Textual Amendments
Every member of the Senate or House of Commons of Canada shall before taking his seat therein take and subscribe before the Governor General or some person authorized by him, and every member of a Legislative Council or Legislative Assembly of any province shall before taking his seat therein take and subscribe before the Lieutenant Governor of the province or some person authorized by him, the oath of allegiance contained in the fifth schedule to this Act; and every member of the Senate of Canada and every member of the Legislative Council of Quebec shall also before taking his seat therein take and subscribe before the Governor General or some person authorized by him, the declaration of qualification contained in the same schedule.
Except as otherwise provided by this Act, all laws in force in Canada, Nova Scotia, or New Brunswick at the union, and all courts of civil and criminal jurisdiction, and all legal commissions, powers, and authorities, and all officers, judicial, administrative, and ministerial, existing therein at the union shall continue in Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick respectively, as if the union had not been made; subject nevertheless (except with respect to such as are enacted by or exist under Acts of the Parliament of Great Britain, or of the Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,) to be repealed, abolished, or altered by the Parliament of Canada, or by the Legislature of the respective province, according to the authority of the Parliament or of that Legislature under this Act.
Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, all officers of the several provinces having duties to discharge in relation to matters other than those coming within the classes of subjects by this Act assigned exclusively to the Legislatures of the provinces shall be officers of Canada, and shall continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices under the same liabilities, responsibilities, and penalties as if the union had not been made.
Until the Parliament of Canada otherwise provides, the Governor General in Council may from time to time appoint such officers as the Governor General in Council deems necessary or proper for the effectual execution of this Act.
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 Empire and such foreign countries.
Either the English or the French language may be used by any person in the debates of the Houses of the Parliament of Canada and of the Houses of the Legislature of Quebec; and both those languages shall be used in the respective records and journals of those Houses; and either of those languages may be used by any person or in any pleading or process in or issuing from any court of Canada established under this Act, and in or from all or any of the courts of Quebec.
The Acts of the Parliament of Canada and of the Legislature of Quebec shall be printed and published in both those languages.