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 surrender
 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 government
 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