44 JOHN GEORGE BOURINOT ON 
The Dominion of Canada now extends over a territory between the Atlantic and 
Pacific oceans, even greater in area than that of the United States. Its organized divis- 
ions consist of the provinces of Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, 
Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia, each of which possesses a very liberal 
system of representative government. Every province has a lieutenant-governor, appointed 
by the government of the Dominion, and a legislature composed in Nova Scotia, New 
Brunswick and Quebec, of a legislative council nominated by the crown, and of a 
legislative assembly elected by the people on a very liberal franchise. In Manitoba, 
British Columbia, and Ontario, there is no second chamber, while, in Prince Edward 
Island, that body is elected by the people. The” Northwest Territories which extend 
from Manitoba to the frontier of British Columbia—territories out of which may be formed 
many states as large and fertile as Minnesota—are as yet divided into mere territorial 
districts, over which preside a lieutenant-governor, appointed by the Ottawa government, 
and a council, partly nominated by the crown, and partly elected by the people. In all 
of the provinces, as well as in the principal settlements, villages and towns of the North- 
west, now exists a system of municipal institutions which are the growth of the expe- 
rience of the past forty years, since the people of the old provinces of Canada have grown 
in population and wealth, and have fully recognized the necessity of managing their 
purely municipal and local affairs in councils elected by themselves. These municipal 
institutions are the creation, and are under the jurisdiction, of the provincial legislatures, 
in accordance with the constitution, known as the British North America Act 1867, which 
gives the control of all general national affairs to the federal government, and the 
administration of all local matters to the legislatures of the provinces. As the municipal 
institutions of Canada, in the first instance, owe their existence to statutory enactments 
of the legislatures of the provinces, so they can be amended only by the authority of the 
same superior bodies. 
The political history of Canada may be divided into three important epochs. First 
of all, there was the era of the French Regime which lasted for about a century and a 
half, from the 3rd of July, 1608, when Champlain established his seat of government on 
the picturesque heights of Quebec, until 1760, when France gave up the contest with 
England, for the supremacy on the continent of America. Then came the period from 
1760 to 1840, when the provinces slowly increased in population under British Rule, and 
gained valuable experience in the working of representative institutions. Then followed 
the important and interesting period from 1840 to 1867, when the political liberties of the 
people were enlarged, and they were given responsible government in the full sense of 
the term. Since 1867, the various provinces, united as the Dominion of Canada, have 
entered on a fourth era pregnant with promise. 
Il—Tue FRENCH REGIME, 1608-1760. 
During the days of French domination in Canada, we look in vain for evidences of 
self-government in any form, such as we see in the town-meetings of Massachusetts and 
in the counties and parishes of Virginia, or in other local divisions of the old English 
Colonies in America, in all of which we can see the germs of liberty and free institutions 
