OHAP. 1] ORIGIN AND HISTORY 15 
on whom the results of unsatisfactory government first 
recoiled. He laid special stress on the necessity of leaving 
to the local Government all patronage, a recommendation 
not altogether palatable at a time when, despite vigorous 
disclaimers, posts in the Colonies were a recognized way of 
disposing of younger sons for whom no other employment 
could decently be found. To his list of exceptions to the 
rule of self-government must of course be added military 
and naval affairs, which he naturally, at a time when two 
risings had been put down with the aid of Imperial troops, 
assumed to be matters for Imperial control. The omission 
of questions affecting the natives is probably to be attributed 
bo the fact that the question of the rights of the Indians did 
not present itself as of much consequence in the provinces 
which he deemed to be ripe for self-government at the time 
of his visit to the Dominion. 
The Imperial Government were in no hurry to adopt in 
heir full form the proposals of Lord Durham in favour of 
responsible government, but in his instructions to Mr. C. 
Poulett Thomson when he went out as Governor, Lord John 
Russell took, on October 16, 1839.1 the important step of 
announcing that the principal offices of the Colony would 
not be considered as being held by a tenure equivalent to 
one during good behaviour, but that the holders would be 
liable to be called upon to retire whenever, from motives of 
public policy or for other reasons, this should be found 
expedient. A further definition of responsible government 
was arrived at after the Constitution Act of 1840 re-united the 
two Canadas and placed them as a unit under one Governor- 
General. On September 3, 1841, Mr. Harrison submitted to 
the Legislative Assembly of Canada, in substitution for a set 
of resolutions proposed by Mr. R. Baldwin, a series of resolu- 
tions which define as follows the system of government :— 
The head of the Executive Government of the Province 
being within the limits of his Government the representative 
of the Sovereign is responsible to the Imperial authority 
* Parl. Pap., H.C. 621, 1848, p. 5; of. Egerton and Grant. Canadian 
Constitutional History, pp. 266 seq.