206 THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNMENT [PART II 
the election the authority usually exercised by a leader, and, 
as already stated, he did not meet the newly-elected Parlia- 
ment in the capacity of a Minister of the Crown. 
| Mr. Evans continued to hold office for some time after the 
general elections, but shortly before the meeting 'of Parlia- 
ment he called together those members of the House of 
Assembly (with one exception) who were not declared 
adherents of the party of which Mr. Earle was the recognized 
leader. One result of this conference was the resignation of 
Mr. Evans as Premier, in consequence of which Sir Elliott 
Lewis was entrusted with the duty of forming an Adminis- 
tration. This he succeeded in doing, assuming office as 
Premier on June 19. Mr. Evans, notwithstanding his long 
service as first Minister of the Crown, was not included in 
the Government, although Mr. Hean, the Minister for Lands 
in his Government, was reappointed to that office. 
Under the circumstances already detailed it is evident that 
no member of the House of Assembly was elected as a 
declared supporter of Sir Elliott Lewis personally. The 
recent proceedings in Parliament show that no binding 
obligations existed to support him as a Parliamentary leader, 
although he was apparently requested to assume that 
position when Mr. Evans retired. Sir Elliott Lewis has had 
to encounter in the brief period of four months, since he 
assumed office as Premier, two votes of want of confidence 
proceeding from members who had taken part in the 
conference already referred to, and who were nominally 
supporters of his Government. The first adverse motion, 
declaring that the House disagreed with the financial pro- 
posals of the Government, was defeated (September 23), 
but very shortly after the defeat of this motion a prominent 
member on the Government side made a direct attack upon 
Sir Elliott Lewis’s administration, and his motion declaring 
that the House had not confidence in the Government or in 
its proposals with regard to taxation was carried by 18 votes 
to 10. Upon this adverse vote Sir Elliot Lewis resigned, and 
Mr. Earle succeeded him as Premier. Mr. Earle was at once 
met, as before stated, by a vote of want of confidence and 
defeated. 
From this retrospect it appears to Mr. Earle that he is 
fully warranted in asserting that the members who voted 
with Sir Elliott Lewis in support of his no-confidence motion, 
are united only for the purpose of defeating the present 
Government. It is one thing to unite for the purpose of 
attaining some definite object, but it is quite another to