British North America Act (1867). An Act For The Union Of Canada, Nova Scotia, And New Brunswick, And The Government Thereof; And For Purposes Connected Therewith. Dominion Of Canada - Confederation. Great Britain. Parliament. Canada British Colonial,Canada General

THE BRITISH STATUTE THAT CREATED THE DOMINION OF CANADA AS A CONSTITUTIONAL MONARCHY AND PARLIAMENTARY DEMOCRACY. Folio (12.5 inches). 30 Victoria, Chapter 3. Caption title, pages 9-47. Royal coat of arms. Stitched, as issued. Untrimmed. An exceptional copy of the rare first edition in original state. Provenance: rubber-stamp of the Middle Temple on the front leaf (the Middle Temple was one of the four Inns of Court in London entitled to call their members to the English Bar as barristers). The British North America Act, 1867 (or BNA Act, 1867) came into effect on 1 July 1867, and united the Province of Canada (formerly known as Canada East and Canada West), New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia into the Dominion of Canada. The Act, which created a federal dominion with a parliamentary system modelled after that of Great Britain, outlined the distribution of responsibilities and powers for each level of government and the rights of its inhabitants. By Section 129 of the BNA Act, 1867, all applicable British legislation was received into Canadian constitutional law. The operating structure for the new country included: Executive Power (as vested in the Queen, and the Governor General); Legislative Power for the Senate and House of Commons (constituting the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada); Provincial Constitutions; Distribution of Legislative Powers and the Authority of the Parliament of Canada (including exclusive control over all matters relating to Indians and Indian Lands); Judicature; Revenues, Debts, Assets and Taxation; Intercolonial Railway; and Admission of other Colonies (noting Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island, British Columbia, and Rupert's Land as possible candidates). Section 133 of the BNA Act, 1867 ensured that either French or English could be used in the Debates of the Houses of Parliament of Canada and of the Houses of the Legislature of Quebec, and both languages were to be used in the respective Records and Journals of those Houses. As well, the laws and proceedings of the Parliament of Canada and of the Legislature of Quebec were to be printed and published in both languages. The Appendices elaborated on: Existing and New Electoral Divisions in Ontario and Quebec; Provincial Public Works and Property to be the Property of Canada; Assets to be the Property of Ontario and Quebec Conjointly; and the Oath of Allegiance to the Queen. Although the BNA Act, 1867 was a British statute it was drafted entirely by Canadian representatives attending the Quebec Conference in 1864 and passed without amendment.