loyalty (for that, I fear, is fast waning), at least as the butts of a most intense and unrelenting:  indignation, if political affairs be not administered in entire accordance with their sense of what is right.

In solving these knotty problems, and choosing his course of action, the necessities of the situation required that he should be guided by his own unaided judgment, and act entirely on his own responsibility.  For although, throughout all his difficulties, in the midst of the reproaches with which he was assailed both in the colony and in England, he had the great satisfaction of knowing that his conduct was entirely approved by Lord Grey, to whom he opened all his mind in private letters, the official communications which passed between them were necessarily very reserved.  The following extract illustrates well this peculiarity in the position of a British Colonial Governor, who has two popular Assemblies and two public presses to consider:—­

Perhaps you may have been annoyed by my not writing officially to you ere this so as to give you communications to send to Parliament.  All that I can say on that point is, that I have got through this disagreeable affair as well as I have done only by maintaining my constitutional position, listening civilly to all representations addressed to me against the measure, and adhering to a strict reserve as to the course which I might deem it proper eventually to pursue.  By following this course I have avoided any act or expression which might have added fuel to the flame; and although I have been plentifully abused, because it has been the policy of the Opposition to drag me into the strife, no one can say that I have said or done anything to justify the abuse.  And the natural effect of such patient endurance is now beginning to show itself in the moderated tone of the organs of the Opposition press.  You will perceive, however, that I could not possibly have maintained this position here, if despatches from me indicating the Ministerial policy had been submitted to the House of Commons.  They would have found their way out here at once.  Every statement and opinion would have formed the subject of discussion, and I should have found myself in the midst of the melee a partisan.

To counteract the violent and reckless efforts of the Opposition, Lord Elgin trusted partly to the obvious reasonableness of the proposal under discussion, but more to the growth of a patriotic spirit which should lead the minority to prefer the rule of a majority within the province to the coercion of a power from without.  Something also he hoped from the effect of the many excellent measures brought in about the same time by his new Ministry, ’the first really efficient and working Government that Canada had had since the Union.’  Nor were these hopes altogether disappointed.  Writing on April 12 he observed, that a marked change had taken place within the last few weeks in the tone both of the press[2] and of the leaders of the party, some of whom had given him to understand, through different channels, that they regretted things had gone so far.  ‘But,’ he adds, ’whether the gales from England will stir the tempest again or not remains to be seen.’