l assembly and the nearness of
Arthabaska to Quebec, membership in the legislature would not greatly
interfere with his work at home. Yet his health was still {33}
precarious, and it was with much hesitation and reluctance that he
finally consented to stand for the county in 1871, at the second
general election since Confederation. Though ill throughout the
campaign, he was able to make a few speeches, and the loyal support of
his friends did the rest. His opponent, Edward Hemming, a barrister of
Drummondville, had been the previous member for the riding. At the
close of the polls--those were still the days of open voting--it was
found that, while the Liberal party in the province was once more badly
defeated, Wilfrid Laurier had won his seat by over one thousand
majority.

When the legislature met at Quebec in November, there was a lively
interest on both sides of the chamber in the young man of thirty who
had scored such a notable victory. At that time the legislature had an
unusually large number of men of first rank in eloquence and
parliamentary ability, including Cartier, Chapleau, Cauchon, Holton,
and Irvine. All these except Chapleau were also members of the House
of Commons, since at that time no law forbade dual representation, and
the standards were relatively high. The Government under Chauveau, the
prime minister, {34} was too firmly entrenched to be shaken by any
assaults from the Opposition leader, Henri Joly de Lotbiniere, and his
scanty following. In the criticism, however, the member for Arthabaska
took a notable part. He did not speak often, but when he did his
remarks were fresh and constructive. In the debate on the Address he
scored the Government for its backward educational policy, urged active
steps to check the exodus of French Canadians to the mills of New
England, praised the ideals of British Liberalism, and called for a
truce in racial and religious quarrels. In a later speech he presented
the keenest constitutional criticism yet made of the system of dual
representation, showing that it tended to bring the provinces too
completely within the orbit of the central power and confuse local with
federal issues. Three years later, it may be noted, the system was
abolished.

The vigour and yet moderation of these first efforts, so aptly phrased
and so admirably fitted to the peculiar requirements of parliamentary
speaking, the grace and flair of the orator, gave the member for
Arth