Canadian Symbols of Authority: Maces, Chains, and Rods of Office (review)

Canadian Symbols of Authority is a handsome, beautifully illustrated book that provides a unique insight into this country's symbols of authority. Besides the maces, chains, and rods of office used in our constitutional monarchy, the book also includes batons, uniforms, and badges carried and worn by state officials. Not only is the origin and development of these symbols discussed, but their use in various state ceremonies and the protocol that accompanies each of them is explained.

Of all the symbols discussed, the mace is clearly the most important for our parliamentary democracy. Consequently, the greater part of the book is focused on the mace, its historical development, manufacture, and use in the various legislatures, as well as many municipalities and universities in Canada. Although all legislatures throughout Canada have maces today, this was not always the case. The oldest parliamentary mace in Canada is the Senate mace, which dates from 1793, was used by the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada, and has survived four fires, two riots, and a rebellion. The youngest is the one used in Nunavut, which dates from 1999 when the territory was carved out of the Northwest Territories.

The mace is carried by the sergeant-at-arms. During sessions of Parliament after the Speaker takes the chair, the mace is placed in front of the Speaker. In the Senate, the crown of the mace faces the Speaker, while in the Commons, the crown faces the government. In Canada, Quebec is the only province with two maces, one from the old Legislative Council, which was abolished in 1958, and one from the Legislative Assembly. Since the late 1960s, Quebec has followed the Senate tradition of placing the mace lengthwise along the clerk's Table as occurred at the first meeting of the Legislative Assembly of Lower Canada in 1793.

In Newfoundland and Labrador, the mace draws attention to a legislative anomaly; its crown points to the government seated to the left of the Speaker (189). The authors do not comment on this peculiarity, whereby the government sits to the left of the Speaker in the House of Assembly, not to the right, as in all other legislatures in Canada. Apparently, this tradition dates from the 1850s because of the location of the heaters to the left side of the Speaker in the original Colonial Building, which had housed the Assembly until the new Confederation Building was built. The government chose to sit in the heat and leave the opposition to the cold!

Besides legislatures throughout Canada, the mace is a symbol of authority in several universities and municipalities, such as Vancouver, where the mace carries the royal arms of King Edward VIII, a rarity indeed. The authors do not indicate that the mace at universities symbolizes the authority vested in the chancellor to confer university credentials and thus is an integral part of the convocation ceremonies. Although not mentioned in the text, the mace at the University of Alberta dates from 1970 and is carried before the chancellor in the academic procession and rests on a stand in full view of the graduating students and their families during convocation.

Symbols of Authority also has a very good section on uniforms and badges of civil authority. Since most lieutenant-governors do not wear a uniform, although there are notable exceptions, Canada has instituted 'recognition badges' to be worn by representatives of the Crown and their spouses so that in receptions and at ceremonies, Canadians can spot their vice-regal representatives in a group of individuals.

While there is much to praise about this book, there are a few corrections that can be made in future editions. Although the text correctly states that the Parliament in Montreal was burned on 25 April 1849 during the Rebellion Loses Bill riots, the caption under the picture of this episode in our history dates the burning incorrectly as April 1848. The authors incorrectly state, 'The principal insignia...