New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-05-20
CANADA.
DeiDs. Of the Legislature, &c.


TORONTO Tussisy. Niy Z, i25s
Persons who have ibe best means of information M
longer cubf that the RePresentatin bin VII psss the
Itcfla;iye Council IL pretty well ascertan-d from
required tvo+lnds VII he obtained in favor oi The
measure
Mr Secretary Norm has considerably modified the
details Of BIS scheme for making the Legislature cleo
tive. lie does not 1roPose 70 get rid OF the nominee
system al Of once; but to cause Onehalf Of the mem
hers Cf the present Connc retire in two years and
the Cher half after tie spse Of two years more lac
mode Of determining who 70 be the members to r.
tire first to be by-puring al their names into bag
and the Speaker ing TO The amount or 0nehat No
new Members would be elected till half the present
Council retire; 50 that there would be practical
change in the system for two years IL IL proposed that
the Council shall consist Of sixty Members, onethrd OF
vhom to retire every two years, by rotation Egl-
bily for esndidsteship was under the original reso
tions confined to ex-Msyors, exWardens OF Counties,
and ex-Ieeslave Councillors and ex-Mem0ers OF the
Assembly; but now it is extended to al who may be in
posseFsion Of 600 in real estate and above all
encumbIances, provided of course that they be
citizens by birth. or naturalization. The proposal
for making the change gradual rather than
immediate is more likely to be successful
than would attempt 10 get the present Council to de-
cree it's extinction at once. The scheme encounters
sod deal OF opposition and perhaps quite so much
from persons who call themselves retormers from
Others Fears are expressed of collision between TWO
Elective Chambers, and that the system viii render
impossible the working Of what is called responsible
Government which requires the Executive 0fthe day to
be ALWAYS able 10 command majority In the Legisa-
mre Ii il not however, proposed that hostile vote
Of the Legislative Council shall be held decisive
of the fate Of the Ministry; for if yOu have two
Elective Chambers, and if the Ministry be required to
harmonic with both or in other words, to command
msiorites in both when in fact they may be in OppOsi
ty 10 one another it would be required to perform
impossbility pTecautiOn against collision is taken,
and n remedy provided for the difficulty if it does
The Executive is 10 be vested with limited power of
dissolution over the Legislative Council lt can be ex
ercsed only in this contingency If the Council in two
consecutive sessions, and ar intervals OF not less
than six months, reject measure passed by
the Assembly in two successive sessions, and on
the second occasion by an absolute majority then it
shall he in the power OF the Executive to dissolve the
legislative Council and cause new election 70 take
Mace Ii is anticipated that this menace hanging
the Council would prevent its offering any serious OBJ
sucton 10 the progress Of legislation. In opposition
TO the Government proposition it Is commended that 1t
von'd destroy the sembance between The Legislative
Couneil and the House Of LOrds-as II there were the
slightest analogy between a nominal and dependant
Chamber az one which is hereditary and wealthy.
The House of Assembly has thrown out the bill 10
tax the Roman Catholic inhabitants Of Three Rivers to
build Cathedral According to the law as it stands
there Is power TO tax them for church. but not for
cathedral. The measure has encountered an immense
deal of unp0puarity mneh from those who TO
be Affected by it-aithOugh some OF them petuOned
aeainstit-a from thetight laced UpperCan
ada who see inthe wrong pnncpethe admission
thar tbe civil power may interfere in matters of religion
Privately another opinion has been good deal dis
cnssed although it has found no public advocate, nor
even prorouuder Ii is the dcathat il hundred men
unite for religious purposes there should be power
to compel each to contribute toward the common object
Of their union in proportion to their abilities. lie is
averred that practically the voluntary principle throws
Tie principal cost Of supporting the pulpit few will
irg members; while others even more able
to pav. make no scruple Of pocketing the
bene and refuse to make any adequate proportional
cont button toward tie expense and ii IS argued that
f each congregation had the power to tax It's members
in proportion To their ability and the benefits they enjoy,
lust as in any secular association. there would be far
more fiscal equity in religious matters tsan at present
Yet 10 man has the courage openly to advocate this
principle nom knowledge that II would bring down on
him storm Of bigoted intolerance from pseEiO Lib
erals from which he would be but too glad TO escape.
This urncple is no other than the embodied in the
famous but rejected Three Rivers Cathedral bill.
The Canadian has appointed Commissioner to the
Worlds Fair at NcW-i0rk. L. C.