Part two. Again Forgive the quality! =-0(

 

After Great Britain conquered it from France during the Seven Years War (1754–1763), Canada (which then consisted mainly of the modern Province of Quebec) was governed under the Royal Proclamation of 1763. This proclamation was superseded in 1774 by the Quebec Act, under which the power to make ordinances was granted to a Governor and Council, both appointed by the British sovereign. In 1791, the Province of Quebec was divided into the provinces of Upper Canada (which later became Ontario) and Lower Canada (which later became Quebec), each with an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council.

 

In 1841, the British Parliament united Upper and Lower Canada into a new colony, called the Province of Canada. A single legislature, consisting of an elected Legislative Assembly and an appointed Legislative Council, was created. The assembly's eighty-four members were equally divided between the former provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, though the latter had a higher population. The British government, through the royally-appointed Governors, still exercised considerable influence over Canadian affairs. This influence was reduced in 1848, when the province was granted responsible government.

 

From 1841 to 1844, Parliament met on what is now the site of Kingston General Hospital in Kingston, Ontario. In 1849, the Parliament Building in Montreal, which had been the home of the legislature since being transferred from Kingston in 1843, burnt down. The fire was part of a Tory-led riot caused by the Rebellion Losses Bill and a series of tensions between Francophones and Anglophones, as well as an economic depression. In 1857, the legislature was finally moved to Ottawa, after a few years of alternating between Toronto and Quebec City.

 

The modern-day Parliament of Canada, however, did not come into existence until 1867. In that year, the British Parliament passed the British North America Act 1867, uniting the Province of Canada (which was separated into Quebec and Ontario, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick) into a single federation, called the Dominion of Canada. The new Canadian Parliament consisted of the Queen (represented by the Governor General), the Senate and the House of Commons. An important influence was the American Civil War, which had just concluded, and had indicated to many Canadians the faults of the federal system as implemented in the United States. In part because of the Civil War, the American model, with relatively powerful states and a less powerful federal government, was rejected. The British North America Act limited the powers of the provinces, providing that all subjects not explicitly delegated to them remain within the authority of the federal Parliament. Yet it gave provinces unique powers in certain agreed-upon areas of funding, and that division still exists today.

 

The British North America Act 1867 granted the Parliament significant powers, but with several restrictions. Most notably, the British Parliament remained supreme over Canada, and no Canadian act could in any way abrogate a British one. Furthermore, the United Kingdom continued to determine the foreign policy of the entire British Empire.

 

Greater autonomy was granted by the British Parliament's Statute of Westminster 1931. Though the statute allowed the Parliament of Canada to repeal or amend British laws (with respect to their application in Canada), it did not permit the abrogation of Canada's constitution, including the British North America Acts. Hence, whenever a constitutional amendment was sought by the Canadian Parliament, the enactment of a British law became necessary. Still, the Parliament of the United Kingdom did not unilaterally impose amendments on the Canadian federation, only acting when requested to do so by the Canadian Parliament. The Parliament of Canada was granted limited power to amend the constitution by a British act of Parliament in 1949, but it was not permitted to affect the powers of provincial governments, the official positions of the English and French languages, or the five-year term of Parliament.

 

The Parliament of Canada last requested the Parliament of the United Kingdom to enact a constitutional amendment in 1982, when the Canada Act 1982 was requested and passed. The act ended the power of the British Parliament to legislate for Canada, and the authority to amend the constitution was transferred to Canadian legislative authorities. Most amendments require the consent of the Canadian Senate, the Canadian House of Commons, and the Legislative Assemblies of two-thirds of the provinces representing a majority of the population. The unanimous consent of provincial legislative assemblies is required for certain amendments, including those affecting the Queen, the Governor General, provincial Lieutenant Governors, the official positions of the English and French languages, the Supreme Court of Canada, and the amending formulas themselves.

 

 

nice. it's a very appropriately brit-euro-goth building.

 

i had no idea that canada didn't really become a country until 1982. interesting, thx for the history lesson. i think fairly recently that australia voted and refused that kind of independence from england, am i right?

 

 

nice. it's a very appropriately brit-euro-goth building.

 

i had no idea that canada didn't really become a country until 1982. interesting, thx for the history lesson. i think fairly recently that australia voted and refused that kind of independence from england, am i right?

 

 

 

Our Independence Day is July 1st 1867. We have been self governing since then, but there were powers that the Parliament in London retained. Canada is like a college kid and England, the protective mother. When we went off to college, mom still took care of us and handled some of our business! But we're adults and don't need the UK to take care of us. Since the signing of the Charter, all powers are held by the Parliament of Canada and its various bodies. I'm not up to date with the situation in Australia. Sorry

That is a huge tree for an interior space.  Thanks for sharing these.