976 THE FEDERATIONS AND THE UNION [PART IV 
birth or descent would not also be subjected ; the alteration 
of the criminal law, except in so far as related to the trial 
and punishment of offences punishable in a summary way ; 
and the regulation of the course of inheritance of real or 
personal property or legislation affecting wills. 
The laws passed by the Provincial Councils were to be 
assented to or reserved or disallowed by the Superintendent, 
subject to any instructions which the Governor might from 
time to time give him. All Bills affecting the extent of the 
electoral districts of the Council, or establishing new electoral 
districts, or altering the number of members for the districts, 
or the number of members of the Council, or the limits of new 
towns, required reservation. The Governor was empowered 
to disallow any Bill assented to by the Superintendent 
within three months after its receipt by him. The term 
was originally in the Bill fixed at two years, but it was 
reduced to three months while the Bill was passing through 
the Imperial Parliament, thus preventing, in view of the 
existing facilities of communication, any disallowance at 
the request of the Imperial Government, and leaving it to 
the discretion of the Governorwhat Acts should be disallowed. 
Similarly any reserved Bill had to be assented to within three 
months, or it became of no effect, and so the Governor was 
forced to act on his own discretion in deciding whether 
a reserved Bill should be allowed to come into force. 
The Councils consisted of members elected by voters in 
the provinces who had the same qualifications as voters for 
the General Assembly. 
The Provincial Council lasted for four years, and it could 
be prorogued by the Superintendent, provided that there 
should be a session once every year, so that not more than 
twelve months should intervene between the last sitting in 
one session and the first sitting in the next session. The 
Superintendent was not empowered to dissolve the Provincial 
Council, but the Governor had the power to dissolve it. 
The position of the Superintendent was peculiar. He was 
elected by persons duly qualified in each province to elect 
members for the Provincial Councils. and he held office until