EVOLUTION OF GOVERNMENT IN CANADA

Taxation without representation (1760’s) In Britain only male landowners could vote  This was about 10% of the people So, direct taxation without representation was a basic principle of British democracy at that time However, when the Loyalists came North after the American Revolution, they were used to representative government, so they pushed for elected assemblies

Constitutional Act of 1791 Divided colony of Quebec into Upper and Lower Canada They were allowed to have elected assemblies But the power of governor-general and lieutenant-governor was strengthened  They could veto legislation; dissolve assemblies if they didn’t like what they were doing; and call new elections

Constitutional Act of 1791 Governors appointed a legislative council (members held office for life)  The members could enact and veto all bills originating in the House of Assembly Governors also appointed an executive council (members held office for life) to act as their advisors

Problem with Constitution Act of 1791 Elected assemblies were virtually under the control of the appointed councils  The administrators therefore did not act on the needs of the people In Upper Canada the ruling elite was called the Family Compact In French Lower Canada the ruling elite was called the Château Clique (English)  So there were rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada

Act of Union Because of the rebellions, Britain sent Lord Durham to be governor-general  He made several recommendations for responsible government, but Britain rejected these However, it did unite the two Canada’s under a single parliament Also, Upper Canada became Canada West and Lower Canada became Canada East

Failure of the Act of Union Each side had been given equal representation in the Assembly (even though the French outnumbered the English) But when the English started to outnumber the French, they wanted representation by population So little got done and a few years passed with an ineffective government several French and English politicians offered to form a coalition, if they could work towards creating a federal union of all British N. A. colonies

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic Provinces… After the rebellions in Upper and Lower Canada, Joseph Howe of N.S. pressured Britain for reform So in 1846, the colonial secretary, Earl Grey, told the colonial governors that if the party in power lost an election, the governor was to select a new executive council from the winning party This was the first instance of responsible government in British N.A.