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•■■■■■•■ptlipjlin *"»' ""M 'i"'ja*«'/,'i. T— — -
THE
LIQUOR PROHIBITION APPEAL,
1895. -
AN APPEAL
FUOM
THE SUPREME COURT OF CANADA
to
. HER MAJESTY
THE QUEEN [X COUNCIL
Hon&on :
I'RINTF.n nV WII.t.IAM imoWN it CO. r.IMTTF.I),
3()-42, ST. .MARY AXK, AND 40-41, OLD BHOAU STBKKT, E.C.
IHSlo.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS.
Case of The Province of Ontario (AppellantH) 5
Case of The Dominion of Canada (Respondents) 10
Case of The Distillers' and Hrewers' Association of Ontario
(Respondents) 15
Appendix referred to therein 21
Arguments— ■ '' .
First Day. — Argument of Mr. Maclaren, Q.C, for Ontario 28
Secmnl Day. — Same continued 119
Ai'gument of Mr. Haldane, Q.C, M.P., for
Ontario HO
• Argument of Mr. Newcombe, Q.C, for The
Dominion 162
Third Day. — Argument of Mr. Blakk, Q.C, M.P., for
The Distillers'. and Brewers' Association... ^14
Fourth Day. — Argument of Mr. Maclaren, Q.C, in reply... ,S27
JiTDOMENT of the Lords of the Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council y54
//
u2
mmmmm
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. (•
In t\}t |)rib5 Counril.
No. 37 of 1805.
FROM THE SUPREMK COURT OF CANADA.
Uetwkkn the ATTOUNEY-(iENKHAL FOR OxNTAUJO Ai,p,lla,u
AND
(1) THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE
DOMINION OF CANADA, and (2) THE
DISTILLERS' AND BREWERS' ASSO-
CIATION OF ONTARIO - - - Re.y,o,i,l,;its.
In the Matter of certain Questions referred to the Supreme Court of
Canada by His Exckllency THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF
CANADA.
; ;, '^ ., . ,.. SuB.iECT :
V PROVINCIAL JURISDICTION.
PROHIBITORY LIQUOR LAWS.
^ppeUant'0 dtafit.
1. This is an !i|)i)eal brought l)y special leave of Her
Majesty in Council against the judgment of tlu- Supreme
Court of Canada given on the 15th .lainiary 1895, in the
matter of certain questions referred to that Court hy His
Excellency the Governor-General of Canada.
2. Under the ju-ovisions of the Act of th. 7
" of 8'2n(l Victoria, chjiptffr 32, Irmiij^ the Tavern and
" Shop IjicenHe Act of 18r)H, hut was afterwards omitted
•' in suhHe(|uent coiu,x,
" of the same Act, and save in so far as licenses for sales
" in such (piantities are re(|,iired by the Tiicjnor License
"Act* and tlu! said section IH and all by-laws which
" have heretofore been madi' or shall hereafter he made
" under the said section IH, and })urporting to prohibit
" the sale by retail of spirituous, fermented, or other
*' numufactnred li(iuors in any tavern, inn, or other house
" or place of public entertainment, ami prohibiting alto-
" gether the sale thereof in shops and i)laces other than
" houses of public entertainment, are to be construed as
" noc purporting or intended to affect the provisions con-
'* tained in the said section 252, save as aforesaid and as
" if the said section IH and the said by-laws had exj)ressly
"so declared."
6. The said Court at the said hearing was composed of
live judges, and the said (piestions wer<' on the 15th .lanuary,
lHt)5, all answered in the negative by three of the i-aid judges,
the other two judges being of the opinion that all the said
questions should be answered in the affirmative except ques-
tions three and four.
0. Previous to the passing of the British North America
Act, 18()7, the Legislatures of the several Provinces which
were formed into the Dominion of Canada had conferred upon
the municipalities within the resi)ective Provinces large j)ro-
hibitory powers with respect to the traffic in intoxicating
liquors, and ever since the said date the said traffic had been
prohibited in a large i)ortion of the Dominion under and by
virtue of such legislation, and of similar legislation by the
several Provincial Legislatures.
7. The Appellant humbly subuiits that the present ap-
l.'mnnr I'mhihitlim ApiH'al, 1H".)5.
IM'iil should !»*' jillowf'd, iiiul tlw said of the said section, and do not i ,me with-
in any of the classes of siihjects enumerated in
section 01 of the said Act.
JOHN J. MAC'LAHKN.
J. K CAHTWIUGHT.
10
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
easie o{ ttt ISommfon of eanatra>
ONE OF THE RESPONDENTS.
1. This is an Ap})ertl from the judgment of the Su])reme
Court of Canada, rendered on the 15th day of January 1895,
upon certain (juestions referred hy the Governor-CTeneral in
Council to the Supreme Court of Canada for hearing and
consideration, ))ursuant to "The Supreme and Exchequer
(^ourts Act," (Revised Statutes of Canada, Cha[). 185) as
amended hy an Act of the Parliament of Canada passed
in 1891 (54-55 Vic, Chap. 25, Sec. 4).
2. The questions referred are as follows : —
(1) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohihit the sale within the Province of spirituous,
fermented or other intoxicating li(piors ?
(2) Or has the Legislature such jurisdiction re-
garding such [)ortions of the Province as to which the
Canada Temperance Act is not in o})eration ?
(8) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
))rohihit the manufacture of such licpiors within the
Province ?
(4) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohihit the importation of such litpioi's into the
Province ?
(6) If a Provincial Legiiilature has not jurisdiction
to prohihit sales of such liipiors, irres))ective of (piantity,
has such Legislature jurisdiction to prohihit the sale hy
r«^tail, according to the delinition of a si>je by retail,
either in Statutes in force in the Province at the time of
Confederation, or any other definition thereof?
(()) If a Provincial Legislature has a limited jurisdic-
tion only as vegards the prohii)iti()n of sales, has the
Legislature jurisdiction to prohibit sales subject to the
8afeak.MHMHUaJL......,..l. . .1
^p^
Liquor I'rohiliitiou Appral, 1895.
11
limits provided by the several Huh- sections of the 99tli
Section of " The Canada Temperance Act " or any of
them (Revised Statutes of Canada, Chap. 10(), Sec. 99) ?
(7) Had the Ontario Legislature jurisdiction to
enact the 18th Section of the Act passed hy the Legisla-
ture of Ontario in the 53rd year of Her Majesty's reign,
and intituled " An Act to improve the Licpior License
Acts," as said section is explained hy the Act passed hy
the said Legislature in the 54th year of Her Majesty's
reign, and intituled " An Act respecting Local Option in
the matter of liquor selling '^ ■ ;
8. At the hearing of the C'ase before the Supreme Court
of Canada, constituted of the (!hief Justice Sir Henry Strong,
and Justices Fournier, Gwynne, Sedgwick and King, Couns<^l
appeared for the Dominion and for the res[)ective Provinces
of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba. Counsel also ai)peared on
behalf of The Distillers' and Brewers' Association of Ontario,
that Association being represented under the authority of
Sub-Sec. 4 of Sec, 87 of the Supreme and Exchequer Courts'
Act. Afterwards written opinions were delivered by each of
the five Judges wJio heard the C'ase, in the result of which
(piestions numbered 8 and 4 were unanimously answered in
the negative, while as to each of the remaining (piestions, a
majority of the Judges gave a negative answer, the Chief
Justice and Mr. Justice Fournier holding, however, that they
should be answered in the affirmative.
4. From this decision the iVttorney-Ceneral of Ontario
obtained sjjecial leave to appeal. The Kespondents on the
Appeal are The Dominion of Canada and The Distillers and
Brewers' Association of Ontario.
5. It is submitted on behalf of the Dominion that a
Provincial Legislature has no authority to i)r()hibit the sale,
manufacture or im])ortation of spirituous, fermented or other
intoxicating liquors, and that it has no authority to prohibit
the sale of such liquors either by wholesale or retail or subject
to the exenn)tions established by the 99th Section of the
Canada Temperance Act, and that the several (piestions
contained in the Case submitted have therefore been i)roperly
answered in the negative. In support of this view the
12
Liquor Prohibition Appntl, 1806.
Dominion will rely iii)on the grounds stated in the opinions
of the Judges of the Supreme Court, and upon the following
among other —
REASONS.
1. Because the sul)ject of prohibition of the liquor
tratiic, either as to manufacture, importation or sale
does not fall within any of the matters for Provincial
Legislation enumerated in Section 92 of ' ' The
British North America Act, 1867."
2. Because the exclusive power of the Legislatures with
regard to nninicipal institutions only enables the
Legislature to establish regulations for the carrying
on within their respective Provinces of such institu-
tions, and any authority which the Legislatures may
validly confer upon them nmst be derived through
or have relation to the other subjects enumerated in
Section 92. These do not include power to prohibit.
3. Because, whilst the Legislatures may have power
under the Article "Municipal Institutions' or as
part of thei)olice power to make regulations for the
carrying on within the respective Provinces of any
lawful trade, they have no power to declare any
trade unlawful or to prohibit the carrying on of the
same, or to enact i)rohibitory laws containing as to
their respective Provinces provisions similar to those
of "The Canada Temperance Act."
4. Because to enable a Province to pass a prohibitory
law for itself by reason of the authority of class
No. 16 of Sec. 92, it would be necessary to construe
the words "local or ]i)rivate" as including provincial,
which construction is negatived upon a consideration
of all the provisions of Section 92. Prohibition for
the Province would be rather a public and })rovincial
or public and general matter, than merely local
or private. The expression "merely local or private
nuitters in the Province " is intended to describe
something less than a matter of eijual and general
application and interest to the entire Province.
■ API
Liquor Prohihltlou Appvul, 1895.
13
5. Because the subject of })rohil)itioii strictly relates to
matters within the exclusive authority of the
Parliament of Canada, under Section ',)1 of " The
British North America Act."
{a) It affects the peace, order and good govern-
ment of Canada in relation to matters not coming
within the classes of subjects assigned exclusively
to the Legislatures of the Provinces.
{h) It necessarily conies within the scope of
Dominion authority in the regulation of trade and
commerce. The Supreme Court of Canada so
held in the case of Firdrrirfon v. Tlir (Jid'cii, 8
Supreme (burt of Canada Reports, 50f5, from
which RiiHsell v. Thr Qiurn was in effect an Ajopeal.
((■) It affects and has direct relation to (Criminal
law, which is one of the enumerated classes of
subjects assigned exclusively to the Parliament of
Canada.
(). Because trade and commerce would be affected by
legislation restraining importation and manufacture.
As a matter of trade and conmierce the right to sell
is inseparably connected with the law permitting
importation, to which, with equal force, may be
added manufacture .
7. Because before, at the time, and ever since the Union,
a considerable portion of the pubHc revenue has
been derived from the customs and excise duties
upon alcoholic liquors. The Dominion, under the
terms of Union, assumed the imblic debt and the
principal expense of the public service, besides
undertaking to ))ay large subsidies to the Provinces,
and became entitled to levy customs and excise
duties, which had always been })rincipal sources of
revenue.
8. Because the field of legislation with regard to prohil)i-
tion has been occupied by the enactment of the
Canada Temi)erance Act, which still remains in
■ ' force, and there is therefore no room for a Provincial
. ' Law,
14
Liquor Prohibitum Appeal, 1895.
5). Because Parliament having declared that it is desirahle
that the/e should he uniform legislation in all the
Provinces respecting the traffic in intoxicating
liquors, and that it is expedient for the peace, order
and good government of C'anada that the voters in
every County or City in Canada should have the
right to elect whether or not prohihition, as defined
hy the Canada Teni])erance Act, shall come into
effect in such County or City, has given effect to the
voluntary principle. If the Provincial Legislatures
may, nevertheless, enact a compulsory system, the
power of Parliament, which has heen hitherto
upheld, is Jenied.
10. Because there is no legal or absolute destinction
between wholesale and retail trade, and the distinc-
tion between them whatever it may be, cannot be
made a dividing line of piohibitive authority as
between Parliament and the Legislatures.
11. Because definitions of sale by retail in Provincial
Statutes at Confederation cannot affect the construc-
tion of the Union Act, which makes no reference to
retail, nor other reference which renders it necessary
to look for a definition of the word. Besides upon
the Provincial legislation existing at the Union it
appears that there was no uniformity of statutory
definition.
12. Because Parliament and the Provincial Legislatures
have under the British North America Act no con-
current authority except as to agriculture and
immigration, under the provisions of Section 96.
13. Because the fact that particular enactments were in
force at the Union cannot enlarge the powers of the
Legislature of Ontario under the British North
America Act.
14. Because Section 18 of the Ontario Act is inconsistent
with and in conflict with the provisions of the
Canada Temperance Act.
E. L. NEWCOMBE,
H. W. LOEHNIS.
■pn
■i;sVKi?:^3ies7r^>x^*9
Liquor f'rohibition Apjiral, 1895.
16
(Unit for tfte 9Rrgponttent^t
THE DISTILLERS" .t J3REWERS' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO.
1. This is an Appeal from a decision of the Supreme
Court of Canada, upon a reference to that Court hy His
Excellency the Governor-General of Canada, for hearing and
consideration of the following questions : —
2. (1) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohihit the sale within the province of spirituous
fermented or other intoxicating liquors ?
(2) Or has the Legislature such jurisdiction regard-
ing such portions of the province as to which the Canada
Temperance Act is not in operation ?
(3) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohibit the manufacture of such liquors within the
province ?
(4) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohibit the importation of such liquors into the
province *?
(5) If a Provincial Legislature has not Jurisdiction
to prohibit sales of such liquors, irrespective of quantity,
has such Legislature jurisdiction to prohihit the sale by
retail according to the definition of a sale by retail,
either in Statutes in force in the Province at the time of
confederation, or any other definition thereof ?
(6) If a Provincial Legislature has a limited
jurisdiction only as regards the prohibition of sales, has
the Legislature jurisdiction to prohibit sales subject to
the limits provided by the several sub-sections of the
99th section of " The Canada Temperance Act" or any
of them (Revised Statutes of Canada, Chapter 100,
Section 99).
(7) Had the Ontario Legislature jurisdiction to enact
16
Litiaar I'rohilillioii Appnil, 1895.
the 18th Section of the Act jjassed hy the Legislature of
Ontario in the Hfty-third year of Her Majesty's reign and
intituled " An Act to improve the Liquor License Acts "
as said section is explained hy the Act passed hy the said
Legislature in the fifty-fourth year of Her Majesty's
reign and intituled •' An Act respecting Local Option in
the matter of Liquor selling ' ' ?
For convenience of reference the enactments referred to
in questions ((>) and (7) are appended to this case.
8. Pursuant to leave given hy the Supreme Court under
the statute in that hehalf the Distillers' and Brewers'
Association of Ontario (hereinafter called " the Association ")
w^ere represented at the hearing hefore that Court.
4. At such hearing were also represented the Attorneys-
General of Canada, Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba.
5. In the result the Court answered all the questions in
the negative in accordance with the contentions of the
Association, the answers being unanimous as to questions
(///) and (iv), and by a majority as to the other questions.
(). From this decision the Attorney-General of Ontario
obtained leave to appeal, and on that appeal the Ues})ondents
are the Attorney-General of Canada and the Association.
7. The Association submits that the decision of the
Supreme Court was right and should be confirmed for the
reasons stated in the judgments of the majority of the Supreme
Court and on the grounds following. *
"- REASONS.
1. Upon the true construction of the British North
America Act as settled by decision of the Privy
Council the Provinces have no legislative authority
on any matter unless it is comprised within some of
the subjects enumerated in See. 9*2 of the Act.
2. Upon such construction as so settled, the Provinces
• have no such authority (even if the nuitter might
Otherwise be so comprised;, in any case wherein, or
Liquor I'roliibition Apixuil, 1M1)5.
17
5.
to any extent whereby, the exercise of such antliority
would interfere with the exercise by Canada of any
authority comprised within any of the articles of
Sec. 01 "of the Act.
Upon such construction ar* so settled, the sul)ject of
the prohibition of the trade of sellinj^ intoxicating
li(piors, even by retail, in ('anada, is not comprised
within Sec. 92.
It is submitted that a fortiori the prohibition of the
wholesale trade in liquors, or of the business of
manufacturing or importing liquors is not comprised
within Sec. 92.
Upon such construction as so settled, each of these
subjects not being comprised within Sec. 92, is
within the authority of the Parliament of Canada,
under its general i)Owers conferred by Sec. 91
"to make laws for the })eace, order and good
government of Canada, in relation to all matters not
coming within the classes of subjects assigned
exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces.
Among the subjects placed by Sec. 91 within the
exclusive authority of (Canada are tlie regulation of
trade and commerce, the public debt, the raising of
money oy any mode or system of taxation, and the
borrowing of money on the public credit.
By the Act, Canada became bound to i)ay the heavy
provincial debts, and to provide for the Provinces
large annual subsidies.
One of the main objects of the Act was to place the
trade and commerce of the various Provinces under
the general control of the central authority, and thus
to promote the removal, and to prevent the creation
of artificial barriers and diversities in this regard
between the Provinces.
The whole system of taxation by the Provinces before
Confederation was, and that of Canada since has
been and must long continue, indirect and large
sums had before and have since been yearly levied
bv duties of Customs and Excise in order to meet
18 Liquor Proliihifinn Appeal, 1805.
the public obligations iiiul to maintain the public
services.
The ability of Canada to accomplish these and other
national objects was and is plainly dej)endent on
her possession of exclusive powers over trade and
commerce which she would not enjoy were it within
the legislative authority of the Provinces to })rohil)it
the manufacture, imjjortation, or sale of goods, and
thus while creating artificial and prejudicial barriers
to trade and diversities of trade conditions to [)revent
Canada from obtaining the duties of Customs and
Excise on which she must necessarily depend for
the performance of her national obligations.
The Customs and Excise duties on liquor, like those
on tobacco were before confederation as they have
ever since continued a substantial and necessary
part of the fiscal resources of Canada, and an
intolerable condition might be produced if each of
the Provinces had power to cut oft" from C!anada her
receipts from these duties within the limits of such
Provinces.
It is obvious that the same Legislature which has
power over these subjects in their trade and revenue
aspects should also control them in any other aspects
as to which the existence of a control elsewhere
might be fatal to the execution of the powers
conferred for trade and revenue purposes.
It is submitted that on the true construction of the
Act, the Parliament of C'anada has been granted the
exclusive Legislative Authority over the sul)jects, as
part of "the regulation of Trade and Commerce,"
and that thus, even if apart from such grant they
or some of them might have been comprised within
the assignment to the Provinces, they are yet by
virtue of the grant vested in Canada.
7. Upon the true construction of the British North
America Act as established by decision of the Privy
Council there exists a broad distinction between an
authority to prohibit trades as unlawful and an
Liquor ProJiihItioii Appnil, 1805.
19
autliority to prescribe conditions on which lawful
trades may he conducted.
And such latter authority may, within certain limita-
tions, he vested in the Provincial Jje^nslatures, under
the Article "Municipal Institutions," as |)art of the
police power, or under some other Article of Sec. 92,
quite consistently with the exclusive vesting in
Canada of the authority to prohibit.
8. There is here no concurrent jurisdiction ; nor are
there two different aspects in which the subject can
be viewed so as to bring it in one aspect within
Canadian, and in the other within Provincial
Legislative power. It is the same subject under the
same aspect.
9. There is here no room for the contention that there
may exist a Provincial Jurisdiction unless and until
the Parliament of Canada occupies the field.
10. But if this were otherwise, yet the Parliament of
Canada has already occui)ied the field, by legislation
which i)rovides certain conditions and limitations
under and to the extent of which sales are prohibited
all over Canada, and has thus in effect legislatively
decided that, save under and to the extent of these
conditions and limitations, sales shall not be pro-
hibited anywhere in Canada.
11. On the true construction of the British North America
Act, as settled by decision of the Privy (buncil,
there is in this connexion no distinction favorable to
the Provinces as between wholesale and retail dealing.
12. There is no definition of retail and wholesale dealing
available for the suggested i)urpose, and the only
defining i)ower that can be reasonably suggested is
the Parliament of Canada, which would thus
practically retain in its hands the control of the
subject.
13. The attempt to sustain the 18th Section of the
Ontario Act on the ground that it is a revival of the
analogous section of the preconfederation law must
fail, because the subject of that section, as already
c2
*20 Liffiior I'rohihitiou Apjinil, 1805.
Hhown, fell, after confederation, within the exdnsive
aiitliority of the Parliament of (knada, l)y which
alone it conld l)e as it has heen since attected.
14. The attempt to include the suhject of that section
within Provincial legislative power under the head
of " Municipal Institutions " hecause it ha})pened
shortly hefore confederation to he emhraced in a
municij)al Act hy one Province nmst fail.
At the time of that legislation each Province had full
legislative authority, and the mode of exercising
such authority, whether direct or hy reference to
nuniicipal hodies, was oi)tional and changeahle at
pleasure. The experiment, for such it was, of
entrusting municipal hodies with certain powers of
prohihition had heen entered on in the late Province
of Canada shortly hefore confederation. That
experiment had not heen attempted in either Nova
Scotia or New Brunswick.
Neither in the })ractice of the four Provinces nor in
the nature of the suhject nor in the methods of the
United Kingdom is to he found any consensus of
views or any estahlished meaning which can be
successfully invoked to show that the suhject is in
the British North America Act comprised within
" Municipal Institutions."
It would he wrong to use the accident of the partial
legislation referred to as ground for enlarging the
phrase "Municipal Institutions," so as to vest in all
the " Provincial legislatures," to be exercised at the
option of each Province either directly or through
the municipalities, a power so extensive and so
inconsistent with the general scheme of the Act.
16. It is not to be overlooked that in an important
particular, namely, with reference to cities, this
18th section conflicts in terms with the Canada
Temperance Act.
16. On the whole, it is submitted that the answers of the
Supreme Court should be ai)proved and that the
appeal should be dismissed.
EDWARD BLAKE.
Liquor I'mhihition .Ipjx'til, 1H05.
ai
APPENDIX
IIEFKIIUEI) TO IN PAllAGRAPH 2 OF THK
CASE FOU THE DTSTlLLEllS" AND lUlEWKllS'
ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO.
:,.;.: (I.) ■
Section 99 of the Canada Temperance Act, Revised Statutes
of (Canada, 1880, cap. 100, referred to in the Question
Number is as follows : —
" 99. From the day on which this part of this Act
comes into force and takes efi'ect in any County or City,
and for so long thereafter as the same continues in force
therein, no person shall within such County or City, by
himself, his clerk, servant or agent, exjjose or keep for
sale or directly or indirectly on any pretence or upon
any device, sell or barter or in consideration of the
purchase of any other property, give to any other ])erson
any intoxicating liquor.
" 2. No act done in violation of this section shall
l)e rendered lawful by reason of
(a) Any license issued to any distiller or
brewer; or
(/>) Any license for retailing on board any
steamboat or other vessel, brandy, rum, whisk(^y
or other spirituous liquors, wine, ale, beer, ])orter,
cider or other vinous or fermented liquors ; or
(c) Any license for retailing on board any
steamboat or other vessel, wine, ale, beer, porter,
cider or other vinous or fermented liquors but not
[
22 LiiiiKir Prohlhition Appen], 180/5.
briindy, nun, whiskey or other Hpirituous li<|Uor8;
or
() Any liceiiHe of any other description
whatsoever ; *
" 8. Provided always that tlie sale of wine for
exclusively sacramental purposes may, on th«' certificate
of a cler<4ynian alllirmin^' that the wine is rccpiircd tor
sacramental purposes he ma(h' hy (lru^'<^'is' and vendors
thereto si)ecially licensed hy the Ijientei t-dovernor in
each Province ; hut the nund)erof such li( ised druj^^ists
and vendors shidl not exceed one in eacli Townsiiip or
Parish or two in each Town, or one for every four
thousand inhabitants in each City.
"4. Provided also that the sale of intoxicating
li(pior for exclusively medicinal purjjoses or for hotui fiiif
use in some art, trade or maiuifacture, may Ix made by
such licensed dru^j^ists and vendors ; hut such sale when
for medicinal })urj)oses shall he in (juantities of not less
than one [)int, to he removed from the prennses, and
shall be made only on the certificate of a medical man
having no interest in t\w sale, atfirminjf that such licpior
has been prescribed for the jjcrson named therein ; and
wdien such sale is for its use in some art, trade or manu-
facture, the same shall be nuide only on the certificate
signed by two Justices of the Peace, of the <^ood faith of
the application, accompanied by the affirmation of the
ai)plicant that the liquor is to be used only for the
])articular purposes set forth in the affirmation ; and
such druggist or vendor shall file the certificates and
keep a register of all such sales indicating the name of
the imrchaser and the (piantity sold, and shall make an
annual return of all such sales, on the Thirty-first day of
DecemV)er in every year, to the collector of Inland
Pevenne within whose revenue division the County or
City is situated : • - - r - • ^ - ,
"5. Provided also, that any producer of eider in
tiie County may, at his premises, and any licensed distiller
or brewer, having his distillery or brewery within any
County or City, may, at such distillery or brewery, expose
Liilitar I'loliibitioii Apftenl, l8S)o. * 99
and keop for hjiIo hiicIi liquor as lif niaimfactun's tliercat,
aiul IK) otiicr ; and niiiy sell the same tlicroit hut only in
(|uantiti«'s not less tlian ten »,'allons, or in tin- case of ale
or hner, not less than «>i<,dit j^allons at any one time, and
only to druf4<^'ists and vendors licensed as afori'sai»l, or to
sneli persons ms Ih> luis j^'ood reason to i)elieve will forth-
with carry the same Ix-yond the linuts of the County or
City, and of any adjoining' County or City in which this
part of this Act is then in force, and to he wholly
removed or taken away in (piiintities not less th;in ten
^'allons, or in th<^ case of ale or' beer, not less than eight
gallons at a time.
" (*). Provided also, that any incorporated C'ompany
authorised hy law to carry on the business of cultivating
and growing vines and of niiiking and selling wine and
other licpiors produced from grapes, having their niami-
factory within such County or City, may thereat expose
and keep for sale such li(pior as they manufacture thereat
and no other; and may sell the same thereat, but only
in (piantities not less than ten gallons at any one time,
and only to druggists and vendors licensed as aforesaid
or to such persons as they have good reason to believe
will forthwith carry the same beyond the limits of the
County or City and of any adjoining County or City in
which this part of this Act is then in force and to be
wholly removed and taken away in (piantities not les8
than ten gallons at a time.
" 7. Provided also, that mainifacturers of pure
native wines made from grapes grown and [)ro(luced by
them in Canada, may when authorised so to do, by
license from the Mnnici})al Council, or otlun- authority
having jurisdiction where such numufactnre is carried
on, sell such wines at the place of manufacture in
(piantities of not less than ten gallons at one time exce})t
when sold for sacramental or medicinal purposes when
any number of gallons from one to ten may be sold.
" 8. Provided also, that any merchant or trader,
exclusively in wholesale trade and duly licensed to sell
liquor by wholesale, having his store or place for sale of
goods within such County or City, may thereat keep for
24
;
histy's reign, chap. 60, referred
to in Question Number 7 is as follows :
" 18. Whereas the following provision of this section
was at the date of Confederation in force as a part of
The Consolidated Municipal Act (29 and 80 Vic, cap. 61,
sec. 249, sub-sec. 9), and was afterwards re-enacted as
sub-sec. 7 of sec. G of 82 Vic, cap. 32, being The Tavern
and Shops' License Act of 1868, but was afterwards
omitted in subsequent consolidations of The Municipal
and the Li(iuor License Acts, similar provisions as to
local ))rohibition being contained in the Temperance Act
.'of 18(54 (27 and 28 Vic, cap. 18), and the said last-
: ■ • mentioned i\ct having been repealed in Muuicii)alities
where not in force by The Canada Temperance Act, it is
..: expedient that Municipalities should have the powers
1
Liquor Proliihitioii Appiud, 181)5.
m
City
mrt
and
at a
by them formerly possessed ; it is hereby enacted as
folloNvs : — .
" The Council of every Township, City, Town and
incorporated Village may pass by-laws for prohibiting
the sale by retail of spirituous, fermented, or other manu-
factured licpiors in any tavern, nni, or otlier house or
place of public entertainment, and for prohibiting
altogether the sale thereof in shops and ])laces other
than liouses of jniblic entextainment : Provided that the
by-law before the final passing thereof has been duly
approved of by the Electors of the Munici[)ality in the
manner provided by the sections in that behalf of the
Municipal Act : Provided further thnt nothing in this
section contained shall be construed into an exercise of
jurisdiction by the Legislature of the Province of Ontario
beyond the revival of provisions of law which were in
force at the date of the passing of The Jiritish North
America Act, and which the subseipient legislation of
this Province pur[)orted to repeal."
The explanatory Act of Ontario })assed in the 54th yenr of
Her Majesty's reign, chap. 4(5, also referred to in Question
Number 7 is as follows : —
" Her Majesty by and with the advice and consent
of thu Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario
enacts as follows : —
" 1. It is hereby declared that the Legislature of
this Province by enacting Section 18 of the Act to
improve the Licpior License Laws, passed in the 58rd
year of Her Majesty's reign, cha})ter 5(), for the revival
of provisions of law which were in force at the date of
the British North America Act, 18(57, did not intend
to affect the provisions of Section 252 of the Consolidated
Municipal Act, being chapter 51 of the Acts jjussed in
the 29th and BOlh years of Her ^Majesty's reign by the
late Parliament of Canada, which enacted that ' No tavern
or shop license shall be necessary for selling any li(|Uors
in the origiiial ])a'*ivages in which the same iuive been
received from the importer or manufacturer ; ])rovided
such packages contain respectively not less than five
!.«j-L. .iiJiAf-a' |A-iVt-|','i^.
ij^
26 Lkiuor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
gallons or one dozen bottles,' save in so far as the said
Section '252 may have been affected by the 9tli Sub-section
of Section 249 of the same Act, and save in so far as
licenses for sales in such quantities are required by the
Liquor License Act ; and the said Section 18 and all
By-Laws which have heretofore l)een made or shall here-
after be made under the said Section 18 and [jurporting
; to prohibit the sale by retail of spirituous, fermented or
:; other manufactured liquors, in any tavern, inn, or other
house or place of public entertainment, and })rohibiting
altogether the sale thereof in shops and places other than
. houses of public entertainment, are to be construed as
not j)uri)orting or intended to affect the provisions con-
tained in the said Section 252, save as aforesaid, and as
if the said section 18 and the said by-laws had expressly
so declared.
" 2. Whereas doubts have arisen as to the power
of this Legislature to enact the provisions of the said
Section 18 or of the said section as ex^jlained by this
Act, and it is expedient to avoid a nniltiplicity of appeals
involving the said question, the Lieutenant-Governor in
Council is to refer to the Court of Api)eal for Ontario
under authority of the Act for expediting the decision of
Constitutional and other provincial questions, the (piestion
of the constitutional validity of the said Section 18 and
its true construction, effect and application.
" 3. The reference under this Act to the Court of
Appeal by the Lieutenant-Governor in Council is to be
heard in priority to any other cause or matter in said
Court, unless the Court otherwise orders.
"4. Li case any by-law passed under said Section
""B is quashed before the passing of this Act the a})plica-
cion may be reheard by the High Court of Justice, at the
instance of the Municipality whicii passed said by-law
by motion on ten days' notice served on the relator, or
within such further time as nuiy be allowed l)y a judge
of the High Court and the Court shall make such order
for the rescission of the order to quash and as to costs
as to the Court shall seem meet. «
5HBH
Liquor I'raliihitioii Appeal, 1895.
27
" 5. The limit as to the time for appealing from
the judgment or order of any Court, in the case of quash-
ing a hv-law. or any other judgment, shall not ap])ly to
an ai)])eal against a judgment or order (plashing a hy-law
passed under the said section 18.
" (*). Where any such hy-law has heen (plashed
or has heen passed and sliall not he cpuished hefore the
determination of the (piestions referred under this Act,
hy the Lieutenant (lovernor in Council, to the Court of
Appeal, the License Connnissioners, under the I(i(pior
License Acts, are not to grant licenses to any new ai)pli-
cants, and may only extend the duration of any existing
license, from time to time, for any s])ecilied i)eriod of the
year, not exceeding three montlis at any one time in
their discretion, u})on })ayment of a sum not exceeding
the proportionate i)art of the duty payahle for such license
for a year.
" 7. All proceedings to (piash hy-laws passed
under the authority of said section 18, or the enforce-
ment of orders for the payment of costs thereon shall he
suspended, and no proceedings to (piash other such hy-
laws shall he instituted until after the hnal determination
of the {piestions to he referred as hereinhefore provided."
I
^'1
f
28
Liquor Prohibition Approl, 1895.
Jn tl)^ ^ribn Council.
1
The Eight Hon.
The Rkjht Hon.
The JliaHT Hon.
The Right Hon.
The Right Hon.
The Right Hon.
Council Chamber, Whitehall,
Thursday, Ainiust Is/, 181)5.
I'lYKi'Ht —
The lord CHANCELLOR
(Lord Halsbury.) ■■ ■ '•
LORD HERSCHELL.
LORD WATSOxN.
LOUD MORRIS.
LORD DAVEY.
SIR RICHARD COUCH.
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF ONTARIO
(1) THE ATTORNEY-OENERAL FOR THE DOMINION
OF CANADA and ^2) THE DISTILLERS' AND
BREWERS' ASSOCIATION OF ONTARIO
Appellant,
lietipondents.
Counsel tor the Appellant, Mr. J. J. Maclaren, Q.C. (of the Canadian Bar),
and Mr. R. B. Haldane, Q.C, M.P. instructed hy Messrs. Freshlields
and Williams.
Counsel for the Respondent, the Attorney-General for the Dominion of
Canada, Mr. Newcomhe, Q.C. (of the Canadian Bar), and Mr. Loehnis
instructed hy Messrs. Bompas, Bisehoff, Dodgson, Coxe &, Bompas.
Counsel for the Respondents, the Distillers' and Brewers' Association of
Ontario, Tlie Honoriible E. Blake, Q.C, M.P., and Mr. Wallace
Nehhitt (both of the Canadian Bar), instructed by Messrs. Linklater,
Hackwood, Addison it Brown.
FIRST DAY.
Mr. Maclaren — My Lords, in tliis case 1 appear with
my learned friend Mr. Haldane on hehalf of the Attorney-
General of Ontario, who ap[)eals to your Lordships from a
Judgment, or Answers, given by the Supreme Court of Canada
to certain questions which were submitted by His Excellency
the (Tovernor-General under an Order in Council under a
Statute of the Dominion of Canada, for the submission of such
questions to the Supreme Court of Canada with a further
appeal, by the permission of Her Majesty, to your Lordships.
i.i#miitv!iTm* tmi^miimmynmrnairmw
Lii[iii)r Proliihitioii Aftpcal. 1805.
29
The questions are seven in number, iind were submitted
under an Order in Council passed on the "iOth October 1893.
Tliey are as follows : —
" (1) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohibit the sale within the Province of spirituous,
fermented, or other intoxicating liipiors ?
" (2) Or has the Legislature such jurisdiction
regarding such portions of the Province as to which
the Canada Temperance Act is not in operation ?
" (3) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohibit the manufacture of such liquors within the
Province ?
" (-4) Has a Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
prohibit the importation of such li(piors into the Pro-
vince ?
" (5) If a Provincial Legislature has not juris-
diction to i)rohibit sales of such liquors irrespective of
quantity, has such Legislature jurisdiction to prohibit
the sale, by retail, according to the definition of a sale
by retail either in Statutes in force in the Province at
the time of confederation, or anv other definition
thereof ?
" (()) If a Provincial Legislature has a Hmited
jurisdiction only as regards the prohibition of sales,
has the Legislature jurisdiction to prohibit sales subject
to the limits provided by the several subsections of
the 99th section of ' The Canada Temperance Act,' or
anv of them (llevised Statutes of Canada, chapter 100,
section 99) ?
" (7) Had the Ontario Legislature jurisdiction to
enact the 18tli section of the Act passed by the Legis-
Ititure of Ontario in the 53rd year of Her ^Majesty's
reign, and intituled ' An Act to improve the ' Liquor
License Acts,' as said section is explained by the Act
by the said Legislature in the 54th year of Her
Majesty's reign, and intituled ' An Act respecting
' Local Option in the matter of Liquor Selling ? ' "
When these questions were submitted to the Supreme
Court in accordance with the [)owers jiven them by the
Statute under which the questions were submitted and which
80
Lltlitor Proliibiliov ApjWdl, 1805.
is referred to in the Case, the Supreme Court directed the
Attorney-Creiierals of the various Provinces of the Dominion
of Canada to he notified. In answer to tliis call three
Provinces apjjeared hefore the Supreme Court at the arij;ument:
the Province of Ontario, the Province of Quehec, and the
Province of Manitoha. The same Statute gives authority to
the Court to allow any interested persons to ap})ear if they
think fit. Under this provision the Distillers' and Brewers'
Association of Ontario applied for and ohtained leave to
hecome parties to the Case. After ar{.'"ment the questions
were all answered in the negative hy three of the five Judges
who sat u})on the Case. The two other Judges, the Chief
Justice and Mr. Justice Fournier have answered five of the
questions in the affirmative hut the third and fourth in the
negative.
Lord Heiischell — That is the prohihition of manufacture
and importation ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. The answer " No " to the ques-
tions 8 and 4 were unanimous hy the Court,
Lord Watson — Are you challenging those two answers ?
Mr. Maclaren- —We are challenging all. We ask for an
affirmative answer to the 7 questions.
The (questions 1, "2, 5, 0, and 7 received an affirmative
answer therefore from two of the Judges. Your Lordshijis
will ohserve that the first six questions are general, and
in one sense theoretical, and do not refer to any existing
legislation. The 7tli question is in a different category
and refers to an Act which has heen i)assed hy the Pro-
vince of Ontario or to a section of an Act -the IHth
section of the Act passed in the 58rd Victoria. I may
say, however, that that section IH which is (pioted and
which your Lordships will find in the Appellant's C^ise on
page '2 and elsewhere in the Pecord, although it is section 18
of an Act it is an independent i)iece of legislation hy itself and
has no connection with the preceding 17 sections. It is
independent legislation though forming only one section of
an Act, So that it is not necessary really to refer to the
other part of that Statute in order to ascertain the i)ur})ort
of this legislation. As already appears from the Petition
which was j)resented to your Lordships for sjjecial leave to
tSSBBBSm
S^r3^TnuaSSB!aSS5S!W!-W^
Liquor V roll ihit ion Appeal, 1895.
31
the
lion
ivee
mt:
the
_v to
ihey
ers'
to
ions
iges
appeal and from the Order in Council in this matter, there
was also hefore the Supreme Court a case involving the
validity of this IHth section of the 58rd Victoria, namely,
the case of Hitsoii v. Soiitit Xonrirh. That was hetween
private parties and had been ar<,'ued in the Supreme Court
before the submission of the special questions by His
Excellency the Governor-General and stood for judgment.
Judgment was given the same day as the (juestions were
answered. The Court was differently constituted. It was con-
stituted of iiv(^ Judges, but one of the Judges who had heard
Hiison V. South Xorwicli, Mr. Justice Taschereau, did not sit
when the questions were argued, Mr. Justice King who did
not sit in Humn v. South Norwicli having been subsequently
appointed to the Court sat in the case of the questions that
wen submitted by the Governor-General. As a result of the
two arguments there was this anomaly as far as regards this
Act of 1800, that in Huaon v. South Norwich the Court by a
majority of three, composed of the C!hief Justice, Mr. Justice
Fournier and Mr. Justice Taschereau held tlie Ontario Act to
be valid.
Lord Watson — They nnist have been right once.
Mr. Maclaren — They were on the same side both times
but the majority was differently constituted.
Lord Watson — The C'ourt was differently constituted.
Mr. Maclaren — Innnediately after the rendering of that
Judgment they gave the answers to the questions submitted
by the Governor-General, Mr. Justice Taschereau not sitting
and l)eing re})laced by Mr. Justice King. The result
was the o})posite so far as this question 7 is concerned —
the minority became the majority and tlie majority became
the minority. Mr. Justice King answered the questions and
joined the former minority and so in answer to the questions
the Court were 3 against *2. The result is that the Supreme
Court composed of (5 Judges were really equally divided
as to question 7, at least 3 of them being of opinion
that tne Act was ultra vires and 3 of them being of opinion
that it wae within the power of the Provincial Legislature.
Of those who were parties in the Court below the i)resent
Appeal is brought by the Attorney-General of Ontario. The
1 \'i
r 1
1^
■;
\
iVl
Liquor I'rohihltiim Ajypcol, 1895.
Province of Quebec was also represented as I mentioned in
the Sui)renie Court, but I believe does not take any part in
this Api)eal. The Province of Manitoba was represented at
the hearing in Ottawa by the same Counsel as Ontario, and I
am instructed by the Attorney-Cxeneral of IV[anitoba to say
that he is not a party fcrmally to this Appeal on account of
his concurrence with the position taken by the Province of
Ontario. The other two parties, the Attorney-General of the
Dominion and the Distillers' and Brewers' Association of
Ontario who were parties in the Court below are the
Respondents before your Lordships.
As the Attorney-General for Ontario whom we represent
is specially interested in the Act which was passed and which
is i)nt in question No. 7, I think for that reason and because
historically this really forms a connecting link between the
anterior legislation on this subject and those theoretical
questions that are embraced in the first (5 (]uestions that are
submitted, it would shorten the argument of the case and be
more convenient if your Lordships would allow me to con-
sider the 7th question first. That is concrete legislation — a
special Act of the Legislature of Ontario — an^i the Attorney-
General for Ontario naturally feels a special interest in that
as legislation which has been declared invalid. In con-
sidering the (juestion under the Rules that have been laid
down by your Ijordships for the construction of the British
North America Act. it is incund)ent on us to show that it
comes within one of the subsections of section 92 of the
British North America Act. In the case of the Citizens
Inato-dncc Coiiipanij v. l^nrsous * your Lordships, I think, for the
first time in a formal way, laid down the Rule for the con-
struction of the British North America Act, and then decided
that the proper test when an Act of a Provincial Legislature
was being considered was whether it came within section 92
of the British North America Act. I will read the passage from
the Citizens hiHiinnice Coutpuny v. 1 'arsons from Cartwright's
Collection of Cases on the British North America Act.
The Lord Chancellor — That was the Fire Insurance
case '?
Mr. Maclaren — The Insurance Case. At page 273 of
the first volume of Cartwright's Collection of Cases on the
L. R. 7 Ap, Cas. 96.— 1 Cart. 2G5,
Liijuor Prnliihih'ini Appral, 1X05.
88
British North Aiuericji Act, your Lor(lslii[)s liiid down the
rule as foUows, and it has l)eeu several times followed :
" The first queHtion to Ijo dccicUiil is wlicthur the Act iuiix'ached
in tiio present Appeals fulls witiiiii any of the classes of siil)ji'cts
enumerated in section 02 and assi^'iied exclusively to the Letji statures
of the Provinces, for if it does not, it can be of no validity and no
other question would then arise. It is only when an Act of Provincial
Legislature priiini facie falls within one of these classes of subjects
that the further questions arise, viz., wluither notwithstandin;,' this is
so, the subject of the Act does not also fall within (Uie of the
enumerated classes of subjects in section !)1, and whether tlu^ power of
the Provincial Legislature is or is not thereby over-borne"
That is the rule hv which we are hound here. It is incuni-
hent on the Appellant in this case to show in the lirst ))lace
that this legislation which is in (piestion het'ore your Lord-
ships, does come within one of the classes of suhjects
mentioned in section 1)2, and that it is not taken out of
section 02 hy heing included within any of the enumerated
suhjects in section 91.
Lord Watson — Unless it is taken out hy the last clause
of section 01 in general terms.
Mr. Maclaurn— There are I think dicta of your Lord-
ship's which would go to show that it is only the enumerated
suhjects in section 01 that are taken out.
Lord Watson — That is so.
Mr. Maclaren — That the general clause at the heginning
in the parenthesis " Notwithstanding anything in this Act,"
and the general clause at the end of section ',)1, do not over-
ride the enumerated suhjects in section 02, hut that it is only
the enumerated suhjects in section 01, which can override
section 92.
Lord Herschell — The genei-al words in section 01
include what you do not find in section 02, hut if you And
something in section 02, nevertheless the [jowcr in relation
to it may be restricted hy the special i)rovisions of section 01.
Mr. Maclaren — It opens in this way :
■' It shall be lawful for the Queen, by and with the advice and
consent of the 8eiuite and House of Commons, to make laws for the
'fe..
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84 Liijiior I'l'uliihitiim Ai>ih' 2
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l/iifiuir I'roliihiliiiii Ai>i>i'(il, 1HU5.
ill
i
can constitute thcni if tlicv plcnsc ; as to tluMi- functions, so
far as that is incliuU'd in *• Municipal Institutions " can tlicv
give thcin power to do anything wiiidi is not a power
conferred on tiie I'roviiu'ial li(>;,Mslature ? Can they delej^'ate
to a nnniicipality or modify tli(\ constitution of a nnniicii)aHty
in its functions to i^'ive it power to do something hesides
the tilings they iuive power to do ?
Mr. Maclauen — One of the enumerated things is
" Municipal Instituticms," and my ar<,Mnuent is that
"Municipal Institutions " involves not oidy th(^ right to
create these corj)orations, hut to give them sn<'h powers as
were understood to he comprised within the meaning of the
phrase " Municipal Institutions."
Lord Watson — At the time hefore the Act passed, the
Provincial Legislature could have given them all the powers
which the Dominion Legislature suhsecpiently had conferred
upon them. J)o you mean that hecause th(^ phrase
" Municii)al Institutions " is used in general terms in suh-
section 8 of section i)'2, that therefore the Province have
power to continue to create those institutions and to endow
them with powers wiacl; they themselves as a Legislature
were not possessed of?
Mr. Maclaren -.Njtatall. My argument is, that out
of the powers which had heen conferred upon Mnnicii)al
Listitutions ])revious to confederation must he taken out, so
far as local legislation is concerned, all the suhjects which
have heen assigned to the Dominion.
Lord Watson — That goes very much hack to the (piestion,
do not you think, of what powers in the suhsequent Act are
competent to the Provincial and what powers are conii)etent
to the Dominion Legislature ?
Lord Herschell — Of course so far as the Legislature
did so hefore that law no douht remains, hut the (piestion is
whether the new law" can he enforced under any of the
suhjects which are enumerated in section 9*2. I do not see
how they can give the Municii)ality power to legislate, hecause
that is what it comes to.
Mr. Maclaren — My argument would he respectfully
lit
'j,t^.-'^'ii:siii, oii-i^. i**"!./. ».-'-..,.
I.itiiinr I'niliiliiliini AjtjnaL iH'.ir),
37
this: that the word " Mniiicij»iil InstitutiouK " is used in ii
{^ciit'i'iil sense, iind as I hope to he ahh' to show your
Jjordships. in a sense very well nnch'istood inCanacHan Lef^is-
lation, and that when the t'raniers of the (^nehee llesohitions
wliich are enilxxhed in the British North America Act, put
in l{esohition No. 4:}, the words " N[unicipal Institutions."
and <^'ave the h)cal Lej^islature authority to pass hiws r(>spectinj:;
Municipal Institutions, they meant such lej^islation as had
been theietofore enacted in Canachi from tim(> to time ; and
Huhjects which were not expressly assigned to the Dominion
by section i)l. I achnit that there are some subjects in
section 91 wliich
Lord Watson Sup{)osin<^ tlu're were a nmnicipality on
the sea coast which had char^'e of buoys and various other
subjects ^iven to the Dominion Tarliament, you would not
say that subsecpiently the Provincial Ije«,'islature could give
them any new rights ?
Mr. IVrACLAHKN — Not at all. My argument is that they
would not have that power.
Lord Hkhschkll — Your argument is that everything
they had done theretofore as Municipal Institutions they may
legislate about afterwards ?
Mr. Maolaren — Not at all, my Lord, because the buoys
mentioned by his Lordshi}) are expressly taken out and
assigned to the Dominion.
Jjord Watson — I notice you use the words "expressly
taken out," but are not there also excejjted all things whicli
are fairly included in the general language of any sub-
section of section *,)1 ?
Mr. Ma'jlaren — I did not mean to say that.
Lord Lavey — The })resumptio)i is in favour of section 91.
Mr. Maclaken — To a certain extent, no doubt.
Lord Watson — It says that, notwithstanding what has
gone before, it shall extend to all matters coming within the
class of sui)jects next thereinafter enumerated. Now, if any
matter cones within these classes of subjects, of which there
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Llqiior Prohibition Appeal, 1805.
Ml
are 29, do you say that any matter coming within these
is a matter with which the Provincial Legislature could deal
or could endow a municipal institution with power to deal ?
Mr. Maclaren — My argument is that it could not, my
Lord.
Lord Herschell — Let me follow that up. E^ en although
it is not one of the subjects which are given in terms to the
Provincial Legislature, yet if it was a subject about which
there had been legislation in relation to the municipalities,
then it becomes a municipal institution. Do you say that ?
Mr. Maclaren —If it had been comprised within the
municipal institutions. .:" :.• ;■. ,
Lord Herschell — I do not quite understand what you
mean by " comprised within the municipal institutions."
The thing itself obviously had not, because the question is
whether particular legislation about it is good. It must mean
that there had been legislation about a particular sul)ject
matter, endowing a municipal body with power in relation
to it.
, Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — Then wherever that liad been the
case, any legislation with relation to that in the direction of
further or altered powers, you say is subject to the other ?
Lord Watson— That would make the section an exception
from the powers conferred by section 9L I do not doubt
that under sub-section 8 the creation of municipal institu-
tions is given them ; but on the other hand, with reference
to matters as to which the Legislatures have powers to deal,
does not it follow that they mast look to the Dominion
Parliament so far as the matter is connnitted to the Dominion
Par^inment on this subject ?
Lord Davey — 1 think there is a case on this very sul)ject
ill which municipal legislation was held to include such
matters. . ^ .
Mr. Maclaren — My argument is— and it is necessnry
for us to argue it in this case — that the words "municipal
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Liquor I'rolUbitioii .Lppeal, 1895.
39
iiiHtitutions " in sub-section 8 include not only the creation
of corporate b dies and municipal cor})orations, but also the
conferring upon them such powers as usually, at least, belong
to such bodies.
Lord Herschell — But would it be "usually"? They
confer upon municipal institutions every power which they
please. Why " usually " ?
Mr. Maclaren — That they would probably put under one
of the other enumerated classes. I was only arguing how
much they might do under sub-section 8. They might, I
think, confer upon the municipal institutions
Lord Herschell — I do not understand myself under
sub-section 8 how they have power to confer anything
which they do not themselves possess. "Municipal institu-
tions " means the creating of municipal bodies and giving
them powers. What })ow-ers — all or any of those which they
themselves have ? I cannot at present grasp the idea of
their being able to give them more.
Lord Watson — Nor I.
Mr. Maclaren — My argument is that munici[)al institu-
tions, as un(i"''stood in Canadian legislation at the time of
and before the passing of the British North America Act,
included a large numljer of subjects wliich are not by name
comprised within any of the other classes of subjects that
are enumerated in section 92.
Lord Herschet,l — As to what it comprised, surely it
comprised numicipal i)odies, and it coni])rised every right and
power which those nnmicipal l)odies had. It was not limited
to particular subjects ; it included everything.
Mr. Maclaren- -But there would be, as was mentioned
a moment ago by your Lordship, taken out of those subjects
which had formerly licen included, powers which are not
possessed by nuuiici))al instit!Hi();)s — at least, so far as local
legislation would go. There would be taken out of that the
power of the local Legislature to confer all the subjects that
are enumerated in section 91.
Lord Watson — For the first time it distributes the
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Li(jit(ir Pfohihitiiiii Apjtcdl, 1895.
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power betweon the Doniinion and the Provinces, luul they
must look to t]\e Dominion for the authority to legishite on
sul)jects which .'re within the Dominion, and they can only
look to the locality to exercise authority on subjects which
are within the locality.
Lord Hekschell — You say " Municipal Institution!?. "
has a technical meaning l)ut where do you deriv* r'Mi
technical meaning from ?
Mr. Maclaren — I derive it from the course of Canadian
legislation. .: ..,
Lord Watson— Prior to 1867 y '
Mr. Maclaren — Prior to 1807.
Lord Morris — The word " Municipallnstitutions " is a
very vague })hrase, and as I und'^rstand you suggest that it
had at the time that Statiite was passed a well-known mean-
ing, that it comi)rised a well-known set of institutions and
matters which the Legislature were in the habit of dealing
wdth.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, my Lord.
Lord Morris — You say that it was a well-known phrase
there, although not generally speaking known to me or to
anybody else.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes ; my argument is that in Canada
before confederation, the word " ]\Iunicii)al Listitntions " had
ac({uired a well-deliued legislative meaning and that it was
used in that sense in the Quebe'* Resolutions, and thereby
l)ecame used in that sense in tbt British North America
Act.
The Lord Chancellor--! (juite follow your argument,
but kindly tell me what sense do you attribute to the words
in their technical meaning ?
Lord Morris — I do not know that it 's tech?iii ai ; it is in
the understood sense.
The Lord Chancellor — But I am using the Attorney-
General's own i)hrase, the sense which he insists upon; I
want to know how vou d(>tine it ?
.■ctions in
section 92. In either case it equally belongs to the Parliani(>nt
of Canada.
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Mr. Maclaren — No doubt, my Lord.
Lord Watson — Now, if it can be shown to be within
that, according to the assumption of your argument, it cannot
be exercised by the Province, and it cannot be given as a
power consequently to the municipal institutions. If it is
without, it can. I take it that the whole legislative field
which an Imj)erial Legislature in (Canada could occupy is
divided between these two bodies — the Provincial and the
Dominion Parliament. There is no vacant ground. It
belongs either to the Dominion by virtue of one of the sub-
sections from 1 to 29, or by virtue of its not coming under
section 92, in which case the last sentence of section 91
gives it. ■
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, my Lord. ' : . .
Lord Herschell — I am not sure that I quite follow you
as to " Municipal Institutions." You say that, supposing
you cannot find the power anywhere else, you find it in
" Municipal Institutions." Of course, if yon can find it under
any other section, well and good ; but your point is, that
although it cannot be found to be conferred in terms upon
the Provincial Legislature, in which case presumably it is not
in it, yet it is conferred by this sub-section on municipal
institutions, because it is given to a munici})ality. You admit
they could not legislate without it themselves for the whole
Province. ' . ;
Mr. Maclaren — The Province — I do not know that that
(juestion is really necessary for the consideration of this
question. . . . -
' Lord Herschell — It is rather a strange conclusion, that
something which they cannot legislate about themselves for
the Province because it is not within any of the others, they
can confer upon the various parts of the Provinces power to
legislate about. - -; • './ .;.,...;<.;;:; • .
Mr. Maclaren — That is not my argument. My argument
would be that, under the head of " Municipal Institutions,"
the Province could legislate u})on such matte ' as are com-
prised within the term " Municipal Institutionts," even other-
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Liquor I'roliihifloii Aiipcal, 185)5.
47
wise than by giving them to the bodies that were created —
incorporated bodies.
Lord Herhchell — It seems rather strange to me that
because the Provincial Legislature can legislate about Pro-
vincial institutions, it can legislate about something which
had no relation to municipalities.
Mr. Maclaren — It would be conii)rised within what
could be understood by " Municipal Institutions " or matters.
I think the term " Municipal Institutions " has been decided
by your Lordships in the cases that have come before you
when this question has been under consideration to have a
wider meaning than the mere creation of these bodies.
Lord Herschell — Certainly, the creation of bodies ami
all powers given to the bodies — but I do not think this Board
has ever suggested that there was power to give to the bodies
something that it was not expressly competent to legislate
about itself.
Mr. Maclaren — But I think your Lordships have
decided that they could give to a nmnicii)al body some power
that was not in any other of the enumerated subjects of
section 9'2.
Lord Davey— I do not think that the cases have gone
beyond this, that "Municipal Institutions" includes the
creation of Municipal Police, with all the ])olice powers which
are necessary for the maintaining of the order and good
government of a municipality, and it nuiy be (I do not know
whether it is or not), that this may come within this category.
I do not think the cases have gone beyond that.
Mr. Maclaren — The case of Hodnc v. 77//- (Jm'm * is
the case where your Lordships considered it, and powers
going very near the same length as the legislation that is
before your Lordships now, were considered.
Lord Davey — There is another case which I remember
I argued, but which I do not remember the name of, which
may con.'^ "vithin that category, as to the regulation of billiard
rooms.
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Mr. Maclaren — That is Hoihje v. 'ihc Qucm. That is
the hilliard case.
Tjord Davey — It is a case where a man was sentenced to
hard hihonr l)ecause he kept his billiard room open during
prohibited hours.
Mr. Maclakkn — That is Hod(je v. The Qufcn my Lord.
Lord Morris — If this subsection 8 were limited to
merely creating a Munici))al Institution I could understand
that, but if it goes beyond the mere creation and it is said
that it may imply also a i)ower to vest in the Municipalities
matters incident to the Institution, then you open the door
for seeing to what length it should go, and it would appear
to be not unreasonable to sav that at the time the x\ct was
passed one could see what were exactly the matters that
were entrusted to ^lunicipalities, because you have opened the
door beyond the mere fact of the creation of a Municii)ality,
and you have opened the door to show that the question as
to what length you may go nmst depend ujjon the circum-
stances of the case and not upon previous decisions. Previous
decisions held the door was open to a })articular length about
police, but the door was opened beyond the mere creation of
a Municipality.
Lord Herschell — This Board has held that the pro-
hibition of the local liquor traffic is a thing which is given to
the Dominion Parliament under section 91.
Mr. Maclaren — In Jltisst'Jl v. 'Ilu' (Jucfii * which I was
going to it is considered.
Lord Herschell — And they say it cannot exist in the
Provincial Parliament. ' . ,
Lord Morris — My observation always assumes that it is
not given under section 91, I !aj>eb-^A^u.3.<_ Meir-' ? ,
T.ltiuor Vrohlhitinu ApfwaJ, 1805. 51
Lord Hehschell — 16 and 10 they say it was.
Mr. Maclakkn — Yes.
Lord Hkiisciieli- — Of eonrso it was thon^'lit, wliprovfu*
you have a mniiit;i))al body ('niii()w«'r('d to do any of the
thing's in sections nundxn'ed 1 to 1(3, no doubt it came within
tliat number, but tliat is no authority for sayin;^ that it ^ives
any extended meaning' to " A[unicipal Institutions " beyond
this, that within it is the j)ower to eiiabk^ municipahties to
use any of the things which tlie legi ,iture itself couhl use.
I think so far it goes, but I do not tiiink it goes farther.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. Now I desire to refer your
Lordships to the course of legishition in Canada })y which w(!
claim tliat the words " Municipal Institutions " have been
defined and have come to have a well defined meaning.
Lord Hekschell — A well defined meaning, where ?
Mr. Maclauen — In Canada — especially in the Province
of Old Canada. I will refer to the other as well but the
expression "Municipal Institutions " so far as I am aware
had been used in legislative enactments only in the Province
of Old Canada.
Lord Davey — I suppose you would say that " Municipal
Institutions" does not include merely the creation of Town
Council and Aldermen and Mayor for instance, but would
include for instance the creation of a market and nninicipal
police.
Mr. Maclaren — Quite so.
Lord Watson — Or a separate body of commissioners
for the i)urpose of supplying the locality with water ; I should
say all those were Municipal Institutions.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Watson — Or institutions created for the benefit of
the particular nmnicipality.
Lord Davey — And I should suppose it might include the
establishing a gas w^orks.
Lord Hehschell — I should think it included every local
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Liijitor I'roJiHiltioii Appval, 1895.
I
body and every power that you can confer upon that
local body. .
The Lord Chancellor — You would add to that, that
which was included in Canada.
Mr. Maclaren — I think that would be part of ray
argument Where the expression " Municipal Institutions "
had in various Acts of Parliament been given a well knov/n
meaning. I would refer your Lordships to a joint Appendix
of Statutes that has been put in by the parties — that is the
Appellant in this case and the Distillers' and Brewers'
Association to which they refer. It is a selection of statutes
chiefly before federation which show the legislation. They
are extracts from the statutes showing the regulations that
had been in force in Canada upon the subject. The first
Municipal Act in Canada was passed by the Province of
Canada for Upp^r Canada alone. -.
The Lord Chancellor — There is a difficulty in my
mind as to whether I und^u'stand your argument, and the
difUculty is this. I quite undcistand the Im})erial Legislature
using the word which had been usually used in (Canada with
reference to Canadian subjects; that would be true. I assent
to that as reasonable, but I very much doubt unless you can
make out a more limited meaning universally understood in
Canada whether the Legislature were supposed to use it in a
more limited sense than in the Imperial Parliament ^'^self.
Because in some parts of Canada i)articular powers are given
to Municipal Institutions, the^*efore I understand you to say
that the powers are universal.
Mr. Maclaren — Not universal, and the expression
" Municipal Institutions " I think was not uni»'ersal, but I
was going to show your Lordship a series of Acts in which
the expression " Municipal Institutions " was used.
The Lord Chancellor — You mean beyond those which
you would say are generally incident to Municipal Institutions,
do you ?
Mr. Maclaren — They are used as they are given there.
They are not given in all countries. Of course different
countries give different powers. -
"TWW^'W^
Liipior Prohihifioii Apju-al, 1805. 53
The Ijord Chancellor — We must consider what is
usual in the phice in question.
Mr. Maclaren — I presume that "Municipal Institutions"
in Canada means something different to what the words
might mean here in England.
Lord Watson— The meaning of institutions may he got
at when the question is what powers had they, speaking with
reference to the powers to he exercised hy the institution,
created or rather conferred upon the institution hy the new
Provincial Legislature.
The Lord Chancellor— And merely hy the use of
that word.
Lord Herschell — If you take the statutes themselves
it is not used — it is not in the first Act.
Mr. Maclaren — No, my Lord, I think the expression is
not used in the Act of 1849.
Lord Herschell — But in the Act of 1849 there are
certain numicipaiities created and there are certain powers
given.
Mr, Maclaren — Yes, my Lord.
Lord Herschell — Then comes the Act res])ecting
Municipal Institutions of Upper Canada. That is tlii> first.
Mr. Maclaren — That is the first time in which it was
used in the statutes.
Lord Herschell — Then you have a numher of jnovisions
giving certain powers to certain nnniici[)al hodies, hut the
Municipal Institutions existed, did not they, hefore ever those
powers were given ?
Mr. Maclaren — The general " Municipal Act of 1849,"
which is (pioted here was the first general Mui ii.ipal Act for
the Province of Canada and api)lical)le alone to U]i)per
Canada, and it wi)s not introduced in the Province of Quebec,
that is, in Lower Canada, for some years afterwards.
Lord Herschell — I should read the title of this as
relating not to })owers which they possess, but to bodies.
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Liquur I'ruhiliitioii Appctil, 1895.
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because it is an Act relating to the Municipal Institutions of
Upper Canada, that is municipalities that had been created,
and they v/ere going to give them further powers, but the
Municipal Institutions of Upper Canada would not mean the
powers which they were about to confer, but the bodies upon
which they were about to confer those powers.
Lord Watson — -Do the parties mean to represent to us
that before 1849 there was not a Municipal Institution there ?
Mr. Maclaren — No, my Lord ; I think that is not so.
The iirst general Act was passed in 1849.
Lord Watson — There were municipalities before the
first general Act '?
Lord Herschell — But still even at the time of the first
general Act in 1849 there are no such words used.
Mr. Maclaren — The word was not used.
Lord Herschell — Did you observe tlie title of that
Act where the word is used: "An Act respecting the
Municipal Institutions of Upper Canada" — does not that
refer to the bodies rather than tlie powers that are about to
be conferred upon those bodies ?
lAr Maclaren — Well, my imj)ression is that the word is
used in the title very much as it is used in section 92 of
*' The British North America Act," that the local legislatures
under section 92 might make lavv's upon tlie following classes
of subjects, one of them being Municipal Institutions.
Lord Herschell — No ; it is an Act respecting not
Municipal Institutions in Upper Canada, but it is an Act
respecting The Municipal Institutions of Upper Canada. It
is the definite article that I am calling your attention to.
The Lord Chancellor — It is recognising there the
existence of constitutions, and giving them certain new
powers.
Mr. Maclaren — This was really ;•. consolidation — it was
embodied in the consolidated Statutes. The Act of 1859 is
found on page 8 of the Appendix.
Lord Morris — The enacting part of section 92 should
T
Ijifjllnr I'i'dllihitio}} .ippi'dl, 1ositioji, (hat th(>re was l(>;.nslation at the time of
C^oniedfM-ation by the Parliament for the whole of Canada.
There was other legislation for Lower Canada and l'pp(>r
Canada sejjarately, and there were certain powers given to
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Liquor J'rohUntloii Ajipcal, 1895.
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the innnit'ipalities to regulate some matters relating to
weights and measures in the Municipal Act.
Lord Davey-
Mr.
-There is a section about existing legislation.
Maclaren — Yes, section 129.
Lord Watson — But all the powers given in the Act are
expressly taken away under section 91. I mean all the
])owers given to the municipalities that the Act refers to are
laken away by the British North America Act, section 91.
What inference do you desire us to draw from that ?
Mr. Maclaren — As to those that are taken away, there
can be no question that those are beyond the powers of the
local legislature.
Lord Herschell — But the difficulty you have, as it
seems to me, is this — that everything is taken away which is
not expressly given. You cannot say that this enabled them
to confer upon municipal bodies or to legislate in relation to
all matters that municipal bodies had been empowered to
deal with before, because some of those are expressly men-
tioned in section" 91. But then section 91 equally sweeps in
everything that is not ex})ressly given in section 92.
Mr. Maclaren — So far as this clause is concerned, I am
driven back to the same pomt that I previously mentioned to
your Lordship — that I think we nnist, so far as this argument
on this sub-section 8 goes, that sub-section 8
Lord Wat;'on — It shows that in the matter the Inq)erial
Parliam.'ut cannoi; have given all the powers or the powers
belong' ng to nmnici})alities before the passing of the Act.
Mr. Maclaren-
Lord Watson-
— Certainly not ; we nnist admit that.
-It must be sought elsewhere.
Lord Herschell — You say " Municipal Institutions "
means the creation of the bodies and dealing with their
powers in all nuitters which are not given to the Dominion
Parliament by section 91 ?
Mr. Maclaren — All powers which were conferred upon
them and not transferred to the Dominion — ves.
weimmiiw^iMaK^mi'i''mm\»iu\vi i*at
■-;-rT-.ji«B
Jj'quor P roll ihit 1(111 .ippedl, 181)5.
57
Lord Herschell — But then there are given to the
Dominion under section 91 not only the enumerated things,
but everything which is not given in section 92 ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — That seems to me very difficult to
understand. Therefore can "Municijjal Institutions" include
the gi\ing of powers in relation to any of the matters not to
be found in 1 to 10 '?
Mr. Maclaren — I tliink so far as the argument u[)on this
sub-section goes we must claim that "Municipal Institutions"
does mean more, that ip, it means the powers, as I have said,
which had been conferred upon nninicii;alities and which are
not taken and transferred to the Dominion.
Lord Herschell — But everything is transferred to the
Dominion which is not expressly given to the other.
Mr. Maclaren — We may be arguing in a circle, but I
come l)ack to this with which I started.
Lord Morris — One of the things expressly given is all
matters that had been previously considered common to
Municipal Institutions you say ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord jNIorris — They are given expressly ?
Mr. Maclaren — They are given expressly.
Lord Herschell — But you cannot say it is all matters
exju'essly considered connnon to IMunicipal Institutions,
because you have excepted out of them everything found in
section 91.
Mr. Maclaren Yes.
Lord Herschell — Then if so, amongst the things given
to the Dominion Parliament is legislation in respect of all
matters not expressly given to the Provincial Legislatures.
Mr. Maclaren — But, my Lord, I think that is really
overriding the whole of section 92 and taking away the
whole power, tor this reason : take, for instance, any of the
subjects enumerated in section 92 — take " property and civil
•li
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li,:
'i
'§
A
68
Ijiquar I'rohihititm Ajqwul, 1895.
rights," for instance, I think that the interpretation which
your Lordships liave })ut upon tluit section is this, thai the
Province may legishite respecting property and civil rights
except as to the interference with property and civil rights hy
legislation hy the Dominion upon any of the sul)jects that are
enumerated in section 91, and I would ask you to apply the
same rule here. ' •' -
Lord Herschell — No, hecause you see the dilRculty is
this, that you are seeking to extend the natural meaning, as
it strikes me, of "Municipal Institutions." It is any
municipal l)odies you choose to create, or whose circumstances
you choose to modify, and every power that you choose
to give to those municipal hodies, all that is included in
" Municipal Institutions " as I should understand it hy the
light of nature. But tlien you seek to put an artilicial
meaning upon it rather, and to say that it means the powers
which had heen in fact conferred, or rather powers of the
nature of those which had heen in fact conferred u})on
municipal hodies. But then you cannot maintain that to the
full, hecause you are ohliged to admit that it can only mean
such of them as were not conferred upon the Dominion
Parliament.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — Then I have pointed out to you that
if you have to interpose that exception, thr>n you excei)t also
everything that was not in terms given to the Provincial
Parliament.
Mr. Maclaren — As I tried to point out a moment ago,
that would apply not only to 8 hut to every other sah-section
to section 92.
Lord Herschell — I do not see that it applies to the
others also, hecause if you can find it in any of these from
1 to 16, then no douht there are exclusive ppwers given to
the Provincial Legislature, and no general words in section 91
will enahle the Dominion Parliament *m take it out of the
power of the Legislature.
Lord j\IoRRis — It still comes hack to the question under
suh-section 8, are these poAvers expressly given to the
fpK.^;«i.:.TOi«a)->--.mi«»rviB3^5«»t»Tf5nirMi
Liquor Vrohihituni Jj)i>eal, 189f5.
50
I 'l:
Provincial Parli.ament ? You say they are under tlie words
" Munic'i})al Institutions," and you would be ri^dit if you
could show that '* Munici[)al Institutions in the Province "
includes them as well as the others.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, and I was endeavouring to show to
your Lordships that " Municipal Institutions," as understood
in Canadian legislation, really comprises such })owers as we
are now claiming under the Act that is im2)ugned.
Lord Herschell — Not such [)owers. It a})plies to all
the powers that were given to municii)alities. Por instance,
it did not com[)rise any particular one, hut it comprised every
power that was given as I uiulerstand it.
Mr. Maclaren — Every power that is not taken out hy
section 91.
Lord Morris — As I understand it, you want to read
"Municipal Institutions" as though there were -i glossary to
the Act, and your glossary is })revious legislation.
The Lord Chancellor — I can quite understand that, if
you were accurate in your statement as to what that was.
Mr. Maclaren — I was just proceeding to show your
Lordships as well as I could what I meant by that.
The Lord Chancellor — I thought you conceded that
there were different powers ?
Mr. Maclaren — The legislation was not identical.
The Lord Chanceli-or — Not uniform ?
Mr. Maclaren — Not uniform in all the Provinces,
The Lord Chancellor — But when you are treating that
as a mode of expounding a })articular word it seems to me
impossible to follow your argument.
Lord Watson — The fault of your argument appears to
be this : to suggest that there is some power or other which
might be given to a Municii)ality which it is not the province
of the Supreme Legislature to confer, and not within the
power of the Provincial Legislature to confer. I am not
aware that there is any such legislative powe?" to be found
[ I
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'60
Liqattv Vrnhihitiou Apimtl, 1895.
within the four corners of the Act or out.'ide the four corners
of the Act of 1807. It appears to me the whole legislative
j)ower helongs to one body or the other.
Mr. Maclaren — That I think is undoubted my Lord.
Lord Watson — But if it is within your power under
section 92 what is the use of going to previous Statutes on
it ? If it is outside your powers it is equally useless.
Lord Herschell — You go to previous Statutes to show
what " Municipal Institutions " mean ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — But my difficulty is, looking at these
Statutes, "Municipal Institutions" there means, if it refers
to powers at all and not to institutions, all powers that the
Municipalities possess, and it does not mean any new powers
that it is proposed to confer upon them.
Mr. Maclaren — But this is an old power which had
been conferred by Canadian legislation upon Municii)al
Institutions.
Lord Morris — If your detinitiou of " Municipal Insti-
tutions " which obtained in Canada can be got out of the
previous legislation it is expressly given under sub-section 8.
Mr. Maclaren — That is beyond argument.
Lord Morris — It is expressly given. It says so.
Lord Watson — One object, or if not an object, certainly
a i)laiii result of the Act of 1807, was to take away from the
Provincial Legislatures the power to do a great many things
which they had done and quite competently done before.
Mr. Maclaren — No doubt.
Lord Watson — And to hand over those powers. The
motive seems to have been to give over all those legislative
powers which were necessary for the general welfare of all
the Provinces, and in regard to those matters with respect to
which there ought to be uniform legislation throughout the
Provinces.
W'¥i¥iBi' '^B bgfcg
'.'.i an index.
Lord Watson — The destruction of wolves is a Municipiil
Institution.
Mr. Maclauen — When tlie Municipalities looked after
the destruction of them. In these Consolidated Statutes the
Act of 1850 was consolidated, and section '240 is identical
with section 245 of the Act of the year 1850.
Lord Watson — The destruction of wolves goes heyond
regulation. . _
Lord Herschell — It commences " Existing Institutions
continued," and then it goes on to New Municipalities.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — I should say that " Municipal Insti-
tutions " there was used in the sense of the hody and not of
its powers.
Mr. Maclaren — The title of the whole Act. Of course
the greater part of the Act is taken up with the powers and
not with the Institution. ■ .
Ijord Herschell — It gives those Municipal Institutions
powers, but the " Municipal Institutions" means the bodies,
not the powers conferred.
Lord Watson — Without reference to any power tliey may
have had before. For the purposes of that enactment it is
quite immaterial.
Mr. Maclaren — The Act which was in force in Upper
Canada (20 & 30 Vic. cap. 51) at the time of Confederation
your Lordships will find on the same i)age (», which Act was
passed in 1866. That also, like the Act of 1850, is intituled,
"An Act respecting the Municipal Institutions of Upper
Caiuida," and section 240, which is cited on page (>, is almost
identical with that which is found in the Act of 1850.
Next, when we look at the Statutes of the whole Province of
Canada that related to Lower Canada, we tind an almost
identical course of legislation upon this subject. The Act of
16 Victoria, cap. 214, provides for the consent of nuniicipal
L'kjiiov I'mliiliilioii Ajijifiil, 18')5.
08
Jill II
electorH beiiif? necoHsavy for tlic ohtaininf,' of a license. The
first (lencral Muni(!i|)iil Act of Ijowci'CiiiiiMLi (IS Vic. cu|). 100)
is to !)(' found on i)ii«^'<' 12, and was call< il " Tlie Lower
Canada Mnnici])al and lload Act, 1855." Section 28 of tliat
Act reads tlnis :
" The jjowfrs iind fuithority of oacli LdchI Council (in iuMition to
the powers liL'roiuhi'foro con fern •d ("ounties,
by section 20 those powers were conferred upon the Counties.
Lord Davey — That was oidy the power to grant licenses.
Mr. Maclaukn — Yes, my Lord ; the i)ower of {)rohihition
is not included in that.
Lord Davky — Section 02 expressly confers the power to
grant licenses.
Sir Richard Couch — For revenue — only for revenue.
Mr. Maclarkn — For revenue. Up to page 22 of this
Joint Appendix I think all the Acts show what the legislation
was prior to federation in each of the Provinces which went
to make up the Dominion of Canada ; and as I say the
expression " Municijial Institutions" I think is found, so
far as I am aware, only in the Acts ai)i)lying to the Province
of (^anada. We find it in a series of Acts relating to Upper
Canada. There have been a nund)er of judicial decisions
and interpretations with regard to this matter, and it iuis
been considered by the Courts, although, as far as I am
aware, your Lordslii})s have never been called upon formally
to consider it in connection with the (piestion which is now
before you. But the matter has been before the Courts in
Canada — the Courts of the various Provinces and the Suprenu^
Court ; and with your Lordships' leave, I will refer to some
of the interpretations which have been placed ui)on the
matter by the Courts with regard to Municii)al Institutions
and the meaning of that expression in sub-section 8 of section
1)2. The uase I would first refer to is the case of Slaviii v.
The Corporation of (h-illia, which was first rej)orted in HO U. C.
Q. B. page 159, but is now to be found in the first volume of
Mr. Cartwright's collection, at page ()88.
Lord Watson- -What is the date of the Judgment ?
Mr. MacI;Auen — 1874. I will now read from page 702.
I F
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60
LiquDf Prohibition Aiqwal, 1895.
' '
The Lord Chancellor — I see the Chief Justice in the
JiKlgment lie gave repeats your ol).servation, l)ut he does not
shrink from the generaUty of it,
Mr. Maclarp^n — Yes, my Lord. As I remarked, I woukl
take out of that all that is assigned to the Dominion in
section 91.
Lord Da 'FA' — Of course you understand your own
argument hest, but it does not seem to me that that advances
it mucli. I can understand the argument if you confine it
to Municipal Institutions, which by section 129 have certain
powers continued to them, arul that this is an Act dealing
with those powers and an Act relating to ^lunicipal Listitu-
tions as they exist ; but then you must go the whole length,
you know.
Lord Herschell — Then tliere is this difficulty. These
powers may not have been primarily conferred. They exist,
we will suppose ; but can they be repealed, and then after a
time be re-enacted ? Tiuit is to say, a Province that had not
had any provision of this sort before could not ci eate, but the
Province that once had had it, could — which would be rather
an anomaly.
Mr. Maolaren — I think we must admit that the powers
of all the Provinces would be the same under section 92.
Lord Davey — Is that so, because section 129 continues
to til em their existing powers ?
Lord Watson — And on the other hand, although
section 129 continued their existing powers, it gave a
Province or a Provincial Legislature no power to meddle with
these enactments. This is an action of the Provin(;e, and
th'it is what is comi)lained of. Section 129 is very -express.
The laws of each Province may be " repealed, abolisluMl or
" altered by the Parliament of Canada or by the Legislature of
" the respective Province, according to the autliority of the
" Parliament or of that Legislature under this Act." The fact
liiat it stood as an enactment in 1H()7 does not give any
power whatever to any Provincial Legislature to deal witli
the matter.
fji(jii()r I'niliihitidii .ijipcdl, liS!);"),
07
Lord Herhchell — Wlien did these provisions which yon
say are now re-enacted cease to exist '?
Mr. Maclahen — They were repealed in 1H()9 by the
Province of Ontario, and then re-enacted.
Lord Herschell — But perhaps they are still in force ?
Mr. Maclaren — That was the ar;■'-
Liquor I'roliiJiitioii Apiical, lHt)5.
C.l)
Mr. Maclaren — A new by-law. The Act of 1(S()0 luul
been re-enacted by tlie Provincial Legislature.
Lord Watson — And that authorised the nnmicipality to
pasH the by-lf),w ?
Mr. Maclauen — Yes, which was cliallenged by Slavin.
Ijord Wathon
Leijislature was ultra n'rcs ?
On the ground that the sanction of the
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. In the case of The (Jiicck v. 'Duilor
which is reported in the same vohnne. (86 U. C. Q. B. 1H8.)
Lord Watson — Can you tell me how you reconcile that
with the case of liussell ?
Mr. Maclaren — With your Lordshijis' i)erniission I was
l)roposing to take that u]) a little later. In the Province
of Nova Scotia tlie question also arose in the case of
Ktrfe V. M,Li'Uiuiii, which is reported in the '2nd volume of
Cartwright, connnencing at page 400. I read from i)age 409,
but I will point out first that on page 40H, Judge Ritchie,
in giving the Judgment of the Court, considers very mach
the questions which came before your Lordshi})s in the
case of Hoihic v. Tlir (Jinai, so that I need not refer to
that, and will only (piote a few sentences on [)age 409,
where he says :—
" In addition to what I have ahioady .iaid, I may remark tliat we
are to a.s.smnt^ that the franiers of the I^ritish Nortli America Act knew
of the h'Lrisiation which was in force in th(! several Provinces, and at
the time of its passing, the hiw in this Province relating to the granting
of licenses for the sale of intoxicating licjuors recognised the right of
the Court of Sessions to refuse licenses for the sale of them in small
(juantities within their respective comities, and that Act did not njpeal
tlu! Provincial Law then in force, so that when the right of granting
licenses was conferred on the Provincial Legislatun^ it may very
reasonahly be presumed that the intention was that the right should
continue to he exercised in the same manner as it was then exercised."
Tliis matter also came before the Courts, and has been before
the Courts of the Provinces and the Sui)reme Court on a,
reference to the C!ourt of Appeal for Ontario under a
Provincial Act very similar to that which is now under
consideration, itnd in which the Court of A[)peal for Ontario
considered the question, and I have here the Judgments.
.Si
■'■aiS
3
;!,.
Ml!>
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/
W.'S
70
Liquor Pnihihition Appeal, 1895.
i
Those Judgineiits have heen furnislied to jonr Lordsliips.
They me three Judgments which are not yet printed in
Mr. Cartwright's hook, and they are furnished in printed
form. The lirst to which I will refer is the Decision of the
Court of Appeal of Ontario (In re Local Option Act IH 0. A. E.
57'i), with regard to this very Act. Under a Provincial
Act this very (piestion was referred to the Court of Appeal
for Ontario, with certain questions which your Tjordships
v^'ill find here. The lirst question is suhstantially the same
question as we are now considering — the jurisdiciic^r. of the
Ontario Legislature fis to this very Act, and it was sulu.uitted
hy the Lient^nant-Governor in Council under the arithority
of a, Provincial Act to the Court of x\pi)eal for Ontario. We
have the Judgment of the Chief Justice of Ontario, in which
his Lordship reviews the legislation to which I have heen
calling attention, and which I need not read.
Lord Watson-
Judgment was ?
-Can vou tell me what the date of this
Mr. Maclauen— Septemher '23rd. 1891. This question
was referred to, and after a review of the legislation, the
Court of A[)peal for Ontario answered the question, and gave
as their o})inion that this legislation was not ultra rlri's of the
Province. I need not trouble your Lordships with reading
that part which is a summary of what I have heen endeavouring
to give. His Lordshi}) goes on to say : —
" U mlor the Confetlerution Act ' ^liuiicipal Institutions in tlie
Province ' are in the class of subjects within exchii^ive Provincial
rtfjfuiation . It may be safely said that there is no ai)i)arent intention
in the Confedei'ation Act to curtail or interfere with the (>xisting general
powers of Munici|)a,l Councils, unless tiie Act plainly transfers any
of such existing powers to the Dominion jurisdiction."
Lord IIekschell — If there was no intention to curtail
any existing powers they were all preser\ed, because they
were inider Acts which were preserved.
Lord Watson — It rather misses this point, that the
intention of the Act clearly was to distribute these powers
between two Legislatures.
Lord HEiiscHELh — No ; to distribute the power to deal
between the two Legislatures. Then it says there is no
Liquor I'nihil ition Appeal, 1805.
71
apparent intention to curtail or interfere with the existing
powers — the existing powers were all preserved.
Mr. Maclaren— Under Section 129 all existiiig l(>gisla-
tion was preserved.
Lord Herschell — Of course it might he altered, if it
was within one of the Dominion suhjects, hy the Dominion.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — The (juestion is not curtailing the
existing ])owers, the question is dealing with the suhjects
which have heen connnitted to the Municipalities.
Lord "Watsox — The argument is verv nnich the same as
you are addressing to us. The argument in the lirst i)art of
the learned Judge's opinion is really to this effect : that prior
to the passing of the Act of 1;
■4
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m
74
I/i(jit(>f PniJiihItiiiii Jjijiral, 1805.
I ;■
a case in the Province of Quebec. The Province of Quel)ec
had legislation similar to that of the Province of Ontario.
Lord Davey — Your section that you are defending pro-
hibits the sale of liquor altogether ?
Mr. Maclaren — No, my Lord.
Lord Davey — Only in retail ? '
Mr. Maclaren — I was coming to that ; that was a later
part of my argument, and I was going to take that up
presently. The effect of it is this
Lord Hbrschell — Does section 18 of 58 Vict. c. 5()
(Ontario), define retail ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes ; retail, your Lordship will find
defined in the Ai)pendix of Statutes.
Lord Herschell — But did this Statute itself deiine
retail ? ' •
Mr. Maclaren — It defined it in this way, that it said
what was not involved in that — no license was necessary —
your Jjordship will find that provision on page 4 of the Joint
Appendix of Statutes.
Lord Herschell — But those are the earlier Statutes.
I am speaking of the Law now in force. We are supposing
those earlier Statutes to be swejjt away except so far as they
are dealt with in the Act of 37 Victoria, chap. 32.
Mr. Maclaren — It referred to taverns and shop licenses,
and your Lordship will find a definition on i)age 23 of the
Joint Appendix of Statutes ; and perlia})s I might just deal
with that as exi)lanatory of the Act. The License Act of
Ontario, which is chapter 194 of the Revised Statutes of
Ontario, intituled "An Act respecting the sale of fermented
or spirituous li(piors," contains the definition. That is :
" 2. Wht're the following words occur in this Act or in the Schedules
thereto, they shall he construed in the manner hereinafter mentioned,
unless a contrary intention appears : ' 2. Tavern license ' shall mean a
license for selling, hartering or trafficking hy retail in fermented,
spirituous or other liquors, in (juantities of less than one quart, which
may he drunk in the inn, ale or heer-house, or other house of puhlic
entertainment in which the same liquor is sold : ' 8. 8hop license ' shall
:
I
Ti
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I.iqHDr I'mliihilloii Appeal, 1895.
75
•i'l
inuim a license for selliiij,', l)iii'teriii^' or tnirtickiiij; by rctiiil in siicii
liquors ill sliops, stores or places, otlier than inns, alo or bo'jr-houses,
or other houses of public (mtertainineiit, in iiiiantities not less than
three half-pints at any one time to any one pi'i'son, anil at the time of
sale to be wholly remoscd and taken away, in (|uiintitius not less tlian
three half-pints at a time."
Then : " 4. License l)y wliolesale ? " — —
Lord Herschp:ll — That does not apply to retail ; " tavern
license " means selling by retail in ([Uantities of less than a
(piart. and "shop license " means s(>llinnse.
Mr. Maclaren — I thitd< so — anything under the ijuantity
authorised to b(> sold liy the wholesale license is retail, because
yoiu' liordship will see that the word retail is used both in
the definition of a tavern license and of a shop license.
Lord Watson — Yes ; retail is used both with regard to
a tavern and a slioj).
Mr. Maclaren — In answer to the (juestion put as to
whether this Act is a total i)roliii)ition, my answer is that it
is not. The Act provides :
" The Council of every township, city, town ami incorporated
villa,!j;e may puss by-laws for prohibitin.i^- the sale by retail of spirituous,
fermented or otlier manufactured licjuors in any tavern, inn or other
' M;
m
m'\
76 Liifuor Proliihitidii Jpjx'dl, 18'.)5.
hoiiHc or placo of public tintortainmcnt, and for prohibitiiif,' altogether
the Hiilo thuroof in shops and placoH other than houHes of pid)lic enter-
tainment. Provided that the by law, before the final passin<( thereof,
has been duly approved of by the electors of the nmnicipality in the
manner provided by the sections in that behalf of the Municipal Act.
Provided, however, that nothin;,' in this section contained shall be
construed into an exercise of jurisdiction by the L 'jifislature of the
Province of Ontario beyond the revival of provisions of law wliich were
' . in force at the date of the passing,' of the Hritish North American Act,
and which the subsequent legislation of this Province purported to
repeal." >
Lord Herschell — I can see the reason of that. That is
to save them if it turns out that they have not power to enact,
hy faUing hack on the fact that the okl statute did not repeah
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, I think that was the intention.
The Lord Chancellor — I am afraid it does not affect it
much hecause if they were right they were right, and if tliey
were wrong it wouhl not help them.
Lord Watson — That question is not hefore us at all.
The Lord Chancellor — If it was not repealed it would
he in force.
Lord Watson — That is not the question hefore us. There
is nothing to raise the point for our consideration just now
as to what the effect of those Statutes may he.
Mr. Maclaren — I suhmit that this Act which is now
before your Lordships is not an Act of total proliihition hy
repeal.
Lord Herschell — They can sell if they sell in less than
a dozen bottles or live gallons.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, municipalities have two powers
under this Act of 1890.
Lord Davky — I sup})Ose it being })art of the o])ject of the
municipal institutions to })reserve order and to prevent
disorder in a nmnicipality, they would have })Ower to make
regulations for conducting traffic in such a way as to prevent
drunkenness.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
■mH
Llijiiiif I'roliihilion .\i>i>i(il, I8'.)r*.
77
Lord Hkus('iii;i,l— Ar(^ yon goin^ in ar is anything in section
91 to take it out of the full o{)eration of t\w Act.
Lord Watson — If you can show that the enactments in
the Statute in question do not go heyond regulation, it strikes
me that Rimsrll v. The (Jiurn is a judgment in your favour,
because it does decide that laying down the lines of trading
is within the coni})etency and helongs to the Dominion Parlia-
ment, yet there resides in the Local Legislature the power
of regulating local sale, and the cpiestion is whether you can
show that this is regulation.
Lord Davey — Regulation of the Li(juor Traffic for
municipal purposes.
Lord Watson — It is a (piestion of regulation and the
powers of regulation and if the Dominion Parliament were to
!'(
it ^
7fi
Ijliliior Prolilhifiini Ajtjtfdl, '\H*^'^.
I
;l .
give power to a innnicipality to puss ii Ity-lnw l)y wliicli no
drink could !)<' sold between H a.m. and 10 |).m. I am iiielined
to think that that would raise the (piestion of mere refj;idati(»n.
The Lord ('hancellor — We will denl with that when it
arises. The only thing I should say as to that would i)e tliat
it was in form regulation i)ut was really intended to lie pro-
hibition. 1 suppose; if that proposition were true you migiit
make it from (> a.m. to 7 a.m.
Lord Wathon — With an liour for meals.
Mr. Mac'Lauen — This Aet of l.SDO as your Lordships will
see is an Act amending the License Act of Ontario, and I
submit that the ))roper test of this Act as to whether it is
valid or not is to look at it not so nnich as an isolated piece
of legislation, but to look at the ettect of the Act as amended
by this amending Act. It is part of an Act amending the
Liquor License Act and is now end)odie(l in it.
Lord Hkuscheli, — But it does not follow that you can
amend that Act, does it ? That is the whoh; (piestion. There
were many Acts which y(m could not amend after the Con-
federation Act was passed. I do not see how you advance
your case l)y saying that it is merely the amending of the
previous Act.
Mr. Maclaren — It is an amending of the Act which was
l)efore your Lordships in Ifodiir v. The (Jticvii.
Lord Herschell — Still something in that Act may be
perfectly valid, but you may amend it for example in this way.
Taking tln^ case of llndyc v. 'I'lir (Jiircii as good law, you
might alter the hours but that would not have been good,
because there was an amendment of the Act ; it wouhl be good
if there wer(> no such Act existing at all.
Mr. Maijlaren — Yes. In the License Act of Ontario, of
which this is an amendment, the h^gislatnre has made three
classes of licenses: tavew slio}) and wholesale. Tavern
may sell one quart or les wnich may be consumed on the
premises ; the shop may Scil in (piantities not less than three
half-])ints, wliich shall not b(> consumed on the premises;
the wholesale may sell not less than live gallons. Now the
I 'I
I
LiifiKir I'riiliihilltiii .lii/nnl, iMD").
71)
efTet't of this Act of ISIM) is tliis. ft siiys in cITcct to the
iniiiii('i|)iiliti<\s — " you nuiy pass ;i liill tliiit (lici-c sluill he no
tavi'i'ii licenses «^'iiinte(l " : tluit would Iciivc slio|) and whole-
sale ; "or, you may pass a l>ill sayin<,' that there shall he no
more shoj) licensees f^ninted " : that would leave tavern and
wholesale : or, you nuiy pass a hill (H' hills sayinj^'that "there
shall he neither tavern nor shop licenses ;^nanted " ; in any case
there niif^ht 1)(» wholesale licenses in the unuii(Mpality, that is
for the sale of live ^'allons, or not less than one do/en hottles.
So 1 suhmit that it was (piit<> conij)etent as a license law and
as a retaliation — a re;,ndalion of the drink for the Province of
Ontario to (Miact, or to authorise nuinici|)alities to enact, that
there should not he a total prohihition of the sale of lifjuor,
hut that ther<> should he not less sold in a |)articular munici-
pality than live j^allons at one time or less than a do/en
hottles, and that that legislation can h(» sustained under a
polic(> re<,nilation for the amendment of the trade in intoxicat-
in;!,' li(|uors. And that is the Act which your ij()rdshi|)s have
to consider, so that under this (piestion which we are now
considering', it is not a (juestion of entire prohihition at all :
it is a matter merely of the withholdinj^'of tavern licenses and
of shop liccmses; so that I suhmit, that even thou^di in
answer to some of the previous (juestions, your Lordshiits
should hold that the Province has not the power
The Lord C!hancellou— Putting it in different language
to make it more intelligihle, that licjuor should never he sold
except wholesale.
Mr. Maclauen — That is with the definition of wholesale.
Lord Watson — It is a i)roliihition of the retail trade.
Lord Heusc'HELI. — The sale of twelve hottles at a time
might even he calhnl retail. The distinction, as I understand
it hetween wholesale and retail generally, has no application
to quantity, hut it means that the wholesale dealer is a })erson
who sells to other dealers to retail, and the retail dealer is the
l)erson who sells to the pui)lic.
The Lord (^hancellor — I rather think our law in this
country makes a distinction. I think it is 2 dozen hottles
which constitut(^s a wholesale dealer — a wholesale dealer
cannot sell less than 2 dozen hottles.
!
.' f
!:i
':^|
S555B!"
SO
Iji(lii(ir I'nthihitiiiii A/iju'dl, 1H1)5.
Lord Watson — I think there is an arbitrary distinction
made by statute, l)nt tlie real distinction is that the wholesale
dealer does not sell to private customers or is supposed not
to do so.
Lord Heuschell — Wholesale I take it means selling it
to other people to reta:il.
Lord Watson — Yes; and the retail dealer I understand
sells to the public who consume. The wholesale dealer does
noi sell to the consumer but he sells to those who sui)ply
the consumer.
The Lord Chancellor — It comes to this you know,
that any one who cannot afford to buy a dozen bottles can
get no licjuor at all.
Mr. Maclaren — That would be the effect.
The Lord Chancellor- -That is the intended effect.
Mr. Maclaren — That is if the Municipality should pass
a Bill abolishing not only taverns but shops. Of course
it would be to prevent the sale and the purchase.
If your Lordships will allow me there is one other case to
which I wish to refer upon this point but I will not detain
your Lordships by reading it. It will be found in the book of
sj)ecial j)rinted cases, and it is the last of the three contained
in it Lcpiiie v. Laiircnt. I cite it, especially because it
embodies tlie judgment of the C-ourt of Appeal of the Province
of Quebec which is not elsewhere reported. It will be found
on page 17 of these printed cases, I refer especially to the
part of the case commencing at i)age 18, in which his
Lordship Mr. Justice Lynch refers to a case which had been
decided— tlie case of SuUc, and also the judgment of the
Court of Appeal which is not elsewhere reported, as was
stated by his Lordship Mr. Justice Lynch, who acted as one
of the Counsel in the matter. He quotes, no doubt, from
the printed case which went to the Supreme Court, and he
refers specially to tlie remarks of the Court of A})peal of the
Province of Quebec. I first refer to the remarks of the late
Hir Antoine Dorion, and then on page 19 to the remarks of
Mr. Justice Enmsay. Then at the foo<^ >f page 19 your
Lordships will fhid the remarks of Mr. Jr: tice C'ross, which
i
^
(
i^Hf^i^ ^■'^^J^vjf^fff^cffWV TfVr *f»^ . .fsstflnifr'^
Liquor Prohlhitioii AppniL IS',);'
81
put in a very stronp; way sonio of tlio points and ar^nnients
to wliich 1 was endcavrtnri'i!/ tocall your Tionlsh'p.s' iittention
upon the matter.
', Adptininl for n sJnn-t tlinr.^
Mr. Maclaren — JVfy Lords. I think the only other case
to which it is necessary to refer yoin* Ijordships iit the j)resent
time on the suhject I was addressin<^ yon upon liefore the
adjournment, is the Judgment of Mr. Justice I'aschereau in
the case of Huson v. Soitili Xonricli, which raised this
same question.
Lord Hersohell — Where do you find that ?
Mr. Maolaren — It is in the Joint Appendix of Statutes,
hegnniing at ])age 81. The Judgment is one of considerahhi
length and part of it covers tlie same ground as that which.
I have heen going over, and is referred to in the other
Judgments. I will refer your Lordships only to some
short f":tracts.
Lord Watson — I see this was in January, IHOf).
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, the same day as the Judgment was
given from which the present Appeal comes.
Lord Watson — He M^as the other Judge ?
Mr. Maclaren — The 6th Judge.
Lord W^atson — The Judge who hrought the halance to
an equipoise ?
Mr. Maclaren — He was one of the tirst five — one of the
majority in the first case hut he did not sit in the second
case. He was one of the three who dismissed the A})peal
of Uiison v. South Norwicli, U})holding the validity of the
Provincial Act, hut he did not sit in the second case.
Lord Wat.son — Husoii's case was the iirst case?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Watbon^ — The result of the two cases, hecause they
seem to have involved the same (]uestion very much, and the
82
fji(liitir I'mliihilioii Apjual, 1H\)^).
m
same considt'i'iitious, was that the SiipreiiK^ Court was ecjually
divided.
Mr. ^rACLARKN--Yes.
Lord Watson — Though tliere was k majority in the case
now before us.
Mr. Maclauen — Yes ; there was a majority the oth(>r
way in the case of Ihtynii v. Sittttli Sdnrirli whicli invohcd
the same point.
Lord Watson — Arising frorn the fact that the o])inion
of the whole Court was taken, the Judges were etjually
divided.
Mr. Maclauen -That was tlie resuU, and I refer your
Lordsliijjs to this partly because his Lordslii[) discusses the
(juestion that was put to me by one of your Lordshi})s a short
time ago, and that is about tbe case of ///(s.sv// v. 'I'lir (Jnrrn.
His Lordshii), on ))!ige 84 of the Joint Aj){)endix, is discussing
the " Canada Temperance Act," which was in (|uestion before
this J3oard in the case of llitssrilx. The (Jiiroi, whicli he calls the
" Fedi>ral Act of 187S," and he is [)ointing out the distinction
on pag(! 'M between that Act and the present one. He reters
to your ljordshi})s" Judgment in the case of Hoflfjc v. Thr
(Jidfii, on wliich he says : —
" The Privy Council in llnihic \ . Tlir iiiiirn [?i\\\ Appeal Cases 117),
considered tliiit the 'Ontarit) License Act ' does not coallict with the
' I'V'deral Temperance" Act of 1H7(S.' ,/ foiiiori wonld J say, two
prohibitory Acts need not nt^cessarily conflict witii one another."
Lord Watson — I do not lollow what k Jnrilnri there
m<>ans. They were held to conflict because one was ii
prohibitory Act or a proliibitory Act was cont(>niplated. It
was suj»porl(Hl on tbe ground that it was a regidating Act and
not prohibitory. Why should it be : [ think his Lordship meant to ref(>r to
the application of the two Acts.
Tjord Watson lict me put the pro})osition before you.
If a power of \. to grant a prohibitory Act is not inconsistent
1 jX!i^^W'fm^f^!^^^WW^^-
?^»SPPWi5l5P|?wP!WP
1 jUjiuir I'roliihitldii ApjirdI, 1805.
83
with B. grautinj^ a regnlatiiif:; Act, how does it follow (( Jnrtiori
that the })ower of A. to grjuit a ])i-oliibitorv A('t is not incon-
sistent with B.'s granting one ?
Mr. Maclahkn — I tliink thiit is to he taken into aeconnt
with the remarks that t'oHow, in which his Lordship goes on
to point out tiie (htt'erence hetwe(>n the Aet of 1878 ;ind the
Act of 1890. which was in question in the case under con-
sideration .
Lord Watson — He means that the [)rohihit()ry Acts may
l)e of such a different character.
Mr. Maciaukx — Yes; and he goes on to considcu- it in
the seco id i^aragrapli following that I have just read, and he
says :—
" The Ffxleml Act cannot at all be considered as ief^nslation nwv
the powers of the ^lunicipalities. [t does not purport tu lie aiiythiiij,'
of the kind. It liit.s no connection whiitever, and eouhl li'.ve none,
with the nmnicipal system of the diU'erout Proxinces. It is controlhul
iiltoj^ether by a majority of federal electors, but that, it is ol)\i()iis, may
not l)e at all the majority of the municipal (dectors in a municipality,
when that is reijni 'ed, as in tlie Province of fj)uebec, and in fact under the
Statutes at preserit in force in some of the Provinces, wiiereby women,
for instance, are entitled to vote at munici[)al but not at federal elections.
Likewise, for the provincial electors, where, as in Ontario, these bydaws
under tiie Provincial Act depend on their votes, the majority of them
may not be at all a majority of federal electors, or rirc r, ran ; and the
Respondents, 1 assui.ie, would not luive any objection to submit to the
Temperance Act of 1H7H, if it was put into force in the county of
wliicli they form part. All what they claim is Home Rule — tlie rij^ijht
to put a stop to drinking and to taverns within their own territorial Hunts,
even if the rest of the province or all the other municipiilities of tlieir
county choose to do otherwise for their own pe(ii)le. They should \n' as
free to do so now as they were before (,'f)nfederalion, thouyli the Pro\inees
of British Cuinmbin, Prince I'.dwanl Island, (^lU'bec, or nil of them, nnd
all th(.' other nninicii)alities of Ontario, may favour within their teri'itoriiil
limits a ilitl'erent policy. \\'henever the Federal Parliiunent prohihios
entirely the li([Uor traliic in the Dominioii — assuming always, for tiie
purposes of this case, that they liave the power to do so— the Uespoiid(Mits
will not complain : the very object they are now contending for will lie
attained. A\'hat they ask is to be at liberty to do so for themsi'lves till
Parliament does so for the wdiole Dominion. And agii,in, by an express
provision oi the Teiujierance Act of 1H7H, if the Act is rejected by the
federal electors, it cannot be submitted to them again for a period of
three y(>ars. Now, if within these three years a local municipality and
a majority within it of the provincial or municipal electors, where that
M' I
Rum
ill
lilt
84 Liqvor Vrohihitiun Jppral, 1895.
is required, desire to prohibit the liquor traffic within its limits, is there
anythiiif,' in allowing them to do so inconsistent with the Temperance
Act of IftTH, or repugnant to it?"
Lord Watson — All that is luinlly iir^ninieiit. It merely
goes this length, that it is a henevolent sort of legislation
that advances the line of legislation that has been followed
by the Canadian Parliament, hnt if the Canadian Parliament
have the j)ower to initiat(> that })rohil)itory legislation, where
resides tlie i)ower of the Provincial Parliament to carry it
further by supplemental legislation ? Those are the points
T should like you to aildress your argument to, or at least
those are the points that raise difficulty in my mind. It is
possible that it is not insuperable by any means.
Mr. Maclaren — I'he argument on that point would be
that this power which the Provinces exercise and profess to
give to the municipalities under the presei^t Act falls short of
the power of the Dominion.
Lord Watson — In other words, though the Dominion
Parliament has power to initiate the legislation and carry it
so far as to stop there , it is within the power of the Provincial
Parliament to step in and carry it further. On what do you
found that ? T know what you found your arguments on on
the first point, namely, that they derived it from the legisla-
tion before 1867. I'liese observations you are reading us
now do not proceed on that argument.
Mr. Maclaren — No.
Lord Watson — Because, if that argument were well
founded to the core, it would follow that the Provincial
Legislature have the exclusive power of beginning the legis-
lation and carrying it on. This assumes tnat the Dominion
Parliament has the power of initiating. I want to know
where you find it in the Statutes. That throws overboartl
altogether the view that the Provincial Legislature had it
because it was inijilied in the very words " Munici[)al Insti-
tutions." This assumes that that did not oust the J)ominion
Parliament, and as far us I can see he is going to say that
the Dominion Parliament must have carried it on. If tiiey
had carried it on, by the same rule it would apply to all the
different Provinces of the Dominion.
WWWTW"
Lii[ii()r Proliihitivii Apjicdl, 1H1)5.
85
Mr. Maclar?:n — I think tliis is to l)o interpreted hy the
second t'ol]o\vin<^ mirugriiph in wliieh his Lordshii) asks the
question : —
" And can it not be said of the enactment now under consideration
what their Lordsliip.s said of the Statute in //<»/(/(' v. The Qturn, tiiat it
is 'confined to Municipalities in the Province of Ontario and is entirely
local in its character and ojieration.' "'
That, I think, is to h(> read in connection witli the preceding
paragrai)h.
Lord Watson— Then on the other hand if that i)ower of
prohibition is given to the Dominion Parliament, why should
not they have the j)0\ver to carry it further '.' Where is the
limit on that power of prohihition, to put my difficulty more
shortly before you ? Where is the limit to this power which
at a certain time deprives them of power to go further and
hands over the ))ower to go further to the l*rovincial Legis-
lature ?
Mr. Maolaken — This would ap[)ear to my miru' rather
to be an exercise of a [)ower which falls short of that law
which might be exercised by the I'rovinc*^ when the Dominion
has not legislated.
Lord Watson- -What is there that gives it to the I'ro-
vince after the Dominion have gone so far ? Because if
this argument has any fomidation that is legislation belonging
to the Province. It follows on that reasoning if it were well
founded according to my view that it was the Province and
not the Dominion which had the power to carr) it I'lis
distance.
Mr. Mact.aukn— That this might be a jjower the Province
would have and might legislate upon so long as it Wks not
overridden by any Ijegislation of the J)ominion on one of the
subjects conanitted to the Dominion. That is part of his
Lordship's view, that tliis was a local matter — a Police
rei^ulation.
Lord Watson — That the held was unoccupied.
Mr. Maclahen- -Yes, that the field was unoccupi(>d, and
I think that has force in this respect, that although the
Canada Temperance Act wiuch we shall consider further in
IhuiitU V. Tkf ijHccn presently
?4
',]^Ji.H»Cid, 1H5)5.
IjOUD Watson — That is a (loctrinc which was apphcd in
a recent case on tiic (|Ucstion ol' l)ankiu[)tcy, hut what I wish
to ask is this — Has this Board ever affirmed tliat you couhl
have a field of tliat sort partly occupied where there was not
an express <'lause authorising^' it ?
Lord IfKHscHEiJi — I. sup])ose you point to the express
clause as to matters of a local nature and you say, dealing
with th(> condition of drinking and the amount of drinking,
and the limitations ui)on drinking in a particular Province is
of a local natur(» ; that it may he that the Dominion
rarliameiit with reference to the Dominion generally and
its legislation if it touched all Provinces would override
anything the Province did, hut in so far as the Dominion
Parliament has not dealt with it the Provincial Legislature
may deal with it as a matter of local character which touches
nobody outside the Province. Of course you could not con-
tend that, if it is within any of the specific clauses of
section \)\. If it is excluded by reason of its being trade
and commerce, then you would be out of C'ourt.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
]jord Mkrschell- — On that point this Board has not yet
pronounced, but they left it o\w.\\ in the case of llnsscll v. The
Queen. In UiisseU v. The (Jiiecn it said that the Dominion
Parliament v.as not exchuh'd from dealing with it as being
mertdy a local niatt(>r. because it was of interest to tlie
Dominion Parliaineiit that there should he a iniiform regula-
tion of t!u^ li(pior traffic throughout the whole Dominion.
But that would still leave open the question whether it was
competent to the Proxiiicial Legislature to deal with it as
regards its own Province in ;i numner not inconsistent with
any Dominion legislation.
Mr. jVIaolaren — Y(!s.
Lord liERscHEi.j, 1 ha\e been refreshing my memory
by referring to the case of llimsiil v. The (Jiieeii. I do not
think there is anything in Itiissill v. 'I'ln ijimii whii-h i)re(dudes
that |)oint.
Lord Watson — I tliiidi in lliinsell v. The (Jiteen they
distinctly held that the legislaticm in (pu'stion there was not
^mrr
I itfiKiv I'mliiliilimi Ajijii'ii}, IS',)').
ST
lej^isliition nndcr suhscctioii 1(> ol m lucicly local and priviiU"
iiatiirc. Tlicy expressly I'lilcd that.
Mr. M.vcLAitEN — Becnnsc it was i^fciirral lor the \vli()l(>
Doniiuioii.
Lord Davky — Tlio Icf^dslatioii in Unssrll v. 'I'lir (Jiimi was
defended on tiie /^n'oniid of (lie j^eiieral words as to ^^ood order.
Mr. Maclauen — Yes.
liord Hkkschell — They did not sav that witiiin ea(di
*■' t
particular Province it would not he a matter of a local natnre
wliicli the Trovincial Parlianient could deal with. What they
said was, that dealing with it as they were doin^' as a general
matter for the whole of Canada was luit trencdiing ui)on the
provinve of the Provincial Legislature to deal itself with
matters of a local character. That was all they said in
Rmst'll V. The (Jihrii.
Mr. Maclaren — That. I think, is the [)oint.
Lord Herschell — Thateertaiidy leaves open the (juesiion
whether the liquor traffic could he iirohihited or put under
fetter in a Province by a Proviiudal Legislature in a niainun*
not inconsistent with Dominion legislation.
Mr. Maclaren — We have then to consider — and 1 think we
cannot claim more than that — that this Act which we ai'e now
considering might, perhaps, he ov(>i'ridden hy J)oniinion
legislation, if the !)omini of its
powers. Our ckim is that until the J)ominion so l(\gislate,
this legisiatW')]! )•> gooil. iH course we ^hall he told in the
fh'st place lil?«u tliis is rt-ally cMuHicting with the Cana(hi
I'enifwi-ance Act of 187H.
Lord fefERscHELL— That is another (juestion.
Mr. Maclaren— That is the other ((uestion. My answer
to that is that this legislation which is now in force here
would in the nature of things only ap[)ly to places where the
Canada Tem[)erance Act is not in force. The Canada
Temperance Act, as your Lordships are aware, is an Act
which is to he brought into foi'ce by proclamation of the
Governor-General after an affirmati\e vote of the Federal
dd
Liquor Vrohihition Appeal, 18U5.
!
I t
electorH, that is, the electors who elect the Memhers to the
House of (.'ominous. Until that vote is taken, and until that
))rochunation of the (lovernor-General issues jjuttinj^ the
Canada Temperance Act in force, so far as regards any portion
of any Province the Canada Temperance Act does not exist.
It does not i)ractically exist, it is not a law in any part of the
Dominion until it is put in force by a proclamation.
Lord Watson — That Act gives local option to certain
districts as to whether they will or will not adopt its provisions
as part of the measure ?
Mr. Maolarkn — Yes.
Lord Watson — ]3ut then it is (]uite possible that a district
which has that local o})tion, the o})tion between two things
under the Act of Canada, may be deprived of an option by
some vote or regulation of a nmnicipal body.
Mr. Maclaren — I hardly think that could arise in this
case. The present Act applies only to local munici])alities,
that is, to small areas, not to parishes in the Province of
Ontario, but townships, villages, towns, or cities. Those
are what are called local numicipalities.
Lord Watson — The legislation of Canada if not adopted
gives them one rule ; your legislation if adopted by these
authorities may apply a different rule.
Mr. Maclaren — In small localities, that is as a rule, with
the exception of cities.
Lord Watson — A man who has succeeded in preventing
the Canada Temperance Act ap[)lying may find himself under
this Statute.
Mr. Maclaren — If the Canada Teni})erance Act is not
applied in the larger area, that is the county ; as to cities
they might be co-term inous, but if the C^mada Tem})erance
Act is not applied ni the larger area of the county because it
is not a matter of general interest
Lord Watson — Any Statute of that sort which would
carry prohibition so far is by i)lain implication an empowering
Statute ; it enables them to do what is not forbidden under
^m
Liquor I'ruliihiliiiii Apjx'ul, 1HU5.
HI)
that \ct. So far as the Ij^^'islatiire of Caiiitda can do it, it
authorises, suhjcrt to tiicsc rcstriclions, the sale of H((nor iiiid
the t'Oiisuinptioii of H(|nor. On theotliei' liaiid the Ijegishitnre
may seriously interfere with tiiat Act.
Mr. Maclaren — I think T may say that with reference to
the Dominion le action.
Lord Watson —It is an Act which is ])rovi(hn^' certain
restrictions, hut it is an Act plainly, v/hich in suhstance,
authorises the trade in li(|Uor. wholesale and retail, to he
carried on in the Provinces. Suhject to those r(>strictions,
and as long as they are ohserved they are within the law.
The introduction of the local areas and the power j^nven to
local areas to prohihit on some other ground and h)r some
other causes, surely is an interference with the system
estahlished hy the General Act.
Lord Dayey — Then the Tempenince Act is only what it
is the fashion now to c.ill an adoptive Act ?
Mr. Maclaren — CVn-tainly.
Lord D.vvEY — And if not adopted i)y the l'rovinc(> it is
not the law of the Province ?
Mr. Maclaren — ISot hy Provii.'ce- — hy coinities — snuill
areas.
Lord Watson — That alters the (juestion. The law does
not apply until that happens, hut it is the only law restraining
them until it is adopted. They nuiy he free to sell and huy
without it.
Lord Herschell — Take this case. Su))])osing your Act
had heen rei)ealed, or purported to he repealed, would the
l)assing of the Canada Tem})erance Act have prevented its
ojjeration in the Province of Ontario, or such parts of
the Province ol Ontario as have not ado})ted the Canada
Temperance Act ? I do not know.
Mr. Maclaren — I do not know why it should.
Lord Herschell — If so and if it is not impliedly
:i
00
LitjiiDf I'r iliilii'liiiii Ajtjx'iil, 1805.
!
rf'poalcd by it, is not that one tfst as io wlictlicr it is
iiicoiisistt'iit ?
Mr. Maclaren — I slionld think that would he the jji-opor
test. Then T wonhl refer your Lordships also to what
Mr. Justice Tasehereau says on jja^e ;).S, referring,' to the
Province of Qiiehee, which throws some U^dit on tiiis
question : —
" I nwx\ hiinlly say tliut it roHults dearly from it whatovcr its
conHcquonccs may Ix- on tlic ([lu-Htion now unik'r considoration, tliat
the whole system of le,u;islativi^ siipei'vision over the liquor trattic Avas
so eiosely identified witli the iiuinicipal system of tiie I'rovinee," (tliat
is tlj' I'rovinee of (i)iiel)ee, and we liave l)ec;ii hitherto speaiiinf^ chietly
of the L'rovince of Ontario) " and so hiended with it that they formed
only one. Tlie • Constitutional connection ' hetween the two to use
Mr. .lustice Burton's expression — was complete. .\nd up to the present
(hiy the two are so worked and put in operation as one, that every year,
in a larjje numher of municipalities, the only, or at least the prnicipal
(piestion at the election for councillors is prohibiticm or no prohii)ition '?
This is a matter of public notoriety in the l'rovince. Now, not long
after the coming into force ( the " British North America Act" the
(Quebec Legislature, in 1H70, enacted m- Miiiiiiijitil Code, aiul in
continuance of the policy tliat had theretofore prevailed in the I'roviiuie,
of treating the control over the linient
that by middng the prohil)ition total within the Province ;
that may have been what wiis contemplated by the Act of 18()7.
Mr. Maclauen — Of course I have called your Lordships'
'
-1
!i;"-
w:
iittcntion to the tact tliiit this Ac-t we arc now considering is
not ill) Act of total ])roliiliitioii.
lionl JIkuschkll - If there was no powci' to niiike this
enactment tliere seems strong argument in fiiNoui' of there
having heen no |>o\ver to repeal it. and if so a strong argument
in favour of this |)revious legishition heing still in U)Wv, and
the (|uestion is whether that is overridden in tliiit
case hy the " Canaxhi Tem|)enuu.'e Vet" until jiny |»Iaee
within the Province adojjts it. If they do not a(h)|)t
it it is (hflicult to see what can have got rid of
the old law. Tt is a little sti'ange why the (|uestii>n
was not asked whether the |)rrvious statute had heen validly
re|)ealed, het-ause there seems to he rather a dilemma. If it
cainiot he validly (Miactecl it is dil'ticult, to see that the former
Act has heen validly re{)eale(l. hecause it is deiding with
precisely the same suhject-nuitter. If it could not he validly
rejiealed then it is in force. One of those ([uestions is asked.
Do you know why the otluu- is not ?
Mr. i\rACL.\i{KN — T was speaking of tlie Ontario legisla-
tion, and conlining myself to that.
Lord IIkhschkll — The (piestion is not put whetliei' such
an enactnu'nt is in force. The (juestion is put wiicther it
had jurisdiction to enact the LStli section. It nmy not have
had jurisdiction to enact it, hut the Act may he in force
hecaus(> there was no pow(M' to repeal thi^ Act w liicli previously
existed. We are not asked that (juestion.
Mr. Maclakkn — I helieve that it is douhtful whetln^i' the
Act may not have heen repealed l)y the Dominion in the
general repealing clause in connection with the Revised
Statutes.
Mr. Blake — It has heen.
Lord Watson- Then that accounts for it.
Mr. ]3lakk — I can show vour Lordshij) the repealing
clause in the lievised Statutes of CauMda.
Lord Watson — Head the clause, Mr. J31ake.
Mr. Blake — There is a general provision
which is that
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say you nnist find within sub-section 8 all the pov^ers. Any
matter coming within the class, that is what you connnunicate
to them. There are, I venture to say, five-sixths of the
powers given to municipal institutions that are nmch better
described in sub-section 15 than sub-section 8.
Lord Herschell — I certainly do not see any reason for
putting a narrow construction on "matters of a loctd nature."
It must be something the efiect of which is confined to the
Province, l)ut if the effect of it is confined to the Province,
and if it is not one of the tilings s})e.*ifically mentioned in
section 91, 1 do not see why the Provincial Legislature should
not deal with it.
Lord Watson — Then you come round to the last clause 1(5
" all matters of a merely local or })rivate nature." I do not
think they are necessarily implied in the words " Municipal
Institutions," but having created a Municipal Institution,
whatever its character, it is entirely within the power of the
Provincial Legislature to clothe it with such powers and
authorities as are within themselves. They can delegate
their powers.
Lord Hehschell — I do not (juite see why you " shy " at
that clause 1(5. It seems to me it is better for you than 8.
If the thing is one of the things specifically mentioned in
section 91 then you are thrown. , '
Mr. Maclaken — We are out in any event. ^ ' ' ^.i
Liijiinr Pfohiiiitioii Apju'iiJ, 1805.
95
Lord Hehschkll — If it is not one of tlip tliin«Ts
specifically niontioiicd in section 1)1 and it is iociil in its
character and natsn-e and does not go heyond the locality,
why should it not i»e within 1(5 ?
Mr. Maclaren — When your rjordship suggested 1(> I
confess I thought your Lordshi)) was leading me on to the
consideration of that clause as in Hitssrll v. YV/c (Jiirrii, and T
was in fear of heing landed in a dilennna there.
Ijord Hkhschell — The (piestion arose in nussill v. The
(Jiorn from exactly the opposite [)oint of view. In lliifisrll v. Tin-
Qinrn it was sought to (>xclude it from the purview of the
Dominion hy saying it is a thing of a local nature. The
answer to that was, if you give that construction to a thing
of a local nature by way of excluding the J)()minion action
vou would exclude them from evervthing which dealt with
the Dominion as a whole, because it nuist deal also with the
parts. That was the argument rejected in llitssrll v. Thf (Jiurit,
but lliissill V. 'llir (Jmrii certainly did not say that you might
not legislate in the Province for a thing which afllected only
the Province provided it was not one of the things specifically
mentioned in section t)l.
Mr. Maclaren — I was about to consider that.
Lord Davey — Subject to any legislation in the Dominion ?
Lord Herschell — Subject to any legislation for the
whole of the Dominion that is not made one of the specific
clauses. The sju'ciiic clauses exclude it, but when you are
dealing with anything of a local nature ev.^ry thing in the
Province and all legislation within the Province might b.
said to be of a local nature, but when you are dealing with a
general term like that it is obvious that that must be over-
ridden by any s[)ecific legislation by the Dominion Parliament
for the Dominion as a whole.
Mr. Maclaren — No doubt.
Lord Heuschell — If you cannot bring it within any of
the sub-sections 1 to 15 of section 9*2 and have to r«dy on
sub-section 1(5 it must always be subject to being overridden
by the action of the Dominion Parliament for Canada as a
''m
OC)
Liqmr Prohibition Apiical, 189/5.
whole, hilt snhject to that I do not quite see why there should
not he Provincial Legislation.
Mr. Maclamen — I wish to claim the henefit of 1(5, hut I
thought it hotter to consider it in conjunction with Ilussi-ll v.
T//y' (Jiiirii, and in considering the Caiuida Temperance Act
which was under consideration in Jtiism'll v. Tlir Qwcn and
the present Act, the distinction is one that has heen drawn
hy this Board in a numher of cases. Though the word "exclu-
sive" is used it has heen laid down that that word "exclusive"
does not really exclude one or the other hody from something
which may have heen unoccui)ied, that if there were legisla-
tion on the part of the hody whose legislation would override
that, that would preclude the legislation on hehalf of the
other hody.
The Lord Chancellor — I think you are quite justified in
saying that more than one judgment jioints to that distinction.
I have great difficulty in following it. Because its powers were
distrihuted some to one and some to the other, it does not
appear to me that the fact of one not having exercised it is
any argument to shew that the distrihution has not taken
place.
Lord Watson — I think you must admit that is due to
two considerations. I do not think that this Board have
ever held that to he the law except where these two things
occur ; in the first place that the thing the power of doing
which is in question could he done effectively hy the Dominion
Parliament as i-.icidental to power expressly given them hy
section 91, and in the second place that it falls expressly
within powers given as exclusive powers to the Provincial
Legislature.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord WaxSon — It may he that it ought to he carried
further. I do not think it has yet heen carried further.
Mr. Maclaren — I was ahout to argue that the length to
which it has heen carried is all the length to which I require
to go.
Lord Watson — The last case we had was one where
clearly the matter at issue was a matter of civil rights and it
Liquor Vvohihitiou Appral, 18U5.
07
was held that tho IpCTislation was j^ond. thonirli it would ho
quitu coini)etent to the Dominion FavHanient (o set it aside
and v«^j)eal it, or nMuh'r it of no (>tt"ect wliiitev(>r by introducing
certain [)rovisions to the contrary in dcaUn",' with the (jnestion
of bankruptcy, because there are a number of ])ow(>rs <^iv(Mi
witli which it is perfectly (dear you cannot interfere without
inttu'fering more or less with civil ri<,dits. How can you
interfere, for instance, with copyri<,dit without affecting th(>
right of the rest of the public and liieir civil interests ? How
can you interfere with bills of exchange or promissory notes
without interfering with the interests of others, and the civil
rights and interests of persons outside the Province, and numy
others in the same way ?
Mr. Maclaren — I think there are two cases in which
that has been specially considered and which I think T need
not press ujjon your Lordships as being any extension of the
principle. The first case is LTnum St. Jaaiiirs ik Montrcid v.
Bclisli', to which your Lordship has ref(^rred, which is in Law
Reports (Privy Council) page 81, and in the first volume of
Cartwright, page (VS. That was a (juestion respecting a
benevolent society which was altering its basis in proportion
to its members, and it was a (piestion whether that was an
interference with the Dominion right relating to bankruptcy
and insolvency, and your Lordships held it was not such an
interference and that it belonged to property and civil rights
ami to prevent bankruptcy taking place. That was further
considered in the case of the Attorney-Cxeneral of Ontario and
the Attorney-General of the Dominion in the matter relating to
the Assignment Act of the Province of Ontario i)i the Law
Reports of last year (1R04) A])peal Cases, j)age IcSU, in which
your Lordships upheld the validity of certain enactments of the
Province of Ontario which it was claimed were ultni rircs on
the ground of relating to l)ankru[)tcy and insolvency a matter
which is assigned exclusively to the Dominion.
liord Watson — We held that these enactments were
warranted by sub-section 13 of section 02.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Watson — They were enactments with reference to
civil rights which the Province were entru «d with, but it
H
SI
fell
■!;•
k
t
m
Li(liior Priihihitioii .Ijijndl, 1895.
was pointed out tliiit the Dominion I'arlianu'iit liiid le<,'islative
})ower with reference to liankniptcy wliii-li ini},'lit occasion
the minifying of tiic h'gishition.
egishited
Mr. Mac'Larkx — But the Dominion not having
the Province had the rigiit to legishite under the authority of
"Property and Civil IJights." That, 1 think, is the etiect of
the Judgment.
The Lord Chancellok — That is to say so long as it does
not conflict with the hankrujjtcy legislation of the Dominion.
Mr. Maclaren — That I think is the expression used.
With regard to the case of Jliisscll v. Tlif (^inrii, I think the
effect of that has heen so fully stated hy one of your Lordships
that I need not go into it in detail. The difference hetween
the Canada Tem})erance Act and the present Act is very
marked, and although they relate to a certain extent to the
same subject yet I think the rule should he adojjted which
your Lordships have a nund)er of tinies laid down that
it is necessary to look at the nature and character of the
legislation in order to determine the authority which has the
jurisdiction in the i)remises. Now the Canada Temperance
Act is an Act very different from the present aiul it has
nothing whatever to do with munici})al hodieh. Municipalities
are not mentioned at all except as to the limits of counties
and cities. Beyond the geograi)hical extent I think the
numicipalities have nothing to do with it. There are no
nmnicipal by-laws.
Lord Morris — Where is it in the Canada Temperance
Act ?
Mr. Maclaren — The enacting Clause is in the Canada
Temperance Act, Revised Statutes of Canada (188()) cap. 100
section 99. There are other Clauses bringing it into force.
Lord Herschell — (Jan you rely nnich on that, that it
has no reference to numicipalities ? Sup})osing it were
adopted in Ontario, would you say that the Ontario Act we
are considering remained in force ? You say it has no
reference to municii)alities, but should you contend that if
the Canada Temperance Act were adopted in Ontario in a
Liquor Vrokihitiou Appfiil, I8t)5.
90
given district tlmt the Act w<» aw now considcrinj^; would
renniin in force none the h»ss ?
Mr. Maclahkn— I think it would not. It would he a
matter of a local or private nature that would he superseded
hy general legislation of the Dominion.
Lord Heuschkli, — You would admit it was superseded in
any part of Ontario where the Canada Temjjerance Act came
into oi)eration ?
Mr. Ma"laren — I think we should \m\v to admit that.
I think, considering section 91 and Hiissrll v. 'I'ln- Qntrii, that
if the Canada Temperance Act w(>re in force — I mean put in
force hy act and Proclamation — that in such case the present
legislation would he inoperative ; that this is a mere local
matter simply regulating a matter of a local and private
nature in the Province, or indeed any particular numicipality
in the Province which, hy virtue of the power conferred hy
section 92, the Province itself may legislate uj)on or delegate
to the municipalities, until that is overridden hy Dominion
legislation which comes actively into force. I think that is
the position which I should require to take in connection with
this legislation, that it is very nmch like the legislation to
which I have referred, that was considered in the case of
]j'f^niint St. J((t
limits in which it iH to he put into operation, namely, counties
and cities. The Federal electors- -those who vote ni)on it —
are those that are created only hy I'"ederal l(>}j;islation, though
at one time, hy virtue of Federal lej^islation, they ado|tted the
Provincial franchise. But that is not the case now. It is
almost entirely hrought into operation hy enactments within
the purview of the Dominion Parliament.
Lord Watson — The prohihition in llitHsrll v. Tlir (fmrn
was that no person, hy himself, his clerk, servant or a^ent,
should "expose or keep for sale, or directly or indirectly, on
any i)retence, or upon any device, sell or harter, or in con-
sicferation of the purchase of any other pro})erty, give to any
other person, any s})irituous or other intoxicating liquors, or
any mixed li(iuor ca})al)le of heing used as a heverage, and
part of which is spirituous or otherwise intoxicating. ' ' (Canada
Temperance Act, 1878, sec. U'.).) Why is that prohd)ition
not of a local nature as nmch as the prohihition of the
Act we are dealing with ? It was held not to he so in tliat
case.
Lord Herschell — It was held not to he a local matter,
that is to say, not excluded from the Dominion jurisdiction
as a local matter, hecause the Dominion Parliament might
deal throughout the whole of Canada with any suhject that
was not specifically descrihed in the other heads of section 1)2
wherever they thought it was for the good of the country
there should he such legislation, and then each Province
could not say: " Oh, hut you cannot do that hecause it
applies to us and is therefore a local matter." That is all
that liKssrll V. Tlir (^hurii, as I understand it, decided.
Mr. Maclaren — I think that is the elTect of the decision.
liord Herschell — It was an attempt to prevent the
Dominion Legislature dealing with a matter not within any
of the headings in this section 92 hecpuse it was a local
matter. That was the argument. Their Lordships said that
it is not a local matter. They say :
" Their Lordships cannot concur in this view " —
that is that it is local.
" The (leclareil object of Parliament in passing the Act is that
there should be uniform legislation in all the Provinces respecting the
P1p*ff
■■P"
Liifttor I'niliihitiiiii Aftiwul, 1H05.
101
traffic in intoxicatiiif,' liiinois with ii view to pioiiiotc tciniHiiiiicc in tlu'
Dominion. PiirliiMiicnt docs not trciit tlic promotion of t«'m|M'ranc('
as (l('sirai)ii' in one I'ro' nci; more tlian in anotlicr, hnt as (Icsiralilo
evt'rywlicrc tluowKliout tlic Dominion. 'I'lic .\<'t, iih Hoon as it waH
passed, hccanu' a law for tlic wliolc DomiiMon, and tlic enactments of
tho first part relating to tlie maciiinery for l)rinf,'inf,' the st-cond part
into force took effect rnd niij^ht he put in motion at once ami every-
where within it. It .s true that the prohihitorv and penal parts of tht^
Act are only to come into force in any county or city upon the adoption
of a petition to that eti'ect hy a majority of electors, hut this conditional
application of these parts of the Act docs not convert the Act itself
into iet,'islation in relation to a merely local matter. The ohjects and
Hcope of the lef?islation are still #;eiierul, viz. : (o promote temperance
hy means of a uniform law throu^diout the liominion."
Tlicrcforc thev siiv von. the Provincial Ijci'isliitnrc, camiot
say, " W»^ have c.xclnsive dominion, for tliis is a local nnittcr."
That, I think, was all.
Mr. M.\c:l.\hkn — Tliat, I think, is the e.xtent of the
Jndf^nient in llnssill v. 'I'hr (Jiin'ii. So that there is another
jioint that I think nii<^ht in a douhtfnl matter wei^h, and
that is this — the disposition there niif^ht he to uphold the
legislation, hut if the legislation were even douhtful
Lord W.\TsoN — I can (piite understand the argument
that there may he some matter involving local considerations
which makes it lit to l)e dealt with under suh-section 1(5 —
considerations which do not arise in legislation of another
kind.
Lord Davey — Their Lordshi})s said the case might have
a douhlf* aspect.
Mr. Maclahkn — They said that in speaking of llusscll v.
Thr (Juccii. I think it is unnecessary to refer further to tlie
case of UiiHsill v. 'I'lic (Jnn-n. 'J'luit case is explained in the
case of Hodf/c v. The (Jiiceii, whicli is reported in the t)th
Appeal Cases, at page 117, which your Lordships will also
find in the 8rd volume of C'artwright, at page 144. Your
Lordships will see there the coiiiment that th«^ir Lordshi})s
made upon Hussrll v. Tlw (Jiiccii, which goes to explain it,
and, as I think, very strongly in our favoui' Your Lordships
will find it at page 100.
" It appears to their Lordshi{)H that li'u.'si'll v. I'lir (Juien, when
properly understood, is not an authority in support of the Appellants'
contention, and their Lordships do not intend to vary or depart from
ill
lO'i
Litjiior I 'roll ill! t ion Ajtfuuil, 1805.
the roftHOHH expresHcd for their Jiulffinent in that cas(!. The principle
which that ca.se and the case of tlie (!iti/,e:iH' Insurance Company
ilhistrate is tliat Htihjects which in one aspect and for one piu'po:' fail
within section !)1."
Now I cliiiin the IxMicHt of that : that they are (liscuHsiiig
liiissi'll V. Till' (Jiitrn, aiul that th»'v Hay in words that the
Huhjcct-inatter of Unssrll v. 'I'lic (Jiinn is oii(> which in one
as|)et't inijiiht fall under .Dominion authority and in the otiier
aspect nuiy fall under l*rovincial authority.
Lord Watson — Surely under such a different aspect as
to make it suhstantially different. The words are not hapi)ily
selected, and I do not (juite understand wiiat was meant.
Mr. Maclahen — So that Iliissfll v. 77//' (Jun'ii, asexphiined
hy lloihjix. Tlir (Jiitrn, would, I think, go to sustain our con-
tention here. In fact, they say that the suhject-matter of
Bussrll V. 77i/' (Jmrn was just such a one as that of the
Citizens' Insurance Company, in which there are different
aspects, and that there might he on the same suhject valid
Dominion legislation and valid Provincial legislation.
Lord Morris — Which is to prevail ?
Lord Watson — If to the same effect it does not matter.
The Lord Chancellor — As a hroad pro))osition that
would not he adojjted. You might have, for instance, what
was put in //(^///c'.s case. You might have the regulation of
hours within which shops in a particular place might he open
for the sale of li(pior. hut if it was effected to enact that no
liquor should he sold, in that case other considerations would
apply. What I mean is, the mere proposition that you might
have regulations in a Province, where it is not two suhject-
matters hut one suhject-mntter which may he within the
province of one legislation and within the province of the
other
Lord Herschell — Supposing that the Dominion Par-
liament had not passed any legislation on the suhject at all,
would there have heen anything to prevent the Legislature
of any one of those Provinces (supposing it not to come
within " trade and connnerce ") from regulating as it pleased
the sale of drink within those horders ?
Liquor I'loliihitioii Ajijutil, iHJJf).
10:1
Tiord D.WKY -Ti(>t ns take tli«' Hule of poisons or (lynjunitc,
or the sale of tircaniis.
Mr. Maclaiikn — As 11 iimtter of fact the I'mviiK-cs Inivc
le<^islate(l on tliesc? vorv siil»j'' •♦ ; poison is dealt with hy all
the Trovinees in the I'harniae) 'ts, tlie sale of poisons and
the licensin<» of I'hannaeists and the like. I snhniit that we
are in this position here, v luv assed. If these local
rej^nlations are oidy to he operative where the Canada
Temperance Act or any other (>^''l•ridin<^ lej^'isiation is not
in force, then we are in the position of there hein;^ no
J)ominion le^dslation on the snhj»>ct.
Lord Hkuschell — If it is one not specifically mentioned
in section 1)1, then you cannot hrinj^ it in under any general
provision of U'2.
Mr. Maclaren — Then of course the j^'round is entirely
taken from us if it is tak(Mi from the enumerated snhjects.
If to tli(^ J)()minion is ^'iven the exclusive ref,'ulation of trach'
and connnerce, anything that comes within that meaning
would he taken out of the power of the Provinces.
The Lord C'hanckjj.oh — I agree.
Lord Davkv— Trad<' and connnerce has heen construed
hy this l)oard as meaning the trade regulations for regulating
the traffic i)etween the Provinces.
id
I
\ tkmt
•'itiii
'^
Lord Herscuell — It j)Ut rather a narrow construction
on trade and con iiierce. I argued the case. I was always in
douht whether that regulated the trade and connnerce
throughout the whole of tue Dominion. Where jjcople are
dealing with one another in ditterent states and passing from
one state to another they should he all living under the same
commercial law.
i
I
Lord Watson — I doubt whether there is any delinition
of the word " commerce," which has ever heen laid down hy
this Board since I remember sitting here. Definitions have
-it I f-
■■«
mmm
i:|
104
Liquor Prohibition Appfal, 1895.
been laid down for the purpose of particular occasions but
they are not for universal api)lication.
Lord Herschell — You may give a very broad construc-
tion to " trade and connnerce," and yet it may be that it
would still leave open a very large power of dealing in such
a way as to incidentally affect trade without its being a part
of the regulations made within such meaning.
Mr. Maclaren — My Jjords, the other case to which I
wish to refer is an Order or Judgment on the " Liquor
Licensing Act of 1883." That is not reported in the regular
reports, but your Lordshii)s will find the Order in Council in
the 4th volume of Cartwright, at page 842. As your
Lordshi])s are aware that arose upon the " ])ominion Act ; "
the " Licpior Licensing Act of 1883," and the " Amending
Act of 1884," being referred first to the Supreme Court and
afterwards brought before your Lordships here. Questions
were asked whether the Dominion Act of 1883 and the
Act of 1884 were valid in whole or in part. The Supreme
Court of Canada to which the questions were first referred
by the Governor-General answered the questions that they
considered the Acts were ultra rhrs as far as the licenses were
concerned except as regards wholesale and vessel licenses,
and there were some amendments to the Canada Temperance
Act. That was brought before your Lordships, and the
Order in Council is found in the foot-note at page 342 of
Cartwright's Reports, Vol. 4. The effect of that answer was
this. I may just read as it is very short. It says : —
" The Lords of the Committee have taken the said Humble
Petition into consideration and having heard Counsel thereupon for
the Dominion of Canada, and likewise for the Lieutenant-Governors
of the respective Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, NoAa Scotia and
New Brunswick, and having been attended by the Agents for the
Province of British Columbia, their Lordships do this day agree
humbly to report to your Majesty as their opinion in reply to the
two questions which have been referred to them by your Majesty,
that the ' Liquor License Act, 1HH.4, and the Act of 1HH4 ' amending
the same, are not within the legislative authority of the Parliament
of Canada. 'J'he provisions relating to adulteration if separated in
their operation from the rest of the Acts would be within the
authority of the Parliament, hut as in their Lordships opinion they
cannot be so separated, their Lordships are not prepared to report to
your Majesty that any part of these Acts is within such authority."
■■
Liquor Pruhibition Appeal, 1805.
106
Now those, of course, were licensing Acts, but I would wish
to call your Ijordships' attention to the fact that the })rovisi()ns
in those Acts are similar.
Lord Herschell — It seems to be clearly involved in this
that this Board held that they did not come within " the
regulation of trade and commerce," because if they had
come within " the n^gulation of trade and ( oiinnerce " they
nnist have been iiifni riirs the Dominion Parliament. That
seems to me to be the effect.
Lord Davey — We have not got the reasons before us,
but I think it turned ui)on the })articular provisions of the
Canadian Act of 1888. The machinery of the Act was to
create a licensing system through the municipal authorities
and in fact to create new umnicipal authorities.
Mr. Maclaren — It was not numici[)al, there were
federal officers.
Ijord Davey — Yes, they were ai)pointed, but in fact it
was argued that they were nninicipal officers.
' ■ Mr. Maclaren — They were municipal officers. There
were three commissioners in each district, who were comjjosed
of the county court judge, the chairman of the police com-
mission, and the warden of the county.
Lord Davey— We do not know the reasons whi'di
influenced their lordshi])s' mind, but I remend)er a great
point was made in the case that although they were federal
officers and called federal officers they were in fact municipal
bodies.
Mr. Maclaren — For performing municipal functions.
The Lord Chancellor — The idea broadly was this —
I do not know whether it was right — but the idea was that the
Parliament of Canada had thought })roper to interfere with
the interior regulation of their nnuiicipalities. It was not
really the (piestion of licensing at all. 1 mean the argument
was not directed to that at all. It was because they wanted
the question of licensing to be properly administered that
the Parliament had thouglit proper to appoint certain persons.
I do not know the exact names of the othcers.
im
"'4
m
I
■■■!' •
tm
106
Liquor Prohibition Appall, 1805.
11
Lord Watson — They appointed a Board of Licensing
Commissioners.
The Lord Chancellor — In each case ; and I think it
was supposed that that was interference with the internal
government of each Province.
Lord Watson — They constituted a court by their
authority within the Province, who were to be provincial
officers, and take part in the administration.
Lord Herschell— If what they were to take part in was
the regulation of trade and commerce you were appointing
only officers to take part in that which was exclusively limited
to the Dominion Legislature, and I have a difficulty in seeing
how it would be iiitrK vires although they may have appointed
local authorities to carry out that which was altnt riri's.
Lord Davey — That was the argument of the learned
counsel.
The Lord Chancellor — I sat in that case I think.
Mr. Maclaren- -Yes. I think as far as one can understand
that was put broadly upon the ground that the Dominion
could not pass a licensing Act of the nature that is there.
Lord Watson — In section 8 of chap. 181 of the Kevised
Statutes of Ontario (1877), I see it says :
" There shall be a Board of License Cominissioners to be
composed of three persons to be appointed from time to time by the
Lieutenant-Governor for each city, county, union of counties or electoral
district, as the Lieutenant-CJovernor may think fit ; and any two of the
said Commissioners shall be a quorum, and each of them shall cease
to hold office on the 81st day of December in each year, but he may l>e
re-appointed ; and the said office shall be honorary and without any
rennmeration."
Then section 7 of the Canada Act defines licenses, hotel
licenses, saloon licenses, shop licenses, vessel licenses, whole-
sale licenses.
Lord Herschell — It had already been held that you
might legislate for the whole of Canada for its peace or for its
government in the way of permitting or enabling prohibition
of liquor traffic. Then arose the (piestioii whether if that
was 80 you might equally legislate not for a particular
Liquor Proliihition Apju'dl, 1805.
107
(!.;■• a
Province but for the whole of Canada as a matter for its
peace or good government. If controlhng it by Hcense is
regulating trade and commerce, then that would be dealing
with that as for the whole of Canada and within the exclusive
jurisdiction of the Dominion, and therefore it would hardly
be held to be iiltnt circs. I do not see how it was j)0ssil)le to
hold this Act ultra rirm excei)t by holding that it was not
regulating the trade and conmierce.
Mr. Maclaren — It nuist have involved that it was not
the regulation of trade and commerce.
Sir Richard Couch — Here is section 4 as to the estab-
lishment of provincial officers and the employment and
appointment of [jrovincinl officers. ,
Lord Watson — They appointed license officers and they
exacted license fees, and they raised money by those fees,
which was to be paid to the Dominion officers, who were
certainly doing work to maintain order in the Province.
Lord Herschell — That was not for })roviiu'ial purposes,
because they were Dominion officers appointed throughout
the whole of the Dominion.
Mr. Maclaren — They were appointed for the whole of
the Dominion in different localities. I think I am correct in
saying that there was merely a nominal fee of five dollars to
cover the expenses of administration. It was claimed that
the expenses of the administration was little more than the
amount the fee would cover. Of course tliat decision settles
the fact that licensing such as that Act of 1.SS8 was not within
the competency of the Dominion Parliament.
Lord Watson — It is not a decision.
Mr. Maclaren — I will call your Lordship's attention to
two parts of this Act of 1883 which are almost identical with
the provisions which we are now seeking to maintain.
Lord Watson — All that comes within the arguments on
sections Ul and 02.
Mr. Maclaren — At page '20 of the Joint Appendix of
Statutes your Lordships will see the sections of the Act of 1883
4
w
m
m
4F
mffm^fm
108
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
I
I
1 :t!
•I
which were before your Lord8hii)s in the Li(]Uor Licensing
Act Case. Section 45 contains a provision that
"No provision in this Act contained siiall iift'ect the powers con-
ferred on the Municipal Councils in the Province of Quebec, of each
county, city, town, village, parish, and township by the laws in force
in the said Province on the 1st day of July, 18(57, to restrict or
prohibit the sale of intoxicating liquors in the limits of their respective
territorial jurisdiction and the said powers and the by-laws now in
force passed under the authority of the said laws are hereby preserved
and confirmed." _ ; -
The Lord Chancellok — Sir Montague Smith, in one of his
ohservations, pointf^ out that in his view the meaning of the
legishition is to give them full [)ower to grant those licenses
and to give tluai exclusive jurisdiction over licenses : that is
what Sir Montague Smith thouglit.
Mr. Maclaren — I would call your Lordship's attention
to the amending Act of 1884 which was also before you'
Lordships on that reference. The shorthand notes say that
these sections were dwelt upon and that the attention of your
Lordships was called to them. Your Lordships will find
section 45 at page 29 of the Joint Appendix. ' •
Lord Watson — They were fully argued no doubt, but I
have not been able to discover from any of the interruptions
by the learned Judges in what direction their minds were
running.
Lord Davey — I think the gist of the argument for the
Kespondents was contained in one sentence, page 105 of the
report : —
" If the legislation is in its character local, that is to say, if the
scope and character of the legislation is such as to be of a local
character, to take the present instance erecting a number of local
{ licensing boards exercising jurisdiction within a restricted locality and
making by-laws for that particular locality, then you do not bring it
within sectitm 91 by enacting a general Act for tb(> whole of Canada,
if the character of th. '"gislation is such that it falls within any of the
enumerated articles in section 92."
Lord Herschell — Tiuit is a little inconsistent with
liussell V. The (Jmcu because that case said it is not of a
local character within the Province, the intention is to deal
with the matter for the general i)urposes of temperance.
Liquor Prohibition Apjicol, 1895.
101)
Lorrl Davey — I think what was intended was this — thiit
the maehinevv of the Act was local in its chaiacter. that is to
say, it created local boards with tlie power to make local
by-laws ; I think that was what was intended.
Lord Watson— I can only derive one conclusion from it
and it is not to my mind so full and satisfactory as I could
d'sire, and that is that for some reason or other they arrive
at the conclusion that the legislation in question did not deal
with trade and commerce in any as])ect })resented by section
*,)1. I think they nnist have come to that conclusion.
The Lord Chancellor — I quite agree as to that. Subject
to what the other Counsel may say as to what was meant by
that.
Mr. Maclaren — I would call attention to the Amending
Act of 1884 as found at i)age 80 of the Joint Appendix, which
the argument shows was considered by their Lordships.
That section is almost identical for the Province of Quebec
with the Act for the Province of Ontario which is now
before your Lordships. Your Lordships will see that it is as
follows : —
" 12. Section irt of the said Act " (that ia the Licjuor Licensinfir
Act of 1888) "is anu'iKled by adding the following tliereto as sub-
section two : ' 2, In every town, village, parish, or township in the
Province of Quebec the I\Iunicipal Council tliereof may, by by-law,
restrict or prohibit, within tiie limits of such town, village, parish,
or township, the sale of intoxicating licjuors.' "
This Act, which your Lordships held to be iiltni vires the
Dominion, was almost verbatim the provision which we are
)iow considering. This jvrovision went with the Act, aiul
your Lordships were asked to say whetlun* the whole Act was
iiltro rin's and if there were any parts of it which were within
the jurisdicti(^n of the Parliament of Canada and your
Lordships did not save those prohibitory clauses which were
in the Act of 1888 and in the Act of 1884 and which the
shorthand notes show were specially brought before your
Lordships.
The Lord Chancellor — That I can answer for. I think
the Board at that time did determine that there were j)arts of
it that might have been, but that the two things were so
!>-!
>i
V «
i
MM
W
110
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 181)6.
! :
;•!
intertwined by the Act itself that they could not separate
them.
Mr. Maclaren — Your Lordships selected the question of
adulteration.
Lord Watson-
out of the Act.
-It would almost have taken all the bones
The Lord Chancellor — It would have taken the machinery
out and it was so bound up that you could not separate them.
Mr. Maclaren — But your Lordships did select the subject
of adulteration and said that would have been good if it had
stood alone, and then this })rovision almost identical with
the one now under consideration was in that Act and did not
dejiend to any extent upon the machinery, because this sec-
tion 45 which I have just read and which is found at page 30
of the joint Appendix says —
" In every town, village, parish or township in the Province of
Quebec the Municipal Council thereof may by by-law restrict or prohibit
within the limits of such town, village, parish or township, the sale of
intoxicating liquors."
Mr. Blake — It was agreed by the counsel on both sides
that if the Act of 1883 failed the Aut of 1884 must go too.
That is not in the Act of 1883.
Mr. Maclaren — There is a provision on that point in the
Act of 1883. It is an amending Act but it amends section
45 which I read a moment ago and which shows that this
subject was dealt with by section 45 of the amending Act.
Lord Watson — We should be driven to speculate what
the reasons were for that judgment.
Mr. Maclaren — I was only i2ferring to a part of the Act
which was in the two Acts, which was referred to specifically
by counsel anC. which their Lordships did not bring within
ihe reserving clause as to adulteration and the like.
The Lord Chancellor — I have the words before me, but
if I remember rightly I do not think their Lordships said
that was the only matter, for instance the adulteration clauses
might do. I am speaking with an unrefreshed memory, but
I
Liquor I'rolnhitiou Appeal, 1895.
Ill
the whole thing was so wrapped up together that they could
not possihly give effect to one without the other.
Mr. Maclarex — I would read it to your Lordships :
" Their Lordships do this dp.y ajifree humhly to report to your
Majesty as their opinion in re;;ly to the two (juestions which liave heen
referred to them hy your Majesty, that the Liquor License Act 1HH,H
and the Act of 1HH4 amending the same are not within the legishitive
autliority of the Parliament of Canada."
The first question is " is the Act good" then "if it is not
good entirely is there any part that is good." In answering
the second question your Lordships said :
" The provisions relating to adulteration, if separated in their
operations from the rest of the Acts would be within the authority of
the Parliament, but as in their Lordships opinion they cannot be so
separated, their Lordships are not prepared to report to your Majesty
that any part of these Acts is within such authority."
That is the text of the decision, so that I claim in the first
place as to this decision that although we have not the
grounds upon which it went it nnist have decided these
three things, first that that Act was not a regulation of trade
and commerce, secondly that the Dominion could not pass
a licensing Act, and thirdly in a suhsidiary way that these
prohihitory clauses regarding the municipalities were invalid.
The Lord Chancellor— I do not quite follow you there.
Take this position, supposing that it was " trade and com-
merce," hut sui)po!-;ing it involved something else, an undue
and improper interference with the provincial privileges as to
appointments and the regulation of their own internal affairs.
It would not necessarily be within the competence of the
Canadian Parliament because it related to trade and conmierce.
I think it is a misuse of that argument to assume that because
it related to trade and commerce that therefore the things
that were included within it would necessarily belong to
the Dominion Parliament.
Lord Watson— It might not justify a construction of the
x\ct so as to justify their engrafting upon it as to the muni-
cipal management of the licensing system something of the
Dominion licensing system, that is to say an interference
with the existing administration of the municipalities. I
can quite understand that. At the present moment there is
&i 'i'
-11.—. — JJ
R^HB
!«■■■■
11'2
Liquor Prohihitioii Approl, 1805.
!
iiotliin<^ in nny of the ohsorvatioiiH to su^j^est any other ground
for the jndgiiient.
Lord Hkrscheu, — Tf it shews thiit hcensing, in the sense
of saying that certain persons sliali sell or shall not sell
under (HM'tain conditions, is not exclusively committed to the
Dominion Parliament as a regain tion of trade and connnerce
that is one thing. Of course if it were exclusively, they
would have as part of the regulation of trade and commerce
power to a])p()int persons to license in the Provinces and it is
a licensing law for the whole of the Provinces.
Lord Watson— My reason for taking the view that I
have already expressed is the answer given by the noble
and learned Lords in giving their opinion, and in singling
out the Board of Connnissioners and the licensing system
carried on under their supervision as the vicious part of the
Statute for which there was no authority in fact. They
singled that out.
Lord Herschell — My difficulty at present is this : If
the regulation of trade and commerce includes any regula-
tions as to licensing or controlling their selling, and that is
connnitted to the Dominion Parliament, it is difficult to see
why any machinery which is exclusively designed for carrying
out a legislation, which in its nature is connnitted to them,
would make the whole Act had. Of course if it is something
that is not committed to them, that is another thing.
Mr. Maclaren — But if it were a proper subject of
legislation
Lord Herschell — The United States appoint their
judges who sit in the diflerent States, although the States
have their own judicature. The United States judge is the
creation, I should say, of the United States and not of the
particular State, that is to say, he is appointed for a particular
district, and he there sits and administers justice. That is
not at all interfering with the judii.u are of the State — it is
carrying out a system of judicature that is left to the
Confederate Government.
The Lord Chancellor — The Act of 1807 is the one we
Liquor Vrohihitlan Appeal, 1895.
113
■■
are construing. I am not aware under what Statute tlie
United States appoint their judges.
Lord Herscheli, — What I mean is this : If the regula-
tion of trade and commerce has so wide a scope as to cover
all provisions for licensing or controlling the wnv in which
people shall carry on their trade, then I do not see how it
can he idlni riirs to create the machinery for carrying out
that which is left to tlie Dominion Legislature. It all
depends upon the construction to he put upon " trade and
commerce." I do not know what was in the mind of the
learned judges who took part in that case, hut to my miiul
there is essentially involved in it, as at })resent advised, a
decision as to that regulation — as to the meaning of trade
and commerce in the Canada Act.
The Lord Cha>'cellor — Supposing some Provincial
Legislature said — anyone who sell poisons shall have them
in hlue bottles on a particular shelf.
Mr. Maclaren — I think the Provinces have so enacted.
The Lord Chancellor — In one sense that would he
trade and commerce.
Mr. Maclaren — It would be in a sense.
Lord Watson — In another sense it would be for the
protection of the lives of the inhabitants.
Lord Kerschell — Then there comes in exactly the
question — if there is a trade which many people think
analogous to the sale of poisons and the object is the public
health, whether that cannot be dealt with locally as a local
matter without it coming within the trade and connnerce
clause, subject, of course, to the power which the Dominion
Parliament has to deal with the thing as a whole.
Lord Davey — Section 91 is — "It shall be lawful for the
Queen by and with the advice of the Senate and House of
Commons, to make laws." You must read " the regulation of
trade and commerce," and all these subjects as being subject
to an exclusive jurisdiction in certain matters of the trade of
the Provinces. It is trade and connnerce so far as it does
I
;:lf
J
iSi
114
Liquor Prohihitiini Appi'dl, 1805.
not trench upon tlio exclusive juristliction of the Provincial
Legishiture. •. ».„: •
Lord HpntscHELL — I think it is very important, hecause
it seems to me to intimate that nnh>ss it is hrouj^ht within
the suhjects enumerated, if its operation is local it may he
dealt with as a local mattei', hut if it is not, you must hrinf^
it within the earlier part of \)l in order to exclude it.
Mr. M.iCLAHEN — You nuist hring it within the enumerated
clauses.
Lord Davey — You cannot pass a hankruptcy law for
that Province and say that was within the jurisdiction of the
Provincial Legislature.
Mr. Maclahen — Because that is over-ridden hy hank-
ruptcy and insolvency heing assigned to the Dominion as one
of the enumerated suhjects.
The Lord Chancellor — Just in the same way as trade
and commerce are assigned.
Lord Herschell — Your earlier point as regards the
extension of the meaning of municipal institutions I think is
a difficult one. To my niiiul I am not sure that it has not a
hearing on this j)art of the case. The fact that at the time
of this Act of 1H()7, legislation was in force in these Provinces
regulating, for the good order and sohriety of the connnunity,
the licpior traffic and the local traffic — 1 think there is a good
deal to he said for that heing rc^garded as one of the suhjects
of a local nature.
Lord Watson — I am rather wearying for the time when
the learned Counsel will address himself to section 91,
hecause there are the words "trade and commerce." I do
not know whether it can he suggested that they are not local
matters in each Province. We shall he })rol)ahly enlightened
in the course of the argument, hut I do not know of any
trade or commerce that is not in some sense local.
Mr. Maclaren — These words have heen considered —
the regulation of trade and connnerce — in the case of the
Citizens' Insiinimr Conipunii v. Panons, which is reported in
the 7th Appeal Cases at page 96, and also found in the 1st
Li(fiiiir I'mliiliiliiiii .Ijipral, LSI);").
lir,
ic'guliition of
vohiiiK^ of CiirLwri^'ht, \nv^i' '2(i5, 1 take the lilurty of
reii(liii<^ two short piir!i^rii|)lis in tlu^ Citiwns' Insiinitifr Com-
jxiiiji V. I'lirsdiis, iit piif^M' 112 of tlif former. Your lior(lslii|)s
were considering the meaning of the words,
trade and conniierce."
"Till' words ' rc^Miliition of tnidc and cdiiiiiktpc ' in tlicir
unlimited stMisc are .sutlicionliy wide, if uncontrolled l»y the context
and other parts of the Act, to include every rej,'ulation of trade —
ranj,'inf,' from political arran^'ementM in n'^'ard to trade with foreij,'n
(rovornnients, re(juirin^' the sanction of Parliament, down to minute
rules for ref,'ulatin{i; particular trades. 15ut a consideration of the Act
shows that the words were not used in this unlimited sense. In the
first place, the collocation of No. 2 with classes of suhjects of national
and f,'eneral concern affords an indication that rejifulations relatinj,' to
fjeneral trade and commerce were in the mind of the Lej,'islature when
conferriiif,' this power on the Dominion Parlianu-nt. If the words had
been intended to have the full scope of which in theii' literal meaning;
they are susceptible, the specific mention of several of the other classes
of suhjects enumerated in section i)l would have been uniu'cessary : as,
15, banking' ; 17, weights and nu'asures ; IH, bills of exchange and
promissory notes; 19, interest; and even 21, bankruptcy and insol-
vency."
Lord Watson — Do you lay any stress upon these words,
'• general trade and comnun-ce," as heing an ohservation in
your favour ? It seems to me to he lui ohservation the other
way. , . ; ;._,
Mr. M.\cLAREN — Your liordships were then construing a
local act. I suhmit with deference this is the chief case.
Lord Herschell— They allowed to the Provincial
Legislature a very considerahle i)ower of dealing with trade
within its own limits — ^within its own horders.
The Lord Chancellor — That is a case in which you
have got the Judgments — the r(>asons there are given.
Mr. Maclaren — Y'^es ; I am reading from the reasons
given by their Lonlships.
Lord Herschell — We contended that the legislation of
the Provinces was iiUni iv'/r.s. They were regulations with
regard to an insurance company. We contended that they
were regulations of trade and commerce. Undoubtedly it is
a very strong decision that everything that regulates trade is
not excluded from the Province.*
I 2
IIC)
JJilimr I'roliihititin Apjwul, 1H*,)5.
Mr. Maclahen — With your
will read a few words further.
LordHhips' perinisHion, I
Lord Watson — That case was a decision upon two
flections, u|)on trade and connnerce, and it is a decision uj)on
section i)'2. It was held that really and truly in that case
the Province had dealt with what it was competent to deal
with — namely, something made hy the Company within the
Province, and that that was a matter of civil ri^dit.
Mr. Maclaren — It says, L. R. 7th Ap Cases at p. 112 :
" ' Regulation of trade anrday, I
should desire to refer your Lordshi}>s to a few sentences that
are found in the case of The Ihinh of Toronto v. Laiiihr, which
is reported in 12th Appeal ("jises at page 57-5, and in the 4th
volume of C'artwright at page 7. This was a case involving
the (piestion of the right of the Province to tax ]')anks. It
was resisted hy the Banks on the ground that it was a regula-
tion of trade and c(^mmerce : smd in thatcase tin ir ljor(lshi|)s
considered this suh-section 2 of k ."tion Ul, which 1 am now
^1 ^
ffl V,
1
120
Jjqiior J 'i all i hit lull Jppi'i'l, 1895.
discussing, I would read that part of the judgment com-
mencing near the foot of page 585 of the 12th Appeal
cases :
" It has been earnestly contended that the taxation of Banks would
unduly cut down the powers of the Parliament in relation to matters
falling within Class 2, vii^. : The regulation of trade and commerce; and
within Class 15, viz. : ]5anking and the incorporation of Banks. Their
Lordships think this contention gives far too wide an oxtent to the
classes in question. They carniot see how the power of making J^anks
contribute to the public objects of the Provinces where they carry on
business can interfere at all with the power of making laws on the
subject of banking, or with the power of incorporating Banks. The
words ' regulation of trade and conniierce ' are indeed very wide ;
and in Severn'r case it was the view of the Supreme Court that they
operated to invalidate the license duty which was there in question,
but since that case was decided the question has been more completely
sifted before the Committee in farmms' case, and it was found
absolutely necessary that the literal meaning of the words should be
restricted in order to afford scope for powers which are given
exclusively to the Provincial Legislatures it was there thrown out
that the power of regulation given to the Parliament meant some
general or inter-provincial regulations."
V
Lord Watson — Do you regulate a man when you tax
m ? Is it regulating a man to tax him ?
Mr. Maclaben — Taxation was held not to he regulation
of trade and commerce.
Lord Herschell — May it not be necessary to regard it
from this point of view to find what is within regulation of
trade and commerce, what is the object and scope of the
legislation ? Is it some public object which incidentally
involves some fetter on trade or conmierce, or is it the
dealing with trade and commerce for the purpose of
regulating it ? May it not be that in the former case, it is
not a regulation of trade and commerce, while in the latter
it is, though in each case trade and commerce in a sense
may be aft'ected.
The Lord Chancellor — And I should think the lines
may sometimes approach so near each other that it nnist be a
question of degree. Take this very case you are now
referring to ; I can quite understand that a tax upon banks
might be very i)roper, but supposing the tax was imposed to
that degree that practically it extinguished the banks in the
^ iiijujmjjiip.
Liquor Prohibition Appt'^il, 1805.
121
Province. That woiikl be rather beyond the line would it
not?
Mr. Maclaren — The tax was a heavy one in this case.
The Lord Chancellor — I am not talking about that case,
but about the ininciple. You might have what was in form
a mere regulation, so extreme as really to interfere with trade
and commerce generally. Then I suppose it would be
beyond the line.
Lord Watson — It would be difficult to imply from chese
words " The Regulation of Trade aiul ('onnnerce " whili-t the
power of direct taxation is given to the Province — the clauses
must be read reasonably together — it would be difficult to
suppose that regulating connnerce meant the passing of an
Act by the Dominion Legislature exempting banks from
Provincial taxation, for practically that is what the argunumt
in that case had to come to; that undor the words "Regu-
lating Commerce " was implied a power of exempting a bank
from Provincial taxation or the liability to be taxed by the
Provincial Parliament.
The Lord Chancellor — Curiously enough I see this
passage at page 586 of the same case :
" Then it is suggested that the Legiskitarc may lay on taxes so
heavy as to crush a bank out of existence and so to nullify the power
of Parliament to erect banks. Jiut their Lordships cannot conceive
that when the Imperial Parliament conferred wide powers of local self
Government on great countries such as Quebec it intended to limit
them on the speculation that they would be used in an injurious
manner."
I suppose that implies that if they did, it would be beyond
rs '
Mr. Maclaren — The latter part of the paragraph seems
to imply that once they have the power, they can use it to
the full extent.
The Lord Chancellor — I do not know. I should think
that the meaning of it was this, that the Court will not
presume they will do anything so outrageous.
Mr. Maclaren — If your Lordshi}) will allow me, I will
read the latter part of the i)aragrapii which throws, I think,
■M
I'll
It!
Ihl '
,:
-^f-
-.^ -.■^j::\iL^-s-^L:.'j.^.^
122
Liiltiur I'rokihitioii Appeal, 1805.
some light on the view of their Lordships. It savs at
p. 58(i :
" People who aie trusted -yi-ith the great power of making laws for
property and Oivil rights may well be trusted to levy taxes. There
are obvious reasons for confining their power to direct taxes and
licenses because the power of indirect taxation would be felt all over
the Dominion, but whatever power falls within the legitimate meaning
of classes 2 and 9 is, in their Lordships' judgment, what the Imperial
Parliament intended to give."
Lord Watson — That is saying in other words that you
must not assmne that a power that is conferred is not meant
to he given hecause it is capal)le of heing ahused. ,. ,,
Mr. Maclauen — Or heing used unwisely. And to })lace
a limit on it hecause the power may he used unwisely as all
l)owers may, would he an error and would lead to difficulties
in the construction of the Federation Act. The only other
words I think it necessary to read are those following the
concluding part of the preceding paragraph on })age 586
in which they say :
" No further attempt to define the subject need now be made,
because their Lordships are clear that if they were to hold that this
power of regulation prohibited any Provincial Taxation on the persons
or things regulated so far from restricting the expressions, as was
found necessary in Parson's case, that would be straining them to their
widest conceivable extent."
Lord Watson — If any construction of that sort had heen
adopted it would go a long way. You could not tax a patent.
You could not raise a tax upon a copyright or on a jiatent.
That would he a difficult (piestion perhaps ; it is " Banks and
the Incorporation of Banks."
The LoRi> Chancellor — With reference to what I was
saying it ai)pears to me what their Lordships meant in that
judgment was that however extravagant it was it would he
valid, and then that would he a reason for the Imperial
Parliament to rei)eal it, hut they go on to say that they are
not to assume they would do such a thing.
Mr. Maclaren — They say, as they say in some other
cases, that large powers of self-government are given and
that the remedy is with the i)eople. If the Parliament al)uses
its power they have responsihle government, and it is left to
Lniuor I'roliihitioii Apjiidl, iHUo.
128
the people ; Honie snch exiu-essious are used in some of the
cases on that ])arti('iilar })oint. The eases, I think, show
that so far as this Board has dealt with the snhjeet, tliose
three decisions es})ecially would ^'o to sliow that hy the words
"the regulation of trade and connnerce " are meant <^eiuM-al
regulation.
Lord Watson — It goes this length at all events, tiiat
they do not trench on the power hroadly given to the Province
of raising money hy Provincial taxation.
Mr. Maclaren — That is the last case.
Lord Hekschell — And they go further in llutliir's case,
although of course the trade or connnerce of dealing in li(|Uor
was affected hy the Act ; no one would have dou])ted it affected
it; it limited the mode in which it was to he carried on, and
yet they say that it was within the power of the Local Legisla-
ture and was not a matter taken out of their power hy section
91, sub-section 2.
The Ijord Chancellor — That was the (]uestion as to the
billiard table.
Mr. Maclaren — It involved the question of the power of
making regulations by th(> License ("onnnissioners to regulate
taverns and limit their numbers.
The Lord Chancellor — The actual thing decided was
that it was within their power to make a regulation for the
period during which a billiard room might be open and inflict
a penalty if it was disobeyed.
Mr. Maclaren — Attached to a tavern.
The Lord Chancellor — It may be ; but still the particular
regulation was as to a billiard room.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, and the regulation was directing
that the billiard room should be closed when the statute
required the tavern to be closed.
Lord Herschell — Here 3'ou cannot play I'illiards in a
licensed house if I remember rig' :ly within the prohibited
hours.
1 i
124 , Liiinor I'rohibitioii JppcttI, 1895.
Mr. Maclaren — That was the precise regulation. ■• •
Lord Heuschell — That is the law here. ■ '
The Lord Chancellor — I have got the conviction here,
9 Appeal Cases 117 : —
" Did unlawfully permit a billiard table to be used and a game
of billiards to be played thereon in his tavern in the conviction named
and described as the St. James Hotel, situate within the city of Toronto
during the time prohibited by the ' Liquor License Act.' (Revised
Statutes of Ontario cap. IHl.) "
Lord Herschell — Have you got die statute in question
in Htnhys case, cap. 181 ?
Mr. Maclaren — It is cap. 194 in the present Revised
Statutes. That was the Revised Statutes of 1887.
Lord Herschell — The reason I mentioned that was that
one does not quite see what relation that has to the sale of
liquor. It is true the offence can only be committed by a
person who has a tavern. That is the only point of con-
nection, that the hours were the same.
Mr. Maclaren — There was this that your Lordship will
see from the report of the case a little further on, that though
there was the conviction yet the Courts of Canada and this
Board considered the whole scope of sections 4 and 5 of the
Act which gave very large powers to the Commissioners
amongst which was the power to limit the number of tavern
licenses which might be issued in a city or nmnicipality. It
was sections 4 and 5 of cap. 194 that were in question in
Hodges case.
The Lord Chancellor — I daresay you are quite right,
but it is obvious to remark if it was so it was entirely obiter.
Lord Herschell — There is nothing about billiards in
terms. ^
The Lord Chancellor — '
" For that he the Appellant did on the 7th day of May 1881,
unlawfully permit and suffer a billiard table to be used and a game of
billiards to be played thereon in his tavern in the conviction named
and described as the St. James Hotel." - y,:
Sir Richard Couch — Contrary to the regulation. . •• ■■ •
i
m
Liilitor l*rohibitioii Appt'dl, 1895.
125
Mr. Maclaren — It came about in this way : The statute
said that all taverns should he closed at 7 on Saturday and
not opened till 5 o'clock on Monday niorniag. The License
Commissioners made a regulation saying that billiard tables
should not be used in connection with a tavern during the
hours in which liquors were prohibited from being sold. Then
came the question under sections 4 and 5 of the Act as to
the validity of these regulations. The conviction was with
reference to a billiard table but it involved the (juestion of
the sale of liquor, because the billiard tables were required
not to be used during the prohibited hours.
Lord Herschell — It was an Act respecting the sale of
spirituous liquors. The idea was that if you opened the
house for billiards it would open the house for the sale of
liquors.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
' Lord Watson — It simply appeared in the form of a
condition attached to the license.
The Lord Chancellor — It is what we should call an act
done against the tenor of the license.
Lord Herschell — It was a fetter imposed on the manner
in which a man carried on his business as a licensed
victualler.
Mr. Maclaren — Quite so.
Lord Morris — Do you draw any limit at all as to the
power of the Provincial Legislature to legislate on the liquor
question, and do you say they could pass an Act in Ontario
like the Maine Liquor Act to prevent the sale of spirituous
liquors ?
Mr. Maclaren — That is the next question that is raised
and comes under question 1 and is one of the following
questions, and I was, with your Lordships permission, al)out
to address myself to that point. That is all that I wish to
say to your Lordships regarding the question which I was
discussing, and the discussion of that question has really
involved the points that are in the other questions so that
m
126
J.iijitor I'roliihitioii Appt'dl, 1805.
I
I think I shall tiiul it necessary to say but little on the
preceding six questions as it is largely one subject.
Lord Watson — It goes to the root of them all.
Lord Hehscheli, — Except that there may be different
considerations with reference to tjuestion 4, whether the
Provincial Legislature has power to i)rohibit the importation
of li(pior. In some of the maritime j)rovinces that would
affect Customs duties that go to the Dominion. •• "
Mr. Maclaren — In all of them it would. It would
affect the Dominion Revenue ; both as to Customs and Excise —
as to Customs if they imported li(pior, and as to the Excise
with reference to liquor manufactured in the Dominion
Lord Davey — -That looks nnich more like the regulation
of trade and commerce.
Lord Herschell — That cannot be treated as a merely
local matter, because inasnnich as it directly affects the
revenue of the Dominion it cannot be a local matter to the
Province.
Mr. Maclaren — I was going to reh on the case of
IliiHsi-U v. 77//' (Jiiccn as an authority on this, in answer to the
question just put. that if the local Legislature has the power,
it has the })ower, no matter what effect it may have on the
revenue of the Dominion.
Lord Herschell— From a certain point of view that
might be so, but the difficulty is this : Can you treat the
importation and the coiulitions of imi)ortation in a Province
as merely a local matter ?
Mr. ^Maclaren— That is another matter. I am ad-
dressing myself to the Revenue.
Lord Herschell — I am supposing now that you bring
it within your "Municipal Institutions" clause; but still
more, if you bring it within sub- section 16 as a merely local
matter, there is a difficulty about importation. •
Mr. Maclaren — Quite so. y '
Lord Davey — All the Judges were agreed about Ques-
tions 3 and 4. • . . .'=•,,.
'r
Liijiior rmliihitioii Ajijicdl, 1895.
127
Mr. Maclaren — Yes ;
answering those in the negativt
the Judges
were nnaninions ni
Lord Hkrschell — I am not sure ther(> may not be a
possible distinction between mannfaetnre and importation.
It is difficult to say that importation is a local matter, l>ut
manufacture in the Province may be said to be a local matter.
Take the case of a dangerous mainifacture : supposing the
Province said, *' We will not have dynamite made in our
Province because it is dangerous to the neighbourhood."
The Lord Chancellor — Supposing that was the only
source of supply in the Dominion, which was necessary for
mining puri)oses elsewhere ? I should think that was a
serious (piestion.
Mr. Maclaren — That might broaden it and take it out
of the local nature. '• Has a Provincial Legislature juris-
" diction to prohibit the sale within the Province^ of s])irituous,
" fermented or other intoxicating liquors '? " That is really the
question which we have been discussing under Question 7,
with this exception, that that would seem to imply the
putting down of wholesale licenses in the Province of Ontario,
as well as shoj) and tavern licenses.
Lord ^foRRis — Wliy not ? If they have the power
under the regulation of ^natters local, to prohibit in part, why
should not they have power to prohibit altogether ?
Mr. Maclaren - I was about to observe that I think the
decision of this Board in the Licpior License Act case of 1883
is an authority for the proposition that there is substantially
no distinction between what are known as retail licenses^-
that is, shop and tavern licenses — and wholesale licenses.
Lord Davey — That is an artificial distinction.
Mr. MACLAREN—It is an artificial distinction, and what
is called wholesale there, is in reality retail.
Lord Watson — Those cases involved quite a different
sort of question. It is not now disputed, and I do not think
any of the Judges in the minority in this ease would have
disputed, that a license in this matter is local.
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128
Lifjiior Prohibition Appcnl, IHU/).
Lord Heuhchell — All the argument you have addressed
to UH applies to Question 1. . ■• > .' . .• : . ■
Mr. Maclauen — Yes; and the second question: "Or
" has the Lej^'islature such jurisdiction re<,'arding such })or-
" tions of the Province as to which the Canada Temperance
" Act is not in ojjeration ? "
Lord Herschell — That is nuunifiicture of sucli
" li(|UorH within the Provinc<\" Ichiini that tlie manufacture
is a local matter and of a private nature, and ojh' on which
the Province has power to regulate.
Lord Watson — That may or may not be.
Mr. Maclaren — To the question as framed here, I say
we are entitled to an affirmative answer on the j^round that
the Provincial legislature has jurisdiction to ))rohil)it the
manufacture of li(]Uors within the Province on the ground of
its being a matter of a })rivate and local nature. This
is manufacture, and the Province has the right over
manufactures, especially those that might he considered
injurious.
The Lord Chancellor — You must go to the extent of
saying, to prohibit the manufacture altogether.
Mr. Maclaren — It involves it if they have the power to
prohibit their being manufactured in a city or within a
certain limit of a city.
Lord Watson — Supposing the manufacture was for the
Canadian service, would that be a local matter ?
Mr. Maclaren — I do not know that I am prei)ared to
answer that question.
Lord Watson — Supi)08ing a manufacturer sui)plied all
his produce to the Canadian Government for the Navy or for
other purposes ?
Mr. Maclaren — I do not know that the fact of the
personality of the customer would really affect the power if
they have the power to prohibit.
Lord Herschell — Supposing there was a Government
manufactory of Cordite in a particular Province, could the
Provincial legislature prohibit it as a merely local matter '?
Mr. Maclaren — I think this question does not con-
template Government manufactories.
M
■s
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I
SSE
180 Litiiiin- Proliiliitiiin Appttil, 1H'.)5.
Lord Heuhchell — I know it docs not.
Lord Wathon — The answer would einhriicc it.
Mr. Maclauen — If it was answered id)soIiitely.
Lord Davey — The (Jordite nuinufactnre nii},d)t he carried
on, as it is partially in this country, hy means of private
firniH nuiiuifacturing for the (rovernnient. The (xovennnent
has its own manufactories in this country, Imt also l)uys
Cordite from private manufacturers.
Mr. Maclaren — I assume the Province would have a
control over these manufactories as heiiig a matter of a private
and local nature. ;
The Lord Chancellor — The word control is and)i<^uous.
By control you mean ahsolute prohihition.
Lord Morris — The (piestion is " })rohil)it." •• -
Sir Richard Couch — Then it is liciuor not Cordite.
Mr. Maclaren-
much difference.
-I do not know that the material makes
Ijord Watsox - It rather occurs to me that if any
question as is v,c>\\ sn,!gested arose, the legislature of Canada
would have full powci- to legislate under the general words
witii which sec(i(»a 91 commences and which are not Hmited
hy the words which follow. Any suhject may he dealt with
which is necessary, wliich in the opinion of the (Tovernment
is required for the })eace, order or good government of
Canacla. If they could not govern Canada properly without
a supply of Cordite from these works I see no reason why
they should not pass a law saying these factories shall he
there notwithstanding.
Lord Davey — This is a speculative question.
Lord Herschell — There has never heen any proposal
to prohihit the manufacture. I should (piestion whether it is
right that a nuinher of conundrums should he suhmitted for
solution to this Board under the Act. They were intended to
he questions having a practical hearing on immediately
intended or actual legislation. , ' • • •
Liquor I'rohihitioii Ajipfiil, iH'.ir).
l:n
Tjonl MouRiM — Except tlint tlicy iniiy liuvc siiniiiscd
that if the Province lias hcf^uii 1)V proliiljitiiif,' the sale of
licpior, it may follow it up by prohihitiiif^ the iiiaimfactim^
of li(pior.
Lord Watson — Every one of tln'se (piestioiiH seem to he
purely academical.
Lord Hkhschkll — Tho (piestioii of dealing' with liquor
has been in operation in the Province for 40 years I should
chink.
Mr. Maclaren — Prohibition has been in force since
1853 in the Province of Ontario.
Lord Hkhschkll — Over 40 years. That is a i)ractical
question, but there has never been any proposal to pr()liii)it
the manufacture.
Mr. Maclarkn — Not l)y actual legislation, but it is a
matter of discussion as to one of the ways of dealin<^ with
the liquor tratlic.
Lord Hkrschell — It seems rather premature to submit
a question of that sort.
Mr. Maclarkn — The questions have been submitted by
the Governor-General and we are brought here to answer them.
Lord Davey — Have you got the 54th and 55th Victoria,
chap. '25, section 4 ?
Lord Herschell — I should like to see the power l)ecause
it seems a questionable matter to [)nt a number of s))eculative
questions and insist that this Board should answer them.
Mr. Maclaren — I think the Act is very swee})ing.
Lord Watson — I do not think this Board is bound to
answer them. It is the duty of the Board to comply with
the Statute as far as reasonal)le. The Legislature ol Canada
by passing an i\.ct cannot lay a duty on this Board of that
kind to answer questions. One is willing to dispose of all
questions that are necessary.
Lord Morris — Is not question 1 also to a certain extent
speculative in that way ? You have not altogether prohibited
the sale.
K 2
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132
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
Lord Herschell — The sale by retail ?
Lord Morris — They have not passed any Act of Parlia-
ment within question 1. If question 3 is speculative it
appears to me question 1 is speculative also.
The Lord Chancellor — That is so.
Lord Herschell — Question 1 is not quitp so speculative.
It is on the lines of existing legislation.
Lord Morris — I suspect they are not put speculatively.
Lord Watson — I have not the least doubt that they are
not put speculatively in this sense that they are with a view
to the future guidance of the action of the Governor-General.
Lord Morris — And with a view to something that they
see coming.
Mr. Maclaren — There is, no doubt, an agitation in
Canada for such Itigislation. .
Ijord Davey — Prohibiting the manufacture ?
Mr. Maclaren — That is one of the propositions. If I
may speak of Resolutions introduced into the House of
Connnori.s, such Eesolutions have been introduced into the
House of Commons of Canada, year after year, for prohibiting
the manufacture, importation and sale of intoxicating liquors,
and that is the reason no doubt for this question if I may
know what reasons moved this.
Lord Watson — The difference is that we can give no
judicial opinion upon some of these questions A'hicii are
academic. We cannot give anything like a judicial decision
except upon a substantial case.
Lord Herschell — I see the 4th section of the Act (54
and 55 Victoria, chap. 25, Dominion Statute) says :
" Important questions of law or fact touching Provincial legisla-
tion, or the appellate jurisdiction as to educational matters vested in
the Governor in Council by ' The British North America Act, 1HG7,' or
by any other Act or law, or touching the constitutionality of any legis-
lation of the Parliament of Canada or touching any other matter Avith
reference to which he sees fit to exercise this power may be referred
by the Governor-iu-Council to the Supreme Court for hearing or
consideration,"
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
133
The Lord Chancellor — The words are rather wide. I
do ncj see how yon can get out of it.
Lord Watson — Except that it is heyond the power of the
Canadian Legislature to lay that duty upon this JSoard.
Lord Davey — They have laid it on the Supreme C'ourt.
Lord Watson — They may lay it on the Su])reme Court
as much as they like, hut they cannot lay it on this ]>()ard.
Mr. Maclaren— The Supreme Court answered these
questions and Her Majesty has given sjjecial leave to appeal
to this Board.
Sir Richard Couch — Special leave to ai)p(!al ha« been
given ? , . , .
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Watson — We need not enter into a discussion on
that point. It would come to this that they have the right
to remit to us.
Lord Herschell — No douht it may he that the Supreme
Court of Canada would he l)ound by tliis Statut(> to express
its opinion on any matters submitted to it ; l)ut it may be
that this Board would 'say it is a matter of so thoroughly
speculative a character, and with no immediate reference to
any legislation either passed or introduced into Parliament,
that we decline to ex))ress any opinion upon it.
The Lord Chancellor — I doubt that very nnich — It says
(sub-section <5) :
" The opiniori of the Court upon any such reference, although
advisory only, shall, for all purposcH of appeal to Her Majesty in
Council be treate'l as a final judgment of the said Court between
Parties."
Lord Herschell — That is a Canadian Statute.
Mr. Maclaren — Sp(;cial leave has been given in this case.
Lord Wathon — It reminds me of what occurred in my
practice at the Scotch Bar. On two or three occasions I and
two other gentlemen, members of tiie Scotch Bar, were con-
sulted as to the meaning of a Statute, and we gave a very
long number of replies in return for a handsome fee, an'^ we
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Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
eventually discovered that the object of consulting us was not
to defend any Action, but that somebody might write a book
on the subject and state in the introduction to it that it had
the influence of our authority. They came afterwards on an
amending Statute that was passed, but we declined to give
any opinion. If somebody is going to write a Treatise m the
Liquor Laws, a few more questions might be iiit) ^'lu; ' to
assist their labours.
Mr. Maclarp^n — With regard to question 4, notwith-
standing what is said, I shall ask your Lordships to answer
that in the aftirmative, as ancillary to the right to i)rohibit the
sale. If the Province has the right to prohil)it the sale, and
in order effectually to carry that out it becomes necessary to
prohibit the manufacture and importation of the li(|uor, I
submit that the right to prohibit the importation would follow
the right to prohibit the sale.
Lord Davey — I think you would have to deal in con-
nection with questions 3 and 4 rather more closely with the
regulation of trade and commerce. It seems to me, without
expressing any oi)inion, to be more near a regulation of trade
and commerce than the others.
Mr. Maclahp:n — Yes, there is no doubt that No. 1 and
even No. 7 interfere with trade and connnerce, but "'htscUer
it is a regulation of trade and connnerce I think that we
should need to look at such legislation, if it were passed, to
ascertain its true nature and character.
Lord Davey — Even undor the definition of Sir Montague
Smith it regulates trade and coinmerce between the Colonies.
It is a regulation of trade and commerce between t'.
Provinces, or between Canada as a whole and some For> >>•'"*
Countries, including England.
Lord Herschell — That is importation.
Lord Davey — And manufactur/.
Lord Herschell — You are on No 4.
Mr. Maclaren— I ask for an ailirmative answer to No. 4
as an accessory to No. 1.
give
Liquor Proliihitiou A{)[»'al, 1895.
136
Lord Morris — Does not No, 4 deal with more than a
colony by preventmg importation ? Does not it deal with
persons outside the Province ? «
Mr. Maclaren — Only persons in the Province. It would
only affect [)ersons in the Province im])orting into the
Province.
Lord Morris — Does not it affect the question of ex-
porting y If there is an import there must be an ex[)ort.
Jjord Davey — Importation must mean into a Province if
it is into Canada, because Canada consists of the Provinces.
It must be in the Piovince therefore, and if you could prohibit
it on the ground that it is a local matter because it is imported
at Halifax, if the ship arrives and unloads at Halifax, then
you do away with the right of Canada to regulate trade and
commerce.
Lord Herschell-- It might be li(pior consigned via
Halifax to some other Province. How can you prohibit the
importation if you would prevent the people of other Provinces
getting it ? How could that be said to be a merely local
matter ? '
Mr. Maclaren— It might be (lualilied in the way your
Lordship suggests. Then cpiestion 5, " If a Provincial Legis-
" lature has not jurisdiction to jjrohibit sales of such licpiors
'* irrespective of quantity, has sueh rjegisJatnrt^ jurisdiction to
" jU'ohibit the sale by retail according to the definition of a
" sale by retail either in statutes in force in the Province at
" the time of confederation or any other definition thereof."
Lord Herschell — That is covered by what has been said.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. Then question (>, " If a Provincial
" Legislature has a limited jurisdiction only as regards the
" prohibition of sales, has the Legislatur*- jurisdiction to ;)ro-
" hil)it sales, subject to the limits provided by the several
" sub-sections of the UUth section of The Canada Temperance
" Act, or any of tlx^n (Revised Statutes of Canada, cap. 10(5,
" section <,)'.).) " That would m(>an subject to the Canada
Temperance Act and to the ground covered by that, and I
should ask your Lordships to answer that in the afiirmative.
1
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186
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
Lord Watson — That is one of the matters we can answer.
What are asked are questions submitted for our adjudication.
According to my view a cou^ of law cannot adjudicate upon
a St ^lon of a statute. The thing is nonsense. It is not
adjuc. ' 1. They cannot adjudicate except upon a sub-
stantial <.'..
Lord Davey — Look at section 99, and see what it says.
Mr. Maclaren — Your Lordshii)s will find section 99 in
the Joint Appendix of Statutes. It is a prohibition of the sale
of liquor. It was the section under consideration in Iinssell
V. The Queen, and your Lordships will find it at pages 20 and
following of the Joint Appendix of Statutes.
The Lord Chancellor — ■'" ' ' '^' ' '
I . " * * '• .•'' No person shall ■■'■ '■'■■ * * expose or keep for
sale or directly or indirectly on any pretence or upon any device sell or
barter or in consideration of the purchase of any other property, give
to any other person any intoxicating liquor."
Mr. Maclaren — That is section 99. Then there are the
exceptions. , -'T^: •■"■^: :-,■•- r-f, /- '•■■)'■= ■: ■ -.'; ''/--■,--
Lord Herschell — I do not quite understand why this
6th question is put as distinct from the others. If it has the
power, why should its power be regulated by the provisions of
the Canada Temperance Act ?
Mr. Maclaren — That question I think is meant to in-
volve this — Assuming the Canada Temperance Act to be a
Superior Act, question 2 puts the question : Has the Province
the right to legislate where the Canada Temperance Act is not
in force ?
Lord Herschell — If they had a light to legislate because
it is not in force, why must this legislation follow the lines of
the Canada Temperance Act, or why can it be better because
it does follow those lines '? • ., , .
Mr. Maclaren — It would be on the assumption that the
Canada Temperance Act having been declared to be within
the competency of the Parliament of Canada, the question
is i)ut here to ascertain whether they can legislate subject
to it. ., . ■ ■
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1805.
137
Sir Richard Couch — Whether that does not put a Hiuit
to their power ?
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — That can only l)e brouf^ht into oi)era-
tion in a particnhir way, which is by the Act of the Legisla-
ture, and I do not see how the Canada Temperance Act
whose provisions can be brought into operation in a certain
way can guide as to what the Provini;ial Legislature can do.
Lord Watson — It is putting in another form this (pies-
tion to us — If a Provincial Legislature has a limited juris-
diction only as regards the prohibition or sale, their Lordships
of the Privy Council are asked to determine what is the limit
of its limited jurisdiction ; do the limits of their jurisdiction
extend to an enactment which does not go beyond the lines
of the Canada Temperance Act ?
Lord Herschell — What I fail to see for the moment is
how that can be a test within the limit you put. Supposing
they have power to limit in the direction of prohibition — if
they have none there is fm end of it, and catlit tjiurstio — but if
they have power to limit in the direction of prohibition how
can the extent of their powers be determined by what the
Dominion Parliament has done ?
Mr. Maclaren — It might mean this I think : that the
Dominion having, even where they have enacted prohibition
to the full extent to which they have in the Canada Tem-
perance Act, rendered legal certain sales named in these
several provisos for sacramental pur})oses, for medicinal
and mechanical purposes, having given certain rights to
distillers, to vine' growing companies and to numufacturers of
native wines, whethev that is the limit ?
Lord Herschell — If it is within the function of a
Provincial Legislature, how can they in their legislation be
fettered by a view expressed by the legislation of the
Dominion Parliament ; because that is what it comes to. It
is not that that Act is in operation — it is not in operation.
Mr, Maclaren— No.
Lord Herschell- -But an Act passed for the whole of
£kl4^ -I.V
138
Liquor Pivhihition Appeal, 1805.
Canada, which may be adopted by the different parts of
Canada, embodies the views of the Dominion ParUament
we will suppose as to desirable legislation, but how can that
be the test of the powers of the Provincial Legislature,
assuming that it has power to legislate in that direction,
which you must assume. If you are right in your first i)oint
then of course you do not need that, but if you are wrong in
your first point I feel a difficulty as to how you can be right
to the limited extent suggested in (piestion (>.
Lord Davey — Is tlie meaning this — that if any county
or city in the Province of Ontario should ado[)t the Temper-
ance Act, will the Temperance Act enable the excepted
person to carry on the trade notwithstanding the total
prohibition ?
Lord Herschell — I think the (piestion is whether it is
within tne jurisdiction of the Provincial Legislature.
Lord Watson — It is a question svhether they can enact
})rohil)ition to the same extent to which prohibition is enacted
by the Temperance Act and no further — that seems to be the
(juestion. But then that is of course on the assumption that
you have not the power contended for.
Mr. Maolaren — That there is only the limited power —
not more.
Lord Watson — In fact the (juestion is put entirely on
the assumption that the Provincial Legislature has not power
to deal
Mr. Maclaren — With the whole questimi. ■
Lord Watson — With the question of sale or interfering
with the sale of liquor as a local matter.
Mr. Maclaren — I submit these questions to your Lord-
ships. My learned friend, Mr. Haldane, who is with me will
read the judgments. ...
The Lord Chanceli-or — Before you finish will yoa
kindly answer one question. I s^-e that in the judgment of
Mr. Justice Taschereau a reference is made to tie Declaratory
Act, 1891, 64 Victoria, chapter 46, and he says that disposes
■iii
Liquor Pruhibition Appeal, 1895.
139
of the question of the complete })rohil)ition of the ticjuor
traffic.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. Your Lordship will lind that at
the foot of page 2 of the Api)elhiuts' Case.
The LoKD Chan'cellor — Have we got the Act ?
Mr. Maclaren — It is ju-iiited in its entirety in the
Appendix to the Case of the liesi)ondents, the Distihers' and
Brewers' Association. The 1st section is on i)age 2 of the
Appellants' Case, and it is referred to in question 7. Your
Lordship will find it co})iHd in full in paragrai)h 1 at the foot
of })age 2. The Act of the Legislature of Ontario, 51 Vict.,
chapter 40 also referred to in the 7th question, is as follows :
and that is declaratory that the restriction was not to go
further than the limitation prescril)ed in the x\ct of 1800.
The Lord Chancellor — That is a Declaratory Act ?
Mr. Maclaren— Yes my Lord, that is declaratory.
Lord Herschell— It does not touch the Canada Act ?
Mr. Maclaren — It touches the Act which was in force
at the time of Confederation ; and the Act of 1891, was
passed to declare
Lord Hkrschell — It meant this, not to go further than
the former Act which was kept alive hy section 129.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes, that is the effect of the Act of 1891.
The Lord Chancellor — I see Mr. Justice Taschereau says
thut that clears the ground, and the only question is whether —
Lord Watson — Whether it is or is not the law. Of
course if the first (juestion were answered against you, it
appears to me that that Act would he standing hy virtue
of section 129.
The Lord Chancellor — I think you have sufficiently
answered my question Mr. Maclaren.
Mr. Maclaren — If your Lordship pleases, my learned
friend, Mr. Haldane, will read the Judgment of the Court
below, and further discuss the questions.
m
^sil
111. ,
140
Liquor I'rohihitiun Appeal, 1895.
I i:.
1
Mr. Haldane — My Lords, there are two observations I
should like to add to my friend's argument before I go to the
Judgment. Your Lordships are always loth in construing the
Confederation Act to draw an abstract line, and indeed it is
almost impossible to do it, but there are some land-marks
which the authorities have established, and if we find a
concrete question lying near these land-marks it affords
indication at all events, that it is on one side of the boundary
line or the other. Now there are two things which seem to
be settled by the decisions of this Board on previous occasions
and on which one may lay hold in arguing this case. The
first is that the words conferring the regulation of trade and
commerce upon the Dominion Parliament do not include the
whole or nearly the whole of the regulation of the liquor
traffic. That is quite plain. There are two decisions— -the
decision in the Liquor License case of 1883, and in Hodijc v.
The Queen, which have made it plain that certain things at all
events in connection with the liquor traffic are reserved for
the Provincial Legislature.
Lord Watson — I should like to know what your view is
upon this question, how far does the power of the Dominion
Parliament to make a rule — we will say, partially prohibiting
or entirely prohibiting the sale of liquor — assuming they pass
such an Act, how far would their legislative power be
attributable as a regulation of the li(|Uor trade, or would it be
attributable in reality and substance to their general power
to make laws for the good order and government of Canada ?
That is a (]uestion which may not l)e without im[)ortance to
consider in the present case.
Mr. Haldane — Quite so, my Lord.
Lord Herschell — I think Russell v. The Queen distinctly
says it is within the second proposition — the peaceable
government, but in that case they avoided expressing any
opinion whether it was within the other point.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, they did.
Lord Watson — It may be a question whether in any
case the words " mere regulation " would include prohibition
necessarily, but entire prohibition might be justified on the
ground that it was for the well being of ■ ^ le community. ■•;
Liquor I'rohihition Appeal, 1895.
141
Lord Herschell — That seems to be distinctly the
judgment — that it is within tlie power to legislate for the
peaceable government, but they avoid expressing any opinion
as to whether it was withm the first })ropositiou.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, I think that is so. It is a little
difficult to see why prohibition should not come within the
regulation of trade and commerce. .
Lord Watson — It might, and legislation might take such
a form as to be entirely within it.
Lord Herschell — But may the test not be whether the
object of the legislation is directed to the question of peace
and order such as various police i)urposes, sanitary purposes,
or whether it is directed to a trade purpose ? May it not be
often the test whether it is within the one category or
the other ?
Mr. Haldane — You must look at the entire Statute,
my Lord.
Lord Watson — Incidentally you may affect trade and
commerce, but as to whether it is within the regulation of
trade and commerce may be doubtful. These sections are
not limiting words, they are words expressly declared by
the section.
Mr. Haldane — I should have thought, my Lord, the
right test would be to do what Lord Herschell suggests, and
look at the entirety of the Statute and see wdiat its scope and
purposes were. If its scope and pur[)ose were simply
prohibition as a matter of peace, order and good government,
then you would naturally refer it to the initial words of
section 91. If it is really a matter of regulation of trade
and commerce, as it might be although involving prohibition
to some extent, then it may be within regulation of trade and
commerce ; but you must see what the prohibition is.
Lord Watson— The effect of the original first words —
they have not been a great deal considered, and may some
day require considerable attention — appears to me to be to
override to a certain extent nearly all the clauses giving
jurisdiction. If that is thought good for one, each Province
;iv;
142
Lifjiior Prohihitiou Apftt'ol, 1895.
may enact for itself, because it thinks it for the benefit of the
Province, The Doniinioii Parliament ai)))arently have jmwer
if tliey are really justified, and I assume tlun- are acting
fairly and honestly in the matter, to enact that as a general
regulation.
Mr. Haldane — These words " peace, order and good
government " are the common form words in which the i)ower
of making laws has been given to every (-olony of Great
Britain. I think they have been used always, at any rate
in every recent Act.
Lord Herschell — It is the general law-making power.
Mr. Haldane — It is the general law-making power ;
therefore my Lords you nnist take the Provincial power as an
exceptional i)ower. I think that must be so and that the
enumeration in section 91 is only for greater certainty, as is
stated.
Lord Davey — The enumeration has some value besides
that, l)ecause if it comes within the enumerated matters, then
it is not of a local or private nature, because it is confined to
the locality, so that it has something more than that value.
Mr. Haldane — After all my Lords we are brought face
to face with the question what does come within what is
enumerated.
Lord Watson — There are many things enumerated which
might be in a sense local.
Lord Davey — You might pass a local bankruptcy law for
instance. '-::,,■•■•;/■:'-,-/■; ^■-, .■-,•,-■.; r ^..-^ ;'.■;' -':■.■■■.•:■_■.':
Mr. Haldane — That could not be, that would be some-
thing which would clearly come within the Dominion Law.
Lord Herschell — You could hardly pass a local
bankruptcy law unless all the man's creditors were within
a particular state, that is to say, you could not pass a law if it
were to apply to all a man's creditors, people in other
provinces, in addition to which it would be hampering
provincial trades.
Mr. H*ldane — Your Lordships remember in the In-
Liquor I'rohihitum Appval, 1805.
143
solvency Case last year there were a nniiiher of ])r()viHions
which were passed hy the Province which were iijjpropriate
to a general Bankruptcy Statute, and it was said on hehaU' of
the Dominion that those provisions W(U-e appropriate |)rovisions
to he contained in a Dominion Dankrui)tcy Act, and that it
ought not to he passed hy a Provinces hut your Lordships
said : It is true these are appro})riate provisions in a Bank-
ru})tcy Statute, hut there are also aj)i)roi)riate j)rovisions with
regard to i)roperty and civil rights, and in the ahsence of
special legislation they are })ro})er things to l)e brought in in
dealing with [)roperty and civil rights. So it may he here that
there are things which are ipiite apiu'opriate in a gcaieral
prohihition law.
Lord Watson — There was another case which we
decided last year in which the Dominion had legislated. The
question was raised there as to whether that legislation was
valid or not.
Lord Davey — I thiidv it was where some particular usage
had grown U]) in the lumher trade, hut I forget the name of
the case.
Lord Watson — There wu,s an enactment passed with
regard to receipts ; it authorised a hailee who was aho owner
to grant a receipt to pass goods in the market ; that wa,< tae
effect of it ; and the question was whether that man was to he
called an Assistant. We sustained in fhat case the validity
of the Dominion Act. I think the case ,,,13 from Montreal.
Mr. Haldane — Yes it was.
Lord Davey — That case was an appeal, I helieve, from
the Court of Appeal of Montreal.
Mr. Haldane — In that state of the law my Lords it
hecomes important to see exactly what has heen decided with
regard to the liquor trade, and as I have said not only has
the regulation of it heen decided to he * in some as})ects and
for some [)urposes within the provincial competence l)ut even
qualified prohihition is decided to he intrd circs of the Province.
The Lord Chancellor — The consideration of the matter
it seems to me is very difficult in view of the way in which
the question comes hefore us. .
1!
144
fjr liouse or place
" of public entertainment." That is the first branch of it, and,
secondly, for i)rohibiting altogether the sale of it in sho))s
and places other than houses of ])ul)lic entertainment. Tlu^n
that nnist be read together with the amending Act which
enables you to buy in the shop, — for example you may buy
it anywhere, because it says : —
" No tavoni or shop licoiiso slmll ho ncceH.sary for Ht'lling any
licjuors in the origiiuil packages in which the same have been received
Liquor Prohihitioii A/qx'td, 1895.
147
froia the importer or mannfaclurer, provided such packages contain
respectively not less than five gallons or one dozen bottles."
It comes to this — that in some localities it is desiiable that
the public house, or inn, or place where the li(jUor is sold, is
a place where you are not to buy leas than a dozen bottles.
The scheme of the Act is local, and its purpose is to deal
with something in the nature of a local regulation or restric-
tion. Now in the Licjuor License Case you get the same
thing upon the other side. I will not go over it again, but
on pages 4, 6 and 7 of the report, you have the kind of
provision which was put into that x\ct. One cannot tell of
course what was the ground of their Lordships' decision, l)ut
one cannot help seeing that the contest largely turned upon
whether the whole Act was not in substance an attempt to
get hold of what was a local or municipal matter under cover
of a Dominion Statute.
Lord Davey— I have read the argument again and I
think it turned very largely on the machinery which was
used in that enactment.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, your Lordship remembers that the
Act had been drawn with considerable care, and the electors,
who had been chosen, were the (Sectors of the Dominion
constituency, and they took localities which corresponded very
nearly to the Municipal localities under thi' Ontario legisla-
tion, but this Board decided Miat the mere variation of the
maciiinery did not prevent the machinery from being a
machinery of a nnniicipal and local character — indeed the
Act was of that nature.
Lord Herschell — I do not think that carries the matter
really further than the decision in llothic's case, because
whether it is right or wrong, Hin--
poses of general legislation as distinguished from ;j,eneral
administration or local and police legislation. Then a little
lower down he says : —
" Therefore it appears to me that there ace in thi' Dominion and
the Provinces, respectively, several and distinct powers nuthorising
each, within its own sphere, to enact the same legislation on this
subject of prohibitory liciuor laws restraining sale hy retail."
Lord Watson — I am not sure ; it is always dangerous to
lay down a proposition of that kind. I do not know that
they must be general laws not limited to anv particular
Province, that they must be for the benelit of the whole
of the j^rovinces.
Mr. Haldane — Yes.
Lord Watson — It is nnich too narrow to say that.
Mr, Haldane — Yes, you must look at the whole scope of
the Statute.
Lord Watso>; — The legislation runs very much on the
lines and to the same extent as the interests given by the
Act to the Provinces.
Lord Herschell — But to legislate in a matter which is
Hi
.■ij^iJStj.
150
hiqxior Prohlhitiou Appeal, 1805.
a local matter for one Province only and merely say that we
thought it would be for the benefit of all Canada that Ontario
should be made a very sol)er place would be to my mind
legislation about which there would be a good deal of
question. I think it is too narrow to say that the law must
extend to every Province, but on the other hand the general
idea that it must not be local legislation in a particular
Province though it is by the Dominion Parliament
Lord MoiiKis — I think the Chief Justice is only dealing
with the local option laws. He says, at foot of page 76, the
Dominion of Canada "may pass what are denominated local
" option laws. But as I imderstand that decision " — that is
the decision on the very question — " such Dominion laws
" must be general laws." It is the local option laws, and I
think he is strictly right. .
Mr. Haldane — About the middle of the page his reason
is given : — •
"To neither of the legislatures is the subject of prohibitory liquor
laws in terms assigned. Then what reason is there why v local legis-
lature in execution of the police power conferred by sub-section 8 of
section 92 may not, so long as it does not come in conflict with the
legislation of the Dominion, adopt any appropriate means of executing
that power, merely beciiuse the same means may be adopted by the
Dominion Parliament under the authority of section 91 in executing a
power specifically given to it ? It has been decided by the highest
authority that there are no reasons against such a construction. This
is indeed even a stronger case for recognising such a concurrent power
than the case of Tlie Attovney-Uenvial of Ontario v. T/ie Atturnetj-
Umieral of Canada."
rr;
hat h: the insolvency case —
" because bankruptcy and insolvency laws are by section 91
expressly attributed to the exclusive jiirisdiction of the Dominion. In
the event of legislation providing for prohibition enacted by the
Dominion and by a Province coming into conflict, the legislation of
the Province would no doubt have lo give way. This was pointed out
by the Privy Council in 'I'lic AU(inii'!/-(i('n<'ral of Ontaiiow The Attoniri/-
(ivHcnd of Caiuiila, and altliougli the Britisli North America Act con-
tains no provision declaring tluit the legislation of the Dominion shall
be supreme, as is the case in the constitution of the I'nited States, the
same j)rinci])Ie is necessarily implied in our Constitutional Act, and is
to be applied whenever in the nuiny cases which may arise, the
Federal and I'roviucial Legislatures adopt the same means to carry
into eft'ect distinct powers." •
I
Liquor I'roliihitioii Appeal, 1805.
151
Lord Watson — It is not (juite correct in my oi)iiiioii to
call thiit couenrrent power when the concurring provincial
legislation nuist give way.
Lord Davey — There is a passage you left out which may
he of importance on questions 3 and 4, hetweeu lines 10
and '20 :,
" Bach provincial legislation cannot, liowcver, be extended so as
to prohibit importation or niiinufacture, for the reason that these
subjects belong exclusively to the J)oniinion under the bead of trade
and connnerce, anil also for the additional reason that the revenue of
the Dominion derived from Customs and Kxcise Duties would be
thereby ati'ected."
Lord Watson— And not only so, the Provincial Legislature
can only deal with that which is really a matter of civil right.
They cainiot pro})ose, for instance, to deal with hankruptcy.
Lord Herscuell — 1 should like to know what you have
to say ahout the question of importation, hecausethe question
of importation seems to me to he very different. Do you say
it is a question of a local nature ? The question of manu-
facture in any Province would jiri)ii(i facie seem to he of a
local nature unless it conies within trade and connnerce,
hut then sujiposing it to he otherwise than of a local nature,
would it he exchided Ixn-ause the -Dominion Parliament
raised part of th'ur rev(>nue hy excise.
Mr. Haldane — 1 think the question would l)e whether it
was necessarily a thing that came within matters of a local
nature. If it was something which came within matters of a
local nature and could he properly dealt with in that capacity
then I take it that notwithstanding there would he some
interference with the Dominion revenue that would not he
sufficient reason for saying the Province had not the power.
Lord Heuschell — Supposing the Dominion Parliament
has used it for the purjKise of taxation, can it he said that it
would he sim})ly of a local nature, when it directly affects
the raising of revenue under a law jiassed hy the Dominion
Parliament ? That seems to me to he a very serious (piestion,
hecause otherwise you see, supposing they had raised a great
deal of their revemie in that way, the Provincial Legislature
might for the very puri)os(^ of checknuiting, in some coutro-
:\4
wx
I
If; >n
111:
i:
f |Wft^ ' v t' '. " l'aw. i 'W6J>wwwgir g''' ■ j.-gwr wi uMMW ii M ii^ ! ■
15'2
Liquor I'roldbition Appeal, 1896,
versy between the Province and the Dominion, prohibit
particular manufactures. ,
Mr. Haldane — That would be clearly bad ; if it were a
statute passed for that purpose it would be clearly bad.
Lord Herschell — Supposing it has immediately that
effect, can it be said to be merely of a local nature when it
affects the revenue of the Dominion directly ?
Mr. Haldane — Again I think you must look at the
purpose and scope of the whole statute.
Lord Herschell — Whatever its scoi)e and i)uri)ose, it
must be merely of a local nature, that is : not touching by its
immediate and direct operations those outside the province.
If you do this you at once stop a source of revenue of the
whole of the Dominion.
Lord Morris — Do you not do very much the same thing
if you stop the drinking of whisky altogether ? You stop the
manufacture of it practically for nobody will be fools enougli
to manufacture that which nobody can drink.
Lord Davey — You reduce the excise undoubtedly if you
restrict drinking li(]uor (without i)roliibition) by a licensing
system.
Mr. Haldane — Your Lordships had this very point before
you in the Russell Case, only the other way. It was argued
in the Bussell Case that if the Dominion had the power of
prohibition, that was destroying the right of the Province to
the revenue from licpior licenses which uiidou})tedly it had,
and this was said in the judgment : —
" But supposing the effect of the Act to be prejudical to the
Revenue derived by the Municipality from licenses, it does not follow
that the Dominion Parliament might not pass it by virtue of its
general authority to make laws for the peace, order, and good govern-
ment of Canada. Assuming that the matter of the Act does not fall
within the class oi subjetit described in No. 9, that sub-section can in
no way interfere wiuli ',hc ffonera) authority of the parliament to deal
with that matter. If the argument of the x\ppollant tliat the power
given to the Provincial Legislatures to raise a Revenue by licenses,
prevents the Dominion Parlii.ment from legislating with regard to
any article or commodity v.nich was or might be covered by such
licenses were to prevai:, the consequence would be that laws which
n.
I
lAqmr Prohibition Appt'ol, 1896.
158
might be necessary for the public good or the public safety could
not be enacted at all. Supposi' it were deemed to bs necessary
or expedient for the national safety or for political reasons to
prohibit the sale of arms or the carrying of arms it could not
be contended that a Provincial Legislature would have authority
by virtue of sub-s;'Ction !). (which alone is now under discussion) to
pass any such law, nor, if the Appellants' argument were to prevail,
would the Dominion Parliament be competent to pass it, since such
ii law would interfere prejudicially with the revenue derived from
licenses granted under the authority of the Provincial Legislature for
the sale or the carrying of arms." L. R. 7. App. Cas. 887.
Lord Herschell — That does not seem to me to help us on
this question, because that is deaUng with supreme legislative
power. You cannot be deprived of that because it nuiy
affect the taxing i)ower of a particular Province, but it does
not help us on this question, which is, is legislation of a
"merely local nature," which are the words we have to deal
with, " in the Province" which does in this way directly affect
the Dominion ? I mean that is a different question and does
n^.t help us. I am expressing no opin;on upon it of course.
The Lord Chancellor — It is impossible to solve these
conundrums without having a sj)ecilic thing before us. You
have just now (juoted if it should be necessary for the purpose
of good government to prohibit the carrying of arms, they
might have to import a new state of facts in order to show
what would or what would not be within the power. That
seems to me to prove the impossibility of answering these
things in the abstract. The infinite variety of human
circumstances may or may not render it desirable.
Mr. Haldane — Your Lordships are asked to deal with all
the contentions of the temperance party in advance.
The Lord Chancellor — Not only that, but all the things
which may hai)i)en in the course of this world's history
which may or may not render the tenqjerance legislatioi. or
any other legislation i)roper.
Lord Watson — How can I deal with and adjudicate upon
a question of that kind ? I can hazard an opinion, but that
is another matter. We do not give opinions, not judicially.
Mr. Haldane — I will pass from this point v/ith this
observation, that the power of raising revenue, a power which
':!1|!
154
Liquor I'roliihitioii Appeal, 1895.
the Provinces and the Dominion have in different forms, is a
power which nuist be necessaiily subject to the alteration of
the subject matter from which the revenue is to be raised
under the powers which are conferred upon these two
ParHaments respectively. It cannot be merely because the
Dominion Parliament has a right to put an iiidirect tax, for
instance, to put a tax upon bread
Lord Herschell — I do not think because it has a right :
I should not be pressed with that difficulty at all. You
cannot interfere with the scope of Provincial legislation in a
matter otherwise local by saying "it is a matter with which
the Dominion might find it convenient to deal." I should
have no difficulty upon that, but where th Dominion
Parliament has dealt with it by way of raising revenue, then
the question arises whether you do not directly attect the
Dominion legislation when you prohibit manufacture.
Mr. Haldane— It is only dealt with for the purpose of
raising revenue in a general fashion.
Lord Herschell— -As I understand, it raises revenue
distinctly by the manufacture. It has nothing to do with the
sale. Of course it is true if you prohibit sale that may
indirectly affect the manufacture. That is only an indirect
and incidental effect, but if the taxation is distinctly upon
the manufacture, if you prohibit the manufacture, you directly
attack the revenue.
Lord Watson — A distillery is a mere local matter, but
the moment you tax all its productions for the purpose of
filling the Exchequer, it may be a question whether it does
not then cease to be a matter of local interest merely.
Mr. Haldane — Yes.
Lord Watson — The ratepayers throughout the Dominion
are interested in it, the Government of the Dominion is
interested in it.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, my Lord, there are a number of
subjects which are handed over.
Lord Watson — You affect it by dealing with it in the
way it is proposed other than in regard to the local interests.
Liquor Prohibition Apjmd, 1805.
165
Mr. Haldane — Yes, of course one may, by a particular
Act of legislation of the Province, be simply striking at the
source of revenue. It might well be, one can conceive, that
from the point of view of police the existence of the manu-
facture of drink
Lord Watson — Whether you can legislate on the ground
that it is a i)urely local matter to an extent which would
immediatel)' destroy that interest of the general ratei)ayers of
Canada and of the Canadian Government, it may be questioned
whether that within the meaning of the Statutes is purely
local.
Mr. Haldane — Supposing the Dominion Cxovernment to
raise a revenue partlv from licenses for the manufacture of
dynamite or cordite and the Provincial Legislature were to
say " in none of our towns shall there be a manufactory of
this kind," that, I take it, would be within the power of the
Provincial Legislature on the ground of local safety, and yet
it would affect the revenue in the same wav as this. That is
a case which comes very close to something which is necessary
in the interests of the locality.
Lord Hehschell — That is the difficulty you see. Apart
from the point of ^lunicipal Institutions, if you bring yourself
within 10 you must bring yourself within the terms that it is
merely of a local nature. Then if your Act operates outside
the province it ceases to be so and the question is whether it
is or is not of a local nature.
Mr. Haldane — I think you must look at the effect of the
whole thing.
Lord Herschell— I quite understand your argument.
You say that because incideiitalh' it affects the revenue of
the Dominion that that does not prevent it being dealt with
locally.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, my Lord.
Lord Watson — It goes to raise a (juestion of fact.
Mr. Haldane — I think it comes to this, that there is
hardly a question on the construction of these two sections
that can be decided except in a concrete form.
'm
■I
^■i
15(')
Liquor I'rokihition Appeal, 1895.
Lord Herhchell — That is the difficulty. Taking the
vary case of its heing merely of a local nature, one would
want to know what the exact thing was, what the exact facts
were about the Dominion Act, and how it would afiect the
revenue or anything else under that Act before you could
answer the question. . , ...
Lord Watson — Probably the most satisfactory answer
would be to say, though not perhaps to those who asked the
question, in certain circumstances it will and in certain
circumstances it will not. It is quite capable of that answer.
Mr. Haldane — I turn now to the top of page 78 of the
Judgment. There is nothing movj in the preceding page
that I need trouble your Lordships with —
" That a general police power sufficient to include the right of
legislating to the extent of the prohibition of retail traffic or local
option laws, not exclusive of but concurrent with a similar power in
the Dominion, is vested in the Provincaa by the words ' Municipal
Institutions in the Province' in sub-section 8 of chapter 92 is, I
think, a proposition which derives support from the case of Umliif v.
Tl)i' Qw'i'n. It is true that the subject of prohibition was not in
question in that case, but there would seem to be no reason why
prohibitory laws as well as those retaliating and limiting the traffic in
li(luors should not be included in the police power which under the
words ' Municipal Institutions ' it was held in Hoihic v. Tfw Quci-n to
the extent of licensing, the Provinces possessed."
Lord Herschell — I think it is not quite accurate to say
that they possessed it mider sub-section 8. It was held they
possessed it under 8 and 16. I am by no means sure that the
decision of this Board in Hoihje v. The (Jitcen would have been
the same if they had thought it had come under 10. If it
could not be brought within any of the other specific ones I
doubt whether they would have held it could be done under
8 alone. At all events, whether they would or would not, it is
not accurate to say they held it to come under 8, they held it
to come under 8 and 16.
Mr. Haldane — Yes. Under one or the other.
" The difference between regulating and licensing and prohibiting
is one of degree only.
"As regards the objection that to recognise any such right
of legislation in a Province not extending to the prohibition of
importation and manufacture would be an infringement of the
Liquor I'ntliihltion Afi/H'dl, 1895.
167
power of the Dominion to regulate trade and conmiercc. I am not
impressed by it. The retail liquor traffic can scarcely be ref,'ar(led as
coming directly under the head of trade and commerce as used in the
British North America Act, but as the subjects enumerated in
section 92 are exceptions out of those mentioixul in section 91 it follows
that if a police power is included in sub-section H of the former section
the power itself and all appropriate means of carrying it out are to be
treated as uncontrolled by anything in section 91 . Moreover Ilodi/i' v.
Till' IJitirn also applies here, for although in a lesser degree, yet to some
extent the restriction of the liquor trade by a licensing system would
afiect trade and commerce. On the whole, I am gf opinion that the
provincial Legislatures have power to enact prohibitory legislation to
the extent I have mentioned though this power is in no way exclusive
of that of the Dominion but concurrent with it."
Lord Herschell — I think that is going a Httle too far to
say that the Dominion has conciUTent power hecause that
niiglit imply that they could legislate for tlie particular
Province. I should say rather than concurrent i)ower an
overruling power, if they considered such legislation necessary
for the purpose of good (xovernment and order of the whole
Dominion.
Mr. Haldane — Yes. The last part of the Judgment I do
net read hecause it simi)]y states the argument.
Lord Watson — It is not quite co-extensive and it is not
concurrent. In the case of concurrent power the general
rule is that the authority which first exercises it prevails.
Lord Herschell — One sees what the learned Chief
Justice means. It is a verhal criticism rather than otherwise.
The Lord Chancellor — I think the next four or five
lines are important, as emphasising what the Chief Justice
means.
Mr. Haldane — Yes. I will read them : —
" If I am wrong in this conclusion, it is sufficient for th . decision
of this Appeal to hold, as I do, that the Legislature of Ontario had
power to repeal and re-enact the legislation in force at the date of the
Confederation Act, which gave Municipal Councils the right to pass
by-laws absolutely prohibiting the sale of liquor by retail within
certain local limits. Having regard to the history and objects of
Confederation, I can scarcely think it possible that it could have been
intended by the framers of the British North America Act to detract
in any way from the jurisdiction of the Provinces over their own
several systems of Municipal Government,"
;iti
i.'iP
■I
,1'.
15fl
Litjunr I'roliihition Appeal, 1H05.
Tionl Hkrh(;hkll — But they did detract from the juris-
diction of the Provinces over their own several systems of
Mimicipal (iroverrnnent, hecause it is admitted that tliey did
interf(>re witli the power of tlie MunicipaUty. Is that one of
those tilings in which they have interfcnul ? It is too hroad,
surely, to say that it was not "to detract in any way from
the jurisdiction of the Provinces over their own several
systems of Municipal Government" ?
Lord Davey — I think tliis ohservation of the learned
Chief Justice is only important if he is riglit in his previous
conclusion. , /- *- ; ^
Mr. Haldane — Yes. .
Lord Watson — If he is wrong he does not seem to have
adverted to the concluding language of section 1'29, which
gives to each of them the power. The old law is to stand,
hut the Dominion Parliament are to have power to deal with
the whole of the legislation.
Mr. Haldane — Section 129 makes the federal power
have the power of repeal — it follows up sections 91 and 9*2.
Lord Watson-
lation '?
-On the same lines as the right of legis-
Lord Hbrschell — It would seem almost to follow. I
should have thought that if there was no power to enact this
there could he no 2)ower to re})eal it. If there is no power
to enact, and the Chiei Justice is wrong in his point, it is
because that is taking away from the Provincial and giving
to the Dominion Parliament. If so, it must follow that the
power to repeal the existing legislation is taken from the
Provincial and given to the Dominion Parliament in that
section 129, and it rather strikes me that is the same question.
If he is right in his first point, then it is for the Provincial
Parliament alone to deal with the rei)eal. If he is wrong, it
was for the Dominion Parliament to deal with the repeal.
Mr. Haldane — The fact that municipal bodies, prior to
Confederation, possessed this power shows that to some extent
it was regarded as a matter of local power.
The Lord Chancellor — I should have thought it was
■Liqnoi- Pruhibit'ton Ajtjual, 185)5.
151)
the other way — that they had plainly tho power at that time
ill overythiiig.
Mr. Haldank — They all had it, more or less.
Lord Hkkschkll — They all had the full jiower ; they
had delegated that power, some of tlieiii more and Kome less,
to particular local hodies, hut ditt'erently in each State.
Lord Wathon — They had the same plenary power in
those days within the Province as the Dominion |jei,'islature
and all the other le{j;islatures put together.
Mr, Haldane — Yes ; and they were in the habit of
giving to municipal hodies these powers.
Lord Heuschell — They were in the habit of giving
them some jiowers in relation to dealing with drink differing
in different Provinces. How does it follow from that that it
was intended that each of the Provinces should have the
power of giving any powers they pleased in relation to drink
to any municipal hodies ?
Lord Davey — It might be \mi in this way : it occurs to
me that if it gives them power to legislate on any matter
relating to Municipal Institutions, and dc fiu-lo at the passing
of the Act certain municiiial bodies had certain powers, the
repeal of those powers would be a matter relating to an
existing Municipal Institution.
Lord Watson — I have arrived at the conclusion that the
right to enact and the right to repeal old enactments did not
stand upon exactly the same footing, hut whichever legisla-
ture the one belonged to must necessarily have been possesseti
of the other.
Mr. Haldane — That seems to have been the intention
of section 1*29. However, that is the only way that the
argument can be put.
Then Mr. Justice Fournier concurs, and Mr. Justice
(rwynne gives a very long Judgment the other way. I think
I need not read the whole of it, as it would take a long time,
but I will read such portions as seem to be necessary, and if
my friends think I am missing anything they can rectify it.
m
:i
111
■m
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1:
mmmmm
W
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
hi
Lord Herschell — We have probably all read the
Judgments. Although you pass over certain i)assages, it
must not be taken that we have not informed ourselves of
them.
Mr. Haldanb — That is so, and I think it would he only
wasting your Lordships" time for me to read them further.
Lor.^ Herschell — If there is any part to which you wish
to call special attention do so, but it is not necessary to read
the whole of them as we have read them ourselves.
Mr. Haldane — There is no comment on these Judgments
which your Lordship will not hear from the other side.
Lord Morris — This [)assage on page 85 seems to be
material —
" Now the several questions in the case submitted to us are
resolvable into this one. * •:=•:■"
That is very satisfactory.
Mr. Haldane— Yes, Mr. Justice Gwynne takes rather a
strong view. There are a grent many very edifying things
like speeches from people who introduced these things into
Parliament, and a number of things which are of great
historical value l)ut not otherwise pertinent. In this Judg-
ment of Mr. Justice Sedgewick's your Lordshij) will get the
arguments more satisfactorily put.
Sir Richard Couch — Mr. Justice Hedgewick's Judgment
gives them better than any other I think.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, it is a very good Judgment.
Lord Herschell— There is some very forcil)le reasoning
which certainly impressed me very much in all these Judg-
ments with regard to this coming under '' Municipal
Institutions" and coming under nothing else. I thliik it
is very clearly put in Mr. Justice Hedgewick's Judgment on
page 101.
Sir Richard Couch — It is better ])ut there than in any
other.
Lord Herschell —
" What meaning then is to be jriven to Municiiml Institutions in
the Province ? Three answers may be advanced. First, it may mea«
~
LiqiKir Prohibition .ippail, 1805.
1()1
vl
:'!f!
that a, Legislature hiiiS power to divide its territory into defined areas,
constitute the inhahitants a Municipal Corporation oi Community,
give to the governing bodies of officers of such Corporations or Com-
,, munities all such powers as are inherently incident to oi' essentially
necessary for their existence, growth and development, and confer upon
them as well all such authority and jurisdiction as it may lawfully do
under any of the enumerated articles of section 92. That is the
narrowest view. Or, secondly, it may mean that a Legislature may
also confer upon Municipalities, in addition to these powers, all those
powers that were possessed or enjoyed in common by the Municipalities
or Municipal Communities of all the confederating Provinces at the
time of the Union, the jiix i/mtiuni of Canadian Municipal law ; or,
finally, it may mean that a Legislature may confer upon Municipalities
all those powers which in any Province or in any place in a Province,
any Municipality at the time of the Union, as a matter of fact, pos-
sessed by virtue of legislative or other authority."
Those are three possihle cases.
Mr. Haldane — Yes. Then he says that he (Usseiits from
putting the case in the widest view.
" The first view in my Judgment is the proper one, a view which
gives scope foi' liberal interpretation as to what may constitute the
essence of the Municipal system and give due effect in that direction to
the Municipal ./».s i/cntiion of the three old Provinces, and I entertain
the strongest doubt if it ever was contemplated by the use of tlie words
' Municipal Institutions ' to make any particular reference to the li(juor
traffic at all."
Then he states certain reasons for thinking that, an:l he
refers to class 9 of section 92 and to the Quehec liesohitions.
My Lords, it does seem a littk' odd to refer to those things which
took place and which were no doubt the basis of the Act which
afterwards became the Confederation Act, for that is certainly
not what your Lordships luive got to interpret, They iin\
very interesting, but they are the words of tlie promoters in
(yanada of this Act, promoting objects which, for aught we
know, may have been modified by Lord Carnarvon and his
advisers when they came to frame the statute which was
afterwards passed into law.
Lord Herschell — Were they j)assed into law in the
terms settled on ?
Lord Watson — What is the date of this case ?
Mr. Haldane — It is last year.
Lord Herschell — The same date?
«3
M
iii!SiS!!iaa!*iiiiniiiwiiiM
m
162
Liquor I'rolilhition Apjical, 1895.
Mr. Haldane — The same date, and the Judgments were
given the same day, the same afternoon. . ,
Lord Herschell — They gave their Judgments the same
day, l)ut the case had been heard before C'ourts differently
constituted.
Mr. Haldane — Yes, a long time had elapsed in both
cases l;et\veen the arguments and the Judgment. My Lords,
I think I shoukl be only taking up your Lordships' time if I
went into this, because my friends will call your attention to
any ])oints in the Judgment which they thirk of importance.
My. Newcomue — If your Lordsliii)s please, I ap))ear for
the Attorney-General of the Dominion of Canada. The sub-
ject of the Keference I take it nuiy be regarded as prohibition,
I think that is the subject to which the various (juestions are
directed, and tliat was the question which was dealt with by
your Ijordships' Board in the case of Iiiis.si'11 v. Tlir (Jaren
which has been referred to, but which I think it will be
necessary for me to refer to fit some greater lengtli than has
already been alt with by the Canada Temperance Act, from
provincial authority.
Lord Herschell — How do you put that ?
l\[r. Newcombe — I submit it must be held to have gone
to that length.
Lord Herschell — It did not exclude legislatioii on such
a subject within the Domniion, but 1 think it excluded it in
the direction of [)rohil)ition from the Provinces.
Mr. Newcombe — ^^y pro])osition is this, my lord, that
it necessarily did exclude the sul)jtH't from provincial authority
liaving r(>gar(l to the power of the Province to enact prohibition
as to the whole I'nnince generally. The (juestion of the
effect of the a>signment to the Province of private and local
matters may be another (piestion. but it sefms to me that the
case was ii])proached by your Lordshijis in Hitssrll v. 'I'lir (Jmoi
and decided in such n way as to exclude the subject generally
from i)rovincial competency. Tliat is the effect of the
decision.
LiijiKir I'rolilhitidii .Ijijx'iil, IHI);").
163
; 1 1
Lord Hp:hschell- -1 will t(^ll you at oneo my difficnlty,
and yon will deal with it no doubt. This Board expressed
no opinion as to its coniing within the two, it founded its
judgment entirely upon the earlier j^art of the section, its
coming witiun the general ))ower to legislate for all Caiiada.
Now the provision at the end of section 1)1 is to tlie etlect
that the power of the })rovincial legislature to legislate on
nuitters of a merely local character shall l)e excluded and
sluill not be taken to extend, where the limits of the legisla-
tion be local oidy, to matters coming witiun the enumerated
provisions of section 91. This Board did not dt^cide that the
})rohibition of li(juor came within any of those enumerated
sections ; it decided it upon the ground that it canu:^ within
the lirst provision. Now if you read the words at the end
of section 91 they nn[)ly that so far as their limit is nu^rely
local and the effects are merely lociil, the Provincial legisla-
ture may legislate on matters with which nevertheless the
Dominion Parliament may luue power to legislate generally
as being a matter for the peace or good government of
Canada. T'lie very express words at the end of s(K-tion 91
ap[)ear to me to imply that there may be cases in wliich you
may legislate locally by Provincial legislative a,uthority and
nevertheless the Parliauu'nt of Canada may legislate generally.
Mr. Newcombe — For peace or good govermnent,
1 jord Hekschell — Yes.
Mr. Kewcomue — That is so long as it does not come
within the enumerated clauses.
Lord Hekschell — Yes. Of courst^ if they have decided
it on the ground that it came within the r(»gulation of trade
and connnerce, one of the enumerated things, then no doubt
that would have been a strong ))oint, but I am only speaking
of the scope of Hiissi'll v. The (Jnccii. I am not speaking of
this case oidy. So far as lliisscll v. 'I'lic (Jiiccii is concerned
it does not seem to me to g*> further than that. That is why
I say it does not strike me that the ground upon which the
decision in Ilitsm'U v. Tin' (Jmrv is based excludes the pi'ovin-
cial power from dealing with the nuitter locally.
Lord Watson — 1 do not tliiidv there is any decision of
-M 2
I
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Dk,
164
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 180f5.
this Board which settled the power, if any, in this matter
of the Dominion Parliament as heing limited to such subjects.
Mr. Newcombe — No, my lord.
Lord Watson — If it did that it may be so, but it has not
been so held, and I feel a certain amount of difficulty upon
that subject.
Mr. Newcombe — For the purpose of considering really
what lias been decided by the case of Biijr to allow the Province to
interfere also in the matter.
Lord Herschell — One cannot helj) having certain
doubts as to whether the Parliament of Canada could legislate
as regards the sanitary arrangements of houses in a particular
town in a Province under this genc^ral })ower for the peace,
good order and government of Canada, which nmst mean
Canada at large, in general
It must mean something in a
II
I/uinor I'rohihitinn Appeal, 1895.
1()7
particular place, and it is difficult to suppose then that the
Parliament of Canada could legislate for what may he a
temporary measure retjuired to meet a local exigency at a
particular time in a particular town in a Province, and if the
Parliament of Canada cannot legislate, it is very dilhcult to
suppose that the Provincial Legislature cannot, and that there
is no power of legislation ahout it at all hecause all legislative
power was intended to he in one or other of the Provinces.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
Lord Watson — Supposing the Parliament of Canada
passed an Act compelling the vaccination of every child
within six months, and that within one of the Provinces,
owing to an outhreak of small-pox the Provincial Legislature
thought it necessary to enact that the vaccination should he
epeated every seven years, would that he heyond the i)ower
of the Provincial Legislature, or would it he in conflict with
the Dominion legislation ? I do not see that the Dominion
Parliament could provide that a child was never afterwards
to he vaccinated during its life.
Lord Herschell — There might then he a (piestion
whether that would he within the powers of the Dominion
Parliament, whether it would not he that kind of legislation
which is negative merely.
Mr. Newcombe — There would he the question whether
the Dominion had that jjower.
Lord Herschell — Supposing this to he witiiin the
power of the Dominion Parliament : that they could enact that
every child must he vaccinated hefore it reaches the age of
three months, the Province could not say that it would l)e
enough if it is vaccinated hefore the age of eight months
hecause that would he in direct conflict, and the Provincial
Parliament would he dealing with a matter which ex hijpothcsiH
was within the jurisdiction of tlie Dominion Parliament.
That they could not do.
Mr. Newcombe — They could not do tliat. In /I'/mv//
v. 77;^' (Jiireii, your Lordships" Jloard npproached the c.ise
from the standpoint of the . Provincial powers, and the
question was, was this legislation within the [)ow(H" of the
1(58
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
ii
Province ? It was urged that it was within the power of the
Province under the several heads which are always invoked
for the i)ur})0se of conferring that jurisdiction. " Shop,
" saloon, tavern, auctioneer and other licenses for the purpose
" of raising revenue for Provincial purposes " was the first
head dealt with hy the Judgment, and it was held that the
Province could not enact jn-ohibition under that clause. Then
under " property and civil rights " tlie same conclusion was
come to. Then we come to the question with regard to
No. K) : "generally all matters of merely local or private
" nature in the Province." What was said on that subject is
at pages 24 to 2('> of the Report as found in 2 Cartwright's
cases, and L. B. 7 App. Cas. at page 840. It begins in
this way : —
" It was not of course contended for the Appellant that the
Legislature of New Brunswick could have passed the Act in question
which embraces in its enactments all the Provinces, nor was it denied
with respect to this last contention that the Parliament of Canada
might have passed an Act of the nature of that under discussion, to
take effect at the same time throughout the whole Dominion. Their
Lordships understand the contention to be "
Lord Herschell — We had a large admission made there
by those who re})resented the Provincial Legislature, on the
question of whether the Parliament of Canada could or could
not pass such an Act for the whole Dominion, that is to say,
an Act coming into force at cnce for the whole Dominion.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
Lord Herschell — The only point there made was that
they could not pass an Act for the whole Dominion which
was to affect localities separately.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
" Their Lordships understand the contention to be that, at least
in the absence of a General Law of the Parliament of Canada the
Provinces might have passed a local law of a like kind, each for its
own Province, and that as the prohibitory and penal parts of the Act
in question were to come into force in those counties and cities only in
which it was adopted in the manner prescribed, or, as it was said ' by
local option,' the legislation was in effect and on its face upon a matter
of a merely local nature."
• That is the argument that was urged, because it came into
effect in localities, in counties.
Liqmir Proliihititm Appeal, 1895.
109
Lord Watson — A great deal of the argument was
founded upon this, that if tlie J)oniinion ParHanient c-hose
to exercise that jjovvcr they nmst do so hv means of an
imperative Act ; that to make the Act permissive was to enahk^
some Provinces to escape f^-om its incidence altogetlier, and
that was not v/hat was inte ded at alh
Mr. Newcombe — ^Yes. Then follows a quotation from
the Judgment of Chief Justice Allen, m which he says : —
" ' Had this Act prohibited tho sale of li(iuor, instead of merely
restricting and regulating it, I should have had no doubt about the
power of the Parliament to pass such an Act, but I think an Act
which in effect authorises the inhabitants of each town or parish to
regulate the sale of liquor, and to direct for whom for what purposes and
under what conditions spirituous liquors may bo sold therein, deals
with matters of a merely local nature, which by the terms of the 16th
sub-section of section 92 of the British North America Act are within
the exclusive control of the Local Legislature.' Their Lordships
cannot concur in this view. The declared object of Parliament in
passing the Act is that there should be uniform legislation in all the
Provinces respecting the traffic in intoxicating liquors, with a view to
promote temperance in the Dominion. Parliament does not treat the
promotion of temperance as desirable in one Province more than in
another, but as desirable everywhere throughout the Dominion. The
Act as soon as it was passed, became a law for the whole Dominion
and the enactments of the first part, relating to the machinery for
bringing the second part into force took effect and might be put in
motion at once and everywhere within it."
Now with regard to the consideration urged that as the
prohihitory and penal parts of the Act in question were to
come into force in those counties and cities only in which it
was adopted in the manner prescrihed, or as it was said hy
" local option" the legislation was in effect, and on its face
upon a matter of a merely local nature, I suhniit as to matters
of a merely local and private nature that that expression must
he construed to mean sometiiing less — a matter of a puhlic
and provincial nature. Notwithstanding the word " local,"
of course it is not urged and could not he urged that this is
a private measure. But the word " private " prohahly throws
some light upon the word " local," and may assist in the
interpretation of that word.
Lord Herschell — It is " local or private."
Mr. Newcombe — Local or private ; it is alternative ; but
the two are grouped together disjunctively. But where the
* 'i
170
Liquor Prohibitiuii Appeal, lHi)5.
Province is anthoriHed to pass a measure with regard to iJ^ local
matter, that is a matter which does not atfect the Province
generally — it does not affect the entire Province. If so, it
would be taken out of the category of " local." Perhaps it
would he fair to construe those words as having regard to
local or private bills. They could pass local and private
measures under that sub-head of the British North America
Act, section 02. They could pass a measure which would
ordinarily be given effect to l)y a private or local Bill,
but not a matter of general and equal application to the
entire Province. I submit that that is a construction which
may be placed upon the words "private and local matters "
for the purpose of saying that it is involved in the decision
of tlttssell V. The (Jueen, and I say that the Province cannot
pass a Prohibition Act, an Act prohibiting the sale of liquor,
coming into force in the Province at large, coming into force
generally throughout the Province. It cannot give effect to
prohibition within its borders by its own legislation.
Lord Davey — The words are "generally all matters"
which looks as if things not jjreviously enumerated were
considered as being within it.
Mr. Newcombe — I submit the construction is that there
are a large number of things enumerated in section 92 as to
which authority is given to the Province, and it may be that
the 16th sub-clause does not carry the Provincial legislative
authority very much beyond what has been already conferred
upon it, but whatever is conferred by those words is a general
grant, in the last sub-section of section 92, which would enable
the Province to deal with matters which are merely local and
private. You have the word " merely " there, thus accentuat-
ing as I submit the limited character of the legislation which
may be enacted under that Clause. In the case of L' Union
St. Jacques de Montreal v. Belisle (L. R. 6 P. C. 31), there was
a question raised as to legislation with regard to what were
merely Ideal or private matters, and their Lordships said, at
Cartwright, page 68 of that case : —
" The subject matter of this Act, the 83 Vict. chap. 58, is a matter
of a merely local or private nature in the Province because it relates to
a Benevolent or Benefit Society, incorporated in the City of Montreal
within the Province which appears to consist exclusively of members
X: . %
i
Jj'fliiiir I'roliiliifiiiii \j}jic a privalo or
local matter, and I am not aware of any (h'fision of your
Lordshii)s' Hoard in whi(di a matter has been considered local.
Lord Wathon — Would a matter be a matter of ])rivate
nature if it affected every person in the Province ?
Mr. Newcombe — T submit it would not be a local
matter.
Lord Watson — Do you say not : it is alternative, local or
l)rivate? A i)rivate Bill here wouh, dimply relate perhaps to
the affairs of some individual or coni[)any, but if it affects
everybody in Britain it would not be a private Bill, and I do
not see why we should include in local measuit s a measure
which would affect every person in the Province. The word
" local '" so far as I have seen here may mean local as refj;ard8
particular Provinces as distinguished from the whole Dominion,
or local as regards part of a Province in contradistinction to
the whole Province. Tt may be local as regards a j)articular
locality, or it may mean practically the whole Province which
would be local in respect to the whole Dominion.
Lord Mouuis — What you want is, local in the Province.
Lord W^ATsoN — Look at the object of the enactment
here. The object of the enactment here is to give legislative
power to a Provincial Legislature with respect to matters
that are provincial — shortly speaking ; I do not say that is
a full definition — and to give to the Dominion Parliament
matters which, as far as Canada is concerned, relate to
the whole Dominion.
Mr. Newcombe — I submit that the words " local matter
in the Province " nuist be construed as meaning something
less than the whole.
Lord Watson — Li any case the word must either apply
to the Province, or concern some subject which belongs to
the Province as distinguished from the Dominion, or must
refer to some matter in which the Provinces have a
f ' I
^Mshitioii is j^eiieral in its application it hriiij^'s
ahont iiu'(iuiility and divcisily with re^^anl to the ))rohihition,
with n^f^iird to th(> ri/^dit to sell intoxicatiiif,' Miinors. In that
way, my Lords, I sul)niit it involves a |)ovver to [jvohihit in a
locality and a power to dechire freedom from prohihition
in a lociihty. It is lejfisljition relating' to lociiHties. The
effect of the .hidf^nient wonhl seem to he tluit the Dominion
Parliament has authority to [)rohihit locally and as an illustra-
tion of that principle or as an ilhistration of what, T snl)mit,
the Dominion has a rij^dit to {\o with regard to tlu^ ])rohihition
of the sahi of li(|Uors, take the Act wiiicli is found in the
Dominion llevised Statutes with regard to the ])reHervation of
order near puhlic works ; that is an Act which i)rovides that
wh(>ve any puhlic work is in course of construction under the
authority of the Canadian Govermnent, a district may he
proclaimed in which the act shall come into operation, and
then in that district the sale of li(iuor is i)rohihited. Now
that is legislation which is i)urely local, which can never come
into efi'ect under the scope of the Act excejjt as to localities,
and yet I suhmit that within the decision in Riissall v.
The (Jitrni it is an Act which is within the authority of
Parliament.
Then if legislation of that character is within the authority
of Parliament, it is legislation with regard to a particular
suhject, the suhject of i)rohihition that is, and I suhmit
that that is one suhject which can only he regarded in one
aspect, which is only hrought ahout for one purpose, and the
decisions of your Lordships' Board in which certain suhjects
have heen lield to come within the Provincial jurisdiction and
also within the Dominion jurisdiction, having regard to the
standpoints from which they are regarded or the i)urpose for
which the legislation is enacted, are not applicable to this
case where we have a single suhject, single as to aspect,
single as to the pur})ose in which it is to be dealt with.
Then there is a provision in section 94 of the British
North America Act with which your Lordships are familiar,
which provides for legislation as to uniformity of laws which
makes special })rovisions with regard to the Dominion authority
to legislate for uniformity of laws which section does not
include the subjects under consideiation.
Now upon the question of Municipal Institutions, I
ti
174
lAquor I'nihihit/nii ApjK'al, 181)5.'
m-
submit the exclusive power of the Legislatures with regiU'd to
those Institutions is not intended to go further than to enal)le
the Legislatures to establish them, and any authority which
they may validly confer on Municipal Instituticms nuist
be derived through or have regard to the other sul)jects
enumerated in section 92, which do not, I sulunit, include the
power to prohibit, and there ai)pears to be no coiuiection
between the Municipal Institutions and the subject of })ro-
hibition regarded in the abstract, I would like to refer your
Lordshi})s to the Judgment of Mr. Justice King, upon
page 108, at the top of the page, in which he says —
"In treating of the exclusive powers of the provincial legislatures
clause 8 of section 92 respecting Municipal Institutions was not in
terms referred to in liiis.si>U v. 7'/if ()wcn, and this fact has sometimes
been made use of in the way of criiicism of that case. Indeed in the
argument of the Dominion License Act one of theii' Lordships expressed
the opinion that clause 8 of section 92 had not been argued in Itmaell
V. The Qiwen, but the Counsel then arguing (the present Lord
Chancellor) stated that it appeared from a shorthand note of the
argument that the point had been distinctly urged. \\'hen ( 'Hi/ of'
Firdrrich-toH v. I'lif (Jui'i'ii (wliich is known to l)e substantially the same
case) was before this Court, the point was argued. ]\Ir. Lash, Q.t'.,
one of the Counsel for the Act thus alludes to the argument as adduced
by the other side : ' It is also contended that this law liaving for its
' object the suppression of drunkenness is a police regulation, and so
' within the powers of Municii)alities,' itc. In liciimt v. Jiistitrs (if'
Kitu/n, Chief Justice Ritchie had previously dealt with the like conten-
tion, and in Citj/ of Frfilcrirldon v. Thr Qiwen, adhered to that decision.
To that case I beg to refer.
"But what is more pertinent is the fact that after clause 8 of
section 92 had been fully considered and given efi'ect to in Jhiih/f v.
'The Queen, their Lordships as though it might be thouglit to make a
difference with JlKssell v. The Queen took occasion to re-affirm that
decision: 'We do not intend to vary or depart from tlie reasons ex-
pressed for our Judgment in that case.' "
Then on page 109 he says at the foot of the page :
" Then is the power to prohibit reasonably or practically necessary
to the efficient exercise by the Province of an enumerated power?
it is urged that this is so with regard to clause 8 respecting' Municipal
Institutions The licensing system is ordinarily nssociiiJ:e«l with that
subject and licensing is also pointed at in clause 9, but there is no
inherent or ordinary association of prohibition with Jlunicipal Institu-
tions. Neither in England nor the United States is this so. The
state of things in tlu' Confi'deratiug Provinces at the tinu' of I'liion will
be referred to hereafter. What is I'easonably incidental to tlie exercise
of general powers is often a practical <; 't 'ion, more or less dependent
upon considerations of expediency. ! le -.everal Judgments of the
JjiijLuir Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
175
Privy Council have placed the respective powers of the Dominion and
Provinces upon the subject on a wise and practical working,' basis,
affirminfjr on the or* hand tin- exclusive rij^ht of the Provinces to deal
with license and ki> Ired subjects, and affirming on tlie other the right
of the Dominion to prohibit, either directly or throiiijh the nu'thod of
endowing the several provincial nnmicipalities with a faculty of
accepting prohibition or retaining license. Wherein is it reasonably
necessary for purposes of ^Municipal Institutions that the Provinces
should have like power of suppression, to be exercised either directly
upon the entire Province or ttu'ough the b( stowment of a like faculty
upon the municipalities '.' Why (in any proper constitution) should a
considerable ti'ade be subjected to prohibition emanating from dilierent
legislative authorities in the one country ? The suppression of a lawful
trade impairs the value of the power to raise revenue by indirect
taxation. Prima faiir tli(> power that levies indirect taxation has
the power to protect trade from suppression and the sole power of
suppression. And in a system of govennuent where the Provinces
receive annual subsidies out of the Dominion treasury it seems
repugnant that the Provinces should through mere implications re-
specting Municipal Institutions possess the power to destroy a large
revenue-bearing trade. It is foi- the Dominion to determine for itself
whether or not such a trade shall be suppressed, and, if so, how and to
what extent. The Dominion has so expressed itself. It has entered
every municipa.lity and ottered to it the suppression within it of the
liquor trade undei- sanctions of Dominion law.
" It is further contended, lunvever, that prohibition is local and
munici])al, because that at the time of the I'nion two out of the
three original members of the Union (having then, of course, full
power of legislation) had conferred upon the municipalities a local
option of prohibition (within wider or n.arrower limits) and had
incorporated this provision in the Municipal Acts. Even had this
been general with idl the Provinces I do not think that the conclusion
drawn from it is warranted in view of the whole of the Britisli North
America Act, nor perhaps would it support the claim to deal with
the matter otherwise than through the like method of municipal local
option. Put, assuming that a connnon understanding of words in an
unusual sense might be inferred from such a '^tate of things, if it had
been general, the fact that in one of the confederating Provinces (New
Brunswick) there was no such provision, deprives the arginnent of the
weight that only an entire concensus could give to it. In New Brunswick
there were at the I'nion two groups of Municipal Institutions, the
representative kind (as in Upper nnd Lower Canada) throughout part
of the Province and the .system of local government of counties through
the justices in session (as in Nova Scotia) throughc ut the remaining
part. But in neither kind was there vested the power of suppressing
the liquor trade. The Act in fence in New ]5runswick was 17 Victoria,
cap. 42 as from time to time revived and contiiuud. This i.'t important
for temperance legislation had gone further in New Brunswick than in
any other Province. In 1855 an Act was passed prohibiting througliout
the Province the importation, manufacture, and traftic ir intoxicating
'
VI
rmi
I f
176 Liquor I'rohibitiou Appml, 1805.
licinors. This was repealed in 1850 amid great political oxcitcment,
and the absence of local option at the time of the Union was not a
casual omission. Notwithstanding the great weight of judicial authority
the other way, I cannot, in view of this, give to the words Municipal
Institutions as used in the British North America Act a meaning not
inherent in them simply because of this extension o'i po»ver to the
municipalities in several, but not all, of tlie confederating Provinces.
It seems to me that the contention in question comes to this, that the
words Municipal Institutions are to be read not only as meaning
everything inherent in or ordinarily associated with them, but also all
other powers exercised by the inunieipalities of any of the confederating
Provinces. I nmst add that, even if the practice had been general,
such an excresence on the municipal system would be removed by ^V j
other provisions of the liritish North America Act."
Those were the ohBervations of Mr. -Justice King, and I submit
that while " municipal institutions " might cover what would
ordinarily he incidental to the exercise of municipal power
they would not refer to what would be regarded as
special or extraordinary such as the power to prohibit a
trade, the power to proliibit the sale of intoxicating liquor.
It might be possible that under Municijial Institutions the
Provinces would have the power to prohibit a nuisance, to
prohibit that which was obnoxious, but the prohibition of a
trade brings one into contact with a different class of ideas,
with a class of ideas that is not ordinarily associated with
Municipal Institutions. The contention jf the other side
too, I submit, comes to this, that because under Municipal
Institutions previous to confederation ilie Provinces had
conferred upon the Municipalities the power to prohibit,
therefore the Provinces may still confer the like power
upon the Municipalities. That involves the idea, I submit,
that the Provinces may now confer upon the Municipalities
})Ower which, so far as this particular subject of Municipal
Institutions is concerned, they could not directly exercise.
That is, they may do through the medium of Municipal
Institutions what they could not do directly, and a con-
struction of that kind, I submit, could not be reasonably
adopted. Huch a departure from the ordinary legislative pro-
cedure, if contem[)lated by the Act, one would have expected
would have been expressly enacted.
Now, if your Lordshij)s ])lease, 1 sulnnit that the subject
of prohibition comes within Dominion authority under the
general woids of secti(ni \)1 as legislation for the })ur})ose of
i^'..
"W!e5!SB!!SSSSP=n?C^:^5!5
^•frWt^f^S^rfttftflllii'J*^^ ^WFffv '
Liquor Pr(>hil)iti<))i Apprul, 1805.
177
the order and good -Jioveriiiiient of Canadii, liaviuj,' regard to
the subject of ('riminal Law as statt-d in the eas(> of Itiissdl v.
The Qui-"},. The two things are associated together in that
case.
[^Adjoiinn'tl for a slmrt liiiir. |
Mr. Newcombe — If your Lordships please, I was, wht>n
your Lordships adjourned, taking the jioint that the sul)jeet of
prohibition was within the sco])e of Dominion authority as to
I'^gishitioD for tlie neace, onh^r and good goverinnent of Canada,
having regard to Criminal Law, and upon that point I refer
yoi r Lordsliips to the case of Jhisstl] v. 77//' (Jiiccii (L. H.
7. App. Cases at page 888) at pages 21 to 28 in the 2nd volume
of i.^artwright's C'ases, from which I formerly cited. Their
Ij >idshi})s said this : —
" Next their Lordsliips cannot tliink tlmt the 'J'enipcranco Act in
question pi'ouerly belonf>;s to the class of subjects ' property and civil
rights.' It has in its Icf^al aspect an obvious and close similarity to laws
which place lestrictions on the sale or custody of poisojious dru.u^s or of
dangerotisly I'xplosive substances. These thinrty to be criminal and wrongful. Laws whicli
make it a criminal oll'ence for a man wilfully to si't fire to bis own
house on tli(> ground that such an act endangers the public safety, or
to overwork his horse on the ground of cruelty to the animal, though
affecting in some sense pi'operty and the rigiit of a. man to do as lie
pleases with his own, cannot properly be regarded as legislation in
relation to projierty or to civil rights. Nor could a law which pro-
hibited or restricted the sale or exiiosure of cattle ha\ing a conta.gious
disease be s(» ri'garded. Laws of this nature, designed for the pro-
motion of public order, safety or morals, and which subject those w ho
m
178
Ijquor Prohlhifioii Apihud, 1895.
!J«1
iSl'ii
contravene thorn to criminal procedure and punislnnent, belong to the
subject of public wrong's rather than to tluit of civil ritjflits. They are
of a nature v/hich fall within the general authority of Parliament to
nuiki^ laws for the order and j,'ood government of Canada, and have direct
relation to criminal law, which is one of the enumerated classes of
subjects assigned exclusively to the Parliament of Canada."
Then if your Lordships phrase that is the ])assajj;e from the
decision of llnssfll v. The (Jiurn which refers the sul)ject of
prohibition to the general words " })eace, order and good
Government of Canada," and their Lordshi])s state that it
belongs to legislation of that character hut having direct
relation to Criminal Law, which is one of the eiuinierated
subjects ; find if by force of the connection of those two
subjects it is to be referred to the two jointly or to the subject
of Criminal Law singly, then we have a condition of afl'airs
where the words " local and private matters " under section
92 would not admit of a construction which would entitle
the Province to legislate. In the case of Teuiumt v. TliC
Union Bank which has been referred tc> and which is in the
Appeal cases, 1894, page 45, their Lor(lshi])s stated what is
probably merely a re-statement of the words of the Act : —
" But section 91 expressly declares that ' 'notwithstanding anything
in this Act ' the exclusive legislative authority of tVie Parliament of
Canada shall extend to all matters coming within the enumerated
classes which plainly indicates that the legislation of that Parliament,
so long as it strictly relates to these matters is to be of paramount
authority."
so long as it strictly relates to what is einnnerated in section
91 ; and as I understand the Judgment in Iiiisarll v. 'J'hr Quini
it was held there that the subject with which your Tiordships
were then dealing directly related to the subje(?t ot Criminal
Law. Hence the authority of there two cases would be to
refer the subject to one of the eaum^n-ntcd classes undtn*
section 91. That would ov<>rride any auth'^vify which tin
Province otherwise might have under " jjrivate and local
matters." It would also appear to follow I submit from these
decisicms that whatever authority a Province may have as to
])rohil)ition of Trade it could not pass a hiw as to the
Province, as to its own legislative jurisdiction territorially
speaking, in the words of the Canada Temperance Act.
';'■■>'.■■
?V
Lord Watson — Do vou njaintain that the terms of sub-
^iwm
TJquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
171)
IS
ll
o
'V
H
al
to
w
h
ll-
r
?•
section 2 of section 01 gives to the Dominion Le<^fislature
power to proliibit or abolish a particular trade ?
Mr. Newcombe — Yes, my Lord, I submit that, because
sub-section 2 is " all subjects dealing with Trade and Com-
merce."
Lord Watson — Do you think that in any ])roper s(Mise
" Regulation " involves abolition ?
Mr. Newcombe —In dealing with a general subject I
submit so. The Regulation of 'J'nide and Commerce is a
large subject.
Lord Watson — If it had been " Trade and Conuner'-e "
I could (pnte well have understood that these words might
have implied abolition as well as regulation, but wlien the
])ower given expressly is confined to the regulation of the
li([Uor trade could they abolish it. I could quite understand
their doing it in virtue of the general power given them at
the commencement of the section
Mr. Newcombe — If instead of the words " Regulation of
Trade and Connnerce " we had the words " the Regulation of
the Li(pioi' Trade. 1 should conceive that under that the
Donnnion Legislature could not destroy the subject by
legislation which had been assigned to it. It couhl not say
there shall be no liN — Are they to do away with that vhicli is
to l)e regulated ?
Mr. Newcombe — They could not do awav with that which
is to be regulated, but it seems to me that the construction of
the words which we have adnnt of the other view. While
you could not in legislating with regard to Trade and
Conmierce or in regulating Trade and Commerce destroy
Trade and Connnerce entirely, you can regulate the subject
generally. You can say that Trade and Commerce shall exist
in certain commodities. You can in the exercise of that
general power of regulation prohibit a particular trade. You
do not destroy as you do in the other case the subject matter
of legislation. You do not do away with the trade which is
to be i^'gulated because that section is not confinetl to any
N 2
«H
180
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
particular trade. Now upon that question of the regulation
of trade, we contend, if your Lordships please, that legislation
of this character does come within suh-section 2 of section 91,
and in that connection I should like to refer to sections 122
and 182 of the British "North America Act, section 122
says : —
" The Customs and Excifie Laws of each Province shall, suhject
to the provisions of this Act, continue in force until altered by the
Parliament of Canada."
Section 132 says :—
" The Parliament and Government of Canada shall have all powers
necessary or proper for performing the obligations of Canada or of any
Province thereof, as part of the British Empire towards Foreign
Countries arising under Treaties between the FiHipire and such Foreign
Countries."
Of course I do not refer to section 122 for the pur})ose of
showing that the Dominion has authority to levy C-ustoms
and Excise. That of course we get under other provisions
of section 91, hut jin'md facie it seems to me, ahsolutely the
power which may levy Customs and Excise, may also prohihit
importation or manufacture, and if importation and manu-
facture, therefore sale. We have under section 122 a
declaration of the Imperial Parliament that the Customs
and Excise laws which were in force in the several
Provinces at the time of confederation shall remain
until altered hy the Parliament of Canada. Now I
will assume for the pur[)ose of the argument that the
prohibitory power is what the Province asserts, not exclu-
sively necessarily, but that they have power to prohibit ; and
supposing such a law had been enacted by the Province before
any change was nuide by the Parliament of Canada in the
customs and excise laws prevailing at the time of the Union,
then you would have prohibition and also legality so far as
customs and excise were concerned. You would have illegality
in the importation and in the sale so far as importation
and sale were conceined, but so far as levying Kxcise and
C'ustoms' Duties upon the connnodity were concerned you
would have a law authorising it. You would have a tradt*
legal for one purpose and illegal for the other jjurpose. which
is, 1 submit, a constructio)i that cannot be reas()nai)ly adopted.
Lord Watson — The extu'cise of that power by the Province
"f^i'
Liqilur I'ruhibitioii Appeal, 1895.
181
would not alter the Customs' Law. It would simply result in
diminished revenue.
Mr. Newcombe — No, my Lord, it would not alter the
Customs' Law, but that is an argument to show that the
Province does not have it.
Ijord Watson — It might affect more than the import
trade of the Province. It might affect the import trade of the
country.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
Lord Watson — The second ground makes it doubtful
whether that power belongs to the Province. It is not at all
likely that a power of that kind would be a power with
reference to a local object within the meaning of sub-section 16.
A nmnicii)a1 i)rohil)ition to take effect vnthin the limits of a
municipality may be a local sul)ject within the meaning of
sub-section 1(\, when a general prohibition of all imports
would not be local.
Mr. Newcombe-
morning.
-I was endeavouring to urge that this
Lard Watson — There are considerations affecting the
one that do not affect the other. 8u])posing a man in Quebec
or Lower Canada sends a (piantity of s})irits en route to
Manitoba, and in Manitoba it is not allowed. Would that be
a provincial matter, the stoi)page oi spirits not intended to
stop in the Provin^*t' and not intended to be consumed there ?
At preset)! it does 3iot appear to me it would be a i)rovincial
matter, it nuiy !v a provincial matter to the man affected in
Quebec .
Mr. Newcombe — And the position I was endeavouring to
explam is this : if the Dominion may levy a Customs' Duty
and the Dominion establishes a customs' law, it cannot be
contended that the Province, by j)rohibiting the imi)ortation
of the article on which the Dominion has declared there shall
be collected a Customs' Duty, can thereby repeal the Dominion
Statute. Then we have an article im|)orted into Canada
which is illegally brought in, but upon which a tax is legally
ij_«S! ' li
Pi
■f
. ... ,tl
182
Jjlqiior Proliihilimi .\j>i>cii}, 1805.
M.' \
levied. I submit, my Lords, that is an incongruons construc-
tion of the constitution. Ui)Gn this point I wouhl refer your
Lordships to the case of Uiijnui v. 'ihc Justices of Kiiiijs,
in the Supreme Court of New Brunswick, rejjorted in
2 Cartwright at i)age 4*.)'.), and i)articuhirly to the remarks
of Chief Justice Ritchie on page 505. This is a decision
of the Supr(>me Covn*t of New Urunswick at the time
when Chief Justice Ritchie was Chief Justice there. He
afterwards became Chief Justice of the Supreme (!ourt of
Canada, and if your Lordships will permit me, 1 will read a
few words — his Lordship said : —
" To till' Doiiiinion rurliaiuont of Canadii is given tho powtT to
legislate exclusively on 'the regulation of trade and commerce' and the
power of ' raising money hy any mode or system of taxation.' The
regulation of trade and connnerce must involve full power over the
matter to be regulated, and must lU'cessarily exclude the interference of
all other bodies that would atten)pt to inteinieddle with the same thing.
The power thus given to the Dominion Parliament is general without
limitation or restriction, and tlierefore nuist include traffic in
articles of mtrcliandise, not only in comiectitm with foreign countries,
but also that which is internal between ditTerent provinces of the
Domir.ion, as well as that which is carried on within the limits of an
individual Province. As a matter of trade and commerce the right to
sell is inf.eparably connected with the law permitting importation. If,
then, the Dominion Parliament authorise tiie imi)ortation of any
article of merciumdise into the Dominion, and' phices no restriction on
its beirg dealt with in the due course of trade and eommerce, or on its
consumption, but exacts and receives duties thereon on such importation,
it would be in direct conllict with such legislation and with tlio riglit
to raise money by any mode or system of taxation if the local Legisla-
ture of the Province into wliich the article was so legally imported, and
on which a I'cvenue was sought to be raised, could so legislate as to
prohibit its being l)Ought or sold and to prevent ti-ade or traffic therein,
and thus destroy its connnercial value, and with it all trade and commerce
in the article so prohibited, and thus render it practically valueless as
an article of connnerce on which a revenue could be levied. Again,
how can the local Legislature prohibit or authorise the tSessions to pro-
hibit (by arl)itrarily refusing to grant any licenses) the sale of spirituous
li(pu)rs of all kinds without coming in direct conflict with the I)ominion
Legislature on the subject of inland revenue, involving the right of
jnanufdcturing and distilling or making of spirits. &.C., as regulated by
the Act 81 \kt., c. H, and the subsequent Acts in amendment thereof,
and the excise duties leviable theri'by, and the licenses authorised to be
granted thereunder. ' '
This is the case in which the Supreme Court of New
Brunswick decided thiit a Province had not the right to
prohibit as arising under a Statute which provided that no
hy,.
Li(l learned Chief Justic(» as to tiie subject falling
within trade and connnerce, because in Itiisscll v. 'I'hr (Jiiei'ii,
while your liordsliips came to a conclusion favourable to
Dominion jurisdiction by a process of excluding the U>gislative
authority from section ',)"i, yet it is stated in that case that no
dissent is intimated from the Judgment of the Chief Justice
of Canada in which he, having regarded the subject from the
standpoint of Dominion authority, had come to the conclusion
il
m 5
184
JjKliKir I'roliiliitiiiii Ajtjudl, 181)5.
that thf snlijoct is within the re<,Mil!iti()ii of tni(l«' luid
coiiinieice.
Ijord Heusciikli, — T dnrc sav that thev do not dissent,
hnt that is not saying' they assent.
Mr. Newcomuk — I was merely sayinjj; tliat that jjoint is
open, and that therefore T am entith'd consistently with the
decisions of tiiis Board to rely upon what was stated in those
two cases.
Lord Watson — We are always inclined to stand on what
is the main suhstance of the Act in determininf^ under which
of these ])rovisions it really falls. That nnist he determined
.■Mfiiudtini siihjrrtdui nuitcridin accordiiif^ to the purpose of the
Statute as that can he collected from its leadinj^ ena(;tnients.
When a legislature proceeds to enact that not less than a
certain ([uantity of liquor shall ever ])e sold retail, what is the
ohject of it ? Is it for the physical henelit of the population
that they are legislating ? Is it hecause small (piantities
should not in their opinion he sold to any one that wants a
drink ? Or is it hecause they want to regulate the trade ?
Mr, Newcombe — If in fact it is a regulation of trade ;
hut if in effect it is a prohihition of trade having regard to
all the circumstanc(>s, and if it practically prevents the
trade from htving carried (m, then it seems to me, assuming
your Lordships are going to put a construction on the words
" trade and commerce," which would throw the suhject of
regulation
Jjord Watson — This legislation derives its
vigour
as
much from the initial part of section 1)1 as from suh-section "2.
Mr. Newcombe — If it derives anything from suh-section '2
it must he excluded from section 1)2.
Ijord Watson — They are simply introduced for the
j)urpos(^ of further specification hut they are all contained
in the first part of the section.
Mr. Newcombe — They are all contained in the first part.
Lord Watson — They are legislative charters to pass laws
to the following effect.
I
Liiliinr I'liildhitioll Jpptiil, lHU/5.
Lsr)
(
Tiord HKHsniKLL— Yon iirc vi^ht in this, tluit if yon
conltl hrin^ it witliin snl)-s('('ti<)n 2 tlicn it is cxc'lndcd from
local matters niuler snl)-S(>ction Hi.
Mr. Nkwc'ombe — 1 snbniit if 1 hnvctoi^o to snh-soction *2
at all to draw it witliin the Doniinioi? antlioritv, if it is
necessary to invoke No. 2, then it cannot he within Ki or any
Provincial ])ower.
lioni) Watson — T (jnite admit it is a material part of
your arj^nment to hrinj^ it within snh-section '2.
Mr. Nkwcombk — 1 cjuite admit the difticnlty of that
undertaking, hut I suhmit that the legislation does come
within No. 2, and 1 sul)mit that if in effect we have
legislation which regulates a trade generally or which affects
a trade generally to the extent of destroying a trade hy such
legislation as might he passed
Lord Watson — We are not dealing here with any
legislation, and we have no fact before us to start from as to
legislation.
Mr. Newcombe — I admit that.
Lord Watson — All these suggestions as tiO what the
Dominion Legislature might do are mere speculations. We
are indulging in s})eculation in ])ossil)le facts with the view
of trying to illustrate the meaning of these two clauses in
this Act. The Dominion Legislature have not passed any
legislation.
Lord Hehschell — You say you are entitled to show it
is legislation within trade and connnerce, and that they
alone could legislate ?
Mr. Newcombe — Yes ; because the aspect of all these
(juestions is i)rohibition. That is the (piestion referred—
the ])roliibition of trade. While the Dominion Parliament
is given the right to regulate trade and commerce, it is
inconsistent, I submit, with that, that the Province should
prohibit a trade. If they prohibit a trade they take away
that which the Dominion is to reij;ulate.
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Mr. Newcombe — No ; there is nothing left to reguhite.
Lord Herschell — That would be true if they prohibited
all trades, but it does not follow that they cannot prohibit
one.
Mr. Newcombe — It is only by a process of exclusion ;
you would have to draw the line somewhere.
Lord Watson — It would be regulating a trade if they
regulated an import trade which conflicted with home pro-
duction. If, in the interest of the home producer and his
trade in Canada, they were to prohibit the importation of an
article which he manufactures, into Canada, would not that
be regulating trade ?
Mr. Newcombe — I should think so ; but my point is
this — tnat the effect of legislation which the Province could
pass (if your Lordshi^js were to give an affirmative answer
to these questions as to prohibition), under the general
affirmation of })ower in the Province to do these things,
would be to interfere with the Dominion authority to regulate
trade and commerce. I submit, my Lords, that this is the
way in which these questions should be regarded. They are
put categorically for the purpose of getting an affirmative
answer.
Lord Watson — Assuming this would be a regulation of
trade, the next question is whether the extent of power given
by sub-section 2 is such as to exclude anything in the nature
of regulation of trade which is enacted for merely local
purposes by the Provincial Legislature, or whether a mere
general regulation of trade is not contemplated by sub-
section 2,
Mr. Newcombe — That enquiry would oi ly affect the
seventh cpiestion.
Lord Watson — That is the next question to consider in
the line of argument you have pursued.
Mr. Newcombe— Supi)Osing I have succeeded hitherto,
it would involve a negative answer to each of the (irst six
questions. It is the seventh question that contemplates
that state of things.
1
Liqnur Prohihition Appt'dl, 1895.
187
Lord Watson — I do not think the language yon have
got — assuming you are right as far as you have gone —
warrants a favourahle answer to the question when you
consider the next point.
Mr. Newcombe-
to deal with that.
-I have tried — I fear unsuccessfully —
Lord Watson — If you are content to intimate that it is
immaterial to your argument, I will not discuss it with you
any further.
Mr. Newcombe — I admit we have to deal with that
question of prohibition in the locality.
Lord Morris — Are you dealing with Clause 1 now ?
Mr. Newcombe — I am dealing generally with all.
Lord Hbrschell — You are dealing with them altogether.
If you bring it within trade and connnerce you get rid of
them all.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
Lord Herschell— If you bring it within trade and
commerce in the sense which excludes any Provincial legis-
lation, then that answers all the questions.
Mr. Newcombe— Yes, my Lord. Now, I submit on that
[)oint that the exercise of Provincial authority as to regulation
or whatever authority it may have with reference to trade
must necessarily stop at the point of conflict between
Dominion legislation and Provincial legislation. The power
to prohibit sale, I submit, would necessarily imply the power
to prohibit importation. The two go together. They cannot
be separated as a trade problem — as a matter of trade and
commerce.
Lord Herschell — I do not think you need labour that.
Whoever cannot prohibit sale a fovliovi cannot prohibit impor-
tation. If you prove that the Province cannot prohibit sale,
it cannot prohibit importation. You need not labour that.
Mr. New<'ombe — No, my Lord. Then look at section 132
of the British North America Act which I have referred to,
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188
Li(imr I'rohihition Appeal , J 895.
which gives the Dominion Government power to give effect
to trade ohHgations between the Empire and Foreign
Countries. The subject of trade and commerce and the
matter of the interchange of goods and commodities is a
subject which frequently is regulated by treaty.
Lord Watson — It simply enacts that the Dominion
Government shall be the representative of tlie State in all
questions as to relations with Foreign Countries.
Mr. Newcombe — Then, my Lord, a treaty is made
between Great Britain and France providing for the im-
portation of wine into Canada.
Lord Herschell — Thai it shall he admitted at certain
duties ; you have a strong case as to importation ; I should
think you might leave that.
Mr. Newcombe — Does not it follow, if importation, then
sale '?
Lord Herschell — Not at all, because all those grounds
you are speaking of are wholly inapplicable to sale. The
importation affects the whole Dominion of Canada. To allow
a Municipality to put fetters on the sale of something in a
particular district is one thing. You might as well say
because we have wine treaties here with France we could not
pass a Local Option Bill, or a Local Veto Bill. That is exactly
the same point. A good many people have been opposed to
the Local Veto Bill, but that is not a point which has ever yet
been taken, and I should not think it is a very hopeful one.
Lord Watson — You might as well say that importation
into the Thames is a local question for London only.
Mr. Newcombe — It would seem to go this far — that if
The Queen v. Jtussell has not already gone that far, the result
of that consideration would seem to be that a Province could
not prohibit generally for itself, I submit.
Lord Watson — If it was shewn it was not a matter per-
taining to the Province, prima facie on the face of section 92
the Provincial Legislature would have no power to deal with it.
Lord Morris —The way it strikes me is that the tirsi
Liqvor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
189
question implies that the Province would have the power of
prohihiting the trade of a puhlican hecause it conld prohihit
the only way he could exercise the sale of his intoxicating
drink. Is that consistent with suh-section 2 of section 91
which gives the legislation as to trade to the Dominion ? It
abolishes the trade of a puhlican.
Mr. Newcombe — Then it in effect abolishes the whole
trade.
Lord Morris — It abolishes the trade of a publican if he
cannot sell or carry on.
Mr. Newcombe — It abolishes the trade of the importer
and the manufacturer also, because they are deprived of the
means of getting their connnodity to the consumer which is
necessary for the effective carrying on of all trade.
Lord Morris— The license is only applicable to the
individual that is refused ; but if they r'^fused all licenses it
would amount to the same thing.
Lord Herschell — My difficulty of course is that you may
affect trade just as much by limiting it to licensed people and
making your qualifications for a license as tight as you may
do, as by prohibiting sale. In the one case you hit a few
people and in the other many. Each of them regulates trade,
and this Board has held in Ho Anne, c. 11), and as the.sc
words have heen used in Acts of State relating to trade and com-
merce ; Article /> of the Act of Union enacted that all the subjects
of the United Kingdom should have 'full freedom and intercourse
of trade and navigation ' to and from all places in the United
Kingdom and the Colonies ; and Article 6 enacted that all parts
of the United Kingdom, from and after the Union, should be
under the same ' prohibitions, restrictions and regulations of trade.'
Parliament has at various times since the Union passed laws affecting
and regulating specific trades in one part of the United Kingdom only,
without its being supposed that it thereby infringed the Articles of
Union. Thus the Acts for regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors
notoriously vary in the two Kingdoms. So with regard to Acts relating
to bankruptcy and various othei- matters. Construing, therefore, the
words ' regulatiiii. of Iv, .ul connnerce ' by the various aids to their
interpretation above suggested, they would include political arrange-
ments in regard to trade requiring the sanction of Parliament ;
regulation of trade in matters of inter-provincial concern, and it may
be that they would include general regulation of trade affecting the
whole Dominion. Their Lordships abstain on the present occasion
from any attempt to define the limits of the authority of the Dominion
Parliament in this direction. It is enough for the decision of the
present case to say that, in their view, its authority to legislate for the
regulation of trade and commerce does not comprehend the power to
regulate by legishition the contracts of a particular business or trade,
such as the business of Fire Insurance, in a single Province, and
therefore that its legislative authority does not in the present case
:!
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104
L'niuur Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
i
conflict or compete with the power over property and civil rights assigned
to the Legislature of Ontario by No. 18 of Section 92."
Those wore the remarkn of the Judicial Committee in the
case of 77/^' Cidzi'^is Jmunnicr. Com}miuj\. /'arsons, and I ohserve
that in a much later case of The Dank of Toronto v. Lanibe
(which is reported in V2, App. Cas. 675 and the 4th Cart-
wright page 21) there is this statement
Lord Herschell — That case you have already referred
us to.
Mr. Newcombe — I think my learned friend called your
Lordships attention to that, hut I am going to refer to the
same passage that he did for the purpose of showing what
my point is upon it. It was said there : —
" The words ' regulation of Trade and Commerce' are indeed very
wide, and in Seirrn'n case, it was the view of the Supreme Court that
they operated to invalidate the licen.se duty which was there in question.
But since that case was decided, the question has been more completely
sifted before the Committee in J^arsom' case, and it was found
absolutely necessary that the literal meaning of the words should be
restricted in order to afford scope for powers which are given exclusively
to the provincial legislatures."
Now as Till' Citizens Insurance Compunij v. Parsons is interpreted
and explained hy the case of The Bank of Toronto v, Lambe,
it only affects the point with which I am dealing to this
extent that it is necessary to limit and restrict (to what degree
is not decided) the interpretation of the words " regulation
of trade and commerce " in order to afford scope for the
powers which are given exclusively to Provincial Legislatures.
Here the power is not given exclusively to the Provincial
Legislature.
Lord Watson — The Judgment which was delivered by
Lord Hobhouse contains some points which are of very great
importance, and in Parsons' case a similar question arose.
One question that ought to be raised and considered in this
case is how far sub-section '2 of 91, and sub-section 10 of 92
ought to be read together. There is a very marked illustration
of that in Parsons' case, as to whether one sub-section of 91
gives a general power of raising taxation by any means.
There is a sub-section in 92 which gives to the Province
direct taxation. It was held that although the sub-section
of 91 read by itself was wide enough to include the power of
I.itjuor I'mliihilinu Api>*'nly 1805.
\\)h
both sub-sections, yet I'oiistruiji;,' the ono in the li;,'bt of tho
otlior it is said it is evident that it is not intended to include
dire(tt taxation within the Provii -e in the previous sub-
section.
fjord Davey — Botli parties may have the |)()vver of (Urect
taxation.
Lord Watson— His Lordship said : —
" Then is thore anythiiiij in section 91 which operatoH to rowtrict thn
ni"aniiij,' above iiscrihi'd to section !)2 ■? Chiss H certainly is in literal
conriict with it. It is impossible to <^ive exchi .ively to the Dominion
thfi whole subject of raising moiu^y by any mode of taxation, and at
the same time to give to the Provincial Legislatures, excliisivi'ly, or at
all the power of direct taxation for provincial or any other purposes.
This very conflict between the two sections was noticed by way of
illustration in the case of I'aistins."
Th(ui he (juotes what their Lordsliips said.
Lord Hkhschkll — In that case if yon found anything
erunnerated in 92 the Provincial Ije<,'islature had it even
althouf^h there may be somethini^ in *.)1 which in wide terms
would include it, l)ut at the end of Ul there is a provision
which only applies to item 1() in 1)"2, and tiiat provision is that
you camiot ^et in uncU'r those words " local and private
nature" anythin which is in one of the enumerated classes
of 01. That is your stron<^hold on this point. If you can
bring it within D'i.
Mr. Newcomhk-
enumerated tliere.
That is my [joint, my Tjord, that it is
Lord Hkkschkll — It nniy throw light upon the con-
struction which you put ujjon '.)1.
Lord Watson— I do not think their Lordships went
further than to say yon may fairly read one with the other, and
compare one clause with the language of the other in order
to ascertain how far it was meant to give a more com-
prehensive or a less comprehensive power to tlie Dominion
than 91.
Lord Davey — Do you ac
you any criticism to give on
Montague Smith in Parsnm,
the definition
e definition
case, namelv, that tl
given, or liave
given by Sir
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Liquor I'rnhihition Appeal, 1895.
I
of trade and commerce related to regulations of intca'-provincial
trade, or trade of the Dominion with outside nations ?
Mr. Nkwcombk — I submit that it must have a lar^^er
scope than that.
Lord Davey — What do you say it means ?
Lord Morris — I do not know how you can define it more
than what it says. ,
Ijord Davey — Are you )»repared to carry it so far as to
say that whenever any enactment touches trade and commerce,
and in any way interferes with or affects urade and connnerce,
that that would he iltt-a vurs of the Provincial fjegislature ?
Mr. NEWt!0MRE — That is a very broad proposition.
Lord Herhchell — You can hardly go so far without
saying that Hoilfif v. The (Jueeii was wrong, hecaus< no one
can say that that particular trade was not most materially
affected l>y the fetters imposed.
The Lord Chancellor — You do not use such a word as
" affected." The truth is yon cannot give any effect to such
a word without saying that the whole region of thought is
excluded from legislation if you use that word. It affects it
if it touches it at all.
Tjord Herschell — ('ould you deny that that Act which
was in question in Hoihje v. The (^iieeti did regulate the trade
of licensed vitnalling or selling spirits within the Province of
Ontario ? It prescribed conditions under which alone it
could be carried on. Is not that regulating ?
Mr. Newcombe — It regulated it by means of the exercise
of police powers.
Lord Herschell — You may call it a police power, but it
determined it. That was the purpose and object of doing it
— not what was done. What was done was to regulate
and prescribe the conditions under which alone it could be
carried on.
Mr. Newcombe — Perhaps I could make myself clear by
this illustration. Suppose instead of intoxicating liquors it
Liquor Pioliibitio i Apjual, 185)5.
107
hud l)oen f^roct^rieH or dry f^(v)ds, or Honictliinj^ tlitit was not
Imriiifnl to the commnnity. I snl)init tlnit tlx' (Icrisioii docs
not involve that the I'roviu.-c should pass a similar lict'nse
hiw as to dealing,' in sugar fv)r instance.
Lord MouiiiH — Or Hoi r ?
Mr. Nkwcomhk — Or tour.
Lord Davkv — If you say that >' o. J)Mninion has an
exclusive rcf^ulation of tin trade anU conMner.c, if it did
r')<:;aldte trade and connnercn it nniy have \hhhi within it.
Mr. NK\V(!OMin<; -That is an illu..tration of what your
Lordshi[)s have laid down ahoi.t a matter having two aspects
and two purposes.
Lord Hkuschkli, — -You may achnit it has two aspects,
whether it is fiour or anything else.
The Loan Chanckm.ou — I do not (piite understand what
you mean hy a distincttion hetween spiiituons liipiors and
Hour. What is the difference ?
Mr. Nkwcombe — I was dealing with the case of UiKh/r v.
'I'lir (Jurru, in which it was held that that Statute which dealt
with the sale of intoxicating licpior in the way of putting
reatrictions on it
The Loud (^hanckllou — "Intoxicating h(pior " is a phrase
which has heen often quarrelled with. What is the difference
hetween liquor in the category of trade and commerce and
innocent flour ?
Lord Davey — Or tohacco ?
Lord Watson — Or milk or soda water?
The Lord Chancellor — I thought you said there was a
difference.
liord Morris — There is a police regulation everywhere
as regards the sale of intoxicating licpiors.
The Lord Chancellor — I am not aware that there is.
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Lord Morris — I think so.
108
Lltjiior Pniliihltimi Appeal, 1895.
'■i
Mr. Newoombe — Their Lordships decided in H(nl{/('. v. 'Hk'
Queen that under 8, or under 15, or under 1(3 —
Lord Hehschell — Not under each of those separate or
alone. To my mind, unless it came under 1(5 it could not
have come under 8 or under 15 ; 15 cannot stand hy itself,
because 15 is only imposing penalties for the purpose of any
of thv- things remitted to the Province. Therefore it could
not have come under 15.
The Lord Chancellor — IVfore you go to Hodfic v. The
(^uct'u would you kindly tell me what is the ditlerence in your
view between flour and li(}Uor ?
Mr. Newcombe — This is the i)oint I was endeavouring
to make about it under these sub-sections of section 1)2 in
Hodiji' V. The Queen.
The Lord (;HANCellor — Please try to forget Hoihje v.
'Lite Queen.
Mr. Newcombe — It is with reference to Ifothje v. The (Jueen
that I make the distinction. If your Lordship excludes that
I cannot distinguish it.
The Lord Chancellor — Do you say thxhje v. 'I'lie (Jueen
has raised a distinction between those two subjects ?
Mr. Newcombe— I base the distinction n})on Hod(je v. 'I'lie
Queen — that is, that Hodge v. The Queen upheld the power of
the Provincial Legislature to regulate the trade in the way of
restricting and imposing conditions in the exercise of police
powers which were conferred for the good of the connnunity
generally, under the several sub-heads to which his Lordship
has referred.
Lord Morris — They expressly held, which is the im-
portant part of it, that a regulation of that kind was not a
regulation within the meaning of sub-section 2.
Mr. Newcombe — That it was the regulation of a trade
which was, or in the view of many i)eople is, held to be
harmful, noxious and dangerous to the community.
Lord Herschell — Inasmuch as we have here to deal
with this verv trade if this Board differentiated it from all
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
199
others why cannot we now put all others aside and deal
with it.
Mr. Newcombk — Very likely. I was endeavouring to
answer his Lordship the Lord (chancellor when he asked me
to distinguish between flour and licpior.
Lord Herschell — You introduced it. If it is not
regulating trade within the meaning of sub-section 2 of 91
to put twenty fetters on it, does it become so if you put
twenty more ?
Mr. Newcombe — If you go to the extent of prohibition
I submit, yes.
Lord Herschell — Why is one regulating more than the
other ?
Mr. Newcombe — Because it is destroying that which is
to be legislated about.
Lord Herschell — I could have understood an argument
that prohibition was not regulating while that of fetters was ;
but I do not understand an argument which says that you
may fetter it by one fetter after another and prescribe one
condition after another of its being carried on, that that is
not regulating the trade, but if you say it is not to be carried
on at all that is regulating the trade. The converse I could
understand but not that.
Lord Watson — That is to say it begins to come within
the clause when it ceases to be a regulation.
Lord Davey — One must give some meaning to the words
"trade and commerce" which is consistent with the fact of
the provincial legislature's having certainly the right to fetter
and I should say to make regulations prescribing the con-
ditions under which trade nnist be carried on, not only
because the Board so decided in Hodijc v. 'llw (Jitirii, but
because I find, among other things, power to recpiire them to
take out licenses, true only for revenue purposes, but still
that is a fetter on a person carrying on a trade, that he
cannot do so without paying a certain sum for a license.
That is a fetter and a regulation.
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P^^fPiPPIilVil
200
Liquor ProJdbitlon Appeal, 1895.
i
Lord Watson — The difficulty I find raised is a difficulty
that arises in other cases. That case determines what in a
general sense constitutes regulations of a trade ; that you
cannot say that imposing fetters and conditions on the way
in which it was to be carried on which affected the trade
and the mode of carrying it on are not regulations of a trade
within the meaning of sub-section 2 ; and that at once raises
a question where does the distinction begin between that kind
of regulation and that which is to be taken to be regulation
within the meaning of sub-section 2. You put it (I cannot
follow the argument) that whenever it becomes prohibition
you are within sub-section 2. To my mind yon are out of
sub-section 2 when you get a prohibition. You have no
longer a regulation when you have got the length of i)rolii-
bition. It is for these reasons that I cannot follow the line
of argument.
Mr. Newcombe — Hub-section 2 is general, and in the
regulation of trade and commerce as a general subject it
would be competent to prohibit a i)articular trade while
under a provision authorising the regulation of a particular
trade they could not prohibit it.
Lord Watson — That expression was used in Parsons'
cacc. I am not sure it was a very happy one, but it is apt to
be misused, and it is ai)t to mislead. It is not general as
including all particulars, but it is general as distinguished
from certain particulars. The decision is that certain par-
iculars would be general if you were to read the word in all
its general senses, but you may make certain conditions
general in a sense if they apply to all trades. At the present
moment I am not prepared to say what the proi)er definition
of that is, or what was i)recisely meant, but it certainly was
intended to suggest this, that while special regulations might
be made by the Dominion Parliament the function of the
Supreme Parliament was to enact regulations of a more
general descrijjtion. It is very difficult to define it.
Mr. Newcombe — I submit that the case of 'I'lir Bank of
Ontario v. Jjamhc is an authority for confining the decision
in the Citi~rns Insuramr ('onipaiiji v. Parsons to something
which would not interfere with my argument in this case,
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Lifjuoi: Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
aoi
because it is established that this is not a case in which the
Province lias exclusive authority. Noav, leaving the subject
of trade and connnerce, I submit that, however this question
might be regarded if the Dominion had not legislated upon
the subject, by the enactment of the Canada Temperance
Act we have occupied the field of legislation, and that there
is no room for Provincial enactment upon the subject. In
other words, the Provincial Legislature are })recluded from
interfering with prohibitory legislation imisnnich as such
interference would affect the Dominion Statute.
Lord Watson — I suppose yon read the provisions of that
Act as being directly restrictive and as giving a license to sell
freely in those localities where it has not been adopted ?
Mr. Newcombe — Yes, my Lord.
Lord Watson — Do you read that as ex})ressing both these
things ?
Mr. Newcombe— I think so.
Lord Hehschell — I think you must.
The LoHD Chancellor — I think so.
Lord Watson — The field is not occupied unless that is so.
Mr. Newcombe — The field must be occupied consistently
with the Judgment in UuH.sdl v. The Que.en.
Lord Watson— It has no effect excei)t in those regions
where it has been adopted. Outside these locahties it is not
operative and not intended to be operative, in fact there is no
law applicable to them, but there is a law ap})licable to them if
you read that as a law dispensing with all restrictions. I
siiould think it was almost necessary to your argument to
read it in that way. If you say the field is occupied, it must
be in that sense.
Lord Davey— What you mean, I presume, is this, that
assuming for a moment that there is in one sense a concurrent
line of legislation, if the Dominion has legislated on the
subje<'^, then the Dominion Legislation is i»aramount over any
Provi oial Legislation. • -•
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202
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
Mr. Nbwcombe — Yes, we have dealt with the mibject and
it must prevail.
Lord Watson — If anybody was to go to a part of Canada
where the Temperance Law has not been adopted, would it
be true to say that there was any Statute law applicable to
that place until it had been adopted '? Would it not be more
correct to say that there was no law as yet applicable ?
Mr. Newcombe — There is legislation which it is open to
the community to bring into force.
Lord Herschell — Supposing that this is not within 91
and 92 at present, but it is legislation which the Parliament
of Canada had power to ( iiact by virtue of the provisions for
peace, order and good government of Canada, and if they
thought with a view to the benefit of the whole community
of the Dominion that this legislation was sufficient, what
would there be in that inconsistent with a particular Province
coming to the conclusion that in its particular case some other
legislation in respect of liquor, further legislation owing to its
local circumstances was necessary and desirable ? Supposing
that apart from the Dominion Legislation, which is again the
hypothesis, it would be competent for it so to enact under 16,
and supposing it was therefore within its legislative power ?
I do not quite follow you.
Mr. Newcombe — The idea of uniformity
Lord Herschell — The hypothesis on which you are
going is this : that it was within the legislative power of the
Provincial Legislature notwithstanding that it was within
the power of the Dominion Parliament to legislate for the
whole community as it thought necessary with reference to
liquor. Of course that v/ould prevent the Provincial Legisla-
ture from interfering in any way with the legislation of the
Dominion, but why should it prevent it exercising its existing
legislative competence in a manner not so inconsistent,
which would not in any way interfere, but which might
remain side by side and be operative as well as the Dominion
Legislation ?
Lord Watson — Does not that depend to some extent on
y^^' '
■ m
Liquor Prohihitioii AppcuU 1805.
208
whether the power of the Dominion Parliament is derived
from sub- section 2 ?
Lord Heu8(jhei-l — I am asking tlie learned Comisel to
assume it is not within the suh-section 2. If it is within
sub-section 2, the Provincial Legislature could not do it at
all ; therefore, for your })resent purpose — saying that the field
has been occupied — you assume that the Provincial Legislature
could do it, and you assume therefore that the law is against
you as regards its being within sub-section 2. You are then
driven to assume it to be within 5)1 — 1. Then I put it to
you, in such a case, what is there to prevent the Legislature
of the Province legislating for the Province on the same
subject as the Dominion Parliament has legislated upon it, but
in a manner not inconsistent with it, and in a manner
confined to that Province ?
Ah'. Newcombi; -Because that would produce that state
of inequality which it was the object of the Canada Tem-
perance Act to overcome ?
Lord Herschell — This Board, in ItmscH v. 'Hie Queen,
did not decide it on the ground that it was intended to over-
come that at all, but that it was intended to deal with the
question of temperance to that extent, at all events, as a
matter in which the whole Dominion was interested, and not
merely any particular Province. That is what liusarll v. The
Qiieeii said. . .
Lord Watson — I do not quite understand how far you
carry that idea of e(juality and inequality. Do you say where
there is an Act passed for the benefit of the Province under
the first rule of the section, the Dominion Parliament must
enact equally the same rule over all Provinces. If so, it
raises rather an argument against you, because it would come
to this, that the Dominion Parliament — the paramount
Parliament — although they were satisfied that a particular
locality and a particular Province required special treatment
and special provisions to be made for its welfare, yet they
would be absolutely helpless to do so ; and tliis curious result
would follow if that is the right result — that they being
unable to do it, and it not being given according to your
argument to the Provincial Legislature, that power to enact
:*";«
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204
Liquor Prohibition Appcol, 1895.
this piece of legislation has been kept out of the British
North America Act by the Iini)erial Parliament here.
Mr. Newcombe — My argument involves, I think, the
opposite to that.
Lord Watson — It may he that I am pressing that a
little too far, because it may be possible that in passing an
Act having a similar view and intended to produce the same
state of things throughout all the Dominion of Canada, that
there may be power (I am not prepared to negative the i)ro-
position) to adapt this means to the circumstance of any
particular Province. I have heard the other [)oint put as if
it was an iron rule. I am not altogether satisfied that that
must be so.
Mr. Newcombe- — I am arguing from Hiissrll v. Thr Qwen.
80 far as the point your Lordship makes is concerned, I
would concede this as a matter of illustration : Sujiposing it
was admittedly desirable that there should be a bankruptcy
and insolvency law for the Province of Ontario, and none for
the rest of Canada — sup})osing that was desirable for the
peace, order aiul good govermnent of Canada, I should have
thought that the Dominion Parlianient could give effect to
such a law. Either it must be so, or else that \:- a question
which does not admit of solution in C'anada. I think all the
authority which was previously vested in the Provinces must
have been distributed. -.'.,%
Lord Herschell — That is a case in which clearly the
Province could not legislate for itself. It may very well be
that the Province who desired legislation could only get it
through the Dominion Parliament, and it does not follow that
it can only get it at the expense of all the other colonists
who do not want it.
Lord Watson — They have no power to effect bankrujjtcy
except in their power to -^.ml with civil rights, and we have
very rece'.tly held that they may exercise that power so
long as there is no bankruptcy system with which the enact-
ment comes into collision.
Mr. Newcombe — So far as it is property and civil rights
as distinguished from bankruptcy. - ■ ■. ■> :;>.....
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
205
Lord Wathon — They are ubsolutely exclnded from
lef^islatin<^ in bankruptcy, and they are not ahsohitely excluded
from legislating in local matters.
Mr. Newcombe — I thought my proposition involved this,
that as to any subject as to which legislative authority
is exclusively conferred upon Canada, Canada might limit
the o})eration of its legislation upon that subject to the
})articular part of its territory. But the decision in
Itussi'll V. Thr (Jucm L. R. 7 App. Cas. at page 841, proceeds
on the point of uniformity: — . ,
" The declared object of Parliament in piissinfj; the Act is that
there should be uniform legislation in all the Provinces respecting the
traffic in intoxicating li(juors with a vitw to promote temperance in
the Dominion."
That assumes this, that the Dominion Parliament has
considered this matter and come to the conclusion, that for
the })eace, order and good government of Canada it is
necessary that there should be uniform legislation in order
to promote temperance. They have effected a uniform
system.
Lord Herschell — Anything less like a uniform system
than a system to be adoi)ted or not at the will of a particular
part of the Dominion I cannot conceive. If that was
necessary for the Judgtnent in Ihissell v. Tlif Queen, I should
be in doubt whether the Judgment in Russell v. The Queen
is right. ,■ ' ■. I ^
Mr. Newcombe — " Parliament does not treat the
promotion of temperance as desirable in one Province more
than in another."
Lord Herschell — Quite so — the promotion of temper-
ance, but what they meant by a uniform system was that they
should have a system capable of application to every part of
the Dominion as distinguished from treating temperance as a
matter solely to be confined to each Province.
Lord Davey— iThis is how Mr. Justice Sedgewick
(at }). 105) states it : —
" The Federal Parliament has already seized itself of jurisdiction.
It has passed the Scott Act. It -has prescribed the method by which in
Canada prohibition may be secured ; and is not any local enactment
■:a
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206
Liquor Prohihitioii Apjuuil, 1895.
purporting to ch(in<»o that niuthod or otherwise secure the desired end
for the tune heing inoperative, overridden hy the expression of the
controlHng legislative will ? "
That is the argument you adopt.
Mr. Nkwcombe— Yes, my Lord, I adcjit that.
" The objects and scope of the legislation are still general, namely,
to promote temperance by means of a uniform law throughout the
Dominion."
That Ih another extract from the Judgment in Hussdl v. 'I'hr
(Jio'cii at }). 841. My underHtandin<^ of this Judgment was
that it did depend upon uniformity of tlie hiw, hecause it is
HO referred to a good many times in the Judgment.
Lord Herschell — Uniformity of tiie law would not
necessarily promote temperance hetter, if side hy side with
the existence of that law, there was in a particular Province
a law still more stringent, always su})posing that stringent
legislation promotes temperance. Their ohject which is said
to be temperance would not he advanced hy that. They may
have gone as far as they thought public ()i)inion would render it
possible for them to go, but if in the Dominion public opinion
would })romote something even further, what is there to
conflict with the Dominion Act or its operation ? It is all
working to the same end.
Mr. Newcombe— If the Legislatures can supplement this
system or can enact prohibition, then you have them defeating
that which was the declared object of Parliament.
Lord Herschell — This seems to me sometimes a little
apart from the assumption. The assumi)tion is that this is a
matter within the })ower of the Provincial Legislature ; it was
down to the date of the Canada Temperance Act. You have
to show that that i)ower is gone. Can it be gone by anything
but a law of the Dominion which would make their enactment
inconsistent with it. If the two could oi)erate side by side
without any conflict of the one with the other how can their
legislative power have been taken away by Canada passing
that Act ?
Lord Watson — If the intention of the legislature was to
keep a man sober, in this sense never to let him get more than
half drunk, would their intention be defeated bv someone
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
207
keeping him sober ? Is not that the question we are asked to
consider ?
Lord Davey — I suppose you would say that the Canada
Temperance Act is in a sense permissive because it permits
the sale of sacramental wines (I take that because it comes
first) or medicine. A man may be convicted in a county
which has adopted the Canada Temperance Act which allows
the sale for medicinal purposes, l)ut here there is a^i Act
prohibiting the sale altogether.
Lord Herschell — Where it is once adopted in a place it
is law there and your Act would absolutely conflict ; the one
would allow something which the other prohibited.
The Lord (Chancellor — The Canadian Act would be
paramount.
Lord Herschell — The Canadian Act would be paramount.
I take it you could not legislate in a Province so as to conflict
with an intra vires Dominion Act.
Mr. Newcombe — No.
Lord Morris — It deals with the subject, and it deals with
the subject of prohibition in a particular way, and is it not
to be fairly argued that that is the only way in which
prohibition is to be carried out ?
Lord Herschell — What should you say as to my
illustration which was put in one of the cases. The
Provincial Legislature has full power, we will suppose, to
legislate with reference to the carrying of firearms, I suppose
it is difficult to imagine it has not. For the order and good
government of the Dominion there is an Act passed putting
certain restrictions on firearms which would apply to the
whole. Clearly they would have a right to do it for the order
and good government. They have occupied the field in that
sense. But in a particular Province the state of affairs in
that Province renders it necessary for them to go further, and
the Dominion Parliament has made a law saying that no one in
the Dominion shall carry firearms at night. But the state of
the Province is such that the Provincial Legislature considers
it necessary to provide that nobody shall carry firearms in the
v.''!
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208
Liquor I'rohihition Appeal, 1895.
(lay time or poHsesH them. Under those circnmstanceH would
there he auythiiif^ to take away their ))ower to pass that Act
which they liad l)efore, hecanse the Dominion Parhament had
dealt with the suhject in that more limited way ? Yonr
proposition goes a long way.
Mr. N?:wcoMBE — Perhaj)H so my luord.
■Jihe Lord Chancellor — Tf yon could reverse the
hypothesis put to you and say that the Dominion Parliament
prohihited the use of firearms generally, hut the circumstances
of the i)articular Province rendered it essential to the
protection of everyhody that they should carry firearms, I
am afraid the Dominion Parliament, notwithstanding the
necessity which is hy the hypothesis put to you, would have
had power to prohihit the use of arms altogether, and the
Provincial Legislature would have no power to say what was
necessary for the purpose of defence.
Lord Herschell — I suppose that it is clear that, even in
a matter within their province, if it is also within the
province of the Dominion the Provincial Law would have to
give way.
Mr. Newcombe — Yes.
Lord Herschell — But the question is whether it may
*not supplement ; which is a different question.
Lord Morris — If it deals with the suhject at all, is it not
conflicting ?
The Lord Chancellor — If it is supposed to he exhaustive,
of course, then it would he conflicting. If it enacts that this
shall he the only law for the Province.
Lord Watson — If it stated in positive terms that in those
districts where the law had not heen adojjted every man who
had got a licoise should he at liherty to sell without restriction
or in any quantities.
The Lord Chancellor — I should go a little further than
that, I think. If the law made hy the Dominion was supposed
to occupy the field in the sense of occupying it exclusively
the Province can have no power.
l.iilitDf I'ltiliihilioii Ajijtiitl, 181)5.
200
Tjord Watson — That Ic^'isliitioii l)einjj[witliiii their power.
fjord Hkhschkm, — If they have U^ft the matter alom^
where it has not heeii a(h)i)te(l, they have said <»veryl)0(ly sliall
be free to sell H(inor anyiiow. If that is the total meaning,'
of it I do not see how llailijc v. T.ic (Jinrii conld l»i' arrived
at, if they have occupied it in that sense by the Canadii
Temperance Act. ^
Mr. Newcombk — My present point involves, of course,
the proposition that the subject is within sectiori <.)2, and
would renniin there but for the exercise of the Dominion
Authority under section 01. The case of IliissrII v. 'I'lif (Jiicrn
has upheld this statute of 1878, the ('anada Temperance Act.
Lord Hkhschell — It is not only Hodijc v. The (,hi(rn but
it is that subsequent Act l)efore this Board, tli(> Dominion Act
of 1888, because it has held that the Canada Temperance Act
had not so completely dealt with it but that the Province and
they alone could deal with all licensinj^ rej^'ulations.
Mr. Newcombe — With the question of licensing.
Lord Herschell — That is dealing with it ; licensing is
dealing with it. "
Lord Watson — It restricts the trade to licensed people
which is unquestionably in one sense of the word a regulation
of the trade.
The Lord Chancellor — I think one must bear in mind
that you are not at liberty to construe these words in their
ordinary natural meaning ; you must take the words as used
by the Legislature, and I am not at all certain that where you
are dealing with such words as are in No. 2, " the regulation
of trade and connnerce " that you are at lil)erty to go outside
and consider what would be a regulation of " trad(! and
commerce " ; I cannot help thinking that you must give what
I will call the statutory meaning to tliose words.
Lord Herschell — You are on the point supposing it to
come within the earlier })art of order and good government.
Your present point is whether the fact of this Temperance
Act excludes a pre-existing power of the Provincial Legisla-
ture ; I should say it does, and any legislation inconsistent
.
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210
lJ(liiitr I'nthihiliiin Ajtju'di, 1H05.
I
with it, hnt iny diHicnlty is in sccinj^' liow consistfntly with
the (IccisionH of this Jiojird it cxchidcH any otlier jjowcr.
Mr. Newcomijk^I wjih en(l('iiv»)uriii<,' to iiiiike ii point as
to which yoiir Ijor(]i-'hi|) miidc iiii unfiivonriihlc ohHcrviition,
but T would Uke to complete that point with rcf^ard to
uniformity. The statute begins with the recital : —
" Whereas it is very (loHirabl(» to promote temperance in tlio
Dominion, and that there should he uniform lejjishition in all the
Provinces resj)ectinf,' the tralHc in intoxicating' li(iuors."
Lord Hkuhchp^ll — You cannot hy citing the Dominion
Act, limit the power of the Provincial rie;.,'iHlature.
Mr. Newciomhe — I admit that, but it would seeni to me
that the decision may involve the view that for the purpose
of uniformity and for general law a|)plicable tlu'oughout
Canada, the Dominion Parliament, may legislate ui)on the
subject of prohibition where otherwise it might not be able to
legislate. It a})})ears to me tliat the case for the purpose of
this point may involve that view. The presei.t legislation i <
clearly meant to apply a remedy to an evil which is assumed
to exist throughout the Dominion, and tlie local option, as it
is called, no more localises the subject and scope of the Act
than a provision in an Act for the prevention of contagious
diseases in cattle, that a public officer should proclaim in
what districts it should come into effect would make the
statute itself a mere local law for each of these districts.
Lord Watson — I do not think any of the cases afford a
definition or anything like a jjrecise definition of what
precisely is meant by the expression " regulation of trade " in
sub-section 2. There are explanations of it l)ut the explana-
tions as far as I can find, recpiire as much explanation as the
section itself.
Mr. Newcombe — My Lord, so far as this branch of the
case is concerned, what I submit is this ; that the Dominion
Legislation which was enacted for the declared purpose of
uniformity has been upheld, and the legislation was enacted
with a view to produce uniformity, to have a general law
ap})licable to all Canada and uniformity. If on account of
the uniform character of the legislation which was then
considered desirable, the legislation which then followed in
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 18'.I5.
211
the form of the Catmilii Tcinpcranco Act has hccn upheld,
then it wouhl ccrtiiiiily he iiicoiisistoit with tluit fi)i' the
I'roviiu'cs to conic in mid pnwhicc diversity of le^'islulioii to
provide anythiuf^ ditt'ercnt. Therefore so far as uniformity is
concerned if that is an (dement, as I sulnnit with all deferenc«^
it is under that d,,dshite wliile the
Canada Temperance Act was in force. I r<'f -r to the case of
the rnion of St. Jurqiirs v. IhHsIr (L. K. (J, I*. ('. ;U and
1 ('artvvri<^ht p. iui) on tliat point whicdi I have previously
r(^ferred to. That case foreshadowed, 1 think, tlu> decision
which their Lordships of this IJoard .irrived at in 77//'
Ittornrii-dnirnil iij' ( hitario v. 77/(' .Ittornrii-dnirrdl of' Ciniddd,
rejjorted in the Ai)))eal Cases of 1H1)4. In the fornun- case
their Lordshiiis said at pai^e 8(5 : —
"The hypotlicsis wiis siij,'jrcsti'(l in arLfUiiiciit by Mv. lU'iijiinmi,
who cortiiiiily arj,'iu'(l this caso witli liis iisuiil ini,'('iiiiity ami force, of a
law haviiii,' hci'ii prvviously passed by the Doiiiiiiion ljej,'ishUiire to tlio
effect that any association of this particuhir i^iiid tliroii^'hoiit tho
Dominion on certain specified conditions iissmued to l)e exactly those
whicli appear on the face of tliis Statute, should tliei'eu[)()n, i'iiko l'
fall under the lej^'al administration in bankruptcy or insolvency. Their
Lordships are by no means prepared to say that if any sucli law as thai
had been passed by the Dominion Lej^islature it woidil have been beyond
their competency, nor that if it had been so passed it would have; l)een
within tho competency of the Provincial Legislature afterwards tt) take
a particular association out of the scope of a general law of that kind
so competently passed by the authority which had power to deal with
bankruptcy and insolvency. Dnt no such law ever has been passed,
and to Suggest the possibility of such a law as a ri'ason wny the-power
of the Provincial Legislaturu over this local and private association
should be in abeyance or altogether taken away is to make a suggestion
which, if followed up to its conscMpieuces, would go very far to destroy
that power in all cases."
Then, my Tjords, I refer to the case of 77((' Attornnj-Cunn-al of
Ontario v. 77/<' Attorni'ij-Oenfral for tlit' Dominion of Canada,
reported in Api)eal cases (18{)4) at pages 200 and 201, in
which it IS said : —
" In their Lordships' opinion these considerations must be borne
in mind when interpreting the words 'bankruptcy ' and 'insolvency' in
the JJritish North America Act. It appears to their Lordships that
such provisions as are found in the enactment in ipieHtion, relating as
they do to assignments purely voluntary, do not infringe on tlu^ exclu-
sive legislative power confen-ed upon the Dominion Parliament."
i'2
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212
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Liquor I'rohihition Appettl, 1895.
The Lord Chancellor — It may be material that I should
mention now that their Lordships will only hear two Counsel.
Mr. Blake — We understood that, my Lord.
The Lord Chancellor — Therefore when we begin again
on Tuesday you will arrange which of you will address us.
Mr. Blake — Very well, my Lord. •
Mr. Newcombe —
" They would observe that a system of bankruptcy legislation may
frequently require various ancillary provisions for the purpose of
preventing the Scheme of the Act from being defeated. It may be
necessary for this purpose to deal with the effect of executions and
other matters which would otherwise be within the legislative com-
petence of the Provincial Legislature. Their Lordships do not doubt
that it would be open to the Dominion Parliament to deal with such
matters as part of a bankruptcy law, and the Provincial Legislature
would doubtless be then precluded from interfering with this legislation
inasmuch as such interference would affect the bankruptcy law of the
Dominion Parliament. But it does not follow that any such subjects as
might properly be treated as ancillary to such a law and therefore
within the powers of the iJominion Parliament, are excluded from the
legislative authority of the Provincial Legislature wh^n there is no
bankruptcy or insolvency legislation of the Dominion Parliament in
existence."
Lord Watson — That case is distinguishable in all the
points that create the leading difficulties in this. There, that
the right under the sub-section of legislating for bankruptcy
pertained to the Dominion and to the Dominion only, was
made perfectly clear. It is not a subject that is included
in any of the sub-sections of section 92, and no pretext
could be made by the Provincial Legislature that it could
legislate on the subject of bankruptcy. It could legislate
on the subject of civil rights, and what we held in that case
was that although in dealing with bankruptcy it might be
necessary to touch civil rights, that the Provincial Legislature
is free to deal with civil rights and I'^gislate upon them until
the Dominion has legislated in liankruptcy. After that, so
far as civil rights are competently involved in their bank-
ruptcy legislation, the Provincial Legislature has no power.
Mr. Newcombe — I merely cited the case as an authority
upon the [)oint that the Dominion legislation would prevail.
Now suppose, as an example of the inconsistency which would
Liquur I'lvhihition Appeal, 1896.
213
result if the Province could meddle with the suhject of
prohihition in view of the Canada Temperance Act, an attempt
made under the Statute to hring the Canada Temperance Act
into force in a County, and the Act was rejected hy the electors,
then I submit that section 95 of the Act is in effect a declaration
on behalf of the Dominion Parliament within its competence
that there shall be freedom as to the sale of intoxicating
liquors within that County for three years. If the Province
could legislate the liquor seller is subject to another contest
perhaps the next week under a Provincial statute, or prohi-
bition may be forced upon him by the Province notwithstanding
he has succeeded in getting it rejected in the nuinner provided
by Parliament.
Lord Watson — Your argument is that not only in those
cases where it is adopted there is an immense restriction, but
so far as there is no restriction it provides tliat there shall be
free liberty to sell. '
Mr. Newcombe — Yes, my Lord. Then upon the question
of wholesale and retail I point out that the Canada Tem-
perance Act was a retail Act so far as the question depends
upon quantity. It has been held to be in force, and no
unfavourable distinction can be drawn so far as the Dominion
is concerned in respect of wholesale dealings. In so far as
the Ciise of Uimcll v. The (Jueeii is an authority in our favour
it seems to show that it sui)[)orts our case u))on the
wholesale aspect of it.
The seventh question, I submit, takes the Provincial
view no further than the previous (luestions. The (juestion
is one of prohibition under whichever question you like, and
I submit that the case for the Province of Ontario under
the seventh question is no strongtn' than the case of Nova
Scotia or New Brunswick would be if they were to enact
a similar Statute, although neither of those Provinces had
enacted previous to confederation any such Statute. My
Lords, I subnnt on these considerations that the answers of
the majority of the Supreme Court should be upheld.
The Lord Chancellor - We will resume the consideration
of this Appeal on Tuesday next.
i
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[Adjourned to Tuesdmj iiexi {Aiujitst ^tk) at 10,30. j
214
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1805.
THIRD DAY.
Mr. Blake — I nppear, my Jjords, foj the Iiespondents,
the Distillers' and Lrewers' Association of Ontario.
Perhaps I may he permitted, hefore entering upon what
I have to address to your Lordships on the case, to say a
word or two with reference to the meaning of the questions,
and to some suggestions which were made as to difficulties
in dealing with them, owing to the form in which the matter
comes hefore your Lordships. Of course my clients have
Judgment in the case ; hut your Lordships have already heen
informed of the actual condition of judicial opinion in the
Court of final resort in the Dominion, and it need hardly he
said that a .Judgment under such circumstances is eminently
unsatisfactory, and cannot he considered to settle the question,
even locally. Your Lordships have had l)efore you, in the
case of the Dominion Ijicense Act, an attempt, ex])edited hy
the authority, and at the special instance of the Parliament
of the Domhiion, to procure a solution of somewhat analogous
(piostions ; and it is })ul)lic, and I ])resume fit to he alluded to
here, what the reasons were for that course heing taken. It
was hecause of the enormous puhlic inconvenience, harass-
ment and expense occasioned hy an Act of that description,
the Dominion License Act, which ran so wide and so inti-
mately affected the relations of the connimnity, being put
into operation while its constiiutionality was in doubt, and in
the end it was found that those doubts were well founded.
Lord Davey — The Dominion License Act is the Act of
1888? ' ■ ■:
Mr. Bf *KK— Yes. \n enormous public expense, a
tremendous' .inount of private inconvcMiience and loss were
occasioned by the putting of tluit Act into actual ()})eration,
it being found in the end that it was an Act wliich had no
legal operation. Obviously, like difficulties would be created,
and similar inconveniences wouhl arise from th(> putting into
operation of an Act of either Legislature of such a nature as
is suggested as possible by these questions ; and it was there-
Liquor l'n)liil)iii()ii Ai)j)('iil, 18U5.
•216
fore, I submit, not unreasonable to make some effort to decide
in advance upon the validity of such suggested legislation,
Nor are the questions purely academic and speculative,
in the sense in which, as I a^iprehend, those terms were
applied the other day. Because matters have gone so far in
this connection that an Act was passed in 18<.)H by the
Legislature of the Province of Ontario, being Chapter 41 of
the Statutes of that year, to enable the electors of that
Province to pronounce ujion the desirability of })roliil)iting
the importation, manufacture and sale is a beverage of
intoxicating liquors. The preamble of that Act is this : —
" Whereas it is desirable that opportunity should be aflbrded to the
Electors of this Province to express a formal opinion as to whether or
not the importation, manufacture and sale into or within this Province
of intoxicating liquors a;; a beverage should be immediately prohibited.
And whereas such opinion can most conveniently be ascertained by
ballot in the manner hereinafter mentioned."
The Act may be cited as the " Prohibition Plebiscite Act."
It is provided by the 2nd section that : —
" Upon the day fixed by law for holding polls for the annual
■- election of members of municipal councils, in the month of January,
1894, the clerk of every municipality other than a county, shall submit
to the vote of the electors hereinafter declared (pialitied to vote on the
same, the question whether or not the said electors are in favour of the
prohibition by the competent authority of the importation, manufacture
and sale as a beverage of intoxicating li(juors into or within the
Province of Ontario."
Then there are detailed ))rovisions for carrying out that \)o\\,
and the directions for the guichmce of voti'rs in voting contain
the following expression {see Schedule C) : —
"Voters in voting 'yes' on this question will be considered as
expressing an opinion in favor of prohibition to the extent to which the
Legifh'ture of this Province or the I'urliaiiient of Canada has juri.sdic-
tion, as may be determined by the Court of Final Resort."
That plebiscite was taken and resulted in a large majority in
favour of innnediate })rohibition. Similar legislation has taken
phice in the Province of \hu)it()ba. with I believe a similar
plebiscite and a similar result, so that your Lordships will see
there is a degr(>e of public interest, and if T may use the
phrase, the question lias reached a d(>gree of maturity as to
public opinion — at any rate in the Provinces, where these two
Acts have been passed — which puts not in the area of remote
speculation but within the scope of the innnediate future the
*
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Liquor Prohibition Ajypeal, 1895.
: C
prospect of legislation by one body or the other, so soon as it
is found that the legislation is within the competency of the
Legislature.
Next, my Lords, it seems to me, with reference to the
suggestions that there is a difficulty in dealing with these
questions greater than there would be in dealing with an
Act, that what one has to do is to turn them into Acts. I
think for example that the point your Lordships have to
solve — taking the first question — would be precisely the same
one as if a short Act was passed by the Legislature of Ontario,
to the effect " that the sale within this Province of spirituous,
fermented or other intoxicating liquor is hereby prohibited,"
with an appropriate penalty. There you have got the bald,
naked proposition of the question turned into a short Act. If
more is wanted in order to give a full answer, that more would
not exist upon such an Act, and cannot be imported into this
case ; but still on a prosecution for a penalty under an Act
which turned that question into a clause of an Act of
Parliament, your Lordships would have precisely the same
•.question with the same difficulties as they exist of absence of
further information as to circumstances, purpose, motive
and extent.
Lord Watson — The first question is really a concrete
question. You must assume an Act passed to that effect.
The Lord Chanckllor — I do not feel that difficulty.
When dealing with an absolute prohibition, I should agree
with you — the matter is clear enough ; but supposing some
(juestion should arise in our minds as to whether or not the
particular form of prohibition in terms might be only
regulation and not with reference to hours, we will say, or
limitation of the mode of sale or the quantity of sale, it is
there the difficulty conies in, because you have to exhaust
every possible hypothesis to i)ronouiice an opinion. If you
had an actual Act before you, you could say that was within
or without a reasonable application of those terms.
Mr. Blake — I quite agree ; but what I venture to say is
that what we at the Bar, and what, if I may respectfully
suggest so to your Lordships, you have to do, is to assume
that question turned into a clause of an Act of Parliament.
■i^rspc^wf f ■ n"
Liquor Prohibit! 01} Appral, 1895.
217
The liORi) Chancellor — That i)articu]ar one I should
agree. Prohibition or non-prohibition is clear enough.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Watson — Take the questions one by one. The
first question you can see involves a substantial concrete
question. . ,, : , ^ , ,
Mr. Blake — And so the second
Ijord Watson — Would an Act of the Ijegislature
absolutely prohi()iting the sale within the Province of
spirituous li(|Uors be within its provini^e ? The next raises
the question does the legislation of the Canadian Parlianierit
oust the jurisdiction of the Provincial Legislature in those
portions of the Dominion where the Temperance Act has
been adopted by the inhabitants and is in force, and is it or
is it not ousted as regards those portions of the Dominion
where it has not l)een adopted and is not in force '/ The next
two questions are quite clear. The 5th question I understand
to be this. That if they have not power to enact a total
prohibition, has the Provincial Legislature jurisdiction to
regulate retail sales so as to prohibit liquor being sold by
retail in quantities, less than those specified in the Statutes
in force at the time of confederation. Then come these last
words " or any other definition thereof." 1 do not understand
that they intend to modify the quantities to be sold or to allow
a little larger (piantity or a lesser quantity to be sold than
that Act allows. The next question, I understand (you
.will put me right if I misai)prehend it) to involve this (juestion
or conundrum. If they are possessed of a limited jurisdiction
such as is indicated in question 5, have they the power,
within those parts of this Province, where the Canada
Temperance Act is not in force to enact a law which will
practically imjjose the provisions of the (Canada Temperance
Act upon that part of the Province, observing the limits of
the Canada Temperance Act, but merely applying that Act
without its being adopted in the manner specified in the Act
itself in the Dominion. Then comes the 7th duestion which
is on the section that gives rise to this contrr ersy. It is a
concrete question no doubt. .
■'■•li
Kir
'I?
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■4
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218
Liquor Prohihitlon Appeal, 1895.
Mr. l^LAKE — I was al)out to adopt the method yonv
1 jordshi[) has heen kind enough to take of deahn;^ one hy one
with the different questions ; and I had dealt with the first
one. The second, I understand your Jjordship to aj^ree, is
open to the same ohservation. It is quite clear that one may
suggest an Act in those terms.
Lord Davey — That opens larger considerations. It o})ens
the very large consideration of the relation of the Dominion
Parliament and of the Provincial Legislatures to each other
on those matters where this Board has said tb n- legislation
overlaps.
Mr. Blake — Doubtless.
Lord Davey — That is a very large question.
Mr. Blake — I agree ; large, complicated, more difficult,
more doubtful [)erhaps of solution, but then that does not
affect my present object.
Lord Davey — It is soluble ?
Mr. Blake — My present object is to find whether it is a
question which you can turn into a clause of an Act of
Parliament.
Lord Watson — I think one question that may arise for
our consideration, and which we shall have to consider, and
which if determined one way or the other would api)ear to
me to influence to some extent my opinion in this case at all
events, is this ; whether the legislation on these matters — the
Drink Traffic Prohibitions enacted by the Dominion of
C'anada — are in reality and substance enactments for the pur-
[)ose of regulating Trade and C!ommerce, or are in substance
and reality enactments passed for the welfare of the
inhabitants and with a view to suppressing drunken habits,
that being under the first general part of section 91 which
precedes the special sub-sections.
Mr. Blake — Yes my Lord.
Ijord Davey — The second question appears to me to affect
not so nuich the power of the Provincial Legislature to
legislate as the effect of such legislation when niade. It may
Liquor I'nthibilioii Apjtad, l8i)5.
•210
well be tluit they have power to pass an Act for total
proliil)itioii throuj^hont the Provinee, l)nt then conies a
Dominion Act which is to a certain extent in conllict with
it, and the (juestioii is which Act the inhal)it!i,nts are to
o])ey, because the mere fact of the Parliament of the
l^ominion having passed a j)articnlar Act, which T will iissnnie
is within its jurisdiction, cannot affect the abstract (piestion
of the i)ower of the Provincial Le/^^islature to legislate.
L.
not understand the (piestion myself.
as Lord Watson understands it. I incline to believe that a
different interpretation is to be given to that question.
Lord W^atson — You have to assume first that the Pro-
vincial Legislature has a limited jurisdiction — if we come to
that conclusion under Question 5, it assumes that Question 5
is answered in the affirmative. If the Provincial Legislature
is found under Question 5 not to have any jurisdiction — even
a limited jurisdiction — as regards prohibition of sale, this
Question No. (> would fail, would not it ?
Lord Davev — I understand Question (> as meaning this :
Having regard to the fact that the Canada Tem])erance Act
is not an Act for total prohibition, but for prohibition with
certain exceptions, does the fact of the Dominion Parliament
having legislated in that way cut down the legislation of the
Province — if the power to legislate exists ?
Lord Watson — It looks like, in other terms, but in
substance, as being a question to this effect : Can the Pro-
T frankly confess I do
I do not understand it
fJtinor Pruliibition Appeal, 1895.
•228
If il
vini'ial Ti(>^nsliiture enforce the })rovisi()iis of the (^iiimdu
Teiupcraiicc Act in those parts of the Province wliere that
Act is not adopted ?
Mr. Blakk — Tlie difficulty about that view is that that
is really No. 2.
Lord Davky — It seems to he a repetition of No. 2.
Lord Watson — No, no ; I think they are quite dirt'ereut.
In Question No. 2 you are dealing with total i)rohihition.
Has the Provincial Legislature a free hand in those })arts of
tlie Province where the C'anada Temperance Act is not in
force ? Question (i does not put the question whether they
have a free hand to legislate if they choose and jjrohihit to
any extent, hut it i)uts this : ('an they i)rohihit to the extent
to which it is proliihited within those parts of Canada where
the C!anada Temperance Act applies ?
Mr. Blake — I did not understand your Lordship's
earlier ex})osition as your Lordshi]) now puts it. That is
more like what I understand the question to he as far as I
can reach its meaning.
Lord Davey — Has it power to make the ('anada Tem-
perance Act compulsory in the case of counties and townships
where it has not been in force ?
Mr. Blake — I think it is not that.
Lord Watson — I think it is alternative to Question
No. 2. Question No. 2 says: "Can the Legislature wholly
prohibit the sale of liquor within those parts of the Province
where the Canada Temperance Act is not in force ? " If they
cannot wholly lU'ohibit or to such extent as they think
expedient can they 'prohibit to the extent that would be
l)ro\ided by the Canada Temperance Act if it were in
operation ? " Can they do exactly what the Dominion has
done ?
Mr. Blake — I own I find it more difficult to understand
what the question is than to answer it. Because I believe
the arguments I shall submit to your Lordships are of a
character that excludes anything but a negative answer to
this question, whatever it means. Question 7 is admitted to
M\
224
JjiiliiDf I'mliihitiDii Apjx'dl, 181)6.
be II concrete (jnestion. So niiicli with reference to the
(liHicnlty of tliese mutters coining in the form of (jueHtions
instead of in the form of Acts.
fjord Watson — ^These (|ueationH are Kometliin<,' like tlie
provisions of section 1)1 and section 1)2 — they overhij).
Mr. Bi-AKK — And possibly conflict, my Lord. It follows
then — taking the main (piestions, the lar},'e (piestions — that a
solution is demanded of the (piestion whether a Province ha«
the power to mak(! an ai)solnt<> and all-end)racing j)r()liibitory
law as to each of these matters, a law less local in its practical
Rpl)lication, less dependent on local option, and wider in its
extent than the Canada Temperance Act itself ? It seems to
me tliat that is really tiie main and most important class of
questions with which your Lordships have to deal. Now,
before I proceed to deal with those two questions which
Lord Watson has suggested are the questions — tlu^ question
of the authority of the Parliament of Canada under tlie general
powers with all which that involves, and the question of its
authority under the enumerated power "trade and commerce,"
may! briefly say, not by way of elaboration at all, l)ut by way
of general statement, what I conceive may fairly be laid down
as the pro})ositions in the line of which I purpose to argue
the case. It seems to me that a competent Legislature may
treat any trade by prohibition and thus make it unlawful,
which of course prohibjl;..ii would; firstly, because either
on social or moral grounds it is bad for public morals,
order or safety, the grounds which are all mentioned in the
Judgment of this Board in the Rnssdl case, — or, secondly,
because of some fiscal, economic or political reasons
including treaty reasons. There are these two classes,
of which the second has different branches, and I am
going to contend that both under the general and under the
enumerated powers of the Dominion the jurisdiction to pro-
hibit on any of these grounds rests in, and rests solely in, the
Dominion. The second mode of treatmg a trade may be by
ordering it, (I use that word for the moment instead of
" regulating,") as a trade intended to exist and recognised as
hiwful, but requiring to be ordered on any of those grounds
which I have mentioned. And here I am going to contend
that there is a distribution of power. There may be, to quote
'm
Li(lii(ir I'rnhlhitioii Apfwul, 1HU5.
22r)
iHili
the Ijin^na^e that whh used in Parsniis' case, "ininnt(> miittf^rs
of re;^nlatioii attrctiiif^ the |tarli(tiilar ti*a(l(>," or to rctcr to,
witlioiit at this iiiomciit (inotiii^' the laii to (h'aw the exact hue (whcni
it comes to he (h'awn) in I'dmmx' case and in llddijr's case
and in the homiiiioii Lirfiisr case, — I snhniit that the power
has heen tlycided to he exchisively Provinciah in tlie case in
which your Lordships shall adjudicate that it is nnnute
regulation affecting a particular trade, there I'disons' case says
that is local. In the case in which your Lordships shall
adjudicate according to the language which, as I say, I refer
to without at this moment quoting hecause I shall have to
quote it presently, that it is within " the police power," there
your Lordships have held that it is exclusively local. Then
drawing that Hne wliicli is to be drawn in principle, in general
statement in every case and in exact ai)pli(;ation, — a nnich
more difficult task when the particular case arises — drawing
that Hne and cutting off as exclusively Provincial what falls
within these two descriptions, there are yet reguhitions which
march wider, which cat deeper, which are of more general
ap[)Hcation, which go heyond minute regulations affecting a
particular trade, which go heyond simple " police matters "
dealing with the varying circumstances and conditions of
small or differently-circumstanced localities. As to those
I am going to contend that they are in the Dominion, and
wholly in the Dominion, under hoth its powers, the general
and the special. Of course, the liiie of demarcation is difticult,
and fortunately it is not amongst the things that have to he
decided to-day. In point of fact that line cannot he drawn
except with reference to the particlar case which arises, and
the particular legislation with which your Lordships are
dealing at the time. But dealing with that in the particular
case and then drawing the line, you find where the Dominion
and where Provincial })owers reside.
The Lord Chancellor — I made an ohservation the other
day which, I think, I ought to retract upon consideration.
What occurred to me was, and it is relevant to our present
226
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
!i
discussion, that those words " Re<^ulation of Trade" could not
he satisfied by its prohibition. I think I was too hasty. Trade
generally may be regulated by prohibiting u particular trade.
Take the case of the prohibition of the exportation of wool
with which this country was familiar at one time. That was
a regulation of trade, and it was the prohibition of a particular
trade.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
The Lord Chancellor— And it may well be that whenever
you are dealing with the entire i)rohibition of a particular
trade that may be r'\'julation of trade in the strictest sense.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Watson — We regulate the trade of these Islands in
tobacco by prohibiting its production except to a very limited
extent.
Mr. Blake — You prohibit the production and you prohibit
the sale of the manufactured article. That is one of the
instances I was about to cite to your Lordships.
The Lord Chancellor- -My mind was directed to the
Provincial area. There it might be true enough to say that it
is not regulating it. There it is prohibiting it altogether.
That is a question of dealing with a particular trade.
Mr. Blake — A separate question. I was about to say,
and I am very happy to hear your Lordshijjs observations,
that my argument will be that when you draw the Une of
demarcation and find where the local power stops and w.tere
the Dominion power begins, you must find that the latter
goes on to the end, even to the extent of i)rohibition, and thi^
under the title of regulation as well as under the general
power. That is the observation I was about to make, that all
the va"ying shades and pluises of dealing with trade which go
beyond these two, which I have admitted to be upon the
authorities local, are exclusively Dominion right down to
prohibition, and that within "regulations" as well as under the
general powers. Those are the general positions I shall take.
Now it is ol)vious)y convenient to take them in their order
when one comes to deal with the question of powers, and to
'^ ft
m
Liquor Proliihition Apiwai, 1895.
2'27
take first of all the general power. That is convenient, hecause
it is the firsu power given ; and it is convenient also hecause
it is the power acted on in the concrete case, which so
intimately l)ears npon the decision of this question, in the
Riissrll case. It is the power upon which this Board acted
in determining that that Act was within the powers of the
Dominion Parliament. I am sorry, my Lords, to have to
refer again to sections 91 and 9'2.
The LoKD Chancellor-
thing turns on it really.
-I do not wonder at it : the whole
Mr. Blake — Quite so ; hut yet I am sorry to have to ask
your Lordships to give a consideration, which I will try and
make as hrief as possihle, to the effect of this genera-
provision : —
" It shall be lawful for the(Doiinnion) to make laws for the peace,
order and good govenmieiit of Canada in relation to all matters not
coming within the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively
to the Legislatures of the Provinces."
Now these general words, leaving out the exception for
the moment, are extensive enough to grant all powers
whatever, whether local or private, in any part of Canada.
Nothing so minute, nothing so local, nothing so large,
nothing cutting so wide or deep, hut it is included in
those Vv'ords, hecause they .ire, as has already heen stated,
the commoii form words under which the general legislative
power given to the domesticall}- self-governing CV)loiiies has
heen granted for a long time, first of .ill in instructions and
commissions, and iifterwards in Acts of Parliament. These
words are deliherately chosen as expressing in their generality
the character of the powers that are given to the Dominion,
and they are cut down only hv the expression " in relation to
" all matters not coming within the classes of suhjects assigned
" exclusively to the Legislatures of the Provinces." I ohserve
first, then, that there is here, even with reference to the
general powers, no idea of concurrence. It was not to he
expected in looking at the whole Act that you would find it
there, for section 95 gives you two express particular subjects
of concurrent ])owers of legislation, with reference to agricul-
ture and with reference to immigration.
m^mm
^^w
mm
11
228
Liquor Prohi'bitiov Appeal, 1895.
Lord Herschell — This Board has held it may in a sense
be concurrent. We can hardly go back from that ; that is to
say that there are .natters which the Provincial Legislatures
may d(!al with as to which they might be overridden by the
action of the Dominion legislation.
Mr. Blake — I am going to discuss the rulings of the
Board on the sul)ject. I quite recognise the fact that I eh
not entitled to combat anything that has been decided, but
hope to show your Lordships that nothing that has been decided
is inconsistent with or disables me from presenting this view of
the case. You find, as I say, an express ])rovision for each power
making laws in relation to agriculture and immigration, and
you find an express provision as to the degree of validity which
the provincial law shall have in that case. It shall have effect
in and for the Province as long and as far only as it is not
repugnant to an Act of Parliament of the Dominion. So that
there is power in each to legislate, and the power of the
Province is subordinated to the executed power of the
Dominion. That being so we would not expect to find in
other provisions of the Act a scheme of concurrent powers,
either express or implied, and we do not, as I submit, find it
here ; because, while there is a general power given in these
first words to the Parliament of Canada for everything, that
power is limited by cutting out from it all those specified
powers which are assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of
the Provinces. Therefore, there is a sharp line of division ;
all the things which are assigned to the Provinces belong to
the Provinces ; all the rest belong to the Dominion. Then
it is to be observed as bearing only upon the interpretation of
the prior part of section 91 for the monient, and not entering
otherwise on the argument in reference to the enumerated
powers which comes under a separate head — it is to be observed
that the meaning of that part which preceeds the enumeration
is consistent with what I have said :—
" For greater certainty but not so as to restrict the goiieralitv of
V the foregoing terms of thit! section it is hereby declared i- ir (»"otwith-
standing anything in this Act) the exchisive legii> .v'i .e aulhoi 'tv of the
Parliament of Canada extends to all matters "'' '■• '■'■'• '''■.''
It is indicated that there were matters which wery intended
by Parliament to be embraced within the general exclu-
sive authority, within that same legislative authority which
4
^ '
1
ii
Liquur Vrohibitioii Appeal, 1895.
229
is given under the prior part of section 1, and which
was itself clearly exclusive. But as to these particular
subjects, for various reasons some of which are stated
very clearly in some of the judgments now under a])peal,
it was obvious that there might be doubt, conflict, and
difficulty of ascertainment as to whether, having regard to
the enumerated i)owers in section 92, some of these things
were within or without the area of Provincial legislation,
and therefore " for greater certainty but not so as to restrict
the generality of the foregoing terms." And thus by words
indicative of the view that they were, in fact, and in inten-
tion embraced witLhi those general terms, the enumeration
took place.
Now let me state another difference. You have the
powers limited, when you come to the Province by the area
and the objects ; provincial area and provincial objects
are the scope. I think each one of the provincial powers is
indicated in itself to be for i)rovincial purposes. Instead of
setting that out generally at the commencement, in each one
of the Articles it is specifically stated. But you find on the
contrary, unlimited, save by the ex})ress exception, general
powers both as to scope, area, and objects in the Dominion.
There is therefore, as I submii, nothing whatever to indicate
in the least degree that the power of the Parliament of Canada
was so limited as to those subjects on which it might enact
that it could not, if the welfare of the whole community, in
its o])inion, demanded, enact with reference to i)artieular
parts of that community, the legislation which the condition
of that part might, in tlie interest of all, specially demand.
It is (piite true that it was hoped and expected, and it was a
reasonable hope and expectation, that, as a rule, the legisla-
tion would be general, extending over the whole area, the
subjects being common. But there is nothing in these
powers which prescribes any such limitation, and it is
perfectly clear that the peace, welfare, and gooa government
of the whole connnunity may demand within the undisputed
bounds of the legislative powers of the Dominion, an Act of
Parliament affecting directly, not the whole area, not the
whole connnunity, l)ut some part of that community as to
these matters on which the Dominion has power to legislate
for all.
m
m
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230
Liquor Prolu'J)itlini Ajqinil, 1895
Lord Herschei.l — I should have found a difficulty in
drawing the line if you put it so hroadly as that, hecause
nothing could be said in that sense to be of a local character.
Everything ' >/ is for the benefit of a part is in its degree
and sense foi 'oenetit of the whole, and therefore you
could say noth.i was local. You might legislate for a
particular Province because you might say the prosperity of
that Province is the })rosperity of the Dominion, and though
it is a mere local matter though it is legislation confined
within this limit, yet nevertheless it is within the authority
of the Dominion. Your proposition seems to me to be so
broad as to embrace that and it would make it difficult to
draw a line that would exclude it.
Mr. Blake — It hangs on the phrase "merely."
Lord Hekschell — Then in that sense nothing is merchj
local. You may say it is for the i)eace of Canada to legislate
in a particular way — in a particular part of the Province.
That is because the advantage or the prosperity of that
Province may affect the prosperity of the Dominion. Should
you say that that is a case in which they might legislate ?
Sir Richard Couch— You take away a good deal of the
meaning of the word " exclusive."
Mr. Blake — I do not put it in that way.
Lord Watson — I (piite agree with your suggestion that
there is no such thing conferred by these two clauses as
concurrent legislation — as I understand the words concurrent
legislation. The legislation to be effective nnist l)e by
one or the other. I do not think they are joined together,
but I think the result — and that does not render the
present question less difficult to deal with — of recent judg-
ments of this Board have been to establish that there are
some ))owers of legislation which may be exercised by the
Provincial Ijegislature, and so long as they are not interfered
with by the Dominion Parliament they will stand and be
effectual. I understand that this Board has gone this length
further, that these enactments may be overridden by an Act
of the Dominion Parliament, com[)etently legislating within
its own field, but my impression as to the meaning of the
m
hiqii»r I'rohlhitiou Appnil, I89f5.
'231
opinions which this Board has expressed is this, that whilst
the Dominion ParHanient could override it hy an enactment
that came into collision with the Provincial enactment, the
matter would not he so exclusively within the jurisdiction of
the Dominion larliament as to enahle that Parliament to
repeal. That is another question ; it might overpower it hut
not repeal it. ^ ' '
Lord Davey — -The proviso to section 91 seems to
contemplate that the Dominion Parliament may legislate on
matters which are local if they come within the enumerated
Buhjects of section 91.
Lord Heuschell — Nothing can he said to he merely
local which comes within those suh-sections, that is clear.
Mr. Blake — I agree.
Lord Hehschell — But you are speaking of the general
power in the earlier part.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Hekschell — And I should not differ as at })resent
advised from your saying that it would not necessarily refjuire
that the legislation should he legislation ai)i)licahle to every
part of the Dominion ; hut when you say they can legislate
as to a place in a particular Province, then it seems difficult
to draw the line hetween that and the local legislation referred
to in section 92.
Mr. Blake — As your Lordship put it a moment ago, I
can understand that very difficult questions of power would
he raised. Difficult (juestions of power may he raised on
many clauses of this Act, and it may he very hard to draw
the line in numerous cases which may he suggested.
Lord Hekschell — That is why 1 hegin to douht whether
one can determine any such questions in the ahstract hy
general propositions as to the mode in which the two sections
are to he interpreted. I think it is difficult to deal with any-
thing hut a concrete case.
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Ijord ; I opened l)y trying to find
how nearly we were concerned in concrete cases to-day, and
im f
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232
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
I \'-'
I ;
i I
I quite agree, but it is only because I want to examine a little
later the phrases
Lord Watson — The two sub-sections which raise most
difficulty in questions of this kind are those which give power
to the Provinces under sub-sections 13 and 16, the one
referring to all civil rights which are Provincial, and the other
referring to all matters Provincial which are merely local.
Mr. Blake — Yes ; what I was going to say about that is,
that you get perhaps in a larger sphere, but in i)rinciple you
get the same degree of difficulty that you get if you are called
upon to determine where the limit of a i)olice regulation is,
which as I venture to suggest is, speaking broadly, the limit
of the Provincial power on the reference which is in question.
Lord Herschell — " Police regulation " is a very vague
phrase. I am quite aware that that was used in Hodys
case ; but it only means something conducive to the good
order of the Dominion. It has nothing to do with the police.
Mr. Blake — It is rather borrowed from what is called
the police power which we know has a larger interpretation.
Lord Herschell — Saying that licensed premises shall
not be open between prohibited hours is not a police
regulation. The police have nothing to do with it except to
see the law is not broken as in every other case
Mr. Blake — I assumed rather the phrase had been used
in Hodijes case in the sense I suggest.
The Lord Chancellor — We have substituted the word
"Police" for "Constable," and if you get the old Common
Law word there is a thread of theory that ran through it
which was the preservation of the peace.
Mr. Blake — Yes.
Lord Davey — If you look at the derivation " Police," I
expect it means the maintenance of jVrui>ici})al order. .-;*,
Mr. Blake — Yes.
Lord Watson — We are apt to use these ex})r ssions
which really are not definitive of the thing enacted but are
' 1
Liquor Vvohihition Appeal, 1805.
'238
descriptive of the executive body entrusted with the execution
of the Statute.
Mr. Blake— Yes. - --^- " ■^■■:- ' . ■■ '^ >■" ^^' :■ ■ - -
Lord Watson — It becomes a pohce matter, and we use
the words " Pohce regulation " whenever it is entrusted to
the pohce for enforcement.
Mr. Blake — Yes. --vr '-.■•''. 't--;i .■■; ■ .■;. w-'.. '-:
Lord Watson — But that word does not define the luiture
of the enactment or the object of the legishiture in passing it.
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord. r '
Lord Watson — Sanitary arrangements and that kind of
thing are entirely for the benetit of the community.
Lord Hehschell — There is nothing about "Pohce" in
section 92 at all. ., In..-;' - ■-: :' ; .;: ; ..,..
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord. I am sorry I used the word.
I thought I borrowed it from one of the cases. '
Lord Herscheli- — It was used in Hixliys case. It was
thought it pointed to a distinction which helped one. I
confess you may call them Police Regulations ; but it does
not help one with reference to other cases to call them Police
Regulations. - . i . ;. ■''/..:. . .
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord. I (luite agree, and what I
was saying M'as that you would tind it very difticult when you
came to draw the line to find what is " Police " and what is
not " Police," within the sense in which that term is used in
Hodge a case, and so you find it difficult to determine what is
merely local or private and what is beyond it. One can
suggest extreme cases in which it would be perfectly clear.
For instance with reference to a small ordinary travelled
road in one portion of a great Province you might say in one
sense — that in which your Lordships put it— that the prosperity
of the whole Dominion depends on the prosperity of each of
the inhabitants : there are 20 })eoi)le that live on this road ;
the whole Dominion will be infinitesimally better off, but
still better off, if these 20 are better ac;'onmiodated ; and
therefore it is a Canadian matter to see to the repair of that
234
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
i
1
road or legislate with regard to it. I should say that that
proposition would he ohviously ahsurd, and that that matter
would he ohviously a merely local or private matter. There
must he some reasonahle suggestion to sustain the proposition
that there is a common interest in the condition of the
question and of the treatment of it hy the Parliament
concerned.
Lord Davey— If there were larger elements of disorder
and rebellion against government in one particular Province
it would he a matter of the peace, order and good government
to prohibit the sale of firearms in that Province ?
Mr. Blake — Yes, and it would he, as I submit, within
the power of the Parliament of Canada. We have had cases
in the earlier times, and also in the later history of the
country, where disturbances took place of a grave description,
but absolutely local, not affecting, except incidentally, the
other parts of the Dominion, and no one ever doubted, or
could doubt, I think, that the dealing with those matters by
force or by law — and special laws have been passed — was
appro})riate.ly and necessarily and exclusively a Canadian
transaction ; and yet they did not touch, excepting in the
sense in which I put it, the peace, order, and good
government of the whole country, but that i)eace, order and
good government was doubtless incidentally affected by the
disturbance in the particular place.
Lord Davey — In Webster's Dictionary "Police" is said to
be a French word, and to mean " regulation and government
of a City or County or Union as regards the inhabitants."
That does not carry one very far.
The Lord Chancellor — That is very wide.
Lord Herschell — Supposing it was not necessary as to
the peace, order, and good government of Canada, but it
was necessary for local purposes that you should prohibit the
sale or carrying of firearms, or anything you please with
regard to them. It is difficult to see why the Provincial
Legislature should not deal with it, if it was a merely
local nvatter ; but it is difficult, on the other hand
to see why because the , have dealt with it as a merely local
matter when it was a local matter, the Dominion Parliament
Liquor Prohihitiuii Appeal, 1895.
236
when some ijrovisiou with reference to tire-arms hecame
ne(!essary for the peace, order and »^ood government of the
whole Dominion, sliouhl he therehy prechided from deaHng
with it or nhonkl he unahle to deal with it in that way. I can
conceive l)oth dealing with it in that way. A matter may he
a merely local question at one time, hnt the state of the
Dominion niay make it something nmch more than a local
matter at another time. I do not see anv difficultv in saving
that then the Dominion power would come into force, and it
would not he inconsistent with that that there had heen an
e.xercise of power hy the Provincial Legislature.
Mr. Blake — I own I find it difficult to define in my
mind the condition of things which your Lordshi}) suggests
as local, with reference to i)rohii)iting or restraining the
carrying of tire-arms, which would not make it a Dominion
matter. It may he suggested that there are turhulent s})irits
in particular portions of the Dominion, that there is a reckless
habit of carrying tire-arms, that there have heen criminal
offences connnitted by the wanton use of them, and that
people have been killed or wounded in those particular places.
All those things seem to me to point to one conclusion and
that is that it is a matter for Canadian action.
Lord Herschell — I do not see if that is the case why
the provisions discussed in Hodijr v. Thr Queen were not
Canadian. The object of them was that you should not have
disorder, that you should not have drunken people committing
crimes or troubling the comnnmity, and you might just as
nnich say as to the carrying of fire-arms that it was not
merely local but that it was a matter concerning the peace,
order and good government of Canada. It seems to me you
cut very deep into what is merely local though you {;,dmit the
evil is one confined to the provincial area to be determined
by the circumstiinces of the provincial area. If you come to
that, what is " merely local " '?
The Lord Chancellor — The difficulty about it is that
you have two words to construe. You have the word "merely"
and the word " exclusively " to be construed and those words
have to be satisfied by something.
i Mr. Blake — Yes, and where I find a difficultv is this :
\WM
2m
Liquor I'rolilhitloii Ajtpml, 1896.
I find a difficulty in adopting the propoHitiou that if your
tranHaction is merely local in itH nature, and if there Ih the
excluHive power — if the fact that it is local in Province A gives
that Province the exclusive power of dealing with it, and it
turns out that it exists also locally in Province B, which
therefore has the exclusive power of dealing with it — that hy
this occurrence it ceases to he local anywhere and becomes
general.
Lord Herschell — This Board said something very like
that in /iV/.s-.sr// v. The (Jinrii. They indicated there that
though a thing might be merely local viewed in relation to
the particular Province yet nevertheless it might be necessary
to have some general legislation for the whole of Canada for
its peace, order and good government.
Lord Davey — Then it would not be " merely."
Lord Herschell — It is not " merely local " when it
becomes necessary to deal with the matter generally. That
I understand to be the view taken in Russell v. The Queen.
Mr. Blake — May it not be said to be general where there
is a sort of danger of contagion or disturbance spreading over
the whole of the Dominion, because it is sporadic in different
Provinces. If the matter be merely local or private and the
condition which requires legislation exists in one Province
only, it is suggested that the Dominion should not have
power to legislate ;
Lord Herschell — Sanitary regulations certainly prima
fticie within a Province would be a matter merely local for
which the Provincial Legislature would have power to legislate,
and yet there may be a condition of things which renders
some general sanitary legislation necessary for the safety of
the whole Dominion.
Lord Watson — In one Province there may be a local
evil peculiar to one Province, it may be wholly a local matter
and apparently section 92 in that case gives the local legisla-
ture the right to deal with it. Then it may attain such
dimensions as to become a threatened danger to the whole
Dominion and in that case I should be sorry to doubt that
there is power given to the Dominion Parliament to intervene.
I
^y^
Ijiifiior I'roliiltition Appnil, 1H',)5.
287
There may be an evil of the Haine nature which is local in
each and every one of the Provinces and ai)))ari'ntly the
Dominion of (Canada would he justified in that case in apjjiy-
ing a uniform remedy to the whole.
Mr. Blake — Although it is merely local in nature.
Lord Watson — I can (juite understand that there is one
thing, the disease is sjjoradic.
Lord Davey — Is not that the answer — that it is not
merely local. ... - . • ,• ; -; «, ., „ ■ ,
Mr. Blake — I am not certain that that is exactly the
answer — that it is a full answer. It would depend on that
which prevented it from being merely local. Is the special
circumstance that it happens to exist in some little corner in
a second Province to remove it from the area of mere locality ?
The Lord Chancellor — Take for example the prohibition
of firearms. Do you shrink from saying that that can only
be dealt with by a General Law or not ? ,, ,
Mr. Blake — I do not. I happen unfortunately to have
been the author of a General Law dealing with that
very toi)ic.
Lord Hkrschell — I do not thirdv it is suggested that it
could not he dealt with by a General Law if thought necessary
for the safety of the Dominion, but do you d< i- if not so
thought that the Province might deal with it us a Local
Law on account of the local conditions that did not exist
elsewhere ?
Mr. Blake — It was not with reference to any insurrection
or outbreak that the law that I referred to was passed, but
with reference to a habit which for certain reasons was getting
more general of carrying })istols.
The Lord Chancellor — Whether that is so or not, I
think the answer Lord Davey made to you just now that the
words " not merely local " would ai)ply there. If there is an
outbreak in each particular Province that is not merely local
I should take it. Do you affirm or deny that the Local
I
t
if
I .
238
Lit]iior J'rohllntloii ApfwaJ, 1805.
LegiKlature would have a riglit to deal with the question of
prohihition — putting it in the hroadest form — altogether ?
Mr. Blake — I should have said they would not have
power, that would he my view.
The Lord ('hancellor — I thought that was your
argument.
Mr. Blare — Certainly.
Lord Herschell — Both on the hypotheses that it was
a matter recpiired hy the particular Province, and the
Dominion Parliament did not think it necessary to deal
with it V
Mr. Blake — I suhniit we must not affirm that
determination of the Dominion Parliament as to whether
'agislation is heneficial or otherwise on a j)articular topic, is
to he otherwise than conclusive within their scope of action.
Lord Herschell — No.
Mr. Blake — If the thing is within their power, and they
decide as a matter of })olicy that they ought not to legislate,
that does not differentiate the case, as I suhmit. Th^y decide
on the whole that it is not well to legislate, they r.xay prefer
that Canada should he free rather than soher, i,o (juote a
phrase used in another country.
Lord Herschell — Does not section 91 point to this,
that if it can be brought within any of the enumerated
clauses, and it is legislation confined to the lo<'ality it is
prima facie within the Provincial power ? At the t nd of the
clause they draw a distinction between those enumerated
clauses and the general words at the beginning.
Lord Davey — I do not understand why you sLriiik from
saying, Mr. Blake, that if the ci- cuniGtances of a particular
Province — say where there was a large mining population,
rather rough in their habits — rendered it necessary in that
particular Province to restrict the carrying of firearms, the
Provincial Legislature should not treat it as a merely local
matter, though it might ])e within the jurisdiction of the
Dominion Parliament to legislate for the peace, good order
and good government of Canada generally.
T/iijUDr Pri'liiliilion Apjuiil, IHSIO.
'289
Lord Hkhhchell — I tliink I untlciHtaiul why Mr. Blake
hesitates at that. . •
Mr. 13i-AKK — I do not shrink from it in the least decree.
If your Lordsliii)s ask nie the (piostion whether, when there
is a distinct local as|)ect in which the local legislature deals
with the suhject, I shouhl say the local le^nslature has the
jurisdiction — I should agree. The difficulty I feel is in agreeing
to the view that where the aspect is the same there is a^
douhle jurisdiction ; that I have not l)een ahle to see.
The Lord Chancellor — T am not quite certain that T
follow your phrase, •' the aspect."
Mr. Blakp: — Borrowed again, my Lord, only l)orrowed.
Lord Davky — Do you suggest the words hind the Board
in their ultimate decision ?
The Lord Chancellor — Whatever may he said ahout
the ultimate decision of this Board, I protest against parti-
cular })hrases heing used so as to hind it.
Mr. Blake — I ventured to assume that your Lordships
would understand the language that your Lordships had
used.
Lord Herschell — The language that this Board used
it used secundum nuhjiicUou mute.riam ; and to detach a phrase
that in a concrete case it used wi^li reference to a particular
matter, and which it may he perfectly proper to treat in that
way, as a sort of phrase that determines something with
reference to another matter, I rather protest against.
Mr. Elake — I agree, and I should be very sorry to do
so. It will be found, I think, that it is used in a second case
and after some years of consideration, as a general exposition
of the princi})le laid down in Parsons' case ; that it is the
measured and reasoned and considered language in which
the Board sought to state and stated its definition. I think
it says, " one purpose and one aspect, and another purpose
and another aspect." I think it uses the two phrases.
However, I think the meaning of what I have aimed at is
plain -;
^i
!ff
HHBHH
hbb
■■■III
240
Llqiiiir Pnthihition Ajypeal, 1895.
''•'Lord Herschp:ll — It may be very material to see
whether, when you are eii(|niriiig with reference to trade and
commerce, the object of legishition is to regulate and deal
with the trade, or whether it has some other purpose than
that, although it may incidentally produce some effect on
that. I think that is a distinction.
Lor'^. Watson — That word " aspect " which you used
just now in those passages is not to be taken alone from
those passages, for, if I mistake not, there are other passages
in the same case which are corroborative of the meaning
which you repudiate.
Mr. Blake — One has to apply the same principles of
construction as to these Judgments as are applied to sections
91 and 92. : :. ^^
Lord Herschkll — I do not think in this case we can
lay down any proposition in such terms as to cover all cases
and settle the coniines of sections 91 and 92.
Mr. Blake — I agree, my Lord ; I should be very sorry
to make the attempt.
Lord Herschell — You may tell in a particular case
whether or not it comes within it.
'" ■' Mr. Blake — I was really rather anxious to present the
view that there may. be a local aspect of some particular
matter or subject which is different from some general nspect
of that same matter or subject.
Jjord Watson — In other words, that there may be local
circumstances warranting local legislation which are different
from the circumstances that prompt the legislation of the
Dominion Parliament.
Mr. Blake — But the local cause which proiapts legisla-
tion and which indicates the necessity for legislation may be
a cause of a nature which would justify the Dominion in
legislating, though it had not gone further. That is what
I mean.
Lord Watson — In other words, the aspectb would in
some cases be the same ? '
liif
i^^
Liquor Prohihitum Appiuil, 1895.
241
m
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord, if I may be" allowed to
continue using the phrase. In that case, J say wherever I
can find a different local aspect from the general aspect, and
the effect of the Provincial legislation remains merely local
and directed to that diflerent local aspect, not merely is that
legislation good hut that legislation cannot he touched by the
Dominion's dealing, unless it deals with it in the way in
which, in an insolvency case for example, the Dominion would
deal with it.
Lord Watson — What do you say to this ? It has been
said that in determining the nature of legislation you must
look to what it does and to the effect it })roduces or is
calculated to produce rather tlian to the motive of the legis-
lation being passed.
Mr. Blake-- -I suspect that where an Act of Parliament
is passed, perhaps even if there be, but certainly if there l)e
not, an absolute ex])osition in the statute of the object of the
legislation, it would be \'ery difficult for a Court to determine
against the legislation if the Parliament had any power
whatever of any nature under which it could have passed the
legislation. That is stated very clearly in reference to the
(knada Temperance Act, on the point that its professed
object was the merely social as])ect of the case ; and yet the
Judges in the Court below held it good under the regulation
of trade and commerce, and the fact of the Preamble
indicating a particular reason win n might be a difficult
reason to a[)ply
Lord W^atson — I can quite understand that an Act like
that might be j)assed in reality regulating trade, and with
that view, but producing in the result teniperan(;e.
Mr. Blake — Yes ; (piite so.
Sir Richard Couch —But must not you look at the Act
and see what it does directly and not indirectly ?
Mr. Blake— I think you nuist look to what it does
directly, and see if that which is directly done is within its
l)Ower.
Sir Eichard Couch — It may have some indirect operation,
but you would not look to that, would you ?
I'll
242
Liquor Prohihifioii Appeal, 1895.
Lord "Watson — An Act might be passed for the regulation
of trade, and the result of that Act might be to produce
temperance.
Mr. Blake — Surely, when you come to the enumerated
powers, which I hope to reach some time
Lord Hehschell — rTlie difficulty about that regulation of
trade is this. In a sense, no doubt to say you shall only
carry on trade within particular hours, within particular
buildings, l)y particular persons particularly qualitied, is a
regulation of trade, and nobody can dispute that, and yet this
Board has held that it is not a regulation of trade within the
exclusive power of the Dominion Parliament. j; »
Mr. Blake — Certainly, I agree.
Lord Herschell — And yet it is not everything that
regulates trade in that sense.
Mr. Blake — Yes, as I ventured to contend in the opening
of my argument, there is a distribution of })Ower as to that
which in the broader sense of the term mijdit be termed
regulation of trade, and I said there were decisions of this
Board that there are regulations within thepo\Nerof the Local
Legislature, and that there are others which fall lieyond that
and fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Dominion
Parliament. 1 was about to make an (tbser\atiou nn what
your Lordships said as to the effect of the final ])lirase in
sec. 91. I would aslv the Court to consider that the express
purpose and object of that last paragrai)h is to deal with the
effect of enumtjration, aiul not to deal impliedly or indirectly
with the effect of that which is outside of enumeration and
within the general ])ower8 —
" And any matter coniiii;^ within any of the classes of subjects
enumerated in tliis section shall nor, he cleemed to come within the class
of matters of a local or privute nature comprised in the emnneration of
the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legis-
latures of the Provinces."
The very purpose for which th(^ emihieration at any rate in
part took place was to avoid doubt or conflict on certain
subjects as to whether they fell within the one or the other,
and that pur})ose would not be fully accomplished without an
'
MHll
• m
Liquor Prohibit ioii Appral, 1895.
243
express provision taking the one set of specific provisions out
of tiie operation of tlie otlier.
Lord Herschell — Take tlie case of a postal service. A
postal service strictly confined within the limits of the
Province, that is to say, a postal service from house to house
in Toronto for example would he a merely local matter if
anything is, hut heing a ])ostal service it is not to he deemed
to he merely coi\tined to that. That is a good illustration.
That seems to he the ohject of it.
Lord Watson — From the earliest cases down to the most
recent I think it has always heen recognised hy this Board
that within these sections there is a power given to the
Dominion Parliament which, when exercised, ojjerates as an
exception. Take the case of making a particular rule a rule
of hankruptcy legislation, say affecting civil rights and illus-
trating the civil law of the Pr^ vince, in that particular the
law of the Dominion Parliameii would he exercised and the
previous legislation in the Province with regard to the same
matter must give way.
Mr. Blake — Yes, I am ahout to trouhh your Loilship
with a few remarks upon the last nistance of that ruling.
Lord Watson — I think that was first i)ointed out by Sir
Montague Smith.
Mr. Blake — But at present I was just endeavouring to
answer the suggestion made hy Lord Herschell.
Lord Watson — In those cases really no except i en rxists
in r&gr.rd to that particular matter until the Parliament of
Canada has legislated.
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord, I am going to trouble your
Lordships with something upon that subject, but I would
desire to say a word at present with reference to this para-
graph at the close of section 1)1 to get rid of it, and at any
rate, to say all I have to say about it, that it was indicated
that conflicts would arisd
Lord Watson— -I reniemlx^r in a recent case where the
Dominion Parliament had passed a law wliich we considered
fairly incidental to their powers to regulate Bankrui)tcy, we
R 2
If'
' i;
mmmm
244
Liquor Proliihition Appeal, 1896.
ji
held accordingly that that Statute was effective in the Province
and ahrogated the (!onnuon law of the Province upon the
Huhject.
Lord Davey— And what constituted the evidence of a
deht on which a person might he sued was affected.
Lord Watson — Yes.
Mr. Blake — The purport of the phrase at the close of
section 91 is stated at pages 271 and 272 of 1st Cartwright
in P((m)iiH' case to he practically the same, to complete the
ohject of enumeration altogether. Cases of prohahle conflict
and of douht were appr(4iended and enumeration was resorted
to in those cases.
Lord Hekschell — But more than that, surely. The effect
of that provision at the end of section 91 was to exclude
from suh-section 10 of section 92 certain things that otherwise
would distinctly have heen within it. .
Mr. Blake — I do not know, my Lord, that it was
necessary at all.
Lord Davey — Surely they could not trench on the
enumerated subjects by passing an Insolvency Act, and by
saying that it was merely local and only applied to the
Province.
Mr. Blake — Yes, but even apart from the phrase at the
foot of section 91, I doubt whether they could have done that,
because your Lordship will find in that portion of the section
which precedes the enumeration this —
" For greutor certainty, but not ho as to restrict the generality of
the foregoing terms of this section it is hereby declared that (notwith-
standing anything in this Act) "
that is notwithstanding what is said in section 92. >
! Lord Davey — And for greater certainty still. ;:
Lord Watson — They *\mt it for greater certainty twice
over.
Mr. Blake — Yes.
Lord Herschell — Then this might be contended-
-this
•*,'
,.ii^«J WTOHPJ
' » 1
i i
■ Liquor Proliihitioii Appeal, 1895.
245
;! :
argument might be addressed to this Board with a good deal
of force — that that was one of those subjects afiecting the
Dominion, more or less, gc^nerally — that where it was merely
local, for example a Postal Service within the Province, which
did not go outside it, and only dealt with places in the
Province, that was merely a local matter, and was not within
the Postal Service as intended in sub-section 6 of the main
section.
Lord Watson — I think one of the oldest principles to be
found is this, that notwithstanding the terms of that last
clause in section 91 there are matters with which the
Province can deal, which are not excepted from their legislative
jurisdiction until the Dominion Government has proceeded to
act upon the powers given to it by certain sub-sections of
section 91. , ■
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord, and I }u-o})ose to deal with
that topic independently. I submit with reference to Postal
Services that there is another consideratinn altogether which
applies. It is well known that it is absolutely essential- to the
existence of the Postal Service that it should be a monopoly.
The public are prohibited from carrying letters here.
Lord Davey — It might be said that it was detrimental to
the Postal Service between the Dominion and Foreign
Governments, as somebody said about another section as to
trade and commerce.
Mr. Bi-AKE^ — Yes, but would somebody have been listened
to?
Lord Watson — It would apply to the different streets in
a Provincial Town.
Mr. Blake — Yes, and it would })revent its being possible to
carry on a ])Ostal service at all such as is recognised here. Then
my submission is that that is the purpose, and that no more
is accom])lished in effect by the end of section 91 than to
make surer the provision which was in the beginning of it
with reference to the effect of the enumeration, and I say
that it leaves the general language of section 91 just where
it was.
■ • (
^46
Liquor Prohihitiou Appeal, 1896.
Lord Watson — In the case of a Postal Service in
construing the meaning of the words, we are not entirely left
to the terms of section i)l and section 1)2, hecause th'^re are
provisions in the Act, if I mistake not, which vest the Dominion
of Canada with the whole property, and everything that
belonged to the Provincial Governments for the puri)ose of
carrying on the past postal service.
Mr. Blake — Yes, the works and Post Offices and Custom
Houses and so on, and it shows, of course, what is meant by
it. My suggestion, of course, does not go so far (and that
idea has been repudiated by this Board) as to say that Canada
could, by legislating for all or more than one Province,
deal with strictly Provincial to])ics ; because that would be
absolutely destructive of the Provincial powers, and the
general result of it is that the federal system has, if I .may
adopt the phrase, the defects of its qualities. There is a
lack of universal legislative power in any one body, for all
aspects and all places, and one has got to recognise that there
may be a desirable uniformity which yet you cannot have,
which you must sacrifice in order to obtain the compensating
advantages of the federal system. Then I come down to
this that the princii)le is that of two aspects and two purposes
of legislation. For example, take the case of licenses for
revenue. The express power of No. 9 is for the purpose of
raising revenue, and it has been adjudged, I understand, that
that limits the power granted in respect of licenses in that
aspect ; that under No. 9, it must be for the purpose of
raising a revenue. But that leaves the same matter subject to
be dealt with in other asi)ects. Indeed it has been adjudged
a subject to be dealt with in another aspect by the Province
under — I do not know very well what to call it — but under
what I have called the jwlice power ; and it leaves it to be
dealt with under a still different aspect by the Dominion
either under the general or under the enumerated powers, as
we contend. How wideh to i.^e dealt with by the Dominion
is one of the things to be disprised of, as also is the capability
of its being dealt with by the Dominion under other powers
and under other aspects. But what I submit is that the
same subject cannot be treated by both under the same
aspect, the only real difference ben^g that in the one case it
w
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1805.
247
is treated as within the Province, and in the other case as
both within and without the Province. I fail to hnd the
over-riding i)ower of the Federal Parliament which is some-
times suggested
Lord Herschei.l — I will tell you where it strikes me it
is found. At present the Dominion Parliament has power to
make laws for the i)urpose of the order and good government
of Canada in relation to all matters not within the classes of
subjects. Now if a matter can only be found in section 02
under sub-section 10, if you can shew that there is a Dominion
purpose to be served by dealing with something existing
throughout the Dominion, then I should say that it comes
within the general Doininion power and would not be within
the class of subjects prescribed, because it would not be
merely of a local nature, but yet it might deal with the same
subject matter which the Province could deal with itself as
being merely local. When you say you see no over-riding
power, t^at is where I see it, and where I tiunk according to
Eussi'U V. The Qiicoi it exists.
■ Mr. Blake — I think your Lordshij) will find that it is
not decided ; but indicated certainly.
Lord Herschell — No, I do not mean decided.
Mr. Blake — That is the only reason why I venture to
submit this argument to your Lordship — that I do not think
it has been decided. I agree that if you find some purpose
or aspect, to use the phrases which have l)een used, in which
,'rom a Dominion point of view legislation should take place
different from the purpose or aspect for which it is suggest'std
the Province should legislate under merely " local or private "
there is a right to legislate and there is no difficulty about it.
What I contend is that when the purpose or aspect in which you
are dealing with the subject is the same there is no right in
both to legislate, and if there is such a right, I fail there to tiLd
any ground upon which to say that the J)ominion power shall
predominate. There is a provision that if it is within the
enumerated powers it shall predominate, but there is no
provision that if it is within the general powers it shall
predominate ; and therefore you find and must, I submit,
grapple with the proposition that there is then a couflict
'I,li;
248
Liquor I'nihlhitio)} Aftpeal, 1895.
• 1
1
Lord Watkon — Your argument suggests that there cannot
be a matter which is merely local in its nature and at the
same time may be of interest to the Dominion.
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord, that is a part of the argument
unquestionably, and my argument is
Lord Watson— And that if it be determined to be of
interest to the whole Dominion so that the Parliament of
Canada can legislate, it can no longer be regarded in the
aspect of being merely local and private.
Mr. Blake — No, and if not "merely" local and private,
it does not come within section 16.
Lord Watson — It is not "local and private." I do not
think " private " has any application.
Mr. Blake — No; I should have said "local or private."
Lord Herschell— Supposing this matter had been dealt
with by the Provincial Legislature as merely a local matter,
and that then the Dominion Parliament had considered that
it was a matter to legislate on for the whole Dominion,
supposing that is so, and it passed a law with reference to it,
of course the Provincial Legislature then could not contravene
that Dominion legislation ; but does the fact that the
Dominion can so legislate prove that the Provincial Legisla-
ture never had the power to pass the legislation which it had
passed ?
Mr. Blake — I think if the Dominion always had the
power the Province never had it.
Lord Herschell — Then there is my difficulty. There
is scarcely anything which it may be desirable and beneficial
for a Province to deal with locally that might not become at
some time or other a matter of Dominion concern and therefore
one on which it might be necessary for the Dominion to
legislate for the whole Dominion. That deprives the Provin-
cial Legislature of all legislative power.
Lord Watson — I should like you to deal with the matter
in this aspect : supposing that the matter is rightly regarded
as not of merely local interest to the Province but as of
Llijtior I'rohihitloii Apju-nl, 1805.
240
■ ; iH
Canadian interest, and the Dominion Parliament legislate,
and competently legislate, upon that footing, then does it
necessarily follow that connected with that very matter there
may not he local considerations — considerations which are
local in their nature, and with which the Provincial Parliament
can still deal, is that possihle ?
Mr. Blake — If there is some other aspect or purpose in
which the matter can he viewed.
Lord Watson — You say that the purpose must not ))e the
same. ■ .. . . . ■ .
Mr. Blake — That is so.
Lord Watson — Then you would deal with the present
question in this way : you would say that this legislation is
for the purpose of ohtaining sohriety, and that so long as you
are legislating in that aspect you are within the field already
occupied by the Dominion Legislature. But on the other
hand may there not be some aspects of that question which
are local and require local treatment, and only warrant local
treatment ?
Mr. Blake — I do not know, my Lord ; I fail to apprehend
why.
Lord Herschell— It may be necessary for the safety of
the Dominion to have at least certain temi)erance provisions,
we will suppose, in operation in the Dominion. Suppose
those are necessary for the Dominion. On the other hand
there may be Provinces where it would be for the Province's
advantage that you should have legislation of an even more
stringent character. I do not see any difference between
the two. The law was merely local and was not considered
necessary, and we will suppose it was not necessary and
would be more than was needed for the Dominion. But
what is there inconsistent with that, that in the Province
something more is needed.
Mr. Blake — The subject is the promotion of temperance.
Lord Herschell — No ; the })iomotion of temperance is
the intermediate object, the subject is the welfare and well-
being of the community, and that they should not be
m
Ifm
'250
Liquor I'ntlulntioii AftpeaJ, 1895.
troiu)led with the results of (h-nnkenness. It is not the
morality of the individual or the making of him temperate.
The Lord Chancellor — If that aspect of the case (I
designedly use that word) is regarded, it will he necessary I
supi)ose to ascertain whether tiie facts of the particular
Province were such as to justify it. Your contention I (juite
follow. You say the sul)ject matter itself is one which is for
the Dominion.
Mr. Blake — In this concrete case I have a decision in
which the suhject iuatter has heen adjudged to l)e for the
Dominion, hut, of course, I am dealing generally at the
moment with the principle.
The Lord Chancellor — I was not dealing with that for
the moment, hut with the hypothesis of a local want.
Supposing it is so, in order to justify the legislation it must
he the Provincial circumstances which justify Provincial
Legislation. If so, those facts ought to be before us.
Mr. Blake — Yes, but what I maintain is this, that if you
grant the premises that the subject is within the jurisdiction
of the Dominion, the Dominion arm is not so shortened, but
that it is entitled to look at the condition and circumstances
of the people throughout the whole or in any part of the
country ; and if varying circumstances exist with reference to
the evil requiring varying legislation in different parts, it is
entitled and is bound to apply the proper legislation for the
remedy of the general evil.
Lord Herschell — That I think is a very difficult ques-
tion — a very difficult question. If there is anything clear, it
is that this legislation in sections 91 and 92 was to give the
Provincial Legislature power to legislate for things within the
Province in so far as it was necessary to keep them to a
Provincial Legislature. One cannot shut one's eyes to that
because it is exclusively ex hi/potlicsi of a merely local
character. Now, may not you have a thing which, in a
particular aspect, to use your word again, is of general
interest to the Dominion Parliament, although the ultimate
end is the well being of the community, the same end ?
W"'i4i,i
Jjiiiuor I'rohihitioii .Ifijual, IHIK^.
251
Mr. BiiAKE — Of course it depeiulH upon the kind of aHi)ect,
as your Lordship puts the question.
Lord Hkrschell— Take this very kind of question tluit
we are considering^. Siij)posin},f that th(> icf^Milalion l)y what-
soever means of tlie sah' of intoxicatin<^ Hquors is a thin<^ not
intended to l)e dealt with hy any of these Provinces, hut tiiat
the intention was to leave it as a niattcn- to he dealt with hy
the Dominion Parliament for the whole of Canada, one has
certainly to look at the condition of things hefoi-e the Con-
federation when different l«>gislation is passed ; and, looking at
the scheme of this Act, one would hesitate a good deal to say
that that was the intention of thc^ Legislature*. If there was
anything to ju'ohihit drinking except under certain restric-
tions it was not a Provincial matter perhaps, hut to say that
the Dominicm Parliament should undertake it for the whole
of Canada, aiul that the Province could not deal with it for
the purpose is a strong j)roposition.
The Lord Chancellor — But do you admit that the
Canadian Parliament could not })rovide for the particular
case of a particular Province ?
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord, I do not.
Lord Hersc'hell — I know you say it could, hut that is
what strikes me as strange. Ijooking at the scheme of this
legislation- -I am supposing now it is not an enumerated thing
of course.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Herschell — Supposing it is not an enumerated
thing, and it is in the particular Province, one would think
unless it were thought to he necessary to deal with it else-
where it was a merely local matter — the restriction of the
sale of intoxicating liquors within the Province.
Lord Watson — But if you carry it to a certain length,
the difficulty is to get an enactment within tlie Province which
jjroliihits any person living in a town (even if he were a
Memher of Parliament) from getting drunk.
Lord Herschell — If you limit the hours within which
^M
^
262
TJquor I'rokihitlon .\i)p<'nl, 1895.
he (;iin get it, it iH not merely provincial, and in that sense
nothing is merely provincial.
The Lord Chancellor I do not know ahont that.
Rome restrictions with n-ference to piirticnlar hours or places
may he (jnite intelligihly provincial and restrictions not
involving general application.
Mr. Blake— Quite so.
Lord Herschell — But still it might affect other Provinces
in regard to people who happen, fov the time heing, to he
there.
Mr. Blake — Yes, hut in dealing with these powers you
cannot define too much. You must deal uj)on hroad and
general considerations and the mere circumstances that
casual visitors, even Mend)ers of Parliament, unless, indeed,
there is a law providing for their innnunities
Lord Watson — I do not think it can he seriously
suggested that regulations for the henefit of those within the
Province, which necessarily affect strangers coming into or
passing through it, make it less provincial.
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord. It is supposed that when
they come they will he amenahle to the laws which suit the
people who live there all the time.
The Lord Chancellor — You nnist deal with it from a
common sense })oint of view. Certain })ersons may he of a
very austere nature perhaps, and insist on a fast twice a week
and })roliihit food, and in that case T should have thought
that that interfered with the general right to lil)(^rty through-
out the whole Dominion, and it would he an infringement of
the rights of the rest of the suhjects of Canada even if it
professed to he applicahie to a particular Province.
Mr. Blake— Yes, it would tend to depopulation of the
Provinces, I fancy.
The Lord Chancellor — I think so, too.
Lord Herschell — This was a matter which had been
in every one of these confederated Provinces differently dealt
with by the Provinces, and if it was a matter that was
w
w
Liquor VrnhHition Appeal, 1895.
263
intended to be taken from tlie I'rovinceH and put in the
Dominion one would have expected to Ihid it in one of the
Hi)ec'iHcally enumerated clasHes in chiuse 5)1. It is not like a
new thing which has arisen,
one of these Provinces.
There was lej^islation in each
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord, hut the legislation which
existed in each one of these Provinces, speaking of it generally,
was of the same character. The general character of the
legislation was that which has heen described for the n^gu-
lating of the traffic or trade in connec^tion with licensed houses.
Lord Herschkll — One was the very ''onditions which
you say now come in question.
Mr. Blake — Yes, one was, but only one. Now I submit
that the generally exclusive character of the Provincial ])ower
nnist be recognised and upheld l)y repudiating the doctrine of
double jurisdiction in the sense I have indicated ; and, before
passing in a moment or two to the decision to which Lord
Watson has more than once referred on the incidental powers,
I wish to refer to PX hy whom could that law he changed, hy whom
could it he n^pealed, hy whom could it he su[)i)l(nnented ? By
the Parliament of Canada and hy it alone. ''Vhat I venture
to suhmit is that this theory of construction is not affected
by decisions such as that in Ciixliiiitj v. Dupiiij, and the later
insolvency cases. In arguing that case I was asked hy your
Lordships, and your Lordships in argument expressed a view
which is clearly in accordance with the Judgment in the case ;
I was asked whether I contended that anything which
necessarily came within hankru|)tcy and insolvency could he
the suhject of legislation l)y a Province notwithstanding that
there was no Domhiion legislation on the suhject. I could
make no such contention ; I was obliged to acknowledge that
whatever really came within bankruptcy and insolvency was
exclusively within the power of the Dominion and could not
he touclied by a Province.
Lord Watbon — You cannot say what may and what nuiy
not be incidental to
legislation.
Mr. Bi.AKK — That is the point which your Lordships
decided. You said you would not define all tluit was covered
by the words, but you did find what were some essential
elements of bankruptcy and insolvency ; and you found that
this law did not come within those essential elements. More
than these essentials might i)Ossibly be embraced as ancillary
m
m
I
.1
•^rsrsssssassBtstr
258
Liquor Prohibifimi Appeal, 1895.
in a Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act ; and therefore there
was an elastic margin which might or might not he
trenched upon in tlie exercise of its main power to deal with
hanki'uptcy and insolvency hy the Dominion Parliament,
thus touching a suhject which came within property and civil
riglits for that other purpose and in that other aspect. In
the exercise of this its [)ower to deal with hankrui)tcy and
insolvency what would the Dominion Parliament do ? It
would cut out for that jnirpose, and hi that iispect some
suhject which was otlierwise within pro])erty and civil rights.
It would not cut it out altogether, it would not annul for all
other purpf ses and under all other as})ects the rights of the
Provincial I-iegislature : the rights of creditors, the rights of
contract and the mode of })ayment and all iliat would remain.
Lord Watson— Would it touch the right of creditors
except in matters of insolvency '' • .
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord ; and therefore the suhject
came to he considered in two aspects, the aspect of the right
when insolvency did not exist, and of the right when it did
exist. Tiie suhject was carved into two — the one was
exclusively Provincial and the other exclusively Dominion.
There was in one sense an over-riding of the legislation,
hecause in one as2)ect the suhject of the legislation would
cease to he Provincial and the legislation would no longer
extend to it. It came within hankruptcy and insolvency and
ceased to he within local jurisdiction ; and for that reason the
Provincial law no longer applied to it, hut the Provincial law
remained ap})licahle to all other cases. That is the principle
on which those cases were decided ; and it is not inconsistent
in the least degiee with the view which I })resent to your
Lordships. It is simply this, that if you look to the character
of the powers it is impossihle hy anticipation to define the
precise limits of them
Lord Watson — There the legislation of the Province to
be well exercised would require to he applied to solvents and
insolvents alike ?
Mr. Blake — Yes. If you could find that the legislation
of the Province was ex})ressly directed to insolvency.
n
fjiqitor Vwhihitiini Appral, 1895.
259
Lord Watson— That
insolvents if not so.
law niiglit cease
to ai)ply to
Mr. Blake — Yes, it might.
Lord Davky — ]^)nt in some case, the name of which I
cannot remendter, it w.is iit>ld that a Province' could pass a
law winding up a particular company.
Mr. Maclaren — That was r.ne case of //' Ciiioii St.Jitcqiws
(k Motitiral V. Ili'lislf, 1 ('artwright, [). ()8.
Mr. Blake — The })rinci[)le of that case was to that effect.
Lord Davey — Yes. The head note says : —
" The Act of the Legislature of Quebec {HH Victoria, c. 58)
for the relief of the Ai)pelliint Society, then (as appeared on the face of
the Act) in a state of extreme financial embarrassment, is within the
legislative capacity of that Ijegislature. The Act was iield to relate to
' a matter merely of a local or private nature in the Province,' which
by the92n(l section of the Hritish North America Act. liS()7, is assigned
to the exclusive competency of the Provincial Legislature ; and not to
fall within the category of bankruptcy anv Appnil,lH9ri.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.'
The Loud Chancellor — And could only be local.
Mr. Blake — That is so.
Lord JJ.ERSCHELL — Take other things mentioned there,
because you refer to other things — it does not mention only
the liquor question. Supposing that in a i)articular Province
there was a provision tliat diseased animals, or animals
certified to be diseased, should not go to particular markets,
do you say then that that would be extra-i)rovincial — beyond
the power of the Province ? - ,
Lord Davey — You do not say that, do you ? •
Mr. Blake — I think there is a general law u])on that
subject if I remember rightly. •:■■ •
Lord Davey — But supposing there was not ?
Mr. Blake— I do not think so. I do not propose to say
that there may not be nuiriy of these topics so dealt with
within the proj)er limits of local regulation as to the difterences
of condition in larger and smaller connnunities and which
yet may not be in all aspects local . I do not say that you may
not have the greatest difficulty, when a concrete case arises,
in drawing the line, between what is in the view of Hodijf
V. 'llic (Jiii'cn as your liordsbips exi)ressed it local and what
is not. But what I do say is that there the ]:)rincip]e on
which the line is to be drawn is to be found. It is to be
drawn in each case with reference to the princi[)le laid down
in Hoihir v. 'I'lir Qiurn, and, when once drawn, you hnd a
purpose and as})ect local which gives jurisdiction exclusively
to the Province, and beyond that puri)ose and as])ect the
subject is within the Dominion jurisdiction only.
Lord Herschell^ — I have at present a difficulty in seeing
a distinction in principle between any amount of fetters
which might be put on drink for the well-being of the
connnunity and the final fetter which, prevents the sale of the
intoxicating liquor. The ol)je(;t and aspect appears to me at
present to l)e in both cases the same, namely, the well-being of
the comnninity and good order, all of which are supposed to be
endangered by excessive indulgence, and all these steps have
[jlqiKir PnililhitioH Jpiical, 18U6.
2()8
'!f'
in view the diiniiintion of wliat is inconsistent with the well-
being and good order of the eonnnunity.
Mr. Blakf:— I should have thought, in another aspect of
this case, as your Lordshii) and sfneral niemhers of the
Board pointed out, that thei-e was the greatest possible
fundamental difference between regulation and absolute
l)rohibition.
Lord Herschell— Fo]' some j)urpos(^s there is a funda-
mental difference. But as to the pm'[)ose and as))ect ])eing
one thing or another, if you regard the aspect of prohil)ition,
as stated in lliisfti'll v. The Qinni, in the words you have just
read, namely, the well-being aiul good order of the connnmiity,
I do not at i)resent see any difference in aspect between the
object of })rohibition and the object of restriction.
Mr. Bi.AKE — My sacred words, I think, read " aspect asid
purpose " or " purjjose and aspect."
Lord Herschell — " Aspect and puv[)ose." The aspect
and purpose is the well-being and good order of the conmninity
I think. Is not that the as})ect and ))ur})ose of the restri(ttive
legislation with regard to li(pior ? How does the asjx'ct and
purpose differ ? When you are dealing with such words as
regulation and so on, I can understand that there is a
distinction between regulation and prohibition.
Mr. Blake — ^T should say that the as})ect and purpose
with which the local Ijegislature was adjudged to have a
power in Hadf/c v. 'Ilir (Jiicrii was in reference to the different
local conditions arising in small comnnmities, such as cities,
towns and villages, and so forth, for the preservation of local
order in minor matters ; and although it may be extremely
difffcult to say that preservation of local order is a min(;r and
minute regulation, and that it is not engrafted upon the same
view which is directed to the prevention of drunkenness and
the i)reservation of decency, and which is directed to a kee])ing
up of morality, yet tluit is the distinction upon which, us I
understand in HuhxcIFs case and Ifodgc v. 'Ilic Queen, the
Court held that prohibition was within the Federal poM'er
and certain regulations within the local power.
Lord Herschell — I do not think they said that was so.
u:3
264
Liijuoi' I'roliihitlon .i/i[iriit by liiic, pcnalfcy,
or iiMpriHoiiiiiciiL foi' oiiforciii;,' iiiiy liiw of tliu inoviiici' laiulo in rclutioii
to any niiittiT coming within any of the chissc of subjects cnnnu'iatc^d
in this section.' No doubt this argument would be well founded if
the princinal nuitter of the Act could be lirouf^bt within any of these
classes of subjects ; hut as far as they have yet gone, their LoidsliipH
fail to .see thi.t this has i)een done."
and then they eonie (|)age 24) to suh-Kection lO of section 9*2 :
"Ge c^rally all matters of a merely local or private nature in
the Province " —
" It was not. of course, contended for the Appellant that the
LegiHlatun of Ni>w Brun.swick could have passed the Act in (juestion,
wliich, embraces in its enactments all the Provinces ; nor was it denied
with respect to this last contention, that tli(> Parliament of ('aiiada
might have [lassed an Act of the nature of that under discussion to
take eli'ect at the same time throughout the who'e Dominion."
Your Lor(lshij)s ^ee the character of the contentions. Of
course it was not contended for the Appellant tliut the
Lef^'islature could have passed an Act which went heyond the
legislative limits of the Province, nor, as I understnnd the whole
Jud^nnent, does it proceed sim})Iy U])on the proj)ositi()n that
the inahility of the Legislature to pass an Act which extends
l)eyond the Province confers jurisdiction of itself u))()n the
Dominion if the suhject matter of the legislation he in itself
local—
"' Their Lordships understand the contention to be that, at least in
the absence of a general law of the I'arliament of t'aiuubi, the provinces
might have passed a local law of a like kind, each for its own Province,"
Lord Hekschell — That is at least " in the ahsence," and
that seems to indicate the view which was within the mind of
the Court.
M
fit
y|
Mr. Blake — I quite concede that there are indications of
that l)eing in the mind of the Court in this case. All I
ventured to say was that I did not conceive that it had heen
adjudged, I (juite concede that —
" and that, as the prohibitory anil penal parts of the Act in ques-
tion, were to come into force in those Counties and Cities only in
which it was adopted in the numner prescribed, or, as it was said, ' by
local option,' the legislation was in effect, and on its face upon a matter
of a merely local nature."
»<^pp
200
Liquor I'rohihiliofi Appiul, 1896.
Thoii tlip Tud^niiciit of Chief JuHtiee Alh^n is (inoted, and
tlieir L()r(lshii)s coiitiiine :—
" Tlifir Lonlsliips cannot concur in this viuw. The (Icciiiri'd
object of Parl'inient in panninf^ the Act is that there shonld hv uniform
legishition in all the provincew respectinj,' the tniHie in intoxicating
licpioi'H, with a view to promote temp(>rance in the Doiiiiiiion. I'arlia-
ment does not treat the promotion of temperance as desirahle in one
province mori; than in another, but as desirable everywhere throughout
the Dominion. Th(< Act, as soon aw it was passed, became* a law for
the whole Dominion, and the enaetnients of the first part, relating to
the machiru'ry for bringing the second part into force, took ell'ect and
miglit be put in motion at once and everywhere within it. It is true
that the prohibitory and penal parts of the Act are only to come into
force in any County or City, upon the adoption of a petition to that
ef!'ect by a nmjority of electors, but this conditional application of these
parts of the Act does not convert the Act itself into legislation in
relation to a merely local matter. The objects and scope of the
' legislation arc still general, vi/., to promote temperance by means of a
uniform law throughout the Dominion. The nmnner of bringing the
prohibitions and penalties of the Act into force, which parlianu^nt has
thought fit to adopt, does not alter its general and uniform character.
' Parliament deals with the subject as one of general concern to the
Dominion upon which uniformity of legislation is desirable and ^he
Parliament alone can so deal with it."
There again is an indication sncii as your Lordship has
suggested, I quite admit — -
" There is no ground or pretence for saying that the evil or vice
struck at by the Act in ([uestion is local or exists only in one province,
and that Parliament under colour of general legislation, is dealing with
,,. a provincial matter only. It is, therefore, unnecessary to discuss the
considerations which a state of circumstances of this kind might
present." ,
Their Lordships do not therefore intend to decide what
would he the result in tliat state of things—
"The ^^resent legislation is clearly nu'ant to apply a remedy to an
evil which is assumed to exist throughout the i)onHnion, and the local
• option, as it is called, no more localises the subject and scope of the
Act than a provision in an Act for the preventio'i of contagious diseases
in cattle that a public officer should proclaiiu in what districts it should
come into cii'ect, would make the Statute itself a mei'c local law for each
of these districts. In Statutes of this kind the legislation is general,
and the provision for the special application of it to particular places
does not alter its character." ■ ,
Lord Watson — The , ,ii favorahle words to you in this
Judgment which you ha ^ just read, as far as I can see, are
Liiinor I'rohiliition Aftftcul, 1895.
•2(57
thfiHe, " lV[(ittprH iiH to which miifoniiity of U'<,'iHliiti(»ii is
desinihle."
Mr. J3lake— Yew, my fjord. '* imit'onniiy of h'^nshitioii."
Ijord Wathon — ThtTc arc other |)iissjif,M's which tend the
otlicr way, hnt tiiat seems to ^'o in your hivor as indicating
that that is one of the ohjects which the Dominion Parhament
waH entith'd to contemplate and act upon.
Mr. Blake — Yes. ,.
Lord HEUsciiEiiL — Is it uniformity in any otlier sense
except as a law a|»plicahle to the whole Dominion. It mij^dit
he a|)plicahle to the whole, hut certaiidy in relation to tem-
perance its o|)erat.'on was not uniform because it depended
upon who took advantage of it.
Lord Davey — I sup})ose you are going to argue at some
time or other that the Dominion Parliament luiving passed
the Canada Tenii)erance Act, did as it said occupy the field.
Mr. Blake—Ycs.
' Lord Davey— Whatever might be the case if there were
no Canada Temperance Act, the Provincial Legislature is
thereby debarred from legislating on the same subject.
Mr. Bt-ake — It is inii)ossible for the Provincial Legis-
lature, the subject having been compc^tently legislated on, as
adjudged by this Board, by the Dominion Parliament, to
legislate on it again. That was competently done. It is
not merely that it is professed to be done.
The Lord Chancellok — I suppose you would say that
the passing of the Act which rendered it competent to them
to adopt it or not was an Act which in its purport and effect
showed that the Dominion Parliament did not intend that
the Provincial Legislature should legislate on that subject
against the will of any minority of inhabitants.
Mr. Blake — Yes, my Lord.
Lord Hehschell— But supposing that the Dominion
Parliament has come to the conclusion that it is for th(! good
order and the well being of the whole of Canada that teni-
!»
268
Liquor I'rvhibition Appeal, 1895.
pcrance should l)e at least proniotefl to a certain extent in a
certain way, is it necessarily inconsistent with that that a
Provincial Legislature might supplement that legislation by
other legislation because it is considered that in some par-
ticular Province there was more urgent need ?
Mr. Blake — I was about to consider that very point
which your Lordship has put to me.
Lord Herschell — Of course they could not legislate
inconsistently.
Mr. Blake — For one moment, before passing to that, I
wish to point out to your Lordshij) what has been taken out
of controversy by these passages of the Judgment which I
have just read. First of all, that the law which is passed
is a general law — and that it is a general law notwith-
stiuiding its adoptive nature ; that the opportunity of
uniformity it gives by making a provision under which
in various local comnmnities all Muough Canada it
might be put in force is a sufficient, generahty and a sufficient
uniformity, if generality, and if uniformity are required in
ord(n- to the exercise of the Canadian legislative i)ower,
propositions which 1 respectfully dispute, but if generality and
if uniformity are required, this Act is general and uniform :
it is general and uniform although it merely provides a
machinery by which different localities within the Dominion
may at their option and election, evidenced in a particular
way, use the provisions and put them into force ; it is
adecjuately general and ade(juately uniform though ex Unic it
ct)ntemplates the probability that it will not be universally
ap))lied, — though the particular conditions which it pro-
pounds are conditions which indicate in the mind of the
Parliament a probability that it will not be universally
a})plied ; and that conse(juently its actual })vactical operation
will be diversity instead of uniformity, — that at any rate
(which is sufficient for my purpose) it is possible there
will be diversity instead of uniformity. [t is adecpiately
general and adecpiately uniform although it recognises the
view that the condition of things in difierent })arts, not merely
in differed it Provinces but in different parts of each Province
of the Dominion, may so differ that the pv. notion of tempe-
\l
11]
Liquor Pnthihition Appctil, 1895.
209
.
ranee, the accoinplislimeiit of the ohjcH-ts whicli the h'j^islature
had at lieart and was (h.sirous to promote, would not he
achievtnl hy its \mn^ po: mto operation, that a ^'eneral
sweeping enactment proviiUng that it should come into force
all over or in any particular locality or over a Province might
he instrumental to the ohject in view, that is the promotion
of temperance, that unless the test was successfully applied
of a local demand supported by a majority at an election,
there ought not to he this restraint, this pi'ohihition which,
on these conditions, and on these (!oiiditions idone, it was
intended should he applied. The Judgment does not indeed
decide that the power of Parliament is limited as })ossihly
may he the case here. That point is ex[)ressly res<'rved ; hut
what is decided is that while the power of Parliament to he
competently exercised, should he exercised generally all over
the Dominion, this law whose practical and contemplated
operation was not generality, not uniformity in ap})lic!ition
and in operation, was yet a competent exercise of that power.
Lord Davey — It is uniform because it gives the same
option <.o every county in the Dominion.
Mr. Blake— -Quite so, it is uniform in that sense ; it
gives a power to apply it to every place, but its tendency in
fact would l)e to j)roduce diversity instead of uniformity in
the laws by which the subject is bound in each part.
The Lord (Chancellor — I suppose you might say further
that if a Provincial law prevails and it prohibits, it would
come to this thab wviereas the determination was left to the
Provincial LegisJi.ore, according to (Janadian legislation each
person has the right to have it one way or ilie other, the
Provincial Parliament takes away the right.
Mr. Blake — Certainly. I say you find ("nnadii divided
into Provinces and of conv..e each Province divided into a lot
of counties, each one of these counties is given a right to
decid(^ whether this law shall come into operati( n in its
bounds ; if the law conies into ojieration or if it is rejected on
the vote that means that the condition siands for th(> jx'riod
of three years, that it has a rest or a trial. At the end of
three years the inhabitants of that locality may apply for a
repeal, and then a new election takes place and it is dec ided
270
:l|i?
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
whether there shall he a repeal or not. If on the original
(^lection they fail to })aHs the law. or if upon the proposal for
repeal they fail to pass the i-epealing law there is three years
rest in that condition and things so remain. If the repeal is
passed there can he no further eftbrt to pass the prohihition
law for three years. So that tlie j)eo])le have an interval of
three years under one law or the other. Each locality is
given hy the machinery which the Dominion Legislature
thought hest ada])ted for grappling with that evil, hy the
provision of those tests wiiich the Dominion [jegislature thought
th<> ellicient tests for determining whether it was l)est that
total })rohihition siiould take place, amjile and adequate
provisions to meet the (;ase according to the view of the
Legislature v/^hich has {)aased the Act and has provided the
means for putting the Act into force, for keeping it in force,
for taking it off and putting it on again.
Lord Hersohell — That argument of yours would apply
to nothing except ahsolute prohihition would it, hecause the
Legislature has only provided that it is to he enforced where
the majority adopts the Act ? Does that excliule all right to
legislate for anything other than [jrohihition ? In every place
that does not adopt the Act, where they do not apply pre
hil)ition, is the local Legislature powerless to maky stringent
regulations '?
Lord Davfa' — Mr. Blake says if it did so they would
apply only to the majority.
Lord Hersohell — The practical case put to us is that
you shall not sell except in certain quantities, that is not total
))rohihition.
The Lord Chancellor — But that is taken from the
Canada Temjx'rance Act, as I read it. (I may he wrong.)
An altogether different question arises on the suhject of
prohihition.
Lord Herschell — Take the last one.
Sir Richard Couch — The 18th section i)roliihits altogether.
Mr. Blake — Yes.
Lord Hersohell— Only in certain places, that is in shops
;!^l
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
271
and i)lacps other thiui houses of pui)li(' entertainnicnt. It
does not prohiljit it iiho«j;ether in houses of pnhHc entertiiin-
meut. It provides limits us to the (]UiUitiiy that may Ite sohl ;
that is what ii; does. It stops short of uhsohUe jtrohihition.
Sir KicHAKi) Couch — It is for prohibiting the sah' in
certain phices.
Lord Heuschell — Yon may not sell, it says, excei)t i"
certain phices, and in those j)hices yoii may sell it in not U»ss
quantity than twelve bottles, but that is not the same })ro-
hibition which would come into operation by the adoption of
the Act — it is something different.
Air. Blake— For the nu)ment I would ask your Lordship
to disperse me from discussing the 7th question.
Lore Herschell — But that is why I [)ut my (juestion —
that yor: argumeTit would only a[)ply. would it not, to the
case of absolute [>rohihition which is provided by the Canada
Temperance Act, where the Act is put into operation. What
I mean is this ; Is your argument this, that the Parliament
of Canada liaving enacted that in any district a certain
nuijority may stop the sale altogether, that precludes any
regulation of the traffic short of prohibition in those
districts ?
Mr. Blake — In that general statement of it I would not
agree, because there may he minute r(>gulations.
Lord Heuschell — But I do not want minute— take
big regulations, but short of prohibition. Does the fact that
the Parliament of Canada said that wherever peo})le want to
prohibit by a certain majority there shall be prohibition,
exclude all imwei- of regulation of the traffic short of [)ro-
hibition in these districts ?
Lord Watson — That depends very much on the way you
read the Act. It is one thing to say they have enacted that
they shall do so and so, and another to say that these
persons shall have the privilege and option of deciding for
themselves, and no other person shall say whether this Act
is to be adopted.
Lord Heuschell — The determining whether the Act is
t|:.
mssma
I
272
fjiquof ProhUtiiiim Appcul, 1805.
to he adopted brings i)i the (jnestion of prohihition, and does
the adoptiiijj( of prohil)ition necessarily exehide all legislation
short of i)rohil)ition ?
I^ord Watson —The question then arises — and this is
one of my numerous difficulties in this case — is not additional
legislation or su})pleniental legislation a practical repeal of
the option given by the general law'?, Is it or is it not?
That is only a (]uestion. T am not indicating any o})inion
upon the [)oint, hut it seems to raise that question shortly.
Mr. Blakk — Quite so. T submit that there is here a
determination on the part of the I'arlianient of Canada to
take up the question and to legislate upon it.
Lord ])avey — And they believe that it is a question for
the good government of Canada.
Mr. Blake — It is a question for the go^d government of
Canada. They have competently dealt with it, as is adjudged.
They have decided that on particular conditions and in a
particular way
Lord Watson — You see that really comes to thip. The
sanu' difficulty would not have arisen, as far as I am concerned,
if, professing to deal with the whole question, the Parliament
of Canada had directly enacted that they should he subject
to no restriction unless they chose to use this Act. Now,
have they in substance done that or have they not ? That is
the first question.
Lord Herschell — Has not flodiji' v. Tlif (Jiitrii said that
they have not done that, because IhKbjr v. Ilic Qturn lias
said that in districts where it has not been adopted and
where there is therefore not prohi!>ition, it is still competent
for the Provincial Legislature to enact regui'iti(>.';s as to times
and places within which drink may be sui)plied.
Mr. Blake — Certainly, within certain limits.
Lord Heuschell — I will deal with limits presently ; l)ut
the fact that they can do it at all indicates
Mr. Blake — But the Canadian Parliament has not said
that there shall be no legislation in reference to it.
.Jf^^^!^^■^^)^ l| | l ^ij^'■^^».^^^^^JJW^I^ | ||^^,■^l^■ 11ii^.
Liquor Prohllntioii Apjiral, 180/5,
'273
Lord Watson^ — 1 rather think tlie ol)s«>rvati()n iiiado in
that case points to regulation as sonu'tliing different from
prohibition. No loubt it may involve prohibition, but it
points to something which is in substance merely regulation.
Mr. Blake — Just consider the point and the observation
in Hodfjf V. 77/^' Qmm. They said where the Act had iu)t
been locally adopted, and in Toronto that was so, the traffic
is still permitted, and is being carried on ; and it would have
been absurd to contend that, while the Dominion Piirliiunent
had not taken such steps as would effectually i)rohihit the
traffic in the city of Toronto, and had left it a legal traffic,
the powers, whatever they may be
Lord Herschell — That was precisely my (piestion —
whether all powers therefore short of prohibition, v/liich is
involved in the Act when adopted, were not consistently with
the Act still left to the Provincial Legislature ?
Mr. Blake — Nay, my Lord, because I am dealing only
with those areas in \\'l^iich the Canada Temperance Act had
not been nut into operation.
Lord Herschell — Exactly : that is what I put to you.
Mr. Blake — I thought yoiu- Lordship was dealing with
all the areas.
Lord Herschell — In all the areas where it has been [lut
into operation prohibition exists.
Mr. Blake — Nominally.
Lord Herschkll — But you must assume that it is on
nifcr or is supposed to exist. The question was directed to
ifeose ])laces where it was not adopted, and notbing interfered
with it at all, and whetber that did not leave open lo the
Provincial Legislature at all events everything short of
prohibition ?
Mr. Blake -That may be so within limits as I have
MiMre said ; l)ut if your Tjordship would permit me to reserve
my answer to that tJl I come to Hodfi^s case, I should be
obliged to your Tjordship. It is a difhcult (]uestion which I
am not prepa^-ed to deal with as fully at this stage of the
I
■ijiSSiJr-
mimm
mmmm
274
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
argument, I say frankly, as I slioukl desire. But I do contend
that the Parliament of Canada has done these thinj^s as
effectively, as Lord Watson suggests, as if it had done wiiat I
suhmit it was not called upon to do, as if it had said there
shall he no other interference and no other condition imj)osed
hy any other hody with reference to this matter. I contend
it for one reason which excludes all others ; and for a second
reason that because the Parlianient of Canada had com-
petently delared that this was a general matter, and that,
therefore, it was no longer merely local or private, therefore
there is no other authority to compete, and it there was
authority to comi)ete, I say that when the Parliament of
Canada provides conditions under which the thirg may he
put into force in different localities and kept in force and
repealed and so forth — I say that it as exhausti^■ely deals with
the whole topic as if it had gone on to say that it shall not
he done in any other way. But that was not necessary
hecause the language of the Act itself shows an exhaustive
dealing so far as prohihition is concerned.
Lord Davey — You sa.y where the Parliament of the
Dominion has dealt with the subject, the Provincial Legislature
cannot deal with it in the same way ?
Mr. Blake — Not in the same aspect. Parliament has
said this subject of temperance is a subject for the good
government of Canada. They are adjudged to have the right
to say that, and they have dealt with it as the good govern-
ment of Canada in their judgment required.
The Lord Chancellor — Shall be subject to local o))tion
practically.
Mr. Blake — Yes, and the local option which they
prescribe is the only local option which can be passed with
reference to that subject.
(Adjounint for a short tivic).
Mr. Blake — Then, my Lords, let us consider if your
Lordships pleast> for a moment what kind of legislation, what
other methods for putting sucli an Act as the Temperance
Liquor Prohibition Ap/vai, 1895.
275
Act into force would cleiivly and ol)vionsly 1);^ within the power
of the Doniinion Piirlianient, would he good Dominion
legislation luiving the sani(^ effect which, \ suggest, follows
from the Dominion heing ca.])al)le of taking up tlu' suhject at
all. Of course it could |*ass an Act providing total prohihition
for the whole country ; hut it might also provide for proliil)ition
in each Province at large, and that either hy a plehiscite of
the whole Provinces the electorate of th(> whole voting instead
of in hodies, or on condition of a resolution of the local
assembly or on a })roclamation of th(> Lieutenant-Governor,
all local methods for })utting the Act into o[)eration, clearly,
on the principle on which this x\ct is held good, within the
competency of the Canadian Parliament. ()r agiiin that Act
might he put into force on a resolution of the House of
Commons, or on a proclamation of the (rovernor-General —
Dominion })owers. P]v(>ry one of these suggested pro[)osalH
would be a less minute and less a local option system than
what is held good ; and the conclusion is, as I submit, that if
the Parliament conceives that the peace, order, and good
government of Canada woukl be served by providing for
}>roihibition when-'ver local option favours it, and setting up
''conditions on which it should be put into force, it
can so act, and exhaust the subject thus. It can say
therefore we will stop the growing i)lague where the
conditions in our judgment show that })rohil)ition will stop it.
Then that seems to me to take this particvdar concrete case
entirely out of '' merely local or private." It is adjudged to
have been effectively declared to be an evil general in its
nature, alst) more or less developed in Caiuida here and there,
but certainly not on Provi:5oial lines. In parts of any Province
there may twe a ;'ondition where the Legislature has thought
benetit would rt^ult and the evil would he checked by i)utting
the prohibition into force. In other parts no such results
may arise, and thus enough ap[)ears to show, ajjart. from
" merely local or private." that the Provincial jurisdicti(/n is
non-existent, because it has been shown to be in this particular
case a general evil witliin the jurisdiction of the Dominion.
There are other reasons, as I sul)mit, why it cannot be within
" merely local Of private." Take the (piestion of importation.
I think your Lordships rather indicated in the course of the
argument that that must be held to l)e outside " local or
276
Liqnor I'rohihition Appeal, 1895.
illi
private," because it affects the exporter, it affects other
Provinces, and also l)ecanse it affects the revenue. Tn that con-
nection I have referred to a section, which I shall also have to
refer to more at hnigth at another part of the argument, which
deals with the free importation of some things. Section 121
of the British North America Act provides that : —
" All articles of the growth, produce or manufacture of any one of
the provinces shall, from and after the Union, be admitted free into
each of the other provinces."
Lord Watson — As to that part of the argument you are
passing from ; in lliisxdl v. Tlir (Jkci'ii I do not understand
this Board put it entirely on the fact that the legislation was
within the general and initial clause of section 5)1. At the
conclusion of their Judgment they state at p. 26 : —
" Their Lordships having come to the conclusion that the Act in
question does not fall within any of the classes of subjects assigned
exclusively to the Provincial Legislatures, it becomes unnecessary to
disciiss the further question whether its provisions also fall within
any of the classes of subjects enumerated in section 9L In abstaining
from this discussion they must not be understood as intimating any
dissent from the opinion of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
of Canada and the other Judges, who held that the Act, as a general
regulation of the trafKc in intoxicating liquors throughout the Dominion,
fell within the class of subject ' the regulation of trade and commerce '
enumerated in that section, and was on that ground a valid exercise of
the legislative power of the Parliament of Canada."
Lord Davfa' — I understood Mr. Blake was going to deal
with the subject of regulation separately.
Mr. Blakk — Yes, I am going to do so altogether separately ;
but I was about to observe this much now, that it was not
adjudged against us at all even imi)liedly, and there is no
indication of a decision adverse to us in 'Hw Qnci'ti v. RushcU.
As I was saying, it is clear that importation is not merely
local or private, and as to articles which are of the growth,
manufacture or produce of any Province, there is an express
provision — and that was one of the great objects of Federa-
tion — to give absolute security for the admission of such
articles free into each of the other Provinces. So the two
following sections with reference to customs and excise deal
with the free admission as between the Provinces, until the
customs laws should be assimilated by providing that any
goods imported into one Province should be capable of being
Liqnur Prohibition Appeal, 181)5.
277
imported into the otlier on paying any additional duty, if any
leviable, under the law of th(^ Province of import.
The Tj(iiu) ('h\ncellor — That would be su^jposed to he
merely tiscal.
Mr. Blake — Perhaps ; hut still there is the provision for
importation. The object is as far as possible to make trade
and commerce between the Provinces free, and that is the
scope and purpose of the enactments. It is in that view
only I advert to them. Parliament was convinccMl it was
necessary they should nuike a general uniform law as to
customs duties, because to allow differential laws would have
been simply to make one Province the i-iitrcpiit for the
others — then if one considers for a moment the eifect of the
})rohil)ition of importation into one l^rovince of goods on which
customs' duties are laid, that will of course cnppl(> the resources
of the Dominion. As to manut.icture also I say tiiat it is
impossible to call that merely local or private. The intent and
object is evidenced by the whole Act and by this 121st section
particularly. It is to make the country one for these com-
mercial pur])oses, and it cannot l)e declared that orie Province
is so exclusively interested in the (juestion of th(> absolute
prohibition of the manufacture of articles which it has been
in the habit of importing from another Province and con-
sunimg, that it becomes a subject merely local. Then as to
sale. What is the object of importing ? What is the object
of manufacturing ? Consumption is the object of all these
things. The sale is the intermediate step between the
im])orting and nunuifacturing and the consumption. If you
stop sal(> you stop all the rest. Who will imp(frt, who will
manufacture if the goods are not to be permitted to be sold after-
wards in order to their consumption '?
Lord Heuschell — Could not the Provincial Legislature
prohibit the manufacture of something which could be only
noxious ?
Mr. Blake — Perhaps so.
Lord Heuschell — Why, if the manufacture is to be
allowed and therefore sale ?
Mr. Blake — I find it difticult to conjecture as a practical
■
278
Liquor Prahiliitioii Aiijical, 1805.
n
iipi)lic}itioii of thf Act in the mind of Parliiinicnt that such ii
cldHH of nmnnfactnre was before tlieir minds, a mamifac-tnre
wholly noxious, not capaljle of bein^ used either for eoni-
mercial, mechanical or other [)iu'poses, or in combination for
any beneficial purposes to the connnunity.
Lord Davey — I suspect that some temperance advocates
would put licpior into that category.
Mr. Blake — I dare say ; but I shall wait a long time
l)efore I hear a judicial tribunal decide that.
The Loud Chancellor — I have great difficulty in drawing
the distinction. T suppose absolutely noxious could be
predicated of nothing.
Mr. Blake — That is what I feel.
The Lord Chancellor — It may be of use for some
purposes. Take bombs or anything of that sort. One would
think that would be a matter that would come within criminal
law which is one of the things reserved. It is for the general
security of the whole realm which would come within the
Dominion [)owe.r.
IVfr. Blake— If you prevented the manufacture of some-
thing which could be used only for a hurtful pur})ose it would
be a proper and reasonable exercise of the power as to crime
to make it a crime to manufacture that article.
Lord Herschell — Because you can make it a crime, I do
not see that that has any bearing to my mind on whether it
comes within section 92, and the manufacture can be
prohibited. You can make anything a crime, but it is quite
certain if it comes within section 92, you can make it a crime
because the Provincial Legislature can impose the penalty
of imprisonment for a violation of their regulation. In that
sense you can make it a crime by the Dominion because the
same [)enalty for doing the same i« as much criminal law in
the one case as the other. Now here it is expressly said not
to be criminal if it is for the purpose of enforcing that which
is within the iurisdiction of the Provincial Legislature.
Mr. Blake — There is an observation in Jtiisscll v. The
(Jiii'ni which I have read, meeting Mr. Benjamin's argument
To:-'
-■■1 -'.
J.id Crimiiuil
Legislation with the view of enforcini,' sometliin;^' within tlu;
Provincial power. That is (juitc: clear.
Mr. Blake — Yes, hut take the case your [jovdship has
put. There are thinjjfs which as the habits of society chanj^e,
arise from time to time
Lord Herschell — I believe there are poisons which serve
no known medicinal })urpose except to destroy life, and would
only be useful, if you can so call it, for the puri)ose of
d(>stroyin<4 life. Take one of those. Do yon say that the
Province might not forbid its sale within its borders.
Mr. Blake — I should have thought the language which
is used in Uusscll v. 'Jlu' Qiiccii would have applied to a case of
that kind.
Fjord Herschell — I only put it in relation to what I
understood to be your proposition which seems to be rather a
broad one, that the manufacture of everything is lawful and
intended to be allowed. You said the object of manufacture
was consumption and therefore the sale of everything must be
lawful. That is what I understood to be your proposition.
Mr. Blake — I admit that that may be open to the
exception your Lordship has referred to of some poisons which
are not found to have any scientific use at all, and to be wholly
noxious, and to the making of bombs which cannot bo used
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for any legitimate or lawful purpose. These were not, I
admit, within my mind when I spoke of manufacture. I
doubt whether they were in the mind of Parliament. I spoke
rather of innocent manufactures.
The Lord Chancellor — The word "innocent," I am
afraid, may be subject to a traverse to some minds.
Mr. Blake — Quite so : but with reference to such a thing
as Lord Hersehell has suggested, I should have said those
words in RmseJI v. The Queen were directly applicable — that
the law was of a natute which fell within the general authority
of the Parliament to make laws for the order and good
government of Canada, and had direct relation to Criminal
Law, which is one of the enumerated classes of subjects
committed exclusively to the Parliament of Canada.
' Lord Herschell — That is only a dictum, and therefore
one is not bound to accept it. That seems to me to lose
sight of the fact — it is rather petitio priiicipii — that there is a
Provincial criminal law if the thing comes within the
Provincial jwwer. You cannot say everything is assigned to
the criminal law. The criminal law means merely punishing
what yon choose to make offences. Anything that is within
the offence making power of the Provincial Legislature it may
provide a punishment for. I do not see how you draw any
line of distinction and say this must be Dominion because it
is within the criminal law. If you can show it to be within
one of the enumerated clauses of section 9'2, then although it
is criminal in the sense of its having a })enal sanction it is
within section 92. If you caimot bring it within any of those
classes it cannot be Provincial.
The Lord Chancellor — Hection 91 seems to assume
there is a particular region cl legislation which is to l)e
exclusivelv within the command of the Donnnion.
Mr. Blake— Yes, and I have always supposed that the
region of legislation was not limited to what the criminal law,
as it stood in 1867 in one Province or all the Provinces
together was, but that it embraced the power to deal with the
subject in the largest sense.
Lord Hebscuell — It is all the criminal law in the widest
Liquor I'rohihitiun Appady 1895.
•281
and fullest sense excej^t that part of it which is necessary for
the purpose of enforcing;, whether hy fine, penalty or im-
prisonment, any of the laws validly made under the sixteen
clauses under which laws are to he made hy the Provincial
Legislature. That is how I should define Dominion power.
Mr. Blake — It includes the power of creating new crimes.
Lord Herschell — No doui)t, and so have the Provincial
Legislatures.
The Lord Chancellor — We will concede that at present.
Mr. Blake — I do not admit they have power to create
any crime whatever.
Lord Herschell — What is creating a crime except for-
hidding a thing under the penalty of imprisonment ? What
is crime except saying that if you do this the law will punish
you for it. One knows there have heen distinctions hetween
crimes and offences, hut those will not limit criminal law in
the Dominion power in that way. The criminal law in the
Dominion power will include every form of punishment for
every form of act.
Mr. Blake — What I should have said is this, that you
find a large number of enumerated })owers of the Local
Legislatures. Those powers include their power to restrain
the liberty which the subject would otherwise have in many
respects. If within the legitimate exercise of these powers
they have proceeded to restrain the liberty, and to impose
obligations or restrictions on the subject, they are by the
Act given the power of enforcing such laws by sanctions
highly penal in their nature, the highest iufippropriate in
many cases and perhaps in most cases, because the extreme
of them come up to the second punishment known to the
English and to our own law, namely, imprisonment for life.
[jord Herschell — Criminal law in section 91 would
include many similar provisions, would not ii ?
Mr. Blake — Doubtless.
Lord Herschell — A Dominion Act which said that if
you do so and so — even this very temperance thing, if you
282
Liquor Prohlhition Appeal, 1895.
infringe this temperance regulation you shall be liable to
imprisonment. That is exactly the same as many Provincial
laws.
Mr. Blake — Doubtless.
Lord Herschell — I do not see that you get any Hght by
saying it comes under "criminal law." There is a branch
of the Criminal law under section 91 exactly corresponding
to something — call it criminal law or whatever you please —
which the Provincial Legislature have power to enact.
Mr. Blake — I should have thought that one could say of
certain things which the ingenuity of man has brought into use.
or certain practices in which his depravity induces him to
indulge, that they were naturally things to ')e declared as
crimes as soon as found out — that the changing exigencies of
Society demanded a newlaw rendering them crimes, and I should
have thought that was the general sense of the observation I have
read. There are matters which involve no idea of criminality
at all, but which are yet enforced by i)enal sanction. There
is in my locality the snow by-law for instance under which
you have to clean the snow away from before your door, and
if you break it you are punished for it. That does not involve
the idea which one attaches to criminality.
Lord Heuschell — All those are included in Criminal law
in section 91 are not they ? If they are not where are they ?
Mr. Blake — I should have said they fall entirely within
the category of a Provincial law — a local regulation of that
kind enforced by that punishment.
Lord Hehsckell — It need not be local. There are
certain matters on which you say the Parliament of Canada
has power to legislate for the whole Dominion and impose
penalties. May not this come under the criminal law of
section 91.
Mr. Blake — Yes ; as shown by the passage I have quoted
Lord Herschell — That does not seem .;o me to thrc ■
any light on what comes within the Dominion and the
Province ; that you must tind out elsewhere.
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
288
I
Mr. Blakk — I had thou^lit that inasmuch aH it was a
decision of yonr Ijovdshi})s' J^oard in the very case in hand
and with ref( i aice to the very Act in hand, it had a relevance
to the question.
Lord Hkrschell — I do not say it has not a relevance,
only unfortunately to my mind it does not help us to the
point we have to solve. It may have relevance hut it is not
very helpful. That is all I meant. I do not see how to draw
the distinction. . •
Mr. Blake — I have been puzzled often as to whether you
could find a distinction of which Courts could take notice.
I do not know to what fantastic extent the Dominion
Parliament might not exercise its power to make some new
crime. I do not know what it might not declare to he a
crime which yet it would revolt the ideas of any one to regard
as a crime.
The Lord (Chancellor — There is a very familiar line in
English Law which has often been commented on as being
an illogical division, namely between crimes and misde-
meanours.
Mr. Blake — Yes.
The Lord ('hancellor — A misdemeanour is a crime.
Mr. Blake — We know that new crimes in one sense are
legitimately made, but everybody refuses to agree that the
stigma of crime attaches to them ; and we I now that old things
whicli were nuide crimes have ceased to be crimes. Heresy
and witchcraft were crimes not so very long ago in this count'-y,
but they have ceased to be crimes.
The IjOrd Chancellor — I gave you an illustration of one
earlier in the day — the exportation of wool.
Mr. Blake — I believe that was a crime. I do not know
whether that was not mainly an L-ish crime.
Lord Herschell — It was a crime until a recent time.
Lord Davey — Forestalling and regrating.
Lord Watson — They ceased to be crimes because they
came in the course of time to be incapable of proof.
%
284
. Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
Mr. Blake — I suggest that this question of sale is
important, hecause if you stop sale you stop the rest, and
that gives a significance to one of the (juestions or more than
one of the questions, ahout retail sale ; it is suggested that
the sale for consumption on the premises — a puhlic house or
saloon sale may he prohibited ; but I think it is common
knowledge that this, after all, looking at it from a venue
point of view
Lord Watson — There is no absolute prohibition of the
trade in liquor when you get beyond the retail.
Mr. Blake — There is not absolute prohibition, but there
is a practical prohibition, because here and elsewhere the
men who can consume at home are but a very small fraction
of the- community ; you must deal with the mass, and the
mass take their refreshment in the public house ; and, there-
fore, when you stop that you do in effect in the largest sense
prohibit the trade in liquor.
Lord Davey — ^You prohibit any man who cannot afford
to buy a dozen bottles.
Mr. Blake — Yes, or five gallons.
Lord Davey — In a sense everybody is prohibited who
has not money to buy.
Mr. Blake — Not by the law.
The Lord Chancellor — He has not got the money to
buy it with.
Lord Herschell — He is prohibited by law because he
cannot get it by law without paying for it.
Lord Watson — It operates as an absolute prohibition
against certain persons situated in a certain way.
Mr. Blake — Then if it be the case as it practidly is,
and I maintain in dealing with a constitution one must look
at things as they substantially are without any attempt at
refinements, that the wholesale merchant is only a distributor,
that the consumer is the end, and that the consumer is,
speaking in the large, the man who consumes at the public
Liquor Prohibition Appt'ol, 1895.
285
house, then the limited prohibition which is sngt^ested in one
of the questions put is really a total prohibition of the trade.
Lord Herschell — Fewer j)eople will drink, that is the
theory of all such regulations, if you close during certain
hours than if you allow them always to be open. In that
way you interfere with the sale. « , .
Mr. Blake — Doubtless, r; '; , • « r
Lord Herschell — Then why is that permissible ?
Mr. Blake — If your Lordship puts it to me that no
restriction can be made without probably, or ])ossibly, to some
extent, limiting the sale of licpior
Lord Herschell — Their object being to limit the sale ;
because if you do not limit the sale people may get drunk
and then disorderly. That is the very object of the whole
thing.
The Lord Chancellor- -With submission to my noble
friend I doubt that. It is very often that the object is to
prevent the sale going on during particular hours, and then
the people will drink twice as nnich in the next hour ; I
doubt very much vdiether it diminishes the amount actually
consumed. • -. • ■■ :
Lord Herschell — It is to diminish intoxication or it is
supposed to diminish it. I suppose diminished intoxication
will mean less sold.
Mr. Blake — Probably, I might say, that is a melancholy
truth, but there may be other considerations and then you
come to the purpose and aspect. If the aspect and purpose
of the legislation is to diminish it is one thing. If it is to
provide for the regulation of a licensed house so as to see
that it is respectably and orderly conducted, that the driidiing
however much that may be takes place within reasonable
hours, that people do not drink late at night, and so forth,
that is another thing. That has to do with regulations which
may incidentally diminish the consumption of liquor, but the
object may not be to diminish it.
Lord Herschell — In none of thcL is the object to
It
'n
I
286
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
diminish the consumption of liquor. Is not the theory of all
of them to secure good order by diminishing the conHumj»tion
because probably you diminish drnnkenness. Is not that the
theory of all them ?
Mr. Blake — I think, perhaps, that may be said. Then
what I was observing was that that which is effectively and
substantially and largely restrictive and practically prevents
consumption does prevent manufacture and does prevent
importation.
Lord Davey — Indirectly.
Mr. Blake — It has that effect and has that effect
markedly. It may be that regulations may be made for the
purpose which are indicated in H(kI(ji' v. The (^uccii which may
not very largely or sensibly affect the total consumption of
liquor, but which tend to a man taking his licjuor in a decent
and orderly manner without getting drunk. That ma_\ be
their object.
Lord Herschell — Is your contention that no regulation
can be good which interferes with the consumption of liquor ?
Mr. Blake — No.
Lord Herschell — Interferes with it sensibly, and enables
a man to take it decently ?
Mr. Blake — I acknowledge it passes my capacity to
discharge at present the task which I dare say may come
before this tribunal to decide, how far, under Hoihjc v. 'llw
Queen and the principle of that case, the local authority can
go in the way of restriction. That is not one of the questions
that has to be disposed of in this case.
Lord Herschell — I cannot draw the line between the
restrictions in Hodge v. '!%• Queen and the restrictions in this
Ontario Act. You say it virtually prohibits, but it merely
comes to this, that it creates new obstacles in the way of
obtaining drink ; I do not see how to differentiate that — it is
different in degree, of course — but in principle, and say that
one is regulation and the other is not, the object of both
being the same — to preserve sobriety and order in the
Province.
IM
Liquor Prohiltition Apjwil, 1805.
287
Mr. Blake — I will cndcavonr to ^'rii))|)l<' witii that
legislation in a later part of my argimieiit ; and if your
Tjordships phrase, I would ask you to take this as ai)|)liciil)le
to the hulk of the (piestious whieh a])ply to total prohihition
and si(l) iiKxlii, only suhjeet to the distinction your iiordshi|)s
suggest as to the 7th (juestion. What I would desire to point
out — and I am now upon the (piestioti of " merely loeal or
private " — is that this particular trade and connnerce was at
the time of Confed(^ration and has always since heen highly
taxed and a large source of revenue to the country.
Now, what ai)pears from the puhlic Statutes ? The trade
has heen regulated in the iiscal sense. Provisions for lic(Mise
and for honded warehouses and so forth are arranged. The
importation and the manufacture is recognised as lawful.
It is regulated in the fiscal sense and for fiscal purposes, and
a very suhstantial i)ortion of the puhlic reveime in the Pro-
vinces hefore Confederation and in the Dominion since Con-
federation is derived from this source. Canada was given a
})0wer tc raise money hy any mode or system of taxation, and
on her was imposed an ohligation to pay the interest on the
dehts and to assume the pul)lic dehts of the Provinces, and
also to })ay yearly very considerahle suhsidies to the Provinces ;
and this she has to do out of those means of raising revenue
which she possesses. Can it he said, then, to l)e a merely
local or private matter within the Province to prohihit the
sale or the manufacture or the importation of a suhjeet which
is one of the princijjal elements of taxation and of revenue
in Canada, which has heen always treated as such, and out
of which she has to meet her puhlic ohligations, including
the ohligations to these very Provinces themselves ? I suhmit
that that view, apart from anything else, excludes this par-
ticular suhjeet from the general phrase, " a matter of merely
local or private importance or interest in the Province."
Look at what would hajjpen ; and it is fit to put cases which
might very well happen. Supposing this was done in each
Province, and sup})osing it was applied (for it might he applied)
to other suhjects of taxation and other suhjects of revenue as
well as intoxicating li(iuors. The power of the Parliament of
Canada to procure its revenue might he fatiilly crippled. It
is true that ('anada has the power to raise money hy any
mode or system of taxation, hut it has raised it all heretofore
•I
\w-
288
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1805.
by cwstomH and excise (with the exception for a short period,
(luring which about i'40,000 a year was raised from a tax on
stamps) ; and the circumstances of the country are such that
no man can foresee the time at which it can he raised otlier-
wise than indirectly — that is, by duties of customs and excise.
Then it is of the most serious import to the whole of the
fiscal system of Canada ; and it cannot be that it is a matter
merely local or private within a Province whether the mami-
facture and the sale or the importation of such a great
dutiable or excisable commodity shall he prohibited.
Although, as I have said, I should be very sorry indeed
to try to draw the exact line of demarcation which may have
to be drawn some day under the principle of Ihnhjc v. 'Llw
Queen, yet it seems to me there is all the difference in the
world between what we have called a police regulation based
on special local conditions which may vary in a town, a city,
a village, or a county, or according to local public ideas, and
which may be directed to the amelioration of these conditions,
and such general and drastic legislation as is proposed.
Then in addition I repeat with reference to the question of
" merely local or private " the suggestion that in this case
there has been a declaration adjudged to be validly made by the
Parliament, that this is a general evil and a Dominion question
on which the Dominion Parliament has legislated, and that
makes the subject no longer capable of being called merely
local or private. Then if, contrary to the suggestions which
I have made, there be some defeasible power in the Provincial
Legislature of dealing with this matter locally, I submit that
that power has been defeated ; because the Dominion has
acted. It has, as I venture to suggest, decided that the
proper way and useful extent of legislation is to provide for
prohibition, and for a repeal of it, and for a reinactment of
it, at the intervals, and on the terms and on the conditions
which I have stated. These are the methods for grappling
with the general evil which the Legislature adjudged
competent to grapple with it, has deemed best. It has not
deemed best that greater areas like a whole Province should
be by one Act of the Legislature or by a plebiscite subject to
total prohibition. It has obviously decided the political
question of which it was the sole and sovereign judge, that it
would not do to let so large an area dispose in every part of
,1
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
280
that iircji this question. Prohiibly it thought that tluTc niij^lit
he, notwithstaiidii;^ a majority in the whoh' I'rovince or a
preponderaiuje of opinion in the whok^ Province, enormous
majorities adverse in local annis, where a local public opinion
mi^ht exist ho strongly adverse as to render the Act un-
workable, or worse than useless, as we know has occurred
in the various cases in which such very (U'astic legislation has
been attempted. When it has decided to i)ut it in force in
this way and in this way only, it must be presumed, in favour
of the |)rudent and wise exercise of its powers, that it has
so decided because it had concluded that these were the terms
and conditions upon and the (extent to which it miglit
carefully and ought properly to go in this direction. It is a
case in which the suggestion tluit a less rigorous Dominion
law may be supplemented by a more rigorous Provincial law
does not ajjply. I may be asked how does it hurt to nnike
still further and more effective provisions than the Dominion
Parliament has thought })roper ? The answer is that the
competent authority must be taken to luive decided that it
will not help but it will hurt to attenii)t to go further ; that
the attempt will not be effective but mischievous, that it has
gone as far as you can prudently and beneficially go on the
line that it has taken. Nominal stringency may be as it has
turned out to be, real laxity ; aiul a more stringent law is
inconsistent with the spirit and with the conditions of that
law which has been passed. It may be argued that a g)-(nit
volume and force, and a general diffusion of favourable
public opinion all over the body affected by the law is needed,
in order that the law may be beneficial ; nay, I will say in
order that the law may be otherwdse than extremely hurtful ;
because, I suppose, no one can doubt that a law of this kind
evaded or openly violated is not merely not potent for good,
but is very potent for evil. It teaches habits of evasion, and
habits of breach of the law, and of disregard of the law
which tend generally to the d(^terioration of the moral and
law abiding and law resi)ecting status of the connnunity, with-
out doing any good, but rather impeding, thus leaving unre-
pressed, unregulated, and unlicensed that trade which might
have been moderated by laws of a different kind. Well then,
if that be so, in what volume, in what force, and to what
extent diffused' shall that public opinion be before the law
'^'mmg^
'2<)0
Liquor I'roliihitiori Appfdl, 1805.
shall he put into force ? This is the (|nestion which the
Doiniiiion Parliament has decided. This is the (juestion it
has dt>cil>ly another set of
tests and sjiy : Well, we do not helieve in this area, we do
not helieve in these electors, we do Tiot Ixdieve in these terms ;
we l)eliev«' that this law on^'ht to he put in forc«^ in another
area, and hv another set of electors and on other terms. To
say that thut is not inconsistent with, and practically Lhwartm^
and interferitig with the ))rincii)le of the law estahlished is to
my mind extremely dilticnlt. All these questions have
heen settled by Parliament in the way it thon<,'ht best.
Then it is said. Are yon not ^oing to interfere where the
Prohibition Act is not in operation ? I say certainly not,
l)ecause the Parliament has decided that the Prohibition Law
shidl come into operation provided certain tests indicate that
it ought to come into operation, and is not to (iome into
operation unless those tests indicate it, and to put it in
operation when the tests are not ai)[)li^Ml, and the consent of
the majority cannot be obtained for it is to i)ut it in operation
at a time, and under circumstances in which the Parliament,
competent to decide, has in effect decided that it ought not
to be put into operation, and therefore that so far as pro-
hibition is concerned the trade ought to remain free. My
Lords, before passing from this branch of the subject, I have
one word to say with reference to my suggestion that the
general })owers of the Parliament of Canada need not be
exercised over the whole area of ('anada. If your Lordships
would look at the case of Ihihif v. 'I'finpornh'tii-s lionnl, which
is to be found iu 1st C'artwright, there was a case in which it
was necessary to decide what the powers of the Parliament
of Canada and of the Local Legislatures respectively were in
reference to a corporation existent before confederation, whose
area and power and property extended over the whole of the
old Province of Canada, afterwards turned into Ontario and
Quebec, two only of the Provinces, and it was determined
that the local legislatures had no power either separately or
by connnon action to touch or deal with the affairs of that
corporation ; and, this being so, that the Parliament of Canada
had that power under the general clause and the general
clause only. That was a bit of legislation which on the face
Liquor I'rokibition Appeal, 1895.
2»1
of it ohvionsly (l«MiIt not with tlu^ whole of ('iiiiiuhi hnt vvitlj
that wiiich had been oiu' I'roviiico hcforc and hccauu' two
Provinces after eonfe(leration, "ud in such a ease as that the
law of course was not extended over the whol«> country, l)ut
the Parliament was held to have power to deal with th(> more
limited area.
The LoHD Cm.^ kllou — Was not that like the diiViculty
in our countries where t.^ere were diHiculties in nuikin^
regulatiens applicable tf^ two countries'.'
Mr. Blake — That may be. But I say it establishes this
that under the general power to nuike laws for the peace,
order and good government of (/anad.i it is compet(>nt to the
Parliament of C!anada in an ap|)roi)riate case to deal with a
subject which does not extend over the whole of Canada but
extends over part of it only.
The Lord Chancellor — Certainly. What T meant was
that it would mean that, hecause tin n^ was no ])ower except
this that could deal with a subject matter which necessarily
extended into two different jurisdictions.
Mr. Blake — I think that is true, and T think that was
the theory of the decision.
Sir Richard Couch — The ground of the decision was
that it extended into two Provinces, and neither Province
could legislate for it.
Mr. Blake — And therefore they found under that general
clause it was swept into the Dominion legislation, and none
the less so swept into J)ominion legislation than that which
applies to the whole of Canada. My Lords, that is the whole
of my argument on this head. There have been numerous
cases, I do not cite *hem now because 1 am not going into
them in detail, of Acts ever since confederation on the same
theory. I may say that I was instructed by my friend who is
with me and who has looked into the Revised Statutes, that
there is hardly a subject to be found in which Parliament has
not assumed to exercise the power of dealing not uniformly but
somewhat separately, and with reference to local conditions as
to its powers of legislation. I will take two instances, one the
question of restriction on the bearing of arms in particular
va
mmm
292
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
localities by Proclamation, and another a restriction with
reference to this very same drink traffic in public works.
They are notable instances of the same kind, so that on the
whole I submit to your Lordships that it has practically been
adjudicated that this '!»■ within the general power of the
Dominion as in UasscU v. 'I'lw (Jiifen, th&t it has been adjudged
that the legislation which has taken place does grapple and
deal with this subject, that it obviates local difficulties and
deals with the subject in such an elastic and general manner
that local optica and local feeling and wishes can be met as
to the application of the legislation, that it is impossible under
such circumstances to say that either the subject of the
drink traffic dealt with in connection with prohibition and
with the aspect and purpose which are indicated in Rush<;U v.
The (^ueen are " merely local or private " in any one Province,
and that in addition the other considerations I have stated as
to taxation and as to revenue and as to the general interests
of the whole inhabitants of the Dominion in the question
bring it also out of "merely local or private."
I now turn to the other enumerated power, namely, the
"regulation of trade and commerce," and I would point out
that what is declared is that " notv/ithstanding anything in
" the Act, and for greater certainty, but not so as to restrict the
•" generality of the foregoing terms of this section, it is declared
" thnt the exclusive authority extends to all matters coming
" within the classes of subjects next hereinafter enumerated,"
and in the enumeration is " the regulation of trade and com-
merce." It is conceded that if the subject we are now dealing
with is to be embraced within this enumeration it is withdrawn
from "merely local or private " by the exj)res8 terms at the close
of the section. Now the extent of the power of regulation of
trade and commerce is certainly not settled in Parsons' case.
It is definitely observed that the attempt is not there made to
settle the extent of the power. What is stated is that the
words do not embrace any minute rule for the regulation of a
particular trade, or for the regulation of contracts in a
particular business or trade in a single Province ; but it is
expressly observed that no attempt is made to deihie the
limits of the authority of Canada beyond the extent of that
exception which is expressly made. It needed not to consider
here the grounds on which the general powers to make
Liquor Prohibition Appcol, 1895.
293
regulations for trade and commerce, when conipetontly
exercised, might legally modify or aflfect projjevty or civil
rights or the power of the Provincial Legislature, That is a
question I am not trouhled with here, hecause there are the
two aspects — the aspect of dealing with property and civil
rights, and the aspect of regulating the trade which incidentally
may affect property and civil rights, and which conies within
the general and rational line of distinction which has heen
drawn on these subjects. Dealing with these two different
aspects, one can understand some so called interlacing or
some carving out, to the extent to which the exercise of the
Dominion power rendered necessary in that asi)ect or for that
purpose to cut out part of the subject from projjcrty and civil
rights.
Lord Davey — What page are you referring to '?
Mr. Blake — I think it is pages 278-9 of 1st Cartwright.
Lord Davey — Because there is a very imi)orfcant passage
on page 277.
Mr. Bi.AKE — Yes, my Lord ; I am going to d<^al with
that. I was going to observe, with regard to those passages.
that those interpretations — not the one which your Lordshi})
alludes to
' Lord Davey — Follow your own course.
Mr. Blake — (reading from page 277) : —
" The words ' regulation of trade and coninierco ' in their unlimited
sense are sufficiently wide, if uncontrolled by the context and other
parts of the Act, to include every regulation of trade ranging from
political arrangements in regard to trade with foreign (iovernments,
requiring the sanction of Parliament, down to minutt> rules for reguiating
particular trades. ]5ut a consideration of the Act shows that the words
were not used in this unlimited sense."
I make this observation only for the moment, that it is
admitted by the case of the Honk of 'I'oronto v. Loiiihc that the
words themselves are wide enough to sweep in everything,
and that therefore they take everything, except what you find
from a consideration of other parts of the Act are to be with-
drawn from them. The words are am})le enough.
Lord Davey — Unless controlled by the context.
1 'A
204
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
Mr. Blake — Unless controlled by the context or other
parts of the Act. That is where the Judgment begins to
indicate what governing considerations may apply : —
" Bnt a consideration of the Act shows that the words were not
used in this unlimited sense. In the first place the collocation of
No. 2 with classes of subjects of national and general concern affords
an indication that regulations relating to general trade and commerce
were in the mind of the Legislature when conferring this power on
the Dominion Parliament. If the words had been intended to have
the full scope of which in their literal meaning they are susceptible,
the specific mention of several of the other classes of subjects enumerated
in section 91 would have been unnecessary ; as 15, " Banking "
Lord Watson — What is " general trade " ?
Mr. Blake — I do not understand.
Lord D.u'EY — I suppose they mean regulations relating
to trade generally.
Lord Herschell — Not to a particular trade. * .
The Lord Chancellor — I am afraid it does not go a
little deeper than that and that it does not show they exclude
mere minute regulation.
■" Lord Watson — I think that is what it applies to.
Lord Davey — It is explained afterwards in the next
passage.
Lord Watson — Regulations as to loading or unloading
in the docks may affect commerce.
Lord Herschell — I think it is open to doubt whether
the words, regulation of trade and connnerce, do naturally
and proi^erly cover regulations which may affect prescribed
conditions of a particular trade. It is very broad. It is not
" trade or commerce," but it is " trade and commerce " — very
broad words.
Mr. Blake — Yes, of course they are broader.
Lord Watson — The word " general " was meant to
exclude the right to deal with the particular trade and make
general regulations for it. ;,
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
296
Mr. Blake — I do not think there is any word "general'
in the Act. It is the regulation of trade and connnerce.
Sir Richard Couch — There is no word " general " in the
Judgment ?
Mr. Blake — I rather think not.
The Lord Chancellor — Yen, the word " general" is in
the Judgment.
Lord Davey — But it is not in the Act.
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord.
The Lord Chancellor — It is in the Judgment l)ut not in
the Act.
Lord Davey — They explain what they mean if you read
on.
Mr, Blake — May I, before reading on, just refer as
pertinent to the part that I have read to the words in Parsom'
case ?
" The words ' reguliition of trade and cominorce ' in tlicir un-
limited sense are sufficiently wide if nnconti'olled hy the context and
other parts of the Act, to include every rcj^'ulation of trade ranj^'inj,' from
political arrangements in regard to trade with foreign governments,
requiring the sanction of Parliament, down to minute rules for
regulating particular trades."
The words are very wide. How wide ? What do they mean ?
The first suggestion that is made in I'arsoiis' case is that the
collocation with subjects of national and g(>neral concern
aifords an indication that regulations relating to general trade
aiul commerce were in the mind of the liCgislature, but I
submit that that is a very far-reaching implication, and that
it is hardly likely that the phrase " regulation of trade and
commerce " can properly be limited l)y a suggestion that the
enumerations on one side or the other side refer to some
general subjects.
FiOrd Watson — The definition appears to be almost as
indefinite as the text delined.
Lord Davey — It is a little more precise afterwards.
296
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
Mr. Blake — Yes, on that poini and on the connection or
collocation, and generally in reference to the prohahle intent
of the Legislature in using the words I venture, to refer,
without reading, to the Judgment of Mr. Justice Sedgewick at
page 9/), and the following pages of the llecord, in which he
shows the mode in which these words were used in Canadian
and Nova Scotian and New Brunswick Legislation for a
considerahle j)eriod hefore, and at the time of the passing of
the Confederation Act, and in which he suggests, I suhmit
with great reason, that it was infinitely more likely that the
Canadian framers of this Act or of those Resolutions on
which this Act is hased had in their minds
Lord )avey — Is that admissihle ?
Mr. Blake — I thought that had already heen mentioned
in the earlier part of the argument, as to what they had in
their minds ; perhaps it may not he admissihle ; hut it seeric;d
to me that the sense in which the phrases that are us. in
this Act are found to have heen used in Canadian Legisla jn
generally over the whole area would not he irrelevant in
deciding the sense in which they should be held to have been
used in the Act itself.
Lord Watson — You might derive some light fron)
previous legislation if it was relevant. It might be relevant.
Supposing there had been words in the old Provincial Acts
grouped under a particular head and you found that head in
this Act, I think such legislation would throw light on that.
Lord Herschell — You do not tind " Regulation of Trade
and Commerce."
Mr. Blake — In some of them you do.
Lord Herschell — I think it is " Trade and Commerce."
Mr. Blake — You tind " Regulation of Trade" in particular
cases both in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.
Lord Herschell — There is the difficulty, if you take it
from two Provinces ; are we to suppose they used it in the
sense they used it in those two ? If you could show they had
used it in all the Provinces or that it was^in general use that
I
Liquof Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
207
would be different. It seems to me rather dangerous to take
the use m two Provinces.
Lord Davey — T have read Mr. Justice Sedgewiek's
Judgment very carefully and move than once. This passage
I have read more than twice, hut I cannot for the life of me
find out what he thinks "trade and commerce " means, because
he says it means one thing in Nova Scotia ; and the classes
of subjects to wliich he attributes it seem to me incapable of
any, I will not say scientilic, but any logical meaning. For
instance, he says (Record })age 90) in Upper Canada it means :
" Navigation, inspection laws in relation to lumber, flour, beef,
ashes, tisb, leather, hops, itc, weights and measures, banks, promissory
notes and bills of exchange, interest, agents, limited partnerships."
Then in Lower Canada it means :
" The inspection of butter, the measurement and weight of coals,
hay and straw, partnerships, the limitation of actions in commercial
cases, and the Statute of frauds."
Will anybody make a scientific classification of subjects out
of that? .;
Mr. Blake — I do not pretend to be able to do so.
Lord Davey — I have referred to these things and have
tried to find out what it was that he thought " trade and
commerce " did mean in the earlier Canadian legislation.
Mr. Blake — I suppose the object of the learned judge
was this, to combat the proposition that it meant only in the
view of the Caiiadijins this general regulation of trade and
commerce, that it was shown that in each Province under
" regulation of trade or commerce " there were laws dealing
with i)articular trades ; and, therefore, that laws dealing with
})articular trades must be taken to be within the scope of the
words. ...
Lord jIerschell — Is your jjroposition this : that no law
can be made dealing with any trade by any Provincial Legis-
lature because that is a regulation of trade and connnerce
within the exclusive power of the Dominion under 91 '?
Mr. Blake — It depends on the character of the dealing.
• Lord Heuschell — I say any regulation as to putting
restriction on the mode of carrying on any trade.
m
.,-1
298
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1896.
M"'. Blake — I am unable of course to contend that after
Parson,", ise.
Lord Herschell — And after HiuhjeH case. If so I do
not quite understand where you draw the Hne.
Lord Watson — It is very difficult to understand.
Lord Herschell — I understand the other part of your
argument about prohibition, l>ut if you may make regulations
for the police, or what you will, which juit restrictions and
conditions on the carrying on of a particular trade without
infringing 2 of 91, then what is the limit of that ?
Lord Watson — What does trade include ? It is put here
along with commerce which may point to this, tbat it ought
to include manufacture, but trade does not necessarily or
naturally always include manufacture.
Lord Davey — What do you think of inspection of butter
which is one of the things the learned judge gives. Would
not that be a market regulation and within municipal
institutions ?
Mr. Blake — No, .ay lord, that is just one of the things
which may or may not. Take for ii.stance the question put
by his lordship the Lord Chancellor, the other day about
flour ; but there are inspection laws as to flour by the Dominion
which are of the utmost consequence to the whole Dominion
and of the greatest value.
Lord Davey — My observation is directed to this, even if
it be admissible to look at the way in which the language is
used in contemporaneous Acts it does not seem to help us
very much.
Mr. Blake — The only argument I would draw from it
would be this, that it did indicate that under the " regulation
of trade," or under "trade and commerce," a power of
regulating particular trades in some way, and to some extent,
was included ; but it does not make a code of regulation at all.
Lord Herschell — One cannot doubt that great power of
regulation of trade must be included in " trade and com-
merce," but it is another question as to whether the local
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
299
Legislature cannot impose any restrictions upon the dealing
in any particular goods without infringing that power of the
Dominion Parliament.
Lord Wathon — And there, rememher, in framing that
phrase, they had not the smaller things in view. Take a
dairy in a Province : milk produced at that dairy, unless it is
intended for the market, does not come within the rule as to
market or trade either : it may be intended for home con-
sumption. If it is a local matter to protect that family, I do
not see why the Province should not ])ass a law for the
inspector to look after that locality, before it is consumed by
the inhabitants. On the other hand, that would not be a
matter affecting more than one Province, one dairy, or two
or half a dozen of them, or all the dairies round a particular
town in the Province.
Mr. Blake — The full extent to which I press the facts
stated by Mr. Justice Sedge wick, is this
The Lord Chancellor — You see, in each of these cases
the difficulty is suggested to you that there may be something
which is essentially local, there imxy be something which
cannot be general at all. Take the case my noble friend put :
at this moment supi)ose it was ascertained by i)roper analysis
that th-* washing of butter in a particular stream made it
uniit for huma]i food — surely there is a perfect right to pro-
hibit that.
Mr. Blake — I do not deny it ; but I hold that the
Dominion Parliament is not to be deprived of its authority
to legislate at all in larger matters, because it is extremely
difficult to draw the line between local and those larger
matters.
Lord Herschell — Then I do not understand what you
call the larger matters, or how you are to say that because of
the size of the matter it is within their cognisance and the
other is not. To say that nobody shall carry on a particular
trade unless he does it in a house of a particular size or value,
which is a very common thing in these licensing questions,
or within particular hours, or it may be, except on particular
days, that is to say, you m:„y perhaps exclude the Sabbath
!»
I
300
fjiquur Vrohihition Appeal, 1896.
and holidays — supposing that you make all those regulations,
what are those in one aspect hut regulations as to the way in
which that trade is to he carried out ? If that makes them
" regulations of trade and commerce " within the meaning of
1)1, no Provincial Legislatuie could pass them at all. But those
are not the small things, those are very hig things in the
way of a man's trade, and I do not understand where you
draw the line, and what are the bigger things which you say
would he trade and commerce. I do not mean you should
draw the exact line, hut if you draw it you must draw it on
some principle.
Lord Watson — Would it he an interference with trade
or commerce either if the Provincial Legislature were to
enact a law, and penalties for its infraction, as to mixing
milk with water — adulteration ?
Mr. Blake — I should hardly think so, my Lord.
Lord Watson — W^ould that be a regulation regulating
commerce and trade ?
Mr. Blake — I should hardly think so.
Lord Watson — I think it would he a law to prevent
people selling one thing instead of that which they represented
— from selling water-milk under the name of milk.
Lord Herschell — From one point of view it would he
a regulation of trade. Everything which says you shall only
carry on your trade in a particular way and under particular
conditions and restrictions regulates the trade. Then it
strikes me as only a question of degree as to how far j^ou
carry those restrictions and conditions. I like to get my foot
down on some principle ; I do not say I can draw the exact
line, hut I feel here I am standing with one foot on one side
and the other on the other.
Lord Davey — The definition in this Judgment which
you are going to, whether it can be supported or not, does
afford some standpoint.
Mr. Blake — Yes ; I propose when I come to Hodge s
case to read to your Lordships what was the character of the
regulation which was thought to be within the power of the
C
tl
CO
bu
IS
Liquor I'rohibition Appeal, 1805.
301
Provincial Legislature, and which answers, as far as I am
able to answer them. Lord Herschell's observations. The
next suggestion that is made is that " regulation of trade and
commerce " may have been used in some such sense as the
words " regulation of trade " in the Act of Union between
England and Scotland, which is common, and as these words
have been used in other Acts of State. Citizens InsnniiKr
Conipami v. l\irsons, L. R. 7 App. Cas. 90 and 1 Cartwright
at 277." „_• '_:■._: . -, , / ,.■ -_
" Article 5 of the Act of Union enacted that all the subjects of
the United Kingdom should have ' full freedom and intercourse of
trade and navigation' to and from all places in the United Kingdom
and the Colonies ; and Article 6 enacted that all parts of the United
Kingdom, from and after the Union, should be under the same
' prohibitions, restrictions, and regulations of trade.' Parliament has
at various times since the Union passed laws affecting and regulating
specific trades in one part of the United Kingdom only, witliout its
being supposed that it thereby infringed the Articles of Union."
Of course it is clear that Parliament had power to deal with
the Articles of Union, and legislate contrary to them under
any circumstances.
" Thus the Acts for regulating the sale of intoxicating liquors
notoriously vary in the two Kingdoms. So with regard to Acts
relating to bankruptcy, and various other matters.
" Construing, therefore, the words ' regulation of trade and com-
merce ' by the various aids to their interpretation above suggested, they
would include political arrangements in regard to trade requiring the
sanction of Parliament, regulation of trade in matters of inter-provincial
concern, and it may be that they would include general regulation of
trade aft'ecting the whole Dominion. Their Lordships abstain on the
present occasion from any attempt to define the limits of the authority
of the Dominion Parliament in this direction. It is enough for the
decision of the present case to say that, in their view, its authority to
legislate for the regulation of trade and commerce does not comprehend
the power to regulate by legislation the contracts of a particular
business or trade, such as the business of fire insurance, in a single
Province, and therefore that its legislative authority does not in the
present case conflict or compete with the power over property and civil
rights assigned to the Legislature of Ontario by No. 13 of section 92."
Lord Davey — Consistent with their thinking that it did
contain the power to regulate contracts for a particular
business in the whole Dominion ?
Mr. Blake — Quite so. There is no doubt that phrase
is consistent with that idea. . ,..•
302
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
The Lord Chancellor — Of course one treatH those
observations with the respect due to them, hnt I confess it
seems to me to employ a good many words without getting
very much nearer the proposition.
Lord Herschell — At all events it is a decision for this :
that the Provincial Legislature might so far regulate a par-
ticular trade as to say that in all its contracts and dealings
there should be certain implied conditions, without its being
a regul.Hion of trade and commerce within the meaning of
2 of 91.
Mr. Blake — I was dealing with the suggested definitions,
because I think more than once in the course of the argument
they were alluded to by Lord Davey, who asked what was to
be the attitude taken with reference to them. Now, what I
want to do first is to point out to your Lordships what are
the points which it is suggested they would include : First,
political arrangements with regard to trade requiring the
sanction of Parliament. But then, my Lords, that is pro-
vided for expressly by another section. Section 132 deals
with that topic. '* The Parliament and Government of
" Canada shall have all the powers necessary or projjer for
" performing the obligations of Canada or of any Province
" thereof as part of the British Empire, towards foreign
" countries arising under treaties between the Empire and
" such foreign coimtries." No political arrangements can be
made, excepting through the medium of the supreme authority.
The local authority may be, and has been of late years, more
recognised in the making of those arrangements by an
understanding between the local authority and the supreme
authority; but for all that it is always a treaty made by
the Supreme Government, which alone is a political arrange-
ment, and which alone can be referred to in the Act ; and
the Parliament of Canada is given by section 132 express
power to make all the arrangements necessary for performing
those obligations.
Lord Davey — Would it include the making of trade
arrangements between Canada and the mother-country which
are not covered by section 132 ?
Mr. Blake — No, my Lord. ^
i
Liquor Prnhihition Appeal, 1805.
8():i
Lord Herschell — Is it very important to inquire wiuit
is within 2 of 01 in this relation ? What we have to consicU'r
is what is either exhaustively defined or to consich'r what is
outside. To find out a nunil)er of t[iinfj;s within it, is very
unimportant is it not ? If yon can exhaustively deline it,
no douht that will show us what nniy he outside it.
Mr. Blake — I thiid^ if I disposed of, as settled hy other
clauses of the Act, all those matters which in /'(O-soiis v. The
(Jitirn it was sugf^ested were included in or were the ohject of
trade and connnerce
Lord Herschell — It might he done hy saying — "All
matters of general regulation of trade within tlie Dominion."
It might include a good deal more than that, hut they say
distinctly it does not include every particular dealing witli
the trade.
Mr. Blake -Doubtless that is so, and I have no right to
ask your Lordships to depart from that. And if your
Lordships think that the attem[)t at a definition or a suggt^stion,
made obiter perhaps, and stated in Lombe's case to he "thrown
out" rather than otherwise, is not important to he discussed,
I will not trouble your Lordships.
Lord Davey — For the present purposes that would be
enough for your opponents would it not — they would say
that it has been decided in I'orHoiis' case l)ecause it does not
include interference with the contracts in a particular
trade in a particular Province, and they would say it does not
interfere with the contracts made in the liquor trade in the
Province of Ontario.
Lord Herschell — It does not matter whether it comes
within 1() or any other number. We are only now on the
question of whether it comes within 2 of 91.
Mr. Blake — All that is determined is that it does not
comprehend the contracts of a particular trade in a particular
Province. Of course this Act which we are dealing with, so
far as it may be said to affect contracts in a particular trade
in a particular Province^ — though I find it diiticult to see how
prohibition of all trade comes within that category — seems
to contemplate a trade which is to be generally regulated
i^mmsm^^m
804
Liquor I'mhihitiim Apfirnl, 1805.
rather than the extinction of the trade alto^«^tht'r. It is
general therefore — it is not within th(» lanj^iiago of thin case.
It is a regulatio. generally with reference to the whole
Dominion.
Ijord Davey — But I mean suppose the Le^nslature of
Ontario interferes with the contracts of a particular trade in
the particular Province of Ontario ?
Lord Wat8on — That seems to he ttled hy the case of
Parsons v. 77«' (Jiurii, hut what would settle in this case ?
If none of these questions had arisei. and the licjuor trade
was going on as usual it would have settled this, that if the
legislature of Ontario had thought Ht to pass a law that when
a liquor seller in the Province had contracted to sell a dozen
he should sell 18 hottles, it could do so. What then ? I do
not see how it illustrates the present case — of course ''>e
observations made in the course of it I do not seek to
disparage.
Lord Herschell — I take it that it shows at least this,
that it is a distinct interference with the mode in which the
trade is carried on to say that in every contract you make
certain conditions shall be implied. That is an interference
which is not a regulation of trade and commerce. Therefore
it does say that you may do something in the Province,
which interferes with the mode in which a trade is carried on.
Lord Watson — Although that would refer to the form and
shape of a contract between the parties to the trade.
Mr. Blake — Yes. It does say you may do something
and defines what that something is ; but what other things
you may not do
Lord Herschell — That it leaves open, and then one has
to search for the principle. At all events it shows it is not
enough to say that this affects the mode in which the trade
is carried on ; it is a regulation of trade and commerce,
therefore the Provincial Legislature is excluded. You cannot
go that length after Parsons' case. I do not know that it
tells you more than that. You have to find out yourself how far
you can go.
Lijni(l, 1895.
817
prohibit its bciiif? bouf,'ht or sold luui to prevent trade or traffic therein
, and thiiH destroy its conuaercial vahie and witli it all trade ami com-
merce in the article so prohibited, and thus render it practically
valueless as an article of comnierci' on which a revenue could he levied.
Apain, how can the local le;,'islature proliihit or authorise the sessions
to prohibit (l)y arbitrarily ri^fusiuf^ to ^Ljrant any licenses) tlii' sale of
spirituous liijuors of all kinds without coniiii;,' in direct conHict with
the Dominion Legislature on the subject of inland revenue involving
the right of manufacturing and distilling or making of spirits, itc, as
regulated by the Act, HI \'ict., chap. H."
aiifl so forth. Then he refers to the distinction in this
aspect of the United States constitution whicli is clear, and
goes on to say : —
" We by no means wish to be understood that the local legislatures
have not the power of making such regulations for the government of
saloons, licensed taverns, itc, and the sale of spirituous li(ju()rs in
public places as would tend to the preservation of good order and
prevention of disorderly conduct, rioting or breaches of the ))eace. In
■ ' such cases, and possibly others of a sin>ilar character, the regtdations
would have nothing to do with trade or commerce, but with good order
and local government, nuitters of municipal police and not of com-
merce, and which municipal institutions are peculiarly competent to
manage and regulate."
Lord Heuschkll — Why would they in that case have
nothing to do with trade, why would not they have to do with
trade and not with anything else ? Your ohject is to show in
each case a new ohject — one solely and the other merely
Mr. Blake — The ohject is good order and good govern-
ment — matters of police. The incidental interference is
with trade and conmierce.
Lord WATsoN^Althougb it may he enacted to produce
good order and good government, it does not in the least
follow that you necessarily deal with that matter. What am
I to understand according to your argument hy the ohject of
the Statute ?
Lord Herschell — That is my difficulty in the ('hief
Justice's distinction. The chject is the same — you are going
the same road to secure that ohject. You go a little way
in one way . ■
Lord Watson — There may be a great many objects one
behind the other. The first object may be to prohibit the
sale of the liquor and proliibition the only object accomplished
318
Liquor Vrohihition Apjical, 1805.
by the Act. The Hecoiid object |)rnl)iil)l.v is to diniiiUHh
drunkenness; the third object to improve nioriility mid ;^'ood
behaviour of the citizens ; the fourth object to diminish
crime and so on. These are all objects ; which is the object
of the Act ?
IMr. Blakk — I suppose the objects of the l<>^'islution were
the latter, and what it did to accomplish the objt'ct was first —
the prohibition.
Lord Watson^^I should he inclined to take the view
that that which it acconii)lished, and that which is its main
object to accomplish is the oi)ject of the Statute, the others
are mere motives to induce the legislature to take means for
the attainment of it.
Mr. Blake — The immediate purpose of the Statute, so
far as it is enacted, is to ])rohibit the sale of liquors, the
reasons for which the legislature deemed it prudent and
proper to do, that are the objects. But it seems only a talk
about words.
Lord Herschell — In the other it is to restrict the sale
of liquor within certain hours, but in each case it puts fetters
on the trade move vr less, and I do not (juite see the difference
between theui as leal or as being a regulation of trade. I
see many differ, n ;e8 between them.
Lord Watson — I think distinction is made there in
calling that the object in one thing which they do not call
the object in another case.
. Mr. Blake — The learned Judge goes on to say : —
" But if outside of this and beyond the f,'rantin},' of the licenses
before referred to, in order to raise a revenue for tlie purposes mentioned,
the legislature undertakes directly or indirectly to prohibit the manu-
facture or sale, or limit the use of any article of trade or connnerce
whether it be spirituous liquors, flour or other articles of merchandise
so as actually and absolutely to interfbre with the traffic in such articles
and thereby prevent trade and commerce being carried on with respect
to them, we are clearly of opinion they assume to exercise a legislative
power which pertains exclusively to the Parliament of Canada."
Lord Watsox — I think in all those cases as a matter of
fact you will find that legislation does nothing more than
fjqiior ]'r(>liihiiii>u ApjH'id, lHi)5.
819
provide the mejins by which it is ex|)('cte(l tho object will ho
attained.
Mr. Blake — I snppoHe ho, my Lord. Sonietiines in tli«!
preamble, althon^'ii 1 believe preambles are now ',>■- "-' K^^- ■•■:■ ^ -'-■...,:■ ;■ ■ !, :
Lord Herschell — I do not think this Board will draw
the line. I believe it will continue to say from time to time
a number of things are on this side or the other side of the
line, but I do not think you will ever see the day on which
the line will be drawn.
Mr. Blake — I am glad to hear your Lordship say that,
because I do not suppose after that your Lordships will ask
me to draw the line agaui.
Lord Herschell — You may find some foundation on
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 180/
321
which you can rest in saying this must be on one side of it
und this on the other, though you cannot draw the hne.
Lord Watson — If counsel suggests that there is a hne
which we have never yet found out, it is a fair question to put
to him to exphiin it according to his view.
Mr. Blake — T say it runs a good long way on the hither
side of prohibition, but where exactly it runs I coald not well
argue, save in a concrete case. Then I submit that to treat
trade and commerce, as it must be held to l)e treated, as
"' merely private or local," would be contrary to the letter and
the spirit of the Act. X\i observation was made, [ think in
Lamhc V. The Bank of Toronto, where the Court v" s dealing
with the question of the reason why indirect ti- .ation was
not left to the Provinces, and that observation has force as
directed to this case. It was said that the effect of indirect
taxation is necessarily general, it necessarily extends beyond
the Province, its ramifications are extra-provincial, and
therefore it was that indirect taxation was not permitted to
the Provinces as well as to the Dominion ; aud if the effect
of indirect taxation is so general and far-reaching, as I should
say it certainly is, must not the effect of pi-ohibition also be
a f.irtiori equally general and far-reaching ? As I have said,
the revenue of the Dominion is wholly indirect, and therefore
this subject of prohibition which so seriously affects that
indirect taxation must be held to be something more than a
merely local and })rivate subject. I have only to trouble
your Lordships now with one or two words with reference to
the minor questions as I call them. I think as to the second
one I said what I have to say when I made the suggestion
that where the Canada Temperance Act is said to be not in
operation, it is not put in operation because the Dominion
Parliament, competently dealing with the subject, has set
conditions uiuler which it cannot be put into operation, under
which the people do not choose to put it into operation, and
therefore it has in these case h its negative operation. The
test is supplied for every locality, and the Act has its general
effect, either l)y jyi'eventhig other interference or by the
interference under it in all localities.
Lord Watson — Yon say it is equivalent to a rjsitive
322
Liquor Prohibition Appeal, 1895.
e lactment that the people of the Provinces shall eiijoy an
Act of extended restriction and nothing further ?
Mr. Blake — Yes.
Lord Herschell — Do yoa go as far as that, or do you
take no midway ground, because if it comes 1 ^ *bat, they
cannot make any regulations — they cannot m. Iv^ '" ts?
Mr. Blake — I have always said from tL. L.'>"-
whatever view }ou take of trade and commerce, import. .i.:\^^:
to an enormous extent ; it is manufactured under excise : ••«
by the Dominion, from it a large (piantity of the Ptcvenut' of
the Dominion is obtained, it is a trade which the Dominion
has legalized, if it were neci "sar- fo le[:£ijizo it, regulating it
very largely as was necessary to- tiscal p'.l'; .)ses.
Lord Herschell — And the manufacture can only be
remotely put, speaking generally of municipal poUce pur-
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
32S
poses, because if they prohibit the sale everywhere within
the Province, of course they prohibit the manufacture. That
is going further and seeking; to prevent its finding its way to
people in other Provinces.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Watson — I cannot understand how you say the two
things are the same, because to my mind I am not at all
satisfied that a trade importation is all the trade. It is a
trade either between the Province and some other Province or
bbtv.ocn the Province and some foreign country.
Mr. Blake — Quite so.
Lord Watson— And the trade consists of both things.
That trade is not localised within the Province.
Mr. Blake — I suspect it is so general as to include
importation from a foreign country.
Lord Davey — To prevent importation from one Province
into another would be contrary to the section in the Act you
read about trade being free.
Mr. Blake — Doubtless, so far as it was the manufacture
of the Province, that section applies only to those cases.
Lord Watson — It is very much the same thing as saying
there shall not be a sale or barter in a certain commodity
between the inhabitants of this Province and the inhabitants
of the next.
Mr. Blake— That is so. I did not say, I re})eat, that
manufacture was the same as importation, I said almost.
There are important distinctions in favour of importation, but
I think manufacture is and say that
if this legislation be otherwise within the power of the
Province, the fact that it wipes out a source of ivvcnue which
the Dominion has taken l)('fove as to Customs and Excise,
and because it affects that and interfer^'s with it, that is
no test. ' '
My Lords, the next point I would address myself briefly to
is this, that my learned friends claim thntthe Held is occupied,
that the ]>ominion having occupied tlb held by the Canadian
Temperance Act it is; no longer open to the Provinces to come
in and legislate in addition.
Lord Watson — The field of prohibition — I do not think
he carries it further.
Mr. Maclaren — No, my Lord, I meant to apply it to
prohil)ition.
Lord Watson — He does not argue — in fact it would be
arguing against some of the Judgments of this Board as
to the right to regulate — only he says regulation must not
involve prohibition.
Mr. Maclauen — i did not intend to go further in my
expression though my language might perliaps have been
more sweeping. It is that the iield of jn-ohibition is occupied.
338
Liquor Prohibition Appral, 1896.
Prohibition is ambiguous. One needs to define the word to
know what is meant by prohibition.
Lord Hersc'hkll — You may say practically that it is total
under the Canada Temperance Act. The exceptions are so
minute that practically you may say it is total.
The Ijord Chancellor — Probably for ordinary con-
sumption by human creatures, I think it is total i)rohibition.
The exception is medicine and manufactures and so on.
Mr. Maclaren — Sacramental and medicinal.
Lord Watson— Then again it is only prohibition where
the Act is applied. In other cases they have a license for
selling any quantity.
Lord Herschell — It does not touch it. The only ques-
tion is this. It is said that anywhere the condition of
prohibition shall be a certain plebiscite of the district.
Lord Davey — Mr. Justice Sedgewick puts the argument
very clearly and concisely at page 105. He says : —
" The Federal Parliament has already seized itself of jurisdiction.
It has piissed the Scott Act. It lias prescribed the method by which
in Canada prohibition may be secured, and is not any local enact-
ment purportinf,' to change that method or otherwise secure the
desired end for the time being inoperative, overridden by the ex-
pression of the controlling legislative will?"
Lord Herschell — Supposing a place had not adopted
the Act, and where the xA.ct therefore was not actively in
operation, but where it might be made to operate at any
time by the plel)iscite. Sup))osing the Provincial Ijegislature
ga/e a different local option, giving it to a different number
and a different body.
Mr. Maclaren — Which they have done in a sense.
Lord Herschell — In this particular Act I think there is
a different question because there is a question whether that
could be regarded as toial prohibition, seeing that anyone
can buy a dozen bottles, but I am supposing they gave exactly
what we have called total prohil)ition under tlie Scott
Act. Supi)osing they gave the same power of prohibition,
but they gave it to districts differently formed or to a different
,.. — ^:mmm
Liquor Prohihition Appeal, 1895.
339
majority— a smaller majority so that in fact, exactly the same
prohihition and effect could he hrought into O])eration in the
same district in two different ways hy two different sets of
persons. Could it he said that those could stand together ?
Mr. Maclaren — I hesitate to say that.
Lord Herschell — That is very nnicli the question as to
those districts in which it has not heen adopted. It may at
any time he adopted, and if the Local Legislature have full
power to prohihit, it could prohihit on any condition that gave
the prohihitory power to any form of local option. Would it
he consistent with the Dominion legislation that they should
give it to a different majority ?
Mr. Maclaren — I am going to argue to your Lordships,
and I think I have authority for it, that when this ado})tive
or permissive legislation under the Scott Act is not in force,
it is for all practical purposes the same as if it was not on the
Statute Book.
Lord Herschell — If you can make that out. Is that
so, hecause that is the difficulty. It is so far in existence
and so far effective at this moment in any of these districts
that without any interference of any Legislature the people
in that district can hring it into force.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes.
Lord Herschell — That is to say, a certain majority in
the district. Now, if the Provincial Legislature enables
another majority in the district to hring exactly the same
prohihition into force, can those two stand together side hy
side ? They conflict directly. That seems to he the difficulty
in your way with reference to a total prohihition.
Mr. Maclaren — It does not apply to what I was con-
sidering just now, hut I shall have to get to Question No. 7.
Lord Herschell — That, of course, some people would
contend is total prohihition hecause it prohibits the great
mass of peoi)le drinking, hut that is another question.
Leavnig that Act, that argument would only apply to total
prohihition, hecause there would he nothing inconsistent in
a certain majority in a district heing aole to hiing about total
V 2,
340
Liquor Prohibition Appc tl, 1895.
prohibition, and the Provincial Legif-lature enabling that or
some other body to bring about sonu'^thing less than total
jjrohibition : there would be no inconsistency, and the two
might stand together. We are dealing now with the question
of total prohibition.
Lord Watson — Probably we might be obliged to consider
•that. One of the most important questions in the present
case appears to me to be what is the true construction of the
Canadian Act for establishing temperance ? How are you to
read it ? Is the Act to be read as if it had enacted expressly
that the only rule of prohibition in Canada should be that
enacted by the Statute ? The enactments of the Statute,
reading them in that light, are as I read them, alternative.
The Act may have one or two effects within the realm of
(knada. In those regions where the inhabitants by a Local
majority have elected to adopt and apply the Act the rule is
one. It is a rule of prohibition. If the reading of the
Statute which I have suggested were to be adopted in those
regions where that Act has not been adopted, the rule is, the
same license that })revailed at the time the Act passed.
Mr. Maclaren — That is the construction which I would
submit.
Lord Watson — It appears to me that if that be the true
reading of the Dominion Act — I am not deciding in one way
or the other — but I do say if that be the true reading of the
Dominion Act, a Provincial Act creating prohibition, where
according to the Dominion Act they do not exist, would to
my mind, be as great an intrusion upon the Dominion' of
Canada as diminishing prohibition in those regions where
the prohibitory provisions of the Act had been applied. They
would be equally in collision. There would be the same
repugnancy in the one case as in the other case if the Act
be of that nature in those districts where it has not been
adopted. The law of freedom is as much the law as the
law of prohibivion in those places where it has been
adopted.
Mr. Maclaren — I most respectfully submit to your
Lordships that the proper construction of the Act, and I think
the decision on this part of our case at least would "lead to
Liquor Prohibition Ap[)i'(il, 1805.
341
the interpretation that where the Canada Teni})erance Act has
not been adopted i)ro]iibition more or less extensive, more
or less complete may be made by the Provinces
Lord Herschell — When you say i)rohibition more or
less complete, we are now distinguishing — at least I am —
between that which is prohibition and that which falls short
of prohibition. What some people would call prohibition I
should not call prohibition at all, but something short of it.
Mr. Maclaren — One would need to define terms to
consider it. I submit the full length of the argument of my
learned friend as to the field being occupied really goes
against Hodge v. The (Jiieen.
Lord Herschell — No, because what strikes me at
})resent is this as regards prohibition proi)erly so called which
you take the C!an:ida Temperanc ! Act to be. The Legislature
of Canada has said in every par^ of Canada this shall be the
law, as to prohibition. I am not saying this is so but I am
putting it to you — that a certain majority in a district can
bring it about. Supj)osing them to have got that, it may be
in the future no Provincial Legislature can say that in any
district of the Dominion prohibition shall be brought about
in any other way, because if it were you would have at the
same time existing over a particular district two laws
applicable to i)rohibition which differ in their nature. But
then that would not decide the question whether everything
short of prohibition might not still in those districts be within
the province of the Provincial Ijegislature because as to that
the Legislature of Canada has done nothing. It certainly
has not occupied the field. Hodf/c v. The (Jiwni has said that
you may regulate and restrict it. That is (piite clear. Then
to what extent short of prohibition ? It is difficult to see how
you can draw any line to say that is within Hodg" v. 2'hc Queen
and tlidt is without it. T feel that difficulty at px'^sent, but,
then, when you are dealing with prohibition you are dealing
with a different thing.
Lord I)a\¥j\— Hodge v. I'he (Jueeii strikes me as this :
Where liquor traffic may be lawfully carried on, it is within
the power of the Municipality or the Provincial Legislature to
84^
Liquor Prohihition Ap/tctil, 1896.
make the neceHsary provision for its being carried on in an
orderly manner. That is all that Jfodijc v. The Qiiem says.
Mr. Maclaren — I submit that it probably goes beyond
that. If your Lordships look at page ICO amongst the powers
when they are considering questions 4 and 5, one of them is
for limiting the number of licenses. Our Courts have held
that the Commissioners may cut the licenses in a Municipality
down to two.
Lord Davey — By allowing the traffic to be carried on
where the necessary majority have not voted for prohibition
they do not say that every individual in the place may carry
it on. It is still within the power of the Municipality to say
in a reasonable way there being a traffic which will lead to
disorder : "We will take care it is carried on by respectable
people."
Lord Herschell — And also that it is not carried on by
too many.
Mr. Maclaren— Yes, and our Courts have held, and I do
not know that it is challenged, that under these limiting
powers they can limit it to two, not to one, because that
would be to create a monopoly, and there is no evidence that
the Legislature meant to give any municipal council the power
to create a monopoly,
Lord HERbCHELL — It means the .' mav limit the number.
Mr. Maclaren — Would there be a difference in Toronto
between cutting down the licenses to one and saying there
shall be no retail license at all.
Lord Herschell — ^There would be all the difference
between the one being i)rohibition and the other not.
Mr. Maclaren
limits.
There being no retail sales within the
Lord Watson — I think it is difficult to dehne. Even
regulation can be carried out so as to defeat sales altogether.
I do not wish to express any ojnnion on that point, but my
difficulty is as to this, whether the object of the Dominion law
is not to declare and provide that a rule as to prohibition and
WUES
Tjiqiior Prolilhltiuu Aiifirnl, 1895.
343
sales is to be a matter depeiiding upon the will of the inhabi-
tants in certain districts expressed in the manner indicated
by the Statute. There may be, I quite admit, certain powers
of regulation in the way of licensing, because I think it was
never contenii)lated that every person in the country is to
sell. The contemplation of all those Acts is that the sale
should be restricted, and section 9*2 gives strong colour to
that. It never was intended by the framers of the Act that
there should be a selling of liquor at large without license or
restriction.
Lord Heuschell — Are there any provisions for clubs in
the Province of Ontario ? Are there working men's clubs
where they could buy a dozen bottles ?
Mr. MACLAREN--The majority of the clubs in Ontario are
registered under a general Act relating to J3enevolent Asso-
ciations, and the Ijicense Act has a clause providing that
there shall be no liquor sold even to the members of those
clubs. There are certain clubs which have charters.
Lord Herschell — Are those chibs with some particular
privileges ?
, . Mr. Maclaren — They have special i)rivileges.
Lord Herscheij. — Is there anything to i)revent a volun-
tary club being formed asking no particular ])rivileges ? I
suppose there are clubs where ))eo})le may get intoxicating
liquors ?
Mr. Maclaren — There are some clubs, but in the ordinary
club it is prohibited.
Lord Watson — It is made a condition of the statutory
privileges they enjoy that they shall not consume liquor ; but
the question I understood his Lordship, Lord Herschell, to
put to you is this, supposing fifty working men founded an
association without going to the Legislature, formed a club
and took a room and ordered in their own sup))lies of liquor,
and met there every afternon and had their drink, would that
be prohibited by the law as it stands ?
Mr. Maclaren — I could refer to the License Law, but
my impression is those voluntary associations are included
844
Liquor I'roliihition Apju'al, 1H*.)5.
under tliose cluhK. Yon might that
during tliost' three yc^iirs there Hhiill he no |)rohihitory law.
Mr. Maclarkn — Tt uieiinH there shall not he the ('ana(hi
Teunterance Act at least.
The [jOUd (!hanckllor~ You are (juite right to make
that answer, hut whether it is a sound one is another uuitter.
Lord Watson — You think it meant to ini[)ly that some
other authority might introchu-e some other law.
Mr. Maolaken — Some otiier law . That is the length of
my argument. Then, my Lords, Mr. l^lake used this illus-
tration. He said if a nuitter is local, the fact that it aft'ec.s
more than one Province does not make it general. I am not
using his exact words, hut I think that was the idea. That
was in answer to one of your fjordships, wlio put this j)oint,
that where a matter remains a local matter affecting one
Province, the Province may deal with it, hut if it spreads to
other Provinces to such an extent that the Parliament of
Canada think it is a matter that affects the general welfare of
the Dominion, they may legislate. Li answer to that point
of Mr. Blake's, I think one of the cases which he cited and
referred to illustrates that point. That is the case of Dohie
V. The 'iciupovdJitifii Board.
Lord Watson — I do not think that that case in the least
degree affects this question. That was a question where, hy
a Statute in Canada, a corporate hody was appointed, having
its existence equally in hoth Ui)per and Lower Canada.
They were severed, and it was held that the Legislature of
neither of the two Provinces into which Old Canada was
divided — Ontario and Quehec — could touch or repeal that law.
Mr. Maclaren — Nor hoth together.
Lord Watsox — And that is hy reason that the interests
created hy the Act were so nnich one and the same tha'j the
one Province could not deal with its repeal and alteration
without affecting the interests of another Province. I do not
think the present Act would come under that category at all.
I do not think there is a word in that case or anything in the
principle of the decision of that case to the effect that if this
}
I
848
Tjiquor Pmhibltiun Appettl, 1895.
had been a larger Act, applicable to the whole Dominion,
that either of the two Provinces could have repealed that, so
far as it afi'ected the other Province which was aflected by the
repeal or alteration which one of the Provinces endeavoured
to pass in that case and did pass ineffectually ; and in point
of fact individual and civil rights in the other Province were
affected l/y this legislation. There is no provision made in
the Act for joint legislation.
Mr. Maclaren — No, ./• .
Lord Heuschell — I think the point you are on now may
be looked at from another point of view. It is the same
question. I suppose, if your opponents are right, then the
Canada Tenn)eraiice Act by implication would repeal this A<;t
now in question. It was not in operation at the time, it has
been only re-enacted since then.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes. . ' ' , ^ ^V r' " '"' ";'']_
liord Hehschell — Supposing that to have been in
operation, tbat is another way of testing it, were the two so
inconsistent that the Canada Temperance Act, when passed,
by implication repealed it ? .\ .■...:■■
' Mr. Maclaren— Yes. .-;.>:.
Lord Watson— Unquestionably, that result would follow
if it is an Act of the kind that is represented. It would
repeal by mere repugna'icy the old Canadian Statute.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes ; but our claim is th}it the Canada
Temperance Act did not repeal the antecedent legislation.
Ijord Hkrschell — I think that is a good way of testing
it ; if it did you could not re-enact it.
Mr. Maclaren — Yes ; it would be fair to say that Dohic's
case lays do^^n something that nmst affect the question of
rei)eal. The head-note states the argument. I am reading
it from 1st Cartwright, page 851, and I think the first para-
graph of the head-note states the Judgment on that point
correctly. It says : —
" Tht' powers conferred by the J<. N. A. Act, 1H()7, s. 129, upon
the Provincial Legislatures of Ontario and Qnebee, to repeal and alter
HW WWBiW' i <^i^Tmvt' i ! JSSSS!Sm! BSi
H.U.-.^-tl.- M»»' »-■**!>>.■ U-i I'W&^^ttK.^-i
Idquor Prohihifiiin Ai)in'(tl, 1805.
84n
the Statutes of the Old Parliament of Canada, arc precisely co-extensive
with the powers of direct legislation with which those bodies are
invested by the other clauses of tiie Act of 1H()7."
That is an authority that comes up in connection with the
question of repeal.
Lord Watson — I think that has heen recognised again
and again. •
Mr. Maclaren — That I think there is very httle doubt
about, and this case of Doliic I thought was an authority on
this point.
Lord Watson — In that case the powers were not co-
extensive.
Mr. Maclarkn — They were not.
Lord Watson — The ])Ower of repeal involved interference
with another Province.
Mr. Maclaren — To go back for a moment to the power
as to the apphcability of the Canada Temperance Act whei-e
not adopted. I refer your Lordshi})s to the expressions used
in Hudge v. Tlir (Jiieni. It does not go the full length, Itut I
think it goes a long way towards the interpretation we are
now contending for. After setting out the sections 4 and 5,
those partially prohibitory clauses in 4 and 5, and as to their
nature, your Lordships say, at page 181 of Ij. K. 1) Ajjp. ('as.
and 3 Cartwright, page 161 : —
" As such they cannot be said to interfere with the general regula-
tion of trade and commerce which bcdongs to ^hc Dominion Parliament,
and do not conflict with the provisions of the '.'anada Temperance Act,
which does not appear to have as yet been locHlly adopted."
So tnat for the purpose of restriction, so far as they w(u-e in
question in Hadtjc v. VV/c (Jiitm your Lordships have declared
that the Canada Temperance Act, where not adopted, does
not interfere.
Lord Herschell — If it had been adopted it clearly would
have interfered, because there would ha\(' l)eeii in force in
the particular district one law saying you shall not sell at all,
and the other saying yon may sell under certain conditions.
Mr. Maclaren — So that the more stringent law being
followed would override the less stringent.
;
1
-section 2 sinii)ly or whether under
their general powers, is equally effective and paramount.
Mr. Mac'laren — I must ask your Lordshi})s to consider
this in that connection. To my mind tlie last clause of
section 91 does distinguish between the general powers and
the enumerated.
Lord Watson — There is a clear distinction. ■
Mr. Maclaren — So far as refers to sub-section 16.
Lord Davey — It has always occurred to me that the
Provincial Legislature may legislate in its own Province on a
matter on which the Canadian Parliament may also legislate
for Canada generally.
Mr. Maclaren — That I think is clear.
Lord Davey — If not within one of the eiiun)erated classes.
Lord Watson — I would also say this, that I think there
is a difference between that which is done entirely in virtue
of the general power, and that whicli is done under a i-lause '
and I think that which is done und(>r the general power may
be in the same position, or their power to act under the general
clause, nniy be in the same position with their right to
iittiiM
Liquor Vrohihition Appeal, 1895.
851
legislate incidentally and properl)^ — properly it must be— for
the purpoHes of some of the sections.
Mr. Maclaren — Your Lordshij) says "may,'" and I am
glad to o})serve your Lordship does not say " must," but as
to the enumerated powers " must " would be applicable.
Lord Watson — May or may not. Take the very question
which we had in one of the most recent cases where a law
was enacted in connection with banks.
Mr. Maolaren — Tcmunit v. The Union Bank.
Lord Watson — As to what effect certain documents in
the hands of a banker would have. It was hebl t)iat that
was naturally and fairly incidental to the right of legislating
as to banking, and was implied ; but in legislating for hanking
the Dominion might, if they had chosen, have left that to tlie
operation of the existing law, and it did not go the length of
saying that under this clause giving them power of dealing
with civil rights, the local authority might have regulated
that matter (warehouse receipts) and the ground was occupied.
Mr. Maclaren — In that case the ground was occui)ied by
the Chattel Mortgage provision recjuiring registration which
the Dominion exempted from.
Lord Watson — That is so. It shows there are some
powers of legislation given to the Dominion Parliament
incidental to the matters included in some of the classes
which may be exactly in the same position as these general
powers.
Mr. Maclaren — "Ancillary" is the word your Lordships
used in the Judgment, and, I think it is a very appropriate
word. I was going to remark that as to this power of
legislation and the right of the Province to legislate, until the
Dominion take hold, we have many illustrations. A great
many matters were at the time of Confederation and subse-
quently considered as petty matters to be dealt with by
Municipal l)y-laws, but which the Dominion under its power
of Criminal Law has from time to time made statutory
offences. I need not trouble your Lordshi{)s with an
enumeration of them, but i)erha[)s I may mention the classes
■■npii
li.
362
IJqnor Prohihitiov Appi'ol, 1895.
under which they would come. There are a great many
matters such as injury to shade trees, — injury to other trees
and cro]}s, and a great many matters which at the tinu^
of Confederation were left to the local legislature to allow
the Municipalities to deal with ; but since that time the
Dominion Parliament under its power of ('riminal Law,
finding that these matters were not applicable to one Provmce
alone but might be made general for the Dominion have put
them as part of the (3riniini!l Law of the Country and made
these offences punishable, in the Act of 18()0 there are a
nund)er of illustrations of that kind, but again in the Criminal
Code of 1892 a large number of subjects which had l)een
previously the subject of legislation by Municipal by-law are
taken and appropriated by the Dominion under the heading
of Criminal Law and put in the Criminal Code and made
})unishable offences either by smumary conviction or by
indictment. That is, I think, a class of subject in some
resi)ects analogous" to the present in which they may be dealt
with locally so long as the Dominion leaves them to the local
Ijegislature. There are a large number of subjects in that
way tbe ])ominion could take possession of under the head of
Criminal Law by declaring it to be an offence throughout the
Dominion, but the fact that that might come under Criminal
Law does not prevent the Province either by itself or by a
Municipality legislating with reference to it and punishing
infractions of their regulations until there is souie over-riding
Doniinion legislation.
Lord Watson — These cases are quite intelligible, but in
those cases I should be apt to say that if the Dominion
Parliament were to occupy what may be called the whole
field, in that case they would trench on the legislative power
of the Province. . ■ ^ ■^^.< / ,.■,.
Mr. Maclaren — They might — the whole field. The
emphasis is on " the wbole field " in your Lordship's mind.
I do not think tlie whole field is open to them. Then with
regard to the observation of my learned friend Mr. Blake that
in the United States Constitution tlie word "Regulation"
has been held to include prohibition I would call attention to
one fact that the well-known law of the United States, what
IRMI
s^sBscsn:
fjiqtior Proliihilivii ApfHUil, 1895.
353
is known as the Maine Liquor Ijaw, and other ])rohil)it()ry
hiws of the United St;iti»s
Lord Watson — I fiui much disposed to think that these
ilhistrations are not of nmch weiglit here because really we
are dealiufi; with viU'v g(>neral terms nnd whenever you come to
deal with general terms such as "Trade and Counnerce'" and
"the Regulation of Trade and Connnerce " it is perfectly
obvious you cannot put a genera! meaning to them, you nnist
refer to the context of the statute to discovei- what the
Legislature nu'ant in employing them. T do not doubt that
the Regulation of Trade aiul Connnerce may very fairly
include i)roliibition. If the context gave an indication T
should not be surprised at its being construed either way in
one statute, but then being construed one way in one statute
would not lead to its being similarly construed in another.
Mr. Maci.ahkn — JVrhaj)s not. but the construction in
I'disons' case as referring to a ))articula,r trade goes a long
way towards maintaining the ()osition we are claiming in this
case. On these grounds I respectfully ask for a revere premises bv any member of the
('lub would be conclusive evidence of ,iale, and on proof of
consumption would be conclnsively prf^sumed to have been
sold, and so become liable to the Act. The whole thing is
concluded.
.hithpicnt /iVs^Tivv/.]
^B
mmmmggBimm
wffmmmmmmmmmimmmmm'ilim
364
lAqvor Prohihition Api)t'((l, 1895.
gulrsment
Of the. Lords of the Jitdirial Connnitti'i' of tin' Privij Covuril
on till' Apfmil of till'
ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR ONTARIO
V
THE ATTORNEY-GENERAL FOR THE DOMINION OF CANADA,
and the DISTILLERS' AND DREWERS' ASSOCIATION OF
ONTARIO, from the Supreme Court of Ciinada ; delivered 9th May,
1H96.
Present : . i' ' ■
. : The Lord Chancku-ok.
■ ' Lord Hersoheu,. ' .
Lord Watson. .
Lord Davey. - i
V-: ,'- Sir Richard Coich. „' : ' < ' ;-■;.
{Di'livered hy Lord ll'iitmii.]
Their LordHliips think it expedient to deal, in the first
instance, with the seventli question, hecanse it raises a
practical issne, to which the ahle arguments of Counsel on
hoth sides of the Bar were chiefly directed, and also hecause
it involves considerations which have a material hearing upon
the answers to l)e given to the other six (juestions suhmitted
in this api)eal. In order to ap})reciate the merits of the con-
troversy, it is necessary to refer to certain laws for the
restriction or suppression of the liquor traffic, which were
passed hy the Legislature of the old Province of Canada
l)ef()re the Union, or have since heen enacted hv the Parlia-
ment of the Dominion, and hy the Legislature of Ontario,
respectively.
At the time when the British North America Act of 18()7
came into operation, the statute hook of the old Province
contained two sets of enactments applicahle to Upper Canada,
which, though differing in expression, were in suhstance
very similar.
rzr" B iW:;
Liqtior Prohibition Appeal, 1805.
365
The most recent of these enactments were embodied in
the Temperance Act 18(54 ('27 and 28 Vict. c. 18), which
conferred upon the Municipal Council of ev(>rv county, town,
township, or incorporated villa<^e, " besides the powers at
present conferred on it by law," power at any time to pass a
by-law prohibiting the sale of intoxicating licpiors, and the
issue of licenses therefor, within the limits of the nnniicipality.
Such by-law was not to take effect until submitted to and
approved by a majority of the qualified electors ; and ))ro-
vision was made for its subsequent re])eal, i]i deference to an
adverse vote of the electors.
The previous enactments relating to the same subject,
which were in force at tiie time of the Union, were contained
in the Consolidated Municipal Act, 25) and 80 Vict. c. 51.
They empowered the Council of every townshij), town, and
incorporated village, and the Commissioners of Police in
cities, to niake by-laws for [)rohibiting the sale by retail of
s])irituous, fermented or other manufactured liquors, in any
inn or other house of public entertainment ; and for pro-
hibiting totally the sale thereof in sho})s and places other
than houses of public entertainment ; provided the by-law,
before the final passing thereof, had been duly ai)i)roved by
the electors of the Municipality in the manner prescribed by
the Act. After the Union, the Legislature of Ontario inserted
these enactments in the Tavern and Sho[) License Act,
82 Vict. c. 82. They were purposely omitted from subse(]uent
consolidations of the Municipal and Liquor Ijicense Acts ;
and, in the year 1886, when the Canada Temperance Act
was passed by the Parliament of Canada, there was no Pro-
vincial law authorising the prohibition of li(}Uor sales in
Ontario, save the Teni})erance Act 18(54.
The Canada Temperance Act of 188(j (Revised Statutes
of Canada, 49 Vict. c. ]()()) is a])plicable to all the Provinces
of the Dominion. Its general scheme is to give to the
electors of every county or city the option of adopting, or
declining to adopt, the [)rovisions of the second i)art of the
Act, which make it unlaAvful for any person "by himself,
" his clerk, servant or agent, to expose or keep for sale, or
" directly or indirectly, on any pretence or upon any device, to
" sell or barter, or in consideration of the purchase of any other
" property, give to any other person any intoxicating liquor."
/, 2
. I.
356
I/tquor rmliiJn'tioii AppetiU 1805.
It expressly declares that no violation of these enactments
shall he made lawful ])y reason of any license of any descrip-
tion whatsoever. Certain relaxations are made in the case of
sales of liquor for sacramental or medicinal i)urposes, or for
exclusive use in some art, trade or manufacture. The
})rohil)ition does not extend to manufacturers, importers or
wholesale traders who sell liquors in (piantities ahove a
specified limit, when they have good reason to belitne that
the purchasers will forthwith carry their purchase beyond the
limits of the county or city, or of any adjoinin^i; county or
city in which the provisions of the Act are in force.
For the purpose of hringinj^ the second part of the Act
into operation, an order of the Governor-Creneral of Canada
in Council is required. The order must he made on the
petition of a county or city, which cannot he granted until it
has been put to the vote of the electors of such county or
city. When a majority of the votes polled are adverse to the
petition, it nmst be dismissed ; and no similar a))plication
can be made within the period of three years from the day on
which the poll was taken. When the vote is in favour of the
petition, and is followed by an Order in Council, one-fourth
of the qualified electors of the county or city may apply to
the Governor-Ceneral in Council for a recall of the Order,
which is to be granted, in the event of a majority of the
electors voting in favour of the a})plication. Power is given
to the Governor-General in Council to issue in the like
manner, and after similar procedure, an Order repealing any
by-law passed by any Municipal Council for the application
of the Temperance Act of 1864.
The Dominion Act also contains an express repeal of the
prohibitory clauses of the Provincial Act of 18()4, and of the
machinery thereby i)rovided for bringing them iiito operation,
(1) as to every municipality within the limits of Ontario in
which, at the passing of the Act of 1880, there was no
municipal by-law in force, (2) as to every municipality within
these limits in which a prohibitive by-law then in force shall
be subsequently repealed under the provisions of either Act,
and (8) as to every .municipality, having a munici})al by-law,
which is included in the limits of, or has the same limits
with, any county or city in which the second })art of the
Canada Temperance Act is brought into force before the
■*3-/»i'".mwfv
" -''T"'l?iKi'^^''''^*^'"
Liquor I'ntliihitidii Ajijunl, 181)5.
mt
re})f'iil of tlu' In-biw, wliicli by-law, in that event, is declared
to be mill and void.
Witli a view of restoring to nnniieipalities within the
Province, whose powers were att'ected by that repeal, the
right to make by-laws which they had })ossesse(l under the
hiw of the old Province, the jjegislature of Ontario [)assed
Section 18 of 58 Vict. c. 5(). to which the seventh question
in this case relates. The enacting words of the clause are
introduced by a preand)le which recites the previous course
of legislation, and the repeal by the Canada Temjjerance Act
of the Upper Canada Act of 18(54 in nnmici[)alities where not
in force, and concludes thus,- " it is (expedient that munici-
" palities should have the powers by them formerly possessed."
The enacting words of the clause, with the exception of one
or two changes of ex[)ression which do not affect its substance,
are a mere reproduction of the ])rovisions, not of the Tem-
perance Act of 18(»4. but of the kindrcMl provisions of the
Municipal Act 29 & 80 Vict., c. 51, which had been omitted
from the consolidated statutes of the Province. A new [)roviso
is added, to the effect that, " nothing in this section contain(>d
" shall be construed into an exercise of Jurisdiction by the
" Province of Ontario beyond the revival of provisions of law
" which were in force at the date of the passing of the IJritish
" North America Act, and which tiie subsequent legislation
" of this Province purported to repeal." The Legislature of
Ontario subsequently passed an Act (54 Vict., c. 40), for the
purpose of exi)laining that Section 18 was not nu>ant to re})eal
by implication certain provisions of the Municipal Act
29 & 80 Vict., c. 51, which limit its application to retail
dealings.
The seventh (piestion raises the issue, — whether, in the
circumstances which have just been detailed, the Provincial
Legislature had authority to enact Section 18 ? In order to
determine that issue, it becomes necessary to consider, in the
tirst place, whether the Parliament of Canada had jurisdiction
to enact the Canada Tenii)erance Act ; and, if so, to consider
in the second i)lace, whether, after that Act became the law
of each Province of the Dominion, there yet remained })ower
with the Legislature of Ontario to enact the provisions of
Section 18,
The authority of the Dominion Parhameut to make laws
868
Lifjuor Proliiliitioii . liijicitl, 1805.
for thf siH)])rosHion of liquor tniffiL- in the Provinces ik main-
tained, ill the first [)lace, upon the ground tliat sncii legishi-
tion deals with matters affecting " tlie peace, order, a|id good
" government of Canada," within the meaning of the intro-
ductory and general enactments of Section 1)1 of the l^ritish
North America Act; and, in the second [)lace, ui)on the
ground, that it concerns " the regulation of trade and com-
merce," heing No. 2 of the enumerated classes of suhjects
which are placed under the exclusive jurisdiction of the
ftuleral Parliament liy that section. These sources of juris-
diction are in themselves distinct ; and are to he found in
ditil'erent enactments.
It was ai)))arently contemplated hy the framers of the
Imperial Act of 1H()7, that the due exercise of the enumerated
powers conferi-ed u{)on the Parliament of Canada hy Section
Ul might, occasionally aiiiUincidentally, involve legislation
upon matters which are iiriindjarii' connnitted exclusively to
the Provincial Legislatures hy Section 92. In order to pro-
vide against that contingency, the concluding part of Section
91 enacts that " any matter coming within any of the classes
" of suhjects emnnerated in this section shall not he deemed
"to come witliin the class of matters of a local or [U'ivate
*' nature comprised in the enumeration of the classes of
" suhjects hy this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures
i" of the Provinces." It was ohserved by this Board in Citizens
Ivsuninrc Coiiiindiii of Ciduida v. ['(tisons (7, Ap. Ca. 108), that
the paragraph just quoted " applies in its grammatical con-
" struction only to No. 1() of Section 92." The observation
was not material to the question arising in that case, and it
does not api)ear to their Lordships to be strictly accurate. It
apj)ears to them that the language of the exception in Section
.91 was meant to include, and correctly describes, all the
matters enumerated ni the sixteen heads of Section 92, as
being, from a provincial point of view, of a local or private
; nature. It also appears to their Lordships that the exception
; was not meant to derogate from the legislative authority given
; to Provincial Legislatures l)y these sixteen sub-sections, save
to the extent of enabling the Parliament of Canada to deal
with matters local or private, in those cases where such
;' legislation is necessarily incidental to the exercise of the
I powers conferred upon it by the enumerative heads of Clause
Litiuor I'mliiltitloii Apju'dl, 18W5.
850
91. 'I'hat view was stated and illustrated i)_v Sir Montagiu'
Smith ill Citizi'iis Insuran,, ('oiiijtdiiij v. I'arsoiis (7, Ap. ("a.
pp. 108, 100), and in CiisliiiKj v. Piifuiii (5. Ap. Ca. 415); and
it has been recognised l'\ this l^oard in Tmndiitv. f^iiinn Haul,
>ij CaiKtdii (1H04, Ap. ("a. 4(')), and in Altnuiiii-driirnd of' Oiiturii)
V. Attnnu'ji-di'ncnil of tlw J)(niiiiiii)ii (1H04, Ap. (.'a. 200).
The general authority given to the CiUiadian Parliaiuent,
by the introductory enactments of Section 01, is, " to mnke
" laws for the jieace, order and good government of Canada,
" in relation to all matters not coming within the classes of
" subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures
" of the Provinces " ; and it is declared, but not so as to
restrict the generality of these words, that the exclusive
authority of the (,'aiiadian J .irlianient extends to all matters
coming within the classes of sul)jects which are enumerated
in the clause. There may, therefore, he matters not included
in the enumeration, upon which the rarlianieiit of Caniida
has power to legislate, ])ecaus(' they concern the peace, order
and good government of the Dominion. But to those matters
whicli are not s])ecilied among the enumerated subjects of
legislation, the exception from Section 02, which is enacted
by the concluding words of Section 01, has no apjjlication ;
and, in legislating with regjird to such matters, the Dominion
Parliament has no authority to encroach ui)on any class of
subjects which is exclusively assigned to Provincial Jjegis-
latures by Section 02. These enactments appear to their
Lordshi])s to indicate, that the exercise of legislative power
l)y the Parliament of Canada, in regard to all matters not
enumerated in Section 02, ought to l)e strictly contined to
such matters as are unquestionably of Canadian interest and
importance, and ought not to trench u})on Provincial legisla-
tion, with respect to any of the classes of sul)jects enumerated
in Section 02. To attach any other construction to the
general power which, in supplement of its enumerated jiowers,
is conferred upon the Parliament of Canada by Section 01,
would, in their Lordships' o])inion, not only be contrary to
the intendment of the Act, but would practically destroy the
autonomy of the Provinces. If it were once conceded that
the Parliament of Canada has authority to make laws ii})pli-
cable to the whole Dominion, in relation to matters which in
each Province are substantially of local or private interest,
T»
mo
Tjiijnor Prohlhilloii Apjuui}, 1805.
upon th«> jiHsnmption that these iniittevs also concern the
i)eace, order and ^ood <^overnnient of the Dominion, there is
uirdly a snhject enmneriited in Section \)'l upon which it
might not h'jtfiil. LS'.I/).
MM
(Inty of considering' wlictlier the Ciinndii Teni|u'mnc«' Act of
188() reliitcH to th;' i)eace, ordo' und <;ood ^ovcnnncnt of
Ciuiiida. in such sctisc as to hrin*,' its provisions within the
competency of tiie Ciiniuliaii I'iiiliiiinent. In tliiit ciise tlie
controversy related to the vaHdity of the Canachi Teni))erance
Act of 1H7H ; and neithei- the Dominion nor the Provinces
were represented in tiie ar;^Mnnent. It arose hetween a
[)rivate |)rosecutoi' and a person who had been convicted, at
his instance, of violating' the provisions of the CJanadian Act,
within a district of New Hriniswick in vviiich the ))rohihitory
chmses of the Act had been a(h)pte(l. J^ut the provisions of
the Act of 1M7H were, in all material respects, the same with
those which are now embodied in the Canada Temperance
Act of IBHC) ; and the reasons which were assi<,nied for
sustaining the validity of the earlier, are, in their Lordshi|)s'
opinion, e(|nally applical)le to the later Act. It tluMcfore
appears to them that the decision in lliisscll \'..__2'lir Oiicrii
nmst be acce])ted as an authority to the e\tent to which it
goes, mimely, that tlu; restrictive provisions of the Act of
188(5, when they have been duly brought into operation in
any provincial area within the Dominion, must receive ettect
as valid enactments, relating to tin |)eace, order, and good
government of ('anada.
That point being settled by decision, it becomes necessary
to consider whether the Parliament of Canada had authority
to pass the Temperance Act of 188(5, as being an Act for the
'• regulation of trade and commerce '" within the meaning of
No. '2 of Section 91. If it were so, the Parliament of ('anada
would, under the exception from Section *.)2. which has
already been noticed, be at liberty to exercise its legislative
authority, although in so gislative authority which it derives
♦^^rom the provisions of Section 1 ^ other than No. 8.
1 •'•i^'"':-*
ft
Liquor I'rohihiliiiii Apiicnl, 1895.
HM
Their L()i'(lsliij)s avo likinvise of o])inioii tliiit SiH'tioii 1)2,
No. *.), (toes I'ot /^ive I'roviuc-iiil Lcj^nshitures any vij^'lit to iiialvc
laws for the ;!''\)litioiiof the hquor tniiiic. It assi^nis to tlieni
" shop, saloon, tavern, auctioneer and other hcenses, in order
'' to the raising of a revenue for ))rovincial, local or unniicipal
" i)urposes."' It was held by this IJoard, iu //<*(/,//,■ v. Thr (Juciii
(1) Ap. Ca. 117), to include the right to iuii)ose reasonahle
conditions upon the licensees, which are in the nature of
regulation ; hut it cannot, with any show of reason, he con-
strued as authorising the abolition of the sources from which
reveinie is to he raised.
The only enactments of Section 02 which ap{)(>ar to
their Lordships to have any relation to the authority of
Provincial Legislatui'es to make laws for the su})pression of
the liquor traffic are to l)e found in Nos. 1;? and 1(5, which
assign to their exclusive jui-isdiction, (1) '• |)roperty and civil
rights in the Province," and (2) " generally all mattei-s of a
" merely local or private nature in the Province. '
A law which prohibits retail transacti(nis, and re-
stricts the conHumi)tion of liquor within the ambit
of the Province, and does not affect transactions in
liquor between persons in the Province and persons in other
Provinces or in foreign countries, concerns pro))erty in the
Province which would be the subject matter of the transac-
tions, if they were not prohibited, and also the civil rights of
})ersons ni the Province. It is not im})Ossible that tlie vice of
intemperance may i)revail in particular localities within a
Province, to such an extent as to constitute its cure by
restricting or prcliibiting the sale of li(pu)r a matter of a
nier(!ly '')cal or private nature, aid therefore falling jiriniK
J'orif within No. 1(), In that state of nuitters, it is conceded
that the Parliament of Canada could not im[)ei'atively enact
a prohibitory law adapted and coiitiiu'd to the re(phrements
of localities within the Province, where prohibition was
urgently needt d.
It is not necessary, for the pur])oses of the present appeal,
to determine whether provincial legislation for the su[)|)ressi()n
of the liquor traffic, confined to matters which are [)rovincial
or local within the meaning of Nos. 18 and Ki is authorised
by the one or by the tther of these h(>a(ls. It cannot, in their
Lordships' opinion, be logically held to hill within both of
8(54
Li(juiir l'niliii)ilimitted to the
judicial tribunals of the country. In theii' Lordships' opinion,
the express repeal of the old |)rovincial Act of 18ti4 hy the
Canada Temj)erance Act of LS.SG was not witlnn the authority
of the larliament of CJanada. It is true that the l'j)per
Canada A.ct of l.S(>4 was (-ontinued in force within Ontario,
by Section 129 of the British North America Act, " until
" repealed, abolished oi' altered by the Parliament of Canatla.
" or by the provincial legislature,' according to the authority
of that Parliament. " or of that legislature." It ai)pears to
their Lordshi})s that neither the Parliiinient of C'anada nor
the provincial legislatures have authority to repeal Statutes
which they could not directly enact. Their Lordshijis had
<)ccasion, in l)i)hl<' v. The 'I'riiipDnilifirs iUnml (7 Ap. Cn. 18('»)
to consider the ])ower of reju'al com])etent to the legislature
of a Province. In that case, the L(>gislature of Quebec hiid
re})ealed a Statute continued in force after the Union by
Section 129. which had this peculiarity, that its [)rovisions
api)lied both to Quebec and to Ontario, and wcu'e inca|)al)le
of being severed so as to nuike them ai)])licai)!e to one of
these Provinces only. Their Lordsiiijjs held (7 Ap. Ca. 147)
that the ))owers conferred " upon the i)rovincial Legislatures
'• of Ontario and Quebec to rei)eal and altei the Statutes of
" the old Parliament of th<' Province of Canada are made
" ))recisely co-extensive with the powers of direct legislation
•• with which these bodies are iiivest"d by the otlu'r clauses
" of the Act of 1H(>7 " ; and that it was beyond the authority
of the legislature of l^uei)ec to repeal statutory enactnuMits
wdiich att'ected both Quebec and Ontario. The same princii)le
ought, in the opinion of their ljordsliii)s. to l)e a|)|)lied to the
present case. The old Temj)erance Act of 1H(')1 Wiis ))asse(l
for rpjjcr Cannda, or in other words for the Province of
Ontario ; and its [trovisions. being cnntined to that Province
onlv, (,'onld not hn\t> heen directlv enacted In tlie I'lnliament
366
Liquor Prohihifiov Appeal, 1805.
of Canada. In the present case, the Parh'anient of Canada
would have no power to pass a [>rohil)itorv law (|or the
Province of Ontario ; and could therefore have no authority
to repeal, in ex|)ress terms, an Act which is limited in its
o])eration to that Province. In like manner, the exju-ess
repeal, in the Canada Temperance Act of 1886, of liquor
prohihitions adopted hy a nnmici})alitv in the Province of
Ontario under the sanction of provincial legislation, does not
appear to their Lordships to he within the authority of the
Dominion Parliament. *
The ([uestion nmst next he considered, whether the
provincial enactments of Section 18, to any, and if so to
what extent, come into collision with the provisions of the
Canadian Act of 1886 ? In so far as they do, j)rovincial
must yield to Dominion legislation, and must remain in
aheyance unless and until the Act of 1886 is repealed hy the
Parliament which i)assed it.
• The prohihitions of the Dominion Act have in some
respects an effect which may extend heyond the limits of a
Province ; and they are all of a very stringent character.
They draw an arhitrary line, at 8 gallons in the case of heer,
and at 10 gallons in the case of other intoxicating liquors,
with the view of discriminating hetv/een Avholesale and retail
transactions. Below the limit, sales within a district which
has adopted the Act are ahsolutely forhidden, exce})t to the
two nominees of the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province,
who are only allowed to dis})Ose of their purchases in small
cpiantities, for medicinal and other s})ecilied purposes. In
the case of sales ahove the limit, the rule is different. The
manufacturers of pure native wines, from grai)es grown in
Canada luive special favour shown them. Manufacturers of
other liquors within the district, as also merchants duly
licensed, who carry on an exclus'vely wholesale husiness, may
sell for delivery anywhere heyond the ih-'^r^"^. unless mcli
delivery is to he made in an adjoining district wlK^re the Act
is in f:
enforce -certain lu'ohibitioiis, if it tlionglit fit to do ho. But
the prohibitions of these Acts, whicii constitute their objoct
and their essence, cannot with the least degree of accuracy
l)e said to l»e in force anywhere, until they liave BeSn^ locally
adoi)ted.
If the j)rohibitions of the (Canada Temperance Act had
been made imp'rative throughout the Dominion, their
Lor(lshii)s niiglic have lieen constrained by prexious authority
to hold that the jurisdiction of the Legislature of Ontario to
pass Section 18, or any similar law, had been superseded.
In that case no provincial prohihitions such as are sanctioned
by Section 18 could have been enforced by a municipality
without coming into conflict with the paramount law of
Canada. For the same reason, provincial prohibitions in
force within a particular district will necessarily become
inoperative whenever the prohibitory clauses of the Act of
1886 have been adopted by that district. But their Lordships
can discover no adequate grounds for holding that there exists
repugnancy between the two laws in districts of the Province
of Ontario where the prohibitions of the C^aJiadian Act are
not, and may never be in force. In a district which has, by
the votes of its electors, rejected the second part of the
Canadian Act, the option is abolished for three years from
the date of the poll; and it hardly admits of doubt, that there
could be no repugnancy whilst the option given by the
Canadian Act was suspended. The Parliament of Canapc(il, 1806.
Ansv^ers to Questions V. and VI.— Their fjordships con-
sider it unnt essary to give a categorieal rej)ly to cither of these
questions. Their opinion upon the points which the (juestions
involve has heen sufficiently explained in their answer to the
seventh question.
Their Lordshi})s will hunihly advise Her Majesty to
discharge the Order of the Supreme Court of Canada, dated
the 15th January 1895 ; and to suhstitute therefor the several
answers to the seven Questions sulnnitted hy the (lovernor-
General of Canada, which have heen already indicated.
There will he no costs of this Appeal.
m
Williaiu Brown & Co. Limited, PriuturK, &c., London, K.C
mm
* 'WW« '» wiym,." i ".'" ' j'" ".y
I i j i n iii i i My ii .v.; ! ), ; ^! *!; !^.-^
ships con-
ev of thene
quentions
wev to the
/lajesty to
ada, dated
the several
Governor-
indicated.