Upper Canada (now Ontario), the British government decided to merge the two provinces into a single province, as recommended by Lord Durham in the Durham Report. The Union Act, 1840, passed by the British Parliament, abolished the two provinces and their separate parliaments, and created the Province of Canada, with a single parliament for the entire province, composed of an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council. General elections for the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada were held in the spring of the year. Cuvillier returned to the political stage. He continued to oppose the union of the two Canadas and stood for election on general opposition to the anticipated policies of Governor-General Lord Sydenham. He was elected to the 1st Parliament of the Province of Canada representing newly constituted district of Huntingdon. One of the first issues facing the new Assembly was the choice of the Speaker. Cuvillier and Neilson now found themselves amongst the moderates. Louis-Hippolyte LaFontaine had inherited the more radical group, formerly led by Papineau, who now was in exile. Although LaFontaine bore a grudge against Cuvillier for having opposed the Ninety-Two Resolutions, he was also trying to unite the French-speaking members to obtain power in the new government for Lower Canada. Francis Hincks, a Reform member from Upper Canada and one of Papineau's allies, was able to persuade Papineau that Cuvillier was a good choice for Speaker. As a businessman, fluent in English, Cuvillier could appeal to the Tory members in the Assembly. Cuvillier could also appeal to the Canadien members in the Assembly as a francophone himself, opposed to the union and to the bar on using French in the Assembly. Governor General Lord Sydenham, who was initially determined to bring a conciliatory approach to the government, tacitly supported Cuvillier as well. Cuvillier was elected. During the four years of the first Parliament, Cuvillier developed very coridal relations with the succession of governors, who were engaged with the Assembly over the issue of responsible government. Matters came to a head during the governorship of Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, who prorogued the Parliament for over a year rather than accept the demand of LaFontaine and Robert Baldwin that the governor should call on the majority party in the Assembly to form the government. Cuvillier supported Metcalfe in the dispute. When the general election was called in 1844, Cuvillier was defeated in Huntingdon by