▁De ▁Cos mos ' ▁reputation ▁as ▁an ▁icon oc last ▁and ▁his ▁inf am ously ▁vol atile ▁temper ament ▁did ▁not ▁ende ar ▁him ▁to ▁the ▁establishment . ▁ ▁Premier ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁ ▁Mc Cre ight ▁res igned ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 2 ▁on ▁a ▁motion ▁of ▁non - conf idence , ▁and ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 3 , ▁ 1 8 7 2 , ▁Tr utch ▁asked ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁to ▁form ▁a ▁new ▁government ▁as ▁Premier . ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁populated ▁his ▁cabinet ▁with ▁reform ers , ▁mostly ▁born ▁in ▁North ▁America , ▁many ▁of ▁whom ▁would ▁come ▁to ▁domin ate ▁provincial ▁politics ▁for ▁the ▁generation . ▁His ▁government ▁purs ued ▁an ▁ag enda ▁of ▁political ▁reform , ▁economic ▁expansion , ▁and ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁public ▁institutions ▁— ▁especially ▁schools . ▁De ▁Cos mos ▁also ▁focused ▁on ▁adv ancing ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁the ▁trans cont inental ▁railway ▁promised ▁under ▁the ▁Term s ▁of ▁Union . ▁It ▁was , ▁however , ▁De ▁Cos mos ' ▁attempt ▁to ▁alter ▁the ▁Term s ▁of ▁Union ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁obtain ▁mon et ary ▁guarante es ▁from ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁complete ▁a ▁dry ▁dock ▁at ▁Es qu im alt ▁that ▁eventually ▁led ▁to ▁accus ations ▁of ▁impro p ri ety , ▁and ▁ended ▁his ▁provincial ▁political ▁career . ▁He ▁spec ulated ▁heavily ▁in ▁land ▁and ▁in ▁Tex ada ▁Island ▁iron ▁mines , ▁which ▁brought ▁further ▁criticism , ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁public ▁official . ▁Thus ▁he ▁ended ▁his ▁ten ure ▁as ▁Premier ▁on