Legislative council of Quebec

The Legislative council of Quebec was the Upper House of the Parlement of Quebec (the equivalent of the Canadian Sénat on a provincial scale). There existed of 1867 with 1968.

Composition

The Legislative council was composed of 24 members appointed for lives by the lieutenant-governor on recommendation of the Prime Minister. Each legislative adviser represented a portion of the Québécois territory theoretically called division .

You can consult the pages of the people having been members of the Legislative council, in clicking here.

Capacities

In theory, the legislative council had the capacity to present laws (except financial) and to adopt, amend, defer or reject the laws voted by the legislative Assemblée. He could also reverse the government. In practice however, its lack of legitimacy compared to an elected legislative Parliament made him play the part of a Consultative Assembly.

Its president was of office member of the Executive council, and its members could be used for the Cabinet as minister or even (twice) of Prime Minister.

History

Quebec and the Nova Scotia are the only provinces to be itself seen allotting a Upper House at the time of the Confédération. In the case of Quebec, it acted mainly of a concession in the English Canadians who feared to live under a government entirely dominated by catholic French-speaking people. A Upper House with the capacity to modify or reject the bills would protect them from the " abuse pouvoir" of a legislative Parliament dominated by the majority.

Very early of the politicians wanted to abolish the Legislative council for which they did not see the need. The legislative Parliament, under the government of Commercial Felix-Gabriel, even voted in 1900 a law for her disappearance but the Council refused to ratify its own abolition.

In 1968 finally, the government of Jean-Jacques Bertrand made adopt a law which abolished the Legislative council and which gave to the legislative Parliament the new name of National Assembly.

Random links: