new Premier was Charles Fox Bennett, a Protestant leader of a mostly Catholic party. All was well so long as the Confederation issue was still dominant, but there was always a risk of sectarian strife reappearing. 12th general election: November 1873 Party composition: Anti-Confederation 17, Conservative 13. Total Assembly membership 30. The Anti-Confederates led by Charles Fox Bennett won the election and formed the government; a "new" Conservative party led by Frederick Carter formed the opposition. 13th general election: 7 November 1874 Party composition: Conservative 17, Anti-Confederation 13. Total Assembly membership 30. The Conservatives decided that the way to win the next election was to take up sectarian issues. The tactic worked at some cost to the islands political stability. Frederick Carter defeats Fox and regains the Premiership. The party system continued to move in the direction of renewed sectarianism. The Anti-Confederation Party faded away and was replaced by a new Liberal Party, as before largely composed of Catholics. In April 1878 Carter was replaced as Conservative Premier by William Whiteway. 14th general election: 4 November 1878 Party composition: Conservative 21, Liberal 10. Total Assembly membership 31. Whiteway continued in office as Premier. 15th general election: 6 November 1882 Party composition unknown but divided between a Conservative majority and a Liberal minority. Total Assembly membership 32. Premier Whiteway's support began to splinter. A New Party, based on merchant interests in the capital, broke away. 16th general election: 31 October 1885 Party composition: Reform 18, Liberal 13, Independent 1. Total Assembly membership: 32 The election was contested by a Reform Party which replaced Whiteway's Conservatives. Sir Robert Thorburn of the Reform Party took over as Premier. The Reform Party campaigned on a policy of not compromising with Catholics. Thorburn broke his election promise by inviting Catholic Liberals to join his government. The Reform and Liberal parties merged, to form a larger Reform Party. Meanwhile, William Whiteway, the former Conservative leader, set up a new party. As the name Liberal was not being used, Whiteway adopted it for his new party. It must therefore be appreciated that the Liberal Party which contested the 15th general election was a different party from the Liberal Party from the 16th general election onwards. 17th general election: 6 November 1889 Party composition: Liberals 28, Reform 3, Independent 1. Total Assembly membership: 32 William Whiteway began a new Premiership, but he was not as vigorous as he