Total Assembly membership 30. The Liberal leader, Philip Francis Little, became the first Premier of the Colony. The Liberals were a largely Catholic party, which depended on Methodist support to defeat the mostly Anglican Conservative opposition. Little became a Judge in 1858 and the Premiership passed to an older Catholic Liberal, John Kent. 8th general election: 7 November 1859 Party composition: Liberal 18, Conservative 12. Total Assembly membership 30. Kent's government got in severe difficulties. The Methodists had begun to switch their support to the Conservatives endangering the Liberal majority. Kent, a man with a fiery temper, was on bad terms with the Governor. In 1861 after the Premier accused the Judges of conspiring against his Government, the Governor was delighted to dismiss him. The Conservative leader, Hugh Hoyles, was installed as Premier. As he was in a minority in the Assembly the new Premier requested and got a dissolution. 9th general election: 2 May 1861 Party composition: Conservative 15, Liberal 13, vacant 2. Total Assembly membership 30. This was the most violent and sectarian election in Newfoundland's history. In one two member electoral district a party of voters going to the polling place were attacked. A relative of one of the candidates was shot dead. Subsequently, there were riots. The returning office later gave sworn evidence that he had only returned two members due to his being threatened. A mob attacked and burnt the returning officers home, a few days later. The Assembly decided not to seat any claimants from the disputed election, although the Conservatives won the subsequent by-election. Shortly before the next election Hugh Hoyles was replaced as Premier by a more conciliatory Conservative, Frederick Carter, who was anxious to reduce sectarian strife and bring some Catholics into the cabinet. 10th general election: 7 May 1865 Party composition: Conservatives 22, Opposition 8. Total Assembly membership 30. Carter did acquire some Catholic support as the old sectarian alignments broke down. The issue of whether Newfoundland should become a part of Canada caused a realignment. A new Anti-Confederation Party opposed the mostly pro-Confederation Conservatives. The next general election would decide the issue. 11th general election: 13 November 1869 Party composition: Anti-Confederation 21, Conservative 9. Total Assembly membership 30. The defeat for the Confederation cause was so complete that the Conservatives soon dropped the idea. For many years afterward being called a supporter of Confederation was a political smear. The