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 The Supreme Court of Canada.

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THE SUPREME COURT ROOM.

THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA. By Robert Cassels. the 8th of April, 1875, the Parliament of Canada passed an Act establishing the Supreme Court of Canada. On the 17th of September following, by proclamation, that Act was brought into force as re spected the appointment of judges, registrar, clerks, and servants of the court. On the 8th of October following, the judges and registrar were appointed, and on the 1 ith of January, 1876, a proclamation issued declar ing that from and after that day the judicial functions of the court would take effect and be exercised. It was then felt that an32

other and a most important step had been taken towards the consolidation of the New Dominion. At this time Canada was composed of the seven Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick (the only four Provinces originally united under the Brit ish North American Act, 1867), Manitoba (carved out of the Northwest and formed into a Province in 1870), British Columbia (admitted a member of the Federal compact on the 16th of May, 1871), and Prince Ed ward Island (admitted on the 26th of June,