mercial country of the old and new worlds traverse the waters of the St Lawrence. The mercantile mind of Canada is exceedingly active and intelligent, and vigorously lays hold of every branch of trade which promises remuneration for enterprise and capital. Every town has its thorough men of business, and a vast wholesale trade is transacted in its larger centres of commerce. Toronto, which fifty years ago was only a dull village, humorously styled muddy Little York, can now point to its fifty thousand inhabitants as a proof of its progress; while Montreal, the commercial capital of Canada, with over one hundred and thirty thousand residents, is fast becoming a city of the most stately proportions, the warehouses of which are being reconstructed in a style of architectural grandeur, unequalled on this continent, and unsurpassed in Europe-an evidence at once of refined taste and of great wealth. The loss of reciprocity has very little, if indeed at all, disturbed the current of Canadian progress, while it has largely stimulated the energy and enterprise of its people, and led them to become competitors of the merchants of the United States, where hitherto they had been customers. The flour trade of the Lower Provinces has been grasped by Canadian shippers of produce, and American exporters already feel their competition in the West India markets, a commerce which must speedily deepen in volume. Thus we see that in agriculture, in popular education, in manufactures, in commerce, a solid basis of national prosperity has already been laid; and although, for a brief space, the dissatisfaction of Nova Scotia may cause some slight difficulty, the morning star of the New Dominion arises on its horizon full of promise, and with the presage of a still brighter meridian.

CONSTITUTION OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA.

The Act of Union, or as it is legally styled, "The British North American Act, 1867," provides that the dominion of Canada shall be divided into four provinces, viz., Ontario, formerly Upper Canada, Quebec, formerly Lower Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick; the existing limits of each to remain undisturbed. The executive government is vested in the Queen, her representative being the Governor-General, (whose salary is fixed at £10,000 sterling, payable by Canada,) or other chief executive officer for the time being. Section II of the Act constitutes a Queen's Privy Council for Canada, to be chosen by the Governor-General and removable at his pleasure, to aid and advise in the government of the country. Her Majesty has the command in chief of all military and naval forces, and the power to remove the seat of government from Ottawa. The general

or Federal Parliament of Canada consists of the Queen and Upper House, styled the Senate, and the House of Commons. The Senate is composed of seventy-two members, named in the Queen's proclamation, styled senators: twenty-four from Ontario, twenty-four from Quebec, twelve from Nova Scotia, and twelve from New Brunswick. Senators are chosen by the Crown for life, are to be subjects of her Majesty, and to have a property qualification of $4000 above all debts and liabilities. The senator must also be a resident of the province for which he is appointed. Six additional persons may be added to the Senate by the Queen, but its whole number is not to exceed seventy-eight at any time. The Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the Crown.

The House of Commons consists of one hundred and eighty-one members eighty-two from Ontario, sixty-five from Quebec, nineteen from Nova Scotia, and fifteen from New Brunswick. The duration of the House of Commons is fixed for five years, unless sooner dissolved by the Governor-General. Quebec is always to return at least sixty-five members, and should the ratio of increase be greater in the other provinces, as developed by the census to be taken every ten years, their parliamentary representation is to be proportionately increased. The Parliament of Canada may increase the representation in the House of Commons, but only in the proportion fixed by the act. The qualification of its members is £500 sterling.

PROVINCIAL CONSTITUTIONS.

For each province the Governor-General appoints a LieutenantGovernor, to hold office for five years. He is empowered to summon an Executive Council, consisting of the members of his government. The Legislature of Ontario consists of the Lieutenant-Governor and of one Chamber only, styled the Legislative Assembly, and which is composed of eighty-two members elected for four years. Property qualification the same as for the House of Commons. The Legislature of Quebec consists of the Lieutenant-Governor and of two Houses, styled, respectively, the Legislative Council, and the Legislative Assembly. The Legislative Council is composed of twenty-four members appointed by the Crown for life, and who must have a property qualification of the same value as that of senators. The Legislative Assembly of Quebec is composed of sixty-five members, elected for four years; property qualification same as for the House of Commons.

The Constitutions of the province of Nova Scotia and New Bruns

wick remain as at the passing of the Union Act, until altered under its authority.

In order to enable the reader to understand more clearly the power accorded by the Union Act to the general or Federal Parliament, and to the local Legislatures, we annex the applying clauses of that act in full :

DISTRIBUTION OF LEGISLATIVE POWERS.

POWERS OF THE GENERAL PARLIAMENT.

91. It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate and House of Commons, to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of Canada, in relation to all matters not coming within the classes of subjects by this act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces; and for greater certainty, but not so as to restrict the generality of the foregoing terms of this section, it is hereby declared that (notwithstanding anything in this act) the exclusive legislative authority of the Parliament of Canada extends to all matters coming within the classes of subjects next hereinafter enumerated; that is to say :—

(1.) The public debt and property.

(2.) The regulation of trade and commerce.

(3.) The raising of money by any mode or system of taxation.

(4.) The borrowing of money on the public credit.

(5.) Postal service.

(6.) The census and statistics.

(7.) Militia, military, and naval service, and defence.

(8.) The fixing of and providing for the salaries and allowances of civil and other officers of the Government of Canada.

(9.) Beacons, buoys, lighthouses, and Sable Island.

(10.) Navigation and shipping.

(11.) Quarantine and the establishment and maintenance of marine hospitals. (12.) Sea-coast and inland fisheries.

(13.) Ferries between a province and any British or foreign country, or between two provinces.

(14.) Currency and coinage.

(15.) Banking, incorporation of banks, and the issue of paper money.

(27.) The criminal law, except the constitution of courts of criminal jurisdiction, but including the procedure in criminal matters.

(28.) The establishment, maintenance, and management of penitentiaries.

(29.) Such classes of subjects as are expressly excepted in the enumeration of the classes of subjects by this act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces.

And any matter coming within any of the classes of subjects enumerated in this section shall not be deemed to come within the class of matters of a local or private nature comprised in the enumeration of the classes of subjects by this act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces.

EXCLUSIVE POWERS OF PROVINCIAL OR LOCAL LEGISLATURES.

92. In each province the Legislature may exclusively make laws in relation to matters coming within the classes of subjects next hereinafter enumerated, that is to say :

(1.) The amendment from time to time, notwithstanding anything in this act, of the Constitution of the province, except as regards the office of LieutenantGovernor.

(2.) Direct taxation within the province in order to the raising of a revenue for provincial purposes.

(3.) The borrowing of money on the sole credit of the province.

(4.) The establishment and tenure of provincial offices, and the appointment and payment of provincial officers.

(5.) The management and sale of the public lands belonging to the province, and of the timber and wood thereon.

(6.) The establishment, maintenance, and management of public and reforma. tory prisons in and for the province.

(7.) The establishment, maintenance, and management of hospitals, asylums, charities, and eleemosynary institutions in and for the province, other than marine hospitals.

(8.) Municipal institutions in the province.

(9.) Shop, saloon, tavern, auctioneer, and other licences, in order to the raising of a revenue for provincial, local, or municipal purposes.

(10.) Local works and undertakings other than such as are of the following classes,

a. Lines of steam or other ships, railways, canals, telegraphs, and other works and undertakings connecting the province with any other or others of the provinces, or extending beyond the limits of the province.

b. Lines of steam-ships between the province and any British or foreign country.

c. Such works as, although wholly situate within the province, are before or after their execution declared by the Parliament of Canada to be for the general advantage of Canada, or for the advantage of two or more of the provinces. (11.) The incorporation of companies with provincial objects.

(12.) The solemnisation of marriage in the province.

(13.) Property and civil rights in the province.

(14.) The administration of justice in the province, including the constitution, maintenance, and organisation of provincial courts, both of civil and of criminal jurisdiction, and including procedure in civil matters in those courts.

(15.) The imposition of punishment by fine, penalty, or imprisonment for enforcing any law of the province made in relation to any matter coming within any of the classes of subjects enumerated in this section.

(16.) Generally all matters of a merely local or private nature in the province.

EDUCATION.

93. In and for each province the Legislature may exclusively make laws in relation to education, subject and according to the following provisions :—

(1.) Nothing in any such law shall prejudicially affect any right or privilege with respect to denominational schools which any class of persons have by law in the province at the Union.

(2.) All the powers, privileges, and duties at the Union by law conferred and imposed in Upper Canada on the separate schools and school trustees of the Queen's Roman Catholic subjects shall be and the same are hereby extended to the dissentient schools of the Queen's Protestant and Roman Catholic subjects in Quebec.

(3.) Where in any province a system of separate or dissentient schools exists by law at the Union, or is thereafter established by the Legislature of the province, an appeal shall lie to the Governor-General in Council from any act or decision of any provincial authority affecting any right or privilege of the Protestant or Roman Catholic minority of the Queen's subjects in relation to education.

(4.) In case any such provincial law as from time to time seems to the Governor-General in Council requisite for the due execution of the provisions of this section is not made, or in case any decision of the Governor-General in Council on any appeal under this section is not duly executed by the proper provincial authority in that behalf, then and in every such case, and as far only as the circumstances of each case require, the Parliament of Canada may make remedial laws for the due execution of the provisions of this section, and of any decision of the Governor-General in Council under this section.

UNIFORMITY OF LAWS IN ONTARIO, NOVA SCOTIA, AND NEW BRUNSWICK. 94. Notwithstanding anything in this act, the Parliament of Canada may make provision for the uniformity of all or any of the laws relative to property and civil rights in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, and of the procedure of all or any of the courts in those three provinces, and from and after the passing of any act in that behalf, the power of the Parliament of Canada to make laws in relation to any matter comprised in any such act shall, notwithstanding anything in this act, be unrestricted; but any act of the Parliament of Canada making provision for such uniformity shall not have effect in any province unless and until it is adopted and enacted as law by the Legislature thereof.

AGRICULTURE AND IMMIGRATION.

95. In each province the Legislature may make laws in relation to agriculture in the province, and to immigration into the province; and it is hereby declared that the Parliament of Canada may from time to time make laws in relation to agriculture in all or in any of the provinces, and to immigration into all or any of the provinces; and any law of the Legislature of a province relative to agriculture, or to immigration, shall have effect in and for the province as long and as far only as it is not repugnant to any act of the Parliament of Canada.

JUDICATURE.

96. The Governor-General shall appoint the judges of the Superior, District,