Pioneers and Prominent People of Saskatchewan

 

 

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imprisonment, for the violation of any ordinance by the Assembly.

 

In a trial for crime committed within the Territories, a stipendiary magistrate was to be associated with the Chief Justice of Manitoba, or with a judge of the Court of Queen's Bench of that Province. Where the maximum penalty was not more than five years' imprisonment the case was to be tried in a summary way and without a jury, if more than five years, the trial was to be without jury only with the consent of the accused, or with a jury of six if he demanded one. In a case wherein the punishment was death, a jury not exceeding eight must intervene.

 

 

The first Lieutenant-Governor of the North-west Territories was the Honourable David Laird. His first Council included Stipendiary Magistrates Macleod, Ryan and Richardson, and Major Irvine, with Amedee Emmanuel Forget, secretary; and Molineaux St. John, sheriff. With this breaking of the last bond with Manitoba, the North-west Territories entered on a new era of growth and development. These new appointees all took the oath of office on November 27th, 1876, at Livingstone--Fort Pelly. The seat of government was temporarily located at this point, pending the erection and completion of Government House and other public buildings at Bat6leford, the capital of the North-west Territories.

The first session of the new Council was held at, Fort Pelly in March, 1877. Six Ordinances were passed at this session, dealing with the administration of justice, registration of deeds, prevention of prairie and forest fires, ferries, infectious diseases and the protection of the buffalo. The Ordinance for the preservation of the buffalo was in the best interests of the Indians, but when put in force it met strong opposition from both Indians and Half-breeds. The thought of imprisonment for killing a buffalo seemed outrageous and they united in denouncing the law and openly defied it.

 

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Pioneers and Prominent People of Saskatchewan