Grace of God, of Great Britain and Ireland, Queen, Defender of the Faith, and so forth, and in the year of Our Lord one thousand eight hundred and forty. By His Excellency's Command, W. B. LINDSAY, Clerk Special Council. CAP. XLV. An Ordinance to establish new Territorial Divisions of Lower Canada, and to alter and amend the Judicature, and provide for the better and more efficient administration of Justice throughout this Province. W HEREAS the provisions of Law under which the existing Courts of Judicature in this Province have been established, are, and have been found by experience to be altogether insufficient and inadequate for the due administration of justice, and other and further provisions in this behalf as well as a corresponding alteration in the division of this Province, for the purposes of Judicature have become necessary;-Be it therefore Ordained and Enacted by His Excellency the Governor of this Province of Lower Canada, by and with the advice and consent of the Special Council for the affairs of this Province, constituted and assembled by virtue and under the authority of an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, passed in the first year of the Reign of Her present Majesty, intituled, "An Act to make temporary provision for the Government of Lower Canada," and also by virtue and under the authority of a certain other Act of the same Parliament, passed in the Session held in the second and third years of the Reign of Her present Majesty, intituled, "An Act to amend an Act of the last Session of Parlia"ment, for making temporary provision for the Government of Lower Canada;" and it is hereby Ordained and Enacted by the authority of the said Acts of Parliament, that so much of an Act of the Legislature of this Province, passed in the thirtyfourth year of the Reign of His late Majesty King George the Third, intituled, "An Act for the division of the Province of Lower Canada, for amending the "Judicature Dieu, Reine de la Grande-Bretagne et d'Irlande, Protectrice Par Ordre de Son Excellence, W. B. LINDSAY, Greffier du Conseil Spécial. CAP. XLV. Ordonnance pour établir de nouvelles divisions territoriales du Bas-Canada, et pour changer et amender la Judicature, et pourvoir à une administration plus avantageuse et plus efficace de la Justice dans toute cette Province. A TTENDU que les dispositions Législatives en vertu desquelles ont été établies les Cours actuelles de Judicature, dans cette Province, sont et ont été trouvées par l'expérience, entièremment insuffisantes et défectueuses pour la due administration de la justice, et qu'il est devenu nécessaire de faire de nouvelles dispositions sous ce rapport, ainsi qu'un changement correspondant dans la division de cette Province, pour les fins de la Judicature :-Qu'il soit donc Ordonné et Statué par Son Excellence le Gouverneur de cette Province du Bas Canada, par et de l'avis et consentement du Conseil Spécial pour les affaires de la dite Province, constitué et assemblé en vertu et sous l'autorité d'un Acte du Parlement du Royaume-Uni de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande, passé dans la première année du règne de Sa présente Majesté, intitulé, "Acte pour établir des dispositions temporaires pour le Gouvernement du Bas- Canada;" et aussi en vertu et sous l'autorité d'un certain autre Acte du même Parlement, passé dans la Session tenue dans les deuxième et troisième années du règne de Sa présente Majesté, intitulé, "Acte pour "amender un Acte de la dernière Session du Parlement, pour établir des dispositions temporaires pour le Gouvernement du Bas-Canada," et il est par les présentes Ordonné et Statué par l'autorité des dits Actes du Parlement, que telle partie d'un acte de la Législature de cette Province, passé dans la trentequatrième année du règne de feu Sa Majesté le Roi George Trois, intitulé, "Acte Préambule. 4 cap 7 & 3. the act 10.11 Geo 4 cap. 17; and so much of any other Stat. utes or laws as confers juris. diction or powers on the Court of K. B., and Provincial Courts repeal. ed. "Judicature thereof, and for repealing certain laws therein mentioned," as Will. 4 cap. 18; enacts that the said Province shall consist of three districts, to be called the District of Quebec, the District of Montreal and the District of Three Rivers, and determines the extent and boundaries of the said three Districts; and also so much of the said last mentioned Act as erects the County of Gaspé into an Inferior District, to be called the Inferior District of Gaspé; and also, so much of an Act of the Legislature of this Province, passed in the third year of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled, "An Act to erect certain Townships therein mentioned into an Infe"rior District to be called the Inferior District of St. Francis," as erects certain Townships and parts of Townships therein mentioned into an Inferior District, to be called the Inferior District of St. Francis; and also, so much of another Act of the same Legislature, passed in the third year of the reign of His late Majesty King William the Fourth, intituled, "An Act to continue for a limited time, and "to amend a certain Act therein mentioned relating to the Inferior District of St. "Francis," as enacts that the said Inferior District shall be called the District of St. Francis; and also, a certain Act of the Legislature of this Province, passed in the session held in the tenth and eleventh years of the reign of His late Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled, "An Act to repeal certain parts of an Act passed in the thirty-fourth year of His late Majesty's Reign, intituled, “ An "Act for the division of the Province of Lower Canada, for amending the "Judicature thereof, and for repealing certain laws therein mentioned, and to as"certain the boundaries of the District of Three Rivers ;" and also, so much of the said Act passed in the said thirty-fourth year of the reign of His said late Majesty King George the Third,as in any manner relates to the establishment and jurisdiction of Courts of King's Bench in the Districts of Quebec, Montreal and Three Rivers, and to the establishment and jurisdiction of Provincial Courts in the District of Three Rivers, and in the Inferior District of Gaspé, and to the establishment of annual Circuits in the said Districts of Quebec, Montreal and Three Rivers, and to the establishment and jurisdiction of the Provincial Court of Appeals in the said Province; and also, so much of the said Act passed in the third year of the reign of His said late Majesty King George the Fourth, as in any manner relates to the appointment of a Judge in and for the said Inferior District of St. Francis, and to the establishment and jurisdiction of a Provincial Court therein, and so much as confers any powers on the said Judge, or on the said Provincial, Court, in or out of Term; and also, so much of a certain other Act of the Legislature of this Province, passed in the Session of the said Legislature, held in the tenth and eleventh years of the reign of His said late Majesty King George the Fourth, intituled, "An Act to continue further for a limited time, a "certain qui divise la Province du Bas-Canada, qui amende la Judicature d'icelle, et qui rappelle certaines lois y mentionnées," qui ordonne que la dite Province consistera en trois districts, qui seront appelés le district de Québec, le district de Montréal et le district des Trois-Rivières, et fixe l'étendue et les limites des dits trois districts; et aussi que telles parties du dit Acte en dernier lieu plus haut mentionné, qui érige le comté de Gaspé, en un district inférieur, à être appelé le district inférieur de Gaspé; et aussi que telle partie d'un acte de la Législature de cette Province, passé dans la troisième annie du règne de feu Sa Majesté le Roi George Quatre, intitulé, "Acte pour ériger certains townships y mentionnés "en un district inférieur, que sera appelé le district inférieur de St. François, et " et pour y établir des cours de judicature," qui érige certains townships et parties de townships en un district inférieur à être appelé le district inférieur de Saint François; et aussi telle partie d'un autre acte de la même Législature, passé dans la troisième année du règne de feu Sa Majesté le Roi Guillaume Quatre, intitulé, "Acte pour continuer encore pour un temps limité, et pour amender un certain "acte y mentionné, relativement au district inférieur de Saint François," qui ordonne que le dit district inférieur sera appelé le district de Saint François ; et aussi un certain acte de la Législature de cette Province, passé dans la session tenue dans les dixième et onzième années de feu Sa Majesté le Roi George Quatre, intitulé, "Acte pour abroger certaines parties d'un acte passé dans la "trente quatrième année du règne de feu Sa Majesté, intitulé, "Acte qui divise la "Province du Bas-Canada, qui amende la judicature d'icelle, et qui rappelle certai"nes lois y mentionnées" et pour définir les bornes du district des Trois-Rivières;" et aussi que telle partie du dit Acte passé dans la trente quatrième année du règne de feu Sa dite Majesté le Roi George Trois, qui a aucunement rapport à l'établissement et à la juridiction de Cours du Banc du Roi dans les districts de Québec, de Montréal et des Trois-Rivières, et à l'établissement et juridiction de cours provinciales dans le district des Trois-Rivières, et dans le district inférieur de Gaspé, et à l'établissement de Circuits annuels dans les dits districts de Québec, de Montréal, et des Trois-Rivières, et à l'établissement et juridiction de la cour provinciale d'appels dans la dite Province; et aussi que telle partie du dit acte passé dans la troisième année du règne de feu Sa dite Majesté le Roi George Quatre, qui a aucunement rapport à la nomination d'un juge dans et pour le dit district inférieur de Saint François, et à l'établissement et juridiction d'une cour provinciale en icelui, et telle partie qui donne des pouvoirs au dit juge, ou à la dite cour provinciale, durant ou après le terme; et aussi que telle partie d'un certain autre acte de la Législature de cette Province, passé dans la session de la dite Législature tenue dans les dixième et onzième années du règne de feu Sa Majesté le Roi George Quatre, intitulé, "Acte Proviso. The Province divided into Divisions. Limits and boundaries of the division of Quebec. "certain Act passed in the third year of His Majesty's reign, intituled, " An, "Act to erect certain Townships therein mentioned into an Inferior District "to be called the Inferior District of St. Francis, and to establish Courts of Ju"dicature therein, and to make further provision for the due administration of "Justice in the said Inferior District," as relates to the establishment and jurisdiction of a Court of King's Bench in the said District of St. Francis, and so much thereof as confers any powers on the said Court of King's Bench, or the Judges thereof, in term or in vacation; and also,so much of any other Statutes or Laws now in force in this Province, as confers jurisdiction or powers on the said Courts of King's Bench and Provincial Courts hereinbefore mentioned, or any of them respectively, or on the Judges thereof, shall be, and the same are hereby repealed: Provided always, that the repeal of the said Acts, and parts and provisions of Acts of the Legislature of this Province as aforesaid, shall not have the effect of reviving or giving any force whatever to any Act, Ordinance, or Law,or part of any Act, Ordinance, or Law, which shall by such Acts, and parts and provisions of Acts, have been repealed or determined. II. And be it further Ordained and Enacted, that this Province of Lower four Territorial Canada, shall, for the purposes of Judicature, be divided into four principal Territorial Divisions, or parts, to be called respectively the Territorial Division of Quebec, the Territorial Division of Montreal, the Territorial Division of Sherbrooke, and the Territorial Division of Gaspé ; which said Territorial Divisions respectively, shall be limited and bounded as follows, that is to say :-The said Territorial Division of Quebec, shall be bounded to the westward by the southwestern boundary line of the Seigniory of Batiscan, as far as it extends, and thence by a due north-west line to the northern boundary of this Province, on the north side of the River St. Lawrence, and by the north-eastern boundary lines of the Seigniory of St. Pierre les Becquets and the Township of Blandford, until intersected by the River Becancour, thence easterly up the said River to the western line of the Township of Somerset, thence southerly along the south western boundary line of the County of Megantic to the River Chaudière; thence southerly up the said River to Lake Megantic; thence through the middle of the said Lake to the mouth of Arnold River; thence southerly up the said River to the southern boundary of this Province, on the south side of the River St-Lawrence; and to the eastward on the north side of the River St. Lawrence by the eastern boundary of this Province, and on the south side of the said River by the western boundaries of the Counties of Bonaventure and Gaspé; and the said Territorial Division |