CHAP. IV] THE GOVERNOR AS HEAD 213
accept the appointment of six, and to give an assurance that
the appointments were not made on party grounds, but to
strengthen the house. He admitted the precedent of Lord
Normanby was against his action, but he instanced the action
of Governments at home, and urged that it was better to leave
the punishment for the mistaken advice of ministers in the
hands of the people than to force a resignation of ministers.
His action was approved by the Secretary of State, who,
however, disclaimed any intention of approving the advice
tendered by ministers, which, indeed, was notin harmony with
Colonial as opposed to English practice in these matters.!
The classical case bearing on this point is that of Lord
Aberdeen and Sir Charles Tupper in 1896. The Government
of Sir John Macdonald fared somewhat badly after his death
in 1891, and it was found necessary to recall Sir C. Tupper
from England, and to put him at the head of affairs. But
it was impossible to make good the mistaken policy of the
Government in endeavouring to coerce Manitoba in the
matter of the schools, and in the result the general elections
went decisively against the party, and on July 4 the Governor-
General found it necessary to address the following minute
to the Prime Minister :—2
Until July the 7th as at present arranged, it is not likely
that we shall know whether or not you deem the results of
the General Election decisive against the Government, nor
do I know to what extent these results may be modified by
that date which you name as final in this regard.
_ After taking every means in my power to inform myself,
it is impossible for me to ignore the probability that in the
event of your deciding to meet Parliament the present
Administration will fail to secure the support of the House
»f Commons.
This hypothesis seems to me to have important bearings.
In the first place, the business to be transacted by Parlia-
ment, though foreseen and not in character exceptional, is
urgent. The supplies forthe publicservice arealready entirely
exhausted. This contingency was in view when the date of
the meeting of Parliament was fixed. It is in the public
= Parl. Pap., H. C. 198, 1893-4, pp. 5 seq.
Canada Sess. Pap., 1896, Sess. 2, No. 7.
