for an Act of Incorporation of the College of Bytown; and also praying for aid to that College. 4. Of Mr. Robert Conroy and others, of Bytown and its vicinity; praying that the College of Bytown may receive a like support by Legislative aid as the other Colleges of Upper Canada. 4. Of the Canadian Baptist Union, praying that all sectarianism be removed from the Constitution of King's College; and that the Clergy Reserves Fund be applied to the purposes of Popular Education, without reference to Sect, or Creed.

On motion of Mr. J. S. Macdonald, seconded by Mr. B. Holmes, it was,—

Resolved, That an humble Address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General, praying him to be pleased to cause to be laid before this House, a Return of all Special Grants to Schools and Colleges, (not including the annual grant to Common Schools for Upper and Lower Canada of £50,000,) with the particulars of the expenditure in each case, the names of the Teachers, or Professors, who are employed; the number of pupils who share in the benefit; and the course of instruction pursued-also; the Religious body (if any) with which the Institution is connected.

January 31st, 1849. The following Petition in regard to a Provincial School of Art and Design was read:

TO THE HONOURABLE THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN PROVINCIAL PARLIAMENT ASSEMBLed.

The Petition of the Undersigned Working Mechanics, residing in the City of Toronto,

Most Respectfully Sheweth :-That your Petitioners have recognized, with much gratification, the generous and noble grants to, and endowments of the several Literary and Scientific Institutions of the Province, for the purpose of preparing and fitting the youth thereof for the different learned Professions, and the higher stations in life; as also for the encouragement of Agricultural pursuits; both of which objects your Petitioners are fully aware are calculated, in their spheres, to promote the best interests of the Country and which, (largely through the fostering aid thus afforded,) have attained to a high standard and reputation.

2. Your Petitioners are also fully sensible of the earnest consideration and attention, that is justly given, (especially by your Honourable House,) to the interests of the commercial classes of the community.

3. But your Petitioners have to lament, that, as yet, but little has been done by previous Legislatures in behalf of the numerous class with which they stand connected and hence, to a certain extent, they are led to attribute the comparative backward state of our manufactures and mechanical sciences, and consequent great detriment sustained by the Country at large.

4. Your Petitioners, therefore, most humbly pray, that some small portion of the valuable time of your Honourable House, during its present Session, may be devoted to the consideration of the advancement of their class, either by the Establishment of a Provincial School of Art and Design, where youths intended for the various Artistical and Mechanical businesses, could be prepared for entering with advantage upon their apprenticeships, by obtaining a scientific knowledge of the organization of the material and the properties of the natural substances which they may be required to use, the laws of the Mechanical Sciences, etcetera; or by the adoption of such other Measures as to your Honourable House, in its wisdom, should deem meet. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.

TORONTO, January, 1849.

JOHN E. PELL, and others.

(NOTE. In the expectation that aid would be granted for this purpose, a "Synopsis of a Course of Study" for a "School of Art and Design" was, in the year 1849, prepared by Mr. H. Y. Hind, the Mathematical Master of the Normal School, under the direction of the Chief Superintendent of Education.

Provision

was made for such a School in the Draft of Bill on page 219 of this Volume.)*

February 1st, 1849. The following Petion was read:-Of the Reverend Æneas McDonald and others, the Catholic Clergy and Laity of the Parish of Cornwall: praying that such provision be made for the College of Regiopolis, Kingston, as may place it upon a secure and permanent basis.

February 2nd, 1849. Mr. Speaker laid before the House the following Report for 1848 of the Trustees of the Friends' Boarding School at West Lake, Prince Edward County:

* In addition to the preparation of this "Synopsis," a variety of Publications on the subject of "Art and Design" were purchased for the Library of the Education Department, (where they now are.) Instead of this School of Art being established, a College of Technology for the education of Mechanics and others was organized and put into operation in Toronto in 1871. See pages 214 and 219 of this Volume.

FRIENDS BOARDING SCHOOL. The Trustees having charge of Friends' Boarding School, established at West Lake, in the Prince Edward District, report, that a part of their number have visited the Institution monthly; and, at the close of the year, have carefully investigated the Affairs thereof, and have taken an Inventory of the Property belonging thereto, which they submit to the Legislature in the following form;—

The total number of Boarders in the School within the year were 69, of which number 37 were Males, and 32 Females.

The average attendance of Male Pupils during the Winter Term, including some Day Scholars, was 17 nearly, there being no School in that Department during the Summer Term this year. The average of Females for the year was about 10. By Order of the Trustees. WILLIAM GARRET, Clerk.

West Lake, 30th, 12th Month, 1848.

February 8th, 1849. The following Petition was read: Of Mr. Thomas Kelly and others of Prescott, praying for aid on behalf of Regiopolis College.

February 12th, 1849. The following Petitions were read: 1. Of the Right Reverend Patrick Phelan, Bishop of Carrhoe, and Administrator of the Diocese of Kingston, and others, Roman Catholics of Upper Canada; praying that suitable provision be made for the College of Regiopolis, Kingston 2. Of the University of Queen's College, Kingston; praying for an adequate endowment for the said College. 3. Of the Board of Trustees of Queen's College, Kingston, praying for aid. This Petition was read, as follows:

:

TO THE HONOURABLE THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY, CANADA.

The Petition of the University of Queen's College, Kingston,

Respectfully Sheweth, That while the other University, established by Royal Charter, within the late Province of Upper Canada, namely, that of King's College, Toronto, had been richly endowed out of the Public Lands of the said Province, although such Endowment was not employed in the actual instruction of youth, until after the opening of Queen's College, (in March, 1842). Queen's College has been supported, almost exclusively by the Presbyterian inhabitants of Canada, in connection with the Church of Scotland, although its benefits are by no means confined to the youth of that Church but are open to all; and all Religious Denominations have availed themselves thereof.

2. Your Petitioners have no doubt but that your Honourable House will give due consideration to the following reasons, which they desire to lay before your Honourable House why Queen College ought to receive a much larger annual Grant than Five Hundred pounds, (£500,) the very smallest sum hitherto granted to similar Institutions, although, by no means possessed of equal claims :

(1) Queen's College is incorporated by Royal Charter from Her Most Gracious Majesty. (2) Queen's was the first College, so founded, in actual operation in Canada.

(3) Queen's College has no Endowment from Public Lands.

(4) Queen's College has also, as is well known, a special claim on the funds of King's College, yet unliquadated, the settlement of which has been guaranteed both by the Home and by the Provincial Government and by King's College*.

And your Petitioners, as on duty bound, will ever pray.
KINGSTON, February, 1849.

(Signed by the Representatives Queen's University.)

NOTE. In a subsequent Petition, dated March 6th, 1849, the Trustees say :— While other Institutions have been liberally assisted from other sources, and while, for example, King's College has been enabled to erect suitable Buildings, from a very large revenue, and Victoria College has received a Grant of Four Thousand pounds, (£4,000,) for building purposes, Queen's College has not hitherto received any special Grant from the Government.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO THE AFFAIRS OF KING'S COLLEGE, TORONTO. †

February 13th, 1849. On motion of the Honourable Henry Sherwood, seconded by the Honourable John A. Macdonald, it was

Resolved, That an humble Address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General, praying His Excellency to cause to be laid before this House, a copy of the Ordinance of the Council of King's College appointing Commissioners to enquire into the affairs of the said College, and, of the instructions given to the said Commissioners, as well as of all other Documents having reference thereto.

The Honourable Henery Sherwood, having moved an Address to His Excellency for a copy of the instructions given to the Commissioners who were appointed to investigate the Financial Affairs of King's College, Toronto,

The Honourable Mr. Attorney General Baldwin remarked, that the honourable gentleman was in error in supposing, that a Commission had been appointed by the Government, it was, in reality, a Committee appointed by the King's College Council itself.

At the same time, he would take occasion to remark, that the reason why the Government had not laid before the House their Bill, with respect to the University, as soon as their other Measures, was, that they were in expectation of a preliminary, if not a final, Report, which would give them some idea of the monetary affairs of the College. His honourable friend from Halton, (Mr. John Wetenhall), who was on the Commission, would, he believed, be prepared to give every information respecting the Commission.

Mr. John Wetenhall, Member for Halton, said that he was, as the learned Attorney General had stated, a Member of King's College Commission, which had been established by authority of a Statute of King's College, passed in July last.

He had informed the Commission, a few days before leaving Toronto, that he was about to attend in his seat in Parliament, and, as it was probable he might be called on to explain why the Commission had not made their final Report, he wished to confer with them on the subject.

The Commissioners were unanimously of opinion, that he should make no statement in Parliament, which would be construed with an expression of opinion on matters still under consideration.

They

The Commission consisted of Doctor Workman, Judge R. E. Burns, and himself. met for the first time, on the 7th August last, and, after nominating him, (Mr. Wetenhall) Chairman, proceeded to call on the Reverend Doctor McCaul, President of the University, and informed him, that they were ready to enter upon their duties. The President entered into some details of the business of the Bursar's Office, explanatory of the nature and purposes of the Account Books kept therein.

* The questions here raised, and reiterated, are those reviewed and discussed in the voluminous correspondence on the subject, inserted in Chapters V and VI of the Fourth Volume of this Documentary History. See especially pages 103-108 of that Volume, and page 9 of the Sixth Volume.

+ For particulars of this Inquiry see pages 1-50 of this Volume.

The Commissioners have received at the hands of the President, and of every Officer and Servant of the University, the most marked courtesy and attention.

The first object of the Commissioners was to make themselves acquainted with the manner in which the business of the College Office had been conducted from the founding of the University, in 1827, down to the present time; and as they were aware, that much excitement on this subject prevailed throughout the Province, they felt convinced of the necessity of approaching their inquiries unbiassed by party feeling, or Religious Denominational predilections. They, therefore, resolved to discard from their minds all reference to any statements which had been made in relation to the affairs of the University, either by the advocates, or by the opponents, of the present organization and management; and to form their opinions exclusively upon the facts, which they should themselves discover in the course of their investigation.

With this view, the Commissioners deemed it proper to confine their preliminary inquiries to the careful examination of the documentary evidence afforded by the University Records. The Minutes of the College Council, and the copies of its Official Correspondence, were, therefore, obtained, and read over with much attention, extracts being taken in every instance, when necessary. After examining these Records, the Commissioners found it necessary to address a number of Questions to several of the Officers of the University, seeking for explanation upon various matters, referred to, in these Records. These Questions were framed with much care, and embraced so wide a range of facts, as to render their construction a work of considerable labour and solicitude. And it is probable, that the preparation of the Answers by the several parties to whom they were addressed, will require some time and much careful consideration, in order to render them sufficiently explicit to meet the purposes desired.*

In order to conduct with exactititude and satisfaction, that part of the investigation which related to the department of Accounts, the Commissioners obtained the services of a competent Accountant, one whose qualifications were well known in the City of Toronto to be of a high order With the assistance of their Accountant, they made an axamination of the College Account Books, but they soon discovered, with much regret, that it would be a matter of total impossibility to declare from these Books a satisfactory and reliable report of the present state of the finances, or of the general management, the Endowment. The Commissioners soon perceived that a re-compilation of the Accounts upon approved commercial principles was indespensable: they accordingly lost no time in making the necessary arrangements for the prosecutions and final completion of this part of their work.

Having, at the outset, determined, that the work should be either well done, or not attempted, the Commissioners saw no alternative, but to proceed with their labours, in accordance with the system, which they had decided upon pursuing. A complete new set of Account Books, constructed upon the principles of double entry, is in process of compilation, the materials for the construction of these Books are drawn from the existing Account Books and Financial Records of the College Office.

This part of the work is one of considerable difficulty, and requiring the exercise of sound practical knowledge, and the utmost patience and penetration on the part of the Accountant. Annual balances are made up with a view to ensure accuracy in the general work, and to enable the Commissioners to present such periodical statements of the affairs of the University as may exhibit the character of the management at various periods of administration.

The Commissioners have no difficulty in stating, that they are fully convinced, that their labours will, when completed, be found valuable, alike to the interests of the community and of the University, and though no other advantage should be secured, than the establishment of a rational and scientific system of keeping the College Accounts, the work will not have been performed in vain, the Account Books, which will be left by the Commissioners, will not only serve the purposes of readily available financial records, but will also be found a model for the illus tration of a proper and valuable system of Book Keeping,-a desideratum of great importance to King's College Office.

February 15th, 1849. Ordered, that Two hundred and Fity copies of the Petition of the Right Reverend Patrick Phelan, Bishop of Carrhoe, and Administrator of the Diocese of Kingston, and others, Roman Catholics of Upper Canada, be printed for the use of Members of this House.t

February 19th, 1849. The Petition of the Reverend Mr. Lalor and others, and also of the Reverend Michael Brennan and others of Belleville: praying that suitable provision be made for the College of Regiopolis, Kingston. (Similar to that of the Reverend T. Smith on page 110.) February 26th, 1849. The Petition of the Reverend J. H. McDonagh and others, Priests and Laymen of Perth and its vicinity, was read: paying that suitable provision be made for the College of Regiopolis. (Similar to that of the Reverend T. Smith, on page 110.)

* These Questions and Answers will be found on pages 26-50 of this Volume.

+ A copy of this Petition will be found on pages 64, 65 of the Seventh Volume of this Documentary History, and is almost identical with that of Reverend T. Smith given on page 110, herewith.

Ordered, That the Report of the Chief Superintendent of Schools of Upper Canada, for the year 1847, be printed for the use of the Members of this House.

Ordered, That the Petition of the Reverend T. Smith and others, Roman Catholics, praying that provision be made for Regiopolis College, presented on the 22nd of January, will be printed for the use of Members of this House. (See page 110 herewith)

February 27th, 1849. The Honourable James H. Price moved, seconded by the Honourable William H. Merritt, That this House do now resolve itself into a Committee on the subject of making an appropriation for Common School purposes.

The Honourable J. H. Price, a Member of the Executive Council, by Command of His Excellency the Governor General, then acquainted the House that His Excellency, having been informed of the subject matter of this Motion, recommends it to the consideration of the House. Resolved, That this House do now resolve itself into the said Committee.

The House accordingly resolved itself into the said Committee. Mr. N. Dumas took the chair of the Committee; and after some time spent therein, Mr. Speaker took the Chair, and Mr. Dumas reported, That the Committee had come to a Resolution. It was then

Ordered, That the Report be received to-morrow.

February 28th, 1849. Mr. N. Dumas, from the Committee on the subject of making an appropriation for Common School purposes, reported a Resolution, which was read as followeth:—

Resolved, That it is desirable that an annual sum of One Hundred Thousand pounds should be raised from the Public Lands of this Province, for the maintenance and support of Common Schools therein, and that so much of the first monies to be raised by the sale of such Land as shall be sufficient to create a capital which shall produce the said annual sum of One Hundred Thousand pounds, (£100,000), at the rate of six per centum, per annum, shall be set apart for that purpose. The said Resolution, being read a second time, was agreed to.

Ordered, That the Honourable J. H. Price have leave to bring in a Bill to raise an income of One Hundred Thousand pounds (£100,000) out of the Public Lands of Canada, for Common School Education. He accordingly presented the said Bill to the House, and the same was received and read for the first time; and ordered to be read a second time, on Friday next. The following is a copy of the original Bill, as introduced by Mr. Price :

Title.

Preamble.

Capital to be invested in Debentures.

Condition.

No alienation of income permitted.

BILL, AN ACT TO RAISE AN INCOME OF ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND POUNDS (£100,000 OUT OF THE PUBLIC LANds of Canada, FOR COMMON SCHOOL EDUCATION.*

WHEREAS it is desirable that an annual sum of One Hundred Thousand pounds, (£100,000,) should be raised for the Public Lands of this Province, for the maintenance and support of Common Schools therein; and that so much of the first monies to be raised by the Sale of such Lands, as shall be sufficient to create a Capit 1 which shall produce the said annual sum of One Hundred Thousand pounds, (£100,000,) at the rate of six per centum, per annum, should be set apart for that purpose:

Be it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and assent of the Legislative Council and House of Assembly, of the Province of Canada :

I. That all monies that shall arise from the Sale of any of the Public Lands of the Province, shall be set apart for the purpose of creating a Capital which shall be sufficient to produce a clear sum of One Hundred Thousand pounds, (£100,000), per annum, which said Capital, and the income to be derived therefrom, shall form a Public Fund to be called the Common School Fund of Canada.

Ii. And be it further enacted, That the Capital of the said Common School Fund shall, from time to time, be invested in the Debentures of any Public Company, or Companies, in the Province, which may have been incorporated by an Act of the Legislature, for the construction of Works of a Public Nature, and which said Company, or Companies, shall have subscribed their whole Capital Stock, paid up one half of such stock, and completed one half of such work, or works, or in the Public Debentures of this Province, for the purpose of creating such annual income which said Common School Fund, and the income thereof shall not be alienated for any other purpose whatever, but shall be, and remain, a perpetual

*In 1831, a Select Committee of the House of Assembly reported in favor of setting apart One Million acres of Crown Lands, from the Sale of which a Provincial Common School Fund might be created. See pages 49-51 of the Second Volume of this Documentary History. See also the First Report of the Select Committee of the House of Assembly in 1833 in which a grant of 1,000,000 acres of Land for Common Schools is asked for. Page 142 of the same Volume.