30 CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY OF THE PROVINCES. 
Van- 
couver’s 
Island. 
fit. Power was given to annex Vancouver's Island on re- 
ceiving an address from the two Houses of the Legislature 
of that Island. 
Sir James Douglas was appointed Governor and by his 
commission he was authorised to make laws, institutions and 
ordinances for the peace, order and good government of British 
Columbia, by proclamation issued under the public seal of 
the colony. The first proclamation issued was one for indem- 
nifying the Governor and other officers for all acts done 
previous to the date of the proclamation, whilst by a sub- 
sequent proclamation the English Civil and Criminal law 
as it existed on the date of the proclamation of the 21 & 22 
Vie. ¢. 99, i.e. 19 Nov. 1858, was declared to be in force in 
the colony’. The Governor continued to legislate by pro- 
clamation until 1864, when his proclamations gave way to 
Ordinances passed by the Governor with the advice and 
consent of the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council 
consisted of five officials, five magistrates, and five other 
members selected from the inhabitants. 
Up to this time the Governor of British Columbia was 
also Governor of the neighbouring island of Vancouver. 
Vancouver's Island is historically an older colony than 
British Columbia. Though discovered in 1592 it remained 
practically unknown to Europeans for two centuries, and it 
was not until 1849, when the island was granted to the 
Hudson's Bay Company, that a Governor was appointed. 
The first Governor called a legislative Council of nine 
members, and his successor constituted an Assembly of seven 
members under the direction of the Secretary of the Colo- 
nies. Freeholders of twenty acres, being British subjects, 
were qualified to vote, and members of the legislature were 
required to possess real property of the value of £300. 
1 But the effect of this proclamation was modified by the Ordinance of 
the 6th March, 1867, which enacted that the English law as ib existed on 
the 19 Nov. 1858 should apply “so far as the same are not from local 
~ireumstances inapplicable.”