cHAP. 111] THE GOVERNOR AND MINISTERS 177
a Lieutenant-Governor has been recalled because of his
disobedience to what the Dominion Government consider
bhe rules of responsible government. In the first case, Mr. Luc
Letellier was recalled in 1878 from the Province of Quebec
because he had in the exercise of his discretion dismissed a
Ministry which had still a majority in the Lower House, and
summoned another Government, which on dissolution was
only sustained by a narrow majority. He had been censured
by the two Houses of the Dominion Parliament for his conduct
by a strict party vote, as he was an adherent of the Liberal
Ministry which was defeated by Sir John Macdonald.
Much later, in 1900, the Liberal Government of the day
recalled one of its own supporters because he had dismissed
% Ministry which had a majority, if an uneasy one, in the
Legislature, and had ruled for some months with a Ministry
of which only one member had a seat in the Legislature,
which had no real following in the country, and which had
delayed the holding of a session of the Legislature as long as
possible so as to secure its position.?
Not only is the Governor open to criticism by the Colonial
Parliament, but he is subject to it from the Imperial Parlia-
ment as well. Early in the history of responsible government
the Lieutenant-Governor of Nova Scotia was condemned
by a section in the Imperial Parliament for his action in
permitting the retirement of the provincial Treasurer, as a
result of the introduction of responsible government, without
securing for him full compensation.? The principles of respon-
sible government were then energetically supported by Earl
Grey, and no censure was passed. The conduct of Sir C.
Darling in the case of the Victorian disputes between the
two Houses of Parliament in 1866 was very severely canvassed
in Parliament,? and on March 25, 1879, a deliberate attempt
was made by the Opposition in the Imperial Parliament to
censure the Government and Sir Bartle Frere for his action
in declaring war against the Zulu king without instructions
' Parl. Pap., C. 2445. ? Canada Sess. Pap., 1900, No. 174,
* House of Lords, March 26, 1849 ; Hansard, ciii, 1262-89.
' House of Commons, March 20, 1866 ; Hansard, clxxxii. 621 ; cxci. 1976.
1970
