1901-2.] The Beginning of Municipal Government in Ontario. 423 



legislative function. The town officers were independent of each other, 

 and responsible, not to those who elected them, but to the magistrates 

 By an act passed the following year^ a slight additional legislative power 

 was given to the town meetings, permitting them to fix the limits of 

 times and seasons for certain animals running at large, but even this 

 power was afterwards curtailed. This first act, therefore, while author- 

 izing town meetings, effectively strangled all interest in them, except 

 where, as in Adolphusand neighbouring townships, the limitations of the 

 act were to a certain extent disregarded. For years to come the Court 

 of Quarter Sessions remained the only living centre of municipal affairs. 



Recognizing the democratic tendencies of the people, Simcoe reports 

 to the home Government that, " in order to promote an aristocracy, 

 most necessary in this country, I have appointed Lieutenants to the 

 populous counties, which I mean to extend from time to time, and have 

 given to them the recommendatory power for the militia and magis- 

 trates, as is usual in England."' He selected them as far as possible 

 from the Legislative Council. 



With the same object in view he proposed to erect the towns of 

 Kingston and Niagara into cities, each with a corporation consisting of 

 a mayor and six aldermen, to be justices of the peace, and a suitable 

 number of common councillors. This was a standard arrangement in 

 Britain, as it was afterwards in the first chartered cities in Upper 

 Canada. But the members of Simcoe's corporations were advised " to 

 be originally appointed by the Crown, and that the succession to vacant 

 seats might be made in such manner as to render the election as little 

 popular as possible, meaning such corporations to tend to the support 

 of the aristocracy of the country."^ 



t 



In 1795, the Duke of Portland, writing to Simcoe, discourages his 

 projects for the incorporation of cities, and disapproves of his appoint- 

 ment of lieutenants of counties. He is afraid that the effect may be 

 the very opposite of what Simcoe intended, that instead of strengthening 

 the power of the central government, it may weaken it by scattering its 

 functions, while it requires to be strong to check the influence of the 

 popular assembly.^ 



What we find, then, as the result of the various influences brought 

 together in Upper Canada is, that the Virginia type of local or municipal 



1 34th Geo. III., cap. 8. 



2 C.^nadian Archives, Q. 279-1, p. 85. 



3 Canadian Archives, Q. 287-1, p. 164. 



4 Canadian Archives, Q. 281-2, pp. 328 etseq. 



