26 CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF THE PROVINCES. 
to a deputation being sent to England to request that the 
control of the public revenues be vested in the Assembly. 
Control of The Colonial Secretary complied with the request, and issued 
finance.  . tuctions to the Governor and Executive Council to sur- 
render the territorial revenues in consideration of the grant 
by the Assembly of a liberal permanent civil list. 
Responsi The next step taken by the Assembly was to establish the 
OL ern. responsibility of the ministers to the Assembly. In 1847 
ment. Parl Grey as Colonial Secretary forwarded a despatch to the 
Governor of Nova Scotia defining the theory of responsible 
government as applicable to the provinces. He laid down the 
principle that the executive councillors who directed the 
policy of the government should hold office only while they 
retained the confidence of the House, and that all govern- 
ment officials should be excluded from both branches of the 
legislature. In the following year a resolution asserting the 
application of the above principles was introduced and passed 
by a large majority of the Assembly, and from that time the 
responsibility of ministers was fully recognised. 
The Quebec resolutions for effecting a Confederation of 
the Provinces were brought before the people at the general 
election held in March, 1865, but a majority of the new 
Assembly proved hostile to the scheme. In the following 
year the Legislative Council passed a resolution favourable to 
the Union, and the ministry thereupon resigned. A general 
election immediately followed, and on the 30th of June a 
resolution in favour of confederation was carried in the 
Assembly by 31 votes to 8. A similar resolution was passed 
by the Legislative Council. 
4. MANITOBA. 
By section 146 of the British North American Act, 1867, 
power was given to Her Majesty in Council, on address from the 
Houses of Parliament of Canada, to admit Rupert's Land and