298 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 
It may be well to note here that in the case of any change of 
boundary being made “the consent of the Legislature of the province 
interested ” was a necessary condition. | 
Acting upon the powers conveyed by this act the Canadian par- 
liament, by an act of 1898 (61 Vic.), which I presume has received the 
Royal assent, made some very considerable alterations in the northern, 
western and eastern boundaries of the Province of Quebec. As these 
changes have an intimate bearing upon the question under discussion, it 
will be necessary for us here to quote the words of this act as far at least 
as they touch the territory of Newfoundland. 
By the first and only section of this act it is enacted that the north- 
western boundary of the Province of Quebec shall run from “ the head 
of Lake Temiscaming,” on the Ottawa River above Ottawa, due north 
to James Bay, the southern expansion of Hudson’s Bay. Thence fol- 
lowing the shore of the said bay, east and north to the mouth of East 
Main River. Thence eastwardly by the said river. Thence by Patamisk 
Lake northwardly to the fifty-second degree of north latitude more or 
less. Then due east along the parallel (52-55’) to Hamilton River. 
“Thence along the middle of the Hamilton River to the Bay du Rigolet 
“or Hamilton Inlet, and thence easterly along the middle of the said 
“ Bay or inlet until it strikes the westerly boundary of the territory 
“under the jurisdiction of Newfoundland, and thence southerly along 
“the said boundary to the point where it strikes the north shore of Anse 
“ Sablon in the Gulf of St. Lawrence.” 
There are several things to be noticed concerning this line of de- 
marcation. 
In the first place it is so located as to avoid overlapping any of the 
settlements established by the Hudson’s Bay Company. Secondly, it 
will be observed that although a boundary line is acknowledged to exist 
of the Newfoundland territory, yet it is not definitely fixed, but left 
vague and uncertain. ‘Thirdly, the Newfoundland boundary is sup- 
posed to be somewhere eastward of the bottom or head of Hamilton Inlet. 
Fourthly, the line of boundary is supposed to be “ along the middle ? 
of the arm of Hamilton Inlet, the southern shore of which only is 
claimed by Quebec, hence even if this demarcation were admitted, the 
station or settlement at Rigolette, which is on the Northern shore of 
Hamilton Inlet, would still be in Newfoundland Territory. 
Fifthly, there does not seem to be any meaning in the words “ the 
North Shore of Anse Sablon.” 
Finally, it was ultra vires, and contrary to the wording of the Act 
of 1871, for the Canadian Parliament to make any law concerning the 
