ictions or conditions." His lordship
proceeded to state the nature of the proposed union. With regard to the
legislative council and assembly, it was proposed, that, together with
the governor, they should form the legislature; and that the crown, or
the governor on the part of the crown, should appoint the legislative
crown councillors. The nomination of the council was to be for life, the
only disqualification being bankruptcy or crime. It was further proposed
that the number of representatives sent by Upper and Lower Canada should
be equal, with the power of adding members as the population increased.
Thirty-nine members were to be allowed to each province, and distributed
without any great alteration of the existing boundaries. In Upper
Canada, the towns of Kingston, Hamilton, Brockville, London, Niagara,
and Cornwall, and in Lower Canada, Montreal, Quebec, and the three
Rivers were each to send one member; the rest of the members for each
province were to be returned by districts which were to be denominated
"counties." Lord John Russell next entered upon the question relating
to the laws, and to the mode in which they were to be enacted. A general
power only was to be given to the assembly to enact laws: certain
subjects were to be reserved for the assent of the crown, such as those
pointed out by the constitutional act of 1791. It was proposed that
money-votes should not originate with the assembly; but that a message
from the governor, giving the assembly the power of addressing him,
should precede any vote on such matters. A permanent appropriation was
to be made for the governor and judges, and the civil secretary and all
the various expenses connected with the civil establishments were to be
voted, either for a period of years, or during the life of the queen. It
was also proposed that the duties included in the act introduced by the
Earl of Ripon, and collected under the 14th George III., should become
part of the crown revenue. His lordship continued to say, that in Upper
Canada there was already the form of a municipal government: there were
townships and elective offices; and they had likewise districts formed
of two or more counties, which were attached to the local courts for the
administration of justice: but their powers were limited. He proposed
that the power of these municipal councils should be increased, and
that they should be enabled to lay a tax of threepence an acre upon
all lands. The same aut