OUR ISLAND STORY ' 67 ,

a Government on the understanding that I will undertake to do ' my best to carry Confederation during the coming session, on the terms which have recently been submitted to the people, if no better terms can be procured frOm the Dominion Authorities , Allow me to thank you for this mark of your confidence and to assure you that while I shOuld be most happy to form a Gov- ernment which should advise your Honor 1n accordance with the wishes of its people, as expressed through their representatives in Parliament, I must, however, decline the honor of attempting to form a Government pledged to your Honor to pursue any de-

finite policy. I , I trust that I may be pardoned, if I remind your Honor that

the PeOple of this Island have the right to self-Government, and that as one of their representatives I can never undertake, at the

instance of the representative of the Crown, to do any act calcul— ‘

ated in the slightest degree, to abridge this right.

‘ I consider Confederation most desirable, and as one mem- ber of the Assembly,I shall do all that may be 1n my power to insure the speedy admission of the Island into the Union on terms

)ust and equitable. I have the honor to be,

.Yours faithfully, ’ 1 JAMES C. POPE

The Lieutenant Governor replied:

Government House,

15 April, 1873. Dear Mr. Pope. —-— _ ' If you will be so good as to refer again to my letter of thiS

date, you will find that I did not ask you to pledge your GOVern ment, should you form one, to pursue any policy which might

' prove to be opposed to the wishes of the people as expressed through ,

their representatives in Parliament. What I invited, prepara-

tory to entrusting you with the formation ‘of the new Govern»

ment, was an assurance from yourself that, personally, (Parlia-

‘ ment being‘with you well understood), you would do your best '