Document Information

Date: 1856-03-14
By: Province of Canada (Legislative Assembly)
Citation: Province of Canada, Legislative Assembly, Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada, 5th Parl, 2nd Sess, 1856 at 142-150.
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The Order of the day for the second reading of the Bill to change the Constitution of the Legislative Council, by rendering the same Elective, being read;

The Honorable Mr. Cauchon moved, seconded by the Honorable Mr. Spence, and the Question being put, That the Bill be now read a second time; the House divided: and the names being called for, they were taken down, as follow: —

YEAS.

Messieurs.

[…] 83.

NAYS

Messieurs.

[…] 6.

So it was resolved in the Affirmative

The Bill was accordingly read a second time.

The Honorable Mr. Cauchon moved, seconded by the Honorable Mr. Spence, and the Question being proposed, That the Bill be now committed to a Committee of the whole House;

Mr. Brown moved in amendment to the Question, seconded by Mr. Foley, That the words “and that it be an Instruction to the Committee to amend the Bill, by providing that the Members of the Legislative Council shall be elected for four years, one-half retiring every second year; and that the Members of the Legislative Assembly shall be elected for two years” be added at the end thereof;

And the Question being put on the Amendment; the House divided: and the names being called for, they were taken down, as follow:—

YEAS.

Messieurs.

[…] 25.

NAYS

Messieurs.

[…] 72.

So it passed in the Negative.

And the Question being again proposed, That the Bill be now committed to a Committee of the whole House;

Mr. Patrick moved in amendment to the Question, seconded by the Honorable John Sandfield Macdonald, That the words “and that it be an Instruction to the Committee to amend the Bill, by providing that the term of years for which the Members of the Legislative Council shall serve, shall be six; one-third to retire every second year” be added at the end thereof;

And the Question being put on the Amendment; the House divided: and the names being called for, they were taken down, as follow:—

YEAS.

Messieurs.

[…] 36.

NAYS

Messieurs.

[…] 62.

So it passed in the Negative

And the Question being again proposed, That the Bill be now committed to a Committee of the whole House;

Mr. Gould moved in amendment to the Question, seconded by Mr. Wright, That the words “and that it be an Instruction to the Committee to amend the Bill, by providing that the Constituencies shall be based and arranged according to Population, without any regard to the Division line between Upper and Lower Canada” be added at the end thereof;

And a Debate arising thereupon;

Mr. Loranger moved, seconded by Mr. Sidney Smith, and the Question being put, That the Debate by now adjourned; the House divided:—And it passed in the Negative.

And the Question being put, That the words “and that it be an Instruction to the Committee to amend the Bill, by providing that the Constituencies shall be based and arranged according to Population, without any regard to the Division line between Upper and Lower Canada” be added at the end of the original Question; the House divided: and the names being called for, they were taken down, as follow:—

YEAS.

Messieurs.

[…] 23.

NAYS

Messieurs.

[…] 75.

So it passed in the Negative

And the Question being again proposed, That the Bill be now committed to a Committee of the whole House;

Mr. Foley moved in amendment to the Question, seconded by Mr. Frazer, That the words “and that it be an Instruction to the Committee to amend the Bill, by providing that the Speaker of the Legislative Council be elected by a majority of its Members” be added at the end thereof;

And the Question being put on the Amendment; the House divided: and the names being called for, they were taken down, as follow:—

YEAS.

Messieurs.

[…] 40.

NAYS

Messieurs.

[…] 56.

So it passed in the Negative.

Then the main Question being put;

Ordered, That the Bill be now committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House accordingly resolved itself into the said Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker resumed the Chair; and Mr. Felton reported, That the Committee had made some progress, and directed him to move for leave to sit again.

Ordered, That the Committee have leave to sit again on Tuesday next.