SOURCES OF THE CONSTITUTION. 4]
2. Dominion Acts. Many important statutes have been
passed by the Parliament of Canada relating to its constitution.
Immediately after the Union Act of 1867 came into force a
series of statutes had to be passed for the organization of the
different departments of State. As regards the Legislature
it was not until 1885 that a general election law’ was carried
regulating the election of members of the House of Commons,
and several subsequent statutes have been passed on the same
subject.
By the 88 Vic. c. 11 a Supreme Court was established for
the Dominion, and on the admission of Rupert's Land and
the North West Territories, Acts were passed forming the new
province of Manitoba (38 Vic.c.8) and providing for the govern-
ment of the North West Territories®. These as well as other
Acts will be found in the recently issued edition of the Con-
solidated Statutes of Canada.
3. Provincial Acts. The main features of the constitu-
tions of Ontario and Quebec are contained in the Union Act
of 1867, but as regards the other provinces, though that Act
governs the division of legislative power and contains certain
general provisions relating to all the provinces, recourse must
be had to the respective Provincial Acts for the details of the
Provincial Constitutions. It is from these Acts that the
functions of the different provincial departments of State, the
qualifications of members of, and electors to, the legislative
Assemblies, and the organization of the Provincial Judicature
are to be learned. The custom that prevails in all the
provinces, except in Prince Edward's Island, of revising the
Statutes at intervals, and consolidating the law on one
subject in one statute, makes the provincial statute book
very accessible to students.
4. Orders in Council. The most important Orders in
Council relating to Canada that have been issued under Im-
perial Statute are those admitting the North West Terri-
1 49 Vie. c. 8. 2 32 & 83 Vic. c. 8.