CHAP. IV] THE GOVERNOR AS HEAD 229 
conclude this memorandum without expressing to the 
Premier the regret he feels at being no longer able to continue 
to retain him in his position, contrary to the rights and 
privileges of the Crown. 
(Signed) L. LETELLIER. 
To this the Premier replied on March 2, 1878 :— 
Your EXCELLENCY, 
[ have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your 
memorandum, in which you come to the conclusion that you 
can no longer continue to retain me in my position as Prime 
Minister. There is no other duty for me to fulfil but to 
submit to the dismissal from office, which your Excellency 
has notified me of, declaring at the same time my profound 
respect for the rights and privileges of the Crown, and my 
devotion to the interests of the Province. 
I have, &ec. 
(Signed)  C. B. DE BOUCHERVILLE. 
After the dismissal he sent for Mr. Joly and allowed him 
to have a dissolution of Parliament. Mr. Joly was returned 
with a bare majority, which was only secured by the device 
of having elected as Speaker in the Lower House a member 
who had been elected as an opponent, and his action was 
bitterly resented by the Conservative party in Canada, at 
that time still in a minority in the Lower House of the 
Dominion, but in a majority as always in the Senate. The 
Senate therefore censured his conduct, while the Lower House 
was only able to approve it by declaring that it was a 
local matter for local decision, and not a case for interference 
by the Dominion Government. But a change of Ministry 
took place, and a private member insisted on dividing the 
House in support of a motion against the Lieutenant- 
Governor, whereupon the Governor-General was asked to 
dismiss him. He demurred, and the Governor-General 
agreed to a reference home, which was accordingly made. 
The case against the Lieutenant-Governor was stated by the 
Premier in an able paper dated April 14, 1879, which deserves 
quotation from its clear enunciation of one view of the powers 
of a Governor and his duties. After explaining that the 
action of Mr. Letellier had been inspired by a desire to inter-