subject to the provisions of any Act regulating the Civil Service in the Province, appoints all officers necessary for carrying on the work of administration.

Many other important powers connected with provincial administration have been conferred on the LieutenantGovernors by the statutes of the respective provinces.

office.

A Lieutenant-Governor holds office as a rule for a period Term of of five years', but he may be removed at any time by the Governor-General, the fact of such removal being communicated to the Senate and to the House of Commons. In exercising his power of removal the Governor-General is required to act by the advice of his Ministers.

1 B. N. A. Act, 1867, s. 59.

2 See post, chap. xv.

Number of

CHAPTER IX.

THE PROVINCIAL ADMINISTRATION.

IN each province the Lieutenant-Governor is assisted in the discharge of his duties by an Executive Council. The members of the Council are appointed by him, and in accordance with constitutional practice, as has been pointed out, he is expected to choose his councillors from that party which has a majority in the Assembly. The Council fulfil in regard to the province functions similar to those discharged by the Dominion Privy Council in regard to the Dominion. The Council in fact is a ministry, and the Lieutenant-Governor in the discharge of his duties is expected to follow its advice.

The number of members of the Executive Council varies Ministers. in the different provinces from four in British Columbia to nine in Prince Edward's Island. The Council of the NorthWest Territories, which exercises legislative as well as executive functions, consists of 18 members.

Ministers without office.

Though as a rule each member of the Council has charge of a department of State, occasionally some members may be without office. For instance, at the present time in New Brunswick two members, in Nova Scotia three members, and in Prince Edward's Island six members, are without office.

The departments of State over which always a minister presides in each of the seven provinces are the following:

The department of the Attorney-General.

The department of Public Works.

The department of Crown Lands.

The office of Secretary of State.

The office of Treasurer.

Besides the above departments, Ontario assigns a minister to the department of Education, Quebec one to Agriculture, and Manitoba one to Railways. Of the ministry in Prince Edward's Island only three preside over departments, one minister undertaking the duties of Secretary, Treasurer, and Commissioner of Crown Lands.

The following table shows the distribution of departments in the different provinces; the provinces being denoted by their initial letters.

A brief account may be given of some of the more important departments.

Department of the Law Officer. The Attorney-General of each province holds a most important position in the Ministry. Not unfrequently he is premier. In some cases he is assisted in his department by a Solicitor-General. As law officer he is the official legal adviser of the LieutenantGovernor. He has the general superintendence of all matters connected with the administration of justice in the province, and it is his duty to see that public affairs are administered in accordance with the law. Not the least important of his

1 Including mines.

functions is to advise the Lieutenant-Governor on the competence of the Legislature to pass any particular law.

Department of Provincial Secretary. The Provincial Secretary is charged with very varied duties. Besides conducting all correspondence on behalf of his Government, he usually acts as keeper of the Great Seal of the province and as provincial registrar. He is intrusted, except in Ontario, with the control of education, and is charged with the administration of municipal and police laws, the care of the insane, the incorporation of companies, the collection of statistics and Government printing.

Department of Provincial Treasurer. The Provincial Treasurer has the control and superintendence of all financial affairs. He advises on receipts and expenditure and is charged with the preparation of the budget. All provincial revenue as it is collected is paid into banks to the credit of the Treasurer. Moneys are paid only on the warrant of the Lieutenant-Governor and by cheque signed by the Treasurer or his assistant and countersigned by the auditor. On the latter official rests the duty of seeing that no warrant issues for payment of any moneys not appropriated by the Legislature.

Department of Public Works. This provincial department is charged with the construction and maintenance of all public works in the province. The construction of railways, canals, roads, bridges, buildings and other state undertakings is an important part of the work of administration and government.

In Manitoba a separate department has been created for Railways.

Department of Crown Lands. The department of Crown Lands has the control of all lands belonging to the province. The minister grants licences, arranges sales, and enforces forfeitures.

Department of Education. All matters relating to Edu

cation are within the jurisdiction of the several provinces, and though the systems adopted differ in details, all are based on the principle of free education, the funds being supplied by the province or by local taxation. In all provinces except Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba the schools are unsectarian; in the three provinces mentioned there are separate schools for Roman Catholics. Ontario has placed its educational system under a minister; in the other provinces the education is in charge of a superintendent of education.

In the North-West Territories the educational system is under the control of a board of Education, composed of five members, viz. the Lieutenant-Governor and two Protestant and two Catholic members appointed by the LieutenantGovernor in Council.

The department of Education in Ontario has very ex- Ontario. tensive powers in regard to the Normal, High, Public, and Separate Schools in the province. Power is given to it to make regulations for the organization, discipline, and government of schools, the equipment of school houses, the choice of text books, and the qualifications of inspectors, examiners, teachers and assistants in High Schools: to appoint inspectors and central examiners: to constitute model schools: to set apart schools or colleges for the training of model teachers: to prescribe the conditions under which pupils will be admitted into High Schools: and to make regulations respecting fees and certificates. Power is also given to the department to establish meteorological stations in connection with High Schools'.

1 R. S. O. 1887, c. 224.