rally felt desirous to be of service to a man who had
come to Canada in the guise of a tried Reformer, and who professed to be
actuated by a sincere desire to govern the colony on Liberal principles.
After several courteous refusals, and after much consideration and
repeated consultations with his friends, Mr. Baldwin consented to accept
office, provided that seats in the Council were at the same time offered
to his father, and to Dr. Rolph and Mr. Bidwell. Dr. Baldwin was so
unwilling to accept the cares of office that his name was dropped by
common consent. To Dr. Rolph no objection was felt, but his Excellency
had conceived an antagonism towards Mr. Bidwell, with whom he had had
frequent interviews, and who had not scrupled to express himself with
much freedom on the necessity for a regular system of Provincial Reform.
After considerable discussion, it was agreed that John Henry Dunn, the
Provincial Receiver-General, should be substituted for Mr. Bidwell. Mr.
Dunn was not a member of any political party, nor had he any special
aptitude for political life; but he was a man of high character and
moderate views, and was held in much public estimation. On Saturday the
20th of February the three new Councillors were sworn into office and
gazetted, "until the King's pleasure be known."[224] The three old
members retained their places.

This manifestation of a resolve to carry on the Government of the
Province by means of Councillors possessing the public confidence was
hailed with great favour by the Reform party, and indeed by the
Conservatives as well, for Messieurs Baldwin, Rolph and Dunn were
persons for whom the highest respect was felt by all classes of the
community, and were regarded as being altogether above suspicion. Even
the members of the Compact were disposed to favour the arrangement, for,
in consequence of rumours which had reached their ears, they had dreaded
that the Lieutenant-Governor might possibly ally himself with the
Radicals, who, if placed in power, would have done their utmost to exact
a reckoning for past abuses. Upon the whole, then, Sir Francis had
materially strengthened his position. But the strength was fictitious
rather than real, and the baseless fabric which he had reared with such
pains quickly tottered and fell. The three new Councillors were not long
in discovering that their places were sinecures. His Excellency wanted
none of their counsel, and had no intention of permitting them to