70 OUR ISLAND STORY

Mr. Pope replied as follows: Ravenwood 16th April, 1875.

My Dear Lieutenant Governor :—-—

In your letter of today’s date, referring to former communi- cations on the question of Confederation you say that my idea of “just terms,” and that of the Legislature .might be so wide apart as to be practically irreconcilable, and therefore you re- quire an assurance that, in the event of my being entrusted with; the formation of a Government, I will be prepared personally to acquiesce in the possible decision of the Legislature in favor of the terms proposed. ’

As a matter of course, if I were to fail to acquiesce in the decision of the Legislature upon this or any other question, I would at once cease to be one of Your Honor’s constitutional advisers. _

In my note of yesterday evening I informed you that I am deeply impressed with the importance of the question of Con- federation, and am prepared to advocate the immediate entry of the Island into the Dominion upon" just terms ;+further than

\ this I am not prepared to give Your Honor any assurance, be- lieving that, if I were to do so, I would be placed in a wrong posi- tion in asking for more equitable terms.

I have, etc., . . JAMES C. POPE

Government House,

16 April, 1873. Dear Mr. Pope :—

.1 As it now appears that your disinclination to pledge your- ' ; self personally to acquiesce in the possible deciSion of the Legis- , lature in favor of the terms proposed is based on' the belief that such an assurance on your part would place you in a Wrong position in asking for more equitable terms, and as it is far from‘ my wish to hamper you on this point, but rather, as I told you in my first letter, to assist you, I am happy to say that the ex- planation contained in your letter of this day s date, coupled with