The Legislative Council of Lower Canada was the
upper house
An upper house is one of two Legislative chamber, chambers of a bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house. The house formally designated as the upper house is usually smaller and often has more restricted p ...
of the
Parliament of Lower Canada from 1792 until 1838. The Legislative Council consisted of appointed councillors who voted on bills passed up by the
Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada
The Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada was the lower house of the bicameral structure of provincial government in Lower Canada until 1838. The legislative assembly was created by the Constitutional Act of 1791. The lower house consisted of e ...
. The legislative council was created by the ''
Constitutional Act''. Many of the members first called in the Council in 1792 had served as councillors in the
Council for the Affairs of the Province of Quebec
The Council for the Affairs of the Province of Quebec, more commonly called the Legislative Council of Quebec (but not to be confused with the later institution with that same name), was an advisory body constituted by section XII of the '' Quebe ...
.
The council came to be dominated by the
Château Clique, members of the province's most powerful families who were generally interested in preserving the status quo. Both the upper and lower houses were dissolved on March 27, 1838 following the
Lower Canada Rebellion and Lower Canada was administered by an appointed
Special Council.
Following the
Act of Union in 1840, the
Legislative Council of the Province of Canada
The Legislative Council of the Province of Canada () was the upper house for the Province of Canada, which consisted of the former provinces of Lower Canada, then known as Canada East and later the province of Quebec, and Upper Canada, then known ...
was created in 1841.
Legislative buildings
*
Old Parliament Building (Quebec)
Old Parliament Building (Quebec) was the site of the seat of government of Lower Canada (1791-1833), Canada West, Province of Canada and Quebec (1867-1883).
It was located in what is Parc Montmorency today, the site of two Parliament buildings f ...
List of Members of the Legislative Council
Speakers
During much of the existence of the Legislative Council, the Chief Justice served as Speaker and others appointed to the role in absence of the Chief Justice.
*
William Smith 1791-1793
*
William Osgoode 1794-1797
*
Thomas Dunn 1797-1801
*
James Monk 1802
*
John Elmsley 1803-1804
* Thomas Dunn 1805
*
François Baby 1806
*
Henry Allcock 1807-1808
* Thomas Dunn 1808
*
Jonathan Sewell 1809-1810
* Thomas Dunn 1811-?
* James Monk 1815-1816
* Jonathan Sewell 1817
*
John Hale 1818
* Jonathan Sewell 1819-1826
*
James Kerr 1827-1828
* Jonathan Sewell 1829-1830
* John Hale 1831
*
Sir John Caldwell 1831-?
* Jonathan Sewell 1833-1838
After the Rebellion, the Speaker was a member of the
Special Council of Lower Canada:
*
James Cuthbert, Jr. 1838
*
Sir James Stuart, 1st Baronet 1839-1841
See also
*
Executive Council of Lower Canada
*
Constitutional history of Canada
*
Legislative Council of Quebec
Notes
Unless otherwise noted, the member died in office.
External links
''Aux fenêtres du Parlement de Québec : histoire, traditions, coutumes, usages, procédures, souvenirs, anecdotes, commissions et autres organismes'', D. Potvin (1942) Assemblée nationale du Québec (French)
{{Canadian Legislative Bodies
Lower Canada
Defunct upper houses in Canada
*
1792 establishments in Lower Canada