The west shore., June 01, 1889, Page 298, Image 8

2M
THE WE8T SHORE.
. . j .ra beinc taken for the erection of strong fortifier
lU.frm.andt tL. .W. farm.ng can t .uc- on to ftfl preBent means of defense.
cWullr carrW on, aad much of tba rougher una j uo - ' . .
tra nnv mam
JJt'ieDBeB, luuuuu uui 1 "
..fad. tb lt of jwutura No limit u known w
He for industrial c!vlopmrDt on the island
All of tUt territory way iro- r!j be considered as
tributary to Victoria. Then, from the muller island,
of tU adjoining waWs and from Ike main land, much
1'ti.innM must (I iv to th capiUl city. The fact that
it I. the capital of the province i. an important factor
contributing to tin ittijxirUnco of Victoria, The gor
ercmett is ImioUtrrtsl from there, and if no other
tema riisUl, that aloon would hare a tendency to
draw luiiti"M to th city. The Victoria cuitom homo
ihoi. j far thn largest business of any port in the
province. Tut year the arrival, and clearance, of
marine rraft chidIktoI over tire hundred and sixty,
H'k'rritating tnore than half a million ton. burthen,
t irlusive of tlx plying to the various porta within
the provinnv Tim ri)orU for the year, a. .hown by
the return Lome records at Victoria, oon.i.tod of
gold, rl, fiih, fun, hide., lumber and curio., to a
total Ju of H,I7.V.MUI, and the import, for the
satae rUI tggrtgtt! tl.'Wti 00. The duties
wdlrctml amount! to hll,. These figure in
dirl the large, volume of business which i. trans
act! at ihn Victoria custom house,
TL ItritUh government regard. Victoria aa an
itnrUtit KicL Not alone m a growing city of
promising .rict4 d.c it attain iU full importance.
The stratogio point which it occupies u a national
t of (.Iwmtton, supply tod defense entitle, it to
the consideration it revive from IJPr Majesty's home
government .Nt nly in the rvent of hostilities be
tween (Irrat llriuin and the I'nitoJ States would for.
UflratU. at that ,,int U almost indispensable, but
the tar ,, tlf fcny UU wwpf tti,b Jo erjoM
Lartn U British jii,ir,i on thi. coast if they were
left uoi-MMaL The naval .ution the Uritiih cot.
rrnmcLt maintains at K-juimalt (virtually a part of
UrWa I. r,too.ul of .uch importance that steps
tained on the strait front of the city. It is expected
that the proposed government works will greatly ben.
efit the town in every way.
In describing the capital city, a few words about
the provincial government will not prove uninterest
ing to American readers. Until 1858 British Colum
bia and Vancouver island were governed by the Hud
son's Bay Company. In that year both colonies were
given a territorial government, and ten years later the
two were consolidated and the capital established at
Victoria. In 1871 the province joined the Canadian
confederation, one of the considerations being that
the dominion government should connect the two
oceans by a railway, which was completed in 188G.
The province now is governed by a governor appoint
ed by the dominion, and cabinet of five premier,
provincial secretary, attorney general, commissioner
of lands and works, and commissioner of mines and
a legislature consisting of two houses, council and
assembly, the members of the former being appoint
ed and of the latter elected by popular suffrage. Brit
ish Columbia is represented in the dominion parlia
ment by three members in the senate and six in the
bouse of commons. The provincial legislature has
power to levy direct taxes and borrow money for pro
vincial purposes, the control of public lands and pnb
lio works within the province, municipal institutions,
publio schools, hospitals, prisons, asylums and char
ities, and generally all matters of a local or private
character. All judges except those of some of the mi
nor courts are appointed by the dominion govern
ment The provincial government is efficiently ad
ministered, and with the increase of wealth and popn-
Ution iU influence in the lAmalaftvA hnAiaa Lmmm
influence in the legislative bodies becomes
greater through increased representation. The city
of Victoria is governed by a mayor and nine council
men elected by the people.
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