PCULIO DOCUMENTS. 



of his coarse, and its tendency to enlarge the ex- 

 o power, they tell us that they "do not for a 

 lit impute t<> him any Mich ili-Mirn, but cheer- 

 ..- to him the most patriotic motives." 

 And \\,< r.imn.i i .il'.-.ir to .-ay in conclusion, upon 

 that |>.>:nt, that ho sins against light, and closes his 

 . our.se of t: ', during tin- ivhel- 



li<>n, f.-i. in it-i inception to its close, who ventures to 

 - pairioiis:n. Surrounded by insurrec- 

 tion I tinu. His life was almost con- 

 st. un nil In- i-!unu r to the Union and dis- 

 i!u> ol.lL-atious it imposed upon him even 

 iicciiusc of the peril. And now that he 

 has escaped unharmed, ana by the confidence of the 

 ti;ul devolved upon him the executive 

 Iain-lions of tlu- Government, to charge him with dis- 

 tlicr a folly or a slander folly in the fool 

 who believes it, sliindiT in Iho man of sense, if any 

 such the :v be, who utters it. 



REVERDY JOHNSON, 

 A. .T. ROGERS, 

 HENRY GRIDER. 



An Act for the Union of Canada, N~ova Scotia, 

 and New Brunswick, and the Government 

 thereof, as pasted by the Parliament of 

 0-reat Britain. 



Wlureat, the Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, 

 and New Hrunswick have expressed their desire to 

 be federally united into one dominion, under the 

 crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, with a constitution similar in principle to 

 that of the United Kingdom ; 



And whereat such a union would conduce to the 

 welfare of the Provinces, and promote the interests 

 of the British empire ; 



And whereas, on the establishment of the \inion, 

 by authority or Parliament, it is expedient not only 

 that the constitution of the legislative authority 

 in the dominion be provided for, but also that the 

 nature of the executive government therein be de- 

 clared ; 



And wTifreat it is expedient that provision be made 

 for the eventual admission into the union of other 

 parts of British North America; 



l!r it, therefore, enacted and declared by the 

 Queen's most excellent majesty, by and with the 

 advice and consent of the lords spiritual and tem- 

 poral, and commons, in this present Parliament 

 'led, and by the authority of the same, as 

 follows: 



I. PBEMMINAKY. 



1. This act may be cited as "The British North 

 American Act, IM'.T." 



2. The provisions of this act referring to her ma- 



xtend also to the heirs and suc- 

 cessors of her majesty, kings and queens of the 

 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. 



n. TJNIOX. 



8. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the 

 advice of her majesty's most honorable privy coun- 

 cil, to declare, by proclamation, that on and after a 

 day therein appointed, not being more than six 

 months after the passing of this act, the Provinces 

 of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New lirunswick shall 

 form and be one dominion, under the name of Can- 

 ada; and on and after that day those three Provinces 

 shall form and be one dominion under that name 

 accordingly. 



4. The subsequent provisions of the act shall, un- 

 less it is otherwise expressed or implied, commence 

 and have effect on ana after the union, that is to say, 

 on and after the day appointed for the union taking 

 effect in the Queen s proclamation; and in the same 

 provisions, unless it is otherwise expressed or im- 

 plied, the name Canada shall be taken to mean Can- 

 ada as constituted under this act. 

 VOL. vi. 42 A 



r,. Canada shall be divided into four provinces, 

 named Ontario, Quebec, NOT Scotia, aij'l 

 Brunswick. 



! lie parts of the Province of Canada (as it ex- 

 ists at the passing of the act) which formerly 

 tuted i y the Provinces of UPJHT" ' 



and Lower Canada shall be deemed to be - 

 and shall form two separate Provinces. The part 

 which formerly constituted the Province of 

 Canada shall constitute the Province of Ontario, and 

 tin- Province of Lower Canada shall constitute th 

 1'iovince of Quebec. 



7. The Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Bruns- 

 wick shall have the same limits as at the passing of 

 this act. 



8. In the general census of the population of 

 Canada, which is hereby ordered to be taken in the 

 year one thousand eight hundred and seventy-one, 

 and in every tenth year thereafter, the respective 

 populations of the four Provinces shall be distin- 

 guished. 



III. THE EXECUTIVE POWI-i:. 



9. The executive government and authority of and 

 over Canada is hereoy declared to continue and be 

 vested in the Queen. 



10. The provisions of this act referring to the 

 governor-general extend and apply to the governor- 

 general for the time being of Canada, cr other the 

 chief executive officer or administrator for the time 

 being carrying on the government of Canada on 

 behalf and in the name of the Queen, by whatever 

 title he is designated. 



11. There shall be a council to aid and advise in 

 the government of Canada, to be styled the Queen's 

 Privy Council for Canada ; and the persons who are 

 to be members of that council shall oe from time to 

 time chosen and summoned by the governor-general 

 and sworn in as privy councillors, and members 

 thereof may be, froui time to time, removed by the 

 governor-general. 



12. All powers, authorities, and functions which, 

 under any act of the Parliament of Great Britain, or 

 of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great 

 Britain and Ireland, or of the Legislatures of Upper 

 Canada, Lower Canada, Canada, Nova Scotia, or Sew 

 Brunswick, are at the uniou vested in, or exercisa- 

 ble by, the respective governors or lieutenant-gov- 

 ernors of those Provinces, with the advice and con- 

 sent of the respective executive councils thereof, or 

 in conjunction with those councils, or with any 

 number of members thereof, or by those governors 

 or lieutenant-governors individually, shall, as far as 

 the same continue in existence and capable of being 

 exercised after the union in relation to the govern- 

 ment of Canada, be vested in and exercisable by 

 the governor-general, with the advice or with the 

 advice and consent of or in conjunction with the 

 Queen's Privy Council for Canada, or any members 

 thereof, or by the governor-general individually, as 

 the case requires, subject nevertheless (except \\ith 

 respect to such as exist under acts of the Parliament 

 of Great Britain or of the Parliament of the UnRed 

 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland) to be abol- 

 ished or altered by the Parliament of Canada. 



13. The provisions of this act referring to the 

 governor-general in council shall be construed as 

 referring to the governor-general, acting by and 

 with the advice of the Queen's Privy Council for 

 Canada. 



14. It shall be lawful for the Queen, if her majesty 

 thinks fit, to authorize the governor-general from 

 time to time to appoint any person, or any persons, 

 jointly or severally, to be his deputy or deputies, 

 Within any part or parts of Canada, and in that 

 capacity to exercise, during the pleasure of the 

 governor-general, as the governor-general deems it 

 necessary or expedient to assign to him or them, 

 subject to any limitations or directions expressed or 

 given by the Queen; but the appointment of such a 



