour of a strong central government as a second best to a pure legislative union.<ref name="ODNB"/> He felt, however, that the local legislatures should retain the ability to levy duties on their natural resources.<ref name="ODNB"/>

Concerned that a united legislature would be dominated by the Province of Canada, Tupper pushed for regional representation in the upper house of the confederated colonies (a goal which would be achieved in the makeup of the [[Senate of Canada]]).<ref name="ODNB"/>

On the topic of which level of government would control customs in the union, Tupper ultimately agreed to accept the formula by which the federal government controlled customs in exchange for an annual subsidy of 80 cents a year for each Nova Scotian.<ref name="ODNB"/> This deal was ultimately not good for Nova Scotia, which had historically received most of its government revenue from customs, and as a result, Nova Scotia entered Confederation with a [[Government budget deficit|deficit]].<ref name="ODNB"/>
[[Image:YoungTupper2.JPG|150px|thumb|left|Tupper in 1865]]