CHAP. TV] THE GOVERNOR AS HEAD 245 
of the ministers in connexion with land transactions in 
favour ultimately of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company. 
These transactions were deemed to have been prejudicial to 
the interests of the Province, and the position of the Premier 
personally was weakened by accusations that he had allowed 
the Government to give a contract to a firm of which he 
was a member at a time when he had seen tenders submitted 
by other firms. The Premier justified the position that his 
firm could accept contracts from the provincial Government, 
and asserted that it was perfectly proper to do so just as it 
was perfectly proper for the Attorney-General of the pro- 
vince to take steps to secure the passing of private Bills. 
After being sustained on one issue by the casting vote of 
the Speaker, the Government were eventually defeated, 
and intended to secure a dissolution from the Lieutenant- 
Governor. This, however, was not conceded, and on June 1 
it transpired that the Lieutenant-Governor had dismissed 
the Ministry, giving as ground for doing so his dissatisfaction 
with the attitude adopted by the Premier on the question 
of Government contracts. Mr. McBride then consented to 
accept office, and determined that politics should be carried 
on on purely Dominion party lines, with the result that at 
the ensuing general election he secured a small but adequate 
majority on Conservative party lines, and has since that date 
maintained his position with ever-increasing strength.