The Legislative Council of Newfoundland was the upper house of the General Assembly of Newfoundland from 1833 to 1934. The Legislative Council was appointed by the

Governor of Newfoundland The lieutenant governor of Newfoundland and Labrador () is the viceregal representative in Newfoundland and Labrador of the , who operates distinctly within the province but is also shared equally with the ten other jurisdictions of Canada, as ...

, not elected. Bills were submitted by the

House of Assembly House of Assembly is a name given to the legislature or lower house of a bicameral parliament. In some countries this may be at a subnational level. Historically, in British Crown colonies as the colony gained more internal responsible gove ...

to the Council, which could approve, reject or amend them; if amended, bills were returned to the House of Assembly for approval. From 1842 to 1848, the elected House of Assembly and appointed Legislative Council sat together as a single Amalgamated Assembly. After 1848, the two legislative bodies again sat separately. In 1854, the British Government granted a new constitution to Newfoundland establishing an Executive Council of not more than seven members of the majority party and a Legislative Council of not more than 15 members upon nomination of the ministry. The Legislative Council of Newfoundland and the House of Assembly met for the last time in February 1934 to pass the legislation which provided for their suspensions. The Royal Commission which was established in 1933 concluded that Newfoundland's problems were self-made, as noted in the Amulree Report, and it was recommended that the legislature be suspended and be replaced by a

Commission of Government The Commission of Government was a non-elected body that governed the Dominion of Newfoundland from 1934 to 1949. Established following the collapse of Newfoundland's economy during the Great Depression, it was dissolved when the dominion beca ...

appointed by the British Government. When the Newfoundland House of Assembly was reinstituted following the admission of the colony into

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation (french: Confédération canadienne, link=no) was the process by which three British North American provinces, the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, were united into one federation called the Dominion ...

the Legislative Council was not brought back into existence. However, Term 14(2) of the Newfoundland Terms of Union allows for the province to re-establish the Legislative Council.

References

Political history of Newfoundland and Labrador Defunct upper houses in Canada Pre-Confederation Newfoundland Dominion of Newfoundland 1854 establishments in Newfoundland 1934 disestablishments in Newfoundland {{Newfoundland-stub

See also

References