88 THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



Sessions had power prior to 1835 to appoint officers for the township 

 to fill the vacancies until the next town meeting but at no period 

 had they authority to do what these four men appear to have done at 

 a "special session." In 1835 all legislation relative to the appoint- 

 ment and duties of township officers was consolidated; but no pro- 

 vision was made for the justices to fill vacancies. The consolidated 

 Act provided that when the inhabitants neglected or refused to as- 

 semble and appoint officers, or for any reason failed to appoint the 

 required number, then the officers for the preceding year, or such 

 of them as were not relieved by the appointment of other officers as 

 their successors, should continue in office. Again in 1838 another 

 consolidation was made but the provision in respect to the neglect or 

 refusal to assemble and appoint a full quota of officers remained the 

 same as in the consolidated Act of 1835 so that for four years at least 

 before this remarkable "special session" the justices had been deprived 

 of all power to interfere^ 



It seems incredible that such a high-handed proceeding could 

 take place, but there is no mistaking the entry in the minute book 

 which reads as follows: "At the special session held at Thomas Ketch- 

 eson's school House 5th con. of Sidney on Monday the 18th day of 

 March 1839 Wm. Ketcheson.-, Wm. Bowen, Elijah Ketcheson, 

 Rulif Perdy Esqrs., have appointed the undernamed persons to serve 

 the ensuing year as township officers." Then follow the lists of 

 officers and the by-laws. This is the only instance where a meeting 

 is styled a "Session," a term applied especially to a meeting of Justices 

 of the Peace. The place of meeting was also unusual, as this was the 

 only meeting held at Thos. Ketcheson's School House. If the in- 

 cident was as bad as it looks upon the face of the minutes the District 

 Councils Act" passed in 1841 was not introduced a bit too soon. 

 By it the Quarter Sessions were shorn of much of their power which 

 was thereafter vested in the District Council. 



The minutes for 1840 are quite regular, the usual officers appointed 

 and the former by-laws retained with some slight variations. 



At the meeting of 1842 there were appointed 43 overseers of 

 highways, 15 pound keepers, 12 fence viewers and watercourse men, 

 and for the first time two representatives to the District Council and 

 seven School Commissioners. The School Act of 1841 though crude 

 in many details aimed at uniformity in the schools and was welcomed 

 by the people. Like the District Councils Act it was one step in 

 advance towards local self government. 



1 46 Geo. Ill, Cap. 5, Sec. II; 5 William IV, Cap. 8, Sec. 6; 1 Vic, Cap. 21, Sec. 5. 



2 4-5 Vic, Cap. 10. 



