oint by meeting men and discussing the project with them--a process of
education. Although there was some opposition on various grounds,
reasonable and unreasonable, the Assembly finally consented to the
following terms: first, each province was to have an equal number of
representatives; secondly, a sufficient civil list was to be granted;
thirdly, the debt incurred by Upper Canada for public works of common
interest should be charged upon the revenue of the new united province.
These terms could not be called ideal, especially in regard to Lower
Canada; but union was the only alternative to benevolent despotism or
civil war. In bringing the legislature of Upper Canada to consent to
these terms Thomson had the valuable aid of the cohort of Moderate
Reformers led by Baldwin and Hincks.

{41}

No inconsiderable part of the governor-general's task was a campaign of
education in the _ABC_ of responsible government. Those elementary
ideas of party government now regarded as axiomatic had to be taught
painfully to our rude forefathers in legislation. That the government
should have a definite head or leader in the Assembly, who should speak
for the government, introduce and defend its measures; that the
officials of the government other than those holding permanent posts
should form one body--a ministry--which should automatically relinquish
office and power when it could no longer command a majority in the
legislature, were practically new and by no means welcome ideas to the
old-time law-makers of Canada. The natural corollary that the
opposition also should be organized under a definite leader, who, on
defeating the government, should assume the responsibility of forming a
cabinet, was equally novel. Such a check on reckless criticism was
sadly needed. Of the process by which Thomson achieved his ends even
his fullest biography gives little information. There must have been
endless conferences of homespun, honest farmers like Willson, men of
breeding like {42} Robinson, brilliant lawyers like Sullivan, plain
soldiers like MacNab, with the little, sickly, understanding governor
of the brilliant eyes, the charming manner, and the persuasive tongue.
Of all the varied explaining, discussing, initiating, little record
remains. But the work was done and the results are manifest to the
world. The persuasive little man succeeded in persuading the
law-makers of Upper Canada that the way out of their difficulties lay
no