owns some of the finest church buildings in the province.

THE BAPTIST CHURCH.-The Associated Baptists have 55,336 adherents, 182 places of worship, and 83 clergymen. Other Baptists have 7,605 adherents, 34 places of worship, and 15 clergymen.

The WESLEYAN METHODIST CHURCH.-This body is under the superintendence of the Eastern British North American Affiliated Conference. It is a branch of the British Conference, and includes under its supervision the whole of the lower provinces, as well as Bermuda. The president is nominated by the colonial body. Its adherents in Nova Scotia are 34,055; places of worship, 136; clergy, 54. The CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.-This body has 2,183 adherents, 11 places of worship, and 10 clergymen.

The LUTHERAN CHURCH has 4,382 adherents, 4 places of worship, and 3 clergymen.

The Universalists have 846 adherents, 2 places of worship, and 1 clergyman.

There are 158 Quakers; 112 Bible Christians; 27 Mormons; 13 Swedenborgians; 143 Morisonians, or E. U.; 46 Sandemanians; 32 Campbellites; and 3 Deists.

The British and Foreign Bible Society has a branch in Nova Scotia. Its headquarters are in Halifax, but it has numerous auxiliary branches throughout the province.

There are five Young Men's Christian Associations in the province. The one in Halifax has an excellent library and reading-room, and has a course of twelve lectures, of a very high order, during the winter months. There is a mission to the Mic Mac Indians of the lower provinces, which is supported by all evangelical denominations in common. The New Testament has been translated into the Mic Mac, through its means. The Presbyterians maintain 4 missionaries in the South Sea Islands. The Baptists at one time maintained a missionary in Hindustan; but their agent having fallen a victim to the climate, the mission has been abandoned by them. No other

denomination has as yet engaged in foreign missionary enterprise.

In Pictou and Colchester counties, the Presbyterians greatly predominate. In the western counties, especially Kings and Annapolis, the Baptists and Wesleyans prevail. In the Island of Cape Breton, the Presbyterians and Roman Catholics are about in equal numbers. In Halifax, the Episcopalians and Roman Catholics prevail; in Hants, the Episcopalians and Presbyterians; in Cumberland, the Wesleyans; in Lunenburg, the Lutherans. Controversy between religious bodies has been at discount, for some years past. Christian benevolence and denominational courtesy are manifestly on the increase.

CHAPTER X.

POLITICAL STATE OF THE PROVINCE.

It is both interesting and instructive to trace the political progress of Nova Scotia, for the last one hundred and fifty years. From absolute despotism it has passed, during that interval, into constitutional government,—the freest, the most equitable, and, withal, the least costly in the civilized world. From the first settlement of the province till the year 1719, its government was vested solely in the governor, and, in his absence, in the lieutenantgovernor or commander-in-chief. The seat of government was at Annapolis Royal. In 1719, Governor Phillips received instructions from the crown to choose a council of twelve, who should advise with him in regulating the affairs of the province; he was further directed to regulate himself by the instructions of the governor of Virginia in cases of emergency, and until a legislative assembly should be formed. The names of the first council of Nova Scotia are: John Doncett, Lawrence Armstrong, Paul Mascarine, Cyprian Southack, John Harrison, Arthur Savage, John Adams, Hibbert Newton, William Skeen,

William Sheriff, Peter Boudrie, and Gideon Phillips. They were all officers of the garrison or public departments, with the exception of Mr. John Adams. From 1719 till 1749, the governor with this council-both appointed by the crowncombined at once the legislative, judicial, and executive functions of civil government. They had absolute power in all cases, except in so far as they were restrained by the general principles of English law. In 1749, on the arrival of Governor Cornwallis, the seat of government was removed to the newly formed town of Halifax. He had instructions to erect commission courts of justice. He erected three courts. The first was a Court of Sessions. The second was a County Court, invested with powers similar to the Court of King's Bench, Common Pleas, and Exchequer, in England. The third was a Court of Assize and General Jail Delivery, in which the governor and the council for the time being sat as judges. In 1752 the County Court was abolished, and the Court of Common Pleas erected in its place. The General Court of Assize was abolished in 1754, and the Supreme Court established in its place. Jonathan Belcher, Esq., was appointed chief justice of this court the same year.

In the month of May, 1758, Governor, Lawrence laid before his council his majesty's instructions for the election of the first representative assembly for Nova Scotia. It was then resolved, by the governor in council, "That a house of representatives of the inhabitants thereof, in conjunction with his majesty's governor, or commanderin-chief for the time being, and his majesty's council for the said province, be the civil legislature thereof." There were sixteen members "elected for the province at large." Any elector voting for one of these sixteen members was compelled to vote for the other fifteen. There were two elected for the township of Lunenburg, and four for the township of Halifax. The whole assembly consisted of twenty-two members: eleven, besides the speaker, constituted a quorum. The first meeting of the first

representative assembly of Nova Scotia was on the second day of October, 1758. Robert Sanderson, Esq., was chosen speaker of this first assembly.

In 1761 a new assembly was elected, consisting of twentyfour members. The province was then divided into four counties-Halifax, Lunenburg, Annapolis, and Kingseach returning two members; and into seven townshipsHalifax, Lunenburg, Annapolis, Horton, Cornwallis, Falmouth, Liverpool-each sending two members, with the exception of Halifax, which sent four.

THE PRESENT CONSTITUTION OF THE PROVINCE.-The province had not a legislative council distinct from the executive council till the year 1838. Hitherto the council deliberated with closed doors. From this date the legis lative council sat with doors open to the public. In 1841 "responsible government" was inaugurated in Nova Scotia. It was not fully established, however, till the parliamentary session of 1847-8. The departmental system was then fully acted upon for the first time.

The highest authority is vested in the Lieutenant-Governor, who acts as the representative of royalty. He is styled lieutenant-governor, as being nominally subordinate to the governor-general of British North America. The governor is surrounded by an executive council of nine persons, appointed by the crown from the legislative council and house of representatives; these are his sworn advisers, in the exercise of his legislative and administrative duties. They are responsible to the people for the acts of his administration. That is one of the peculiarities of responsible government. Five of the members of the executive council, in accordance with the existing constitution, are heads of departments: the attorney-general, solicitor-general, provincial secretary, financial secretary, and receiver-general.

The Legislative Council is appointed by the crown. It consists of twenty-one members. They choose their own president, subject to the approval of the crown. They are

to us instead of peers. They hold their seats for life, if they do not become insolvent. They are magistrates within the province.

The House of Representatives consists of fifty-five members, who are elected once in four years. They represent eighteen counties. Some counties are subdivided into districts; others have townships. Universal suffrage is the law of Nova Scotia, subject to the following restrictions: The elector must be twenty-one years of age; must be native-born, or a naturalized subject of Great Britain. He must be a resident one year in the county, district, or township in which he votes. The members of this house must have a property qualification, and must take the oath of allegiance before they take their seats. The members of both houses are paid $4 per diem each, with travelling expenses during the sitting of Parliament.

The salaries of the officers on the civil list, authorized by law, amount to $52,365. This is inclusive of $6,415 of pensions paid to retired officials. There is usually voted yearly, in addition to the above, $29,680 for clerks and contingencies.

LAWS AND COURTS OF JUSTICE.-The laws and forms of judicial procedure of Nova Scotia are founded on those of England, while the common law of England is the law of Nova Scotia, where the case is not otherwise provided for by special provincial enactment. The body of local enactments has been recently revised and consolidated under the supervision of the provincial government. The work is known by the name of "Revised Statutes." The punishment of death is limited by the law of Nova Scotia to the crimes of treason and murder.

Justice's Court.-This is the lowest order of courts for the trial of civil causes. There are 1,412 justices of the peace in Nova Scotia. Each magistrate has jurisdiction throughout the whole county in which he resides. They can adjudicate in civil causes to the amount of forty dollars. In criminal matters their powers are very similar to