Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/361

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CANADA 315 CANADA in the sovereig-n of Great Britain and Ireland, and carried on in his name by a Governor-General and Privy Council; that the legislative power shall be exer- cised by a Parliament composed of a Senate and a House of Commons. The powers of Parliament include all sub- jects not assigned exclusively to the Provincial legislature. Provision was made in the act for the admission of British Columbia, Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories, and New- foundland into the Dominion. The last named has not joined itself to the Do- minion. The Northwest Territory was acquired by the Dominion by purchase from the Hudson's Bay Company in 1869. The Province of Manitoba, made from a portion of this Territory, was admitted in 1870. British Columbia be- came a part of the Dominion in 1871, and in the same year Prince Edward Island was admitted. The Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan were ad- mitted to the Union as Provinces on Sept. 1, 1905. The members of the Senate are nom- inated for life. It is composed of 96 members. As the result of an amend- ment made in 1917, which increased the representation from the Provinces, the total number may not exceed 104. The House of Commons is elected by the people for five years, unless sooner dis- solved, at the rate of one representative for every 30,819 persons. The Province of Quebec always has 65 members, and the other Provinces proportionately ac- cording to their population at each de- cennial census. The House of Commons consists of 234 members. The Gover- nor-General forms a connecting link between the Crown and the Dominion, and is assisted in his functions by a council composed of 18 heads of depart- ments, including the Premier, the Presi- dent of the Privy Council, Secretary of State, Minister of Mines, Minister of Trade and Commerce, Minister of Jus- tice, and Attorney General, Minister of Marine, Fisheries, and Naval Service, Minister of Militia and Defense, Post- master-General, Minister of Agriculture, Minister of Public Works, Minister of Finance, Minister of Railroads and Canals, Minister of the Interioi', Minis- ter of Customs and Internal Revenue, Minister of Immigration and Coloniza- tion, and the Minister of Soldiers' Civil

Re-establishment.

There is a Department of External Affairs which has charge of all imperial and inter-Dominion correspondence. The Dominion Bureau of Statistics was established in 1919. The Provinces each have a separate parliament and an administration, with a lieutenant-governor appointed, by the Governox'-General as the executive. They have full power to regulate their own local affairs and disposition of their revenues, provided they do not inter- fere with the action and policy of the central administration. The Northwest Territories are governed by a commis- sioner and a council of four. The Ter- ritory of Yukon is governed by a chief executive officer and an executive coun- cil of 10 members, elected by the people. Population. — The population of the Provinces in 1911, with the estimated population in 1918, are as follows: Alberta (1911) 374,663, (1918) 540,000; British Columbia (1911) 392,480, (1918) 400,000; Manitoba (1911) 461,630, (1918) 560,000; New Brunswick (1911) 351,889, (1918) 365,000; Nova Scotia (1911) 492,338, (1918) 510,000; Ontario (1911) 2,523,274, (1918) 2,799,000; Prince Ed- ward Island (1911) 98,728, (1918) 100,000; Quebec (1911) 2,003,232, ac- cording to municipal statistics (1918) 2,432,251; Saskatchewan (1911) 402,431, (1918) 647,875; Yukon (1911) 8,512, (1918) 10,000; Northwest Territories (1911) 18,481, (1918) 20,000. The largest cities are Montreal, esti- mated population (1918), 700,000; To- ronto (1919), 499,278; Winnipeg, about 265,000; Quebec (1919), about 120,000; Ottawa (1919), 107,800; Victoria, about 65,000; St. John, about 63,000; and Hali- fax, about 62,000. Immigration. — Following the close of the World War, legislation was passed restricting immigration and providing for strict selective tests for those coming into the country. The total number of immigrants in 1919 was 56,982. Of this, 9,194 were British, 40,715 from the United States, and 7,073 from other countries. The total immigration repre- sented 53 nationalities. The total immi- gration from July, 1900, to March 31, 1919, amounted to 3,311,498. Of this, 1,118,946 were British, 1,268,793 Ameri- can, and 853,039 from the continent of Europe. Indians. — The Indian population in 1917-1918 was 105,998. These Indians had land under cultivation of 82,421 acres, with products that were valued at $2,834,149. There were 339 Indian schools, including 58 boarding and 78 industrial schools. In these were a total enrollment of 12.413. Out of 15,000 In- dians of military age over 3,500 enlisted and served in the war. History. — In 1534 Jacques Cartier, a French navigator, entering the St. Law- rence on the festival of the saint of that title, took nominal possession of North America in the name of his king, Francis