=Company of the West Indies (Compagnie des Indes Occidentales).= Chartered by Louis XIV, 1664, following the cancellation of the charter of the Company of New France. Its field of operations was enormous, covering the west coast of Africa, the east coast of South America from the Amazon to the Orinoco, Canada, Acadia, and Newfoundland. The Christianization of the native tribes was given as the principal object of the Company, commerce being of only secondary importance. Despite its many privileges, and the readiness with which its stock was subscribed, it did not prosper, and by 1672 was hopelessly in debt. Three years later its charter was revoked, so far as Canada was concerned. =Index=: =L= Resigns its charter, 145. =E= Creates seigniories, 175. =Bib.=: Douglas, _Old France in the New World_; Parkman, _Old Régime_. =Condé, Prince Henri de= (1588-1646). =Ch= Licenses three vessels to trade in St. Lawrence, 78; letter to, in Champlain's _Quatrième Voyage_, 79; contributes to building of Récollet Convent, 117; source of trouble to the colony, 122; incarcerated for conspiracy, 122; released, and transfers his commission to the Duke of Montmorency, 127. =F= Lieutenant-general of New France, 12. =Bib.=: Parkman, _Pioneers of France_. =Confederation.= The first definite step in the movement looking towards the union of the British North American colonies, was the Charlottetown Conference, 1864. Delegates from the three Maritime Provinces met to consider the union of those provinces. At the Conference, delegates from Canada (constituting what are now the provinces of Ontario and Quebec) appeared, and urged the broadening of the discussion to cover all the provinces. Out of this meeting grew the Quebec Conference, of the same year, attended by delegates from Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland; the two latter subsequently withdrew from the movement. The Quebec Conference drew up a series of resolutions, which were made the basis of the final legislation. In 1866 delegates from the provinces met at the Westminster Hotel in London, and framed the British North America Act. The Act was passed by the Imperial Parliament, and received the queen's assent, March, 1867. It was proclaimed throughout the new Dominion of Canada, July 1, 1867. Manitoba was created a province, July 15, 1870. British Columbia joined the union, July 20, 1871; and Prince Edward Island, July 1, 1873. The provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were created Sept. 1, 1905. =Index=: =Mc= Mackenzie advocates, 104-105; Robinson reports on, 105. =T= History of, 59-71, 73-87; defeated in New Brunswick, 89-110; accepted by New Brunswick, 111-125; completion of, 127-132. =Md= History of the movement, 93; outlined by Durham, 93-95; principle adopted by British American League, 95; and by Legislature of Nova Scotia, 95; advocated by Howe and Haliburton, 96; in speech from throne, 1858, 96; Galt's speech, 96; Cartier, Galt, and Rose confer with Imperial