This result meant trouble for the governor, whose term ran to November, 1872. His efforts to secure Congressional interference, his conduct in January, 1870, and the accusations of extravagance, corruption, and other crimes continually made by an intemperate press, had raised public indignation to a high point. It was certain that when the new legislature met it would investigate the charges, and it was hoped that the governor would be impeached.[308] The time of reckoning had been postponed, however, by the prudence of the outgoing legislature, which had provided that the next session of the legislature should begin, instead of in January, the regular time set by the constitution,[309] on the first Wednesday in November, 1871.[310] The first Wednesday in November, 1871, was November 1. On October 23, the governor recorded in the executive minutes that he resigned his office, for "good and sufficient reasons," the resignation to take effect on October 30.[311] He then quietly left the state. The fact that he had resigned was kept secret until October 30.[312] In case of a vacancy in the office of governor, the constitution directed the president of the senate to fill the office.[313] On October 30, therefore, Conley, the president of the senate at its last session, hastened to be sworn in as governor.[314] By resigning just before the meeting of the incoming Conservative legislature, Bullock had thus cleverly prolonged Republican power, while at the same time resigning. The question whether under the constitution the governor's office should not be filled by the president of the newly-organized senate, was raised by the papers.[315] But Conley was by common consent left in possession of the office. Though, as he said in his first message to the legislature,[316] "a staunch Republican," he was not personally unpopular.[317] Moreover, the legislature intended to furnish a successor very soon. On November 22, a bill was passed ordering a special election for governor for the remainder of the unexpired term, to be held on the third Tuesday in December.[318] The authority for this act was found in the following provision of the constitution: "The general assembly shall have power to provide by law for filling unexpired terms by a special election."[319] Conley vetoed the bill, on the ground that the section of the constitution quoted empowered the legislature to make general provisions for filling unexpired terms, not to make special provision for single cases.[320] The bill was passed over his veto.