362 TRAVELS THROUGH LOWER CANADA 2 
persons than a fine., or imprisonment for three 
months, was valid without his Majesty’s assent, 
signified to the council by the governor. 
Thus were the affairs of the province regu¬ 
lated until the year 1791, when an act w r as' 
passed in the British parliament, repealing so 
much of the Quebec Bill as related to the ap¬ 
pointment of a council, and to the powers that 
had been granted to it; and which established 
the present form of government. 
* . i V i. 
The country, at the same time, was divided 
into two distinct provinces; the province of 
Lower Canada, and the province of Upper 
Canada. The former is the eastern part of the 
old province of Canada ; the latter, the w estern 
part, situated on the northern sides of the great 
lakes and rivers through which the boundary 
line runs that separates the British territories 
from those of the United States. The two 
provinces are divided from each other by aline, 
which runs north, 24° west, commencing at 
\ • / 
Point au Baudet, in that part of the river St. 
Lawrence called Lake Francis, and continu¬ 
ing on from thence to the Utawas or Grand 
River. The city of Quebec is the capital of 
the low r er province, as the tow n of Niagara is 
of the upper one. 
The executive power in each province is 
vested in the governor, who lias for his advice 
an executive council appointed by his Ma~ 
i 
