On today’s date in 1758, Nova Scotia Governor Charles Lawrence convened the first meeting of the Nova Scotia legislature in the Halifax Court House with what was the first popularly elected parliament in Canadian history.

In 1958, Canada’s Post Office Department (now Canada Post) issued a five-cent stamp (Scott #382) commemorating Nova Scotia’s first elected assembly, which marked the beginning of the colony’s democratic government. The speaker’s chair and mace depicted on the stamp pay homage to the first general assembly in present-day Canada.

COLONY OF NOVA SCOTIA

In 1758, England granted self-government to the colony of Nova Scotia.

The newly formed government consisted of a governor, council and general assembly. The governor and council provided an election of 16 members for the entire province, which at that time included New Brunswick.

The stamp’s main design depicts maces, which evolved from weapons of war to ceremonial items of prominence in British parliament, plus a speaker’s chair. On opposite sides of the chair, English and French text details the first elected assembly, marking the beginning of democratic government in Canada.

Printed by the Canadian Bank Note Company and measuring 26 millimetres by 38 millimetres (horizontal), this stamp had a print run of 25,360,000.