the Quebec Legislative Council, a member of which may hold a seat in the Senate. The Act of Union gives the Lieutenant-Governor, as well as the Governor General, the power to 66 reserve," and also to "veto," a Bill when it comes before him. As respects the revenues of the provinces, they are largely derived from certain annual subsidies receivable from the general Government. The Dominion at the union assumed the debts of the several provinces, agreeing at the same time to pay them an annual subsidy equal to 80 cents per head of the four original provinces, parties to the Confederation pact, as ascertained by the census of 1861, except in the case of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, in which it arranged that the subsidy should be increased after each decennial census until the population in each province reached 400,000. Besides this subsidy there is given to each province an annual allowance for government and also an annual allowance of interest on the amount of the debt allowed, where the province has not reached the limit of the authorized debt. Under various readjustments and under the arrangements by which other provinces entered the Confederation, the provincial debts assumed are as under: Province of Canada.... Nova Scotia.. New Brunswick .$62,500,000 8,000,000 $77,500,000 Debts subsequently assumed or allowed: Nova Scotia (readjustment of 1869). The Old Province of Canada (readjustment of 1873).. $ 1,186,756 do do 2,848,289 do 2,549,214 do Nova Scotia do The subsidies paid by the Federal Government to the provinces amount to a total sum of $3.935,765, which is apportioned as The provinces retain possession of the lands belonging to them before entering the Union; Manitoba having no public lands at the time of its creation, has since received a gift of swamp lands from the general Government. (4th.) A Provincial Judiciary, to which reference is made in paragraph 32. (5th.) A Civil Service with officers appointed by the Provincial Government holding office, as a rule, during pleasure, and not removable for political reasons. (6th.) A municipal system by means of which the provinces enjoy local self-government, enabling the people in every local division, whether it be a village, town, township, parish, city or county, to manage their own internal affairs in accordance with the liberal provisions of the various statutory enactments which are the result of the wisdom of the various legislatures of the different provinces within half a century. It is in the great province of Ontario that we find the system in its complete form. While this system is quite symmetrical in its arrangement, it is also thoroughly practical and rests upon the free action of the ratepayers in each municipality. The whole organization com prises: (1.) The minor municipal corporations, consisting of townships being rural districts of an area of eight or ten square miles, with a population of from 3,000 to 6,000. The council of (2.) Villages with a population of over 750. (3.) Towns with a population of over 2,000. every town consists of the mayor and of three councillors for each ward, where there are less than five wards, and of two for each ward, where there are five or more wards. Such of these as are comprised within a large district, termed a county, constitute : (4.) The county municipality, which is under the government of a council composed of the heads of the different minor municipal divisions in such counties as have already been constituted in the province. (5.) Cities are established from the growth of towns when their population exceeds 15,000, and their municipal jurisdiction is akin to that of counties and towns combined. The council of every city consists of the mayor and three aldermen for each ward. The townships and villages are administered by a reeve and councillors; the town by a mayor and councillors. The governing body of the county municipality is composed of the reeves and deputy reeves of the townships, villages and towns within. the county; one of these, who presides, being called the warden of the county. The councils have power to levy rates, create debts, promote agriculture, trade, manufactures and railways. They have powers relating to drainage, roads, paupers, cemeteries, public schools, free libraries, markets, fire companies, preservation of the peace, and for all other objects falling within the legitimate scope of local municipal requirements. The exemptions from taxation comprise all government and public property, places of worship, and lands connected therewith, and a great number of buildings occupied by scientific, educational and charitable institutions. The official incomes of the judiciary and of all Dominion officers are also exempt from taxation. The mayors, reeves, aldermen and councillors are elected annually by ballot by the ratepayers. The warden and all the other municipal officers are appointed by the councils. The persons elected must be natural-born or naturalized subjects of the Queen, reside within the municipality and be possessed of certain legal or equitable freehold or leasehold, varying from $400 in townships to $1,500 in cities for freehold, and from $800 to $3,000 for leasehold. Manitoba has adopted the municipal system of Ontario in its entirety. In the province of Quebec the municipal divisions consist of villages, towns, parishes or townships, and counties. The parish is necessarily recognized in the general law provided for the municipal organization of the province. When a canonical parish has been formed by the proper ecclesiastical authority, acting under statute law, it may at any time be erected into a municipality by civil authority. The county council is composed of the mayors of the several local municipalities of the county in which these officials have been elected. The councillors elect one of their number to be mayor of the local municipality, and the warden is chosen by the county council. The cities and towns are incorporated by special Acts, and their mayors and councils are elected by the people. In Nova Scotia the county councils consist of a warden and councillors, the first-named officer being elected from among themselves by the councillors. The municipal officials are appointed by the councils, whose powers are similar to those exercised by councils in Ontario. Cities and towns are incorporated by special Acts, and the mayors and aldermen are elected by the duly qualified electors. The basis of local self-government in New Brunswick is the parish. In other respects the municipal system is the same as that of Nova Scotia. The province of Prince Edward Island has not adopted a complete municipal system, the legislature being practically the governing body in all matters of local improvement. Some of the cities and towns have special Acts of incorporation. In British Columbia and the North-west Territories liberal provisions exist for the establishment of municipal corporations on the basis of those existing in Ontario. In British Columbia a number of municipalities have been established within the past two years. 30. By Act of Confederation it is provided that the Governor General shall appoint the judges of the superior, district and county courts (except those of the courts of probate in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick), and that their salaries, allowances and pensions shall be fixed and provided by the Dominion Parliament. It is also provided that the judges of the courts of Quebec shall be selected from the bar of that province. There is a similar limitation of the selection of the judges in Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick until such time as the laws relative to property and civil rights and the procedure of the courts in those provinces are made uniform, provisions for which, under the Act of the Union of 1867, can be made by the Dominion Parliament, subject to the proviso that any Act of Parliament for that purpose shall only have effect when adopted and enacted as law by the several provincial legislatures interested. The administration of justice in each province, including the constitution, maintenance and organization of provincial courts, both of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and also including procedure in civil matters in those courts, is left to the Provincial Government. The highest court within Canada is known as the Supreme Court of Canada. It was constituted in 1875 in accordance with the 101st section of the Union Act, 1867. It has an appellate, civil and criminal jurisdiction in and throughout Canada. It has also an appellate jurisdiction in cases of controverted elections and may examine and report upon any private bill or petition for the same. It has jurisdiction in cases of controversies between the Dominion and the provinces, and between the provinces themselves, on condition that the legislatures pass an Act agreeing to such jurisdiction. Under Act of the Parliament of Canada, passed in 1891, the Governor in Council may refer to the Supreme Court for an opinion any matter which he deems advisable in the public interest. Either House of Parliament may refer to the court any private bill for its report thereon. The court is presided over by a chief justice and five puisne judges, at least two of whom must be appointed from the bench or bar of the province of Quebec, and all of whom must reside at, or within five miles of, the city of Ottawa, where the court holds its sittings three times a year, viz., in February, May, and October. From the decision of the Supreme Court an appeal always lies, except in criminal cases, to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council of England, the court of last resort for the Empire. 31. The Exchequer Court, presided over by a separate judge, who must reside in, or within five miles of, Ottawa, possesses exclusive original jurisdiction in all cases in which demand is made, or relief sought, in respect of any suit or action of the Court of Exchequer on its revenue side, against the Crown or any of its officers. This court also possesses concurrent original jurisdiction in all cases in which it is sought to enforce any law relating to the revenue. The court may sit at any time and at any place in Canada. This court is also a colonial court of admiralty (the Admiralty Act, 54-55 Vic., c. 29), having such jurisdiction throughout Canada and its waters, whether tidal or non-tidal, naturally or artificially navigable, and such rights and remedies in all matters connected with navigation, shipping, trade, and commerce, as may be had or enforced in any colonial court of admiralty, under the Imperial "Colonial Court of Admiralty Act, 1890." Admiralty districts, presided over by local judges in admiralty of the exchequer court, have been established under the above Act (Admiralty Act, 1891), for the provinces of Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, and the "Toronto Admiralty District," the limits of which last are fixed from time to time by the Governor in Council. 32. The Superior Courts of the several provinces are constituted as follows:-Ontario-the Supreme Court of Judicature, consisting of two permanent divisions called respectively the High Court of Justice for Ontario and the Court of Appeal for Ontario. The first division is again divided into three parts, having concurrent jurisdiction, Queen's Bench, Common Pleas, and Chancery, the two first of which are presided over by a chief justice and two judges for each, and the third of which is composed of a chancellor and three judges. Quebec-The Chief Justice of the Queen's Bench and five puisne judges, and the |