also caused
the formation of organizations pledged to resist the free trade
movement. Tilley was in sympathy with these efforts to preserve colonial
trade, and it was in consequence of this that he first made his
entrance into political life.

{GENERAL ELECTION OF 1850}

At a meeting of the electors of St. John in favour of protection, which
was held previous to the general election of 1850, Tilley was nominated
as one of the candidates for the city of St. John. He was not present at
the meeting and had no knowledge whatever of the intention of the
electors to make such a nomination. A meeting was called a few nights
later in Carleton to confirm the nomination, and at that meeting Tilley
was present. He then made the strongest possible protest against the
nomination, but the electors present would not take "No" for an answer,
and he eventually consented to stand as a candidate, informing them at
the same time that he had an engagement to be in Boston on the day fixed
for the nomination, and could not be at the hustings on that day.
Notwithstanding this statement they still persisted in his nomination,
but as Tilley was absent in the United States, his nomination speech on
that occasion was made by Joseph W. Lawrence, who afterwards was found
among his strongest political opponents. At the general election of 1850
all the candidates elected for the city and county of St. John were
avowed opponents of the government. Tilley was returned at the head of
the poll, while W. H. Needham, who ran with him, was likewise elected.
The members elected for the county were R. D. Wilmot, William J.
Ritchie, John H. Gray and Charles Simonds; while J. R. Partelow,
Charles Watters and John Jordan were the three defeated candidates. The
list of candidates for the city and county of St. John included two
future governors, a future chief-justice of the supreme court of Canada
and two other judges, to say nothing of the provincial secretary, Mr.
Partelow, a speaker of the House of Assembly and a future mayor of St.
John. It must be admitted that few elections that have ever been held in
any part of British North America have had so many candidates presented
to the electors who were afterwards eminent in public life. This
election took place at an important epoch in the history of the
province, when the old order was passing away and men's minds were
prepared for a great change in political affairs. It was a Reform House
of Assembly, and, a