44 OUR ISLAND STORY

he should retain his seat in the Legislative Council, and should refrain from factiously opposing the new Government. In these proposals the Lieutenant Governor concurred.

Subsequently, however, the Lieutenant Governor received a dispatch from Earl Grey, Secretary of State for the Colonies, in which it was stated that Sir Donald Campbell had “rightly interpreted the views of Her Majesty’s Government in his com- munications with the Assembly.” He was not authorized to concede to the Assembly Responsible Government or to enter into negotiations with that body respecting the surrender of Her Majesty’s Crown Revenues of which that concession should be the basis. “It was my wish,” Earl Grey declared, “that the feelings of the community should be more fully ascertained.” But the Earl was forced to admit that the appeal which Sir Ron— ald Campbell made to the people at large, by dissolution, al-- though not made with this particular object, had “drawn forth a much stronger expression of opinion upon it than had ever been previously elicited.” It appeared that a large majority of the Assembly had pronounced themselves in favor of Responsible Government, and this under circumstances which gave every reason for concluding that their decision was no expression of temporary feeling, but of the general and deliberate wish of the community. The Lieutenant Governor ”was therefore auth- orized to reconstruct the Executive Council “in such a manner as to include those who possess the conﬁdence of the Assembly and also to surrender to the Assembly the disposal of Her Majesty’s Crown Revenues, if the Assembly will consent to pass an Act embodying the terms which I will presently prepare.”

These terms were: “(1) that a fair provision should be made. for the existing holders of office entitled to such compensation, viz: £200 currency to the Colonial Secretary and Registrar and the Attorney General, respectively; (2) the salary of the Chief Justice to be £900 currency per annum with a gratuity of £500 currency.’ Other arrangements were to be made by the Lieu- tenant Governor and the Legislature “subject to as few condi-. tions on the part of Her Majesty’s Government as possible,”