of the legislature, comes to be told, it will be found that at least
some of the members of the government had given His Excellency to
understand that they were prepared to reverse their former action and to
adopt confederation. The difficulty with them was that they feared their
own supporters, and thought that if they made such a move they would
lose the favour of those who had placed them in power, and this fear was
certainly a very natural one.

{DESERTED BY FRIENDS}

As soon as the House met, it was discovered that Mr. A. R. Wetmore, one
of the prominent supporters of the government who had been elected to
represent the city of St. John as an anti-confederate, was no longer in
sympathy with the government. Mr. Wetmore's long experience as a _nisi
prius_ lawyer, and his curt and imperturbable manner, rendered him a
most exasperating and troublesome opponent, and at a very early period
of the session he commenced to make it unpleasant for his former
friends. He cross-examined the members of the government in the fashion
which he had learned from long experience in the courts. Such attacks
proved extremely damaging as well as very annoying.

The address in reply to the speech from the throne was moved in the
House of Assembly by Colonel Boyd, of Charlotte County, and when the
paragraph relating to confederation was read, Mr. Fisher asked him what
it meant. Mr. Boyd replied that the government had no objection to
confederation, provided the terms were satisfactory. This reply still
further strengthened the feeling that the government were inclined to
pass the measure which they had been elected to oppose. Mr. Fisher moved
an amendment to the fourth paragraph of the address, which referred to
the Fenian conspiracy against British North America, expressing the
opinion that while His Excellency might rely with confidence on the
cordial support of the people for the protection of the country, his
constitutional advisers were not by their general conduct entitled to
the confidence of the legislature. This amendment was seconded by Mr.
DesBrisay, of Kent, who had been elected as a supporter of the
government, and it was debated at great length. The discussion upon it
continued from day to day for about three weeks, when, on April 10th,
the government resigned in consequence of difficulties with His
Excellency in regard to his reply to the address of the legislative
council. The legislative council had proceeded to pass t