BRITISH NORTH AMERICA BILL. (Hansard, 19 May 1915)

§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES (LORD ISLINGTON)

My Lords, this is a Bill to amend the British North America Act of 1867. That Act constituted three senatorial divisions—Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces. It is proposed in this Bill to add a fourth or western division to meet the general development in population and in industry of the western part of Canada and so place the western Provinces in a position of equality with the eastern Provinces. At present the three eastern Provinces are entitled to twenty-four Senators each, whilst of the western group from time to time as that portion of Canada has developed the members have been increased so that at present Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta have four Senators respectively and British Columbia three, making in all fifteen for that western portion. It is now proposed to group those together as a fourth western division and to give them twenty-four Senators, as are given to the other three divisions that I have just described, placing them on an equality. In the case of all the other self-governing Dominions legislation has been enacted which enables them to alter and amend their own constitutional Acts, but in Canada the Constitution is still controlled by the Act of 1867 and any addition above that of six members has to be ratified by the Imperial Parliament. I might. add that in addition to the numbers allowed in the existing Act there is, to meet the emergency of a deadlock between the two Houses, a power to increase the members by one or two in the three existing divisions; and of course, to comply with that allowance, a similar provision is now extended to this new fourth division, making therefore in all the possibility of 1052 increasing to eight Senators and allowing thereby, as your Lordships will see in the Bill, a maximum membership in the Senate of 104. This comes to us as a Petition to the Crown for legislation on these lines, and it is made to us by the Canadian Legislature representing the unanimous approval and assent of that Legislature. This Bill, which has passed without amendment through another place, is therefore, as your Lordships will realise, what may be regarded merely as a formal affirmation by the Imperial Parliament of the Petition which has been sent to us from Canada. I beg to move.