a long term of office. But in July 1907 Sir
Edward Morris, then Minister of Justice, resigned through a
disagreement with the Premier on a question of the amount of wages to
be paid to the employees in the Public Works. The Opposition under Mr
Morison (succeeding Mr Morine, who had shortly before left
Newfoundland for Canada) co-operated with leading supporters of Sir
Edward Morris and invited him to become the leader of a united party.
He accepted the offer, and issued a manifesto in March 1908,
indicating his policy. The number of his adherents increased, as a
result of his efforts in the Assembly. In the following November the
quadrennial general election took place, which was vigorously--indeed
bitterly--contested; and the result was a tie, eighteen supporters
having been returned for Sir Robert Bond, and eighteen for the
Opposition--a unique occurrence apparently in the history of
self-governing colonies. The success of Sir Edward Morris was regarded
as remarkable, in view of several disadvantages from which he suffered
in the eyes of large sections of the population, _e.g._ his being a
Roman Catholic (every Premier during the preceding half century had
been a Protestant), his alleged sympathy with Mr Reid, and his alleged
support of union with Canada. The Governor, Sir William MacGregor,
having been requested by Sir Robert Bond to summon the Legislature,
was then required by him, on the very eve of the session, to dissolve
it, without giving it an opportunity to meet. The Governor refusing to
do this, Sir Robert Bond, conformably to usage, resigned along with
his cabinet. Sir Edward Morris was accordingly called upon to form a
ministry; but at the meeting of the Assembly the attempt to elect a
Speaker failed, owing to the opposition of the Bond party. The
Governor next endeavoured to obtain a coalition Ministry, but failed,
and a dissolution was granted (April, 1909). At the election in May
the Morris administration was returned with a substantial
majority--the new ministry for the first time in the history of the
island consisting entirely of natural-born Newfoundlanders. The course
adopted by the Governor, who had been charged by followers of Sir
Robert Bond with partisanship and unconstitutional conduct, was thus
vindicated by the election, and also approved by the Imperial
authorities. In a despatch from the Colonial Office, November 14th,
Lord Crewe observed:

"... It will be learned from my previous despat