s
resolution was carried by a vote of twenty-four to eleven, which was a
complete reversal of the vote of the previous session. Among those who
voted for the resolution were the three members of the government who
had seats in the House of Assembly and who had been previously opposed
to any such change in the political system of the country. Thus the
victory for responsible government was practically won, and it only
remained to perfect the details.

Immediately after the prorogation of the legislature, a reorganization
of the government took place, Messrs. Baillie, Shore and Johnston
retired and their places were taken by Messrs. Wilmot, Partelow, Fisher
and Kinnear. Mr. Wilmot became attorney-general in the place of Mr.
Peters, recently deceased, who had filled that office for twenty years.
Mr. Partelow became provincial secretary in place of John Simcoe
Saunders. Mr. Kinnear, who had been made solicitor-general in 1846, now
became a member of the government under the new system, while Mr. Fisher
took his seat as a member of the government without office. Thus were
the principles of responsible government vindicated and established in
New Brunswick. The provincial secretary, the attorney-general and the
solicitor-general became political officers subject to change with every
change of government. The surveyor-general, Mr. Baillie, by resigning
from the government escaped this condition for the time being, but it
was not long before that office also became political, Mr. Baillie
himself retiring with a pension in 1851.

{INFLUENCE OF COLONIAL OFFICE}

Messrs. Wilmot and Fisher were much censured by their friends for
becoming members of a government that was essentially Conservative and
in which they were in a minority. But as the principles for which they
had contended had been admitted and were now in a measure established,
there seemed to be no reason why they should not assist in working them
out. Wilmot as attorney-general certainly had greater opportunities of
advancing the cause of Reform than as a private member, and he and
Fisher working together were able to exercise a strong influence on the
administration. In the following year, as has already been seen, a
measure was carried voiding the seats of members of the assembly who
became heads of departments in the government, or enjoyed any office of
profit or emolument under the Crown, and this was all that was necessary
to establish responsible government on