Throughout Sir Thomas Cochrane’s disastrous nine-year reign, certain changes take place in Newfoundland society that are characterized as “advances” by Reeves-reading agitators.
Roads are built. Agriculture is encouraged. Men till the soil, thereby decreasing the surplus labour pool and bringing merchants perilously close to the brink of raising wages.
Cochrane redeems himself somewhat, however, by opposing Dr. Carson’s campaign for a local legislature, declaring Newfoundlanders to be too backward a people to govern themselves.
This constructive criticism is taken in the spirit in which it is intended by all but a minority of Newfoundlanders.
When the time comes for Cochrane to leave Newfoundland, a great crowd turns out to see him off and there is inaugurated what will become a local tradition performed at the departure for home of each of England’s representatives, known as muddening the governor.
Later, from England, Cochrane writes: “One might rather have had fond farewells thrown one’s way instead of gobs of mud, but in strange places strange rituals are practised to which one must submit or else give offence to one’s constituency.”