Editing Province of Canada (section)

===Legislative Assembly===
{{main|Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada|Joint premiers of the Province of Canada}}
{{see also|List of elections in the Province of Canada}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+ Elections to the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada (1841–1863) – seats won by party
|-
! Colspan = "2" rowspan = "2" |'''Year'''
! colspan = "3"| 1841
! colspan = "3"| 1844
! colspan = "3"| 1848
! colspan = "3"| 1851
! colspan = "3"| 1854
! colspan = "3"| 1858
! colspan = "3"| 1861
! colspan = "3"| 1863
|-
! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total !! CW !! CE !! Total

|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Reform movement (pre-Confederation Canada)|Reform]]''' || 29|| || 29|| 12|| || 12|| 23|| || 23|| 20|| || 20|| 19|| || 19|| || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Clear Grits]]''' || || || || || || || || || || || || || 14|| || 14|| || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Reform movement (pre-Confederation Canada)|Radical Reform]]''' || || || || || || || || || || || || || 6|| || 6|| || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Reform movement (pre-Confederation Canada)|Moderate Reform]]''' || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || 5|| || 5|| 6|| || 6|| 2|| ||2
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''''[[Parti canadien|Patriote]]''''' || || 21|| 21|| || 23|| 23|| || 23|| 23|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''''[[Parti rouge|Rouges]]''''' || || || || || || || || || || || 4|| 4|| || 19|| 19|| || 10|| 10|| || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#EA6D6A" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]]''' || || || || || 5|| 5|| || 9|| 9|| || 9|| 9|| || || || 34|| 5|| 39|| 29|| 29|| 58|| 39|| 25||64
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#9999FF" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Family Compact]]''' || 10|| || 10|| || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#9999FF" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Tory]]''' || || 17|| 17|| 28|| 13|| 41|| 18|| 6|| 24|| 20|| 3|| 23|| || || || || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#9999FF" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Parti canadien|Ministerialist]]''' || || || || || || || || || || || 23|| 23|| || 35|| 35|| || || || || || || || ||
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#9999FF" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''''[[Parti bleu|Bleus]]''''' || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || || 33|| 33|| || 27|| 27|| || 25||25
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#9999FF" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''[[Liberal-Conservative Party|Liberal-Conservative]]''' || || || || || || || || || || || || || 25|| 9|| 34|| 24|| 15|| 39|| 29|| 8|| 37|| 24|| 11||35
|- align = "right"
| bgcolor="#DCDCDC" | &nbsp; &nbsp; || align="left"|'''Independent''' || 3|| 4|| 7|| 2|| 1|| 3|| 1|| 4|| 5|| 1|| 4|| 5|| 1|| 2|| 3|| 2|| 2|| 4|| 2|| 1|| 3|| || 4||4
|- align = "right"
| colspan = "2" align="left"|'''Total''' || 42|| 42|| 84|| 42|| 42|| 84|| 42|| 42|| 84|| 42|| 42|| 84|| 65|| 65|| 130|| 65|| 65|| 130|| 65|| 65|| 130|| 65|| 65||130
|}
{{multiple image
| align = right
| image1 = LHLafontaine.jpg
| alt1 = 
| caption1 = [[Louis-Hippolyte Lafontaine]], father of [[responsible government]]
| image2 = RobertBaldwin23.jpg
| alt2 = 
| caption2 = [[Robert Baldwin]], father of responsible government
| footer = 
| direction = 
| total_width = 360
}}

Canada West, with its 450,000 inhabitants, was represented by 42 seats in the Legislative Assembly, the same number as the more populated Canada East, with 650,000 inhabitants.

The Legislature's effectiveness was further hampered by the requirement of a "double majority" where a majority of votes for the passage of a bill had to be obtained from the members of ''both'' Canada East and West.

Each administration was led by two men, one from each half of the province. Officially, one of them at any given time had the title of ''Premier'', while the other had the title of ''Deputy''.