rritorial revenue, the British government assumed the
right to dispose of a portion of this revenue without the consent or
authority of the House of Assembly. The conduct of the governor in
connection with this matter was censured in a strongly worded resolution
which was passed by the House of Assembly almost unanimously.[7] The
time had gone by when the representative of the Crown could do as he
liked with the public funds of the province, as had been the case in
former years.

The legislature was dissolved in 1846 under the provisions of the Act
which limited its term to four years. On the last day of the session
Wilmot bade farewell to the members of the House, and stated that he did
not intend to offer himself again for reelection. No doubt he was quite
sincere in making this statement at the time, but he soon had reason to
change his mind. The people of the county of York were unwilling to lose
the services of the champion of their rights in the House of Assembly,
so that he found it necessary to consent to be again nominated. He was
returned at the head of the poll, and with him Mr. Charles Fisher, who
had been his colleague in two previous legislatures.

The general election of 1846 brought a considerable number of new men
into the House, and in point of liberality the new assembly was a slight
improvement on its predecessor. The legislature met near the end of
January in the following year. The government at that time consisted of
only five persons, of whom two were members of the House of Assembly and
three of the legislative council. It appeared that negotiations had been
going on with some of the members of the Opposition for the purpose of
filling up the vacancies in the executive council. Wilmot had been
offered a seat in that body, but made it a condition of his acceptance
that he should go in with two of his friends, provided the council was
filled up to the number of seven, or three, if filled up to the number
of nine. This was not agreed to, so he remained outside the government.
During the first week of the session three new members were added to the
government, one of them being the surveyor-general, Mr. Baillie, who had
been elected a member of the House of Assembly for the county of York.
The arrangements made were not satisfactory to Wilmot and his friends,
and the government had to face what was practically a want of confidence
resolution. It was moved by Mr. Fisher and was as follows:--

"_Res