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IN THE THIRTY-FIRST YEAR OF THE REIGN OF

GEORGE THE THIRD,

At the Parliament begun and holden at Westminster, the Twenty-fifth day of November, in the year of our Lord 1790, in the thirty-first year of the Reign of our Sovereign Lord GEORGE the THIRD, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, France, and Ireland, King, Defender of the Faith, &c. being the first Session of the Seventeenth Parliament of Great Britain.

Preamble.

recited.

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An Act to repeal certain parts of an Act, passed in the fourteenth year of His Majesty's Reign, intituled, "An Act for making more effectual provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec, in North America," and to make further provision for the Government of the said Province.

WHEREAS,

an Act was passed in the fourteenth year of the Reign of His present Majesty, intituled, "An Act for making more effectual 14th Geo. 3, cap. 83, provision for the Government of the Province of Quebec, in North America ;" And whereas, the said Act is in many respects inapplicable to the present condition and circumstances of the said Province; And whereas, it is expedient and necessary that further provision should now be made for the good Government and prosperity thereof: May it therefore please your Most Excellent Majesty that it may be enacted, and Be it enacted by the King's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That so much of the said Act as in any manner relates to the appointment of a Council for the affairs of the said Province of Quebec, or to the power given by the said Act to the said Council, or to the major part of them, to make Ordinances for the peace, welfare, and good Government of the said Province, with the consent of His Majesty's Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Commander in Chief for the time being, shall be, and the same is hereby repealed.

So much of recited Act as relates to the apfor Quebec, or its pow.

pointment of a Council ers, repealed.

II. And whereas, His Majesty has been pleased to signify, by his Message to both Houses of Parliament, His Royal Intention to divide his Province of

Quebec

Within each of the

intended Provinces, a Legislative Counc land tuted. by whose advice His Majesty may make ment of the Province.

Assembly to be consti

Laws for the Goverr

Year of GEGRGE III. A. D. 9/ Quebec into two separate Provinces, to be called the Province of Upper Canada, and the Province of Lower Canada; Be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That there shall be within each of the said Provinces respectively, a Legislative Council, and an Assembly, to be severally composed and constituted in the manner herein after described; and that in each of the said Provinces respectively, His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall have power, during the continuance of this Act, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Council and assembly of such Provinces respectively, to make Laws for the peace, welfare, and good Government thereof, such Laws not being repugnant to this Act; and that all such Laws, being passed by the Legislative Council and Assembly of either of the said Provinces respectively, and assented to by His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, or assented to in His Majesty's name, by such person as His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall from time to time appoint to be the Governor or Lieutenant Governor of such Province, or by such person as His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall, from time to time, appoint to administer the Government within the same, shall be, and the same are hereby declared to be, by virtue of and under the authority of this Act, valid and binding, to all intents and purposes whatever, within the Province in which the same shall have been so passed.

III. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the purpose of constituting such Legislative Council, as aforesaid, in each of the said Provinces respectively, it shalt and may be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, by an instrument under his or their Sign Manual, to authorise and direct the Governor or Lieutenant Governor, or Person administer ng the Government, in each of the said Provinces respectively, within the time herein after mentioned, in His Majesty's name, and by an instrument under the Great Seal of such Province, to summon to the said Legislative Council, to be established in each of the said Provinces respectively, a sufficient number of discreet and proper persons, being not fewer than seven to the Legislative Council, for the Province of Upper Canada, and not fewer than fifteen to the Legislative Council for the Province of Lower Canada; and that it shall also be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, from time to time, by an instrument under his or their Sign Manual, to authorise and direct the Governor or Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government in each of the said Provinces respectively, to summon to the Legislative Council of such Province, in like manner, such other person or persons as His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall think fit; and that every person who shall be so summoned to the Legislative Council of either of the said Provinces respectively, shall thereby become a Member of such Legislative Council, to which he shall have been So summoned.

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No person under 21

summoned.

IV. Provided always, and be it enacted by the authority aforesaid, That no person shall be summoned to the Legislative Council, in either of the said years of age, &c. to be Provinces, who shall not be of the full age of twenty-one years, and a natural born subject of His Majesty, or a subject of His Majesty naturalized by Act of the British Parliament, or a subject of His Majesty, having become such by the conquest and cession of the Province of Canada..

V.

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V. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That every Member of each of the said Legislative Councils shall hold his seat therein for the term of his life, but subject nevertheless to the provisions herein after contained for vacating the same, in the cases herein after specified.

VI. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall think proper to confer upon any subject of the Crown of Great Britain, by Letters Patent under the Great Seal of either of the said Provinces, any hereditary title of honor, rank, or dignity of such Province, descendible according to any course of descent limited in such Letters Patent, it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, to annex thereto by the said Letters Patent, if His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall so think fit, an hereditary right of being summoned to the Legislative Council of such Province, descendible according to the course of descent so limited with respect to such title, rank, or dignity; and that every person on whom such right shall be so conferred, or to whom such right shall severally so descend, shall thereupon be entitled to demand from the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government of such Province, his writ of summons to such Legislative Council, at any time after he shall have attained the age of twenty-one years, subject nevertheless to the provisions herein after contained.

VII. Provided always, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That when and so often as any person to whom such hereditary right shall have descended, shall, without the permission of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, signified to the Legislative Council of the Province by the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government there, have been absent from the said Province for the space of four years continually, at any time between the date of his succeeding to such right, and the time of his applying for such writ of summons, if he shall have been of the age of twenty-one years, or upwards at the time of his so succeeding, or at any time between the date of his attaining the said age and the time of his so applying, if he shall not have been of the said age at the time of his so succeeding; and also, when and so often as any such person shall, at any time before his applying for such writ of summons, have taken any oath of allegiance or obedience to any Foreign Prince or Power, in every such case such person shall not be entitled to receive any writ of summons to the Legislative Council by virtue of such hereditary right, unless His Majesty, Ilis Heirs or Successors, shall, at any time think fit, by instrument under his or their Sign Manual, to direct that such person shall be summoned to the said Council; and the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government in the said Provinces respectively, is hereby authorized and required, previous to granting such writ of summons to any person so applying for the same, to interrogate such person upon oath, touching the said several particulars, before such Executive Council as shall have been appointed by His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, within such Province, for the affairs thereof.

VIII.

VIII. Provided also, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any Member of the Legislative Councils of either of the said Provinces respectively, shall leave such Province, and shall reside out of the same for the space of four years continually, without the permission of His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, signified to such Legislative Council by the Governor, or Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering His Majesty's Government there, or for the space of two years continually, without the like permission, or the permission of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government of such Province, signified to such Legislative Council in the manner aforesaid; or if any such Member shall take any oath of allegiance or obedience to any Foreign Prince or Power, his seat in such Council shall thereby become vacant.

IX. Provided also, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That in every case where a writ of summons to such Legislative Council, shall have been lawfully withheld from any person to whom such hereditary right as aforesaid, shall have descended, by reason of such absence from the Province as aforesaid, or of his having taken an oath of allegiance or obedience to any Foreign Prince or Power, and also in every case where the seat in such Council of any Member thereof, having such hereditary right as aforesaid, shall have been vacated by reason of any of the causes herein before specified, such hereditary right shall remain suspended during the life of such person, unless His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, shall afterwards think fit to direct that he be summoned to such Council; but that on the death of such person, such right, subject to the provisions herein contained, shall descend to the person who shall next be entitled thereto, according to the course of descent limited in the Letters Patent by which the same shall have been originally conferred.

X. Provided also, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That if any Member of either of the said Legislative Councils shall be attainted for Treason in any Court of Law within any of His Majesty's Dominions, his seat in such Council shall thereby become vacant, and any such hereditary right as aforesaid then vested in such person, or to be derived to any other person through him, shall be utterly forfeited and extinguished.

XI. Frovided also, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That whenever any question shall arise respecting the right of any person to be summoned to either of the said Legislative Councils respectively, or respecting the vacancy of the seat in such Legislative Council, of any person having been summoned thereto, every such question shall, by the Governor, or Lieutenant Governor of the Province, or by the Person administering the Government there, be referred to such Legislative Council, to be by the said Council heard and determined; and that it shall and may be lawful, either for the person desiring such writ of summons, or respecting whose seat such question shall have arisen, or for His Majesty's Attorney General of such Province in His Majesty's name, to appeal from the determination of the said Council, in such case, to His Majesty in His Parliament of Great Britain; and that the judgment thereon of His Majesty, in His said Parliament, shall be final and conclusive to all intents and purposes whatever.

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The Governor of the Province may appoint

er.

XII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the Goand remove the Speak- vernor or Lieutenant Governor of the said Provinces respectively, or the Person administering His Majesty's Government therein respectively, shall have power and authority from time to time, by an instrument under the Great Seal of such Province, to constitute, appoint, and remove the Speakers of the Legislative Councils of such Provinces respectively,

His Majesty may authorize the Governor

sembly,

XIII. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the to call together the As purpose of constituting such Assembly as aforesaid, in each of the said Provinces respectively, it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, by an instrument under his or their Sign Manual, to authorise and direct the Governor, or Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government in each of the said Provinces respectively, within the time hereinafter mentioned, and thereafter from time to time, as occasion shall require, in His Majesty's name, and by an instrument under the Great Seal of such Province, to summon and call together an Assembly in and for such Province,

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and, for the purpose of

electing the Members,

dividing the Province iuto Districts, &c.

XIV. And be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That for the purto issue a Proclamation pose of electing the Members of such Assemblies respectively, it shall and may be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, by an instrument under his or their Sign Manual, to authorise the Governor or Lieutenant Governor of each of the said Provinces respectively, or the person administering the Government therein, within the time hereinafter mentioned, to issue a Proclamation dividing such Province into Districts, or Counties, or Circles, and Towns or Townships, and appointing the limits thereof, and declaring and appointing the number of Representatives to be chosen by each of such Districts, or Counties, or Circles, and Towns or Townships respectively; and that it shall also be lawful for His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors, to authorize such Governor, or Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government, from time to time, to nominate and appoint proper persons to execute the office of Returning Officer in each of the said Districts, or Counties, or Circles, and Towns or Townships, respectively; and that such division of the said Provinces into Districts, or Counties, or Circles, and Towns or Townships, and such declaration and appointment of the number of Representatives to be chosen by_each of the said Districts, or Counties, or Circles, and Towns or Townships, respectively, and also such nomination and appointment of Returning Officers in the same, shall be valid and effectual to all the purposes of this Act, unless it shall at any time be otherwise provided by any Act of the Legislative Council and Assembly of the Province, assented to by His Majesty, His Heirs or Successors.

Power of the Governor to appoint Re

turning Officers to con. tinue two years from

the commencement of this Act,

XV. Provided nevertheless, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid, That the provision herein before contained, for impowering the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, or Person administering the Government of the said Provinces respectively, under such authority as aforesaid from His Majesty His Heirs or Successors, from time to time, to nominate and appoint proper persons to execute the office of Returning Officer in the said Districts, Counties, Circles, and Towns or Townships, shall remain and continue in

force

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