the Constitution of 1840 the legislative power was divided between two
chambers: a council, consisting of twenty persons, who were nominated by
the Governor, and held their seats for life; and a House of Assembly, whose
eighty-four members were elected in equal proportions from the two sections
of the province. As the population of the Colony grew--and between 1840 and
1853 it nearly doubled itself--it was natural that the number of
legislators should be increased; and there were other reasons which made an
increase desirable.

[Sidenote: Increase of representation.]

The Legislative Assembly (wrote Lord Elgin early in 1853) is now
engaged on a measure introduced by the Government for increasing the
representation of the province. I consider the object of the measure a
very important one; for, with so small a body as eighty members, when
parties are nearly balanced, individual votes become too precious,
which leads to mischief. I have not experienced this evil to any great
extent since I have had a liberal administration, which has always
been strong in the Assembly; but, with my first administration, I felt
it severely.

To this change no serious opposition was offered, either in the Colony or
in the Imperial Parliament; and the members of the two Houses were raised
to one hundred and thirty, and seventy-two, respectively. It was otherwise,
however, with the proposal to make the Upper House elective; a measure
certainly alien to English ideas, but one which Lord Elgin appears to have
thought necessary for the healthy working of the constitution under the
circumstances then existing in the province. As early as March, 1850, he
wrote to Lord Grey:--

[Sidenote: Proposal to make the Upper House elective.]

[Sidenote: Reasons in favour.]

A great deal is said here at present about rendering our second branch
of the Legislature elective. As the advocates of the plan, however,
comprise two classes of persons, with views not only distinct but
contradictory, it is difficult to foresee how they are to agree on
details, when it assumes a practical shape. The one class desire to
construct a more efficient Conservative body than the present Council,
the other seek an instrument to aid them in their schemes of
subversion and pillage. For my own part, I believe that a second
legislative body, returned by the same constituency as the House of
Assembly