8 8 5 ; ▁this ▁event ▁helped ▁him ▁win ▁popular ▁support , ▁and ▁the ▁Quebec ▁Conserv ative ▁Party ▁lost ▁support ▁because ▁its ▁federal ▁counter parts ▁had ▁ordered ▁R iel ' s ▁execution . ▁ ▁Se izing ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁coal ition ▁with ▁diss ident ▁Conserv atives , ▁Mer cier ▁rev ived ▁the ▁" Part i ▁National " ▁name ▁for ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁Quebec ▁provincial ▁election , ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁seats . ▁ ▁However , ▁the ▁coal ition ▁consisted ▁of ▁mostly ▁Liber als ▁and ▁only ▁a ▁few ▁Conserv atives , ▁so ▁the ▁" L iber al " ▁name ▁was ▁soon ▁re inst it uted . ▁ ▁The ▁Conserv atives , ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁minor ity ▁in ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly , ▁cl ung ▁to ▁power ▁for ▁a ▁few ▁more ▁months , ▁but ▁Mer cier ▁became ▁Premier ▁of ▁Quebec ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁ ▁Premier ▁of ▁Quebec ▁ ▁See ing ▁provincial ▁aut onomy ▁as ▁the ▁political ▁expression ▁of ▁Quebec ▁national ism , ▁he ▁collabor ated ▁with ▁Ontario ▁Premier ▁Oliver ▁M ow at ▁to ▁roll ▁back ▁federal ▁central ism . ▁ ▁Mer cier ▁initi ated ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁inter pro vin cial ▁con ferences ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 7 . ▁He ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁Quebec ▁premier ▁to ▁defend ▁the ▁principle ▁of ▁provincial ▁aut onomy ▁within ▁the ▁conf eder ation , ▁campaign ing ▁to ▁abol ish ▁the ▁federal ▁government ' s ▁claimed ▁right ▁to ▁v eto ▁provincial ▁legisl ation . ▁ ▁With ▁his ▁strong ▁national ist