to Downing Street. The object of
this mission was to make such representations to the home authorities as
would induce them to delay giving their assent to the Civil List Bill.
The truth of the matter seems to have been that Sir Archibald Campbell
and his advisers in New Brunswick thought if they could only gain time
the Liberal government of England which had granted such favourable
terms to the province might be defeated, and a Tory government come into
power which would speedily undo all that their predecessors had done,
and refuse to grant any concessions to the legislature of New Brunswick.
There was great excitement in the province in consequence of the action
of the lieutenant-governor, and this excitement was fairly voiced in the
House of Assembly, where an address was prepared representing the
condition of affairs to His Majesty, and detailing the manner in which
the lieutenant-governor had sought to thwart the intentions of the
imperial government. This address was passed by a vote of twenty-seven
to two, the only members of the House who ventured to stand with the man
who occupied Government House being John Ambrose Street and William End.

{CIVIL GOVERNMENT BILL PASSED}

Messrs. Crane and Wilmot were again appointed a deputation to proceed to
England with the address of the House of Assembly, and took their
departure two days after it was passed, amidst great popular
demonstrations by the citizens of Fredericton. The legislature was
prorogued on March 1st, on which day the House of Assembly again
requested the lieutenant-governor to pass the Civil List Bill, pointing
out that under the arrangements made with the colonial office it was his
duty to do so, but their request fell upon deaf ears. In the speech
proroguing the legislature, Sir Archibald Campbell stated that he had
withheld his assent from this bill because a suspending clause had not
been appended to it. These were the last words that this obstinate
governor was destined to speak before a New Brunswick legislature.
Finding that all his hopes of impeding the progress of the province in
the direction of political liberty were in vain, he tendered his
resignation to save himself from being removed, as he would have been,
for his direct disobedience to the commands of his superiors in
England.[1] Sir John Harvey, another soldier, but a man of a very
different spirit, was appointed to succeed him as lieutenant-governor.
The Civil List Bill was again p