members of the Council, to all of whom the project was
submitted before any attempt was made to carry it out. When the proposal
was made to Mr. Baldwin it was received by him with becoming respect,
but with a coolness of demeanour which was far from flattering to the
vanity of Sir Francis, who seems to have expected that the recipient
would be well-nigh overwhelmed by the honour. The latter stated that he
was very reluctant to again embark in public life, and he explained his
views on the political situation with great frankness. There were
several interviews, in the course of which Sir Francis did his utmost to
induce Mr. Baldwin to accede to his wishes. Mr. Baldwin required time
for consideration, an indulgence which was of course accorded. The
Lieutenant-Governor being anxious to carry his point, sent for Mr.
Baldwin's father, Dr. W. W. Baldwin, for the purpose of securing his
influence in the negotiations. Father and son were both of one mind.
There was little or nothing in common between the political sentiments
of the three members of the existing Executive Council and the man whom
it was proposed to add to their number. How, then, could it be expected
that they would agree as to the policy of the Administration. If they
did not agree, what would Mr. Baldwin's single voice avail against the
other three? And, even admitting that this anomaly could be got rid of,
it was deemed necessary that there should be some understanding on the
subject of Executive responsibility before Mr. Baldwin could consent to
accept a seat in the Council. He and his father, from whom his political
ideas had been chiefly derived, had for years contended that Responsible
Government already existed in Upper Canada by virtue of the
Constitutional Act, and that when a Government failed to command a
majority of votes in the Assembly it was legally bound to resign. It was
of course notorious that this principle had never been recognized by the
Provincial Administration, but Mr. Baldwin was of opinion that the
constitution had been systematically violated in this particular. In
talking over the matter with the Lieutenant-Governor he now discovered
that the latter was entirely unacquainted with constitutional questions,
and that he had no ideas on the subject whatever, beyond such as he had
picked up within the past few days. Still, his Excellency's good temper,
and his seeming anxiety to do his duty, won upon the sympathies of Mr.
Baldwin, who natu