the loss of power consequent on the surrender of
patronage to an executive responsible to the local parliament."[12]

To give his ministers a last fair chance of holding on to office, he
dissolved parliament at the end of 1847, recognizing that, in the event
of a victory, their credit would be immensely increased. The struggle
of December 1847, to January 1848, was decisive. While the French
constituencies maintained their former position, even in Upper Canada
the discredited ministry found few supporters. The only element in the
situation which disturbed Elgin was the news that Papineau, the
arch-rebel of 1837, had come back to public life with a flourish of
agitating declarations; and that the French people had not condemned
with sufficient decisiveness his seditious utterances. Yet he need
have {199} had no qualms. _La Revue Canadienne_ in reviewing the
situation certainly refused to condemn Papineau's extravagances, but
its conclusion took the ground from under the agitator's feet, for it
declared that "cette moderation de nos chefs politiques a puissamment
contribue a placer notre parti dans la position avantageuse qu'il
occupe maintenant."[13] Now Papineau was incapable of political
moderation.

The fate of the ministry was quickly settled. Their candidate for the
speakership of the Lower House was defeated by 54 votes to 19; a vote
of no confidence was carried by 54 to 20; on March 23rd parliament was
prorogued and a new administration, the first truly popular ministry in
the history of Canada, accepted office, and the country, satisfied at
last, was promised "various measures for developing the resources of
the province, and promoting the social well-being of its
inhabitants."[14]

The change was the more decisive because it was made with the approval
of the Whig government in England. "I can have no doubt," Grey wrote
to Elgin on February 22nd, "that you must accept {200} such a council
as the newly elected parliament will support, and that however unwise
as relates to the real interests of Canada their measures may be, they
must be acquiesced in, until it shall pretty clearly appear that public
opinion will support a resistance to them. There is no middle course
between this line of policy, and that which involves in the last resort
an appeal to parliament to overrule the wishes of the Canadians, and
this I agree with Gladstone and Stanley in thinking impracticable."[15]
The only precaution he bad