BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
PANY 
EA 
for their temporary government, and the first Lieutenant- of the 
Governor was appointed in 1869. The outbreak of the in- rories. 
surrection among the half-breeds prevented the Lieutenant- 
Governor exercising any of his functions, and immediately 
after the rebellion was over an Act was passed to establish 
& new province carved out of the North West Territories, 
under the name of Manitoba. A constitution, similar to Manitoba. 
that existing in the other provinces, was conferred on the 
new province, and the first legislature was elected in 1871. 
The province is divided into four counties, and these are 
subdivided into twenty-four districts or divisions for legis- 
lative, judicial and electoral purposes. 
5. BRITISH COLUMBIA. 
British Columbia, the largest of the Canadian provinces, 
cannot be said to have had any existence as a colony until 
1858. Previous to that year provision had been made by a 
series of Acts for extending the Civil and Criminal Laws of 
the Courts of Lower and Upper Canada over territories not 
within any province, but otherwise the territory was used as 
a hunting ground of the Hudson's Bay Company. The dis- 
putes and difficulties that arose from the influx of miners 
owing to the gold discoveries in 1856, resulted in the revo- 
cation of the licence of the Hudson's Bay Company and the 
passing of the Imperial Act 21 & 22 Vie. c. 99 to provide 
for the government of British Columbia. Power was given to Constitu: 
. " ’ . tion of the 
Her Majesty by Order in Council to appoint a Governor. of province. 
the Colony, to make provision for the administration of justice 
therein, and to establish all laws and institutions necessary 
for the peace, order and good government of persons therein. 
Her Majesty was also authorised by Order in Council to 
empower the Governor to constitute a Legislature, consisting 
of the Governor and a Council, or a Council and an Assembly, 
to be composed of such persons as Her Majesty might deem