PRINCE EDWARD'S ISLAND. 3 
acts and that the Executive Council should be deemed the 
constitutional advisers of Her Majesty's representative. 
Earl Grey in a despatch to the Lieutenant-Governor in 
January 1849 pointed out, that the introduction of responsible 
government in a colony depended on the increase of the com- 
munity in wealth, numbers and importance, and expressed 
the view that the conditions which would warrant the in- 
troduction of responsible government into Prince Edwards 
Island were wanting. 
In a subsequent despatch Earl Grey intimated that if 
the other expenses of government were defrayed by the 
Island the home Government would provide the salary of the 
Governor. The Assembly offered to accept the suggestion 
provided the Crown surrendered all claim to the quit rents 
and Crown lands and conceded responsible government. The 
latter condition Earl Grey refused to grant and the Assembly 
thereupon adopted the expedient of refusing supplies. This 
course proved successful and in 1851 the concession was 
made. 
The proposal to unite all the provinces in one Confedera- Polen 
bion was not received with favour in Prince Edward’s Island. “*™ 
After the Quebec Conference public meetings were held to 
protest against the Island joining the Union and in the 
Assembly only five members were in its favour. In the 
following session (1866) the Assembly resolved that this 
House cannot admit that a federal union of the North American 
Provinces and Colonies which would include Prince Edward's 
Island could ever be accomplished on terms that would prove 
advantageous to the interests and well-being of the people of 
this island, separated as it is and must ever remain, from the 
neighbouring provinces by an immoveable barrier of ice for 
Many months in the year.” The question continued to be 
discussed in the following years, and at length in 1873 the 
Executive Council adopted a minute that, if liberal terms of 
Union were offered, the Government would dissolve the As- 
w .