the assembly
when the honour of the crown, or the interests of the empire, are
deeply concerned; and the assembly must be ready to modify {74} some of
its measures for the sake of harmony, and from a reverent attachment to
the authority of Great Britain."

Two days later, an even more important modification than was contained
in this exhortation to charity and opportunism was proposed. It had
been the chief grievance in both provinces that the executive positions
in Canada had been filled with men who held them as permanencies, and
in spite of the clamour of public opinion against them. Popular
representative rights had been more than counterbalanced by entire
executive irresponsibility. A despatch, nominally of general
application to British colonies, but, under the circumstances, of
special importance to the United Provinces of Canada, changed the
status of colonial executive offices: "You will understand, and will
cause it to be generally known, that hereafter the tenure of colonial
offices held during her Majesty's pleasure, will not be regarded as
equivalent to a tenure during good behaviour, but that not only such
officers will be called upon to retire from the public service as often
as any sufficient motives of public policy may suggest the expediency
of that measure, but that a change in the person of the governor will
be considered as a sufficient reason for any {75} alterations which his
successor may deem it expedient to make in the list of public
functionaries, subject of course to the future confirmation of the
Sovereign. These remarks do not apply to judicial offices, nor are
they meant to apply to places which are altogether ministerial and
which do not devolve upon the holders of them duties in the right
discharge of which the character and policy of the government are
directly involved. They are intended to apply rather to the heads of
departments, than to persons serving as clerks or in similar capacities
under them; neither do they extend to officers in the service of the
Lords Commissioners of the Treasury. The functionaries who will be
chiefly, though not exclusively, affected by them are the Colonial
Secretary, the Treasurer or Receiver-General, the Surveyor-General, the
Attorney and Solicitor-General, the Sheriff or Provost Marshal, and
other officers who, under different designations from these, are
entrusted with the same or similar duties. To this list must also be
added the Members of