238 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



the politicians, the people as a rule may be lelied upon to do what is 

 right.^ 



At the close of the first day's voting, for the polls at that time were 

 kept open two days, there was great rejoicing in the Stevenson camp. 

 Dodgers were printed and sent out to all parts of the riding. These 

 contained an analysis of the votes cast during the first day showing 

 Stevenson in the lead by 222 over the straight reform candidate and 

 486 ahead of the candidate claiming to be the nominee of the con- 

 servative party and concluded with "Vote for Stevenson and save 

 your votes." His election was a foregone conclusion; but his friends 

 stood by him the second day and rolled up such a majority that there 

 was no room for doubt that he was the choice of the electors. 



The Legislature met on the 27th of December, 1867. The old 

 buildings on Front Street, Toronto, which had been built by the Legis- 

 lature of Upper Canada and occupied by that body from 1832 to 1841, 

 had been overhauled and fitted up for the occasion. Since the union 

 of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841 they had served respectively as 

 a court house, medical school, insane asylum, the Upper Canada home 

 of the peregrinating Parliament of the united provinces, and from 

 1861 to 1867 as a military barracks. At the appointed hour Major- 

 General Henry William Stisted, the first Lieutenant-Governor, at- 

 tended by his military staff, was driven in state to the main entrance, 

 where he was received by a guaid of honor from the Queen's Own 

 Rifles, Tenth Royal Grenadiers and a Grand Trunk battalion. Two 

 military bands softened the deafening roar of the salute of eighteen 

 guns as his Honor entered the old chamber and took his seat: The 

 floor of the House and galleries were crowded with high dignitaries, 

 ofificials and the elite of the city. The Honorable M. C. Cameron, 

 Provincial Secretary, announced that the Royal Speech could not be 

 delivered until the House had elected its Speaker. His Honor, ac- 

 cording to ancient custom, withdrew, and it was no small compliment 

 to the recognized ability of Mr. Stevenson that out of eighty- two 

 members, among them being many prominent and experienced parlia- 

 mentarians, he was chosen the first Speaker. The compliment may 

 be appreciated all the more when we reflect that, as far as appears by 

 his correspondence, he was the spontaneous choice of the members and 

 the position was not solicited by him. He was without experience 

 save such as he had acquired in presiding over the deliberations of the 

 county council of Lennox and Addington, and the free and easy methods 



1 Benjamin C. Davy, Napanee's first lawyer and first Mayor, came forward as 

 the champion of the old Conservative party and Thomas W. Casey was endeavoring 

 to march to victory under the Reform flag. Mr. Stevenson was more in accord with 

 the spirit of the times and shrewdly declined to profess allegiance to any party. 



