ir protest
against it on the journals of the house, though on different grounds.

The more important provisions of this bill were that the constitution
of Lower Canada was suspended till November, 1840; that her majesty in
council was empowered to constitute a special council, and to appoint,
or authorize the governor to appoint, such and so many special
councillors as she might think proper; that, until November, 1840, it
should be lawful for the governor, with the advice and consent of the
majority of the said councillors convened for the purpose, to make such
laws or ordinances for the peace, welfare, and good government of Lower
Canada, as the legislature of that province, at the time of passing the
act, was empowered; and that all laws or ordinances so made, subject to
the provisions thereinafter contained for disallowance thereof by her
majesty, should have the like force and effect as laws passed by the
legislative bodies. The governor was further to have the initiative of
all measures proposed in the council, five of whom were required for a
quorum. Certain restrictive provisoes followed these provisions; and it
was directed that a copy of every such law or ordinance "be transmitted
to the home government;" and her majesty was empowered, by an order
in council, to disallow the same at any time within two years of its
receipt.

THE QUESTION OF ELECTION COMMITTEES, ETC.

The necessity of an alteration in the mode of trying controverted
elections under the Grenville act had been for some time recognised. A
committee had been appointed to examine into this subject in 1837; and
Mr. Charles Buller, who had been chairman of that committee, had, on the
21st of November last, obtained leave to bring in a bill similar in
its provisions to one which had been in the hands of members in the
preceding session, though it had not been discussed. This bill, in
its original shape, provided that three assessors, barristers of seven
years' standing, should be appointed by the speaker to act as chairmen
of election committees for the session only, and as a court of appeal
from the revising barristers on matters of law. Subsequently, when this
bill was in progress, it was thought better that the first assessors
should be named in the act, and that the future appointments should be
placed at the disposal of the speaker, subject to the confirmation of
the house. On the same day Mr. O'Connell said that he also had devised a
pla