the 19th clause of the Act was accepted, to the shame of a Reform Ministry and the serious, if not fatal, injury of our Upper Canada School System.

2. By these statements and many others of the same kind, you represent the provision for Separate Protestant and Roman Catholic Schools, in certain cases, as of recent introduction and peculiar to the present School Act; when it is a fact, of which it is singular that you should be so misinformed, that that same provision was first introduced into the School Bill of 1841, brought in and conducted through the Legislative Assembly by the Honourable Samuel B. Harrison, and under the auspices of an Administration, of which Mr. Francis Hincks was a Member; that the same provision was introduced by Mr. Hincks in his School Bill of 1843, under the sanction of the Administration formed under Sir Charles Bagot; that the same provision, in the same words, was retained in the School Bill which the Honourable W. H. (now Judge) Draper introduced in 1846. The provision, therefore, which you represent as new and "fatal" has existed from the beginning of the present School system in 1841-now ten years—was formally introduced by the Reform Government of 1843, which you have for years supported; was concurred in by the same Gentlemen when they were in opposition, and when you likewise supported them in 1846, at the time it was brought forward by the leading Gentleman of the Conservative party.*

3. The difference between the provisions of the Common School Acts of 1841, 1843, 1846, and the present Act of 1850, is this:-under those Acts, Cities and Towns, as well as Townships, were divided into "School Sections," in each of which, on the requistion of ten house-holders, a Separate School could be demanded. As the City of Toronto was then divided into sixteen School Sections, there could, of course, have been as many Separate Schools, as Sections, had parties chosen to claim them. You are aware, however, that now Cities and Towns constitute each but one School Municipality under the present law. If certain parties, therefore, have desired the privilege of having Separate Schools in certain circumstances, they desire no more than they have enjoyed, to a greater extent than at present during the last ten years, and that, by the aid of the party of which The Globe has been a supporter, as well as by the Conservative party.

4. I have, on more than one occasion, expressed my opinion as to a System of Separate Schools; but I have, at the same time, thought it the right of each municipality, (rather than the Legislature, or Government), to decide for itself on this matter, according to its own wishes and circumstances. It would as ill become me, as it is strange to see The Globe seek, to deprive Roman Catholics, or Protestants, of a privilege which has been secured to them by successive Acts of the Canadian Legislature since 1841, and passed under the auspices, and by the entire support, of both political parties. Though there are upwards of 3,000 Common Schools in Upper Canada, there might, therefore, be nearly as many Separate Schools. There are however, but forty-five of them in all of Upper Canada. Of those, there are about as many Protestant, as Roman Catholic, Separate Schools. Almost invariably, where the majority of the inhabitants of a School Section are Roman Catholics, and employ a Roman Catholic Teacher, the Protestants of such Section insist upon having a Separate School. It is often difficult for a Roman Catholic Teacher to get a School in a Protestant School Section and, in many instances, when he has been employed by Protestant Trustees, a portion of their School Section have demanded a Separate School upon the ground of the Teacher being a Roman Catholic.

5. The feeling which gives rise, in most cases, to a desire for a Separate School, like that arising from difference of colour, cannot be extinguished by Act of Parliament, but by other influences, which I am happy to know, led to the gradual decline of this description of Schools, until the recent policy was pursued by certain newspapers to revive feelings of hostility between Roman Catholics and Protestants. Though Separate Schools are permitted, they are not placed in the same position as "Mixed Schools," and can only be sustained by special exertions and sacrifices on the part of their supporters, who are equally taxed, with all other classes of their neighbours for the erection, furnishing and all other expenses of the Mixed School, or Schools, and who, in addition, have to provide their own School-house and all incidental expenses of their School, as well as the balance of the Teacher's salary, by voluntary subscriptions among themselves. These Schools only receive a portion of the School Fund, according to the average attendance of pupils, towards the making up, in part, of their Teacher's salary. though I have no apprehension, of danger to our School System,- from the spread of Separate Schools, I am unwilling that the statement of their having commenced with the present School Act of 1850 should go forth uncontradicted.

But

6. Your attack on the appointment of one Roman Catholic in a Council of Public Instruction of nine, the other eight being Protestants, -seems to accord strangely with your advocacy of a "Mixed System of Schools," and of "equal rights and privileges amongst all Religious

* The Origin of Separate Schools and the immediate cause of their introduction, as part of our General School System in Upper Canada, is, on the authority of Sir Francis Hincks and other Members of the Legislature of Upper Canada at the time, fully set forth and explained in Chapters III-VI of "The Legislation and History of Separate Schools in Upper Canada", published by Doctor William Briggs, Toronto, in 1897.

Persuasions."

The Roman Catholic Church could not be more appropriately represented in the Council of Public Instruction than by its Chief Pastor, the successor in the Council of the late Bishop Power, who was a most active and efficient Member, until he suddenly fell a sacrifice to his labours among the poor and diseased emigrants of his Church, who came to this Country in 1849. Neither the late, nor the present, Government has placed a Roman Catholic Bishop "at the head of the Board of Instruction," but, I am sure I speak the sentiment of all parties concerned, when I say, that there has been the most perfect harmony and kindly feeling between the Roman Catholic Bishops in succession and all the other Members of the Council of Public Instruction.

TORONTO, July 22nd, 1851.

EGERTON RYERSON.

IV. LETTER FROM THE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO MEMBERS OF THE

GOVERNMENT ON THE SEPARATE SCHOOL QUESTION.

From the preliminary Correspondence between Doctor Ryerson and the advocates of Separate Schools in Upper Canada, which took place in 1851, he foresaw that a prolonged controversy on the subject was impending. He, therefore, thought it best to place before two important Members of the Government of the day his views on the subject. This he did in the following Letter, addressed to the Honourables Francis Hincks and Doctor John Rolph :

I have thought it well, (under present circumstances,) to place the question of Separate Schools in Upper Canada before you in writing.

2. When the School Bill of 1850 was prepared last Session of the Legislature, it was intended to leave the question of Separate Schools to each Township Council in country places, and to each Board of School Trustees in every City, Town and Incorporated Village, and not to the applicant parties. When the High Church party set on foot an intrigue with the Roman Catholics to subvert the system of Puble Schools altogether, the Nineteenth Section of that Bill was modified with a view to counteract this intrigue, and by placing the parties of Roman Catholics, or Protestants, desiring Separate Schools, in the same position that they were in under the former School Acts of the Province. This was all that the representative Roman Catholics of the day asked for, as far as they were concerned * But the Fourteenth Section of the Act has received from the Judges a more stringent interpretation than was intended in the preparation of it, or than was understood by any party at the time of passing it; and the Board of Trustees in this City have availed themselves of it What is proposed by the short [Remedial] Bill, which I gave you, is to place the Roman Catholics and Protestants in the same position in Cities and Towns, in respect to Separate Schools, that they were placed by the Acts of 1843 and 1846,$ with this exception, that they could then demand a Separate School in each School Section, (and there were sixteen School Sections in Toronto), whereas the proposed Remedial Bill only gives the privilege, if they desire it, of having one in each Ward.

3. The proposed "Remedial Bill" does not apply to Counties, or Townships, but only to Cities and Towns; and its practical application will not extend beyond the three Cities. I am persuaded it will be of no special advantage to the Roman Catholics, as I have told them; nor can it be of any injury to the Public Schools. As Free Schools are becoming the "order of the day" in each of the Cities and Towns, Separate Schools, (from their additional cost to their supporters), cannot exist beside them; and the separating parties will eventually be compelled to give them up and come into the Mixed Schools, in less advantageous circumstances than if they were at once to avow the principle of Mixed Schools and ask consideration of their sentiments in the employment of a portion of the Teachers. Nor will they be able to demand a Separate School in any one, or more, Wards of a City, or Town, unless the Teacher employed by the Trustees is of a different faith from theirs.

4. Yet the Roman Catholics make a point of this question; and they have the advantage as it involves what they once enjoyed, what was intended to be given them in the new "Remedial Act", what has never produced any practical injury, and what only relates to Cities and Towns. The question can now be settled without any injury to the School System;

* The incident of this "intrigue" is narrated by Doctor Ryerson in an extract from a Letter, written by him, and reprinted on page 25 of the Ninth Volume of this Documentary History.

This Section will be found on page 36 of the same Ninth Volume.

§ The Common School Act of 1843 is printed on pages 251-262 of the Fourth Volume of this Documentary History, and that of 1846 on pages 59-70 of Volume Six of the same History. The "Remedial Bill," here spoken of, will be found, on page 250 of the Ninth Volume of the same History.

but, if it be deferred, the demands of the Roman Catholics, (as you know from the Letters which I showed you.) will be increased,-increased to such an extent, that you and your friends cannot concede them; and then a coalition will be formed between the Roman Catholics and the High Church party, and which you may be sure will have reference to the University, as well as to the Elementary Schools and, of course, to the Clergy Reserves. But by settling this really small affair now, you prevent any such coalition, and you strengthen the bond of union between the Roman Catholic Members of Lower Canada and yourselves in Upper Canada.

TORONTO, 1st August, 1851.

EGERTON RYERSON.

V. CHURCH OF ENGLAND SEPARATE SCHOOLS ADVOCATED BY BISHOP STRACHAN, 1851.

At the first Synodical Meeting of Members of the Church of England in Canada, held in Toronto in May, 1851, the Bishop delivered an elaborate "Charge," a large portion of which was devoted to a criticism of the Public School System of Upper Canada, and an urgent appeal to the Members of his Church to seek to obtain from the Legislature the same right to establish Church of Eng. land Separate Schools, as was then, by law, granted to the Roman Catholics. In his Charge, the Bishop said :

There are two extremes in public education: the one is where every child is considered the child of the state, and is educated without any regard to the wishes and views of the parents; the other is where the state pays no regard whatever to the matter, but leaves the parents to give their children education, or not, as they please.

2. In this Province, the system adopted cannot with accuracy be said to come under either of these two. Schools are established throughout the Province, and worked by a very complicated machinery; but, not being based on a recognition of the Scriptures, cannot possess God's blessing.

3. It is, however, but justice to say, that the Provincial Normal School, since its first establishment, has been conducted with ability and success; and, where it has failed, it has not been the fault of the Teachers, but of the principle on which it rests. It may further be remarked that the Chief Superintendent has been diligent in his office and seems to have done all that the law permitted to introduce something of Religious feeling and knowledge, by adopting the Books made use of by the Irish Board of Education. So far, therefore, he deserves commendation, and, indeed, what is wanting in the System is not to be attributed to him.

4. It is, nevertheless, such a System of Education as would not to be permitted to exist for one day in Great Britain. And why? Because civil and religious liberty are well known and defined in the Parent State, and education is reduced to principle. Hence all Religious Persuasions receive equal assistance from the Government in educating their youth. No damper is thrown upon their peculiar opinions; the children are not in this matter separated from their parents.

5. To take away the power of the parents to judge and direct the education of their children, which is their natural privilege from God, as our Elementary Schools virtually do, will never be allowed in Great Britain.

6. There, money is advanced to assist and support Schools in connexion with every Religious Denomination; and the Government is restrained from all interference with the Religious Instruction, discipline, or management of such Schools: there we have true liberty; gold, and not alloy. But, in this Province, it is not so much as acknowledged in our School Law. The Bible appears not among our School-books; and a belief in Christianity is not included among the qualifications of School Masters; and I am credibly informed that there have been instances of Candidates for Schools disavowing all religious belief.

7. Now the remedy is with you, my Brethren of the Clergy and Laity. We must insist upon the correction of this intolerable degradation, or our Children will become infidels. We must demand what the Roman Catholic have already obtained,-Separate Schools; and I honour them for insisting on this just concession. A request so reasonable cannot be long withheld from us, for unjust class legislation cannot endure long in any Country.

8. In Great Britain, the National Society represents the Church of England Schools; the British and Foreign Society represents various Dissenters; the Wesleyan Body, with the Free Church of Scotland, represent their several Denominations, All are in correspondence with

the Committee of Council on Education, and receive assistance in the maintenance of their Schools, and all proceed in educating their children in their own way, in harmony and in peace; and why is not the same Christian justice dealt out to us here in Canada?

9. It is indeed surprising, that this Educational System, which ought to have been, from time to time, carefully considered by the framers of the School Acts for this Province, since it offers so very easy a solution of the problem of suiting education to a mixed Religious population, should have been neglected; the more especially as it will be very easy to modify our laws, so as to work exactly as they do in the English System.

10. All that is wanting is, to give powers to the different School Trustee Boards, or Authorities, to grant Separate Schools, as they now do to the Roman Catholics, to all localities desiring them, and furnishing a reasonable number of scholars.

11. Not that this can perhaps be done without opposition from the irreligious, but they are few in number; and we do not again expect the Roman Catholics in the Legislature so far to neglect the true principles of the constitution as to sieze upon privileges for their own benefit which they refuse to others. The continuance of such a course will have a melancholy end, for it would be better for Protestants to perish than to submit to such oppression much longer, to look passively on while their children are brought up in Popery, or infidelity.

12. As to any opposition from other parties, if left to itself, it would appear in its true colours, altogether contemptible, because it would be seen to be the emanation of the most narrow selfishnes, which allows of nothing unless it accords with preconceived notions; and, as they have no Religious principles themselves, their desire is to crush such principles in others.

13. We must, therefore, petition the Legislature for Church of England Separate Schools. In the meantime, it will be our duty to establish a Church School at every Church, or Station, in the Parishes, and also a Sunday School, both of which to be under the care of the resident Clergyman, whose duty it will be to see that the instruction is on the Church system, upon which she speaks most decidedly. Whenever she treats of education, she means catechising as the principal part. This she takes as her standard from the practice of the primitive Churches.

14. Now this must be carried out as she directs, for the benefit of her baptized children, and of this education the baptismal promises and preparation for Confirmation form an importand necessary part.

15. The whole arrangement depends upon you, my Bretheren, and you must give your personal attention to commence and keep it in motion. You must never forget that you are the Commissioned Instructors of the children of God's Holy Catholic Church, who are to lead them from Baptism to Confirmation ; from Confirmation, to their first Communion; and from that, to the Bar of God.

16. Compared to this all other instruction is worthless; but such is the capacity of youth, under proper discipline, that with all this they may be made to surpass in every kind of secular knowledge those of the same age, who are brought up ignorant of the Gospel and its Holy requirements.

17. Hitherto our people have not perceived the tendency of the present School System. They are apt to think, that, because some of the Books consist of partial portions of Scripture, there is some Religion taught. But our Religion must be taught systematically by its great Doctrines and Creeds, as it has ever been, proving them by Holy Scripture, and thus giving them unction, power and life. In this way the young Christian drinks conviction from the first fountain of eternal truth, and finds, with lively satisfaction, that every word which has been taught him by the Church has the sanction of the pure Gospel.

At the close of the Bishop's Address, it was Moved by the Reverend E. J. Boswell, of Williamsburgh, seconded by Mr. Laurence Lawrason, of London.

"That this Meeting desires to express it sense of the paramount duty of connecting Religion with Secular Education; and, in order to carry out this obligation, they deem it to be necessary to petition the Colonial Legislature to permit the establishment of Church of England Separate Schools; and that the assessments ordinarily paid by Churchman for the support of Common Schools be applied to the maintenance of such as are in connection with the Church of England here, where such appropriation is practicable and desired; and that the Committee appointed be empowered to draft the Petition." Carried unanimously.

CHAPTER IX.

EDUCATIONAL PROCEEDINGS OF VARIOUS COUNTY MUNICIPAL COUNCILS, 1851.

1. THE UNITED COUNTIES OF WENTWORTH AND HALTON.

On Motion, it was resolved that a Committee be appointed to prepare a draft Memorial to the Legislature on the subject of School Law Amendment.

The Committee brought in their First Report, which was adopted as follows:

1. Your Committee are of opinion that the present Common School Law of 1850 is highly objectionable in many respects, and would respectfully recommend that a Memorial be presented to the Legislature during the next Session, praying that the following amendments may be made to that Law:

1st. That the power of appointing Common School Superintendents be vested in the several Township, Town, and Village Municipalities.

2nd. That such Superintendents, instead of School Trustees, have the power of selecting School Books.

3rd. That the office of Chief Superintendent of Education be abolished, and that the powers vested in him be conferred on the Council of Public Instruction.

4th. That no Religious distinction, as provided by the Nineteenth Section of the said Act, be permitted, as, in the opinion of your Committee, sectarian Education can only be productive of animosity and discord.

2. That, in the opinion of your Committee, it is expedient that at the next Session of the County Council, the Reeves and Deputy Reeves shall, after consulting the Municipalities which they represent, report to this Council the names of those persons whom they consider eligible for the offices of Superintendents of Common Schools.

Pursuant to order, an engrossed Memorial to the Honourable the Legislative Assembly, on the subject of Common Schools was brought up by the Chairman of the Education Committee and passed, as follows:

To the Honourable the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Canada:

The Memorial of the Municipal Council of the United Counties of Wentworth and Halton, Respectfully Sherreth,

1. That your Memorialists are of opinion that the present Common School Law of 1850 is objectionable in many respects; and your Memorialists are of opinion that the educational interests of Canada require that several alterations be made in that law.

2. Your Memorialists would, therefore, pray, that the power of appointing Common School Superintendents be vested in the several Township, Town, and Village Municipalities, and the right of selecting School Books be given to such Superintendents.

3. Your Memorialists would further pray that the Office of Chief Superintendent of Education should be abolished, and that the authority conferred on him be vested in the Council of Public Instruction.

Your Memorialists would further pray that no Religious distinction, as provided by the Nineteenth Section of the said Act, be permitted, as, in the opinion of your Memorialists, sectarian Education can only be productive of animosity and discord.

And your Memorialists, as in duty bound, will ever pray.
HAMILTON, 30th January, 1851.

ROBERT SPENCE, Warden.

The Committee brought in their Second Report, which was adopted, as follows :-

1. In reference to the working of Common School Education, generally, your Committee feel themselves called upon to state, that they hail the present movement in numerous sections of this County, in regard to the establishment of Free Schools therein, as indicative of a decided melioration in the tone of the public mind, in its appreciation of this sound and enlightened mode of rendering the blessings and benefits of education available to all. And your Committee have no doubt, that the result,-provided that the system be fairly