Cahall, Raymond Du Bois. The Sovereign Council of New France: A Study in Canadian Constitutional History. New York: Columbia University Press, 1915. 274 pp. Reprinted 2005 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. 1-58477-467-3. Cloth. $80. * The Sovereign Council was a governmental body established by France in 1663 to administer its colony in the St. Lawrence Valley. Unusually powerful for a colonial government, the council was the primary legislative and legal authority of New France. It had the power to select judges and minor officials, control public funds and commerce with the mother country, regulate the fur trade and set policy on local affairs. Cahall treats the council's history, organization, procedure and functions, assesses its effectiveness and evaluates its achievements and failures. This valuable study was originally published as Volume LXV, Number 1 in Columbia's series Studies in History, Economics and Public Law. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.