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 in 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 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 in my power to insure the speedy admission of the Island into the Union on terms just and equitable. I have the honor to be, Yours faithfully, 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 fl