o useful and displayed so much ability that he was marked
for promotion. The idea of bringing him forward as a candidate for the
city of St. John seems to have originated with his employers, but when
he gained a seat in the legislature he speedily made his influence felt.
Partelow spoke but seldom, but when he did address the legislature it
was generally with good effect, and after the subject had been to a
large extent exhausted by previous speakers. He then had a faculty of
drafting a resolution which seemed to express the general sense of all,
and which was usually accepted as a solution of the matter. He was a
good business man, understood accounts thoroughly and, therefore, had a
great advantage in legislative work over those who were not so well
equipped in this respect. New Brunswick may have produced greater men
than he in public life, but none whose talents were more useful to the
province, or better fitted to serve its interests at a critical period
in its constitutional history.

CHAPTER II

ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE

Shortly after the general election, Chief-Justice Chipman, who had been
in infirm health, resigned his office, and a vacancy was thus left on
the bench of the supreme court of the province. In the natural course,
this office ought to have gone to the attorney-general, Mr. L. A.
Wilmot, but this appointment was not made. The council were unable to
unite in any recommendation to the governor, who consequently laid all
the facts before the home government and in reply received instructions
to give the chief-justiceship to Judge Carter and to offer the puisne
judgeship to Mr. Wilmot, or, if he should refuse it, to Mr. Kinnear, the
solicitor-general. The executive council complained that the appointment
of Mr. Wilmot to a seat on the bench by the authority of the secretary
of state without the advice or recommendation of the responsible
executive within the province, was at variance with the principles of
responsible government which were understood to be in force. They,
however, had only themselves to thank for this, for they were
continually appealing to Downing Street. As a majority of the House had
been elected as opponents of the government, it was supposed there
would be no difficulty in bringing about a change of administration. Mr.
Simonds, of St. John, who was reputed to be a Liberal, was elected
speaker without opposition, and at an early day in the session Mr.
Ritchie, of St. J