imperial government would not consent to the reduction of any salary
while the holder of the office lived, except in the case of the
surveyor-general, whose duties had been decreased, but it agreed to a
lower scale for future occupants of the offices. In this way the salary
of the provincial secretary had been reduced from L1,599 11s. to L600;
that of the surveyor-general from L2,019 4s. 4d. to L1,209 12s. 4d., and
that of the auditor-general from L500 to L346 3s. The salaries of the
judges, however, remained the same in 1850 as they had been in 1836,
viz., L1,096 3s. for the chief-justice and L750 for each of the puisne
judges. Wilmot's bill reduced these salaries to L700 for the
chief-justice and L600 to each of the other judges. He also voted for a
resolution in favour of making the legislative council elective, and
that an address should be presented to Her Majesty asking her to consent
to the passage of such a bill. A favourable answer was received from Her
Majesty, but the scheme to make the legislative council elective was
never carried into effect, in consequence of the opposition which it
encountered in that body.

There is no doubt that the popularity of Wilmot seriously declined after
he entered the government. This was very plainly seen at the general
election which took place in June, 1850, when he narrowly escaped
defeat, being the lowest on the poll of the members elected, while his
colleague in the government, Mr. Fisher, was defeated, polling less than
one-half the number of votes given to the candidate who was highest on
the poll. But, on the whole, the result throughout the province was
favourable to the cause of Reform, and among those elected in York who
stood higher on the poll than Wilmot were two new members who held
advanced views with respect to the amendment of the constitution.

{THE GOVERNOR AND THE JUDGES}

Although responsible government had been conceded to New Brunswick, and
it was admitted that public offices should be bestowed in accordance
with the wishes of the people, the close of Wilmot's legislative career
was marked by an event which showed that the old order of things had not
entirely passed away. Chief-Justice Chipman, owing to failing health,
resigned his seat on the bench in the autumn of 1850, and it became
necessary to provide for a successor. A meeting of the executive council
was called for the purpose of filling the vacancy, and six members of
the council out of the