confidence of parliament and of the people than the last.  There is, I think, moreover, on their part, a desire to prove, by proper deference for the authority of the governor-general (which they all admit has in my case never been abused), that they were libelled when they were accused of impracticability and anti-monarchical tendencies.”  These closing words go to show that the governor-general felt it was necessary to disabuse the minds of the colonial secretary and his colleagues of the false impression which the British government and people seemed to entertain, that the Tories and Conservatives were alone to be trusted in the conduct of public affairs.  He saw at once that the best way of strengthening the connection with Great Britain was to give to the strongest political party in the country its true constitutional position in the administration of public affairs, and identify it thoroughly with the public interests.

The new government was constituted as follows: 

Lower Canada.—­Hon. L.H.  LaFontaine, attorney-general of Lower Canada; Hon. James Leslie, president of the executive council; Hon. R.E.  Caron, president of the legislative council; Hon. E.P.  Taehe, chief commissioner of public works; Hon. I.C.  Aylwin, solicitor-general for Lower Canada; Hon. L.M.  Viger, receiver-general.

Upper Canada.—­Hon. Robert Baldwin, attorney-general of Upper Canada; Hon. R.B.  Sullivan, provincial secretary; Hon. F. Hincks, inspector-general; Hon. J.H.  Price, commissioner of crown lands; Hon. Malcolm Cameron, assistant commissioner of public works; Hon. W.H.  Blake, solicitor-general.

The LaFontaine-Baldwin ministry must always occupy a distinguished place in the political history of the Canadian people.  It was the first to be formed strictly in accordance with the principles of responsible government, and from its entrance into public life must be dated a new era in which the relations between the governor and his advisers were at last placed on a sound constitutional basis, in which the constant appeals to the imperial government on matters of purely provincial significance came to an end, in which local self-government was established in the fullest sense compatible with the continuance of the connection with the empire.  It was a ministry notable not only for the ability of its members, but for the many great measures which it was able to pass during its term of office—­measures calculated to promote the material advancement of the province, and above all to dispel racial prejudices and allay sectional antagonisms by the adoption of wise methods of compromise, conciliation and justice to all classes and creeds.