

NEWFOUNDLAND. 



593 



tained control of all the lines in western New 

 Brunswick, except one. This gave them 443 

 miles of road, with deep-water termini at St. 

 John and Halifax, and enabled them to control 

 the traffic of more than half of New Brunswick 

 and a considerable part of northern Maine. On 

 July 1, 1890, this system passed into the hands 

 of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, which 

 had lately completed a line across the State of 

 Maine, connecting with the New Brunswick 

 Railway at Vanceboro, and thereby became pos- 

 sessed of a line of its own from the Atlantic to 

 the Pacific ocean. The Canadian Pacific Rail- 

 way Company has traffic arrangements over the 

 Intercolonial railway between St. John and Hali- 

 fax, and trains leave the latter city daily for 

 Vancouver on the Pacific coast, under the same 

 management, the whole distance of 3,664 miles. 



Agriculture. The season of 1890 was the 

 most unfavorable for agricultural pursuits ex- 

 perienced in many years. The spring was late, 

 cold, and wet; the summer in part very dry and 

 in part very wet; the harvest season an almost 

 constant succession of rainy days. Grain sprouted 

 in the fields after being cut, fruit was almost a 

 failure, and thousands of tons of hay were de- 

 stroyed by floods that covered the low lands. 



A strong effort was made by the Provincial 

 Government during the year to foster an interest 

 in dairying, by the engagement of agricultural 

 lecturers, and the granting of bonuses to butter 

 and cheese factories. 



International Exhibition. An Interna- 

 tional Exhibition was held at St. John in Sep- 

 tember, and a fine display was made by some of 

 the West Indies, notably Trinidad. The exhibi- 

 tion was very successful. It was managed by 

 a private company, which has undertaken to 

 hold annual exhibitions of the same class. 



Although the year was, in a business point of 

 view, not favorable to New Brunswick, no im- 

 portant failures occurred, and the general condi- 

 tion of business continued sound. The year was 

 remarkably free from serious crimes. 



NEWFOUNDLAND, a British colony in 

 North America, comprising an island of that 

 name and the coast of Labrador. (See article 

 LABRADOR in the "Annual Cyclopaedia for 

 1888.") The area of the island is about 40,200 

 square miles. Capital, St. John's. 



Legislation. During the period from 1887 

 to 1890, inclusive, several important acts were 

 passed by the Legislature. The Election act of 

 1889, as finally amended in the session of 1890, 

 makes the following provisions for the election 

 of members of the House of Assembly : All 

 voting at elections shall be conducted by" ballot. 

 Every male British subject, being of the full age 

 of twenty-one years, who for two years preceding 

 the day of election has been a resident in the col- 

 ony, and who has never been convicted of any 

 infamous crime, shall be competent to vote for 

 the election of members of the Legislative As- 

 sembly in and for the electoral district within 

 which he has resided for at least one year im- 

 mediately preceding the election. The qualifi- 

 cations of persons to be elected as members of 

 the House of Assembly shall be : A net annual 

 income of $480, or the possession of property ex- 

 ceeding $2,400, clear of all incumbrances, and a 

 residence of two years within the island. Every 

 VOL. xxx. 38 A 



candidate shall be a male British subject of the 

 full age of twenty-one years. The act makes it 

 penal for candidates to provide drink or refresh- 

 ments for electors between nomination and poll- 

 ing day. The use of party colors, ribbons, or 

 labels is prohibited during election day, or within 

 eight days before; also the sale of strong drinks 

 on polling day. It provides severe punishment 

 for bribery (to both briber and receiver), for in- 

 timidation (spiritual or temporal), and for ab- 

 duction. It forbids the hiring of any vehicle or 

 mode of conveyance, or payment of traveling 

 expenses, for election purposes. Candidates are 

 to furnish a detailed account of their election 

 expenses to the Colonial Secretary. Provision is 

 made for the trial of controverted elections by a 

 judge of the Supreme Court, instead of by a com- 

 mittee of the House of Assembly as formerly. 



The Bait act, which came into operation Jan. 

 2, 1888, provides that no person shall take bait 

 fishes, for sale or exportation, without obtaining 

 a special license from the Receiver-General. 

 The penalty for the violation of this act is, for 

 the first offense, seizure of vessel and gear, and 

 fine of not over $1,000, or imprisonment not ex- 

 ceeding six months ; for any subsequent offense, 

 imprisonment not exceeding one year, in addi- 

 tion to seizure of vessel. 



The Currency act of 1887 renders it imperative 

 that all accounts be kept, and all moneys paid 

 and received in dollars and cents ; and provides 

 that silver shall be a legal tender up to $10. It 

 legalizes as current coin of the colony British 

 and foreign coins, viz.. the British sovereign 

 and all its multiples, which shall pass current for 

 $4.80 ; the gold eagle of the United States and 

 .all its multiples, which shall pass current for 

 $9.85 ; British silver coins after the rate fixed 

 for British gold coins. 



The Seal Fishery act of 1887 provides that no 

 seals shall be killed before March 12 in any year, 

 or after April 20, under a penalty of $4 for every 

 seal so killed, and that no steamer shall go out on 

 a second or subsequent trip after April 1, in any 

 year, under a penalty of double the value of the 

 seals so brought in; and the master of any 

 steamer found guilty of a breach of this pro- 

 vision shall be debarred from command of any 

 sealing vessel for two years after conviction. 



The Preservation of Sheep act of 1887 pro- 

 vides that, on a requisition signed by one third 

 of the voters in any district, the keeping of dogs 

 within such district shall be prohibited. 



The Encouragement of Ship Building act of 

 1889 provides a bounty of $4 a ton on all vessels 

 newly and entirely built and equipped in the 

 colony. It also authorizes the Governor in 

 Council to employ a Lloyd's surveyor. 



The Agricultural act of 1889 grants $4,000 a 

 year out of the general revenue for the purpose 

 of agriculture, and authorizes the appointment 

 of a Board of Commissioners of Agriculture to 

 form societies, to obtain improved breeds of ani- 

 mals, to establish a model farm, and to hold an 

 agricultural exhibition annually. 



The Local Option Amendment act of 1889 

 provides that if two thirds of the electors in a 

 district vote in favor of local option, the sale, of 

 intoxicating liquors shall be prohibited within 

 the limits of that district. 



The Fisheries Commission act of 1889 appoints 



