702 THE FEDERATIONS AND THE UNION [PART TV
and not disallowed! In January 1889 Sir J. Thompson
reviewed all the cases and correspondence on the matter in
his elaborate report on the disallowance of a Quebec Act,
51 & 52 Vict. ¢. 20, regarding district magistrates? This
Act was intended to abolish the holding of the Circuit Court
in the Montreal district, and to substitute a District Magis-
trate’s Court to deal with all cases pending before the Circuit
Court; to be presided over by two judges appointed by
the Lieutenant-Governor in Council with salaries of $3,000
a year, who were not to be eligible for the Canadian Senate
or Commons, and who were to hold office during good be-
haviour, but to be removable by the Lieutenant-Governor
on addresses from the two Houses of Quebec. The Act was
disallowed on September 7, 1888, and the Minister of Justice
affirmed its impropriety very convincingly. A Supply Bill
was disallowed in 1871 in Ontario because it increased judges’
salaries ; in 1875 a British Columbia Act (37 Vict. c. 9) was
disallowed because it fixed the residence of judges ; in 1880
an Ontario Act (42 Vict. c. 19) to appoint a judge was dis-
allowed ; in 1883 an Act of British Columbia (45 Vict. c. 8)
for the appointment of gold commissioners was disallowed.
There is no doubt as to the power of the Federal Parliament
to impose duties on Provincial Courts,® but it could also
empower new courts to deal with its special subjects, e.g.
bankruptey,tand in a case regarding control of electoral revis-
ing officers it was held that the Ontario Court could not
control the revising officers,’ and the Canadian Parliament
has vested the Railway Commissioners with special powers
of a judicial character. and so as regards patents, the Act of
! Provincial Legislation, 1896-8, pp. 36 seq.
* See Lefroy, op. cit., pp. 140-75.
Valin v. Langlois, 5 App. Cas. 115; Lefroy, op. cit., pp. 511-3, who
rightly criticizes Piel Ke-ark-an v. Reg., (1891) 2 B. C. (Hunter), at p. 76.
See also ex parte Perkins, 24 N. B. 66. at p. 70; ex parte Porter. (1889).
28 N. B. 587.
*388.C.R., at p. 76, per Taschereau J.
5 Re North Perth, Hessin v. Lloyd, (1891) 21 O. R. 538.
* Canadian Pacific Railway Co. v. Northern Pacific, dec., Railway Co.,
(1888) 5 M, R., at Pp. 313. A Provincial Act of Quebec of 1890 giving
