Union Brief of Authorities 200
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THE CONSTITUTION ACT, 1867 30 & 31 Victoria. c. 3. (Coosolidatcd with amendments) Au Act for the Uuion of Cmmda. Nova Scotia, and Ne~v Bnms~vick, aud the Government thereof: ,and for Pttrposes connected tberewifla (29th ~[arct11867) Wtn~n~ns tim Provinces of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Bnmswick have expressed their Desire to be federally united into One Donfiniou under file Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, wifla a Coustitution shnilar in Principle to that of the United Kingdom: And whereas such a Union would condnce to fl~e Welfare of the Provinces and promote the Interests of the British Empire: Aud whereas dO fl~e Establishmcut of the Union by Authority of Parliament it is expedient. not only that tile Coustitution of file Legislative Aufllority in the Dominion be provided for, but also that the Nature of the Executive Govemmeut therein be declared: And whereas it is expedient that Provision be made for d~e eventual Admission iuto the Union of other Parts of British Nordl America:"~ I. PRELIivIINARY 1. This Act may be cited as fl~e Constitntion Act, 1867.~ 2. Repealed.m I1. U~[o~ 3. It shall be la~vful for the Queen, by and with the Advice oFHer Majesty’s Most Hon- durable PriW Cotmcil, to declare by Proclamation dmt, on ,’rod after a Day fl~erein appointed. uot being more than Six Months after the passing oFthis Act. the Provinces of Canada. Nova Scotia, and New Bnmswick shall fonu and be One Dominion under the Name of Cmmda; m The enacting clause was repealed by the Statute Law Revision Act, 1893, 56-57 Vict., c. 14 (U.K.). It read as follows: Be it thenafore truanted and declared by file Qu~n’s m~t Exccll~tt Maj~y, by and with tile Advice and Consent of file Lot& 8pittual and Temporak and Commom, in rids pr~cnt Parliam~mt assembled, and by tim Auflmdty of a~e same, as fMlows: m As enacted by the Cons~tuthm Act, 1982, whid~ came into force on April 17, 1982. The section, as ori~nally enacted, read as follows: l. "lT~Ls Act may be cited as qlm Britlsb No~ America Ack 1867. m Section 2, repealed by the Statnte Law R~qslon Act, 1893, 56-57 Vict., ~ 14 ~.K), read as 2. ~e l~ovisions of fl~is Act ~fe~ng to Her Maj~ty ~e Quc~m extend also to fl~e Hci~ and 8ucccsso~ of tkx Majesty, Kings and ~e~ms of fl~e United Kingdom ofG~at Brilain and I~land. V[. DIS~RIBUI’ION OF LEGISLNIT~q:. POWERS Powers oJ’the Patqiament 91. It shall be lawful for fl~e Queen, by and with file Advice aud Consent offlae Senate aud House of Commons, to make Laws for the Peace, Order, and good Goven~ment of C,’mada. in relation to all Matters not confing wiflfin file Classes o[" Subjects by tiffs Act assigned exclusively to flae Legislatures of fl~e Provhlces; m~d for ~cater CertainU. but not so as to restrict flJe Generality of fl~e foregoing Tel~a~s of this Section, it is hereby declared flint (notwiflJstandh~g anyflting in this Act) fl~e exclusive Legislative Auflmrity of fl~e Par- liament of Canada extends to all Matters comh~g wiflfin fl~e Classes of Subjects next hereinafter enumerated: flint is to say, -- 1. Repealed?’’ 1A. The Public Debt aud PropertyY-~ 2. The Regulation of Tradem~d Commerce. 2A. Unemployment iusurance.~ 3. The raisiug of Mouey by any Mode or System of Taxation. 4. The borro~ving of Money on the Public Credit. 5. Postal Service. 6. The Census and Statistics. 7. Militia, Military. and Naval Service. aud Defence. 8. The fixing of and providing for fl~e Sallies and Allowauces of Civil and other Of- ricers of fl~c Government of Calmda. 9. Beacons, Buoys, Lighflmuses. and Sable Island. I0. Navigation and Shippiug. 11. Quarantine aa~d fl~e Establishmeut aud Maintenauce of Marine Hospilals. t2. Sea Coast aud hflaud Fisheries. t-~ Class I was added by tile Britls’h North America (No..0 Act, 1949, 13 Geo. V1, c. 81 (U.K.). That Act and class I were repealed by the Constitution Act, 1982. The nmtters referred to in class I are provided for in subsection 4(.) and Pa rt V of the Constitution. let, 198~. As enacted, class 1 read as follows: Re-nora bered by tile Brittsh North Amertca (No. 2) Act, 1949. Added by he ConstitutlonAct, 1940, 3-4 Geo. VI, c. 36 (U.K.). 22 13. Ferries between a Province and any British or Foreign Cotmtry or between T~vo Provinces. 14. Cm~’ency and Coinage. 15. Banking, incorporation of Banks, and the Issue of Papar Money. 16. Savings Banks. 17. Weights and Measures. 18. Bills of Exclmage and Promisso .ry Notes. 19. Interest. 20. Legal Tender. 21. Bankruptcy and Insolvency. 22. Patents of Invention and Digcove .ry. 23. Copyrights. 24. Indians, and Lands reserved for fine Indians. 25. Naturalizutiou and Aliens. 26. Marriage and Divorce. 27. The Criminal Lmv, except the Constitutioa of Courts of Criminal Jurisdiction. but including tim Procedure ha Crin’~inal Matters. 28. The Establishment, Maintenance. and Management of Penitentiaries. .,,i,~t~ 29. Sach Classes of Subjects as are expressly excepted in the Enumeratiou of fine Classes of Subjects by this Act assigned exctasively to the Legislat~res of the Provinces. And any Matter coming ~vithin any of fine Classes of Subjects enanmrated ill this Section shall not be deemed to come within the Class of Matters of a local or private Nature comprised in the Enumeratioo of tbe Classes of Subjects by this Act assigued exclusively to the Leg- islatttres of the ProvincesY~ Legislative authority has been conferred on Parliament by other Acts as follmvs: 1. The Constitution Act, 1871, 34-35 VicL, c. 28 (U.IC). 2. "l]~e P~liament of Canada may from time to time eslzblisll new Provinces in any territories lbrming for die time being part of tile Dominion of Cznnd,~. but not included in any Province fllereo f. and may. at the time of such establisbmenL make provision l~!r file constilution and adrainislration of any such 15"ovinc~ and f~r file passing of laws for fl~c pc,ace, order, and g~md government of such Province. and for its representation in tile said Parliamenl. 3. The Parliamen t of Cznuda may from time 1o time. with the consent of tile Legislature of any province ~fftile said Dominion. increase, diminisb, or og~erwise alter the [imils of such Province, upon sucb t~.wats and conditions ,~s may be agreed to by s~id Legislature, and m,~y. witil the like consent, make provision respecting file effect and operation of~ny sueb increase or diminution or Mlemtlon of territory in relation Io any Province al]i.~et ed tl~ercby. 4. The Parliament of Canada may from time to lime make pmvisifm for the administlation, peace, order, and good gov- ernment of ,any lcrritory not for ti~e time being included in any Province. 23 F_vchLs’ive Powers ojT~rot,incial Legislatures 92. In each Province the Legislature may exclusively make Laws in relation to Matters coming within the Classes of Subjects uext hereinaftur enumerated; that is to say, -- 1. RepealedY~ 2. Direct Taxation within the Province in order to the raising era Revenue for Provincial Purposes. 3. The borrowh~g of Money on the sole Credit of d~e Province. 4. The Establishment and Tenure of Provincial Offices and the Appointment and Pay- meut of Provincial Officers. 5. The Managan~eot and Sale of the Public Lands belonging to the Province and of the Timber and Wood thereon. 5. "l]~e following Acts passed by tire said ParIiament of Canada, and intituled respectively. -- "An Act for the temporary 6. Except ,as provided by the thh-d section of this Act. it shall not be competent for tile Parliament of Canada to alter the provisions of the last-mentioned Act of the said Parliament in so far as it relates to tile Province of Manitoba, or of any effect Act bercafter establishing new Provinct~ in the said Dominion, subject always to tile right of the Legislalure of the Province o f Manitoba to alter from time to time tile provisions of any law respecting tile qualification of electors and members of tile Legislative Ass~nnbly, and to make laws respecting elecfio~ in the said Province. The Rupert "s LandAct, 1868, 31-32 Vict., c. 105 (U.IL) (repealed by the Statute Lm~, R~q,ision Act, 1893, 56-57 Vict., c. 14 (U.K.)) had previously conferred similar authority in relation to Rupert’s Land and the North V~restern Territory upon admission of those areas. 2. The ConstittttlonAct, 1886, 49-50 Vict., c. 35 (U.I,L). 1. ’11~c Parliament of Canada may from time to time make provision tbr the representation in tile St.male anti lIouse of Commons of Canada, or in either of them, of any territori~ which lbr the time being form part of the Dominion of Cara~da. but are not included in any province thcrcoE 3. The Statute of Westntln.*qer, 1931, 22 Gee. V, c. 4 (U.IC). 3. It is bereby declared and enacted tilat the Parliament era Dominion has full power to make laws Imving ~’xtra-lcrfitorial operation. 4. Under section ~4 ~f the C~nstituti~n Act~1982~Par~iament has exc~usive autho rit3’ to amend the C~nstituti~n of Canada in relation to the executive government of Canada or the Senate and l-louse of Cnmmons.