From 1855 to 1933 Newfoundland had a system of Responsible Government.
Responsible government is the government is responsible to the legislature. In other words, the governor, as the Crown's representative, appointed elected members of the Assembly - and sometimes members of the appointed upper house, the Legislative Council - to administer the colony. As long as they were able to maintain the support of a majority of members in the House of Assembly they held their positions. The colony was granted self-governing status in 1854.
Philip Francis Little was the first Premier of Newfoundland Colony between 1855 and 1858.
The colony rejected confederation with Canada in the period of 1864 to 1869. In 1907, Newfoundland became the Dominion of Newfoundland, a Dominion of the British Empire. Due to economic hardship in 1934 it suspended its self-government and accepted temporary rule by a royal commission.