The vessels owned by the governments of the colonies had thus been given their special British Union flags, but provision had not been made for those owned by private citizens. The plain red ensign has, by authority of Queen Anne, become the national right of all British subjects on all lands as well as on all seas. As the colonies developed in native energy so their merchant shipping increased, and in recognition of this advance, and in order that their ports of origin might be made known, all colonial-owned merchant vessels were accorded, in 1889,[190] the right of wearing, _together_ with the red ensign, an _additional_ flag on which might be shown the distinguishing badge or insignia of their colony, similarly as under James I. direction had been given to raise the separate national Jack of England or of Scotland at the same time as the King's Union Jack. In order to prevent the possibility of mistakes in identification, it was further directed that any flags of this character were to be made in such a way as not to resemble any of the existing flags of the Royal Navy. [190] Merchant Shipping (Colours) Act, 1889. In some of the Australian colonies local flags of excellent design had been devised, but these _additional_ flags of entirely separate design were not all that could be desired, for while the special local flag might give expression to the local patriotism represented, there might come with it also an idea of separation, and it did not succeed in expressing the dominant and prevailing sentiment of allegiance to "One Empire, One Flag." It fell to the lot of the statesmen of Canada, who do not seem to be behindhand in developing new and imperial ideas, to suggest (1890) another step in the history of the ensign. The merchant shipping of Canada stands fifth in rank in merchant shipping among the nations of the world.[191] [191] The order is British (Home Kingdom), United States, German, French, Canadian. The government ships were authorized to use the blue ensign with the Dominion arms as their distinguishing flag, but as no distinctive flag had been adopted for Canada, her merchant marine used the same plain red ensign as worn by the merchant marine of Great Britain, and Canadian merchant ships were unable to be recognized amidst those of the Mother Country. In 1892, to meet this requirement, the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, on the suggestion of the Canadian Department of Marine, issued a warrant permitting the badge of the arms of Canada to be inserted in the flag of the red ensign as well as in the blue, and this new combined red ensign was by this empowered to be used on board vessels registered in the Dominion of Canada.[192] [192] Admiralty Warrant, February 2, 1892. Thus was formed the union ensign of Canada. This Canadian ensign (Pl. IX., fig. 1) is the British red ensign, having the Union Jack in the upper corner and the arms of Canada in the fly.[193]