Representative Government In Nova Scotia, 1755

by

To The Right Honble. The Lords Commissioners for Trade and Plantations.

May it Please Your Lordships,- Pursuant to your Lordships’ desire Signified to Us by Mr. Hill in his Letter of the 31st of March last setting forth, That a doubt having arisen whether the Governor and Council of His Majesty’s Province of Nova Scotia have a Power of enacting Laws within the said Province and Jonathan Belcher Esqr. having transmitted to Your Lordships his observations thereupon inclosing to Us a Copy of the said Observations together with Copys of several clauses in the Commission and Instructions of the said Governor of that Province referred to (all which are herewith returned) and desiring our opinion, whether the said Governor and Council have or have not a Power to enact Laws for the public Peace, Welfare and good Government of the said Province and the People and the Inhabitants thereof. We have taken the said Observations and clauses into Our Consideration and are humbly of opinion that the Governor and Council alone are not authorized by lis Majesty to make Laws till there can be an Assembly.

His Majesty has ordered the Government of the Infant Colony to be pursuant to his Commission and Instructions and such further Directions as I-le should give under his Sign Manual or by Order of Council. All of which is humbly submitted to Your Lordships Consideration.

(Signed) WM. MURRAY. RICHD. LLOYD.

Kennedy, William P. Statutes, Treaties and Documents of the Canadian Constitution: 1713-1929. Oxford Univ. Pr., 1930. https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.9_03428

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