CHAP. 1] THE DOMINION OF CANADA 655
of the Federation. At the 1908 elections for the Federal
Parliament Mr. Pugsley was expected to carry for the
Federal authorities his former province of New Brunswick,
and Mr. Fielding did carry his Province of Nova Scotia.
But on the whole, it must fairly be said that the plan has
not worked badly, and that most Lieutenant-Governors 2
are content to work in harmony with the party which may
have a majority in the Legislature, though, especially of
late years, the rule has been for the Federal Government
to have Opposition parties victorious in the Provincial
Legislatures. For example, Ontario under Sir J. Whitney
since 1905 is a great and flourishing province, and in pro-
vincial, and also in a measure in Federal politics, it is in
opposition ; but none the less co-operation between the
Governments has been quite satisfactory. It was not until
1903 that a second Conservative province came into existence
in the shape of British Columbia (Manitoba being Conserva-
tive since 1900), but since then Conservatism has steadily
advanced, and in 1911 even in Nova Scotia the Opposition
gained ground.
The old view that the Lieutenant-Governor is a mere
creature of the Governor-General, which was at the bottom
of the disputes on the question of the power to appoint
Queen’s counsel and to pardon offenders against provincial
laws and so forth, may be regarded as entirely gone. By
virtue of their commissions from the Governor-General and
by virtue of the terms of the British North America Act
creating the Governments of the two re-separated provinces
and continuing those of the Maritime Provinces, taken in
conjunction with the terms on which British Columbia and
Prince Edward Island joined the Union and the Acts creating
the Provinces of Manitoba, Alberta, and Saskatchewan,
there is no doubt at all about the Lieutenant-Governor being
representative of the Queen and having full powers to
' As a matter of fact New Brunswick went Conservative in the provincial
elections ; but in 1903 Mr, Pugsley had been irresistible.
: Qo the Lieutenant-Governor of New Brunswick in 1908 declined to
appoint nominees of his beaten Ministry to office.
