HALIFAX. N.S._. 25th Sept., I877.

Mv DEAR MILLER,

In view of a local dissolution this fall, it is very important, I think, that John S. D. Thompson should have a seat in the new House. This I think desirable for many reasons, but more especially for t/zc reason that we sadly need a few men of determination and ability there. It is manifest that the men now leading the Oppo- sition need to be strengthened to enable them to command that public confidence which will ensure success. Mr. Thompson, I need not tell you, would be a valuable acquisition, but he must be returned by a Catholic constituency. There are three or four of these in the eastern part of the Province, with all of which you are well ac- quainted, and have large influence. Can you not manage in some way to secure Thompson’s return? If there be a local election this fall, I need not tell you, it is most important, if not essential to success next summer, that we shall get a majority of the New House of Assembly.

Let me hear from you and oblige, Yours truly,

(Sqd) JAs McDQNALII.

To HON. W. MILLER.

P.S.——This is written without Thompson’s knowledge or consent.

On the receipt ofthe foregoing letter, I concluded to call on Bishop Cameron, then residing. at Arichat, and without showing him Mr. McDonald’s cummunication or saying anything to him about it, obtain his opinion on the subject to which it referred. I was pleased to find, as I anticipated, that his Lordship was warmly in favor of getting a seat in the House of Assembly for Mr. Thompson. There happened at the moment to be a vacant seat in the Catholic County of Antigonish, caused by the resignation of one of the local members, the late Mr. j. ]. McKinnon. Isuggested to the Bishop that he should use his influence to get a requisition to Mr. Thompson to stand for the vacancy. His Lordship approved of my suggestion, but said he was too sick, (the Bishop was seriously ill at the time) to take an active part in the business himself, but requested me to write to his friend, the Rev. R. McDonald, then P. P. of Pictou, now Bishop of Harbor Grace, N.F., a native of Antigonish, and very popular there; explain to him his Lordship’s views, and ask him t0 go to the shire town of the con- stituency and secure the desired requisition. 1 accordingly wrote