Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-09
HOW CANADA is GOVERNED.
An lntcrestinE sketch OF Dominion
Methods.

AS is well known, there are seven provinces
in the Dominion, viz: New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec,
Ontario, British Columbia, and Manitoba
The total population of these provinces is
4,352, $50. The executive authority is vested
ln the Queen, exercised through the Govern
or-General, who receives $4,000 per
year as salary.
The Govcrnor-G General has thirteen ad-
Privy Council of Canada" each OF whom
receives salary Of $1,000 per annum and
$1,000 in addition for each session Of Parla-
ment, excepting the Premier. who receives
$4,000 and an additional $1,000 per session.
making the total annual salaries OF these
officers Sl55, 1000, $4,000 In excess OF that
paid to the President of the United States
and his Cabinet.
A member of the Canadian Cabinet must
be either a Senator ora Member of the House
OF Commons.
OF Justices (2) of Finance: (3) of Agricul-
ture; a. of the Secretary of State; % of
Militia and Defense; (6) of Customs ~
Of Inland Revenue; (s) of the Interior ;
(9) of Public Works QO) of Railways
and Canals 0D of the Postoff1ce ; and
Q2) the Department of Marine and FISH
erles.
The chiefs of these departments are to be
addressed, for instance, thus: "The honor
able Minister OF Justice, Ottawa, Canada !"
or as the case may be.
Parliament is composed Of n Senate and
House Of Commons.
Senators are appointed for life, and mem.
bers of the House Of Commons are elected
for FIVE years.
AT present there can be but IS Senators,
and after the admission of Newfoundland
into the Confederation the number is limited
TO elghty-two.
In the late Parliament there were two
hundred and six members IN the House of
Commons. Under the recent apportionm cnt
the House just elected will have two hundred
and eleven members.
| Each Senator and member of the House of
Commons receives 81 cooper aunum rs CON-
pensation.
The sessions of Parliament are short COM
pared with those of the Congress of the
United States.
There Is no particular time or day for
the assembling of Parliament. 1t usually
meets, however, In February Of each year,
being summoned to Ottawa by proclamation
OF the Governor. General, who also with the
advice OF the Cabinet. sprorogues it, and, so
/ far as the House OF Commons is concerned,
dissolves Parlioment at the end of five years
/ or sooner.
Parliament is opened in person by the
Governor. General with considerable formal
ity and pomp.
The speaker of the Senate, who must be
Senator, is appointed by the Govcrnor-Gen-
eral. lie has in all cases a vote Senators
do not address the Speaker. They address
the Senate. Incorporate or offensive Ian
guagc is dealt with by the Senate. The
members do not vote 'yea" and may"
Those in favor OF a motion are the ''con-
tents and those opposed are the "non-con-
tents"
In the House of Commons the members
address the Speaker, who is elected by that
body.
The Speaker OF the Senate takes part in
the debates thereof The Speaker in the
House Of Commons takes no part in the de-
bates. He has the casting vote in case of
tie. Unlike the Speaker Of the Senate, he
preserves order, and, on the whole, wields
| about the came power as the Speaker OF the
House of Representatives Of the United
States.
The form of government, to great cx-
tent, is modelled by our own, or TO that
extent which its relation to Great Britain
permits.
The Governor General has certain powers
but he appears 10 have no will against that
of the Government. He therefore seldom
uses any of his prerogativcs, but assents to
such measures as the Government may see
| fit to present.
Each province has local legislature, in
/ some OF which there are an upper and lower
house, and in others one house.
A lieutenant-governor, appointed by the
Governor. General, presides over each prov
ince
With the exception of members of the
House OF. Commons and the local legislatures,
all officers are appointed, and hold their
Only certain off1ce-holders are allowed to
vote.
General election days appear like Sunday.
All places selling intoxicating drinks are
closed. The law on this subject is very
stringent. Any pclson violating it Is fined
heavily and jailed.
Any person who has attained the age of |
twenty onc years, ard has an income OF |
$500 in city, $500 in town, $500 in
village, and 5000 in a township may vote, /
provided he is a British subject Any per-
SOD, meaning male, owning property in /
one or more election districts, can vote in /
each district in which his property is located,
provided ii amounts to the figure in either of
the places named above. The voting is by
ballot and only one voter Is allowed in the
poll at a time. The returning officer is
supposed to have the tickets printed with
the names Of the opposing candidates there
on, who supplies each of his deputies with
the number required at their respective polls
on the morning OF election.
The tickets are numbered by the deputy
returning officer, who, as each voter presents
presents himself, initials the ticket, hands it
to the voter who proceeds to another apart
ment, afIlxes the mark required by law oppo-
site the name Of the candidate of bis choice,
returns to the poll hands the ticket to the
returning officer, who examines it on the out
side to see that his initials are there, places
il 10 the box, and the process is complete
The candidate has nothing TO do with the
tickets or their preparation. Indeed, it is
unlawful that he should.
Each candidate must deposite 5000 with
the proper authority before he can be recog-
nlzed as such. This sum is returned in each
case should the defeated candidate receive
more than one-hslf OF all the votes poled. II
not, only the successful candidates deposit
Is returned.
Constituencies are small in Canada CON-
pared with the United States, and majorities
are frequently as low as one, two, or three.
Two or three hundred is considered large
majority in most electorals districts.
Ia this connection, and in conclusion, II
may be proper to add that the province of
Quebec is the pivotal province as TO repre-
senta,ion in the Dominion House OF Com
mons. 1t has fixed representation OF sixty ,
nve'members, and the representation OF the ,
other provinces is in proportion to the num- {
Der OF their respective populations las {
the number sixty-flve bears to the population
Of Quebec. This is determined and adjusted .