148 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



ceed fifteen. The clauses that ajjpcared in the instructions to Governor 

 AVilmot ' and other governors, with respect to suspension and attendance 

 of members were repeated. Executive and legislative councillors were, 

 as always, to hold office (hiring pleasure. 



xvit. co.mmission and instructions to governor-g kneral and 

 Lieutenant-Governor. - 



It is well here to observe that during the early histor}' of Xova 

 Scotia, the commissions and instructions given to the various repre- 

 sentatives of the Crown in the province gave them powers ■' as our 

 captain-general and governor-in-chief in and over our province of Nova 

 Scotia and the islands and territories thereunto belonging in America." 

 These commissions appear to have ceased to l)e given after the con- 

 stitutional act of 1791. which formed the two provinces of Upper and 

 Lower Canada. The governor-general of Canada from that time was 

 commissioned as '-our captain-general and governor-in-chief in and over 

 our province of Xova Scotia, or in his absence to our lieutenant-governor 

 or officer administering the government of our said province for the 

 time being." '^ Up to 1867 ever}^ commission to a lieutenant-governor 

 contained these words : •• In case of the death or during the absence of 

 our captain-general and governor-in-chief of our said province of Nova 

 Scotia, n(jw and for the time being, we do herelty authorize and require 

 3'ou to exercise and ])ei'form all and singular, the jîowers and directions 

 contained in our commission to ovir captain-general and governor-in- 

 chief, according to such instructions as he hath already received from us, 

 and such further orders and instructions as he or you shall hereafter 

 receive from us."' The commission and instructions, therefore, though in 

 form addressed to the governor-general, — as in Lord Durham's case 

 above — were reallj' instructions to the lieutenant-governor, who in that 

 case had all the powers and authorities which were conferred upon them. 



XVni. Effort of the Législative Council in 1845 for 

 Changes fn its Constitution. 



In IB-Ij the legislative council of Nova Scotia })assed an address' to 

 Her Majesty complaining of certain difficulties that had arisen since the 

 I'emodelling of the council on account of gentlemen residing in the 

 rural districts being unwilling to accept the position of legislative coun- 

 cillor '-eitlier from the want of a defined constitution or of a jjecuniary 

 provision for the expense of the attendance of the countiy members." 

 The address concluded with a i:)rayer that the legislative council "might 



' See above, paragraph xi. 



■^ See Lt. -Governor Archibald's Memo., Leg. C. Jour., 188:3, p. 1(H). 



