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 1 
 
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 6 
 

 
 ., f 
 
 [4 «■ 
 
 THE HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE 
 
 AND 
 
 UNIVERSITY. 
 
 BT 
 
 OBOBOE FATTEBSON, M. A. 
 
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 1887. ^..^- 
 
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 1887. 
 
 
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 National Library BIbliothdque nationale 
 of Canada du Canada 
 
THE HISTORY 
 
 OF 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE 
 
 AND 
 
 UNIVERSITY. 
 
 BY 
 
 fJEORGE PATTERSON, M. A. 
 
 ^l^t i^lumni Association IJnje €ssag, 
 
 1887. 
 
 5UHi,_:^*y,^g« 
 
 
 HALIFAX, N. S. : 
 Morning Heuald Printing and Pimilishincj Company. 
 
 1887. 
 
LE3 
 
 A 
 
¥: 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 •At their Annual Meeting in the Spring of 188G, the Alumni of 
 Dalhousie College unanimously decided to offer a prize of the value 
 of $50 for the best history of their Alma Mater. The two chief 
 sources of information for such a work are the Journals of the House 
 of Assembly and the newspapers. These were not available to any 
 one not resident in the City of Halifax. The writer of the Essay 
 subsequently awarded the prize, because living in a country tov/n, 
 was prevented from beginning the task of collecting ujaterials, etc., 
 until late in the fall of 188G. By one of tire conditions under which 
 the prize was offered, the essays had to be in the hands of the 
 Secretary of the Alumni Association before the 1st of March, 1887, 
 With less than four months at his disposal, the author could devote 
 no attention to the nuvnner in which he wrote ; but found his whole 
 time taken up in collecting material and simply arranging it in 
 chronological order. Great pains were taken to verify every state- 
 ment made, with, the author flatters himself, a successful result ; and 
 thus, while regretting that his attempt at history should be marred 
 by many faults of composition, he has the satisfaction of believing 
 that in the humbler part of an historian's duty he has succeeded. 
 
 A 
 
 S^if? 
 
THE AWARD. 
 
 H. W. C. BoAK, Esq., 
 
 Secy. Alumni Association of Dalhousie College. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 In accordanco with the desire of the Executive Committee of the 
 Alumni A.ssoeiation communicated by you, we have carefully examined 
 the two Essays, having respectively the motto, "Doctrina vim 
 promovet insitam " and " Froissart," and while finding the latter a 
 readable and interesting account of the College, have nq hesitation in 
 recommending the former for the prize. We base our decision mainly 
 on the following grounds : — (1.) The Essay with the motto, "Doctrina," 
 etc., gives the history of the College up to the Act of 1863 in much 
 greater detail than the one with the motto " Frois.sart." (2.) It gives 
 much fuller reference to authorities, and these are original authoritie.'' : 
 the Journals of the Legi.slature, minutes of the Board of Governors, 
 newspapers of the day, etc. ; whereas " Friossart's " account is largely 
 based on published work^. (3.) During the period when the proper 
 functions of the College were suspended, there being neither teachers 
 nor students, the essay to which we have given the preference, 
 consi: ers the Board of Governors as being the College, and accounts of 
 their proceedings as the custom of the College, whereas " Froissart " 
 during these periods brings into prominence rather the history of the 
 building and the purposes for which it was used. 
 
 In conclusion we beg to state that the essay with the motto 
 " Doctrina," etc., is not merely the better of the two, but in our opinion 
 is itself well deserving of the prize, and admirably coiresponds to the 
 object which the Alumni Association seems to have had in view in 
 offering the prize. 
 
 We have to honor to be, 
 
 Your obedient servants. 
 
 (Sgd.) JOHN FORREST. 
 W. J ALEXANDER. 
 
 Dalhousie College, 
 
 March 28rd, 1887. 
 
"JPottrina bim promobct insitam." 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 War of 1812-14 — Expedition against Castine — Lord Dalhousie. 
 
 In June, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain, and 
 the latter retaliated in the following October. The w%r lasted, with varying 
 success, for over two years. During this time the British Provinces wern 
 scenes of activity. The Canadas were several times invaded by the Ameri- 
 can forces. Nova Scotia, though often threatened, escaped attack, and was 
 able to assist her sister Provinces along the St. Lawrence. On the 26th of 
 August, 1814, an expedition left Halifax on a warlike errand. Its com- 
 manders were Sir John Sherbrooke and Admiral Griffith, both tried men and 
 true in their special line of service. Its destination was Machias, Me. 
 When two days out the leaders heard that an American frigwte, the "Adams," 
 had sailed up the river Penobscot, past Castine, to avoid being captured by 
 them, and the news induced them to change their plans. Their course 
 was altered, and the morning of September 1st saw them at anchor in front 
 of Castine. Castine is a small town situated on a peninsula on the eastern 
 side of the Penobscot river. At this time it was garrisoned by a company of 
 regulars and a band of militia. When summoned to surrender, its governor 
 boldly refused ; but before the great guns of the fleet were fairly at work, he 
 had repented of his rashness, and capitulated. The town was taken, it is 
 worth while mentioning, with a loss to the British of only one man. The 
 Americans probably suffered more severely. A force was immediately dis- 
 patched ill search of the "Adams " She was found far up the river, seized 
 and destroyed. Some merchant vessels that were with her shared the same 
 fate. The towns of Hamden and Bangor, lying on the western side of the 
 Penobscot, also fell into ihe hands of the British. A glance at a map of 
 Maine and New Brunswick will show that the rivers Penobscot and St. 
 Croix so converge near their sources as to make the large district that lies 
 between them almost an island. Holding Castine, the key of the whole, as 
 Sir John and his able coadjutor did, all of this section was theirs, with the 
 exception of the fortified town of Machias and the country around it. In 
 order then to complete the conquest, a division of the army, commanded by 
 Colonel Pilkington, was sent to take Machias, if possible ; and when, on Sep- 
 tember 11th, it succeeded in doing so. Sir John arid Admiral Griffith were 
 able to issue a proclamation declaring that they had taken formal possession 
 in the name of His Britannic Majesty of all the eastern sid^ of the Penobscot, 
 and all the country lying between it and the boundary line of New Bruns- 
 wick. A provisional government was at once established, with Lieutenant 
 Gosselin in the gubernatorial chair. Ca.stine was made the sole port of entry 
 
6 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 for the newly acquired territory, and arrongenienta were perfected for collect- 
 ing the ini|)oi't and export duties \uider ttiriflf regulations similar to those of 
 the adjoining provinces.* Th(^ war should, and in these days cf 8ul>niarino 
 telegraphs, would, have ended with the signing of the Treaty of Ghent in the 
 closing days of 1814 ; but the news of the peace did not reach America for 
 some weeks. The English held Castine until the 26th of April, 1816, on 
 which date they evacuated it, and came to Halifax, bringing with them some 
 ^12,000, the amount levied for customs, etc., during the seven months of 
 their occupancy. When Lieutenant-Governor Gosselin's salary was paid 
 there was left the sum of .£10,750. Ix)rd Bathurst, Secretary of State for 
 the Colonies, in a dispatch of October 10th, 1815, directed that this ••'Castine 
 Fund," as it was popularly known, should be devoted to improvements in 
 Nova Scotia. So great was the multitude of worthy objects that presented 
 themselves to Sir John Slierbrooke's mind, that he was in a dilemma similar 
 to that of the man who drew an elephant in a lottery. He recommended to 
 the Council that the money be devoted to founding a House of Industry or an 
 Alms House ; and subsequently, as neither of these seemed to suit their 
 wishes, he suggested the propriety of giving it to help along the Sliubenacadie 
 Canal. Beforts, however, a decision was reached, fortunately, we are com- 
 pelled to say. Sir John was recalled, and Earl Dalhousie took his place. 
 
 The new governor came fresh from the wars of Europe to assume the 
 government of Nova Scotia. He was then in the prime of life, having been 
 born on October 22nd, 1770.t With Othello, Lord Dalhousie could have 
 said — 
 
 ••For since these anus of mine had seven years pith, 
 ^ill MOW, some nine moons wasted, they have used 
 Their dearest action in the tented field." 
 
 During all the wars of that eventful jieriod which culminated on the 18th of 
 June, 1815, he had taken an active part, and had paiticularly distinguished 
 himself at Waterloo. For his services to his country he was raised to the 
 peerage of the United Kingdom in August, 1815, with the title of Baron 
 Dalhousie, of Dalhousie Castle, and shortly after appointed to Sir John Sher- 
 brooke's position. On him really devolved the work of expending, in the best 
 way possible, the Castine fund. For the present, then, we leave our immedi- 
 ate task to sketch the state of higher education in Nova Scotia, and, as we 
 are doing so, we believe Lord Dalhousie's reason for devoting the money to 
 the purpose he did will become apparent. 
 
 CHAPTER IL 
 
 Condition of Higher Education in Nova Scotia. 
 
 At the time in which our history necessarily opens, the state of afiairs in 
 Nova Scotia, as regards higher education, was, to say the least, unsatisfactory. 
 As early as 1789, the Assembly had voted ,£400 [»er annum, in perpetuity, 
 towards the support of a college at Windsor ; and to this grant, large though 
 it was considering the circumstances, they had added j£500 to purchase a 
 proper site. In voting this money the greatest unanimity prevailed ; dissent- 
 
 * Annual Register, 1814. 
 t See Appendix A, p. 154. 
 
 li 
 ai 
 
id for collect- 
 
 ar to those of 
 
 f 8ul)-marino 
 
 Ghent in the 
 
 li America for 
 
 |)ril, 1816, on 
 
 th them Honie 
 
 en months of 
 
 lary was paid 
 
 of State for 
 
 this •'•Castine 
 
 provements in 
 
 :hat presented 
 
 em ma similar 
 
 scom mended to 
 
 Industry or an 
 
 to suit their 
 
 e Sliubenacadie 
 
 we are com- 
 
 his place. 
 
 to assume the 
 
 fe, having been 
 
 isie could have 
 
 1 on the 18th of 
 ly distinguished 
 'as raised to the 
 title of Baron 
 ) Sir John Sher- 
 ding, in the best 
 ave our immedi- 
 ;otia, and, as we 
 ig the money to 
 
 ;ate of affairs in 
 t, unsatisfactory, 
 a, in perpetuity, 
 ,nt, large though 
 to purchase a 
 evailed ; dissent- 
 
 DALH0U8IE COLLEGE. 7 
 
 ers united with churchmen, believing that the money would be ex|^nded in 
 such a way as to meet the re<iuiren)ont8 of all classes of the people. Up to 
 this date, as the Bishop of Nova Scotia, writing to the Archbishop of Canter- 
 bury, says : " No other British Colony in North America ever did so much to 
 promote literature." His Lordship also wrote to the Right Hon. Mr. d^ranville 
 in the same strain, and asked him to use his influence with the Imperial Par- 
 liament to obtain assistance. Mr. Granville a year later was able to reply, 
 that, as a mark of the attention of the parent government to the promotion 
 of religion and learning in the Province, the sum of XI 000 had been voted 
 by the House of CommonH towards the erection of a college in Nova Scotia. 
 He further intimated that His Majesty had declared his intention of giving 
 the institution a royal chartor and oif making it gfants of crown lands to 
 help its endowment. More was subsequently obtained, with which the buildings 
 were finished. The charter was not granted until May, i-''^, though the 
 royal warrant for it had long been made out With it came ■ m announce- 
 ment that an additional grant of £1000 (which was continied annually till 
 1834) had been voted by the I mp«rial Parliament.'*'' Iv 803 tlie Gover* jis 
 adopted the statute under which the new University ■•as to Vie irovdrued. 
 One of these bi/an^' as ran thus : — 
 
 " No '> gree shall be conferred till the candidate shall have i iken the oaths 
 of allegiance and obedience to the statutes of the Univ(;rsity, and shall have 
 subscribed the thirty-nine articles of the Church of England, and the three 
 articles contained in the thirty-ninth canon of the Synod of London held in 
 the year of our Lord, 1603." 
 
 Another clause was even more exclusive, but we forbear quoting it. The 
 predominating idea of the Governors seems to have been to model the college 
 on the plan of the University of Oxford. The students at heavy exp^-nse were 
 obliged to reside within the walls, and its whole management was such as would 
 have excluded the great majority of the youth of the Province, even had its 
 statutes been more liberal. Mr. Haliburton, " Sam Slick," a graduate of Kings, 
 and one therefore who could quote, 
 
 " Sin, if my judgment you'll allow, 
 I've seen, and sure I ought to know," 
 
 in one of his speeches is reported as saying that it cost a young man £120 
 per annum to live at Windsor. This of itself was sufficient to prevent 99 
 out of the 100 of those who were desirous of securing a higher education 
 from doing so. 
 
 In justice it must be said that the Archbishop of Canterbury, who had the 
 power to veto any statute, expressed his disapproval of thus limiting the 
 benefits of an institution to a few, particularly when that institution was so 
 liberally supported by the Assembly of which the vast majority were dissenters, 
 and that therefore these statutes were not legal. Sufficient it is to add that 
 in spite of his representations, the trustees acted upon these regulations. 
 Mr. Fairbanks, one of the most gifted of Nova Scotia's sons, stated, in a 
 document to which we shall have occasion to refer later on, that he could 
 not get a degree from Kings College because he could not swallow the tests. 
 
 With these arrangements the people were not satisfied, but, scattered as 
 they were, and struggling for the necessaries of life tis most of them were, 
 
 * The facts given above were chiefly obtained from Dr. Akins' " History of Elings College. " 
 
8 
 
 Dalhousie college. 
 
 little had been said and nothing done towards effecting a change. Still they 
 were not indifferent in the matter. A thirst for knowledge that seemed 
 almost unattainable was felt by many of the young men throughout the 
 Province. In Pictou County, the only part of which we can with certainty 
 speak, we find that the clergymen, in addition to their pastoral duties, devoted a 
 portion of tbeir time to the instruction of boys in the higher branches (one 
 of them had as many as five such pupils), and we have every reason to believe 
 that the same spirit was manifested in other parts of the province. Then 
 began the agitation which resulted in the founding of Pictou Academy to do 
 the work of a college, but without enjoying the power of granting degrees 
 The Act for its establishment was introduced into the Assembly in 1816, 
 without prescribing aii^ religious tests. Its projectors, though Presbyterians, 
 desired to found the institution .on a broad and liberal basis. In the Council, 
 the bill was so tenibly mutilated that even its friends could hardly recognize 
 it. •' Tlie voice was Jacob's voice, but the hands were the hands of Esau." 
 Clauses had been added by which the trustees were to be either of the Church 
 of England or Presbyterians. As the former were engaged to the full extent 
 of their power in sustaining Kings College, it was not expected that the new 
 institution would derive any support from that quarter, and therefore, by being 
 left to the Presbyterians alone, it would prove but a small affair. The friends 
 of the institution in the House had no alternative but to accept the amend- 
 ments or lose the bill altogether. The result was that although there were 
 no religious tests for students — and thus its education was given without dis- 
 tinction of sect, and all classes did to some extent avail themselves of its ad- 
 vantages, — yet the restrictions in regard to trustees and teachers virtually 
 threw it into the hands of the Presbyterians. 
 
 Such then was the condition of higher education in this Prov: ice when 
 Lord Dalhousie succeeded Sir John Sherbrooke as GoVemor. Two institu- 
 tions existed to do the work of colleges, though that at Pictou had not as yet 
 commenced operations. One of these had been liberally endowed by the 
 Provincial, as well as by the Imperial, Government. In return it had shut 
 its doors to over four-fifths of the people. The other, though intended by its 
 friends to be established on a broad basis, was by a body of irresponsible men 
 made so restrictive that its beneficial effects were only widely felt by one 
 denomination. 'Was it any wonder, then, that Lord Dalhousie, when he had 
 money at his disposal, determined to devote it to founding a third college, 
 " open lO all occupations and sects of religion t " 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Early Years— Lord Bathousie's Work — Laying of the Comer Stone. 
 
 As we have seen, the Castine fund amounted, after a few deductions had 
 been made, to £10,750. As we have seen. Sir John Sherbrooke had been 
 unable to decide upon the best way of expending it before he was recalled. 
 As we have seen, Sir John was succeeded by the Earl of Dalhousie, who, as 
 he himself says, felt the duty imposed on him of suggesting the appropiiation 
 as one of the highest importance.* At first he thought of applying it to the 
 
 * Letter to Lord Bathurst, December 14th, 1817. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 till they 
 seemed 
 lout the 
 ^rtainty 
 evoted a 
 les (one 
 believe 
 Then 
 ny to do 
 degrees, 
 n 1816, 
 yterians, 
 Council, 
 •ecognize 
 f Esau." 
 B Church 
 11 extent 
 the new 
 by being 
 e friends 
 amend- 
 ere were 
 ^hout dis- 
 of its ad- 
 virtually 
 
 ice when 
 ) institu- 
 lot as yet 
 d by the 
 had shut 
 led by its 
 dble men 
 t by one 
 m he had 
 1 college. 
 
 tions had 
 iad been 
 recalled. 
 , who, as 
 Dpiiation 
 it to the 
 
 removal of Kings College to a situation that would be more accessible, but 
 finally abandoned this idea as impracticable. * In his letter to Lord Bathurst, ' 
 dated December 14th, 1817, he states that having referred the matter to His 
 Majesty's Council, they had agreed with him in the opinion that a seminary 
 for the higher branches of education is much wanted in Halifax — the capital 
 of the Province — the seat of the Legislature — of the Courts of Justice — of the 
 military and mercantile society. The model he proposes is that of the 
 University of Edinburgh, whose classes were open to all sects of religion, to 
 strangers passing a few weeks in town, — to the military, — to students of 
 law, — in fact to anyone who chose to devote an hour to study in the forenoon. 
 Had Lord Dalhousie known how this proposal, in so far as it relates to the 
 model, would afterwards be so sadly misconstrued, he would certainly have 
 been more explicit. Then he proceeds to make a statement uf the funds. 
 Having set apart £1000 for the support of the Garrison Library just being 
 established, there remained £9,750. To quote his own words: — "I would 
 apply £3000 to a building, and sink the remainder as a fund for the support 
 of the Professorship." "I am aware," he adds, "that this would not be 
 sufficient without the Legislature of the Province aided us by an annual 
 vote." As a site for the University about to be, he suggests " that area in 
 front of St. Paul's Church, now the Grand Parade." The Trustees also, 
 whose appointment he would recommend, are worthy of Ijeing mentioned. 
 They are, "officers ex q^a'o high in rank and always present," the Lieut.- 
 GoVernor, the Chief Justice, the Lord Bishop of Nova Scotia, the Speaker 
 of the House of Assembly, the Treasurer of the Province, and the appointed 
 minister of the Scotch Church in Halifax. 
 
 On February 6th, 1818, Earl Bathurst replied that he had received Lord 
 Dalhousie's suggestions, submitted them to the consideration of the Prince 
 Hegent, and that His Royal Highness had been pleased to express his entire 
 approbation of the funds in question being applied in the foundation of a 
 seminary in Halifax for the higher classes of learning.f 
 
 Having obtained permission to invest the Castine fund in the way he 
 wished. Lord Dalhousie innnediately wrote to Principal Baird of Edinburgh 
 University, asking him for a statement of the principles regulating the 
 government of that institution. In Edinburgh University at this time the 
 Professor of Logic and Belles Lettres was the celebrated Dr. Andrew Brown, 
 who formerly had been minister of St. Matthew's Church, Halifax, and who, 
 it will be remembered, while in that position, had collected the materials for 
 a History of Nova Scotia, which he did not live to finish. Dr. Brown, as might 
 be supposed, took a livelier interest in the scheme than a stranger could ; so 
 at Principal Baird's request he prepared a lengthy letter, which they both 
 signed, giving a detailed explanation of the modus operandi at Edinburgh. 
 Principal Baird sent a note, (dated 1st August, 1818), to accompany this 
 letter, containing very little additional information. Some extracts from the 
 joint letter we think it well to quote : 
 
 " We feel no little pleasure in opening our report by saying that the Uni- 
 versity of fldinburgh rose, like the institution contemplated lor Nova Scotia, 
 
 ♦Letter to Council, December lltb, 1817. 
 
 t These lettfrs (Lord Dalhousie to Earl Bathurst, and the latter's reply) can be found in 
 the Journals of the House of Assembly for the year 1819, under date Febiuary 17th. They 
 are also given along with the letters immediately after referrud to, and much other interest- 
 ing matter, in an Appendix to Journals for the year 1836. 
 
10 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 out of small beginnings, and grew to its present size by gradual additions to 
 the original designs as the state of the nation called for them, or as the 
 increase of its prosperity and its love of learning supplied the means. 
 
 ****** 
 
 " The gates of the University are open to all persons indiscriminately from 
 whatever country they may come, or to whatever mode of faith or worship 
 they may be attached. In fact we do not know that any other disqualifica- 
 tion for admission to the privileges of the University exists than the brand 
 of public ignominy or a sentence of expulsion passed by another University. 
 Nothing further in the shape of pledge or engagement is exacted from the 
 general student than that he take the Sponsio Academica binding himself to 
 observe the regulations relative to public order— to respect his teachers, and 
 maintain the decorum becoming the character of a scholar. 
 
 promo 
 this in 
 a last! 
 tratior 
 Ha> 
 Legis 
 Parad< 
 
 " From the short notice of the state of Halifax in Your Excellency's letter 
 we would have inferred, without that local knowledge which one of us 
 happens to possess, that by -ittaching the institution to the Capital yoii 
 secure, in addition to all other objects, the exclusive advantage of calling 
 forth, as soon as tfie demands of the country may require it, a band of volunteer 
 laborers in three of the learned professions, whose desire of usefulness and dis- 
 tinction will be sufficient to engage them in preparing a course of public 
 instruction in some branch of science connected either with their own 
 immediate pursuits or their favorite private studies." 
 
 Lord Dalhousie knew from the beginning, as his first letter to Lord Bath' 
 uist shows, that the money at his disposal was inadequate for the work he 
 had undertaken. Accordingly he sought assistance from the Legislature, and 
 in the speech with which he opened the session of 1819 we find these words : 
 " I will submit to you the plan of an institution in Halifax, in which the ad- 
 vantages of a collegiate education will be found within the reach of all classes 
 of society, and which will be open to all sects of religious persuasion." In 
 the reply this section of the spepch is answered in similar terms.* The 
 House was opened on the 11th of February, and on the 17th of the same 
 month, in fulfilment of his promise, he sent to the Assembly two messages, 
 the first of which had reference to the new college, and was accompanied by 
 two letters (his own to Lord Bathurst and that nobleman's reply.) The steps 
 usual on an occasion of this kind were taken, but nothing of im|.>ortance was 
 done till well nigh two months had passed. Then the committee of the whole 
 House, through their chairman, reported in favor of granting £2000 towards 
 completing the building ; but, by the terms of their resolution, this amount 
 was not to be drawn from the Treasury until the £3000 set apart by the 
 Earl of Dalhousie for that purpose should be expended.! However, in their 
 reply to the message, they make no reference to the latter part — the saving 
 clause — of their resolution, but simply state that they have granted £2000 
 for the purpose above mentioned. The concluding portion of this reply we 
 consider worthy of quotation here : — *♦ We most confidently hope the liberal 
 principles Your Excellency has stated as the groundwork of the constitution 
 of the proposed college will not fail to render it highly useful and honorable 
 to this part of His Majesty's dominions. 
 
 * Journals H. of A., vol. ziii., pp. 7 &. 8. 
 t Journals, vol. xiii., page 98. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 11 
 
 "Deeply impressed with the sense of Your Excellency's sincere desire to 
 ])romote the welfare of this country, allow us to express onr ardent hope that 
 this institution may flourish, and continue to the inhabitants of Nova Scotia 
 a lasting monument of the enlightened policy of Your Excellency's adminiH- 
 tration."* 
 
 Having thus obtained the money, the advice, and the co-operation cf the 
 Legislature that he wished, Lord Lalhousie set to work. A part of the 
 Parade was assigned as a site, and the building immediately commenced. It 
 seems certain that at first Lord Dalhousie only intended to found what we 
 would call an Academy, and consequently the building was planned on much 
 less pretentious dimensions than it afterwards assumed. We learn this, as 
 well from a statement of one of the trustees given in an appendix to the 
 Journals for 1832, as from the exceedingly small sum he had set apart for 
 building purposes. The reason he had for enlarging to such an extent as he 
 did is mentioned in the statement to which we have just referred. " Public 
 opinion," it says, " induced His Lordship to authorize the enlargement of the 
 work with a view of its being united with Kings College, and that establish- 
 ment being moved from Windsor to Halifax — a more suitable situation." 
 While the work of erection was going on, the Earl was not idle. On the 
 15th May, 1820, we find the "provisional" trustees, if we may so call them — 
 Lord Dalhousie (the Lieut. -Governor), Hon. Mr. Rlowers (the Chief Justice), 
 Hon. Michael Wallace (the Treasurer), and Hon. Mr. Robie (the Speaker) — 
 writing to Prof Monk, a gentleman " of high station and character in the 
 University of Cambridge," and asking him to recommend a young man duly 
 qualified in point of reputation and acquirements to fill the position of 
 Principal. It appears, and is, strange that they did not apply to Principal 
 Baird or Dr, Brown, both of whom had shown themselves so willing to help. 
 But passing this by, there are some facts of interest to be gleaned from the 
 letter. The writers state that whenever the funds will permit, they purpose 
 having three Professorships, one in Classics, (the Professor of which shall 
 jyreside as Principal), one in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, and one 
 in Moral Philosophy. In consequence of their limited means, they are at 
 this time only able to provide one Professor, who must be qualified to teach 
 both Classics and Mathematics, "the most essential branches of education in 
 the present state of the colony." The salary offered to this "admirable 
 Crichton " is £300 with class fees, and he is.at liberty to increase it by taking 
 boarders. They intimate that the building will be ready for lectures in the 
 early part of the winter ; but the Principal need not start before March or 
 April, as by that time they hope to have the funds in a healthier condition. 
 In conclusion, they express their preference for a clergyman, if such an one 
 can be obtained. 
 
 By May 22nd of the same year, so much progress had been made that 
 everything was in readiness for the laying of the corner stone. The Acadian 
 Recorder of May 26th, 1820, contains a graphic pen picture of the ceremonies 
 that took place on the occasion. We shall quote its account in full : — 
 
 " Monday last being the day appointed for laying the corner stone of the 
 College on the Parade, the Grand Lodge and the respective lodges of the town 
 of Halifax assembled in the Freematons Hall at 11 o'clock, and, after 
 making the necessary arrangements, proceeded in the usual manner to the 
 site of the building, formed a square, and awaited the arrival of His Excel- 
 
 • Journals, vol. xiii , page 113. 
 
12 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 lency the Right Honorable the Earl of Dalhousie. The troops in gan-ison, 
 with their colors and music, formed a lane from the West front of the Pro- 
 vince House to the entrance of the enclosure round the College. 
 
 *' A few minutes before two o'clock, His Excellency, accompanied by Rear 
 Admiral Griffith, the Honorable the Chiet' Justice, the members of His 
 Majesty's Council, the Magistrates, the Commandant, the Captains of His 
 Majesty's ships in port, the Stuff and Officers of the regiment in garrison, 
 proceeded to the building, where he was received by John George Pyke, Esq., 
 Grand Master, and conducted to the South-East corner of the edifice, when, 
 every necessary preparation having been made, the Rev. Mr. Twining, Grand 
 Chaplain, delivei-ed, in a very impressive manner, a suitable prayer for the 
 occasion. Immediately after, the following inscription, engraved on a plate 
 of brass, was deposited in an excavation of the stone, as also a bottle hermet- 
 ically sealed, containing the various coins of His late Majesty King George 
 III., in gold and silver : — 
 
 INSCRIPTION. 
 
 In the year of our Lord, 1820, 
 
 and in the first year of the reign of 
 
 His Sacred Maieaty, Oborob thk IV., 
 
 Kino of the United Kingdom of 
 
 Great Britain and Ireland, 
 
 etc., etc., etc.. 
 
 The Comer Stone of this College, designed for 
 
 A PuBuc Seminary, 
 
 In which the youth of this and other British 
 
 Provinces may be educated in the various 
 
 branches of Literature and Science, 
 
 was laid 
 
 By His Excellency Lieutenant-Oenl. the 
 
 Right Honorable 
 
 Oborqb Rahbat, 
 
 Earl of Dalhousie, Baron Dalhousie of 
 
 Dalhousie Castle. 
 
 Knight Grand Cross of the Most 
 
 Honorable Military Order of the Bath, 
 
 Captain General and Governor 
 
 in Chief, in and over His Majesty's 
 
 Provinces of Lower Canada^, 
 
 Upper Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick, 
 
 and the islands of 
 
 Prince Edward and Cape Breton, 
 
 etc., etc., etc. ; 
 
 Accompanied by the Honorable 
 
 Sampson Salters Blowers, Ohlef Justice of the 
 
 lE>rovince, and the 
 
 Members of His Majesty's Coimcil, 
 
 Magistrates, etc.. 
 
 Rear- Admiral Griffith, and the 
 
 Captains of His Majesty's Squadron on the 
 
 Station. 
 
 Colonel George Machie, Commandant of the 
 
 Garrison, 
 
 Lieut Colonel Gauntlett, 
 
 Commanding the 82nd Regiment,and the 
 
 Field Officers of His Majesty's Forces 
 
 in this Garrison, etc., etc. 
 
 Also 
 
 John George Pyke. Grand Master, the 
 
 Deputy Grand Master, the 
 
 Wardens and other officers 
 
 and brethren of the respective 
 
 Lodges of Free Masons 
 
 in HaUfax. 
 
 '* When this part of the ceremony was performed. His Lordship addressed 
 the audience in the following speech : — ' Before I proceed in this ceremony, I 
 tiiink it necessai'y to state to you, gentlemen, the object and intention q{ this 
 important woilc ; I think it necessary to do this because I have never yet 
 made any public declaration of the nature of the Institution I am here 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 13 
 
 by Rear 
 of His 
 of His 
 
 planting among you, and because I know that some part of the public imagine 
 thai it is intended to oppose the college already established at Windsor. 
 This College of Halijax is founded for the instruction of youth in the 
 higher Classics ^iid in all Philosophical studies ; it is founded in imitation of 
 the University of Edinburgh ; its doors will be open to all who profess the 
 Christian religion ; to the youth of His Majesty's North American Colonies, 
 to strangers residing here, to gentlemen of the military as well as the learned 
 professions, to all, in short, who may be disposed to devote a small part of 
 their time to study. It does not oppose the Kings College at Windsor, 
 because it is well known that college does not admit any students unless they 
 subscribe to the tests required by the Established Church of England, and 
 these tests exclude the great proportion of the youth of this Province. It 
 is therefore particularly intended for those who are excluded from Windsor ; 
 it is founded upon the principles of religious toleration secured to you by 
 the laws, and upon that paternal protection which the King of England 
 extends to all his sulijects. It is under His Majesty's gracious approbation 
 of this institution that I meet you here to-day, and as his humble represent- 
 ative I lay the corner-stone of this building. I here perform an act which 
 appears to me to promise incalculable advantages to this country ; and if my 
 name, as Governor of the Piovince, can be associated with your future well- 
 beirij,, it is upon the foundation of this college that I could desire to rest it. 
 From this college every blessing may flow over your country ; in a few 
 months hence it may dispense these blessings to you whom I now address ; 
 may it continue to dispense them to the latest ages ! Let no jealousy disturb 
 its peace ; let no lukewarm indiflerence check its growth ! Protect it in its 
 first years, and it will abundantly repay your care !' 
 
 "After which the corner-stone was laid by His Lordship, who received the 
 corn, wine, and oil from the Grand Master, and poured them upon it. 
 
 "The ceremony having been thus completed, the Grand Chaplain again 
 delivered an appropriate prayer for the prosperity and usefulness of the 
 intended institution. A royal salute was then fired from Fort Charlotte, 
 which was followed by three times three cheers from the vast assemblage of 
 inhabitants which surrounded the college." 
 
 This was Lord Dalhousie's last public act on behalf of the college to which 
 he gave his name, and for whose welfare he had done so much. He had, in 
 the address we have quoted above, committed the infant institution to the 
 consideration of the citizens of Halifax. A very few weeks before, in his 
 parting speech to the Legislature, he had earnestly recommended the same 
 institution to their protection, concluding his speech with a similar expres- 
 sion of confidence in the future of the college to that he had used at the lay- 
 ing of the corner-stone. " I am fully convinced that the advantages will be 
 great even in cr.r own time, but, growing as it will grow with the prosperity 
 of the Province, no human foresight can imagine to what extent it may 
 spread its blessings." 
 
 Before these eloquent words had been uttered, Lord Dalhousie had been 
 appointed Governor-General of the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada. 
 Thither he soon afterwards went to enter upon his duties, and Nova Scotia, 
 except for a short visit, saw him no more for ever. One is strongly reminded 
 of Socrates commending his sons to the care of the State ere he went to drink 
 the cup of hemlock ; or of Henry I. on his death-bed, gathering around him 
 his barons, and making them swear an oath of allegiance to his daughter, as 
 
14 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLfOE. 
 
 he reads these latest evidences of Lord Dalhousie's paternal interest in the 
 college he was instrumental in founding. He went, we say, to the Canadas. 
 But shall he be forgotten ? Ah ! no ! Other Governors have left behind 
 them enduring memorials of themselves by attaching their names to places. 
 Lord Dftlhousie, too, might be so remembered ; but, to the generations whom 
 bis works have blessed, his memory will be fragrant, not because his name 
 has been bestowed on some lofty mountain or peaceful farming village, but 
 because of his labors on behalf of a college now the pride and delight of 
 thousands of Nova Scotians. Other Governors will not soon be forgotten, 
 but for Lord Dalhousie alone has been reserved the glorious privilege of being 
 able to borrow an old poet's language, and exclaim, 
 
 " Exegi iDonumentnin aere perennius 
 Kegalique situ pyramidum altius." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Sir James Kempt — Act of Incorporation — Loan of ^5,000. 
 
 Sir James Kempt succeeded Lord Dalhousie as Lieut. -Governor, and ^ ell 
 was it for Dalhousie College ; for in him it found a staunch friend. Of Sir 
 James' life we have not been able to find many particulars. In the Duke of 
 Wellington's dispatches written from the field of Waterloo, he is spoken of 
 in the highest terms for his bravery and competency.'*' If *' from one we 
 may judge all," our estimate of Sir James Kempt may be easily formed from 
 this mention of him by a man not given to flattery, in a paper penned 
 immediately after the fate of many nations had been decided, and at a time 
 when ordinary men would be forgotten. As a Governor he proved himself 
 energetic ; and his career, if not remembered as it should be, was most 
 beneficial to the people over whom he was placed. In everything that 
 tended to Nova Scotia's weal he took an active part. When compiling the 
 facts subsequently set down as we saw the good work he did for the college, 
 we have been much surprised at the slight recognition Dalhousians have taken 
 of his services. Save that his- name appeared in the Latin inscription that 
 ancsted the attention of the visitor who entered the front door of the 
 venerable building that stood on the parade, we should never have connected 
 him with the college in any way. Yet, as the sequel shows, he labored on 
 its behalf in season and out ot season. 
 
 During the yeaSP 1820 the work of building went steadily on. Before the 
 time had come for the opening of Parliament, outwaidly at least the college 
 was nearly completed. As it was intended to be used for the purposes for 
 which it was designed whenever finished, an Act of Incorporation was 
 needed. Lord Dalhousie had endeavored to obtain a Royal Charter, in fact 
 one had been promised him ; but proving too ex])ensive a luxury, t he had 
 written, on the 16th May, 1820, to the Colonial Secretary, asking that the 
 charter for the new college be allowed to pass under the sanction of a 
 Provincial Statute in order to save needless ex[)ense. Lord Bathurst, who 
 was still Colonial Secretary, did not reply till November 4th of the same 
 year. The permission sought for was granted, but the Lieut. -Governor, Sir 
 
 powe 
 
 ber 
 
 and 
 
 and 
 
 of t 
 
 the 
 
 by 
 Satu 
 
 •See Annual Eegister, 1815. 
 
 t A Royal Charter cost either ^400 or .£800, we are not sure which, but thinV: the latter. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 15 
 
 in the 
 
 ianadas. 
 
 behind 
 
 places. 
 
 8 whom 
 
 James Kempt (for Lord Dalhousie had left for Canada before this date) was 
 asked to transmit the bill to the Home Government for their approval ere he 
 submitted it to the Local Legislature. Accordingly the bill was diafted, 
 sanctioned by the Colonial Secretary, and submitted to the Council in the 
 early days of the session of 1»21. It was entitled, "A Bill to Incorporate 
 the Governora of the Dalhousie College at Halifax." Prefixed to the Act 
 proper was a lengthy preamble which recited briefly many of the facts 
 we have given. The tirst section fixed the name of the college and its 
 situation, and appointed the following as trustees : the Governor-General, 
 the Lieut. Governor, the fiishop of Nova Scotia, the Chief Justice, the 
 President of the Council, the Treasurer of the Province, the Speaker of the 
 House of Assembly , and the President of the College. The remainder o f 
 the Act contains nothing striking. The Governors are incorporated, given 
 power to make rules for the management of the college, to increase the num- 
 ber of Chairs whenever it would be advisable, and such other rights 
 and privileges as were necessary. In this form the bill ))assed the Council, 
 and was sent to the House. There a slight amendment in the wording 
 of the preamble was moved, and carried only hy the casting vote of 
 the Speaker. The amendment was of no importance, and was accepted 
 by the Council without any opposition. Dalhousie College thus on 
 Saturday, 13th January, 1821, assumed all the powers of a University, but 
 as we shall see^ made no use of them. 
 
 This was not the only occasion during this session that the House was 
 asked to discuss the afifairs of the College. On February 6th Sir James sent 
 to the House a strongly-worded message in favor of a grant to the newly- 
 made University. The message might be quoted in its entirety, but we have 
 space only f6r the middle paragraph : — 
 
 " The monies allotted for the building, including the two thousand pounds 
 granted the last year by the Assembly, have all been expended, and consider- 
 able sums are yet wanting to complete it.. It is not my wish or expectation 
 that the expense of building should.be borne by the Legislature only : a large 
 sum has been already granted by His Majesty and expended ; and hopes are 
 entertained that additional aid will be afforded by His Majesty ; but the 
 present state of the building is such as to require an immediatia supply to 
 save it from the injuries of the weather, and to render it fit for the reception 
 of students." 
 
 Before considering in what way this message was treated, we must observe 
 that in the early years of this century it was the custom, whenever a Gover- 
 nor who had been at all popular was leaving, for the Legislature to give him 
 a present. Sir John Sherbrooke had been given a most handsome gift. For 
 Lord Dalhousie, the House voted .£1000 to purchase a sword and star ; but 
 that nobleman declined to accept the sum for reasons that need not here be 
 mentioned. When, then, two weeks after its receipt, the House came to 
 consider this message of Sir James Kempt, they adopted a resolution to the 
 effect " that 1 he sum granted to Lord Dalhousie, but which His Lordship had 
 refused, should be applied and appropriated for the purpose of completing the 
 college buildings." "We do not doubt but that the Governor-General, when 
 he heard of the dispositioii of the money that might have been his, was glad 
 of the course he had taken. With this grant of £1000 the building was 
 completed in so far as its exterior was concerned — it was long after before 
 the interior was finished. At least the Latin inscription over the front door 
 of the old college building, the wonder and admiration of many a new student 
 
16 
 
 DALKOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 and passer-by, tells us so. To this insciipticn we have had occasion to refer 
 before. We shall not have to do so again, and here then is })erhai)s the most 
 appropi iate place for its reproduction ;— 
 
 Anno 
 
 Balutis ChriatiansB 
 
 MUCCCXIX., 
 
 Et roRni Gtorgii III. 
 
 Britanniarum 
 
 regis polientissimi 
 
 LIX. 
 
 Hoc ^kliflclum 
 
 Bub auapiciis GcorKii Ramsay, 
 
 Conittis do DaThousio, 
 
 hicnone militubus ordinibus 
 
 Balnoi superloribus 
 
 Huius provincfiB procitratoris 
 
 Inchoatum. 
 
 Anno post lino ot altero 
 
 Georgii IV. rernin potinute 
 
 Et Jacobo Kempt iiwdcm ordinibus 
 
 Bainei honoribus insignito 
 
 Eadem procuratione 
 
 fellciter fungente 
 
 Perfectum. 
 
 During the session of 1822, we find nothing about Dalhousie College in 
 the Journals of the House or the papers of the time — the two great sources 
 of information. In fact, during that whole year, all we can obtain of interest 
 or importance is contained in a memorandum* of cost of building uj) to June 
 12, 1822. When it was made we cannot tell, but it is evidantly accurate; 
 and though as a cui iosity we might quote it in full, we think it sufficient to 
 mention that the total cost up to that date was .£9384 18s. Id. When it 
 is remembered that £3000, supplemented by the grants of £2000 and £1000, 
 was all that the Governor.^ had at their disposal for building purposes, it will 
 be seen that they had involved themselves heavily in debt, and we will not 
 be surprised to find that they again applied to the Legislature for assistance. 
 On March 25, 1823, the Lieut. Governor sent a second message to the House, 
 in its terms as urgent as his first. This was the opening paragraph : " The 
 peculiar situation of the building called the Dalhousie College induces me to 
 submit to the Assembly the propriety of granting, by loan or otherwise, the 
 means of enabling the trustees to relieve the building from the debt incurred 
 by its erection, and to set the Institution in operation." Then, after reciting 
 the aims in view in founding it, he says : " I cannot but flatter myself that 
 such an institution will be considered by the Legislature as entitled to its 
 liberal support and patronage ; and that it will not be suffered to be stifled 
 in its infancy, and so promising an object, after the great expense already 
 incurred on it. to be rendered useless and. abortive." The coiisideration of 
 this message was postponed from day to r' xy. Finally it was reached on the 
 4th of April, and the House resolved that they would loan to the Governors 
 of the college the sum of £.5000 for five years, the repayment of which was 
 secured on the Funds deposited in England in such a manner as would be 
 provided for by a Bill for that purpose. A committee, of which T. C. 
 Haliburton was one, was appointed to prepare this Bill, and, losing no time 
 in getting to work, they were able to present next day "A Bill aiithorising 
 the Issuing of Treasury Notes to a certain amount, and lending the same to 
 Dalhousie College and for securing the repayment thereof" Several amend- 
 ments were offered and agreed to in the Lower House, but it passed the 
 
 * This memorandmn will be found in the Appendix to the Journals House of Assembly 
 for 18S6. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 17. 
 
 Council without change, and was, we may well believe, readily assented to 
 by His Excellency the Lieut. Governor. Nor did Sir James rest satisfied 
 with this. During the session, he was in correspondence with Earl Bathurst 
 endeavoring to have a portion of the revenue arising from coal mines, then 
 accruing to the Imperial Parliament, devoted to Kings and Dalhousie Col- 
 leges. We have not been able to see Sir Jamt-s' letter, but the concluding 
 poition of Earl Bathurst's reply* is all that is necessary for our purpose. Wc 
 quote : '' I am therefore to desire that you will inform the Legislature that 
 you are authorized to advance from the revenue of the Coal Mines .£1000 
 currency to Kings, and a similar sum to Dalhousie, College ; provided that 
 grants to an equal amount are voted by the Province in aid of those Institu- 
 tions." This letter the Lieut. Governor submitted to the House early in 
 1824. No action whatever was taken upon it until the closing day of the 
 session, when it was, on motion, resolved that a committee be appointed to 
 wait on His Excellency to state to him that the House have had under its 
 consideration the communication from Earl Bathurst, but that, as it was the 
 intention of the House in the next session of this Assembly to give a very 
 general consideration to the subject of education, in which the colleges will 
 necessarily be brought under discussion, they have found it necessary to defer 
 the further consideration of His Lordship's communication until that period. 
 (We have quoted almost the exact woids of the resolution as passed.) In 
 our time the House, when they wish to get rid of a Bill or resolution, has a 
 simple way of moving a three or six months hoist. In the days of which we 
 are writing, the process, as witness the above, was longer, but just as effectual. 
 We hear nothing more of grants to the colleges from the revenue derived 
 from the Coal mines. In fact, until 1829, so far as we can learn, Dalhousie 
 College was not referred to in the House except on one occasion. That 
 single exception occurred in 1827, when T. C. Haliburton was in one of his 
 fits of bad temper, and was criticising the Council for throwing out his School 
 Bill because of the expense. He is reported in the Nova Scotian as saying 
 (with a view of showing the inconsistency of the Council), " they assented to 
 a vote of £5000 to the Pastry Cook's shop called Dalhousie College." By this 
 he probably meant that one of the stores in the basement was occupied by a, 
 pastry cook — a fact we should never have been able to learn but for this 
 unkind reference. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 First Attempt at union with Kings — Reasons of Failure. 
 Sir James Kempt was clear-headed enough to see that two colleges could 
 never thrive in Nova Scotia where there was barely constituency enough for 
 one. Thus, though he was in duty bound to support Dalhousie College, 
 founded as it was for the people of all denominations, he saw plainly that if 
 a union of Kings and Dalhousie could \ie accomplished without sacrificing 
 the primary object of the latter's establishment, it would be in the highest 
 degree beneficial to the cause of education. Accordingly he entered into 
 communication with the authorities of Kings, and with Lord Dalhousie, and 
 sounded them upon the subject. A number of the former viewed the project 
 with favor, and, as we shall afterwards see, the founder of Dalhousie was not 
 
 See Journals House of Assembly, vol. 14, p. 408. 
 
18 
 
 DALUOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 di8|H>sed to offer any objections. At their annual meeting on September 
 23rd, 1823, the Board of Governors of Kings discussed the matter; and us 
 they did not consider the removal of Kings College au insuperable objection, 
 they appointed a committee, consisting of the President (Dr. Porter) and the 
 Rev. Dr. Inglis, to meet with a committee from the Governors of Dalhousie 
 College, and subsequently to report the steps taken. The committee from 
 Dalhousie College was composed of S. G. W. Archibald (the Speaker) and 
 Hon. Michael VVallace (the Treasurer). A conference was held the next day, 
 but it was some time before this joint committee was ready with their report. 
 At a meeting of the Governors of Kings held in Government House, Halifax, on 
 January 3rd, 1824, the report, accompanied by a long list of suggestions and 
 observations,* was submitted. We have not room to quote these in full, but 
 some of them we cannot pass without mention. The name agreed upon for the 
 united college was " The United Colleges of Kings and Dalhousie." The 
 site chosen was Halifax. The government was to be very largely the same 
 as that of Kings. The President was to be a clergyman of the Established 
 Church, in full orders, and the three or more Fellows (who, by the way, were 
 to be unmarried men) must have subscribed to the thirty-nine articles, [n 
 all these clauses, except the very important one as to site, Dalhousie had 
 made the concessions j but the friends of that college were able to have the 
 professorships thrown open to all qualitied persons, to remove the strict 
 regulations in regard to residence and degrees, — in short, had the colleges 
 been united, through their influence the university so formed would have 
 stood upon a compaiatively liberal basis, and would have gained the 
 confidence and support of the great body of the people. 
 
 Besides the suggestions, as 've have said, there were observations intended 
 to explain away certain of the articles which were likely to stand in the way 
 of union. One of the first of these reads : — " lb is considered that several 
 sacrifices will be necessary from both, but an ample return will be attained 
 by putting an end at once to all rivalry ; the tendency of which would inevit- 
 ably be to keep both in poverty and insigniHcance, — because it must be 
 evident that one college will be ample for the literary wants of Nova Scotia, 
 and perhaps of the adjoining Provinces, for several centuries ; and it is 
 equally evident that it is scarcely possible to obtain the funds that are essen- 
 tial to the competent and liberal support of ono college " 
 
 Lord Dalhousie most cordially approved of the scheme, and in a letter to 
 Lieut. -Governor Kempt — who had submitted to him the suggestions and 
 observations — said : " I have always declared it my sole object in the founda- 
 tion cf the Halifax College, to obtain education to all classes in Nova Scotia 
 and the adjoining provinces, but particularly to those who are excluded from 
 Kings College, Windsor, by the rules of that institution. By the proposal of 
 the paper I have now received, I think my object is obtained as fully as 
 could be desired. The removal of the institution to Halifax, open lectures in 
 college, instruction and honors (with the exception of church degrees), free 
 to dissenters of all classes, are the advantages that were looked for by a col- 
 lege at Halifax ; and I am truly happy to leaiii that these are not considered 
 to be altogether inconsistent with the primary objects of Kings College. The 
 government of the college cannot be placed more advantageously than in the 
 hands of the governors, patron, and visitor of Kings. The constitution and 
 internal government are equally unexceptionable, provided that the toleration 
 
 contel 
 finalll 
 shoull 
 shoull 
 Thl 
 comni 
 presid 
 The 
 latteij 
 meeti 
 theni 
 remei 
 
 * Appendix to Journals House of Assembly, 1836. 
 
DALUOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 19 
 
 contemplated in that at Halifax l)e secured. If these proposals shall be 
 finally approveil, I think the very character and name of Dalhousie College 
 should at once be lost in that of the other, so that the style of Kings College 
 should nlone be known and looked up to." 
 
 This letter M'as read to the Governors of Kings at the meeting we had 
 commenced to describe. Two of the Governors, Dr. Cochran (the Vice- 
 president) and Chief Justice Blowers, were violently opposed to any union. 
 The former, who was in delicate health, signified his dissent by writing. The 
 latter expressed his adverse opinion by word of mouth, but at a subsequent 
 meeting submitted a lengthy statement of his objections. To show what was 
 the nature of his objectioas — he was also a Governor of Dalhousie College, be it 
 remembered — we quote two of them, the fourth and fifth, on his list of fourteen : 
 
 " 4. — Because the University of "Windsor takes its example from the Univer- 
 sity of Oxford, perhaps the noblest and most exalted seat of learning known in 
 the ancient or modern world. This University is placed in a retired part of 
 the kingdom, where its i)rofe8sors, fellows, and students enjoy learned leisure 
 with dignity, and pursue and perfect their studies undisturbed by a noisy 
 I)opulace — the hurry and bustle of trade — and the dissipation, extravagances, 
 and bad example of the idle, etc." 
 
 " 5. — Because by this change and removal it is attempted to engraft the 
 university of Windsor upon a college of dissimilar design ; and classical liter- 
 ature, the basis of the elder establishment, may be made subservient to 
 lectures, studies, and diffusive acquirements; and it is to be feared that in 
 the end classical education may be lost in the more showy and dazzling em- 
 ployment of experiments and amusing pursuits." 
 
 Many of the other objections are similar in character, and yet these same 
 objections, when afterwards urged by the Archbishop of Canterbury, materi- 
 ally aided in the prevention of the union. The majority of the Governors, 
 despite the opposition of the Vice-president and the Chief Justice, declared in 
 lavor of the union ; and in the resolutions they adopted, distinctly gave their 
 reasons. The Solicitor and Attorney-generals were appointed a committee to 
 draft a bill for accomplishing the union. Four days later, the Governors 
 again met, and the draft of a bill entitled " An Act for uniting Kings Col- 
 lege at Windsor, and Dalhousie College at Halifax," was read. No decisive 
 steps were taken, as it was deemed advisable that the Governors should study 
 the bill carefully, and uliat a copy should be sent to Earl Dalhousie. That 
 nobleman apj)roved in due course, but still the Governors hesitated, and 
 resolved finally to submit another copy to the Archbishop of Canterbury, 
 who of course uisappiuved, his objections to the proposal coinciding generally 
 with those of Chief Justice Blowers. As Dr. Akins says :• " The obstacle 
 thus presented, and the success of Dr. Inglis in obtaining contributions in 
 England for the use of Kings College, caused the friends of the college (Kings) 
 to feel now quittf indifferent as to the union with Dalhousie, and the measure 
 was consequently abandoned." 
 
 One is strongly reminded of the old couplet, 
 
 " When the devil was sick, the devil a monk would be ; 
 When the devil got well, the devil a monk was he." 
 
 When Kings College was in want of funds to carry on its work, it was 
 willing to unite ; but when it grew richer, nothing was more detestable than 
 a union with the college on the Parade. 
 
 History of Kings College, page 42. 
 
10 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEOE. 
 
 CHAPrER VI. 
 
 Payment of Loan demauded— Second Attempt at union with Kings— A union that might 
 
 have been effected. 
 
 When the five years for which that memorable j£5,000 had heen loaned 
 was up, (viz., in 1829), the committee of the whole House reported in favor 
 of its immediate collection. Mr. Murdoch at unoe moved an amendment to 
 their resolution to the effect that the money bo not withdrawn from the fundy 
 of the college, provided that it will be rendered beneficial according to its 
 original design as a seminary of learning, within any reasonable period. The 
 amendment was lost, and the main resolution carried. The Governors of the 
 college at once became alarmed, and held a meeting two days later, at which 
 it was resolved* " that they should take every step in their power to raise 
 the money from the lands and buildings pledgtd foi- that purpose." Later in 
 the same year they met again to discuss the same subject, and* it was 
 resolved, "that the Governors will be prepared to pay the sum of jBSOO 
 immediately, and the further sum of j£500 annually, until the whole £5,000 
 be paid, and that they have not any means by which they can make other or 
 greater payments, unless by the sale of the lands and buildings, which should 
 be attended with many difficulties and long delay." Before, however, the 
 House could take decideil steps, relief came from the president of the council, 
 Hon. Michael Wallace, then acting as Lieut.-Governor. By message, he 
 shows the House that the best use possible is being made of the building, by 
 renting rooms in it for private schools ; that the endowment fund is not 
 under the control of the trustees, who are only entitled to draw the dividends. 
 Further he says : " It ft probable that by a sale of the building and parade 
 ground adjoining, the £5,000 might be obtained ; but I cannot bring myself 
 to believe that the Assembly could be disposed thus to annihilate the plan 
 adopted by Lord l>alhousie." He therefore advises them to postpone claim- 
 ing payment of the loan until the trustees can pay it with less inconvenience. 
 " A gentleman," he concludes, " eminently qualified to take charge of the 
 institution has been for some time engaged, and is now waiting for orders to 
 come out for that purjMJse." 
 
 As mig'.it be expected, this message provoked a vast deal of discussion. 
 It did not come up for consideration until the next session. The enemies of 
 the college, headed by a Mr. Smith, sought to postpone the matter still fur- 
 ther, but failed in their effort. Mr. Hartshorae, then, we believe, one of the 
 members for Halifax, afterwards Secretary to the Board of Governors of 
 Dalhousie, next moved the following resolution : — " Resolved, that the debt 
 of £5,000 duo from Dalhousie College be given up to that institution." 
 Only five appeared in support of this resolution. Mr. Uniacke, one of the 
 five, then moved a third resolution, to the efiect that the trustees be not then 
 asked for the money, in the hope that the college might be opened within one 
 year. This resolution found ten supporters. The last, moved by Mr. Stewart 
 of Cumberland, carried. By its terms, the difiiculty was tided over, and the 
 Governors had three more years to plan how they could pay the £5,000 
 without funds. 
 
 el 
 
 'Journals House of Assembly, vol. xv, pp. 642-3. 
 
DALH0U8IE COLLEGE. 
 
 21 
 
 3n that might 
 
 been loaned 
 ted in favor 
 endment to 
 in the funds 
 •din^ to its 
 erioJ. The 
 mors of the 
 f, at which 
 'er to raise 
 Later in 
 nd* it was 
 I of £500 
 ale £5,000 
 :e other or 
 lich should 
 wever, the 
 he council, 
 essage, he 
 lilding, by 
 nd is not 
 Jividends. 
 parade 
 tig myself 
 the plan 
 'ne claim- 
 venience. 
 fe of the 
 orders to 
 
 scussion. 
 enaies of 
 still fur- 
 ne of the 
 rnors of 
 he debt 
 itution." 
 3 of the 
 lot then 
 thin one 
 Stewart 
 and the 
 £5,000 
 
 Our readers will not have forgotten the closing words of the Hon. Michael 
 Wallace's message regarding the gentleman "eminently (}ualitied." Tliene 
 words it will perhaps be necessary to explain. Some time previous to the 
 demand for the payment of the loan, the Governors hud written to Dr. 
 Hemes, of Ayr, offering him the position of Principal of their institution. 
 When that demand was made, the correspondence hsid been stopped. How- 
 ever, in 1830, when the Legislature agreed to suspend their claim, the 
 oorresjiondenoe was renewed, and we tind the Governors writing to Dr. 
 Hemes, offering him the situation of Principal, with a salary of £300, 
 exclusive of class fees. They promised to pay his ex{>ense8 in coming to 
 Halifax, and provided him with a sum of money to buy Philosophical 
 Apparatus. The title of " Principal " was not to be such a misnomer as 
 might be supposed. As far as we can learn, it was the intention of the 
 Governors to associate with Dr. Hemes, in doing collegiate work, the Bev. 
 Thomas Aitkin, who at this time was teaching a private school of an 
 advanced kind w, in the college building. In that case Dr. Hemes would 
 actually have bcoi. Principal. The only reply of Dr. Hemes we have been 
 able to find was written ou Oct. 1st, 1831, considerably over a year after 
 the Governors had made him their offer. There doubtless was some 
 correspondence in the intervening period. In this letter he intimates his 
 acceptance of the appointment, and his intention to sail on the 12th inst., 
 and narrates the steps he has taken in purchasing apparatus. He announces 
 that the classes he will certainly open will be Greek. Latin, and Hathematics, — 
 these three in both Junior and Senior Divisions, — Rhetoric and Logic. He 
 gives the Governors authority to advertise his coming and the work he will 
 do in any way they may see tit.* The Governors accordingly did so, and we 
 quote in full the notice published in the Pictou Observer of Nov. 23rd, 1831 : 
 " Dalhousie College is to bu opened under Dr. John S. Hemes, already well 
 known by his 'Life of the celebrated Canova,' 'The History of Painting, 
 Sculpture, and Architecture,' 'A translation of Bouriennes' Hemoirs of 
 Napoleon,' and very recently by his ' Hemoirs of Josephine.' He was to 
 sail on the 12th October, and would immediately enter upon his duties as 
 Principal." An interesting question now arises, did Dr. Hemes ever come] 
 We cannot answer positively, but as far as we can discover he did not 
 Certain it is that he never began work ; still it may be that he came and saw, 
 but did not stay to conquer the difficulties that lay befora him. 
 
 The subject of union between Dalhousie and Kings was again mooted in 
 1829, and was the occasion of many dispatches between the Lieut. -Governor 
 and the Colonial Secretaries for the next six years. The strife between 
 Pictou Academy and Kings College was then at its height, and the 
 Colonial Secretary was constantly being troubled by represehtations and 
 petitions on the dispute from the friends of both. Sir George Hurray, who 
 then filled that office, after a consideration of the whole matter, became of 
 the opinion that one college, if founded on a liberal basis, was amply 
 sufficient for the needs of the Province, and that a strong healthy university 
 might \t0 formed by the concentration of the funds of Kings and Dalhousie. 
 In this way, too, the Presbyterian supporters of Pictou Academy would be 
 pacified. Accordingly he writes Sir Peregrine Maitland, Sir James Kempt's 
 successor, under date Aug. 31st, 1829. He opens the subject by saying. 
 
 * These two letters (the Governors' to Dr. Hemes and his reply) will be found in 
 Appendix Journals for 1836. 
 
22 
 
 DALHOUSlE COLLEGE. 
 
 what was no doubt true, but unfortunately not so regarded, " There cAn be 
 no question as to the propriety of adopting this measure." Knowing of the 
 debt of £5000 due by the Governors of Dalhousie to the Province, he first 
 suggests that the Province take the college building and relinquish their 
 claim. This would leave all its endowment fund tree to go to the United 
 College. If this plan be not feasible, or if the distance of Windsor from the 
 capital be an insuperable objection, then he proposes as an alternative that 
 the buildings of Dalhousie be taken for the colleges, and that those at 
 Windsor be disposed of, in which case the Province might be induced to 
 remit the £5000. This latter scheme he is inclined to favor for the reason 
 that the buildings at Windsor are of a perishable nature. He concludes his 
 letter with some general directions, and by stating that he could not hold 
 out any hope of assistance from the Home government, and that he needed 
 not to point out the serious inconvenience of embarking in enterprises too 
 expensive for the purposes in hand, when it was so strongly exemplified in 
 the case of Dalhousie College.* 
 
 This was followed by a despatch, dated July 31st, 18.31, from Lord Goderich, 
 Sir George's successor in office. He, too, seems to have made some study of 
 the matter, for he goes fully into all its "various fluctuations." The 
 despatch is a curious one, and shows clearly that the Colonial Secretary, 
 notwithstanding all the consideration he had given the question, had not 
 begun to fathom the depths of denominational bitterness and prejudice of the 
 ])eop)e in authoritv in Nova Scotia. Ihrcughout his despatch he seems to 
 go on the supposition that there was no more serious difficulty in the way 
 of union than that connected nth the site. He even goes so far as to tell 
 the Lieut. -Governor, and thiough him the governing Boards of both 
 institutions, what provision roust be made for the Principal, whom he takes 
 for granted is to be Dr. Porter, then President of Kings. Unlike Sir George 
 Murray, he say« nothing about having the college free from restrictions in 
 fact the who.e tenor of his letter is the other way. Curious though this 
 despatch was, it was also serious. Lord Goderich gave the Governors of 
 Kings distinctly to understand that the grant of £1000 which they had been 
 getting from the Imperial Parliament must terminate. The deficit in their 
 funds thus caused could in his opinion only be made up by a grant from the 
 Assembly, which he thought could not be expected unless the friends of Kings 
 College ceased to oppose the claims of Pictou Academy. He was of opinion 
 that the payment of the loan of £5000 would prevent the union, and hoped 
 therefore that it would not be demanded. After a reference to the 
 dilapidated condition of the buildings at Windsor, he concluded by urging 
 the necessity of concessions being made on both sides t 
 
 The contents of this despatch were communicated to the Governors of both 
 Kings and Dalhousie, and both bodies held a meeting on the same day and 
 in the same place, viz. : at Government House, on Friday, 13th January. 
 This may seem strange ; but when we remember that four of the chief 
 provincial officera were Governors of both institutions, we need not be 
 surprised. Two sets of minutes wftre kept, though one would have been 
 sufficient. Both Boards resolved unanimously that they had every inclination 
 to meet the desire which had been expressed by his Lordship (the Colonial 
 Secretary) for an union of Kings College at Windsor with Dalhousie College 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 t 
 
 * Appendix to Journals H. of A. for 1836. 
 t See No. 68, STol. 9, in Record Office, 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 23 
 
 Halifax. Then followed a sei'ies of resolutions in eSect almost the same as 
 the suggestions for union in 1823. The degre<>8, except those in divinity, 
 Rnd the professorships, should be open to all duly qualified persons. The 
 President was to be a clergyman of the Church of England, and to him 
 would be committed the theological instruction of those students who were 
 members of th;;t denomination. The Speaker of the House of Assembly, 
 (8. G. W. Archibald), who was one of those who sat in both bodies, dissented 
 to all those resolutions except the two which were liberal, and gave his 
 reasons for so doing in a short note that was affixed to the minutes.'"' His 
 chief reason tor dissenting was couched in these words : — "The constitution 
 of such a college must be established by an act of the Colonial Legislature, 
 and will not be left to depend upon the present constitution of either of these 
 institutions ; and it is not to be expected that the Legislature will limit the 
 government of such an institution to the Church of England, or to any 
 particular denomination of Christians, or that they will establish any 
 religious distinctions, or any exclusions or restrictions whatever." Besides 
 these minutes which were sent to Lord Goderich by the Lieutenant-Governor, 
 the Governors of Kings forwarded a memorial pressing him to continue the 
 Parliamentary Grant, without which they believed they would be unable to 
 carry on the work of the college. Two months later. Sir Peregrine Maitland, 
 by message to the House of Assembly, directed its attention to the subject 
 of union. His message was largely made up of the minutes we have spoken 
 of above, and we need not make any further reference to it other than to say, 
 that the Legislature postponed its consideration till the next session, and 
 before the next session had come had forgotten it completely. 
 
 Lord Goderich replied to Sir Peregrine's letter and its enclosures in a 
 lengthy letter, dated Aug. 2nd, 1832. From it we are obliged to make an 
 extended quotation : " l am under the necessity of declining to comply with 
 the wishes of the Governors of the College (Kings) by recommending the 
 continuance of the grant which has heretofore been made to (t) Parliament 
 for its support, and it is therefore not without some regret that I perceive 
 by the minutes of their proceedings that they are of opinion that the proposed 
 union of the Kings and Dalhousie Colleges ought only to take place upon 
 certain conditions which, I fear, may oppose serious difficulties to that 
 measure which appears to me to hold out the only practicable mode of 
 preserving to the Province the advantage of an institution for Academical 
 instruction. Had the resouixses available for the support of the college at 
 Windsor been such as to admit of its being carried on as at present, I should 
 certainly have abstained from recommending any change ; but as this is not 
 the case, as it must necessarily be dependant upon the liberality of the 
 Legislature, I think it is unfortunate that the Governors have declared before- 
 hand their intention of not agreeing to a union of Dalhousie College, except 
 upon terms to which it is not probable that the assent of the Legislature 
 would be given. Stipposing it to be admitted that it would be desirable, if 
 possiW*», to have a oolite constituted in the manner proposed by the Board 
 of Governors, still, when the means do not exist of giving effect to their 
 wishes in this respect, when the existence of any college whatever depends 
 upon notions of what would be most advisable, being in some particulars 
 departed from ; it appears to me that such a concession should be mada 
 
 * Minutes with Mr, Archibald's memo, affixed will be found in Appendix to Journoli 
 for 1838. 
 
24 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 As, therefore, it Is impossible that a college should be established without 
 the assistance of the legislature, I should hope that the Governors of the two 
 existing institutions would consent to leave to the legislature, (which can 
 best judge of what is i-equired for the interest of the Province) the task of 
 determining what is to be the constitution of the new establishment. On 
 the other hand, I cannot doubt that the Assembly, if their discretion upon 
 this point was left unfettered, would see the advantage of making ample 
 provision for the support of a plan of liberal education, and would likewise 
 consent to the appointment of those who will lose the situations they hold 
 in the college at "Windsor to similar situations in that which I trust will be 
 created.* 
 
 To these recommendations, wise though they were, the Governors of Kings 
 paid no attention. Dark days then fell upon them. Black care mounted 
 their horse as if to stay. The Home Government's grant was withdrawn ; 
 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel withheld their subscri|)tion, 
 and they were left with no revenue except the annual grant of £400 from 
 the House of Assembly. The salaries of the professors were cut down, the 
 Pi-esident retired on a pension from the Imperial Parliament, and such was 
 the uncertainty caused by so disastrous a state of affairs, that the college was 
 reduced to four students.! At one time, the governors thought of applying 
 to the Assembly for aid ; but at Mr. Archibald (the speaker's) advice, they 
 abandoned the idea. Still, amid all these difficulties, they remained firm. 
 As the American said of the bull that butted a railway engiae, "we can 
 admire their pluck but not their judgment." 
 
 liut we aie anticipating. Early in 1833, Lord Stanley, father of the 
 present Earl of Derby, succeeded Lord Goderich in the Colonial Office. He, 
 too, in- a happy ignorance, somewhat similar to that manifested by his 
 predecessor on taking the seals, thought there were no great difficulties in 
 the way of union. "I cun scarcely allow myself to suppose," he writes, 
 " that they will not be overcome when the subject has been duly considered 
 by the Assembly. J As Lord Goderich before him had done, he recommends 
 more liberal statutes than those the governors had proposed. Shortly 
 before this letter was sent, Sir Peregrine Maitland was recalled, and Sir 
 Colin Campbell appointed to the Lieut.-Governorship. Before Sir Colin had 
 set out for the scene of his labors, Lord Stanley took occasion to give him 
 some insight to the question, and instructed him to again lay the matter 
 before the House of Assembly, and that as soon as possible. When Sir Colin 
 arrived in Nova Scotia, he found that the union was attended with many 
 more difficulties than the Colonial Secretary had supposed, and surrounded 
 as he was with churchmen, it is little wonder that he began to sympathize 
 with them in their determination to have one of their own ^lenomination at 
 the head of the united college. Accordingly he writes to Lord Glenelg, who 
 had taken Lord Stanley's place, under date Feb. 18th, 1836, endeavoring to 
 show that it was but reasonable that the president should be an Episcopalian, 
 but admitting that so long as this restriction was made the Assembly would 
 not sanction the desired union. For this reason he had refrained from 
 sending any message to the Assembly about the matter, as also from the 
 fact that he feared the House might retaliate by demanding the payment of 
 
 th| 
 
 aul 
 
 its! 
 
 be I 
 
 Cc 
 
 iiol 
 
 vei 
 
 in^ 
 
 oul 
 
 in 
 
 •.No. 68, Vol. 9, in Record Office. 
 
 t Appendix to Journals for 1836, p. 121. 
 
 :^ Appendix to Joamals for 1837. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 ^5 
 
 the loan to Dalhousie. With these liars weighing upon him, he had the 
 audacity to propose that the fr.nds of Dalhousie be given to Kings with all 
 its restrictions, and to ask that the Parliamentary Grant to that institution 
 be renewed.* On April 30th of the same year, Lord Glenelg replied to Sir 
 Colin in a lengthy despatch. l)i opening, he remarks that the subject has 
 now become so complicated by the length of time during which the contro- 
 versy has lasted as to be no longer a question of collegiate discipline, but to 
 involve the existence of any college at all in the Province. He next points 
 out with what unanimity the Colonial Secretaries have written and worked 
 in favor of union ; and after explaining in detail his reasons (which were the 
 ordinary oft-repeated ones) for agreeing with his predecessors, he calls on 
 the Governors of Kings to surrender their charter, and trust to the Legislature 
 to provide for them a popular constitution. If they did this, the Lieut.- 
 Governor was asked to express to the Assembly His Majesty's earnest hope 
 that they would abstain from pressing for payment of the £5000 due thein 
 by Dalhousie College ; or, if it M'ere too late to do that, to appeal to their 
 liberality for a grant. In the strongest terms Lord Glenelg recommends the 
 transference of the institution from Windsor to Halifax. This he does, not 
 only because the buildings of Dalhousie were commodious and permanent, 
 but because of the greater number who would thus be enabled to attend.! 
 The Governors of Kings met to consider this despatch soon after its receipt, 
 and almost immediately adjourned to give the members of the board time to 
 read and inwardly digest its contents. A committee was appointed to draft 
 a reply. Besides their reply proper, they furnished the Colonial Secretary 
 with an elaborate statement giving a sketch df the history of the college, and 
 showing the work it had done, its present wants and resources. | These two 
 documents form a perfect mine of information for the student; of collegiate 
 history in Nova Scotia to work. Let us examine them a little. In their 
 reply the governors refuse to surrender their charter and give their reasons 
 for so doing. They express a doubt as to whether the abandonment of 
 either or both of the existing colleges would be followed by the erection, as 
 they term it, of a Provincial College. But laying aside the reply, let us pass 
 to the statement that accompanied it as being more important. A very short 
 sketch of Dalhousie's history is given, and it is said that as yet " this 
 establishment has proved a total failure ; no attempt has been made to put it 
 into operation." A legal difficulty regarding the surrender of the charter 
 was dwelt upon and enforced. Kings was working as well under a 
 Provincial Statute as under a Eoyal Charier, and even if the latter were 
 resigned, the corporation would continue to exist under the former. In 
 opposition to the commonly accepted, and we believe correct opinion, it was 
 maintained that the buildings at Windsor were far more valuable and useful 
 than those at Dalhousie, and so was it with their endowments. Kings 
 possessed £643 unencumbered (£400 of this was annual Provincial Grant), 
 while Dalhousie had only £248. But their chief reason for opposing union, 
 the one string upon which they had been playing ever since the agitation 
 began, was that Kings had been founded, and its endowments secured for 
 the benefit specially of the Church of England, and that to unite with another 
 college without having these facts recognized, would be committing a breach 
 
 • Appendix to Journals, 1836, p. 105. 
 + No. 72, Vol 2, in Record Office. 
 
 J These two papers form bulk of Appendix to Journals for 1836, to which we have so 
 ■often referred. 
 
26 
 
 DAl.HOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 of trust. The conclu Jing sentences %f the statement we are speaking of are 
 worth quoting : — " In conclusion the committee (i.e. the committee Hppointed 
 to draft answer to Colonial Secretary) remark that to obviate some of the 
 difficulties connected vvith the question of Dalhousie College, it might be 
 expedient and possible to arrange a plan of union with Windsor College as a 
 part of that University, and in such a manner as to afford tlie aiudenf-s the 
 advantarje o/ lectures in town and an interchange of jrrq/essorH, while the funds 
 and government of both institutions should be blended together." We need 
 hardly say that the Colonial Secretary had sufficient sense not to encourage 
 the growth of this hybrid college. The proposal, only feasible in the time 
 when men can be sent as quickly as telegraph messages are now, was, in 
 1835, to say the least ludicrous. 
 
 The reply and statement were submitted to the Governors of Kings at 
 their meeting in November, 1835. One of the committee who had prepared 
 them, Mr. Charles K. Fairbanks, then Master of the Rolls, submitted an 
 addendum that he wished to be affixed to them, and which was entered in 
 the minutes. He suggests a way of smoothing over the difficulty — by 
 annexing Dalhousie to the University at Windsor under the same govern- 
 ment, but as a distinct member, placing it under a separate head, and having 
 degrees conferred from the university on students who hnd studied at either 
 or both of them. The idea would not be considered so far astray if the 
 coffere of the two colleges were full to overflowing; but in the depleted 
 state of both, it must have been regarded as absurd. Hon. J. W. Johnston, 
 another governor, positively dissented from the reply — Mr. Fairbanks only 
 made, as he himself says, an exfilanation of the sentiments under which he had 
 joined in it — giving six reasons for his action in the matter. We are chiefly 
 interested with the fifth, and sixth, which read as follows : — 
 
 5th. Because I conceive much injustice may arise from representing, to 
 His Majesty's Government Dalhousie College as a failure without thoroughly 
 examining and explaining the causesy apparent and latent, which have 
 prevented its establishment and success. 
 
 6th. Because I believe the establishment of one university in the Province 
 on liberal [vinciples, yet combining the instruction of students designed for 
 the ministry of the Church of England in divinity, is practicable ; and that 
 such an establishment if placed in Halifax would con>raand support, and 
 diffuse benefits very extensively, and uiigl't be hoped to end those jealousies 
 under which the cause of education has suffered so deeply in this Province. 
 
 Lord Glenelg replied to this eliiborate answer in 1836 > but by that date 
 the dispute had become one simply between the Governors of Kings and the 
 Colonial Secretary. All hope of union had died away, and the subsequent 
 letters and proceetlings- are of no interest or importance to us in tracing 
 Dalhousie's history. The curious might read the coriclusion of the w^ole 
 matter in Dr. Akins' " History of King's College." 
 
 We have in tiie preceding ]>age8 '^delivered a round unvarnished tale" oiT 
 the gallant atteuipt made by the beads of the Colonial Office to bring about 
 a union of the soUegea- of Kings and Dalhousie. Wo have yet without, we 
 fear, " adorning the tale " " tO' point a nK>ral." Our readers will have noticed 
 that in all the discussioo that took placey the GoverrK>r» of Dalhousie had 
 neither part nor lot, save at the outset, when they acted as echo for their 
 brethren of Kings. The part, small though it was, they then had was not 
 greatly to their credit. They showed themselves willing to abandon those 
 principlefi upon whicb Lord Dalhousie had founded the institation,, o£ vThcae 
 
DALHOtTSlE COLLEGF, 
 
 27 
 
 aking of are 
 36 appointed 
 some of the 
 •■t might be 
 College as a 
 students the 
 le the funds 
 We need 
 encourage 
 n the time 
 ow, was, in 
 
 f Kings at 
 d prepared 
 bmitted an 
 
 entered in 
 Bculty — by 
 me govern- 
 and having 
 d at either 
 bray if the 
 e depleted 
 
 Johnston, 
 )anks only 
 lieh he hart 
 are chiefly 
 
 senting. to 
 horoughly 
 lich hav© 
 
 ! Province 
 iigned for 
 and that 
 3ort, and. 
 ealousiej* 
 evince. 
 )hat date 
 
 and the 
 bsequent 
 
 tracing 
 >e w^ole 
 
 tale " of 
 ig about 
 bout, we* 
 
 noticed 
 usie had 
 'or their 
 was not 
 m those 
 >£ vrhcse 
 
 interests) unfortunately, they had become the guardians. Undoubtedly a 
 \inion with Kings under certain conditions was desirable ; but in the way 
 they proposed, at the sacrifice of the fullest and freest liberty in educational 
 matters, emphatically it was not. Besides there was another and more 
 natural union, one more easily obtained and more advantageous when 
 obtained, for which they made no effort — a union with Pictou Academy. 
 As the commencement of the Pictou Academy and the first movementH for 
 the founding of Dalhousie College were co-temporaneous, and have some 
 hearii)gs on each other, a few words here as to the i-elatiou of the two, and 
 subsequently a brief allusion to the reason — heaven save the mark — which 
 prevented a union will be very appropriate. When Lord Dalho'isie assumed 
 the reins of power the charter of the former institution had b»^en granted, 
 but classes had not been optned. Its friends were busy collecting funds; 
 but, finding the means at their dis|)Osal insufiicient for the purposes, they 
 bad appealed to him for his sympathy and aid. These he, without any 
 special enquiry as to their object, i-eadily gave. When, however, he became 
 engaged in the establishment of Dalhousie College, he firmly set himself to 
 resist any recognition of Pictou Academy as a College. Sound policy he 
 thought required that it "should remain a school, atd nothing but a school." 
 In a letter to Mr. Mortimer, the member for Pictou, dated 12th March, 
 1819, replying to a memorial of the trustees of the Pictou Academy, he says, 
 '"A college in Halifax, the capital of the Province, I do think an institution 
 highly desirable, but not so in a distant corner of it as Pictou. I must 
 therefore candidly express to you these my sentiments, and that it will be 
 my duty to oppose the extension of your institution at Pictou beyond what 
 was originally proposed, that of an Academy." His Excellency is mistaken 
 in supposing that in founding the Pictou Academy nothing more than a high 
 school was intended. Its friends had always avowed their object to be to 
 give to the youth uf all denominations instruction in the ordinary branches 
 of a collegiate course in arts. Nor were they tied to any particular 
 location. We are safe in saying that had there been, at the time, in any 
 other town in the Province, a college, whose advantages were equally free to 
 all, no attempt for anything higher than an Academy in Pictou would have 
 been made. The projectors of the Pictou institution and the Earl had then 
 the same object in view, and one, when reviewing the facts, cannot help 
 enquiring why they should not have united their efforts, The reason is not 
 far to seek. Dr. McCuUoch, the head and mainstay of the Pictou Academy, 
 was a dissenter and extremely obnoxious to the official party in Halifax, and 
 those who surrounded the Earl made such representations that he became 
 strongly pr^udiced against the Dr., even going the length of pronouncing 
 him " a dangerous man." And when Lord Dalhousie bade " good bye " to 
 Nova Scotia, he left with his successor a statement of his views to the same 
 effect. But J^ord Dalhousie and Sir James Kempt were but two of a 
 number of Governors by whom they were guided. The others, from a social 
 standpoint, were all that could b«^ desired. They were all " dres't in a little 
 brief authority ; " but they cared nothing for the College. Nay more, they 
 would have been its bitterest enemies, if it gave promise of becoming at any 
 time the rival of their first love, Kings. For Dr. McCuUoch, and the 
 institution of which he was the head, they had nothing but the most 
 determined opposition. Hence it was that, though they must have felt that 
 by uniting Pictou Academy and Dalhousie College they could best subserve 
 the principles upon which both were founded, they made no effort to bring 
 
28 
 
 PALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 about this consummation so devoutly to bo wished. Nor did they ever 
 endeavor to enlist public sympathy, ur rally public support on behalf 
 of the college. When Kings was made so thoroughly Episcopalian, one 
 would think that it would have been easy to secure the assistance of 
 the other denominations, embracing four-fifths of the population, in build- 
 ing up Dalhousie. While Dr. McCuUoch. appealing to a small and feeble 
 constituency, and only obtaining small grants from the Government, was 
 carrying on his work with a fair measure of efficiency, the Governors 
 of Dalhousie, holding their position by the mere accident of their being 
 government officials, though receiving large grants from the public treas- 
 ury, really took no active measures for commencing the work of instruction ; 
 but did little more than spend their time in fruitless negotiations for 
 union with Kings. Mr. Howe, in one of his speeches, is reported to 
 have spoken of Dalhousie College thus :* — " It appears to have been 
 the fate of this Institution to have had .L)isted into its management 
 those who were hostile to its interests ; whose names were in its trust, 
 but whose hearts were in other institutions. These, if they did nothing 
 against, took care to do nothing for it ; their object was to smother it with 
 indifference. Surrounded by such men, and clothed with a sectarian 
 character for twenty-three years it stood a monument of folly. How true 
 these statements, unfortunately were, our readers can judge ! 
 
 There is, perhaps, no use in speaking of the " what might have been," and 
 we shall not dwell any longer on so painful a subject. In what we have 
 written we were nou influenced by any desire to find fault, nor with the 
 Irishman's idea of being against the Government; but we felt that cur 
 readers should be made aware of the causes through which the Governors of 
 Kings were able to represent Dalhousie as a " total failure," and to boast 
 that " no attempt had been made to put it into operation." 
 
 Gl 
 
 t!| 
 
 h 
 
 iii 
 
 er 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 Another Demand for iPayment of Loan— Sii Colin 's Speeches. 
 
 It will be remembered that in 1823 the House of Assembly loaned .£5000 
 to the Governors of Dalhousie for a period of five years ; and that when it 
 was due, an effort was made to have it immediately collected. The friends^ 
 of the college were, however, able to postpone the demand for three years, 
 and two years of grace were also allowed them ; but in 1835 the House 
 seemed bent on regaining the sum so loaned. Early in the session of that 
 year, Mr. O'Brien moved two resolutions, the first of which was to the effect 
 c'' J olt'o House require the payment of the loan. The purport of the second 
 that the Governor be requested to direct the Attorney-General to take 
 A .^eps as were necessary for its collection. The first resolution wa» 
 c, -r -i >)y a majority of six ; to the second a Mr. Johnston nK>ved a most 
 onary amendment which, in sliort, was that not only should the 
 Crovcriior take steps to recover the ,£5000, but also should endeavor to make 
 available the original endowment fund, and devote it either to a Country 
 Market, Public Hall, Poor Hospital, Lunatic Asylum, or Orphan House. 
 For this singular amendment thei*e were recorded three names, and Mr, 
 
 * See Nova Seotian for 1843» page 328, 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 29 
 
 they ever 
 
 on behalf 
 pHlian, one 
 sistance of 
 , in build- 
 and feeble 
 ment, was 
 Governors 
 heir being 
 blic treas- 
 istruction ; 
 iations for 
 eported to 
 lave been 
 anagement 
 
 its trust, 
 d nothing 
 ler it with 
 
 sectarian 
 How true 
 
 lieen," and 
 
 t we have 
 
 with the 
 
 that cur 
 
 vernors of 
 
 to boast 
 
 'd .£5000 
 
 when it 
 e friends 
 ee years, 
 e House 
 1 of that 
 he effect 
 e second 
 
 to take 
 ion was 
 
 a most 
 uld the 
 to make 
 Country 
 
 House. 
 ,nd Mr, 
 
 O'Brien's second resolution carried. Next day Mr. Wilkins, who had been 
 absent when these resolutions were passed, renewed the stiuggle by moving 
 that they be rescinded ; but his motion was lost on a vote exactly the reverse 
 of that by which they had been carried. Of course, when the Lieut. -Governor 
 was informed of the terms of this resolution, he replied that ho would take 
 such measures as might be necessary to cany into effect the recjuest of tho 
 House ; but, as the sequel shows, he did nothing of the kind. The Board of 
 Governors, when they heard of the resolutions, called a meeting, and believing 
 the House to be more in earnest than it really was, they wrote to Lord Dal- 
 liousie and the Chief Justice, (in whose name the moneys in England were 
 deposited) asking them to direct such a transfer of these to be made as would 
 enable them to pay off th*.' loan, and some other debts. But the day was not 
 so easily won. Sir Colin Campbell still had some hopes of union — so had the 
 Colonial Secretary — and both ttared that the witlidiawal of the £5000 would 
 be an effectual bar to the attainment of their wish. Accoidingly, in the 
 s]»eech with which he opened the session of 1836, Sir Colin, among other 
 things, said: — "The union of Kings and Dalhousie's having formerly been 
 brought to your notice during the session of 1832 by the then Governor; 
 and His Majesty's Govfrnment being chisirous of bringing this protracted 
 and important measure to a settlement, have instructed me to submit the 
 subject again to your consideration, and they confidently trust that the 
 House of Assembly will relinquish their claim made last session upon 
 Dalhousie College, that there may be sufficient funds for establishing and 
 maintaining an United College upon liberal principles." 
 
 A number of the members, who had the session before voted for the 
 immediate collection, appeared to view favorably this suggestion of the 
 Governor, and the House as a whole seemed willing to be convinced. At 
 least they asked for statements of the funds of both colleges, for correspond- 
 ence with the Colonial Secretary, for transcript of minutes of both Boards of 
 Governors; in short, for all documents in the possession of the Lieut. -Governor 
 that would throw any light on the subject of union, or on the condition of 
 the two institutions. After some delay, no doubt necessary for preparing 
 them, the required papers* were laid on the table of the House. In com- 
 mittee, these papers were considered on two occasions ; but wlien the time 
 came for the House to deal with them, Mr. i^'tewart moved a comprehensive 
 resolution that (we are not quoting the exact words) while the House 
 approved of having only one college, as the Governors of Kings refused 
 to surrender their charter, and as the session was far advanced, the consider- 
 ation of the information they had received be postponed, and further that 
 the House suspend its claim to the ,£5,000. The previous question was at 
 once moved, but negatived on a vote that showed that the majority in favor 
 of the main resolution would be sn)all. Two amendments were moved and 
 lost. The third and most dangerous one came from Mr. DeVVolfe. We 
 cannct quote it fully, but the sum and substance o£ it was this, — that the 
 loan with interest (it had been specially provided that interest was not to be 
 paid) be collected and divided among the high schools of the Province. Had 
 Mr. De Wolfe lived he would probably have supporteil that member, who not 
 very long ago, thought it would be an excellent tiling to have a college in 
 every county town. We need not trace the struggle further than to say that 
 two other amendments followed, and shaied the same fate as their prede- 
 
 ' Appendix to Journals^ 1836. 
 
30 
 
 dalhousie college. 
 
 ceFsors. The vote was taken on the original resolution, and decided in the 
 affirmative by the casting vote of the speaker. Thus for another period the 
 difficulties of Dalhousie Governors were smoothed away. The Lieut. -Gover- 
 nor, however, was only partially satisfied. Consequently, in his speech at the 
 closing of the se.ssion, he said : — " I regret that the union of Kings and Dal- 
 housie College, as submitted to you at the commencement of the session, and 
 as recommended by His Majesty's Government, has been postponed. I trust 
 that in the next session you will all co-operate in accomplishing this measure, 
 as it is evident that there are not means within this Province for maintaining 
 two colleges." 
 
 " Still harping on, my daughter." Nearly two years before it would not 
 have required a prophet or a son of a prophet to foretell that the union was 
 not to be. Yet here was Sir Colin gravely expressing his regret that the 
 Legislature had postponed their consideration of the matter ; (for we are 
 charitable enough to assume that this is what he means when he speaks of 
 postponing the union.) But then Sir Colin all through his tenure of office 
 was more noted for his obstinancy than for any of those qualities we generally 
 admire in men. We perhaps need not add that except by an occasional and 
 casual reference, union between Kings and Dalhousie was never hereafter 
 mentioned in the House of Assembly. 
 
 
 Pi! 
 
 f\-',{ 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Union with Pictou Academy — Dr. Crawley — An old Dalhousian's account of College 
 
 Life, 1838-40. 
 
 • 
 
 In the preceding chapters we have described as best we could the founding 
 of Dalhousie College. We have seen how liberally the Assembly supported 
 it, and how zealously some of the Lieut. -Governors worked on its behalf. 
 We have noticed the two attempts at union with Kings and how they proved 
 abortive. We have briefly referred to the masterly inactivity of the 
 Micawbers who composed the governing board, and kept Dalhousie's doors 
 closed for well nigh a score of years. We would that now, a? we are about 
 to describe the opening of the College, we could say, " Treason has done his 
 worst," and go on to tell of the work commenced under favorable auspices, and 
 continued with ever increasing success. 
 
 We had occasion at the outset, in our short reference to the state of higher 
 education in Nova Scotia, in and about the year 1818, to mention Pictou 
 Academy. > We stated there that it was established to meet the wants of the 
 dissenters of all persuasions, but that owing to the action of the Council it 
 had been turned into a Presbyterian Institution. As such it had continued, 
 sometimes with good prospects for a long life of usefulness, but generally 
 engaged in a severe struggle for existence. The year 1838 found it literally 
 surrounded with enemies, always an object of hatred to the magnates in the 
 Council, it had through their instrumentality become an object of suspicion 
 to dissenters who were not Presbyterians. Worst of all, the Presbyterians as 
 a whole would not rally to its support, but a large and important body of 
 them were among its most bitter opponents, and strove in evei-y possible way 
 to detract from its efficiency. Notwithstanding all the opposition, its 
 indomitable Principal, Dr. McCuUoch, carried on his good work till at length 
 an opportunity came for combining otium cum dignitate — for closing an 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 31 
 
 bunding 
 sported 
 behalf, 
 proved 
 of the 
 
 s doors 
 about 
 
 one his 
 
 jes, and 
 
 higher 
 
 active life in peaceful quiet. Chiefly through the influence of S. G. W. 
 Archibald, a Governor of Dalhousie, and a personal friend of Dr. McCulloch, 
 a marriage was consummated between Pictou Acatlemy and Dalhousie 
 College ; but the beneficial results expected from so natuial and promising a 
 union did not come. That this can be said is not the fault of either of the 
 contracting parties, but of those who should have supported them. In order 
 better td understand all the circumstances we must go back a little. 
 
 Duiing the session of 1832, Pictou Academy had been granted .£400 per 
 annum for ten years, £250 of which was directed to be paid to Dr. 
 McCulloch so long as he was Principal. Shortly after this date the question 
 of union between Pictou Academy and Dalhousie College was mentioned, but 
 never seriously discussed. At first Dr. McCulloch did not view the scheme 
 with favor, and in 1835, when writing to a friend in Scotland, he used these 
 words : — " It is, I know, the wish of some of my friends to force me into 
 Dalhousie College, but to it, at the expense of the Academy, I am utterly 
 repugnant."* By degrees, however, the proposal came to be more and more 
 talked about, to be viewed more and more favorably, until finally by an act 
 passed in 1838, Dr. McCulloch and .€200 of the grant to Pictou Academy 
 were transferred to Dalhousie. 
 
 In addition to Dr. McCulloch, the Governors found themselves in a 
 position to maintain two other professors. To the chair of Mathematics and 
 Natural Philosophy they appointed the Rev. James Mcintosh, and to that of 
 Classics, the Rev. Alex. Romans, M. A. The Principal conducted the classes 
 in Mental and Moral Philosophy. The gentlemen elected by the Governors 
 were both ministers of the Established Church of Scotland, and unfortunately 
 there was too much reason to believe that this was from design. Of course 
 had they been the best men that could be obtained, and had they been 
 elected on this ground, no person would have had a right to complain of their 
 being members of that body ; but it was too plain that the facts were 
 otherwise. In the debates in the House of Assembly before the Act was 
 passed, the name of Dr. Crawley, now the retired Principal of Acadia 
 College, was mentioned as one of Dr. McCulloch's colleagues. Dr. Crawley 
 did become one of the candidates for the chair in Classics. He was by long 
 odds superior in attainments and qualifications to the others, but because 
 of the narrow view taken by the Lieut. -Governor of Lord Dalhousie's words, 
 " modelled after the University of Edinburgh," he was rejected. At this 
 time, and for some years after, the Professors of Edinburgh University, 
 though appointed by the Town Council, were obliged to be members of the 
 Church of Scotland. Such was the law, but that it was not enforced, the 
 election of Professors Kelland and Forbes to the chairs of Mathematics and 
 Natural Philosophy respectively testifies. The adherents of the Church of 
 Scotland were both numerous in Nova Scotia and influential, and their 
 clergymen had the ear of Sir Colin. Him, they used as a tool to carry out 
 their purposes, and having once got into his head that the words of Lord 
 Dalhousie, which we have quoted, referred to the men to be chosen as 
 professors, the most weighty arguments or most valid reasons to the contrary 
 could not eliminate the idea. How manifestly silly their contention was, the 
 whole tenor of Lord Dalhousie's correspondence shows,! and we shall not argue 
 the matter. But we must point our their inconsistency. Dr. Mc- 
 
 * Robertson's Missions to Nova Scotia, p. 232. 
 
 t See Letters to Bathurst, Monk, and Kempt, on pages — 
 
 -and — of this essay. 
 
8t 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 CuIIoch was not a nionibei- of the Estalilished Church, yet he wan 
 made Principal. Then ngain, if it were modelled after the University 
 of Edinburgh in regard to the men appointed as Professors, it must surely 
 have been modelled after Edinburgh in the method of appointing. Yet none 
 of the Governors, so far as we know, ever contended that the Professors of 
 Dalhousie should be elected by the Town Courcilof Hnlifax. If, as Emerson 
 says, "consistency be but the bugbear of little minds," no sneew at the 
 mental abilities of Sir Co'in and his fellow Governors can be tolerated. 
 
 One who attended Dalhousie College during Dr. McCulloch's presidency 
 sends us the account of it we give below. In the next chapter, we shall 
 furnish other information about the same period gleaned from various 
 sources. Any references we ourselves might have made regarding the 
 President or Professors we have suppressed, believing that pen pictures from 
 one who sat at their feet would be more interesting as being more life-like. 
 
 "The institution was opened, I think, in October, but it might be 
 November, 1838. I did not attend that yeai', and do rio(- recollect of there 
 being any special services at the inauguration. There was, of course, only the 
 Arts Faculty. It consisted of the Rev. Thomas McCulloch, D. D., Principal 
 and Professor of Logic, Rhectoric, Moral Philosophy and Political Economy ; 
 Rev. James Mcintosh, Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy, 
 and Rev. Alexander Romans, M. A., Professor of Latin and Greek. 
 
 "Judging by the standard of the universities of older countries this may 
 seem a very small staff, but it was larger than any college in this Province 
 had at its commencement, and as large as any possessed up till that time, or 
 for some years after. Indeed, until Dalhousie was started on its present 
 basis, three Professors in the Arts was considered a good equipment for one 
 of our Provincial colleges. Experience has shown that such a body of 
 capable and thoroughly earnest men, if they cannot carry students as far 
 forward as the fully equipped universities of other lands, may yet give 
 students such a start in the study of Philosophy and Science, and so quicken 
 their intellectual activities, as to fit tliem by proper industry in after life for 
 filling the highest positions in society. As to the number of its Professors 
 then, Dalhousie College was thought at the time to be fairly well equipped 
 for a commencement. 
 
 " But as to their efficiency we cannot speak in the highest terms. Dr. 
 McCulloch was its main stay. His capacity for teaching had been amply 
 proved by twenty years' labor in the Pictou Academy, and his prodigious 
 energy had been exhibited in the herculean efforts in which he had built up 
 that institution in circumstances so difficult, and maintained it so long against 
 overwhelming odds. But his constitution was much broken down by toil 
 and struggle. He was not so old ; he was only 62 but seemed much older. 
 Five years later, when he died, people were astonished to learn that he was 
 only 67. He had been so long before the public, and so long had borne the 
 marks of failing strength, that many could scarcely credit that he was under 
 eighty years of age. His intellect was now as clear and vigorous as ever. 
 The work of his class-room, except as it might be interrupted by illness, was 
 as efficiently conducted as ever. But physically he was much broken down. 
 There was a worn and weary look in his eye, which betokened that the old 
 warrior needed rest, and perhaps was longing for it; his movements indi- 
 cated feebleness, and his often infirmities showed how, with his unwearied 
 spirit, and amid the toils and struggles of a life without a holiday, his clayey 
 tabernacle had been undermined. The indomitable will, however, remained, 
 
 til 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 33 
 
 nnd he continued at l)is work in difficulties under whicli ordinary men would 
 liave succumbed. One day we would ln^ar of his being sic': in bed ; the next 
 we would see him entering the ch'ss-room with pule face and feeble Hteps, and 
 go through his lectures, while all his determination could iiot suppress the 
 expression in his features of the pain he was suffering ; and then, we would 
 think, almost tottering, leave, it might be to return to bed. Thus, however, 
 efficiently the work of his classes might be conducted, he was no longer 
 capable of those exertions outside by which he so long upheld the Pictou 
 Academy, and which to some extent were still necessary to build up a new 
 institution. Indeed we think that he looked upon the act whicli placed him 
 at the head of Dalhousie College, as affording a quiet haven, in which he 
 might spend the evening of his days in peace. 
 
 " Both the other professors were ministers of the Church of Scotland. 
 The Rev. James Mcintosh was a native of the North of Scotland and became 
 minister of St. James' Church, Charlottetown, in 1830, thence he removed to 
 Halifax, where he taught a High School or Academy, till his appointment 
 to Dalhousie. He was a man of at least respectable talents and fair scholar- 
 ship. But in no respect was he a man of that high standard needed to build 
 up a new university. Indeed the social life of Halifax was already telling 
 on him, and inducing or strengthening those habits which, not a very long 
 time after, led to his deposition from the ministry. 
 
 '* Mr. Romans was a native of Halifax ; studied first at the Pictou 
 Academy, but afterwards took a full course at the University of Edinburgh. 
 In the year 18.35, he was ordained pastor of the congregation of Dartmouth, 
 but being inadequately supported, taught a school in Halifax until he was 
 appointed Classical Professor in Dalhousie College. He wa$ a fair classical 
 scholar, and against his character nothing could be said. But " he was not 
 the man for Gal way." 
 
 " Neither of those ever commanded the entire respect of the students, nor 
 did either of them carry that influence and weight in the community which 
 would give the institution prestige with the public. But it must be said that 
 if they had been stronger men than they were, the fact that it was believed 
 they had been put into their positions not from any superior merit, but 
 because of their connexion with the Church ol Scotland, and to the exclusion 
 of better men, excited prejudices against them, and the minds of persons of 
 other denominations, which would have been a hindrance to their success and 
 an obstacle to the progress of the college. 
 
 " Thus the reputation and progress of the institution mainly depended on 
 Dr. McCulloch. He might be said to be the Atlas on whose shoulders the 
 whole concern retted. But, besides the difficulty from his enfeebled health, 
 there were others of a formidable character. The institution had neither 
 library nor apparatus. The use of some philosophical apparatus belonging 
 to the Mechanics' Institute, which had long had the use of the west wing of 
 the building for a lecture room, and of the east for a museum was, obtained 
 for the Natural Philosophy class, but there was nothing of the kind belonging 
 to the College. 
 
 " Then there was still strong personal hostility to himself. The contro- 
 versies in which he had been engaged had been carried on with great 
 bitterness. Those wKo had opposed his work at Pictou had even more keenly 
 opposed his elevation to the Presidency of Dalhousie, and looked with no 
 favorable eye upon his work. The Board of Governors were not very warm, 
 some of them, indeed, were cold enough in their support of the effort. The 
 
34 
 
 DALlK)UfJIL COLLEGK. 
 
 Secretary was n Baptist, the intimate associate of Dr. Crawley, and fully 
 Hyuipalhized with liini in his views and plans, whih) the unitation, in con- 
 He(|Uonce of the manner in which tlie other Chuiis had been filled, drew away 
 Hj inpathy from the institution, or excited prejndice aafaiiist it in the mindu of 
 many. Thus he had to contend, not only aj^uinst enfeebled health, but with 
 the difticulties of inadt^iuate appliances, inetlioiont colleajjuea, personal 
 enmity, half-hearted support, anil to a ceriain extent, hostiU public opinion. 
 
 " How many students attended [ am unable to say. There was a l)Ook 
 kept in which the names of all in attendance were ibdy entered, Imt 1 am in- 
 formed it cannot now be found, t append a list of those whou) I remember, 
 \)ut as I was there only two out of five terms, there must have been a number 
 unknown to me.* 
 
 " Considerin<f the state of the (jrannnar Schools, as tlie schools of a higher 
 grade weie then called, the nearest then existing to our present academies; 
 considering also, that from the state of our collegiate institutions for some 
 time previous, the Pictou Academy being about down, and Dalhousie hitherto 
 idle, young men had had so little encouragement to prepare for college, the 
 attendance at the commencement was ."is large as could have been expected. 
 There is, indeed, enough to show that the time was favorable for setting such 
 an institution on foot, and that if it had been conducted as to give general 
 satisfaction, the attendance would soon have been large. 
 
 "One circumstance I know injured the attendance after the first year — 
 that was the plan of having only one term of seven, or actually of six and a 
 half, months in the year. This was the Scottish system ; l)ut people here 
 were unaccustomed to it. The English colleges spread their work more over 
 the year. Windsor followed the same course. The Pictou Academy had two 
 terms of four months, with vacations of two months between. The students 
 from the country would not have objected to the one term system, as they 
 would have found employment during the vacation which would have helped 
 to support them during the following term, but parents in Halifax who sent 
 their sons to the institution felt it intolerable to have their sons idle, as they 
 deemed it, durin<; nearly half the year. From this cause I know that a num- 
 ber after attending one term went to other institutions. Just at that time 
 St. Mary's College received as its teachers tv.o highly popular priests — 
 Fathers O'Brien and Deas, and their clas'^os were opened with great ednt. 
 In Halifax, Protestant parents, finding Dalhousie .dosed during the summer, 
 sent their sons to its Catholic neighbour, soiuetiPjes after they had attended 
 the former during the winter. 
 
 " As to the diligence, in study and general conduct of the students there 
 was every variety. Some were diligent and faithful in their work, and 
 blameless in their whole deportment, but an unusual proportion were the 
 reverse. The latter were principally boys from Halifax. Those who came 
 from the country generally came to study, but a number of those from town 
 seemed bent only on amusement. There was also a spirit of insubordination 
 among them, and neither Mr. Romans nor Mr. Mcintosh could maintain 
 proper authority over them. Sometimes they were rebellious when a number 
 would be brought before the whole facr'ty with threats of expulsion. With 
 Dr. McCulIoch they could take no liberties. His a[)pearance and manner 
 commanded respect, indeed generally excited awe in the minds of young men ; 
 but where students really desired to make progress,, he showed such interest 
 
 * See Appendix B, p. — . 
 
 m 
 
DALIIOUSIF rOLLEOE. 
 
 8ft 
 
 in con- 
 
 llege, 
 
 helped 
 
 in all tliat oonc(;inecl them, and such anxiety for their welfare, that their 
 veneration liecume niin<rled with tlie warmest art'ection. Even the nioHt 
 unruly were j^etu^rully calmed to Huhtnission before him ; a word, or even >t 
 look from him, [troducin^ a deeper impreHsion than any amount of petty 
 scolding from his colleoyuoH. Qui' once that ever I heard of did a student 
 tlare to rebel before him. He bovsed his head, if I nustake not, let fall a tear, 
 nt all eventw, said in tones in which the expression of pain overcame Hnj;,'ei ; 
 "This is the flist time I have been insulted (or perhaps it was no insulted) in 
 a class-room in my life." And I ventiire to say it was the last, I trust the 
 lad felt and remembered for good the reproof. All the others present did. 
 
 " We hud no organized system of sjiort. Football was not then known, 
 and cricket not geneially played. iJuseball was the universal game amcng 
 boys, but we collegians did not as a body engage in it. Individuals might 
 indulge in it, but it was on their own private responsibility, and I think that 
 there was a sort of feeling that such proceeding was scarcely becoming their 
 present elevation, and that we looked out upon a younger generation so 
 exercising and enjoying themselves, perhaps with pride that we were raised 
 to an eminence where we were above such trifling ])ursuitH, or more likely 
 with envy, and regret that our dignity i)recluded us from sharing in them. 
 The only society among us was the Debating Society, which met weekly, and 
 at which discussions were conducted with considerable spirit. The western 
 wing was occupied by the Mechanics' lYistitute for ])opular lectures in Science 
 or Literature by such men as A. McKinlay, Dr. Grigor, George R. Young, 
 Joseph Howe, etc., and the students found much pleasure and some profit in 
 attending. The east wing, as we have said, was occupied by the same 
 Association as a museum, and was thrown open at the same time. It was a 
 respectable collection, and formed the nucleus of the present Provincial 
 Museum. 
 
 " No degrees were actually conferred. The course of study was arranged 
 as in the Scottish Universities with the view of granting the M. A. degree at 
 the end of it. Students passed through the curriculum with that exjiectation. 
 One of those who did so told me that he had his certificates of having 
 regularly attended all the classes in the course, and that it had been promised 
 that he should have his degree as soon as arrangements could be made for the 
 purpose. Dr. McCulloch also promised those of us who had taken part of 
 our course at the Pictou Academy, that when this was done he would do his 
 j)art to secure that we should have the same privilege. What was wanting 
 in their arrangements for conferring such honors I cannot say ; but presume 
 that it was that particular regulations as to the terms required of candidates 
 had not been prepared or approved by the Governors. At all events, Dr. 
 McCulloch died, and they were never granted. 
 
 " The effort came abruptly to an end by the death of Dr. McCulloch on 
 the ninth day of September, 1843, just when the work of the institution for 
 that season had commenced. Teaching was continued by the other Professor-s 
 during that term, and then the institution was closed. 
 
 •' Locking back now at the effort made at this time, we can see in the after 
 lives of a number who then attended its classes, that it was not altogether in 
 vain. But the more we examine the whole circumstances the moie reason 
 we will see to ccndemn and mourn over the shortsighted and narrow-minded 
 policy of those htving the management of it, through which so fine an oppor- 
 tunity of buildirig up the collegiate education of the country upon a broad 
 and liberal basis was lost, we fear, forever." . 
 
36 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Further Particnlars — Bills of 1840 and 1841 — Minutes of Governors. 
 
 We have given the account so kindly furnished us by an old Dalhousian in 
 full and withont change. We shall nowr supplement it with a very few 
 addition:;, which we ourselves were able to glean from other sources. The 
 Governors advertised for applications for Professorships in August, 1838, 
 without any mention of their intention to only elect members of the Church 
 of Scotland. Applications were received until Sept. 15th, on which date 
 they met and appointed Messrs. Mcintosh and Romans. Notice had 
 previously been given that the College would Iw opened on the 1st of 
 October, but at this meeting the Governors postponed the opening until a 
 month later. At length, on November 1st, everything was in readine.ss, and 
 the work commenced. The otficial time-tabie published in the public prints 
 for some time before that date, is as follows : — 
 
 1. Latin, from 8 to 9 o'clock morning, by the Rev. Prof. Romans, 
 
 2. Greek, " 10 to 11 '• " •• •• i 
 
 3. Greek and Latin 12 to 1 o'clock afternoon " n 
 
 4. Algebra, from 10 to 11 o'clock morning, by the Rev. Prof. Mcintosh. 
 
 5. Logic, from 11 to 12 noon, by the Rev, Dr. McCulloch. 
 
 6. Rhetoric, from 1 to 2 afternoon, ti " 
 
 7. Mathematics, from 8 to 9 o'olock morning, by the Rev. Prof. Mcintosh. 
 
 8. Moral Philosophy, 10 to 11 » " " •• Ur. McCulloch. 
 
 9. Natural Philosophy, 12 to 1 •" afternoon, Rev. Prof Mcintosh. 
 
 Evening classes in Composition and Logic were conducted by the Rev. 
 President, and in Mathematics, by the Rev. Prof. Mcintosh. The latter, it 
 may also V)e observed, gave, during the first session, a series of popular 
 It'ctures on scientific subjects, which were very favorably spoken of. 
 
 As our readers will see, the time-table is very meagre, and gives but little 
 information as to the work. Yet, as far as we have been able to learn, this 
 was about the course — though the ;>erso«ne^ of the staff was changed — that 
 was followed for the few years the College was in operation. 
 
 In 1840 Sir Colin having been recalled, an effort that very soon proved 
 successful was made to do away with the restrictions, that chiefly through 
 his instrumentality had been imposed. At the same time it was deemed 
 advisable to give to the College a new Board of Governors. Of its former 
 Board, the Governor-General was necessarily absent and could take no part 
 in the proceedings, and the Chief Justice, having ceased to be President of 
 the Council, it was doubtful whether he was entitled to a seat. In con- 
 sequence only four were really capable of acting as Governors. The occasion, 
 therefore, -was a propitious one for getting rid of the figureheads who had 
 done nothing for Dalhousie. Accordingly, on the 15th of January, 1840, 
 Mr. Howe introduced a Bill to bring about these changes. Without amend- 
 ment the House passed the measure on the 2nd of March, and sent it to the 
 Council. These worthies made several amendments, to which the House 
 subsequently agreed. The chief one had reference to the method of filling 
 vacancies. As finally adopted the arrangement was, that whenever a 
 
 va 
 all 
 se 
 G( 
 C 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 a7 
 
 vacancy should occur on the governing Board, the Council and House should 
 alternately nominate three persons, from whom the Lieut. -Governor should 
 select one. It was further enacted that there must be at least twelve 
 Governors, exclusive of the Lieut-Governor and President of the College. 
 Clause V. gives to the institution the usual privileges of a university, such as 
 granting degrees, etc., and Clause VI repeats the principle laid down in the 
 preamble, that no religious test should be required of teachers or students. 
 Another amendment of the Council was to the effect, that the Act should not 
 go into force until His Majesty's consent to its provisions had been obtained. 
 
 "Whether the College could have been successfully operated under the 
 government of the Board appointed in terms of this Act is doubtful. There 
 was, perhaps, energy enough among its members, aiid some who were ever the 
 best friends of Dalhousie were placed upon it, but such was its constitution 
 that there was little hope of unanimity in its counsels. In a dispatch dated 
 16th June, 1840, Lord John Russell, the Colonial Secretary, intimates that 
 the. new Act was objectionable on account of the way the Governors were to 
 be appointed. "It is not desirable," he says, " in the choice of rulers for a 
 collegiate institution that the Assembly should exercise any ^sontrol ; for it 
 can scarcely fail in the result to happen that the party feelings by which the 
 Houses of Legislature are continually animated should be infused into the 
 College." The liegislature did not repeal the clause as suggested, but set to 
 work upon a now Bill. Mr. Huntington introduced the measure on 9th 
 February, 1841. "When it came to its third reading, Mr. Young, the late 
 Sir William, moved that Clauses V. and "VI. as in the former Act referring, 
 as will be remembered, to privileges and tests, should be added — an amendment 
 that was at once agreed to. On this occasion the Council made no changes. 
 The two Acts are throughout strikingly similar. The preambles are exactly 
 the same. The clauses referring to the number of Governors and their 
 appointment are not nearly so definite in the latter as in the former. For 
 example, the Governor-in-Council, who by terms of the Act of 1841, have the 
 power of making appointments, may appoint "such and so many fit and 
 proper persons as may be deemed proper to be Governors of said Dalhousie 
 College." The Governor-in-Council did not exercise the power thus granted 
 them until more than a year had elapsed. 
 
 In 1842 the House of Assembly considered the question of grants to the 
 Colleges, and Dalhousie came in for its share of the spoils. Acadia and St. 
 Mary's were given .£444 odd each per year ; Dalhousie only £400. At least 
 such were the terms of the resolutions adopted on Saturday, the 5th of 
 March. A motion by Mr. DesBarres to cut off the grant to Acadia had not 
 passed. Such were the condition of affairs on Saturday. The menibers, 
 we will assume, considered the matter prayerfully and carefully over Sunday, 
 and on Monday, when they resumed their seats, proceeded to stultify them- 
 selves. Mr. DeWolf opened with a resolution to rescind that part of the 
 Saturday resolutions which gave a grant to Dalhoufiie. His resolution carried 
 on the exceedingly close vote of 24 to 23. Mr. Huntingdon followed with a 
 resolution to rescind the grant to Acadia, and it was carried by a vote of 30 
 to 17. Mr. Forrestall performed the same labor of love for St. Mary's, and 
 by a still larger majority his motion passed. To farther complicate matters, 
 the House had no sooner finished the work of repealing their own legislation, 
 than the Solicitor-General announced that the Council had sent a communica- 
 tion suggesting a grant of money to the Colleges ; but we read that, having 
 due regard to the privileges of the House, the message could not be 
 
38 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 considered. During Monday night, conscience or indigestion, or something 
 akin, seems to have troubled the members. At any rate, we find them on 
 Tuesday morning coming to their places in the House, and solemnly setting 
 to work to cancel what they had done on Monday. They had been voting 
 large sums for various purposes in committee of supply on Monday afternoon, 
 and it may be that thus their hearts had been opened. However that may 
 be, they granted, on conditions easily fulfilled, £444 to Acadia and St. Mary's 
 annually for 3 years and £400 on like conditions to Dalhousie for 2 years. 
 Motions to reject these resolutions were defeated by an urchanging vote of 
 29 to 17. Any comment on these performances is unnecessary ; but we 
 ventuie the assertion that the like has never been seen in any other legislative 
 body, and probably never will. They stand alone unique in their absurdity. 
 
 Her Majesty's Commission under the Great Seal of the Province, bearing 
 date the 27th May, 1842, appointed Lord Falkland (the Lieut. -Governor), 
 the Hon. Alex. Stewart, the Hon. Wm. Young, the Hon Hugh Bell, Chas. 
 W. Wallace, John Whidden, John E. Fairbanks, Dr. Wm. Grigor, Mather 
 B. Almon, Chas. Twining, William Lawson, Jr., James F. Gray, Hugh 
 Hartshorne, Dr. Rufus S. Black, John E. Starr, Dr. Alex. F. Sawers, and 
 Dr. John McDonald — 17 in all — Governors. The First meeting was held in 
 Government House on Tuesday, 5th July, 1842, when all, except Mr. Almon, 
 were present. Mr. Hartshtrne resigned his position as Governor to accept 
 the secretaryship of the Board, and Mr. Wallace was elected treasurer— thd 
 office his father had previously held. A committee of five, consisting of 
 Messis. Stewart, Young, Gray, Twining, and Dr. Black, were appointed to 
 prepare a code of statutes for the government and regulation of the College, 
 as well as to collect all the information possible regarding the state of the 
 funds, and the number of students, it was farther resolved that Lord 
 Falkland make enquiries in England for a suitable Professor in Modern 
 Language, offering a salary of £150 currency, with half the fees additional. 
 The Professor was also to be allowed to increase this salary by taking female 
 pupils out of college hours. Some discussion took place as to the advisability 
 of withdrawing the original endowment fund from British to Provincial 
 securities, but on mature consideration, the Governors decided to leave it 
 as it was. 
 
 At the second meeting held on November 2nd, of the same year, the 
 statutes, prepared by the special committee, were fully considered and 
 adopted, with one exception. A third meeting was called a fortnight later 
 to discuss this one exception, at which a new member, Mr. Frith, is present 
 for the first time. The clauses under discussion, the 14th, had reference to 
 the number of Professors and the work that each should do. As amsnded 
 at this meeting it provided for three Professorships, one in Moral Philosophy, 
 Rhetoric and Logic ; a second in Classics and Mathematics, and a third in 
 Modern Languages. Rev. President McCulloch fills the first, Rev. James 
 Mcintosh the second, and Rev. Prof. Romans is, with a well-worded resolu- 
 tion of regret at losing his services ana the payment of his salary for six 
 months longer, slelved. 
 
 Let us glance for a moment at these statutes. As might be supposed the 
 first is the most imfportant, and we cannot do otherwise than quote it in full : — 
 "This College shall be conducted on the principle that it is quite possible to 
 establish and manage such an institution on a footing of entire liberality on 
 the point of religion, and at the same time to cultivate in the minds of the 
 students Bentiments of piety and virtue. Candidates o£ any religious 
 
 dl 
 
 tf 
 
 Hi 
 
 dl 
 PI 
 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 89 
 
 setting 
 
 denomination therefore will be eligible to the offices of instruction, and from 
 the students "and graduates no religious test will be demanded, but all the 
 Hdvantages and honors of the Institution will be open to all classes without 
 distinction. It will be the duty of the Professors to carry this leading 
 princi|)lo into practice, by avoiding any attempt to bias the students in favor 
 of any particular denomination, while at the same time they shall carefully 
 watch over their moral conduct and general deportment." 
 
 When the Governors were asked by the House of Assembly if they were 
 disposed to cooperate in founding and endowing one Provincial University, 
 independent of denominational or sectarian control, they could and did 
 point to this statute and say that it contained the best answer they could 
 flive to the enquiry. Mr. Geo. R, Young, too, when fighting the one College 
 battle, was able with pride to say of Dalhousie, " It has a charter free as the 
 air we breathe." And so may it ever be ! 
 
 The remaining statutes, fifteen in all, have nothing, or almost nothing, 
 remarkable about them on account of which we should direct special attention 
 to them. They are jnst such regulations as we would expect, fixing the 
 amount of fees, the number of Professors, the Academical habit, the dates of 
 examination, etc., etc. It niight be well, however, to notice that the course 
 fcr a degree of B. A. was to cover three years of two terms each, the terms 
 extending from the latter end of Janua.y, until the first of July, and again 
 from the Ist of September to the 15th December ; an arrangement that 
 removed a serious obstacle in the way of the College's progress. A Bachelor 
 of Arts seven years after his matriculation, if he paid library and other fees 
 in the meantime, was entitled to his M. A. These Mastere, whether wisely 
 or not, would be a matter of dispute, along with the Professors composed the 
 Convocation, a body whose duties are not clearly defined, but which had 
 jurisdiction over many, but not all of the internal affairs of the College. 
 Another statute provided that no person could matriculate under 14 years of 
 age, and strangely enough, at the very next examination, two candidates, sons 
 of two of the Governoi's, were not of the required age. These, the Governor 
 allowed to enter, and probably never afterwards sought to put the statute 
 in forca 
 
 Accompanying the code of laws the committee sent ''a synopsis of the 
 attendance of the students from 1838 to the present time, by which at one 
 view are exhibited their number, names, studies, and the period attended." 
 Unfortunately this most valuable and interesting of documents is not to 
 be found. 
 
 At a subsequent meeting in the same year, after a lot of minor matters of 
 business had been transacted, the Governors resolve! that the Secretary 
 prepare a memorial from this Board to the House of Assembly, proposing to 
 invest in the Provincial funds the amount belonging to the College then 
 invested in the British funds, and praying that the debt due by the College 
 to the Province might be relinquished.* 
 
 • The minutes from which we have been quoting were furnished the House of Assembly 
 in answer to a request by them for information regarding the College, and may be found ia 
 Appendix 29, Journals for 1848. 
 
40 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 at 
 vi 
 P 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Session of 1843— Minutes of Governors— Disasters— Sketch of Life of Dr. McCulloch. 
 
 The winter session of the College for 1843 was opened on Tuesday, the 31st 
 January. The papers of that date contain some accounts of the ceremonies 
 performed, and the addresses given, on that occasion. As this'is the only 
 convocation, if we may use our modem term, of these early days of which we 
 can furnish a description, we quote almost in full the Day Star's account of 
 the proceedings :* — " Pursuaiit to notice, the session of this Institution was 
 opened yesterday at two o'clock, when the hall of the Institution was 
 filled by an anxious and attentive audience. His Excellency the Lieut- 
 Governor and Lady Falkland were there, as also the members of the Councils, 
 the Speaker and Members of the Assembly, His Worship the Mayor, several 
 of the Aldermen, and other members of the corporate body, and though last 
 not least, many of the fair daughters of Acadia. 
 
 " The Rev. Dr. McCulloch, Principal of the College, delivered the opening 
 address, in which he entered largely into the vast advantages and benefits 
 which education was calculated to impart, and the high destiny to which 
 man, through the cultivation and extension of the faculties of mind, was 
 capacitated to attain. 
 
 "He maintained that the time had passed when men considered that rank 
 and wealth entitled them to a monopoly of intelligence, and that it was 
 sufficient for the lower to read their Bible, obey their superiors, and discharge 
 the duties of their several avocations in life — when they were considered by 
 the wealthy and the powerful as merely links in the chain of creation between 
 them aqd the lowest order of aniinated nature, — when the great and rich 
 thought, like those who reared the Pyramids of Egypt, to raise a monument 
 of fame built on the degradation of their fellow men. 
 
 "The Rev. Prof. Mcintosh next addressed the audience, taking a summary 
 view of the vast accession to human knowledge, comfort and wealth, which 
 the cultivation of Natural and Experimental Philosophy and the .^'ciencea 
 based thereon had given to the world, alluding particularly to the practical 
 results which had followed the application of such studies in the adaptatimi 
 of steam to so many of the most important purposes of life, preparing and 
 putting together the requisite materials, and then ploughing with them the 
 ocean by its own power — grinding for man his corn, — performing his various 
 employments, and leaving hira little more than a spectator of its wondrous 
 power. * * * * * " His Excellency, Lord Falkland, 
 
 then arose, and in a neat and appropriate speech conveyed to Dr. McCulloch 
 and his coadjutor, on behalf of himself and the other Governors of the 
 Institution, the high sense of the gratification they had derived from the 
 addresses delivered by them on this occasion. His Excellency also added 
 that he embraced the present opportunity of expressing the warm interest he 
 took in the welfare of the College, and his earnest and anxious desire for its 
 success, and that any suggestions which the Rev. Principal should make that 
 might tend to the improvement of the Institution, would always receive the 
 
 to 
 
 Sl( 
 
 of 
 hs 
 
 * See Gvardi«n, vol. 5, page 243. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 41 
 
 was 
 
 attention of His Lordship, and his active cooperation in cariying out such 
 views as would be likely to advance the interests of the College and the 
 Province, to the fullest extent in his pdwer. 
 
 "In reply to these remarks from His Excellency, the Eev. Dr. McCulloch 
 stated that ho should endeavor to nierit support by acting as he had hitherto 
 done, in the capacity of tk father as well as a tfsacher of the' pupils committed 
 to his care for instruction." 
 
 We have already seen the curious contortions used by the House of 
 Assembly in 1842 before it finally decided to gi«'e grants to the Colleges. In 
 1843 the whole matter was reconsidered. Early in the session this recon- 
 sideration was made the order of the day, but was not reached till the 24th 
 of February. Then the committee of the whole House reported that they 
 had come to the following resolution : — " Resolved that the policy heretofore 
 pursued of chartering and endowing Collegiate Institutions of a Sectarian or 
 Denominational character is unsound and ought to be abandoned." "Well 
 would it have been for higher education in Nova Scotia if this resolution had 
 been acted upon ! Mr. S. R. Fairbanks moved that it be not received, but 
 that the House adopt one which he read, embodying the clap-trap arguments 
 about "combining and fostering religious and moral improvement with 
 secular instruction," and going on to say that it would be unwise and unjust 
 to prostrate the denominational colleges by withdrawing from them the support 
 from the public funds. After some discussion the original resolution carried. 
 The principle for which the consolidationists of our own day have been contend- 
 ing WhS thus affirmed, but, as we shall see, not put into practice. The same day 
 on which the resolution passed, a committee was appointed to draft a Bill in 
 accordance with its terms. The best men in the Legislature, it seems, had 
 determined to found one University for the whole Province, and largely 
 support it with public funds ; but they were baulked in their efforts. Still 
 some progress was made. We find Mr. Annand, chairman of the committee 
 just mentioned, moving, on the 16th March, that the House on Saturday next 
 resolve itself into a committee of the whole to consider "of the site of the 
 proposed University for Nova Scotia." The subject thus became the order 
 of the day, but was postponed from time to time, and finally not reached at 
 all. The denominations which had their pet institutions had been hard at 
 work. They had sought to be heard at the bar of the House, and, failing in 
 that, had succeeded in influencing a few of the members, and the anti- 
 consolidationists in the House finding themselves strengthened, renewed the 
 struggle on behalf of denominational colleges. Mr. Dodd moved what was 
 virtually Mr. Fairbanks' resolution, though couched in different language. 
 Mr, Howe fearing defeat, moved that the House do adjourn, and just managed 
 to carry his motion. During the rest of the session we hear nothing about 
 the site of the proposed university. The true friends of higher education 
 dared not risk a battle. 
 
 Turning again to the minutes we find that for the e.^rly meetings of 1843 
 they are devoid of interest. Prof Mcintosh is reimbursed, for some apparatus 
 he had purchased, to the value of .£60. A part of the college, formerly 
 occupied by a Mr. Rice as a shop, leased to the Post Office authorities for a 
 period of three years, and the Governors thus obtained a good paying tenant, 
 the only one in three that was ; for we find that the Mechanics' Institute 
 and Museum, and Infant's School were free. After consideHng the applica- 
 tions of ?. number of candidates for the chair in Modern Languages, that of 
 M. Lacoste, a French gentleman, residing in New York, was regarded most 
 
42 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 favorably, and ho was accordingly appointed. M. Lacoste, unfortunately, had 
 hardly entered on his duties *»**e death took hira. He had arrived in Halifax 
 on August 9th, in tirao to begin work at the commencement of the second 
 term. On what day he died we do not know ; but the minutes of the 22nd 
 September tell us that the Secretary of the Board was ordered " to apply for, 
 and take out in his own name, letters of administration of the estate of the 
 late M. Lorenzo Lacoste." 
 
 But this was not the most serious blow the College received during this 
 
 year : 
 
 for 
 
 " Wheu troubles come they come not single spies. 
 But in battalions." 
 
 Scarcely had the work of the new term commenced than the students, 
 community, and Province were startled at the news of Dr. McCuUoch's death. 
 It was widely known that he was sick, though he had been in his class-i'oom 
 only a few days before, but so often previously had he been laid aside by 
 tem(K)rary illness th <t tix »rst was not feared. Great hopes of his recovery 
 were entertained bj hio ^v_yjicians and family until within the last few hours, 
 when it was seen that he was sinking rapidly. At five o'clock in the evening 
 of September 9th, '8-43, the .'on^ of the valiant old warrior, the hero of a 
 hundred fights, left the « rn oax, clay and winged its way to those better 
 realms where the weary are at rest It was a bad thing for Dalhousie and 
 the Province that the dread messenger came so soon, but who that has read 
 of Dr. McCulloch's labors would not say 
 
 " Vex not his ghost ! 0, let him pass 1 he hates him 
 That would upon the rack of this tough world 
 Stretch him out longer ?" 
 
 It is incumbent upon us at this stage to sketch the life of Dalhousie's first 
 Principal, and we shall do it as shortly as the subject will permit. 
 
 The Rev. Thos. McCuUoch, D. D,, was born in the parish of Neilston, 
 Renfrewshire, Scotland, about the year 1776. He was educated at the 
 University of Glasgow, where, in addition to his arts course, he took a full 
 course in medicine. Belonging to what was known a» the Antiburgher 
 branch of the Secession Ohurch, he entered upon the study of Theology under 
 Prof. Archibald Bruce, at Whitburn, in the year 1795, or when he was only 
 19 years of age. He was ordained pastor of a congregation at Stewarton, 
 Aryshire, on the 13th June, 1799 ; but impressed with the urgent calls from 
 this country tor ministers, he resigned his charge in 1803, and offered his- 
 services for the Nova Scotia mission. Having been accepted, he left his 
 native land, and arrfved at Pictou in November of that year. To the people 
 of that place he preached during the winter, and in the spring of 1804 wa» 
 inducted as their pastor. 
 
 He entered diligently upon the discharge of his duties, though hi» field was 
 but a limited one ; but his mind was too active to confine its attention to the- 
 interests of a single congregation. Besides his interest in general church 
 work, he took from the first an interest in public affairs. Ed early contributed 
 to the newspaper press, and soon came into prominence by a controversy 
 (into which circumstances led him) on the questions at issue between Catholics 
 and Protestants. His opponent was the Rev. Edmund Burke, afterward» 
 the first Roman Catholic Bishop of Nova Scotia, in whom he found a "foeman 
 worthy of his steel." To this discussion Dr. McCuUoch contributed two 
 thick 12 mo. volumos, — one in 1808^ entitled, "Popery condemned by 
 
 
 a^ 
 
 did 
 
 in 
 
 aul 
 
 asi 
 
 Pri 
 anp 
 the 
 til 
 
lately, had 
 n Halifax 
 he second 
 the 22 nd 
 apply for, 
 ite of the 
 
 iring this 
 
 students, 
 sh's death, 
 ilass-room 
 aside by 
 » recovery 
 'ew hours, 
 e evening 
 hero of a 
 ►se better 
 3usie and 
 has read 
 
 DALHdUSlE COLLEGE. 
 
 43 
 
 sie's first 
 
 NTeilston, 
 
 at the 
 
 ok a full 
 
 iburgher 
 
 ;y under 
 
 I'as only 
 
 warton, 
 
 lis from 
 
 jred his- 
 
 left his 
 
 i people 
 
 K)4 wa» 
 
 eld was 
 to the 
 church 
 ributed 
 roversy 
 itholicB' 
 rward* 
 poeman 
 twa 
 led by 
 
 Scripture and the Fathers," and the second two years later, entitled, '• Popery 
 again condemned, etc." Whatever opinion may be held of the questions in 
 dispute, or however much one may regi-et the theologiciim odium so evident 
 in these books, every reader will be impressed with the mental power of the 
 author, while the learning displayed is, considering his circumstances, truly 
 astonishing. 
 
 Still it was in education that he was chiefly to make his mark upon our 
 Provincial History. As early as the year 1805, scarce two years after his 
 arrival, he projected an institution for the higher branches of education ; but 
 the difficulties in the way were found so serious that it was laid aside at the 
 time, though never lost sight of. 
 
 Soon after, to improve the education of the district, he opened a superior 
 school in a log house, which was shortly after burned down one Sabbath 
 morning, undoubtedly by malicious incendiarism. In the year 1811, when 
 the Tjegislature passed an Act granting £100 per annum for a Grammar 
 School in each County, and in each of the districts of Colchester, Pictou, 
 and Yarmouth, he obtained the grant for the one under his charge, and held 
 it for a number of years. The success of this school revived the idea of 
 founding a College. Under his inspiration a society was formed " for pro- 
 viding the means of instruction in the branches of a liberal education which 
 are not taught in the Provincial Grammar Schools ; " and on their petition an 
 Act of Incorporation was granted to the trustees in 1816. Dr. McCuUoch 
 became the first President of the Pictou Academy founded by them, and for 
 the next 20 years the building up of the institution was the great work of 
 his life. 
 
 We need not enumerate the ordinary difficulties he encoutered, — they are 
 sufficiently known to every person ', but there was one, in some respects more 
 serious than all, the full force of which his friends and he did not at the time 
 realize. This was the opposition of the Council, then the Government of the 
 day, and their supporters. It is not our part to trace the struggles of the 
 Pictou Academy, but simply to give an outline of his labours in connection 
 with it. The first term opened on the 4th of May, 1818, with him as sole 
 Professor. The classes at first met in a room of a private house, but the 
 building of the institution was finished the next year, and at their formal 
 opening Dr. McCulloch delivered a lecture, afterwards published in pamphlet 
 form, entitled, "The Nature and Uses of a Liberal Education." In the 
 second term an additional teacher was added, but h$ still taught Greek, 
 Logic, Rhetoric, Moral, and Natural Philosophy. A little later he was 
 relieved of the first, but he continued to teach the other branches as long as 
 he was connected with the Academy, or indeed, as long as he lived. In each 
 of these he wrote a system for himself. Divei-s as were the subjects taught, 
 he taught them all well. Old pupils of his, who subsequently visited other 
 seats of learning, speak in terms of the highest admiration of his excellence 
 as a teacher, one of them going so far as to say that never till he saw the 
 Professors of Edinburgh did he know the greatness of Dr. McCulloch;* 
 and were any other proof needed than this, the fact, that three of his earliest 
 students passed successfully t.he examination for an M. A. degree at Glasgow 
 without any other instruction than they received from him, amply supplies 
 the deficiency. 
 
 His labors in teaching were only a part of his effoi-ts on behalf of the 
 
 ^ See History of Pictou Courtty, p. 330-1, 
 
44 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 institution. Its whole life was a hard fight for existence, partly before the 
 Legislature, where the majority of the Council were oj)posecl to granting aid, 
 and partly against opposition without. His pen was Constantly employed in 
 various ways, writing petitions to the Legislature and appeals to the public, 
 and carrying on almost uninterrupted controversy through the press. More 
 than once he visited his native land seeking and getting assistance. With 
 
 of awakening an interest in education, he visited Halifax, St. 
 many other towns of the Lower Provinces delivering popular 
 
 by experiments- 
 
 the object 
 John, and 
 
 lectures on scientific subjects, illustrated by experiments — the first of the 
 kind ever delivered in British North America. With the help of his family 
 he collected a museum of Natural History, in which the collection of native 
 birds was pronounced by Andobon the finest he had seen in North America. 
 All this he did in addition to his regular pastoral and synodical work. He 
 did not resign his charge of his congregation till 1824, and never ceased to 
 be a most active member of Synod, the leading spirit in all its measures, and 
 the author of many of its public documents. As soon as a class of young 
 men had completed an Arts course under him, he undertook the instruction 
 of those who proposed entering the ministry in Theology and Hebrew. For 
 his class in the former subject, he carefully prepared a course of lectures,, 
 published since his death under the title, ** Calvinism, tho doctrine of the 
 Scriptures." 
 
 During most of his career his pen was busy in other ways. Besides the 
 productions already mentioned, we find a sermon, " The prosperity of the 
 Church in troublous times," published in 1814, and an address delivered in 
 Halifax, "Words of Peace," given to the public in 1817. His contributions 
 to the newspapers of the day were numerous and of varied style. Some of 
 them were controversial ; others were bright and amusing. In particular in 
 the years 1822-3 he published in the Acadian Recorder, under the signature 
 of Mephibosheth Stepsure, a series of light sketches of the social habits of the 
 people of Nova Scotia, and so graphic and true to life were they, that in 
 every part of the Province persons were found who were supposed to be 
 represented in the Parson Drone, Solomon Gosling, Bill Scamp, or others of 
 his characters. In the same paper, also, first appeared a tale of colonial life 
 of a more serious nature, entitled "William," which, with another called 
 " Melville," was published in Edinburgh in 1826, under the title " Colonial 
 Gleanings." 
 
 These were not all. In the year 1827, a newspaper, the Patriot, wa» 
 started in Pictou, the first in the Lower Provinces to attack the old irrespon- 
 sible system of Government. Dr. McCulloch at first refrained from writing 
 for it, but afterwards irritated by the treatment he had received from the 
 official party, and stung by what he considered a personal insult offered him 
 by the Lieut. -Governor, he lent his pen to the object of that journal, and 
 afterwards the most vigorous articles in its columns were written by him. 
 
 In addition to all this, when Sir Walter Scott's novels appeared, in which 
 the Covenanters were, as he considered, caricatured, he planned a series of 
 tales to counteract these false representations. At least one of these was 
 written, in which he lashed the vices of the minions of Charles II. and his 
 brother James II., but it has never been published. 
 
 Such an amount of active labour as he performed during the years of his 
 
 connexion with Pictou Academy has seldom been crowded into the life of 
 
 ' any man. It was more than any human frame could stand, and though his 
 
 indomitable spirit had borne him through^ his coiistitution was much broken. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 45 
 
 and he was plainly premntnrely old, when in 1838, he; was transferred to 
 Dalhousie. The five years of his Presidency was the great calm that follows 
 a storm. Through them he lived a life of peaceful usefulness until he was 
 summoned home 
 
 The rewards of his efforts on behalf of Education, Religion, or whatever 
 cause he espoused, he found in the consciousness of doing right, and (he 
 certainty of some day hearing his beloved Master say, " Well done, good and 
 faithful servant." Still he was not without a share of honor even in this 
 life. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity twice, — first from Union 
 College, Schenectady, New York, and secondly from his Alma Mater, 
 Crlasgow. And though in his case in a large measure it was true that 
 
 •• What we have we prize not to the worth, 
 Whilst we enjoj' it," 
 
 he lived long enough to hear some of those who had been among his bitterest 
 enemies bear testimony to the correctness of the principles for which he had 
 toiled.* 
 
 Let us now return to the minutes of the Governors, 
 was immediately tilled by the appointment of M. J. A. 
 gentleman did not arrive in Halifax until the new year, 
 work in teaching Modei-n Languages, M. Deloutte was 
 Latin, should the Board require him to do so — such was a condition of his 
 appointment. Every school boy, not necessarily of the capacity of Lord 
 McCaulay's, knows that 1843 was the year of the disruption in the Church of 
 Scotland. Prof. Mcintosh, seeing a chance it might be for a good living in 
 one of the many vacancies, applied for and obtained a three month's leave of 
 absence from his professional duties. While he was gone, Mr. Thos. 
 McCuUoch, son of the late President, was chosen to take charge of the 
 classes. That task he performed most efficiently. A resolution testifying 
 to Mr. Mcintosh's good work in the College and his readiness to undertake 
 extra labor when requir-ed, was passed and transmitted to the Rev. gentle- 
 man — a resolution which the Governors subsequently would have been glad 
 to retract. Mr. Mcintosh was instr-ucted to look out in Scotland a man 
 qualified and willing to accept the otiiice of President, and report the result of 
 such enquiries to the Board. And thus, without a Principal, with one 
 professor appointed, but not entered upon his duties, with another across the 
 Atlantic, but a substitute doing his work, the year 1843 closed over 
 Dalhousie. A disastrous year for that institution it had been ! 
 
 M. Lacoste's place 
 
 Deloutte, but that 
 
 In addition to his 
 
 to take a class in 
 
 of his 
 life of 
 ;h his 
 roken. 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 Fears 1844-'45-'46-' 47-48— Minutes of Governors— New Act. 
 
 The first meeting of the- Governors in 1844 was held on February 12th, 
 but there was nothing of importance done. A little more than a month later, 
 the Governors met again to consider Prof. Mcintosh's application for an exten- 
 sion of his leave of absence — an application which they promptly refused. 
 
 • For nraterials for above account we are chiefly indebted to Robertson's History of Seces- 
 sion Missions to Nova Scotia, Gregg's History of the Presbyterian Church in Canada, 
 Patterson's History of the Comity of Pictou, also sketch by same author iu Biblotheca 
 Canadicnsis, and information derived orally from him. 
 
 " \ 
 
46 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 Then came the denouements. It will not Vje forgotten that Prof. Mcintosh, 
 while still in connexion with the College, had purchased some apparatus for 
 which the Board had paid him, but, we will suppose in his hurry of leaving, 
 he had forgotten to remit the money to the person from whom he had bought, 
 a Mr. Wrightman of Boston. More than that, though the Governors had 
 continued Mr. Mcintosh's salary to him during the three months he had been 
 absent, they had also to pay for the services of his substitute. At the same 
 time that these transactions were revealed, Mr. Mcintosh's resignation came, 
 and, we ne^d not add, was accepted. Mr. Thos. McCulloch was employed, and 
 instructed to carry on the classes he had been teaching as the ex-Professor's 
 substitute until the end of the term, when his engagement was to terminate. 
 Another meeting was held in 1844 which does not call for a reference, so we 
 can retrace our steps u, little to see what action in regard to the Colleges the 
 Legislature had taken. 
 
 Those who look for something decisive as the outcome of no^sectarian 
 college resolution that had been carried by a majority of seven in 1843 
 are doomed to disappointment. During the session of 1844 thirty-seven peti- 
 tions were presented praying for a continuance of the grants to sectarian 
 colleges, and twenty-eight against. The grants passed in 1842 would not 
 terminate until 1845, and the discussion was postponed until then; but in 
 order to give the members the opportunity of making themselves acquainted 
 with the state of the Colleges, the House, on motion of G. R. Young, resolved 
 to request the Lieut. -Governor to obtain from the proper officers during 
 recess, returns from the Colleges and Academies, showing the amount of 
 fixed funds, the number of students, the course of study, the cost of boarding, 
 and the value of the apparatus. In answer to this resolution, the Governors 
 of Dalhousit sent a statement compiled in January, 1845. This is not by 
 any means so interesting a document as we would expect it to be. The fixed 
 and annual funds are spoken of, the yearly expenditure, the salaries of the 
 Professors, and the cost of board and education, are given. Further, an 
 estimate of the value of the property is made, (in which the building is 
 valued at .£10,000); from which we learn that there was no library, and only 
 £100 worth of apparatus. The most useful part of the whole return is a 
 tabular statement, as follows, of 
 
 Classes and Number op Students 
 Since the constitution of the pi-esent Board of Governors : 
 
 
 Classics. 
 
 Logic and 
 Rhetoric. 
 
 Moral 
 Phil'sy, 
 
 Mathem. 
 Nat. Phil. 
 
 Modern 
 Languages. 
 
 Total No. of 
 Students. 
 
 1843— Winter Term. 
 1843 — Summer " . 
 1844— Winter h . 
 1844 — Summer " . 
 
 . 3 
 . 4 
 . 5 
 . 1 
 
 2 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 3 
 
 11 
 
 9 
 3 
 
 2 
 
 12 
 
 7 
 
 16 
 15 
 18 
 10 
 
 Such is all of interest that the report contains.* 
 
 Some at least of our readers will remember that in the election of 1843,^ 
 the one College question w^s one of the most important issues. The leaders 
 of the liberal party, Messrs. Howe, G. R. Young, Annand, and others, held 
 public meetings in different counties, and laid their policy in this regard 
 fiiirly and squarely before the electors. The rank and file, however, of 
 
 * See Appendix 12, Journals for 1845, for full letomsr 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 47 
 
 that party did not make tho one Colle|;e matter so prominent a plank 
 in their platforni ; in fact some of them fought shy of it, or repudiated 
 it altogether. The Liberal party was returned ^o power, but with a 
 decreased nmjority, though Mr, Howe always maintained with a majority 
 that should have fixed forever the fate of sectarian institutions had they been 
 true to the principles they avowed in '43. We have seen how tlie House 
 avoided a discuwion of the question in 1844, but they could not shirk it in 
 1845. With the expiration of the grants, and with tho returns from the 
 various colleges in their hands, there was no excuse for further postponing 
 the consideration. March saw them ready lor the wordy warfare. The 
 battle was opened when the committee of the whole House reported that they 
 had come to four resolutions ; by the first of which £250 was granted to the 
 Baptist Educational Society, in other words, to Acadia College ; by the second, 
 i;250 to St. Mary's; by the third. £250 to Pictoii Academy ; by the fourth, 
 £150 to Sackville Academy. No mention at all was made of Dalhousie, 
 though the returns show that it was doing a higher class of work than any of 
 her rivals, even if the number of its students was small. These grants, it 
 must be mentioned, were made on a condition easily fulfilled, viz, : that of 
 educating without charge ten youths of poor parentage of whom the liieut.- 
 Governor should nominate five. Mr. Howe moved in amendment a resolution, 
 of which the preamble was, "Whereas the system pursued for some years 
 past for |)roviding the higher branches of education in sectarian colleges is 
 burthensome to the Treasury," but to no effect. The amendment was voted 
 down, three of those members, who in 1843 had voted for a similar resolution, 
 being found among the majority. The first resolution carried. So did the 
 second, third, and fourth, with varying majorities ; but all large enough to 
 show that the feeling was then strong in favor of denominational colleges. 
 The opponents of these were not completely disheartened, even if they were 
 badly beaten. Accordingly, next morning, Mr. Huntingdon, the most earnest 
 consolidationi.st of them all, moved that the first resolution passed the day 
 before be rescinded. For a while, as the division was being taken, it would 
 seem as if the escapade of 1842 was to be repeated, but it happened other- 
 wise. The motion was defeated, but, nothing daunted, Mr. Huntingdon 
 proceeded to make similar motions regarding the other resolutions. Each 
 met with a like fate to that which had befallen his first venture. Later in 
 the same day the strife was renewed, when the Hon. Sol. General (Mr. Dodd) 
 moved that the House do resolve itself into a committee for the purpose of 
 considering the School Bill. Mr. Huntingdon was to the front again — he 
 was evidently English, and didn't know when he was beaten, or elst . i his 
 vocabulary he found no such word as fail — with an amendment to the qu(;stion 
 put in these words, — " It is the opinion of this House that the principle of 
 endowing sectarian colleges is unwise, and ought to be abandoned." The 
 Hon. Sol. General moved the previous question, and his motion carried. As 
 a second amendment to the original question, Mr. Doyle moved " that in the 
 present state of the Province, and the inadequacy of the public funds for 
 the support of Common School Education, it is the opinion of this House that 
 the principle of endowing sectarian colleges is improvident and unwise, and 
 ought to be abandoned." The Sol. General adopted the same tactics as before, 
 and with like success. Mr. Huntingdon, and the men who stood by him, 
 failed, but we think it will be admitted that they stand blameless of a crime 
 
 m 
 
 I 
 
4A 
 
 DALHOITSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 against higher education in Nova Suotia — so much cannot be said for their 
 opponents — for they 
 
 " Wno do tho best their circumntance allow 
 Do well, act noble— unguis could do no more." 
 
 But it may he asked, why detail these steps so minutely — •what have they 
 to do with Daihousiel We answer everything. Dalhousie was the cnly 
 college that could lay the slightest claim to being non-.sectariHn ; Dalhousie 
 had already received large grants from the Assembly ; Dalhousie alone had 
 spacious and enduring buildings; Dalhousie alone had a respectable endow- 
 ment ; Dalhousie alone was centrally situated and could count on a large 
 number of students from its immediate neighbourhood. For these, and other 
 reasons, had Mr. Huntingdon and his supporters succeeded, Dalhousie would 
 have been the recipient of the Government grant, and become, what we hope 
 she is destined, even yet to be, the Provincial University. 
 
 On Tuesday, June 3rd, 1845, the Crovernors of the College met, when a 
 resolution was adopted that was of great importance. This it was : " Resolved, 
 that in consequence of the discontinuance of the Provincial Grant it is 
 expedient to shut up the College lor the present, and not tc fill up the 
 vacancies in the Professorships ; and that it is advisable to allow the funds 
 of the Institution to accumulate." During his short Professorship, M. 
 Deloutte seems to have won his way to the hearts of the Governors ; for we 
 find four resolutions passed of a nature favorable to hiuj. The first was one 
 of regret at parting with him, the second was one of satisfaction with the work 
 he had done, the third gave him a pref.ent of that part of the class fees which 
 belonged to the Governors, and the fourth offered him a room in the College 
 without charge for purposes of private teaching. 
 
 Thus ingloriously terminated the arrangement of 1838. For over three 
 years the College remained closed. The Governors, it is true, held meetings, 
 though not so frequently as before, but the chief matters for their considera- 
 tion during that period was the leasing of one room to the Registrar of Deeds, 
 and the clearing cfiit of some parties who had been occupying rooms without 
 payment. 
 
 In 1847, the House of Assembly, by resolution, again required the diflferent 
 colleges to furnish returns. Dalhousie in that year, as we know, had neither 
 students nor professors, and the return proper from it is a very uninteresting 
 document. The only point of interest gleaned from it is that the Post 
 Office, Infant School, Mechanics' Institute, and Registrar of Deeds are all 
 domiciled within Dalhousie's walls. But, in addition to this return, the 
 Governors sent copious extracts from their minutes partially covering the 
 years 1845-7*. From these we have derived much of the information given 
 in the preceding pages. About this time the House seemed to have a 
 mania for getting returns. Not satisfied with those supplied them in 1845, 
 nor yet with those of 1847, they asked for others in 1848t. Dalhousie was 
 still in a comatose state, and such a thing, therefore, in so far as she 
 was concerned was absurd. It was without professors or students, and 
 during 1847 the Governors had done nothing but expend well on to 
 £300 in repairing a fence. Even this got them into difficulties. When 
 the return was presented, the House found that the Secretary had been 
 drawing his salary of £35 per annum, though practically doing nothing. 
 
 • See Appendix 29, Journals 1847. 
 i See Appendix 23, Joturnals 1848. 
 
HALHOTTSIE roLLEQE. 
 
 4» 
 
 their 
 
 The item of expenditure upon the fence was also inexpHcalth), and 
 when further information was sought fcr, it was learned that the work 
 had been done and money expended hy the Secretary and one other (Jovornor, 
 without the consent of the otheis. A select committee was appointed to 
 enquire into this mal-appropriation of the public funds, for ho it was deemed — 
 but they never reportod. In the course of the debate, it should be noticed 
 that Hon. Mr, XTniacke gave it as his opinion, that it was time to convert the 
 College buildings into a Court House or Custom House. 
 
 During the closing days of the same session, the Assembly tried to infuse 
 life into the College by giving it a new Board of Governors. The Bill, by 
 which this was done, was introduced on the 3rd of April, by the Provincial 
 Secretary, (Mr. Howe) and rushed throtigh its different stages so rapidly that 
 it received the assent of the Lieut. -Governor on the 11th of that month. 
 The old Board was abolished, and in its room and stead the Governor-in- 
 Council was empowered to appoint a new one, consisting of not less than five, 
 nor more than seven members, '* which Board shall hold office during 
 pleasure," and to take such other steps for rendering the Institution useful 
 and efficient as to His Excellency may seem meet*. 
 
 CHAPTER XI r. 
 
 " The College High School "—Action of the Legislature. 
 
 By the terms of the Act of 1848, not less than five, nor more than seven, 
 were to be appointed by the Oovernor-in-Council to constitute the Governing 
 Board of Dalhousie College. Under this statute, on the Ist of September, in 
 that year, the Hons. \Vm. Young, Joseph Howe, Hugh Bell, and Messrs. 
 James F. Avery, William Grigor, Andrew McKinlay, and John Naylor were 
 commissioned. These gentlemen held their first meeting on the 2n(l Novem- 
 ber, 1848, and organized themaelvea by appointing as Chairman, Hon. \Vm. 
 Young ; Secretary, Alex. James. The j)08ition to which he was then elected, 
 Sir William Young filled for over thirty years, with credit to himself, and 
 benefit to the College. No statem<int of the afiairs of the Collecie having 
 been received from the former Secretary, the Governors were not in a position 
 to perform any business, and adjourned to meet less than a week later. 
 Then the new board, finding that their predecessors had left a balance of 
 nearly =£200 to commence operations with, went right to work. The chair- 
 man read the draftof a report prepared by him upon the constitution and present 
 state of the Institution, containing a general outline of the system proposed 
 to be pursued. This was adopted unanimously ^Jind 250 copies of it ordered 
 to be printed for circulation. A long conversation followed respecting the 
 expediency and propriety of opening the classes with prayer or reading of the 
 scriptures, and the Board, without a dissenting voice, decided that such a 
 practice would lead to serious objections, and tend to exclude some portions 
 of the public, and therefore that such services should be dispensed with. 
 
 Some sections of the above repoit must be quoted. Our readers are 
 probably aware that under this Board the College was turned into a High 
 School, contrary to the charter, we are bound to say. Their course may 
 
 'Statutes of Nova Scotia, 1848, p. 136. 
 
50 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 perhaps be justiiied by educational or financial, if not by the more familial' 
 " political exigencies." The reason they had for so materially altering the 
 plan of the noble founder is given in the annexed quotation : — "It is enough 
 that from causes which we need not enquire into, except as beacons to warn 
 us in future, all such attempts (to put the college into operation) have 
 hitherto proved abortive, and that unless there be a thorough change in the 
 principle and mode of management, the Institution is likely to remain a 
 melancholy memorial of well intended and patriotic efforts defeated, and 
 large funds unproductive and neglected. 
 
 •'The Governors feel, that with the growing anxiety for a sound, practical 
 education of the youth of this country, adapted to our local circumstances and 
 pursuits, so cheap as to be accessible to large numbers whom the present rates 
 of tuition exclude or dater, and free from all suspicion of sectarian influences, 
 the resources of this institution are such as to offer the fairest prospect of 
 founding a seminary to which all denominations may with equal confidence 
 repair, and to which parents may look for the sui)ply of a want so justly 
 complained of, and so daeply felt in this community. * ♦ '* 
 
 " The Board, having instituted enquiries also into the actual state of 
 education in Halifax and the cost it now entails, were convinced that there 
 was ample room, without any undue interference with the colleges or schools 
 already existing, for another seminary aiming at a cheap rate, not to exceed 
 four pounds a year for each pupil, to give such an education as is furnished 
 by the academies in Scotland, and high schools in the United States." 
 
 To this quotation we will return farther on. Meanwhile we glean what 
 information we can from the remainder of the report. To accomplish the 
 end outlined in the above paragraph, the Governors think that four teachers, 
 among whom the work would be divided in the manner we shall soon see, 
 would be necessary. The idea of having a college was not absolutely aban- 
 doned. The Governors state that they hope soon to employ a fifth teacher, 
 and to remunerate three competent lecturers on some of the highar branches! 
 ot literature and science. The yearly income and the amount of endowments 
 is stated thus: "The capital itself consists of £9342 lis. Id. sterling in the 
 three per cent. consoLs, equal at their present value to £10,043 6s. lOd. cur- 
 rency, and yielding a dividend of j£385 6.s. lOd. currency per annum. If 
 this sum could be transferred to the Provincial funds or otherwise safely 
 invested, it might be made to yield an income of upwards of £500, making, 
 with rental from Post Office, (*tc., £025 currency.'' We miglit just add 
 that this transfer of the endowment was subsequently made with very bene- 
 ficial results. 
 
 The Governors conclude their report with these words : " Should they 
 succeed in their endeavors, and the institution go into successful operation, 
 they hope that Her Majesty will be pleased to appoint His Excellency to the 
 office of visitor; and that the countenance and supervision of the Queen's 
 representative, while reflecting dignity on the officers and teachers of 
 the institut'on, will be a guarantee to the public for its efficiency and per- 
 manence." Dalhousie College had suffered so much in the past by having its 
 governing Board tilled with men, chosen simply on account of their position, 
 that one is surprised at this little bit of fawning on the part of the governors. 
 But Sir John Harvey was a man of different stuff" from many of his predeces- 
 sors, and if he did not greatly assist, he certainly did not injure, the College. 
 
 Whether the Governors made a mistake or not in their disposition of the 
 funds is a question which we have some hesitancy in discussing. For oar 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 51 
 
 own part we think they did. That very year, the Presbyterians in their 
 Synod, had passed a series of six resolutions opposing denominational col- 
 leges, and expressing their willingness to assist in building uj) a Provincial 
 University. Had the Governors made overtures to that church, there is no 
 doubt but that it would have done as it did some fifteen years 1 .ter — unite 
 with them to carry on the college as a college. Farther, with all due 
 deference to the Governors, there was no necessity for another high school. 
 In Halifax, at that time, doing the work of high schools, there were St. 
 Mary's Academy, the Training School, and the Halifax Grammar School, 
 while the Free Church were about erecting their Academy. Nor was the 
 ; ction of the Governors fair. Under the system they proposed, no pupils 
 vv-ould come from the country, and the funds of Dalhousie College were never 
 intended to be for the sole benefit and behoof of Halifax scholars. Still no 
 one can dispute the fact that the Governors did what they considered was for 
 the best. It was not as in '38, when the Governors of that date joined hands 
 with a few bigots in trying to bring ruin on the institution. No one can 
 impute dishonorable motives to the men who formed the Governing Board of 
 1848. If they 'had not the faith to read the signs aright," they at least 
 acted to the best of their judgment, and showed by their efforts that they 
 were in earnest. As we read of the work they did on behalf of the Academy 
 they established, we only regret the more that they had not aimed at some- 
 thing higher. Such energy and interest as they manifested, would have 
 carried an undertaking of that nature to a successful issue. 
 
 The advertisement the Governors irsertedin the papers asking applications 
 for teachers, would, prima Jade, be supposed to be of no importance. A 
 closer inspection, however, shows that there are some facts in it of interest 
 that are nowhere eise to be found. It is stated that the School would be 
 opened •learly in February, if possible ; but for some, to us not apparent, 
 reason, it did not. commence work till the 14th of April, 1849. It will be 
 remembered that the Governors had determined to ap|)oint four teachers. 
 According to this advertisement the Head-master must be coni])etent to 
 teach Classics, Rhetoric and Belles Lettres ; the second, Mathematics, 
 Surveying, i nd kindred branches ; the third, French, Spanish, and if practi- 
 cable, Italian ; the fourth the ordinary branches of a godd English education. 
 The salaries offered would not in our day be considered princely ; the teachers 
 were all entitled to receive one half of their own class fees, and in addition 
 .£175, £160, .£125, .£75 respectively. The Goveinors reserved the privilege 
 of sending live pupils to each class free, "so that children who displayed 
 extraordinary ability in the Common schools may be advanced, and their 
 minds developed and improved." If necessary the Governors, aided by some 
 men of acknowledged ability, were to examine the candidates. None is to be 
 employed who will not be likely to cooperate cheerfully with the Governors 
 and with the other teachers in promoting the usefulness and i-espectability of 
 the Institution. In return for these gratuitous effor<^s, the Governors promise 
 to make the comfort of the teachere a leading objcjt. 
 
 The fee for each class was fixed at £4, and as the advertisement says, " for 
 this moderate sum the pupils, according to their age and capacity, will be 
 Assigned to one, two, or more of the classes, and particular attention will be 
 paid to their obtaining a correct, knowledge of their own and of the French 
 tongue." 
 
 '4 
 \- 
 I 
 
 '..'W 
 
 
 
52 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 A very large number of applications were received. Still the choice of the 
 Governors was unanimous. These were the successful candidates : — 
 
 Head Master, Thos. McCuUoch. 
 Second •" Dr. Samuel Brown. 
 Third •• H. Oldright. 
 Fourth It J. K. Rousselle. 
 
 The princlj>al had already served the College, and ten years after the 
 position to which he had now been chosen to fill had been given up by reason 
 of ill health, he was again called to a Professor's chair, the others were novi 
 homines. At the same meeting at which the appointments were made, an 
 application was received from Dr. A. Gesnor, the celebrated geologist and 
 scientist, regarding the appointment of a teacher of Natural and Experimental 
 Philosophy. This, like many other praiseworthy applications, was o 
 entertained. Before next meeting the Legislature had discussed the prop., ty 
 of withdrawing the ancient loan of £5O00, and had refused any grant to 
 Dalhousie. Doubts were entertained as to the sufficiency of the funds to 
 carry on the work, and the Governors felt in duty bound to ask the teachers 
 if they were willing, in view of what had taken place, to enter upon their 
 respective offices. These having replied in the affirmative, it was decided to 
 commence operations on the 11th of April. An advertisement to this effect 
 was published in the morning papers. Under auspices fairly favorable — 
 over fifty pupils had promised to attend — the Dalhousie College High School, 
 (we are inclined to regard this title rather as a contradiction of terms, but 
 such was the name generally employed) Avas opened. The register of the 
 attendance is still extant, peacefully reposing under some inches of dust in 
 the closet of the University Library. We confess to being unable to follow 
 the method used in enrolling the pupils, but if we are right in the conclusion 
 we drew from a close study of the book, there were registered at Dalhousie 
 during the year 1849, 125 pupils*. The ages of these ranged from the infant 
 of 7 to the patriarch of 30, and their attainments were as varied as their 
 years. We find such remarks as these recorded about divers of them in a 
 column set apart for that purpose :— " Parents wish him to get a good 
 general education," " Wants to get a classical education," " Desires to be 
 fitted for engaging in commercial pursuits," " Wants nothing more than a 
 good English education," etc., etc. 
 
 Throughout the earlier months of '49 the Governors met frequently, but 
 little that calls for special note was done. They discussed the difficulty 
 connected with the collection of the class fees ; refused a petition from the 
 Mechanics' Institute for liberty to build on the Parade ; authorized the 
 Principal to obtain a supply of copy books to be disposed of at cost price to 
 the scholars ; ordered one hundred satchells of blue moreen for the pupils, 
 and appointed a committee to make enquiries an to employing teachers of 
 the Drill and Manual Exercises and Singing. In October they met to con- 
 sider a proposal of Mr. J. W., now Sir William Dawson, relative to a 
 series of Geological lectures, 24 in number, to be delivered in the College 
 during the session of the Legislature. Mr. Dawson's proposal was accepted. 
 Forty pounds and the free use of a room were allowed him, besides whatever 
 fees he might obtain. The only return asked was that the teachers and 
 pupils of the school be admitted free. 
 
 Jar 
 
 sanil 
 
 froii 
 
 butl 
 
 Pro! 
 
 tirsr 
 
 meil 
 
 Old! 
 
 to s| 
 
 thes 
 
 * See Appendix C, p. 157. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 53 
 
 a 
 
 Early in 1850 Mr. James resigned the Secretaryship of the Board and Mr. 
 James Thompson, an aluuinns of the college, took his place. In Apcil of the 
 same year, Mr. McCulloch was obliged from the state of his health to ret'»'e 
 from the Principalship. The position was at once offered to a Mr. Harris, 
 but declined by him. At this time in Halifax, Mr. Costley, late Deputy 
 Provincial Secretary, was teaching a private school. Having failed in their 
 first attempt to obtain a Head-niastei', the Governors tried to make arrange- 
 ments ^vith that gentleman, but could not do so. One of the teachers, Mr. 
 Oldri^ut, was passing his vacation in Boston, and the Board asked him to try 
 to secure a man for the office in that city of baked beans and culture. All 
 these methods proving of no avail, they finally empowered Mr. Howe to 
 write to Mr. Michael McCulloch, another son of the late President, then 
 teaching in Yarmouth, offering him the situation his brother had held. It 
 will not have b<jen forgotten that the Governors had decided that there 
 should be no devotional exercises at the opening of the cl... ses. This decision 
 had brought upon them much reproach. The school had become known far 
 and wide as the " Godless Academy," and the finger of scorn had been 
 pointed at it as in our own day for an alleged similar reason. Thirty-five 
 years ago when this luinous sectarian feeling was much stronger than it is 
 now, such a ciy was very injurious to the Institution. Seeing this, the 
 Governors determined to rescind their former resolution, but not wishing to 
 do so all at once they introduced the thin edge of the wedge, and ordered 
 that the Scriptures be read for an hour once a week, the {)upils whose parents 
 objected to their remaining being allowed to withdraw.. The new Principal 
 was also requested to draw up a short form of prayer to be used at the 
 opening of the classes, but he was to submit it to the Governors for their 
 approval before beginning its us& 
 
 By 1851, the number in attendance having largely diminished, being 
 reduced to 64, the Governors asked the Principal for the reasons of the 
 alarming decrease. In his reply, Mr. McCulloch states that there are exter- 
 nal and internal causes for the defection that we need not here enumerate. 
 The Governors seemed hardly satisfied with the explanation, and, moved by 
 the complaints of many parents, they dismissed Messrs. Brown and Oldright 
 from their service on the 30th July. At a meeting in August the personnel 
 of the staff was again changed. Mr. Costley was induced to take a position, 
 not under Mi\ McCulloch, but on the same footing with him, equal in salary 
 and dignity. Mr. Rouselle, who seems to have been a worthy man as well 
 as a good teacher, held the third position. Unable to get a satisfactory 
 teacher of the modern languages, the Board was obliged to re-engage Mr. 
 Oldright. Notwithstanding all these changes the school was not gaining the 
 confidence of theiuiblic. In fact its popularity was waning. We have said 
 before that in our o])inion there was no necessity for the school, and the fact 
 that the attendance had now decreased to such an extent bears us out in our 
 statement. The attendance at first, owing to the glamor that encompasses 
 i^w undertakings and makes them attractive, was abnornially large, but the 
 school had no constituency. A secondary reason, and one not to be over- 
 looked, operating during the later years, was the fact that there was no chief 
 to control affairs. An old pupil, on whose intelligence we can rely, tells us 
 that to boys of thirteen it was apparent that a principal was wanted. As it 
 was, he says, there was no system about the work or the courses pursued. 
 Matters that effected, it might be the best interests of the institution, that 
 should have been reported to the authorities as part of a priucipars duty, 
 
 k 
 
54 
 
 BALflOtJSIfi COLLfiOE. 
 
 were, because of the want of that official, left unmentioned, and in mftny 
 cases unremedied. The Governors, though aware of the dissatisfaction 
 expressed, had not got at the root of the tnatter. They passed unanimously 
 the following resolution, of which they sent a copy to each teacher : — 
 
 "The Governors of Dalhousie College regret that the institution does not 
 yet realize the reasonable expectations of the public. They apprehend that 
 there is a want of cordial cooperation among the teachers. They deem i€ 
 their duty to state frankly, and require from the gentlemeli in chatge as free 
 an ex])lahation of their views and opinions." 
 
 They also directed that a public examination of the ptipils should take 
 place oh 27th July, 1852, and voted £10 for the purchase of priJses. 
 
 From June 30th, 1852, at which date the resolution above was passed, 
 Until January of next year, the Goverhots held ho tneeting. With the 
 record of what they then did the minutes abruptly close. There was room in 
 the minute-book — it was not over one-eighth full — they must have met 
 occasionally, but what has become of the record they took of their transac- 
 tions we cannot learn.* Fot a time we had supposed that the College High 
 School had then ceased to be, but farther enquiry ufideceived us on that 
 point. The number in attendance grew small by degrees and beautifully lessy 
 Until, in 1864, only fourteen new pupils had enrolled themselves. Finally, 
 early in 1865, the Governors stopped all work. They did not abandon their 
 idea of devoting the fUnds towards maintaining a high school ; on the con-' 
 trary they stuck to it with a tenacity worthy a better caUse. For a time we 
 leave them to see what the Legislature have been doing for the cdlleges and 
 higher education. As might be expected there is nothing particularly edify- 
 ing about their actions. 
 
 On the 20th February, 1849,t another attempt was made to recover from 
 the Governors the old loan of £5,000. The motion was m&de by Mr. Fulton, 
 member for Cumberland, and the reason given for making the demand was 
 that the depressed state of the Province, owing to the failure of the crops, 
 rendered it necessary to make large appropriations for the road and other 
 services. The connexion between these two ideas is not surprisingly evident. 
 Mr. Huntingdon at once moved the amendment which we quote in full : — 
 " Whereas certain funds were secured in Great Britain by the Governors of 
 Dalhousie College for the maintenance of that College, for which they 
 only receive three per cent : — '' Eesolved, that it would be for the interest of 
 the public if those funds were removed to this Province, and paid in ex- 
 change for a like amount of out" Funded Debt, and kept as a fund for 
 education generally." This was a dangerous amendment, but the friends 
 of Dalhousie were sufficiently numerous to defeat it After another amend- 
 ment had been offered and defeated, a vote on the main motion was avoided 
 by the strategy of the Provincial Secretary, who moved that the House 
 resolte itself into a committee of the whole on the subject of collegiate' 
 education. 
 
 In 1850 the question of grants to Colleges was again discussed. The ball 
 was opened by the Committee of Supply reporting that they had come to the 
 following resolution: — ' desolved that the allowances now made to the 
 Colleges and Academical Institutions be cqntinued under the existing con- 
 ditions for the period of the School Act." A number of widely differing 
 
 * See Minute Book of Governors Dalhousie College in Legislative Library. 
 t gee Journals 1849, p. 288. 
 
 amen 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 55 
 
 amendments were moved, one of which carried, limiting the grants to one 
 year. Each year, from 1851 to 1862 inclusive, these grants were voted. In 
 1853, the Free Church Academy was ready to commence its work, and it 
 applied for a share of public money, and so committed to the absurd principle 
 of denominational educational institutions was the Parliament, that its claim 
 could not be refused. Henceforward it received its annual grant. The year 
 1856 saw St. Francis Xavier's College seeking to dip its hands into the 
 Provincial Treasury, and of course its right to do so could not be denied. In 
 this year, Mr. Chnmbers moved a x-esolution to the eflfect that at its next 
 session the House should withdraw all grants to denooiinational institutions, 
 but when 1847 came the matter was not mentioned. During all these years 
 Dalhousie College got no money from the public funds. This is unfortunate 
 in many respects. In consequence it was not obliged to send any returns. 
 The other Colleges and Academies were, and to write their history and show 
 their progress or the reverse during this period would be a comparatively 
 easy task. The returns would supply much of the necessary information. 
 
 
 >w 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 Another Attempt — Hugo Reid— Gorham College — Union. 
 
 Their first attempt to establish a successful school having thus failed, the 
 Governors seem to have suddenly realized the truth that " a prophet is not 
 without honor save in his own country," and therefore concluded that the 
 failure was due to the Bluenose teachers whom they had choseu. Accord- 
 ingly they determined to import the teachers required from England. Three, 
 they thought, would be " for the time being, sufficient to supply a complete 
 course of education according to the more intellectual and invigorating 
 methods now coming into use, embracing all the subjects which the entension 
 of scientific knowledge and progress of improvement has brought into modern 
 education." From the leading editorial in the Morning Chronicle, for 
 December 18th, 1855, we learn that these gentlemen who were to do all this 
 'work had come per Cunard steamer from England about four weeks before. 
 The chief was Mr. Hugo Reid, formerly of High School, Liverpool, and 
 Principal of People's College, Nottingham, a gentleman of more than ordinary 
 abilities, who had won some celebrity on the other side of the Atlantic by 
 the publication of a number of works on scientific subjects. There are in 
 the University Library at the present time two of his books on Arithmetic, 
 »nd a Treatise on the Steam Engine, Besides these, he claimed the paternity 
 of "A Manual of Astronomy," " Elements of Physical GTeography," "First 
 Book of Geography," " Tablet of the Solar System," and " Principles of 
 Education," most of which had seen two editions, and some three. Mr. Reid 
 vas to be assisted in the department of Modern Languages by Mr. F. 
 George D'Massy, "lately of Vienna and Paris, and of the University of 
 Turin," and by Mr. James Wood, "lately of London" as "General 
 Assistant." " We trust," sayst he editor of the Chronicle, in concluding his 
 article, " that the new occupants of Dalhousie College may succeed, and 
 that the community will largely benfit by their exertions. Hie field of labor 
 is ample, the time for commencing the work is auspicious. The sectarian 
 lirqjudiees which were formerly arrayed against this Institution have ceased 
 
56 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 to exist, and there is no good retison why all classes and creeds should ftot 
 unite in making Dalhousie a credit to the i ity and the Province." The 
 sectarian prejudices had ceased to exist — had they ? Those whose memory 
 can go back to '63 will douht it. 
 
 In the same paper appears the official notice of the re-opening of the 
 College on January 15th, 1856. A high school and a junior school were to 
 be opened, though what was the system of management, or what the line of 
 demarcation between the two, we cannot discover. The advertisement goes 
 on to state, that in addition to the ordinary branches of education which are 
 specified, French, Drawing, and Physical Science would be taught, and the 
 pupils in the highest grade were to receive instruction in German. All this 
 was done for the small fee of £5 per annum in the junior, and .£7 in the 
 high school. 
 
 It is evident from the salaries paid that the Governors depended chiefly 
 upon the principal to build up their school. Mr. Reid was paid £300 ; Mr. 
 D'Massy £120, and Mr. Woods £150. We might here mention that the 
 finances of the college were in a much healthier state than ever before. 
 When the Province was borrowing mc" y in order to build railways, the 
 Governors took advantage of the opportunity, sold out the endoAvment fund 
 that was invested in the three per cents, and invested it in the Provincial 
 funds at six per cent. The annual dividend they received was thus increased 
 from £350 to £600. Furthei", by putting the building in better repair, and 
 by making some much needed improvements in it, their rental rose from 
 £125 to £200. 
 
 The school then was opened on January 15th, and a week later the 
 editorial writer of the Chronicle paid the establishment a visit, induced to do 
 
 so 
 
 h 
 
 )y the number of citizens going and coming from the building each 
 day." The experiences received, and the opinions formed during the visit 
 are detailed in the Chronicle for January 24th. Everything the writer saw 
 Was tinted couleur de rose. Mr. Peid, the beau ideal of an intellectual man, 
 has supplied himself with all the latest apparatas and material for teaching 
 the subjects he professes. So taken was the editor — for such we suppose 
 the visitor was — with Mr. Eeid, that he tells us he longed for boyhood again. 
 Mr. Woods was in his line not a whit infeiior to his principal. Of Mr. 
 D'Massy nothing too gooc] could he said. Nearly one-half of the editorial 
 (which fills a column and a half,) is devoted to praising that gentleman and 
 his methods of teaching. "No longer will the officers of Franch ships, when 
 they make their appearance at a grand ball among the well educated young 
 ladies and gentlemen of Halifax, find themselves in a company formed of the 
 recipients of verbs and, rules, all unfortunately left at home in their closets, 
 without a practical syllable of them on their lips to return the slightest com- 
 pliment to the well-inforn.ed gentleman who addresses them." When the 
 tawdry and tinsel of this article are torn off, we have written proof of what we 
 had orally learned long before, that the new school and its teachers were ex- 
 ceedingly popular, and the hope, not unnaturally, arose in the breasts of its 
 iEriends that it was destined to meet with increasing success. But this was not 
 to be. Such a school in Nova Scotia was the fifth wheel in a coach. Hugo 
 Reid and his associates were excellent teachers, and, from all we can gather, 
 enthusiastic m their work ; but they could not draw, under the system 
 adopted, eny country boys to their school, and there were not in Halifax 
 sufficient pupils to make it a necessity. This we can see from a glance at 
 the record of attendance. At the end of 1856, there were in attendance in 
 
DALHOTTSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 57 
 
 both departments, 50 scholars — the grading examination seems to have taken 
 place at the midsummer holidays, and it is more than a little difficult to 
 estimate the numbers accurately. During 1857, 68 had attended ; during 
 1858, 65 ; during 1859, 51. The amounts received in fees are in proportion. 
 The amount so received in 1856, including arrears, was £238; in 1857, 
 
 X295 ; in 1858, £297 ; in 1859, £283. 
 
 In order to provide the ])upils with space for exercise, the Governors, in 
 the spring of 1856, proposed to fence off a part of the Parade, and did so. 
 Their action called down upon them the wrath of a large body of the citizens. 
 One of the most frequent causes of complaint under the former regime owed 
 its origin to the bitter wars ceaselessly waged between the boys of the college 
 and of the streets — between gown and town. By enclosing a part specially 
 for the use of the pupils, this source of trouble, more serious than we can 
 readily believe, would be removed. A great hue and cry was raised against 
 them through the press, and in other ways, but the fence was built. The 
 matter in dispute was made the subject of a dialogue begun in the Morning 
 Chronicle for July 3rd, 1856, and concluded in the next issue. The charac- 
 ters are Biblion, representing the Governors, and Civis, a citizen. After 
 much of truth has been plainly spoken about the advocates of sectarian in- 
 stitutions, on whose shoulders the responsibility for the trouble about the 
 fence was laid, and about the efforts of the Governors to build up an institu- 
 tion that would give the people a cheap and liberal education, Civis becomes 
 convinced of the justice of their act, throws up his cap, and gives three cheers 
 for them and the College. (For the reverse of the shield our readers might 
 consult the Colonist for October 9th, 14th, and 16th, 1856.) We mention 
 these circumstances, not bo much because they are of historical importance, 
 but because they are premonitions of the struggle that was to ensue between 
 the City of Halifax and the Governors of Dalhousie for the ownership of 
 the Parade. 
 
 For four and a half years the school continued under the charge of these 
 gentlemen. Their work was satisfactorily done, there were no complaints 
 as to their efficiency or diligence, each examination showed that their 
 scholars were making good progress,* but the school was not prosperinar, nor 
 the number of its pupils increasing. The Governors, reluctantly, we may be 
 sure, were in June, 1860, compelled to close it, we might add forever. 
 During their sojourn in Halifax, Messrs. Reid, D'Massy, and Woods were 
 not, apart from their school work, idle. The Principal, less than twelve 
 niontbs after his arrival in this country, pioduced a book, " The Elements of 
 Geography adapted for use in British America" — a book which the Morninf/ 
 Chronicle says ; — " An attentive perusal of this little work assures us that 
 it cannct fail to recommend itsAi to the notice and adoption of the school 
 instructors of British North A.iiierica."t A second edition of it was called 
 for two years later. In 1857, he made a map of the Province, and on the 
 recommendation of the Superintendent of Education, was granted by the 
 Assembly such sum as would enable him to prepare 6500 copies, and the 
 next session 200 copies were bought by the Legislature and placed at the 
 disposal of the Superintendent. During the winter of 1858 he delivered a 
 course of seven lectures before the Mechanics* Institute, five of them of a 
 scientific, two of a literary, nature. In 1859 he published a "Mental 
 
 
 fl 
 
 * See Morning Chronicle for July 10th, 1868. 
 •^Morning Chronicle^ Sept. 25tb, 1866. 
 
58 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 Arithmetic " of 'which we have seen several very favorable reviews in the 
 papers of the period. All these labors abundant must have given the 
 school, of which he was Principal, a name and a tame that if it had any con" 
 stituency — if it had been established to meet a felt want — ^would have brought 
 students in crowds to its halls. The fact that its attendance was not perma- 
 nently increased is the best proof that the Dalhousie High School was not 
 a necessity. When Mr. Reid's work in Halifax was done, he retired from 
 active work and returned to England, where some five years later he died. 
 
 Mr. D'Massy succeeded in teaching French so well that in 1858 the pupils 
 in the senior class were obliged to speak that language in all the departments.* 
 Ho, too, tried his hand at book-making by publishing a series of " Biographical 
 Sketches of the leading characters of Piedmont." When his occupation in 
 Halifax was gone, he went to the United States, and enlisted in the army. 
 During the course of the rebellion he rose to be Colonel, and became the 
 darling of the regiment. Subsequently he was suspected of embezzling some 
 public funds, tried, found guilty, and committed to Sing Sing.f 
 
 The '* general assistant," Mr. Woods, remained in Halifax for some years 
 after 1860. Like Dr. Johnson, " he taught a school and called it an 
 Academy." Eventually he gave up teaching for preaching, and entered the 
 ministry of the Episcopal Church. 
 
 In the hope of preventing confusion and making our '* round unvarnished 
 tale " more clear, we have omitted mention of Dalhousie and Gorham Colleges 
 in 1856. We shall now retrace our steps a little. 
 
 In 1783, when the Loyalists were driven from their old homes, and forced 
 to move their lares et penates to lands over which the British flag still floated, 
 there camo with those of them who settled, not where mild Altama murmurs 
 to their woe, but where the Liverpool enters the Atlantic, a young man 
 named James Grorham. He had been born and bred in New England. He 
 began business in Liverpool, N. S., and to a young lady of that town, a Miss 
 Lucy, he was soon afterwards married. Before the war of 1812-14, he had 
 become largely interested in trade, and during that war he made much money 
 out of his intOTest in a number of privateers which were fitted out at Liverpool. 
 After his death, his widow provided the means for the building and endow" 
 ment of a College to be called after him, Gorham College. He, while living, 
 had shown bis desire to promote education by building and endowing a public 
 school which he presented to the town. In 1848 the work of erection com- 
 menced, and in that year Mrs. Gorham laid the corner stone. The site 
 chosen was a most beautiful one — a hill behind the town, commanding a view 
 trf" the harbour and the surrounding country. The College was supported by 
 Mrs. Gorham's gift of $12,000 voluntary subscriptions, and an annual grant- 
 from Colonial Society of London of ^250. Its direct object was the education 
 of young men for the ministry in connexion with the Congregationalist- 
 Churches of Nova Scotia and New !&runswick. It was ready for occupation 
 in 1850, but was not opened till the 27tb of August, 1851. The President- 
 was the Rev. Fredrick TomkinSj M. A., of University of London. | The 
 faculty consisted^ of the President, who taught Greek, Latin, and Mathematics,, 
 and the Rev. J. C. Geikie, of the Academical Institute, Toronto, who took 
 charge of the classes in Mental and Moral Science, Logic and Political 
 
 • See Morning Chronicle July——, ISSS. 
 + See Appendix D, p. 168. 
 X^vtt)'iHistffry.ofO<mnty!ofQwen8y^. 197yet«. 
 
 His ftceoont is n«t in' all points cerreot.- 
 
r)ALHOlTSlE COLLEtlfi. 
 
 B» 
 
 £coDoiDy. A long advertisement of the opening of the College appeared in 
 the papers immediately before the event took place. From it we learn that 
 the Institution was modelled after the University of London ; that the session 
 was to consist of two terms, the one extending from August 27th to 
 December 15th, 1861; the other, from January 14th to June 16th, 1852. 
 During the year 1852, Prof. Geikie removed to Ontario, and for a time the 
 President did the work alone ; but before the session of 1853^4 began, a 
 second Professor, the Rev. Alexander Sims, M. A., of Marischal College, 
 Aberdeen, had been secured for the chairs of Classics and Belles Lettros. 
 Under these gentlemen the curriculum included the Latin, Greek, French 
 and German Languages ; English Language and Literature ; Moral and 
 Mental Philosophy; Logic and Rhetoric; and composition in Greek, 
 Latin, and English. Prof. Sims soon gave way to Rev. George Cornish, B.A., 
 a distinguished scholar, now filling the chair of Classics in McGill University. 
 The good work these men were doing had scarcely commenced when the 
 building was destroyed by fire. The College bad not met with such con- 
 spicuous success as would warrant the Congregationalists in rebuilding it— 
 though we read that at the time of its destruction there were in attendance 
 students from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, and Massachusetts — and 
 consequently the balance of the endowment was transferred to the mission 
 funds of that church. The exact date of this disaster that put an end to 
 Gorham College we cannot positively learn, and parties from whom we 
 expected the ii-ibrmation were unable to give it ; but that the College ceased 
 to be in 1855 there can be little doubt. 
 
 By the beginning of 1856, the Governors of Dalhousie were commencing 
 to see what many men without half their ability had seen long before — what 
 the best educated men and broadest minds of all denominations had keenly 
 felt for some time; what the Superintendent of Education had been 
 endeavoring to impress on the Government in report after report — that a 
 proper higher educational institution was the crying want of the Province. 
 As tt result they sought to effect a combination of those religious bodies which 
 had no Colleges of their own for the support of Dalhousie. In March of that 
 year, they accordingly wrote to the three branches of the Presbyterian 
 family and the Congregationalists, offering to unite the funds of Dalhousie 
 with those of these bodies. The year before, the Piesbyterians, through their 
 Joint committee, had conferred with the Governors in regard to some such 
 union, but had been offered terms that no denomination could accept. The 
 scheme now proposed was more satisfactory ; the Congiegationalists accepted 
 it, the Presbyterians did not ; but their chief reason in declining was their 
 dissatisfaction with the financial arrangements. A main element in the 
 plan was that no restrictions were to be placed upon students or professors ; 
 except in case of the latter, that the gentlemen then employed should be 
 first appointed. 
 
 The Morning Chronicle for July 26th, 1856, contains the minutes of that 
 important meeting of the Governors, held five days before, when the union, 
 such as it was, between Dalhousie and Gorham Colleges, was consummated. 
 From these something of interest may be gathered. After reciting the 
 substance of the different acts that had been passed in reference to the 
 college, and the steps the Governors had taken to carry out their trust in 
 repairing the buildings and employing teachers, they go on to relate the 
 Attempts made to secure the cooperation of the religious bodies already men- 
 tioned. The tesult of these attempts has been forecast. The Committee of 
 
 I -..■■'■■■ i 
 
 ' -Ik 
 
 ■ '""iM 
 
 
 ^fk 
 
00 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 Governors who had met with the Committee of the Congregationalista, 
 reported, and their re[)ort was adopted, that they had agreed to receive the 
 Professors Tomkins and Coniish, of Gorham Oolle^e, as professors of mathe- 
 matics and classics, respectively, in the united institution. The school was 
 not to be abandoned — far from it — but the teachers were to conduct classes 
 in the college in addition to their regular work. No president was to be 
 appointed, but Mr, Reid was, for the first year, at least, to be dean. In the 
 same issue of the Chronicle the advertisement of the opening on the new basis 
 appears. It is announced that the session to begin on October the 15th, with 
 an inaugural address from the dean, and is to extend to the middle of Juno. 
 As given in the advertisement, the curriculum and staff seem to be more 
 extensive than those of most provincial colleges at the time ; but they were 
 not really so. The course was as follows : — 
 
 Ist — Mathematics, Prof. Tomkins, M. A. 
 
 2nd — Natural Philosophy and Astronomy, Prof, Tomkins. 
 
 3rd — The Roman LangUc»ge and History, Prof. Comish, B. A. 
 
 4th — Tlie Greek it it n u ti 
 
 5th — Language and Logic, including Rhetoric, Prof. Reid. 
 
 6th — French, German, and Italian, Prof. D'Massy. 
 
 7th — Descriptive Geometry and Art, Prof. Woods. c 
 
 Had all these five been doing no other work — had they confined their 
 attention solely to their duties as professors — we believe there would have 
 been sufficient material in the faculty to build up a university which would 
 in time attract many students. But Messrs. Reid, D'Massy, and Woods had 
 their hands full in the school, and could give but little time to their profes- 
 sional labors. There was another element, too, that prevented the union 
 from being permanent and productive of the beneficial results that were 
 expected. This was the financial basis on which the union had been formed. 
 It will be rembered that the endowment of Gorham College had been trans- 
 ferred to the mission fund of the Congregationalists. That body, when their 
 professors were transferred to Dalhousie, had agreed to contribute .£100 
 annually towards their support; and the stability of the united college 
 depended, therefore, upon the subscriptions of the smallest religious body in 
 the Province. The income of Dalhousie, apart from this grant, was almost 
 completely eaten up by the salaries of the teachers, and this was the chief 
 reason why the Presbyterians had declined to be a party to the union. And 
 considering this drawback, along with the other just mentioned, we will not 
 be surprised to find, that the scheme of the Governors for giving their institu- 
 tion, as they themselves express it, " a more extended usefulness and higher 
 standing," was a failure. 
 
 The advertisement for opening stated that the college would commence- 
 its operations on the 14th of October, 1856 The Convocation was held in 
 the ball <rf the Mechanics' Institute, the Hon. Wm. Young (the Attorney- 
 General) presiding. The Dean, Mr. Hugo Rf?id, delivered an inaugural 
 address on "University Education, its nature, object, and useSk" The 
 address is published in the Morning Chronicle, that faithful friend of the 
 Governors and Faculty, and occupies nearly six columns in that journal. 
 Did Mr. Reid's fame depend upon it alone, we are not confident that he 
 would be considered either a very clever, or learned man. The latter part 
 of it is devoted, we might say, to a description of the course of instruction iu 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 61 
 
 Dalhousie College, which embraces, according to the author, " the leading and 
 most essential branches of a thorough general education." 
 
 This arrangement with the Congregationalists met with so much opposition 
 in the press, that the Governors must have soon realized that it was not 
 destined to succeed. The Recorder opened the strife, complaining that the 
 Governors had handed over a college intended to be used by every sect and 
 creed to the least numerous of all the denominations. The Sun pursued the 
 same course. The Witntas and Instructor, representing the Presbyterians, 
 joined in. Their chief objection we have already given. The Morning 
 Chronicle took up the cudgels for the Governors, and defended their action 
 as effectually as it could be defended in the two leading editorial articles of 
 its issues of the 14th and 16th August, 1856. From his standpoint as 
 solicitor, if we may so speak for the Governors, the editor writes strongly, 
 but not too severely. The arguments against the union are taken up and 
 answered in so far as it was possible to do so, and no blame can be attached 
 to him if the Governors did not escape without a stain on their escutcheon. 
 
 Despite the opposition, which continued for a longer time than it is 
 necessary for us to follow it, the college, as we have seen, began work. In 
 all the papers of the period we can discover no record of the number of 
 students in attendance, or any tiuch details as in our day it would not be 
 difficult to find. The Chronicle gives an account of an examination of the 
 school that took place in July, 1857, but says nothing about the college. 
 We have, through a casual reference in the columns of that journal, gathered, 
 that the session did not last as long as was contemplated (till June), and we 
 infer that the early closing was due to the scarcity of students. Through 
 the same medium, too, we learn that at a meeting of the Governors, Mr. 
 Keid expressed for himself and the other Professors a very high opinion of 
 the talents, diligence, and good conduct of the students, and of the progress 
 they had made. But these are all the facts we can obtain — " only these and 
 nothing more." 
 
 During the summer of 1857, Prof. Tomkins was obliged, on account of ill 
 health, to return to England. There he turned his attention to law, and now 
 holds a respectable position at the London bar. His colleague. Prof. Comish, 
 accepted an appointment in McGill University. Their places, the Governors 
 never attempted to fill, and though the school dragged out an existence for 
 three years more, the college, on the looting proposed in 1856, was never 
 re-opened. 
 
 We have not dwelt at as great length on the years 1 848-60 as we might 
 have done, for more than one I'eason. During that time the funds of the 
 College were used" in support of a school, and we conceived that there was 
 not the same necessity for a full treatment, in fact, that such would be 
 slightly foreign to the purjwse. In establishing that school we believe the 
 Governors committed a huge mistake, but in what we have written of them 
 we have "set down naught in malice." We imagine that this section of 
 Dalhousie's history will always be viewed in much the same light as the 
 student of Constitutional histoiy regards the reigns of the Tudor sovereigns — 
 as forming a j)eriod in which there is nothing to boast of, much to be 
 apologized for. 
 
 . ) 
 
 m 
 
 iK- 
 
«l 
 
 DALIIOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Preliraliiary Steps — Fiual Union with Presbyteriims — Act of 1863. 
 
 Before 1845, the Baptists, Methodists, and Roman Catholics had entered 
 upon the work of building up d« noiuiiintioniil colleges, although many of the 
 most intelligent members of all these bodies were in favor of a Provincial 
 Institution. The oidy influential denomination not committed to this policy 
 was the Presbyterians. Many of them were in favor of establishing a college 
 of their own, and going in for a share of public money ; but the majority 
 stedfastly resisted the proposal, still hoping that the Government might be 
 induced to start a university on a liberal basis, for which they had the nucleus 
 in the building and funds of Dalhousie. 
 
 They could not, however, continue to wait. They were in urgent need of 
 ministers, and more than most l)odies, they insisted on the importance of a 
 liberal education in those called to tliat office. As the Legislature continued 
 to dally with the question, and even by their action or inaction seemed to be 
 rendering denominational colleges more and more the settled policy of the 
 cour.try, they were comj)elled reluctantly to engage in the work of providing 
 a higher education especially for young men preparing for the ministry. At 
 a meeting of the Synod of the Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotja, held in 
 July, 1848, it was resolved to commence an institution for this purpose. In 
 adopting this measure the Synod at the saii:e time passed a series of resolu- 
 tions btrongly in favor of an unsectarian provincial institution. These, they 
 concluded by saying, that "in finding themselves compelled to adopt the 
 overture in consequence of present pressing exigencies, they still \envo. them- 
 selves at perfect liberty to avail themselves cf all the advantages obtained 
 from a seminary endowed by the state, to the full extent which circum- 
 stances may warrant." 
 
 At their next meeting, in 1849, an overture was received from the session 
 of Poplar Grove Church, setting forth the injustice and hardship to which 
 the members of the denomination were exposed in being obliged to support 
 their own educational institutions, and at the same time pay their propor- 
 tionate share of the grants to the colleges of the other denominations. A 
 committee was appointed to prepare a memorial stating this grievance to be 
 laid before the Legislature. We cannot say exactly hosv far this committee 
 carried out their ajjpointment, but they did act, and at the next meeting 
 Synod they reported their proceedings, and their diligence was commend- 
 
 The same year in which the first of these steps had been taken (1848), th 
 Synod of the Free Church had started a Theological Hall and an Academy 
 specially designed to prepare young men to enter the Hall. But they never 
 felt themselves in a position to give a thorough collegiate education, and 
 indeed, regarded the latter institution as a sort of makeshift, the best they 
 could do under the circumstances. Both bodies, while thus carrying on the 
 work of education, were still anxiously looking forward to having a Provincial 
 University, and were ready to give it their undivided support should such an 
 institution be established. Nothing farther was done toward accomplishing 
 this object until 1855, when the Synod of the three branches of the Presby- 
 terian family appointed committees to confer on practical matters in which 
 
 
DALUOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 08 
 
 the three bodies had h common interest, it being underHtood that amon^ tho 
 foreinoat subject of this kind to which their attention would be directed, was 
 that of collegiate education, and particularly the state of Dalhousie College. 
 Tho three committees met in Halifax, on the 6th Fobruaiy following, and 
 their first act was to consider tho condition of collegiate educ ition in the 
 Province, when the following rf solutions were unanimously adopted : — 
 
 " First, that a deeply felt want exists in the Province of the means of 
 education in science and literature. 
 
 "Secondly, that as the original constitution of Dalliousie College, if carried 
 out, seems fitted to supply this want, this committee wait on the Governors 
 lespectfidly to enquire, whether it be in their power to make such arrange- 
 ments as will meet the deficiency." 
 
 Accordingly an interview took place with the Governors of Dalhousie 
 College two days lat(!r, when the latter informed them of their determination 
 to continue the Institution as a High School, and that the salaries of the 
 teachers api)ointeJ would absorb most of their income ; that this would pre- 
 vent the teaching of the higher branc'ies, " unless, indeed, the Presbyterians 
 wouUl themselves endow tho necessary chairs, in which case the Governors 
 would be liufpy to (five them apartments." Even this amazing concession was 
 not made, except on the conditions " First, that no clergyman should be 
 appointed as professor, (the Governors being unanimously of opinion that 
 such was the state of feeling in this Province that a minister of any denomina- 
 tion would be regarded by all other denominations with jealousy), and 
 secondly, that all such professors should be subordinate to Mr. Reid, who was 
 now the Principal." 
 
 Further discussion took place, but without moving the Governors. The 
 terms offered by them were regarded by the committees as simply insulting, 
 and they resolved as follows:* — "The united committee, finding as the 
 result of their interview with the Governors of Dalhousie College, that there 
 was little prospect of even an effort being made at present to render that 
 institution what it was designed to be, and what the country requires, and 
 that the offer made by the Governors was such as the committee could not, 
 recommend to their respective Synods, resolved unanimously to recoinmrnd 
 to the Piesbyterian bodies to unite in forming a college for themselves, which 
 would furnish the required course of collegiate education, the maturing of 
 the plans to be referred to the Synods at their next meeting." 
 
 Thus we see how near the ridiculous offer of the Governors came to forever 
 putting an end to Dalhousie College. The most casual observer must perceive, 
 that had the foregoing resolution been adopted and carried out, and the 
 1 sbyterians embarked on the proposed undertaking, the history of Dalhousie 
 College w^ould here have closed. The building would have remained for 
 years a monument of a noble Scotchman's prudence and a querulous people's 
 folly. But 
 
 " When fortune means to men most good 
 She looks upon them with a threatening eye." 
 
 The proceedings were published, and the action of the Governors was 
 made the subject of violent animadversion in the periodicals connected with 
 the Presbyterian bodies. The Governors were open to conviction, and soou 
 saw their ii .take, and when the Synods met and their Committee reported 
 
 ^For full report, see Christian Itistructor^ vol. i.^ p. 138. 
 
64 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 their want of success in "an application to the Oovernors of Dalhousie 
 College to carry out the course of education contemplated by their charter," 
 there was also laid before them "some propositions which had jvst been 
 received, offering terms upon which different religious bodies might unite in 
 raising Dalhousie College to the status of a Provincial University."* The 
 sum and substance of these proposals was, that these bodies should place 
 theii funds at the disposal of the Governors, that th*^ latter should receive 
 their professors, and fill up all vacancies. As we have already noticed the 
 Congregationalists agreed to unite on the terms proposed. How marked a 
 conversion the Governors had undergone in one short month is very evident. 
 They accepted clergymen as Professors, and did Twt make them subordinate 
 to Mr. Reid. 
 
 For various reasons neither of the Synods considered these pi'oposals 
 satisfactory, but they were sufficiently encouraging to induce them to delay 
 the project of forming a united Presbyterian College. The Free Synod, and 
 that in connexion with the Church of Scotland, agreed to petition the 
 Legislature to establish Dalhousie as a Provincial University, while that of 
 Presbyterian Church of Nova Scotia contented itself with re-appointirg its 
 committee on cooperation, with instructions to confer with the Governors of 
 Dalhousie and the other committees on the subjoct. 
 
 Nothing further was done for some years. In the summer of 1860, a pro- 
 posal was made, originating, we believe, with the Commissioners of the 
 International Exhibition, to convert the college into a museum, (this idea 
 was viewed with favor by the Governors), and apply its funds to the estab- 
 lishment of lectureships on various branches of Natural Science ; and in the 
 following winter a discussion took place in the House of Assembly regarding 
 the advisability of appropriating its funds to the maintenance of the Normal 
 School. It was while matters were in this condition, and there was every 
 probability that if the Institution remained dormant much longer, its 
 revenues would be confiscated and applied to purposes foreign to its original 
 object, and the intention of its illustrious founder ; and that thus the estab- 
 lishment of a Provincial University on a broad and liberal basis would be 
 postponed indefinitely, a number of persons in various quarters, interested in 
 the higher education, resolved on an effort to have the Institution resuscitated 
 according to its charter, and on such a footing as would render it a credit to 
 their common country. The Presbyterian Church had so long worked for 
 the accomplishment of that end, and was so ready to assist in bringing it 
 about, that when a general desire to revive Dalhousie was expressed, that 
 f.esire soon issued in reality. As a writer in the Dalhotisie Gazette says, 
 when treating of the same subject : — "Stick after stick had been added to a 
 long-accumulating pile, the fire v/as mingled with the twigs — all that was 
 lacking was a breeze to fan it to a conflagration, and that breeze came." 
 
 A bit of secret history might be here related as throwing light upon the 
 result. When the proposal was made to convert the College into an "old , 
 curiosity shop," as the opponents of the scheme were accustomed to speak 
 of the Museum, the Rev. George M. Grant, now Principal of Queen's 
 University, Kingston, one of the leading members of the Synod of the 
 Church of Scotland, wrote to Sir Charles, then Dr., Tupper, strongly 
 protesting against such a subversion of the origin»l charter, and assuring 
 him of the support of his denomination in any effort that might be made to 
 
 
 * These aro the same proposiiloua referred to at page 59. 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 65 
 
 carry out the intentions of Lord Dalhousie. Almost simult'jneously, but 
 without knowing what Mr. Grant had done, the Eev. Dr. Pttterson, who 
 had been for years a member of the Committee on Education of the other 
 branch of the Presbyterians (for the Fr^e Church and Presbyterinn Church 
 were now united,) wrote to Mr. E. M. McDonald, (afterwards member of the 
 Legislature and editor of the Citizen), one of Mr. Howe's ablest lieutenants, 
 asking him to use his influence with Mr. Howe in preventing any change 
 like that proposed, and expressing his firm conviction that the body to which 
 he belonged would cooperate in establishing Dalhousie as a Provincial 
 University. Mr. Howo and Dr. Tupper, it is said, held a consultation and 
 agreed upon a plan, which Dr. Tupper submitted to his leader, Hon. Mr. 
 Johnston, and obtained his consent. The Colonist, the organ of the opposition, 
 came out on August 19th, 1862, with a leading article that was evidently 
 iuspired ^Dr. Tupper was frequently accused of being the real editor of this 
 journal), u^"*8cribing the scheme proposed with a fulness and accuracy that 
 left but little doubt that even then all things were arranged. 
 
 Let us understand how this could be. The Synod of the Presbyterian 
 Church at its meeting in June had adopted a series of resolutions, of which 
 we quote the fi)'st, second, and fourth — there were six in all — as most 
 necessary to our purpose : — 
 
 1. That the Synod are of opinion that if Dalhousie College was established 
 on such a footing as to afford the usual branches of a collegiate education in 
 a satisfactory manner, it would be an immense boon to the Province, and the 
 Synod would encourage their students to avail themselves of the advantages 
 which it would afford. . 
 
 2. That a committee be appointed to confer with the Governors of that 
 institution as soon after the rising of Synod as practicable, and in concert 
 with any similar committee that may be appointed by the other Presbyterian 
 Synod, to ascertain whether an arraugciuent could be effected by which the 
 branches now taught in the Synod's institution at Truro, might be obtained , 
 either in whole or in part, from the former institution." 
 
 4. That the C.">mmittee be authorized, if they can obtain satisfactory 
 terms from the Go' ernors of Dalhousie College, to conclude an arrangement. 
 
 The Synod of the Church of Scotland also appointed a committee to 
 cooperate with the other committee and confer with the Governors. The 
 result of repeated conferences between these two committees and the four 
 surviving members of the Governing Board was an arrangement by which 
 the Governors agreed to pay out of their own funds, three professors ; the 
 Presbyterian Cimrch of the Lower Provinces, two ; and the Church of Scot- 
 land, one. Some time after the Board resohtd 'hat the salary of each 
 professor should be £300 per annum, besides fees. According to this agree- 
 ment, then, the two Presbyterian bodies were to sui)ply j£900 a year to the 
 institution. But this was not all. Before the institution commenced, the 
 C'>vernment had resolved to erect a new building for the Post Office and 
 other public offices, by which the Governors of Dalhousie would be deprived 
 ■of the rent that they had derived from that department, amounting to £200 ; 
 and on examining the state of their funds, they found themselves unable to 
 pay three professors, besides an allowance to the teacher of Modern Languages, 
 and an extra sum to the Principal. And to fulfil their part of the bargain, 
 they required to take the £250 which had hitherto been granted to the Free 
 Church Academy, and the Presbyterian Church in the Lower Provinces was 
 obliged to relinquiah it. The committee of that body were told that if they 
 
ee 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE, 
 
 refused to have anything to do with Dalhouaie College, they were entitled to 
 that sura equally with other denominations, but if they joined in aiding to 
 establish Dalhousie, the Governors wanted that grant to fulfil their engage- 
 ment. Furthermore, the Church of Scotland resolved to apply to the 
 Legislature for the same sum that the other denominations were receiving. 
 On bringing thj matter before the members of the Government, however, 
 they vvere told that their right to it was undeniable, and that if thev main- 
 tained a separate institution it could not be withheld from them ; but as 
 they were — shall we say — wise enough to give their support to Dalhousie, the 
 Government could not put it in the estimates. This may seem queer reason- 
 ing. It is, we presume, politician*^s logic. Rather than endanger the success 
 of the movement upon which it had entered, the Church of Scotland waived 
 their claim. Thus, besides agreeing to pay £900 themselves, the two Pres- 
 byterian bodies gave up £500 more, to which the leading men on all sides of 
 politics acknowledged they were entitled. 
 
 Such then was the agreement between the Governors on the one hand, and 
 the various committees on the other, which the Colonist had more than fully 
 outlined. All that was wanted was some action of the Legislature. The 
 leader of the Government^ Mr. Howe, was one of the Governors; Dr. 
 Tupper, the real, though not nominal, leader of the opposition, had promised 
 his cordial cooperation, and no difficulty was experienced in securing the 
 necessary legislation. The bill was introduced by Mr. Howe on the 10th 
 March, 1863, and was read a second and third time on April 23rd. In the 
 Council it was slightly amended, but the amendments were immaterial, and 
 at once agreed to by the Assembly. The Lieut.-Governor gave his assent on 
 the 29th April, and " The Act for the Regulation and Support of Dalhousie 
 College " became law. From the Journals of the House it would seem as if 
 the bill had passed through all its staf,'es without opposition. That thi& 
 could be so, we can hardly believe, and no copy of the Debates for '63 is 
 now known to be in existence, or we could write with certainty. There 
 could not have been much opposition offered, or the papers of that date 
 would have had a summary of the discussion. All the antagonism to the 
 measure was displayed after it was passed. Indeed the Act was so framed— 
 section 2, the only possible cavsa belli, was so general and inclusive — that on 
 no reasonable grounds could it be at first opposed. But when only one 
 " body of Christians " was both wise, and at the same time genei'ous, enough 
 to take advantage of its provisions, the conflict began, and was fiercely 
 carried on for many years. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Action of the Synods— The Professors Chosen— Tile First Battle, 
 
 The chief provisions of the Act which established Dalhousie on its present 
 basis are so well known that it is not necessary here to refer particularly to 
 them. The arrangement with the Presbyterians assured the Governors of 
 the success of their project, but expecting that other religious bodies would 
 do as the Presbyterians had done, it was provided that any such body which 
 should endow a chair should have the privilege of appointing their professor 
 aud nomiuating their Governor. It was confidently anticipated that the 
 
DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 67 
 
 Congregationalists would do this, and the Governors had not unwarranted 
 beliefs that various other deroniinations would do the same. To prevent 
 any savour of Presbyterian ascendancy attaching to the Institution, Dr. 
 Tupper, Mr. Shannon, and Mr. Ritchie, the leading public men respectively, 
 of the Baptists, Methodists, and Episcopalians, agreed to take seats on the 
 Governing Board. 
 
 Up till this time the actions of the corbmittees and the arrangements 
 they had effected had not received their Synod's sanction. The Kirk Synod 
 were unanimous in approving the measures, and in entering into the arrange- 
 ments proposed. In the other Synod the matter underwent a long discussion. 
 The Synod had an Institution, which if not all they desired, served their 
 ])urposes, and had a strong hold upon the affections of both ministers and 
 people. After every argument, pro and con, had been urged by a majority of 
 41 to 17, the following resolution passed: — "That the Synod approve of 
 the basis of arrangements submitted by committee, — find that the Act 
 passed by the Legislature in the late session for the resuscitation of Dalhousie 
 College has placed that Institution on such a footing, that the Synod in 
 availing itself of the opening now presented will secure advantages for a more 
 extended preparatory education of their own students than at present 
 possessed, and will at the same time aid in the establishment of a Provincial 
 Institution which is much needed, and the attainment of which must be 
 indefinitely postponed if the present opportunity be thrown away." 
 
 The next duty was the appointment of Professors. The Governors gave 
 to Prof. Lyull, then the first Metaphysician in British North America, the 
 chair of Metaphysics ; to Prof. Lawson of Toronto, that of Chemistry and 
 Natural History ; to Prof. Johnson, after Dr. Pryor had declined their offer, 
 that of Classics. T"he Presbyterian Church of the Lower Provinces elected 
 those men who had served them so faithfully and well in Truro, Professors 
 Ross and McCulloch, and the Church of Scotland, Prof. McDonald. Thus 
 with a staff of six professors, whose eq'ials were found in few, whose superiors 
 in none of the colleges of Canada, Dalhousie once more went 'nto active 
 operation. Its success in every particular that goes to make i college 
 successful was most marked. The returns lor its first year gave 40 students 
 enrolled for a full course and 20 for a pa''^al, more than some of the colleges 
 so liberally scattered through Nova Scoi, have in attf ndance to-day. The 
 first convocation* under the new regime was held on Tuesday, November 
 lOth, in the room in the college building where the orators of the Mechanics' 
 Institute were wont to air their eloquence, and the numVjer of citizens 
 present testified to the interest felt in the new undertaking. The Admin- 
 istrator of the G vernment. Major General Doyle, presided, and gave a brief 
 but kindly address, which, after ho had referred to the previous attempts and 
 failures to carry out the intentions of Lord Dalhousie, he endod by suggest- 
 ing as the motto of the College "wMcto splendore resurgo." Sir Wm. Young, 
 Chairman of Governors, followed, and gave a short history of the College. 
 The inaugural address was delivered by the Principal. It, too, was in a 
 measure historical ; for it undertook to sketch the history of higher educa- 
 tion in Nova Scotia. In it for the second time (the first was half a century 
 before, in Drs. Baird and Brown's letter to Lord Dalhousief) the hope, even 
 
 * See Nova Seotian for Nov. 16tli, 1863 for full report, 
 t See page 12 of tliis essay. 
 
68 
 
 DALHOUSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 yet not fully realized, was expressed that schools of Law and Medicine would 
 be atfiiliated. 
 
 We have already said that at the paftsage of the Act there seems to have 
 been but little opiK)sition offered ; but that when only the Presbyterians were 
 found to take advantage of its provisions the tight began. 
 
 In the House of Assembly, Mr. Longley, meuiber for Annapolis, in the 
 session of 1864, moved that the Act be repealed, and the College endow- 
 ments otherwise appropriated ; and also that the loan of £5000 be required 
 from the Governors. Dr. Tupper was then leader of the Government, and 
 had it in his power to pass Mr. Longley's resolutions. He was threatened 
 by that gentleman with the loss of the Baptist support and consequent 
 defeat if he did not do so. But nothing daunted. Dr. Tupper flung himself 
 into the contest, and with all a young politician's ardour, fought Dalhousie's 
 battle. In concluding the first of three speeches delivered in the course of 
 the debate, he said : — " Let me tell him (Mr. Longley) that attached as I am 
 to the great party with which I am connected — possessing, as I may confess 
 I do, some fondness for public life, I would infinitely prefer the fate which 
 he threatens to the highest post my country can offer, if it must be purchased 
 by an act so unpatriotic, so unjust, as the resolution which he has moved 
 would involve." Whatever opinion may be entertained of the general 
 tenor of Sir Charles Tupper's public conduct, whether he be regarded as the 
 greatest political saint or sinner in Canada, whether his be a name to conjure 
 with or to execrate, we assert that the manner in which he acted in this 
 matter thi'oughout entitles him to the respect of the most unreasoning of 
 his opponents, and the warmest admiration of his friends. We venture to 
 say that when he shall have retired from politics, his share in the establish- 
 ment and onward progress of a grand Institution will afibrd him as much 
 satisfaction as tho proudest of his political triumphs. Mr. Longley's resolu- 
 tion was defeated by a vote af 30 to 14, and never since has the existence of 
 Dalhousie been seriously endangered. 
 
 With the description of this, the first battle, fought over Dalhousie on its 
 present basis, our history naturally ends. Henceforward he who runs may 
 read the story of Dalhousie's reverses and triumphs, as it is written in the 
 columns of the daily papers, or the pages of the annual calendars. If we 
 look at the progress made year by year, we may feel disappointed that it is 
 so slight ; but if we compare the Dalhousie of to-day with the Dalhousie of 
 1863, we are inspired with a thankfulness too deep for words. Many times 
 the wheels of her car of progress seemed to be clogged, and there were not 
 wanting timid friends to shout atter it '' stop ; " but if we glance ever so 
 hurriedly at the details, we shall see that she has steadily moved on. The 
 mariner may not realize that he is in one of the ocean currents, but all the 
 same, he is rapidly being borne along. So we may have failed, if we were 
 watching year by year, to observe anything remarkable in her growth ; but a 
 closer examination shows what strides forward she has made and how far she 
 has extended her usefulness. In 1863, there were sixty students enrolled ; 
 in 1887, one hundred and seventy, — the number almost trebled in a score of 
 years. A staff of six professors has given way to one of eleven with two 
 tutors and eight lecturers. Two of the original six are living the "life 
 Elysian, whose portal we call Death ; " the others remain each year adding 
 to the number of pupils by whom they will be held in grateful remembrance. 
 Buildings that at first were ample have grown too small, and have to be 
 abandoned for others as c(»nmodious» if not as elegant, as those of any 
 
 XJnivel 
 tions 
 trainii 
 deservl 
 cellor 
 deficit I 
 ties hs 
 begs 
 ing wl 
 Ameril 
 in the I 
 finger 
 fall, si 
 of the 1 
 of the 
 not fe 
 profess 
 the la 
 
DALHOTJSIE COLLEGE. 
 
 69 
 
 University in Canada. Too poor at first to hold out any monetary attrac- 
 tions to youths whose means would not permit of their obtaining a college 
 training, she now each year offers $4,200 in exhibitions and bursaries to 
 deserving students. Sorely in want of funds in her early years, her Chan- 
 cellor of the Exchequer had frequently to meet the Governors to report a 
 deficit ; but thanks to George Munro's princely liberality all money difficul- 
 ties have been smoothed away. Without library, museum, or apparatus, she 
 began work. To-day she has a library of 2,500 volumes ; a musei'm contain- 
 ing what Andobon pronounced "the finest collection of nativi3 birds in 
 America ; " and apparatus more valuable than that of any two other colleges 
 in the Province. Surrounded in her infancy by enemies, who pointed the 
 finger of scorn at her, who hoped for her failure, and prophesied her down- 
 fall, she has lived down all opposition. Unknown beyond the narrow limits 
 of the Piovince in 1863, it was from her faculty that in 1882 the members 
 of the Royal Society of Canada for Nova Scotia were chosen. Her influence 
 not felt at home for a time after her organization, by the ability of her 
 professors and the success of her students she has become a power for good in 
 the land. Her graduates are scattered far and wide, filling positions of 
 prominence in every profession and occupation, ^'/ith a few exceptions, 
 these men, young yet but rising with the increase of their years, are a credit 
 to their Alma Mater, and living witnesses to the excellence of her work. 
 Let these graduates, in whom the hope of the University is, be mindful of 
 the efforts made by the Dalhousies, Kempts, Archibalds, Howes, and Hunt- 
 ingdons of a past, the Munros, McLeods, and Youngs of the present day ; 
 let them be inspired by the lives and examples of the two former principals, 
 who being dead, yet speak through the glorious heritage of their names ; let 
 them be determined to do their part in giving their Alma Mater a name and 
 a fame among the Colleges of the world. Let their words regarding her be, 
 while their actions testify to their sincerity, — 
 
 " Our hearts, our hopes, are all with thee ; 
 Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers, our tears, 
 Our faith triumphant o'er our fears, 
 Are all with thee — are all with thee," 
 
 Then, if the doctrine of the survival of the fittest be true of colleges, it will 
 not b(3 long till gathered around Dalhousie shall be the remains of the 
 colleges that now retard the progress of higher education in this Province ; 
 and as a product of the union there shall arise a Dalhousi«^, united, fully 
 equipped, and liberally endowed, — strong in the affection and love of the 
 peoph of Nova Scotia. 
 
APPENDICES. ■ 
 
 The poet, Allan Ramsay, was a member of the family, and of Lord 
 Dalhousie's father he had written : — 
 
 " Boast of Ramsay's clanish name, 
 Dalhousie of an anld descent ; 
 My. pride, my stoiip, my ornament." 
 
 Lord Dalhousie's sldest son was the most celebrated of the family. As 
 Governor-General of India he gained for himself the greatest "(lory and a 
 place alongside, if not above, the Lawrences and Olives who b d occupied 
 the same position. 
 
 Rod. 
 in Penn 
 
 Geor 
 
 from Pr 
 
 Robe 
 
 terians, 
 Robert 
 
 B. 
 
 List op Students. 
 
 Students who completed a full Arts Course at Dalhousie College when 
 under the Presidency of Thomas McCulloch, D. D. : — 
 
 James R. Forman became a civil engineer, and has been long employed 
 as such in Great Britain, where his career has been successful. Resides in 
 Scotland. ' 
 
 Joseph Hoffman. — His father a doctor in Halifax ; entered the British 
 Navy as a midshipman, and passed up successfully to obtain his commission, 
 but soon after died of fever in the West Indies. 
 
 Howard D. Steele became a clergyman of the Presbyterian Church, and 
 as such laboured at Bridgewater and Cornwallis in this Province, and in 
 various parts of Ontario. Has since joined the Church of England. 
 
 Isaac Morrow entered mercantile life with the late John DufTus, who 
 was his uncle. Was sometime in Australia. Died a few months ago at 
 , where he was engaged in business. 
 
 George C. Crowe, son of the Rev. T. S. Crowe, of Maitland, went to the 
 United States, where he became a Presbyterian minister. 
 
 Students who having commenced their course under Dr. McCulloch at 
 Pictou Academy finished at DalhoT ''e College : — 
 
 Alex. Sutherland, Presbyterian -ninister at Earltown and Scotsburn, in 
 this Province, and at New London, P. E. Island, now stationed at Ripley, 
 Ontario. 
 
 A. C. McDonald, Esq., Barrister at Pictou, M. P. for the County of 
 Pictou, 1859-63, and Speaker of the House of Assembly. 
 
 Samuel McCully, for a time Prtsbyterian minister, now an insurance 
 agent. 
 
APPENDICES. 
 
 71 
 
 Rod. Suthehlanb. — Studied medicine. On obtaining his diploma, settled 
 in Pennsylvania, believed to be still living. 
 
 George Patterson. — A Presbyterian clergyman, a Doctor of Divinity 
 from f*rinceton, author of several works. 
 
 Robert Grant. — For some time preacher in connexion with the Presby- 
 terians, afterwards with the Congregationalists. Author of " Lecture on 
 Robert Burns," and " Life of George R. Young." 
 
 Students who took part of their course at Dalhousie College at this time : — 
 
 James Thomson, now barrister at Halifax, Queen's Counsel, lecturer on 
 Real Estate and Conveyancin^- in the Dalhousie Law School. 
 
 George Thomson and Cathcari" Thomson, Merchants in Halifax. 
 
 William Archibald, son of the Master of the Rolls, died young. 
 
 William and James Bazalgette, sons of Colonel Bazalgette then holding, 
 
 the office of . They both entered the army. One of them 
 
 distinguished himself at the battle of Alma, carrying the colours of his 
 regiment (I believe the 42nd Highlanders), and though wounded, grasped 
 the staflF in his arms and still pressed forward. 
 
 W. H. Roach. — His father flour inspector at Halifax. Became a minister 
 of the Church of England. 
 
 Maurice Moore. — His father Quarter Master of the 23rd R. W. Fusiliers. 
 Was in Halifax in 1809 with the regiment, and the only man iu it then who 
 came back with it in 1839. The son, I believe, entered the army. 
 
 James Fraser, known as the " Big Eraser " of that epoch. Belonged 
 to Miramachi. Studied law with Mr. Street, then Solicitor General of New- 
 Brunswick. Just when he had completed his course, the Assembly being 
 dissolved, Mr. Street, then residing in Fredericton, sent or requested Eraser 
 to go down to his old constituency of Northumberland to canvass for him. 
 Fraser in the course of his canvass ingratiated himself with the Scotch 
 element in the County which was rather strong, and resolved to become a 
 •candidate himself, and before Mr. Street knew what he was doing he had 
 made quite a party for himself. He was defeated, bat polled a good vote. 
 He afterwards practised at his native place, and subsequently at Moncton, 
 where he died. 
 
 Errol Boyd. — Entered a merchant's office in Halifax, but died young. 
 
 Charles (1) Hill. — A native of Halifax. Went to Java. 
 
 H. R. McKenzie. — A surveyor in Cape Breton. Author of a ma^ of 
 Cape Breton. Resides in Sydney, C. B. 
 
 William Allan, son of Wm. M. Allan, Halifax, believed to have died early. 
 Samuel Head. 
 
 Robert Liddell. — Went away in a whaling vessel, and died on the 
 Pacific Ocean. 
 
 Childe. — Believe an Episcopal clergymaii in the United States. 
 
 McNab. 
 
 " As I only attended two years out of four there were doubtless quite a 
 number more that I did not meet." 
 
 
 
m"^-^? 
 
 72 
 
 APPENDICES. 
 
 C. 
 
 Summary of the return of the Dalhousie Collegiate School from its com- 
 mencement on 10th April, 1849, to Ist February, 1850 : 
 
 First term . . 
 
 
 
 No. of pupils enroll 
 74 
 
 Bd. No. of pupils loft. 
 
 Second " 
 
 
 
 14 
 
 9 
 
 Third •• . . 
 
 
 
 13 
 
 4 
 
 Fourth 11 . . 
 
 
 
 16 
 
 1 
 
 Total 
 First term . . 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 17 
 
 No. in attendance. 
 
 71 
 
 Second " 
 
 
 
 
 76 
 
 Third n . . 
 
 
 
 
 85 
 
 Fourth '" . , 
 
 
 
 
 100 
 
 Of these 4 
 
 were free 
 
 pupils. 
 
 
 
 Average age 12. 
 
 Average attendance 87. 
 
 Religious Persuasions. 
 
 Presbyterians 44 Episcopalians 28 
 
 Catholics 18 Methodists 13 
 
 Baptists 7 Universalists 5 
 
 Independents 1 Sandemanian 1 
 
 Studies. 
 
 Latin, 31 ; Greek, 2 ; French, 38 ; Spanish, 9 ; 
 English Grammar, 67 ; History, 86 ; Geography, 
 
 Algebra, 11; Trigonometry, 8; Navigation, 2; Geometry, 15; Arithmetic, 
 99 ; Mental Arithmetic, 100 ; Globes, 39 ; Music, 99 ; Phonographic Short- 
 hand, 48 ; Printing, 47. 
 
 The above summary will be found in an appendix to the Journals for 1850. 
 We had not discovered it when our account of the school during the time it 
 covers was written. 
 
 English Reading, 94; 
 93; Physiology, 47; 
 
 D. 
 
 M. D'Utassy was one of the adroilest of rogues. The story of his life as 
 related in the New York papers after his disgrace is more romantic than any 
 of Jules Verne's novels. The Nova Scotian for June 28th, 1863, contains a 
 two*column account of him, which is most interesting reading. 
 
 
 
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