Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Bills and other material
General material designation
- textual record
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the series.
Level of description
Series
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1867-1868 (Creation)
- Creator
- British Columbia (Colony). Legislative Council
Physical description area
Physical description
6 cm of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
The first Legislative Council of the Colony of British Columbia was established by an Order in Council in 1863 (22 Vict., 11 June 1863). Prior to that, the governor of the colony (James Douglas) had unconditional power and authority to legislate and administer justice by proclamation.
In 1863, the Colonial Office in England instituted constitutional changes for the Colony of British Columbia, parallel to those already instituted in the Colony of Vancouver Island, by establishing a Legislative Council that was responsible for advising the Governor and giving consent on legislation for the colony. The Legislative Council had fifteen members: five principal heads of government departments (Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, Treasurer, Commissioner of Lands and Works, and Collector of Customs), five magistrates appointed by the governor, and five members, selected by the gold commissioners, representing five districts of the colony.
The first Legislative Council was convened in January 1864 and a few days later the Governor formed an Executive Council consisting of himself as presiding member, the Colonial Secretary, Attorney-General, Treasurer, Commissioner of Lands and Works, and Collector of Customs.
When the colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia were united in 1866, the government administration for the Colony of Vancouver Island was transferred to the authority of the Executive and Legislative Councils of the Colony of British Columbia. After 1868, the Police Magistrate for New Westminster replaced the Treasurer. The Colony of British Columbia had no Legislative Assembly.
Eight sessions of the Legislative Council were held between 1864 and 1871. In 1870, the British Columbia Government Act was passed in the British parliament which replaced the existing Legislative Council with one in which six of the nine members were elected for four year terms. It was this quasi-representative body, presided over by an elected speaker, which ratified the terms of confederation for the province of British Columbia.
The Executive Council and Legislative Council of the Colony of British Columbia ceased to exist when the colony became a province of the Dominion of Canada in July 1871. The first provincial election took place a few months later, electing the first premier, John McCreight. His government consisted of an Executive Council (Commissioner of Lands and Works, Attorney-General, and Colonial/Provincial Secretary) and a Legislative Assembly of 25 elected representatives.
Custodial history
Scope and content
This series consists of bills, draft ordinances, orders of the day and other working papers for the Legislative Council of the colony of British Columbia.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
History unknown. Records accessioned as GR-0556 in September 1972.
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no access restrictions.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
General note
Accession number(s): GR-0556
General note
The series GR-0556 previously had the creator of these records listed by the BC Archives as, British Columbia. Dept. of the Attorney-General, which was established in 1871 after these records were created.