The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-04-24
CANADIAN GOVERNMENT,
How the Various Provinces Known as tbs
"Dominion" Are Governed.

CANADIAN GOVERNMENT.
How the Various Provinces Known as the
"Dominion" Are Governed.
The Dominion of Canada consists O!
the provinces of Ontario. Quebec-for-
merly Upper and Lower Canada-Nova
Scotia, New Brunswick, Manitoba,
British Columbia and Prince Edward
Island. They were united under the
provisions of an act of the Imperial
Parliament passed in March, 1867,
known as ''The British North America
Act, 1867" which came into operation
on July 1, 1867, by royal proclamation.
The act orders that the constitution of
the Dominion shall be ''similar in prin-
ciple to that of the United Kingdom;"
that the executive authority shall be
vested in the Sovereign of Great Brit
ain and Ireland, and carried on in her
name by Governor General and Privy
Council; and that the legislative power
shall be exercised by a Parliament of
two houses, called the Senate and
''the House of Commons. Provision
is made in the act for the admission of
Newfoundland, still self-governing
crown colony, into the Dominion of
Canada. In 1869 the extensive region
known as the Northern Territories was
added to the Dominion by purchase
from the Hudson's Bay Company. The
members of the Senate of the Parlia-
ment of the Dominion are nominated
for life, by summons of the Governor
General under the great of Canada.
By the terms of the constitution, there
are n Senators, namely "a from the
Province of Ontario, "a from Quebec,
10 from Nova Scotia, 10 from New
Brunswick, 8 from Manitoba, 3
from British Columbia and 4 from
Prince Edward Island. Each Senator
must be thirty years of age,
born or naturalized subject, and pos
sessed of property, real or personal, OF
the value of $4,000 in the province for
which he is appointed. The House of
Commons of the Dominion is elected
by the people for five years, at the rate
of one representative for every 1900
souls. At present, Gn the basis of the
census returns OF 1881, the House of
Commons consists of 219 members,
namely, SO for Ontario, IS for Quebec,
81 for Nova Scotia, 16 for New Bruins
wick, 5 for Manitoba, 6 for British Co.
lumbia and for Prince Edward Island.
The members of the House of Com
mons are elected by constituencies,
varying in the different provinces. In
Ontario and Quebec a vote is given to
every male subject being the owner or
occupier or tenant of real property of
the assessed value of $500, or of the
yearly value of $50, if within cities or
towns, or of the assessed value of 5000,
or the yearly value of 500, if notso Stu
ate. In New Brunswick vote is given
to every male subject of 2l years, as
sessed in respect of real estate to the
amount of 800, or of personal prop
erty, or personal and real, amounting
together to S400, or $500 annual in
come. In Nova Scotia the franchise is
with all subjects of the age of q years,
assessed in respect of real estate to the
value of $3.50, or in respect ofpersonal
estate, or of real and personal together,
to the value of S400. Voting is by
ballot. The Speaker of the House OF
Commons has salary of $4,000 per
annum, and each member an allowance
of $40 per diem, up to the end of 80
days, and for a session lasting longer
than this period, the sum of $1,000
with, in every case, ten cents per mile
for travelling expenses. The sum of SO
per diem is deducted for every days
absence of member. unless the same
is caused by illness. There is the same
allowance for the members of the SEN
ate of the Dominion. The seven prov
inces forming the Dominion have each
separate Parliament and administra-
ton, with a Northumberland at the
head of the Executive. They have full
power to regulate their own local af-
fairs, dispose of their revenues and
enact such laws as they may deem best
for their own internal welfare, provided
only they do not interfere with or are
adverse to the action of the central adj
ministration under the Attorney Gen.
eral.-IOledo Blade.