elections for the House of Commons approached, and the contest between the nominees of the opposing parties in the various constituencies in the Province became keener, Mr. Davies and some of his Liberal colleagues took an active part in favour of the Liberal candidates, which led to a rupture in the Cabinet, and the resignation, during the month of August, of the three Conservative Ministers-Mr. G. W. DeBlois, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer, and Messrs. Daniel Gordon, John Lefurgy, and Samuel Prowse, members of the Executive Council. Mr. Davies then appointed Messrs. T. W. Dodd (Provincial Secretary and Treasurer), James E. Robertson, Angus McMillan, and Donald Farquharson, all Liberals, to take the places of the gentlemen who resigned. In this position the close of the year 1878 found the affairs of the Province of Prince Edward Island. The Legislative Assembly of Manitoba opened on the 10th. January, and was prorogued on the 2nd February. Among the measures passed were Acts to amend the Jurors' Act; authorizing the consolidation of the statutes; respecting the partition of real estate; respecting infants and the administration of their estates; to compel creditors to proceed to judgment without delay after causing the arrest of a debtor other than a judgment debtor; amending the registration Act in certain particulars; respecting the service of process and garnishment; giving the Court of Queen's Bench jurisdiction to decree alimony to any wife who would be entitled to alimony, or to divorce and alimony as incident thereto, under the law of England; imposing a tax of five cents per acre on all lands owned by non-residents, whether eultivated or not (which provision was afterwards decided by the Chief Justice to be unconstitutional), and one cent upon lands in excess of 600 acres owned by resident individuals or corporations, with a view to create a fund for educational purposes; a licence Act; amending the school Act in several important particulars; enabling children of half-breed heads of families of the age of eighteen, with the consent of both parents, and upon the certificate of a judge as to the free and voluntary character of the Act, to convey their land; with respect to ferries, statute labour, public roads, agricultural societies, prairie fires, native cattle, surveyors, the preservation of game, and the destruction of wolves; and to amend the Act respecting the Law Society. Besides, the Election Law was amended, the use of the ballot for recording the votes of electors abandoned, and the system of open voting again instituted-a change which was made in obedience to the demands of the native population of the Province, who did not take kindly to secret voting. In the month of October, Mr. R. A. Davis, the Provincial Premier, retired from the Administration and public life; and Mr. John Norquay, the Minister of Public Works, was called upon to form a new Government. Under the new regime, Mr. Norquay became Provincial Treasurer; Mr. Joseph Royal continued a member of the Executive Council, with the portfolio of Public Works; Mr. D. M. Walker, a prominent Winnipeg barrister, was called into the Ministry to succeed Mr. Royal as Attorney-General; Mr. C. P. Brown, a surveyor, miller, and agriculturist, of Palestine, was also sworn of the Executive Council, as Provincial Secretarythe duties of which office had previously been performed by the Attorney-General; and Mr. James McKay, President of the Council and Minister of Agriculture, on account of ill-health and domestic affliction, retired from all participation in public affairs-being succeeded in the Government at a subsequent period by Mr. Pierre DeLorme. Ontario was the only Province of the Dominion in which either a complete change of Government or a reconstruction of the existing Ministry did not take place during the year. British Columbia was among those which witnessed the downfall of one Cabinet and the formation of an entirely new one. There were two sessions of the Legislature held during the year. The first was convened on the 7th February and prorogued on the 10th April. In addition to a considerable amount of private legislation, Acts were passed to facilitate the formation of joint stock and limited liability companies; to facilitate the drying of lands overflowed by the Fraser River; amending the voters' Act, so that judges, magistrates, and peace and police officers should not be entitled to vote at Provincial elections; amending the ballot law so far as regards personation; protecting game; regulating the traffic on highways; amending the coal mines Regulation Act; authorizing the advancement of $15,000 to the Cariboo Quartz Mining Company, on the fulfilment of certain conditions; amending the Act relating to minerals; amending the School Act; providing that merchants and others, being employers of labour, shall pay the school tax for those in their employment; and making provision as to the jurisdiction. of sheriffs in the Province. During this session, Mr. Elliott's Government met with a reverse in the Legislature, which brought the proceedings to a termination sooner than expected. The prorogation, as has been stated, took place on the 10th April; during the month of May, the Legislature having been dissolved, a general election was held, at which Mr. Elliott suffered personal defeat in the city of Victoria, and the result all over the Province was disastrous to his Government, which resigned in July; whereupon Mr. G. A. Walkem, Q.C., leader of the successful party, was called on to form an administration. This Mr. Walkem succeeded in doing, calling to his assistance Mr. T. B. Humphreys, as Provincial Secretary, and Mr. Robert Beaven as Minister of Finance, while he himself undertook to perform the duties of Attorney-General and Chief Commissioner of Lands and Works, thus reducing the Executive Council of the Province from four members to three, and securing the saving of the salary of one Minister. Mr. Walkem's Government met the new Legislature on the 29th July. A measure was submitted and passed providing for the redistribution of seats on the Mainland, by which the new electoral district of Cassiar was erected, one of the two representatives allotted to Kootenay to be taken away on the first vacancy occurring, and the seat then to be given Cassiar; also one of the two representatives allotted to Cowichan to be be taken away on the first vacancy occurring, and an additional member to be given to Nanaimo. Provision was made for the appointment by the Dominion Government of two additional Judges of the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court Judges then to preside over the County Courts, which of course requires legislation by the Federal Parliament before becoming operative. An Act was passed excluding judges, magistrates, sheriffs, police officers, and employees of the Dominion Government, to whose offices annual salaries are attached (except Post Office officials), from exercising the franchise in Provincial elections; another respecting the Crown Lands of the Province; and another amending the License Law. An Act was also passed authorizing the employment, outside the walls of common gaols, of prisoners sentenced under authority of any Provincial statute; and one to authorize the benchers of the Law Society to admit barristers and attorneys called to the bar in Great Britain, the other Provinces of Canada, or any of the British colonies, and clerks who have acted in such capacity in any of the countries and colonies mentioned for a period of ten years, to the practice of the legal profession in British Columbia. But the most important legislation of the session was an Act requiring every Chinese person in the Province over twelve years of age to take out a license every three months, for which he was to pay a sum of ten dollars, in advance. This law was the subject of a good deal of discussion in the press of Canada and the United States, but the Provincial Courts decided that it was unconstitutional, and it has therefore become inoperative. The first session of the Third Legislature of British Columbia was prorogued on the 2nd September, having been in session somewhat over one month. JOURNAL OF REMARKABLE OCCURRENCES. JANUARY. 1st. The season so far is remarkably mild, there being little or no snow or frost. To day it is recorded that "John Canadian," the Indian voyageur, and lacrosse player, accompanied by another Indian and a French Canadian, successfully ran the Lachine Rapids in an open row boat; and that the steamer Longueuil carried an excursion party from Montreal to Boucherville and return. 4th. The resignation of Lt. Col. Cumberland as A. D. C. to the Governor General is accepted. " -The following gentlemen are admitted as cadets at the Royal Military College at Kingston. The total number of marks obtained by the candidates at the examination is given after each name :- 8th.-While "tobogganing" at Rideau Hall, Hon. Mr. Ward, a guest of Lord Dufferin fractures his leg (see OBITUARY). 9th. The Workingmen of Toronto entertain Sir John A. Macdonald at a public dinner, and present the Right Honorable gentleman with a handsome gold watch and chain in token of their appreciation of his services to them and the Canadian public generally. 15th. The fourth annual meeting of the Dominion Grange, P. of H., takes place in Albert Hall Toronto. There is a large attendance of members from different parts of the Dominion, with the exception of Manitoba and British Columbia. Worthy Master S. W. Hill, of Ridgeville, Ont., presides and delivers the annual address. " -Meeting of the Liberal Conservative Convention at Toronto (see ante). "The annual meeting of the Dominion Board of Trade opens at Ottawa, the President (Mr. Adam Brown of Hamilton) in the chair. A delegation, composed of the following gentlemen viz:-Messrs. J. D. Hayes, Detroit; Captain E. P. Dorr, Buffalo; Hon. Fred. Frayley and J. P. Wetherell Philadelphia is present from the National Board of Trade of the United States. Mr. A. Joseph is elected President for the ensuing year. "The jury in the case of the Oka Indians, tried for arson before Judge Johnson at Terrebonne, fail to agree, and are discharged. |