convention of the constitution which cannot be ignored. In 1867 the
Cabinet representation had to be determined by geography, race, creed,
and party. None but an old parliamentary hand could have made the
attempt successfully. Ontario claimed and was assigned five ministers,
Quebec four, and the Maritime Provinces four. So much for geography.
Then came race and creed. It was found necessary to give the Irish
Catholics and the English minority in Quebec each a minister. The
French demanded and were granted three ministers. Finally, the fusion
of parties imposed another difficulty upon the cabinet-maker. He could
not find room for all the really deserving. There were thirteen
ministers--too many, {145} thought Brown and the _Globe_--and of these
six were Liberal and six Conservative, while Kenny of Nova Scotia had
once been a Liberal but had lately acted with the Tupper party. The
surprises were the absence of the names of McGee and Tupper from the
list. To have selected McGee as the Irish Catholic minister meant five
representatives for Quebec, and Ontario would not consent. This
threatened a deadlock, and Macdonald was about to advise the
governor-general to send for George Brown, when McGee and Tupper, with
a disinterested generosity rare in politics, waived their claims, and
Edward Kenny became the Irish representative and second minister from
Nova Scotia. The first administration was thus constituted:

JOHN A. MACDONALD, Prime Minister and Minister of Justice.
GEORGE E. CARTIER, Minister of Militia and Defence.
S. LEONARD TILLEY, Minister of Customs.
ALEXANDER T. GALT, Minister of Finance.
WILLIAM McDOUGALL, Minister of Public Works.
WILLIAM P. HOWLAND, Minister of Inland Revenue.
ADAMS G. ARCHIBALD, Secretary of State for the Provinces.
A. J. FERGUSSON BLAIR, President of the Privy Council.

{146}

PETER MITCHELL, Minister of Marine and Fisheries.
ALEXANDER CAMPBELL, Postmaster-General.
JEAN C. CHAPAIS, Minister of Agriculture.
HECTOR L. LANGEVIN, Secretary of State of Canada.
EDWARD KENNY, Receiver-General.

The two men who had stepped aside in order that a ministry might be
formed under Macdonald were actuated partly by personal regard for
their leader. It was not a small sacrifice. Macdonald wrote to McGee:

The difficulties of adjusting the representation in the Cabinet from
the several provinces were great and embarrassing. Your disinterested
and patriot