Political Development. 413 



by the king, and a privy council selected by the 

 governor. The latter also appoints (now 81) senators 

 for life to form the upper house of the Parliament or 

 legislative body, while the lower House of Commons is 

 elected by the people. Besides this imperial govern- 

 ment, each province has its own separate government 

 with a lieutenant-governor, appointed by the Gover- 

 nor-General, and an elected legislature; thisautomony 

 being somewhat similar to that of the states of the 

 United States and the division of functions be- 

 tween federal and provincial governments being also 

 similar. 



Although the home government retains the veto 

 power, the supreme jurisdiction and various other 

 powers, and although apparently, by the appoint- 

 ment of officials, its influence is guarded, practically 

 the party management as exercised in Great Britain 

 prevails, and independence from imperial influence 

 and from the home government is continually in- 

 creasing. In regard to the crownlands, including 

 forests, this division as well as this relationship be- 

 comes important. Each provincial government ex- 

 cept those of the three middle provinces administers 

 the crownlands within its boundaries in its own way, 

 yet on similar lines, while the Dominion government 

 controls only the lands located outside of the provinces 

 together with those of the middle provinces and the 

 so-called railway belt in British Columbia. These 

 latter lands were mostly acquired by purchase from 

 the Hudson's Bay Company, the Company relin- 

 quishing its territorial rights in 1868, and the trans- 

 fer being completed in 1870 upon payment of 300,000. 



