WHEREAS by an Act of the Session of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Years of the Reign of Her present Majesty, Chapter Sixty-eight, and intituled "An Act for facilitating the Marriage "of British Subjects resident in Foreign Coun"tries," Provision is made for solemnizing in Foreign Countries, or Places where there may be a British Consul duly authorized in that Behalf, Marriages between Persons both or one of whom are or is British Subjects or a British Subject:

And whereas certain Marriages have been solemnized at Odessa in the Empire of Russia by or in the Presence of Eustace C. Grenville Murray, Esquire, Consul General, between Persons being both or one of them Subjects or a Subject of this Realm:

And whereas Doubts are entertained as to the Validity of certain of the said Marriages by reason of a Noncompliance by the Parties thereto with the Provisions of the said Act as to Residence:

And whereas such Noncompliance has arisen by reason of the Inadvertence of the Consul to the Provisions of the said Act, and not in con

sequence of any wilful Neglect or Default on the Part of the Parties to the said Marriages:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen'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, as follows:

1. All Marriages solemnized at Odessa previously to the passing of this Act by or in the Presence of the said Eustace C. Grenville Murray (both or one of the Parties to such Marriages being Subjects or a Subject of this Realm) shall, notwithstanding any Noncompliance with the Provisions of the said Act of the Session of the Twelfth and Thirteenth Years of Her present Majesty, Chapter Sixty-eight, be held to be as valid as if all the Provisions of the said Act had been duly complied with.

2. Where in the Copy of the Entry of any Marriage certified as required by the said Act such Marriage purports to have been solemnized by or in the Presence of the said Eustace C. Grenville Murray, the Production of such Copy, or of any certified Copy thereof, shall be Evidence of such Marriage having been solemnized by or in the Presence of the said Eustace C. Grenville Murray.

3. This Act may be cited for all Purposes as "The Odessa Marriage Act, 1867.”

143. Division of Records.

144. Constitution of Townships in Quebec.

And whereas 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 Union by Authority of 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 declared:

And whereas it is expedient that Provision be made for the eventual Admission into the Union of other Parts of British North America:

Be it therefore enacted and declared by the Queen'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, as follows:

I. PRELIMINARY.

1. This Act may be cited as The British North America Act, 1867.

2. The Provisions of this Act referring to Her Majesty the Queen extend also to the Heirs and Successors of Her Majesty, Kings and Queens of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.

II.-UNION.

3. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the Advice of Her Majesty's Most Honourable Privy Council, 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 Brunswick shall form and be One Dominion under the Name of Canada; and on and after that Day those Three Provinces shall form and be One Dominion under that Name accordingly.

4. The subsequent Provisions of this Act shall, unless it is otherwise expressed or implied, commence and have effect on and 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 implied, the Name Canada

shall be taken to mean Canada as constituted under this Act.

5. Canada shall be divided into Four Provinces, named Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick.

6. The Parts of the Province of Canada (as it exists at the passing of this Act) which formerly constituted respectively the Provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada shall be deemed to be severed, and shall form Two separate Provinces. The Part which formerly constituted the Province of Upper Canada shall constitute the Province of Ontario; and the Part which formerly constituted the Province of Lower Canada shall constitute the Province of Quebec.

7. The Provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick 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 required 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 distinguished.

III.-EXECUTIVE POWER.

9. The Executive Government and Authority of and over Canada is hereby 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,