MILITARY AND CIVIL. I47 
     
    
   
   
    
     prominently brought before the Government of the Island 
     
     in 1864, and was strenuously opposed. But as time rolled 
     
     on, the Province finding difliculty in raising means for 
     
     constructing the railway—then under contract—the Govern- 
     
     ment in the month of January, 1873, submitted important 
     
     propositions to the Privy Council at Ottawa, with a view to 
     
     a union with the Dominion, which propositions appeared 
     
     to be the most satisfactory way to settle the difficulty 
     
     consequent on the liabilities of the Island in connection 
     
     with the railway. During February, the Hon. Robert P. 
     
     Haythorne, leader of the Government, and Hon. David 
     
     Laird having been appointed delegates, proceeded to Ottawa, 
     
     where they had several interviews with a sub-committee of the 
     
     council upon various questions connected with the important 
     
     subject of the proposed union, which were fully discussed, and 
     
     a minute of the terms and conditions as mutually agreed to 
     
     was finally drawn up, after which they returned to Charlotte- 
     
     town. The result of this mission was a dissolution of the 
     
     House of Assembly in order to give the electors an opportunity 
     
     to pronounce their opinion on certain terms of the union 
     
     by the Dominion Government through Messrs. Haythorne and 
     
     Laird. But the election resulting in favor of the opposition,— 
     
     and better terms,—a coalition government under the leader- 
     
     ship of Messrs. Pope and Howlan was formed. They met the 
     
     Assembly on the 27th April, when the question of union was 
     
     - discussed, and a resolution passed to the effect, that the terms 
     
     and conditions proposed did not secure to the Island a sum 
     
     suflicient to defray requirements of its local government, and 
     
     that the Lieutenant Governor be therefore authorized to 
     
     appoint delegates to proceed to Ottawa to confer with the 
     
     Government of the Dominion on the all important subject. 
     
     Accordingly, the Hon. the Leader of the Government, Hon. 
     
     George W. Howlan, and the Hon. T. H. Haviland were appointed 
     
     as delegates to proceed to Ottawa and discuss with the Gov- 
     
     ernment the subject of ‘ better terms for the Island than 
     
     formerly agreed to. Having succeeded in their mission, the 
     
     delegates returned to the city where the new conditions 
     
     of the proposed union were submitted to the House of 
     
     Assembly then in session; the question of union having been 
     
    
   
   
    
     put to the House was carried by twenty-seven votes to two, 
     
     and the legislative action necessary to consummate the union