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Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmds d des taux de r6duction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clich6, il est filmd d partir de Tangle supdrieur gauche, de gauche d droite, et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images n6cessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mdthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 r-r itr OMTA.RIO THE RECORD OF THE i: .1 n? FM m x' j±.' IS YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE LEGISLATION AND HONEST ADMINISTRATION 1^ 1872-1330. j Copies of this Pamphlet can he had from W. T. R. P erai Secretary Provinrial Liberal Association, 1\ Preston. Gen- ^oronto. PRINTED BY HUNTER. ROSE & CO. 1890. 4 i^ir'^rtfM^'i-' ^{ oojsr-riEjjsr' ••» TS. • m * ■ ■ •• .. • • ^•""O'^^i' iNsnxDnoM "' *■ " •• I^Awa RKrATuro ^^ ^^^^^^ '^P«fcmenfc of Pubiie ^^,^, ^•P»rtmentofO«,^La„^^ * department of ^grieultwe Department of Edttoation "« Tor, 8.p«to School PoUcr ■ - ^O^^eWp...^^^^^^ ... .. The Briber 0««pi«ejr of 1884 * - • ^•cta Relating to the Cabinet ' *" - • Th* New I>arliament Buildintt Hi.* '*. ^ - '• Finaaoial SoKedul.. fih ^"*<'n<»l Sketch .. (Addendaj '^.''°^-« l>«trib«tioa of P«biic k„„,. 1-2 S>4 •• 4-18 • . 18-21 . 21-27 .. 28-40 ■ • 41-43 • 44-52 . 53-Jl • 72-83 • 84-93 94-138 139 141 343 145 146 148 151 166 16G 169 163 1-2 3 3 4-18 THE ■R/EOOI?.r) OF THE MOWAT GOYERNMENT. EIGHTEEN YEARS OF PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL LEGISLA- TION AND ADMINISTRATION. 4-93 1 -138 I! ''I 139 141 143 145 143 148 151 156 166 In asking for the renewed confidence of the people of Ontario, the present Liberal Administration may fairly base its claims upon its record. The fact that, under its management, the affairs of this Province have been successfully conducted for the long period of eighteen years, that its money has been wisely expended in the development of its resources, in the economical and efficient direction of its public business, and in the establishment and maintenance of its numerous charitable and educational institu- lions, and that there has not, in all that time, been one charge of corruption worthy of the time spent in its discussion, which could be sr.stained, must surely commend itself to all who desire to have the affairs of the,ir country wisely and honestly administered. There is no serious attack on any ground of public policy. The questions indicated as the bases of objection are those upon which the people of Ontario have time and again pronounced. The chief of the chosen points of attack are such as are calculated to excite religious animosity among those who should be friends as eitizens of a common country ; and the bad faith of this attack 2 THE MOWAT GOVERNMKNT, is none the less manifest from the fact that it is made by parties who, in a former campaign, by means of well-distributed election documents, strove to convince the interested minority that they were their only friends, and that the present party in power in Ontario had been guilty of illiberal and violent opposition to them ever since they were entrusted with power. It may be the privilege of the friends of this Government to point out this inconsistency, and to show that while every just and proper concession has been made, as was reasonable on the ground of proportionate numeri- cal strength, no pandering has been resorted to for political purposes. Much better is this liberal and fair acknowledgment of citizenship and right than the policy which is followed in the changed professions of opponents, which picks out and decries every such reasonable concession, and which objects to the enjoy- ment of civil and political rights by large numbers of their countrymen on the ground of their religion. These matters will be discussed, in theii- proper department, in a subsequent portion of this book. lleferonce has been made to the long term of administration of this Government as proof of the general confidence of the people, and of their hearty satisfaction with its management of the public business. Such continuous confidence was never before extended to any Premier or Cabinet, in either the Mother Land or any of the Colonies. The nearest approach to this manifestation of public approval is found in the history of the first Pitt Ministry, which remained in power from December 19th. 1783, until March 14th, 1801.* At this date that term has already been exceeded in H'>n. Oliver Mowat's experi- ence. Thus has the longest record in the annals of British parliamentar}' governjaent been distanced by this Canadian statesman, whose personal character and administrative record are without a stain. It certainly would not be wise or safe to make a change at this juncture. It is •believed that the friends of this Government, all over the Province, will spring to the charge, as of old, in the coming campaign ; and for their use the facts and reports contained in this book are collated from the records. The most important of the transactions of the past eighteen years, in legislation and administration, may be fojnd classified under appropriate headings. * Todd'a Piirliameal ry Government, pageH 14J and 148. THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. LEGISL4TION. Private BUla. All acts of Parliament ave divided into two classes, "Public" and "Private," and it will be convenient to consider the latter jfirst. It is difficult to draw any sharp line of distinction between these classes, because all statutes have more or less to do with the definition of public rights. The Legislative Assembly of On- tario treats all Bills as "Private," which grant to any party or parties the right to erect bridges ; to make turnpike roads or rail- roads ; to construct harbours, canals, locks, dams, slides, and simi- lar works ; to run ferries ; to form joint stock companies ; or generally, to exercise any exclusive or peculiar privileges what- ever, or to do anything that would affect the rights or property of other parties. With respect to this kind of legislation, Mr. Bourinot, in his "Parliamentary Procedure and Practice," makes the following remarks ; "In a country like Canada, with its immense extent of territory, and var- ied material resources, private bill legislation must necessarily form a very important part of the work of the Parliament and the Legislatures of the Dominion. One of the advantages of the federal union has been the distri- bution amongst several legislative bodies of an immense amount of work that otherwise would have embarrassed a single legislature. * * * Since 1867 the Dominion Parliament has passed more than 1,400 Acts, of which C50 have been for private objects in the parliamentary sense of the term, that is to say, for the incorporation of railway, land, insurance, and other companies and bodies, many of which illustrate the development of the country from a material, intellectual, and social point of riew. During the same period the Legislatures of the Provinces of Canada have passed between 6,000 and 7,000, of which upwards of two-thirds relate to local or private objects. Thes^ figures show not only the legislative activity of Canada, but the value of local or provincial freedom of notion iu all matters that necessar- ily and properly fall within the constitutional functions of the several Leg- islatures." The above figures included the legislation of 1884. In the six years since that period the number of private bills passed hy all the Legislatures has very greatly increased — the total number passed by the Ontario Parliament up to the present time being nearly 1,500. Public Bills. Public bills are intended to have " a public and general oper- ation ;" they " concern the whole community though only m a particular matter." Some of them are introduced into the Legisla- tive Assembly by Ministers of the Crown, and for these the Min- f| i2iia±. %' THE MCWAT GOVERNMENT. istry are, of course, directly and collectively responsible ; they are indirectly but no less fully responsible for such public bills, in- troduced by private members, as they allow to pass into law. As there is only one Chamber in the Ontario Legislature it is an ab- solute necessity, in order to ensure sound legislation, that the Ministry at whose instance, or under whose auspices, all Public Statutes are passed, should be collectively possessed of gieat legal, business, and parliamentary experience. The character of the public general Acts passed since 1872 is the best evidence that these qualities have throughout its long rdghnc characteriz- ed the Mowat administration, and that all public measures have been subjected during their passage through Parliament to the most careful and skilful scrutiny. PARLIAMENTARY INSTITtTlONS, •11 Under the authority of the British North America Act the Ontario Legislature may make any change it pleases in the Con- stitution of the Province, " except as regards the office gf the Lieutenant-Governor." This power it has from time to time freely exercised, and the changes may have been steadily in the direction of popular government, but have been at the same time so well-considered that the current of progress has always been smooth. A political revolution has taken place, but so quietly that only close observers are in a position to estimate accurately the extent of the changes that have been effected. These changes relate (1) to the constitution, powers and privileges of the Legis- lative Assembly, and (2) to the representation of the people in Parliament Qualification of Electore. Prior to the General Election of 1871, which brought the Lib- eral party into power, the right to vote at Parliamentary Elec- tions was confined to owners, tenants or occupants of real proper- ty to the value of $400 in cities, $300 in towns, and $200 in townships and incorporated villages. The franchise was i^ purely property franchise. In the year 1874, an Act was passed extending the right of voting to persons earning an income of not less than $400. In 1877 the franchise was extended to farmers' sons, not themselves owners of property and not in receipt of income, but resident on a father's farm. It will be observed from the foregoing that this Liberal Got- THE MOWAT QOVERNMENT. 6 ernment were aa rapidly as possible approaching the principle of "Manhood Suffrage," which would confer the suffrage on all male subjects of Her Majesty the Queen who had arrived at the age of manhood, unless legally disqualified or prohibited, irre- spective of property or income qualification. They followed their liberal legislation in this direction, in 1888, by the intro- duction of an A^ct for that purpose, which was passed, and is now the law of the land. This grand measure is entitled, "iln -4c< to establish Manhood Sufrage for tJie Legislative Assembly ; " and its simple enactments remove all bar to the exercise of the francliise, on the easy terms set forth in its provisions. It was thus reserved for this Government to show its good faith in its own acts of legislation and administration, and its confidence in the judgment of the greatly enlarged constituency which it invited to j^ronounce upon them. It followed this meas- ure in the succeeding year by a new Voters' List Act, which will be referred to under the next heading, and by the Fianchise Assessment Act of 1889, both of which were supplementary to the " Manhood Suffrage Act," and iotended to supply the means, as to registration, etc., for the carrying out of its provis- ions. No British subject, 21 years old, thus, needs hereafter be deprived of a vote in elections for this Assembly. Registration of Electors. Prior to the General Election of 1871. under the former Gov- ernment, the system of registering voters was very defective. The clerk of each municipality was bound by an Act passed in 1868 to prepare each year a list of persons entitled to vote, as shown by the assessment roll, but the checks upon the perpe- tration of frauds by either the assessors or the clerks" were very inadequate. In 1874 an Act was passed which required the clerk to print 200 copies of his list and give them due publicity. In 1876 an Act was passed amending and consolidating the law respecting voters' lists, and repealing all previous enactments prescribing the method of registering voters. In 1878 an Act was passed making the voters' list, as revised by the County Judge, " final and conclusive evidence " of the right to vote except in certain specified cases, the object being to lessen the cost of conducting a scrutiny of the votes polled in a contested election. In 1879 an Act was passed giving the County Judge addi- tional powers in the revision of the lists, and especially author- 6 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. izing him to correct mistakes without application having been previously made for that purpose, and to do this according to the evidence submitted to him. The great extension of the electoral franchise which took place in 1885 made necessary certain changes in the method of registering voters, and these were embodied in the " Votera' Lists Amendment Act" of that year, special care being taken to guard the rights of "wage-earners " and " landholders* sons." The Act requires the assessor to enter the names of persons com- in;;* under these descriptions " without any request in that be- half," and authorizes* " any person " who is himself a voter to ap- ])ly for the insertion of any wage-earner's or landholder's son's name in the voters* list. In 1889 there was passed " The Ontario Voters' Lists Act, 1889," which provided the method of preparing and revising the lists, and registering the names of voters, in conformity with the Manhood Suffrage Act, passed the year before. Manner of Conducting Elect ions. Previous to the General Election of 1871, the law required the deputy-returning officer to record the votes given for each candi- date at his polling-place, the voter stating publicly for whom he voted. This system gave rise to great abuses, more especially bribery and intimidation, and it was also a frequent cause of dis- orderly conduct at polling-places. By an Act passed in 1874, the system of voting by ballot was introduced and passed by this Government, not only securing to each voter the privilege of secrecy, but effectively suppressing all the excitement and disorder caused by the publication from time to time on polling day, of the state of the poll. Attacks were made on the Ballot Act, by the Opposition, in the session just closed, on the ground that it did not secure the secrecy desired or intended. An amending measure, proposing to provide for this alleged lack in the old one, was moved by a prominent member of the Opposition. It was shown, however, in reply, that this system,, which is the same as that in u.^e in England, is as secret as any in the world ; and that under the proposed amendment ballot-stuffing and personation could be resorted to without detection, whereas under the present system such crimes would be certain to be discovered and rectified by the proceedings in a scrutiny of votes. The charge that there had been cases of discovery of how votes had been cast, excepting in THE MO WAT GOVKRKMENT. 7 cases of scrutiny, was absolutely- unfounded. Every official is sworn to secrecy ; and the ballots, as soon em counted, are sealed up, and returned to the proper officer of the Crown, who is also sworn, unless in ewe they be required by an Election Court, to pre- serve them inviolate. The only possible way in which a vote could be discovered is by a deputy-returning officer remembering the registration counterfoil number of a voter, and watching, at the count, for the corresponding ballot. No man could possibly recol- lect the numbers in this wav during the performance of his duties at the polls, and keep track of the corresponding numbers, and note the way in which the ballots were marked while counting the votes. In any case, even if he could remember one or two in this way, he is sworn to secrecy, and any act of perjury in reveal- ing what he might discover would be severely punished under the law. The Act has been in operation for fifteen years, and no case of a disclosure of a vote has ever been complained of. The restrictions just referred to were made still more effective in the session just brought to a close, by the Act to amend the Election Act as lo Secrecy of Voting. In addition to the strin- gent forms of oaths to be taken by every official connected with the polling or handling the ballots, provision is made for the posting, at every polling place, of printed notifications warning the public of the stringency of these regulations. " In reply to the contention of the Opposition that the House of Commons Ballot Act furnishes a form of absolute secrecy in vot- ing, the opinion expressed by the Hon. Mr. Chapleau. Secretary of State, in a recent discussion in the Dominion Parliament is worthy of consideration : " Mr. Chapleau said, . . . The hon. member for West Durham (Mr. Blake) has stated that there were doubts as to the absolute secrecy of the votes given under the present system. 1 have no doubt that if people wish to know how others have voted, they can tind out, in a great many vases, especially with regard to those who have not sufficient education to take their papers and give their votes themselves. If there be connivance be- tween the voter and the election agent, the voter may, by making his cross in a certain way, show the agent that he has voted according to his promises I found in my experience that an agent could tell by looking at their ballots whether certain voters had carried out their promises I had the misfortune at one time of being obliged to ask for the conviction of two or three of my fellow countrymen in a case in the criminal court in which I was acting as counsel, for having stuffed a ballot box, and by this means changed the result of the election. ... . . I must say that the present system does not give absolute secrecy and security to the voter." — Hansard, pogfe 2621, 1890. The following may be quoted on this subject from the Torontp ■■ i i #H W iMWiHy< mmmmmm 8 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. Telegram oi March 7th, — a paper certainly not actuated in its opinion by friendliness to the Ontario Government : — " As it BUnds, the Ontario ballot act is an improvement upon the Byatetna that govern Dominion and Municipal eletitions. The provision for number- ing ballots it is argued enables partisan officials to trace the choice of the voter. The Attorney- General guards against this offence by placing deputy- returiiiug officers under obligation to respect the secrecy of the ballot. Oaths do not always bind excited partisans. The men who are bad enough to seek to identify the voter by the number on his ballot paper are quali&cd to profit by the opportunities which the Dominion and Municipal systems offer for spoiling ballots and stuffing ballot-boxes. 'Mt is out of the fulness of bitter experience that our faith in the super- iority of the Ontario system is speaking. The numbered ballot provides a "(vay by which bad votes can be judicially substracted from the total of a eindidate who wins by fraud. When the ballots are not numbered the votes of dead men, of absentees, of repeaters, pass at their face value and cheat the choice of an honest majority out of his rights. Disputed Elections, The election law provides that an election return may be dis- puted on technical grounds, if the conditions prescribed have not oeen properly observed. The tendency of the legislation respect- ing elections during the past eighteen years has been to lessen the chance of an election being declared void in this way, provided there is good reaso-i to believe that the member-elect is the choice of the people. The system of trying election petitions by the Superior Court judges came into force before 1871, but it has since that time been greatly improved. An Act passed in 1876 provides that when the petition alleges corrupt practices it shall be tried by two judges, who must agree in their finding before any person can be declared guilty of a corrupt practice. It provides also that a candidate, when the judges have reason to believe that an act, corrupt in law, has been committed in excusable ignorance, shall not be sub- ject to the penalty of disqualification. And it further provides that an election shall not be declared void on account of corrupt practices, unless there is good reason to believe that they were carried on to an extent sufficient to affect the result of the elec- tion. These provisions are calculated to make the system of trying petitions more equitable to candidates who endeavor to conduct election contests according to law, and to prevent electors from being put unnecessarily to the cost and trouble of a new choice. ■ / The Election Law Amendment Act of 1884 makes further THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 9 provision in the same direction. It provides that election trials shall be continued Irom day to day until completed ; that when polling at any place has been interfered with by a " riot or other emergency " on the day appointed, it shall be resumed on the day following, and continued from day to day, if necessary, until the poll has oeen kept open the ordinary length of time; and that " it is the policy of the election law " that no election shall be declared void for any irregularity on the part of the returning officer, unless it appears that the irregularity affects the result of the election. Concurrently with the legislation intended to improve the election law in the ways above indicated, there has been legisla- tion of an increasingly stringent character against " corrupt prac- tices " at elections. In 1873 it was enacted, by way of supplement to previous definitions, that " corrupt practices shall mean bribery, treating and undue influence, or any of such offences, as defined by this, or any Act of this Legislature, or recognized by the common law of the Parliament of England." Still more stringent prohibitions were enacted in 1876 and in 1881', in the latter case making betting on the result of an elec- tion a corrupt practice, and also the furnishing of money for betting purposes. The immediate occasion of this latter enact- ment was the prevalence of betting in the West Middlesex election shortly before, and the failure of the Election Court to disqualify the Conservative member-elect, thpugh the betting was done with his money, Bedistnbution of Seats, As the centre of population changes within the Province, it becomes necessary from time to time to readjust the representa- tion, and occasionally to increase it The membership of the Legislative Assembly was fixed by the British North vmerica Act at 82, each member representing a separate electoral district. The first change in the distribution- of seats for the House of Commons was made by the Dominion Parliament in 1872, and for the Legislative Assembly by the Provincial Legislature in 1874, the membership of the latter being increased to 88, each member still representing a separate electoral district. The general aim of the Representation Act of 1874 was to take in to account the rapid increase in the population of .the western part of the Piovince. The County of Huron was divided into three districts, instead of two ; the district of Bothwell was abolished 10 THE MOWAT GOVEBNMENT. and two members each were given to Lambton, Essex and Kent ; a new district (since made a county,) of Duffmn was created out of parts of Simcoe, Grey, Wellington, and the district of Card- well; to Grey and Simcoe were assigned three memTDers each, Instead of two ; a new district was created under the title of "Muskoka and Parry Sound." The district of Niagara was abolished, the territory included in it being re-incorporated with the County of Lincoln, In this way eight new constituencies were created, and two old ones abolished, making a net increase of six in the membership of the Assembly. The Act made a number of minor changes in other districts with a view to making them more nearly equal in population, subject always to the general principle that county municipal boundaries should be pre- served. The most captious critic cannot possibly find fault with the principle under which these changes were made. The increase in the representation could not be effected without such changes in old boundaries ; but all the efforts of professional opposition failed to ahow any injustice, or any distortion of ridings as to geographical convenience or population. The extreme fairness, in- deed, with which this redistribution was carried out might easily be shown by reference to the census and electi'^n returns, but it is sufficient to state that at the following general election (that of 1875), the new constituencies added to the relative strength of the Conservative Opposition, instead of taking away from it. The 'Act of 1885. In 1885, eleven years after this increase of the representation to 88, and after the increase of Ontario Representation in the Dominion Parliament which followed the census of 1881, the membership of the Assembly was still farther increased to 90. In making this addition a further slight re-arrangement was effected, all the changes being in the direction of the equalizing of the populatton, and the more equal distribution of the repre- sentation. The following is a synopsis of the changes made at that time, which are still in force : — Algoma divided into two ridings. Bruce, divided into three ridings, instead of two. Leeds and Grenville, allowed one member each, instead of three membei's for the two together. Parry Sound district, separated from Muskoka, aud created an electoral district THE MOWAT QOVERNMLNT. 11 Cornwall town and township, re-incorporated with the County of Stormont fdr electoral purposes. Toronto, allowed tfiree meraberu instead of two, the contiguous town of Parkdale, now a part of the city, being added for electoral purposes. The three ridings for Simcoe, re-arranged, and named East, Centre, and West. The two ridings of Victoria, re-arranged, and named East and West. Minor changes in the three ridings of Wellirigton, and the nam^ of the Centre riding changed to the East riding. Similar changes in the three ridipgs of Grey, the former East riding becoming the Centre riding. Minor changes, without any changes of name, in the two ridings of Brant, the district of Brockville, the district of Cardwell, the county of Dufferin, the county of Peel, the district of Kingston, the county of Frontenac, the county of Addington, the two ridings of Elgin, the East and West ridings of York, the two ridings of Essex, the two ridings of Ontario, the East and West ridings of Huron, the district of London, and the two ridings of Perth. The ridings of Cornwall and Leeds and Grenville, thus modified, were the two smallest in population of those in the older parts of Ontario, the former having a population of but 9,904, and tjie latter of but 12,929. Efect of the CJianges. The aim of these varrious changes, as of those made by the Act of 1874, is to adjust the representation more accurately and equitably to the population, in so far as this can be done without disturbing county municipal boundaries. Some of the changes made hr.ve for their object a fuller recognition of those boun- daries in localities where municipal readjustments had already taken place, as, for in^ance, the transfer of the township of East Luther from Centre Wellington to Dufferin. Collectively they improve greatly the electoral map of the Province, and remove a number of anomalies caused by movements that have, during the past thirty years, taken place in its population. In the re-adjustment of 1874, the single-member-district sys- tem was adhered to throughout. In the re-adjustment of 1885, a principle new to this country was introduced. Toronto and Parkdale wwe together allowed three members, but each elector 12 THE MOWAT aoVEllNMENT. was by the Act limited to two votes. In the words of the Act (section 10, sub-section 4) ; " At a contested ejection for the elec- toral district of said city, no person shall vote for more than two candidates.'' This method of choosing Parliamentary representa- tives by means of what are called " three-cornered constituencies," which admits the principle of minority representation, was in use in England from 1867 to 1885. It was introduced by the Con- servative Disraeli Government, the author of the clause embodying it being the late Lord Chancellor Cairns. It was abolished by the Franchise and Redistribution Act of 18S5, but by no means unanimously, a large number of the more independent members of the House of Commons, without reference to party lines, being strongly in favour of retaining this feature of the electoral system, and even extending its application. So strong was this feeling that Mr. Leonard Courtney resigned his scat in the Ministry rather than give up what he regarded as an important and useful electoral principle. By way oi experiment the single-member- district plaii has been made practically universal in Great Britain and Ireland, the large districts, with more than one member each, being for the most part abolished, q^ well as those known as " three cornered," on account of the liifnitation placed on the elector with respect to the number of votes he can cast. At a time when the advocates of " minority representations " are earnestly pressing their views in every country provided with representative insti- tutions, there is much to be said in favour of trying;the experi- ment on a limited scale in Ontario, and the opportunity for doing this was afforded by the new " three-cornered constituency " of Toronto. It can, it is thought, be successfully worked only in large cities. Increases in Population. The population of the Province had, between the census of 1871 and that of 1881, increased from 1,620,834- to 1,923,228, a net in- crease of 302,394. The increase in the population of the counties immediately affected by the Redistribution Bill betwcdn 1871 and 1881, was 175,799, or more than half of the entire increase throughout the Province. Some of the increases were as follows ; Bruce 36,804 Simcoe 18,437 Hnron more than 16,000 do 16,000 jX do »... 14,000 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 18 York and Toronto more than 87,000 Algoma more than , 15,000 Grey more than , ......13,000 It may certainly be fairly argued that if such large and impor- tant counties as Bruce, Simcoe, and others, were* entitled to two representatives after the census of 1871, they were entitled to an extra member each after that of 1881, when their population had increased by nearly 20,000 each. And the same remark applies to the city of Toronto and the county of York, which latter re- tains its three members after the withdrawal of Parkdale. Table of Eeaults, The following table shows the increases of population in the affected constituencies in the ten vears ending 1881, with the additions to their representation under the present Act : — Old Electoral Dirlslons and Population. 1871 Algoma* 5,007 Bruce, Sonth Bruce „ 39,803 North Bruce 25,536 Cornwall. Cornwall 9,904 Storm o pf 13,294 Leeds, Orenville and Brockville. -South Leeds 18,325 Leeds and Orenville .12,929 Grenville 13,526 B rockville •i^j_:_i_- 16,395 t^imcoe, Cardwell and Peel. West Sinicoe 26,120 East Simcoe 24,118 South Simcoe 17.355 Ofird well 17 ,993 Peel. 16,387 Brant. South Brant 21,975 North Brant 11,894 New Electoral DiYisioiis and P(>puiatloo. Algoma. 1881 20,320 Divided Irto 2 PivlKJonB, Algoma W, AAlgom* g. Bruce. South Bruce 23,394 North do 20,196 Centre do 21,628 Co'rnwall, Stormont (including Coniwall) 23, 198 Leeds, Grenville and BrwkviUe. Leeds 20,759 Grenville 22,741 Brockville 17,724 Simcoe, Cardv^U and Feel, West Simcoe 20,134 East do .....20,382 Centre do •..17.407 Cardwell 22.357 Peel 21.G97 Brant. S'.uth Brant 19,084 North do 14,786 *A ceiiBUB was tftken of Port Arthur on its bscoming a town in 1884, under the authority of the Council. The population was retumwl at about 6,000, an increase of '25 over 1881. u THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. Duffurin. Dufferin. . 20,63 6 Addington, Frontenac and Kingston. Addington 23,470 Frontenac 14,993 Kingston ....'.. .14,091 WtUington. West WeUington 24,978 Centre do 19,640 South do. 23,2 79 Orey. East Grey 23,781 North do 25,031 Sonth do 21,127 Elgin. Eaat Elgin 27,473 WeatMo. 14,888 York. East York 23,312 West do. ,18,884 Essex. North Essex 25,669 South do 21,303 Ontario. North Ontario 28,434 South do. , 20,37 8 yictoria. South Victoria 20,813 North do 13,790 London and Middlesex, London City 19,746 Middlesex East 30,600 Perth, North Perth .32,915 South do. 20,778 District of Muskoka and Parry Sound.... Dufferin. Dufferin 22,086 Addington, Frontenac arui Kingston. Addington .... 16,606 Frontenac 16,386 Kingston '. 19,664 Wellington. West WeUington 18,893 Centre do. 16,385 South do. ...; 22,237 Orey. East Grey 24,522' North do 21,488 South do ^24,629 Elgin. East Elgin 19,848 West do 22,580 York. East York 15,996 West do 15,762 North Essex. South do. Essex. .23,657 .23,307 North. Ontario. South do. Ontario. 20,917 .27,895 Victoria. South Victoria- North do. .18,289 .16,323 London and Middlesex* London City Middlesex East 23,636 ,26,710 North Perth. South do. , Perth. .29,660 .24,lb3 Muskoka Parry Sound. Districts of The .Dominion and Ontario Redistrih^ition Bills Compared. It is a favorite retort with supporters of the Opposition to declax-e what they are pleased to term the " Gerrymander " iu Ontario, above referred to, as bad as that of which their own friends in the Dominion were guilty in 1882. A few considera- tions will show whether this tu quoque argument can hold. The Dominion Government, in framing their notorious Gerry- mander Bill of 1882, practically abolished, wherever it was thought THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. 15 • • • • iO|0<7^ ....16,385 ....22,237 24,52? 21,488 24,529 19,848 22,580 15,996 ,... 15,762 ....23,657 ....23,307 ...20,917 ....27,8 95 ....18,289 16,323 ■sex. 23,636 ....26,710 ....29,560 .. .24,lo3 • • • • • • • • mpared. )8ition to mder" in heir own sonsidera- Dld. lis Gerry- ,s thought in their intere.9t to do so, county municipalities. They over-rode and broke do^n county boundaries ; threw sections of two, three or four counties, having no interests in common, together for electoral purposes ; and so cut and carved up the political map of Canada as to make it a spectacle to be wondered at, and not recognizable; three ends only being kept particularly in view : The one that of legislating their principal opponents out of Par- liament ; the second that of concentrating the Reform majorities of different adjoining counties into one riding with an overwhelm- ing Reform majority, thus wasting hundreds of Reform vote^; and the third that of making all other ridings, that is, the large majority — by the elimination of Reform townships, Tory, with wel] -assured majorities. The Ontario Government, in framing their measure of 1884, on the other hand, kept five points in view : — First, to increase the aggregate membership as little as possible ; second, in no case to break down county boundaries; third, not to^vide townships or other municipalities ; fourth, always to move m the direction of equalizing the population where changes were made ; fifth, not to aim at destroying the seats held by members of the Opposition. Upon this latter point but two members were placed in a minor- ity — Mr. Ermatinger, the member for East Elgin, by the change of St. Thomas from the East to the West Riding, and Col. Grey, of West York, who was placed in a minority of but three votes, while in every case the change proceeded in the direction of equalization or approximating toward the unit of representation, or average population of the constituencies, namely : 21,366. The Dominion Gerrymander Act of 1882. Let us now examine the contrast to this policy exhibited by the Tory Government of the Dominion. Equalization of the population of the constituencies was Sir John's alleged reason for turning the constituencies topsy-turvej', for breaking down the well-defined county boundaries, and for carving up the constitu- encies in such a manner that no human being has since been able to learn or cany in his mind the municipalities comprising the pew constituencies. He was desirous only, as he claimed, of equalizing the constituencies. Take a few examples of how the constituencies were equal- ized : The unit of representation in the whole province for Dominion purposes was 20,905. Out of 92 constituencies there are 31 imder the average of 20,905. ^ 1 . If 16 THE MOWAT QOYEBNMENT. 26 under. 19,000 22 under 18,000 14 under 17,000 9 under 16,000 Sunder 15,000 Sunder 14,000 Ibf 12,423 There are also : 1] over ;. 21,000 6 over ^ 23,000 4 over... , 24,000 7 over 25,000 6 over 26,000 2 over 27,000 * 1 over 28,000 Look at a few examples of his inconsistency in carrying out his alleged object : South Oxford. South Oxford, before the Geirymander, had a population of 24,732 ; after, 24,778 ; or an increase of but 46. This represents, upon the estimate of one vote for seven persons an increase of but seven votes in the South Riding. It was, besides, left with a population 3,873 greater than the average or unit of representa- tion. In order to accomplish this the boundaries of three counties were broken down ; the town of Tilsonburg and the township of Dereham, situate in Oxford, were detached from South Oxford and tacked on to North Norfolk, and the townships of Burford and Oakland were taken from South Brant and added to South Oxford. Why all this overthrowing for an increase of only 7 votes I • North Ox/ord. The boundaries of three counties were broken in order to fix up this constitutency, making a change in population as between the old and new of only 977, or 1 39 votes. It was left with a popula- tion of 3,479 above the average. South Wellington. The l»oundaries of no fewer than three countie.s were broken in re-aiTanging this constituency, by which a population of only 901 was added, equal to a voting power of 1 28. THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 17 Haldimand, The population of Haldimand was, under the old arrangement, below the average. Instead of it being levelled up, it was de- creased 959, and left 2,243 below the average. This was the way equalization went on. Many more instances might be given. We present a few further illustrations of another character, showing how Sir John's " equalization " was accomplished. The figures show the populations after the gerrymander ; (the average for each constituency being 20,905.) 1. North Leeds & Grenville. .12,423, or 8,482 below the average. 2. South Grenville 13,526, or 7,39.7 " 3. Brockville 16,107, or 6,798 -' 4. Frontenac 14,993, or 5,912 " " 5. Kingston...: 14,091, or 6,814 " . " 6. West Peterboro' 1 3,3 10, or 7,695 " 7 & 8. Ottawa, 27,412 | or 7,199 ,. „ Two members, 13,706 each, j each 9. South Wentworth 15,539, or 5,366 " " 10. Monck 15,940, or 4,965 « There are many others far below the average. As further showing the fraudulent pretence under which the Bill was supported, there are many constituencies left with a population far in excess of the average. Below are a few ex- amples : Kent 29,194, or 8,289 in excess of the average. East Simcoe 27,183, or 6,278 in excess of the average. Centre Wellington...26,816, or 5,911 in excess of the average. Welland 26,162, or 5,247 in excess of the average. Nori^h Perth 26,538, or 5,633 in excess of the average. North Simcoe. 26,120, or 5,215 in excess of th# average. North Huron 26,098, or 5,193 in excess of the average. North Wellington. .26,024, or 6,119 in excess of the average. A chapter pointing out the ridiculous shapes into which many of the constituencies were thrown by this well devised process of cutting and carving might be of interest in closing this descrip- tion ; but it will be considered sufficiently proved by the foregoing facts that Sir John's object in his infamous Gerrymander was not so much to " equalize the population " as to " hive the Grits," in order, in all future elections, to secure their defeat. 9. 18 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. BirNlCIPAL INS1ITVTI0NS. Municipal institutions form one of the most interesting and im- portant features of our system of seif-govemment. Tney were lor a ktng time after their first introd action into Upper Canada somewhat crude in form, and many Statutes amending the muni- cipal law were passed by successive Pai'iaments before Confed- eration. Between 18G2 and 1871, not a session of the Ontario Legislature passed without additional important changes being made. The necessity of bringing the law within the comprehen- sion of the mass of the people made it imperative that the Muni- cipal Act and the various amending Statutes should, sooner or later, be consolidated, and the Mowat Administration lost no time in beginning the work. The task was a most laborious and intricate one, but it was successfully performed under the personal direction of the late Hon. Adam Crooks. Order was brouglit out of confusion ; more than 1,000 sections were reduced to about half the number ; dead law was eliminated ; and what was left was classified and reduced to the form of a simple and intelligible code. In a speech delivered at Toronto, on the 8th of January, 1879, Attorney-General Mowat thus referred to this undertaking, and the manner in which it had been carried through : ** In our first aesBion we made provision for facilitating the work of self- government by collecting all the various Acts relating to our municipalities. These Acta were scattered through the statute books of seveval years ; con- siderable difficulty was consequently experienced by the people, who were not lawyers, and who had to carry out tbese laws : and it was evident that the simplest law possible on the subject was desirable. My colleague and friend, Mr. Crooks, undertook the work, and during the first session of my premiership a new Act was passed consolidating and revising all the old Acts, and producing a result of which, in connection with the Assessment Act, the late Chief Justice Harrison — who probably was more familiar with the sub- ject than any other lawyer or judge— said, ♦ THAT THESE ACTS WERE THE MOQT COMPLETE A^'D PERFECT CODE OF THE KIND THAT HE KNEW OF IN ANY COUNTRY OF THE WORLD.'" In 1872 an Act was passed of a very stringent kiijd to prevent corrupt practices at municipal elections. In 1874 an Act was passed introducing the method of voting by ballot at municipal elections, and in the following session the same method was made applicable to voting on such municipal by-laws as are requiied to be submitted to the people. In 1877 an Act was passed apply- ing to the preparation and revision of the voters' lists for munici- piu elections, and the method of preparing and revising the voters' / THE MOWAT QOVERNMENT. 19 yearfi ; con- liflts for parliamentary elections, which had been embodied in the Voters' Lists Act of 1874 and 1870. These three measures have done much towards preventing the irregularities formerly so common, and securing a full and fair expression of public opinion in relation to municipal affairs. A complete list of important amendments made to the municipal, law since 1872, in addition to those above referred to, would be a very long one, including, among others : The extension of the municipal system, with suitable modifi cations, to the districts of Muskoka, Parry Sound, Nipissing and Algoma. Handing over the management of the police departments of cities to commissioners. Numerous changes in the law respecting water- courses, line fences, bridges and public highways. More effective regulation of market fees, and of the sale of produce generally. Provision for the erection of court-houses. Provision for the better protection of both municipalities and their creditors in the issue and purchase of debentures. Improved methods of equalizing assessments. Provision of better facilities for carrying on drainage opera- tions. The introduction of the system of paying for street improve- ments on the local improvement plan. Provision for the better regulation of nuisances, and also for dealing more effectively with other matters affecting the health or comfort of the community at large. Extending the municipal franchise to unmarried women and widows. Election of Mayors of cities and towns by popular vote. The consolidation of the assessment law. Limitation of exemptions from municipal taxation. Extension of the municipal franchise to income Votera Fixing the qualification of Mayors, Reeves and Councillors. Provisions for abstract, and statements of municipal receipts and expenditures. Ordering returns to Bureau of Industries. Authority for acquiring land for parks. Provisions for erection of weighing machines ; for changing names of streets ; for regulating sale of tobacco ; for in- spection of boat 'and bathing houses ; for construction of sewers and water-works ; for removal of obstructions in rivers, etc. 20 THE MOW AT GOVKIUiMENT. i In the following year, 1888, the amendments to the Municipal Law included provisions respecting separations of counties ; qualifications of members of council in villages and townships ; publishing assets and liabilities ; bonusing manufactories; estab- lishing industrial farms and inebriate asylums; licensing transient traders ; regulating portable steam engines ; removing obstructions in rivers and streanis • aiding railways; acquiring water rights, etc. (51 Vict., Chap. 28.) And in the following year, 1889, they made provision for ap- pointment of arbitrators in certain cases ; restriction of livery stables ; maintenance of inmates of houses of refuge ; aid to rifle associations ; aiding bands of music ; contracting for gas or electric lights ; foes and costs of valuations and awards ; appointments of night watchmen ; straightening of streams ; assessments for parks and squares; aiding bridge companies; jurisdiction of county judges respecting municipal elections, etc. (52 Vict., Chap. 28.) Recent Important Legislation, During the past three years many important measures have been passed, which advantageously atfect the goneral interests. A few of these may be referred to : — (1) In 1888 an important measure was passed for the preven- tion of accidents and loss of life by fire in hotels and other public buildings. This provides for the erection and firm attachment of an iron ladder or stairway, outside of each hotel or building, and connecting with every floor above the first. It also prpvides for a rope fire-escape in every chamber, and for the posting of notices concerning such ladder and fire-escape, with instructions as to use. (2) In 1889 an Act was passed to facilitate the purchase and abolition of toll roads by municipalities. This measure provides for the appointment of commissioners, their selection of roads, examination of books and records, preparation and registration of maps, valuation and report. It also sets forth the mode of pro- cedure, as to passing of by-law, award as to ])rice, raising of money, the taking over of the roads, and the abolition of tolls; also, for the maintenance of such roads as free roads thereafter. Houses of Refuge. (3) In the session just closed, an Act was passed respecting the establishment of Houses of Refuge,- and providing for muni- cipal aid, inspection and report. It also provides for municipal aid to such houses which may be already in existence. THB MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 21 This is a further illustration of this Government's policy of re- luming the public money to the people who own it. The provis- ion is for provincial assistance to counties in their local charitable Institutions. The measure provides for the payment oJP-a sum not exceeding S4,600 to any county, or union oi counties, which may icquire not less than fifty acres of land for an industrial farm tnd erect thereon buildings suitable for a house of indnstiy or louse of refuge for the aged, infirm, and poor of the locality. The \ct permits the joining of such municipalities, when contiguous, for the establishment of a larger institution, in which case the same |mount is to be paid to each ; and includes in its provisions those lunicipalities in which such institutions already exist All such Establishments are to be subject to Provincial inspection. Exemptions. (4) In the same session, an Act was passed amending the ssessment Law as to exemptions, by ptoviding that lands con- nected with churches shall be liable to assessment for local im- )rovemeuts hereafter made ; that the incomes and dwellings of Clergymen shall be assessed for all municipal purposes ; that col- 3ges and seminaries shall be assessed for local improveinents ^ereafter made ; and that a business tax may be substituted by lunicipal councils for the taxes on a mercantile business, this lubstitution to apply to so much of the personal property as be- longs to the business, provided it do not exceed 7J per cent, of )he annual value of the premises in which the business is coa- lucted. LAWS RBLATINO TO LABOUR, Mechanics' Lien, The Mechanics* Lien Act of 1873 was passed soon after this Jovernment assumed office, and was intenaod to protect mechan- ics, machinists, builders, miners and contractors from loss on ac- count of labour or material furnished in the erection of buildings )r the construction of machinery. The Act not merely recognizes the new form of liability, but provides the means for establishing md enforcing claims arising under it. The original Statute has )een several times amended, with a view to make it more simple md perfect in its working, two of the most important amend- lents being contained in the following section of the Act of 1882: 22 THE MO WAT G6VBRNMENT. ^' Tlie lien given by the preceding Section (i. e., one for thirty days' wage without prejudve to any other lien the laboarer may have under the lieJ Act), shall operste, notwithstanding any agreement between the owner acj contractor for excluding a lien, and notwithstanding that the labour ia in re] speot of a building, erection, or mine which belongs to the wife of the persoij at whose instance the work is done." The next section of the Act provides that the lien for wage] shall, to a certain amount, have priority ever all other liens, a)i| over any claim by the owner against the contractor on account oj failure to complete his contract. In 1886 the Le^slaturJ amended the Land Titles Act of 1885, for the purpose of protect] ing persons entitled to liens against land brought under the TorJ rens system of registration.' Employers' Liability, For some years past in England an Act of Parliament has becni in force which makes employers liable, under certain circum{ stances for injuries to their employees. That Act was, at the instance of the House of Lords, limited in its operation to fiv( years, but it has given such general satisfaction that it will, un-l (loubtedly, at the next session of Parliament, be made permanent! and will probably at the same time be given a wider applicationl In the session of 1886, an Act was passed by the Ontano Legisla-] ture to secure compensation to workmen in certain cases for per- sonal injuries caused (1) by defective machinery or works, (2) byl negligence of fellow employees entrusted with the duty of superin-l tendence,>(3) by conforming to the orders of fellow employees I placed in authority, (4), by the operation of the employers regu- lations, or (5) by the negligence of railway signal-men. The dif- ferent kinds of defects that make a railway company liable arel specified, and the maximum amount of compensation is fixed atl three years' earnings. Contracting out of the liability is not al-l lowed, except when there is some other consideration than being | taken into employment, which consideration must be, in the opin- ion of the Court trying an action, " ample and adequate," and, on I the side of the workman, not " improvident," but "just and rea- ^ionable." The Act provides a simple method of enforcing claims I arising under it, and exempts from its operation for only or)«j year those employers who have established provident or insur- ance societies for their men, at least as effective for their pro- tection as that established by the Grand Trunk Railway Company | of Canada. An amendment in 1887 applied the provisions of the Act to I I THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. 23 railway companies and employers who had established such provi- dent and insurance societies for their men, even though the work- men injured had not connected themselves with such societies. A further amendment in 1889 makes the employer for whom the work is done, as well as, the contractor, liable for injuries re- ceived by the workmen, — it being provided, however, that double compensation shall not be recoverable for the same injury. This amendment also provides that even if the workman was aware of the defect or negligence which caused his injury, he should not therefore be deemed to have voluntarily incurred the risk of be- ing injured. The Factories Act, f the Act tol *'An Act for the Protection of Persons employed in Factories " was passed in 1884. It contained a proviso that it should not come into force until proclamation should be made by the Lieutenant-Governor, the object being to secure, either by con- current Dominion legislation, or by a decision of the Supreme Court, that the validity of the law would not be disputed. All efforts to induce the Dominion Government to aid in removing the uncertainty having failed, the necessary proclamation was issued in October, 188ti, and the " OnUrio Factories Act, 1884," became law. It provides, amongst other things, (1) that the em- ployment in a factory of a chud, a young girl, or a woman, in such a way that the health is likely to be permanently injured, shall be an offence punishable by imprisonment or fine ; (2) that no boy under twelve, and no girl under fourteen, shall be em- ployed in any factory, and that children under fourteen and women shall not be employed more than ten hours a day, or sixty hours a week ; (3) that women and children shall not be allowed to clean machinery, while it is in motion; (4) that work- ing extra hours in a time of emergency shall be done only with the consent of the Inspector under the Act ; (5) that factories shall be kept in proper sanitary condition ; (6) that machinerv, and other sources of danger to employees shall be properly guarded ; (7) that each factory shall be supplied with the means of extinguishing fires, and also with fire-escapes if the building is a high one ; and (8) that the Inspector shall be notified promptly when loss of life results to employees tbrc ugh fire or accident. The Act clothes the Inspector with the powers necessary to enable him to discharge his duties efficiently, and provides a simple means of enforcing its provisions. Appended t(^* it is a •chedule containing a list of the dififerent kinds of factories that Mi 84 THE MO WAT OOVERNMENT. come under its operation, and it is provided that the Lieutenant- Governor in Council may add to, or take away from, that list by proclamation in the Ontario Gazette. The putting of thia admir- able measurer into operation placed the factory labourers of Ontario in as good a position in t]ie matter of protection as is enjoyed by such labourers in any country in the world. In 1887, an Amendment was passed, providing that boy* under 12 and girls under 14 might be employed in the summer months in gathering and preparation of fruit or vegetables for canning purposes, — such preparation not to involve cooking, and to be done in a different room. An Act analagous in its provisions to the Factory Act was passed in 1 888, which gave power to municipal councils, on appli- cation of three-fourths of the employers in any class of shops, to pass by-laws for the closing of all such shops at the liours mentioned in the application. This has the effect of shortening the hours during which children and ^oung persons may be con- fined in such shops. It also ordered that seats be provided for female employees ; also, that no young person should be employed in or about any shop longer than 74 hours, including ,meal hours, in any one week, nor longer than 14 hours, including meal hours, on any Saturday, — notice to this effect to be posted up in the shop. This provision not to apply in cases in which the employees are members of the families of the employers. This Act was amended in certain of its provisions in 1889. In 1889 an Amendment to the Factories Act made sundry new provisions for the protection of young persons engaged in factories, and gave an amended list of the businesses to which the Act should apply. The Railway Accidents Act, In 1881 the Legislative Assembly appointed a special committee to enquire into the causes of the loss of life from accidents on railways. Much valuable evidence was taken, and many of the most useful suggestions offered were in the following year em- bodied in an Act " To make Provision for the Safety of Railway Employees and the Public." The preamble to that Act is as follows : — ** Whereas frequent acoidenta ; iway servants and others are oooasioned bv the nesleot of Kailway Oompan :> provide a fair and reasonable measure of DToteotton against their oooarr<»>. ; and whereas a proper oonstruotion of rulwam>ridges, and certain pn«t'-'<^jis !q the oonstrnotion and maintenance of railwajr frogs, wing-rails, guar^ fails, and freight can would graatljr lessen^ if not entirely prevent, the napponinK of such accidents," THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. 25 The Act goes on to specify the improvements which railway companies are required to make in their bridges, tracks and freight cars ; and in the event of accidents to their employees caused by failure to do so, the latter are placed in as good a position, with respect to the right of compensation, as if tney had not been in the company's employ. In other words, the great principle em- bodied in the Act securing compensation for injuries is anticipated by this provision of the Railway Accidents Act, just as the princi- ple that railway companies and factory proprietors should be pelled to make proper provi *on for the safety of the public ! com was anticipated by the Act of 1874, which requires the owners of machines properly to guard those parts likely to cause injury to persons coming in contact with them. WorJc and Wages. In 1873 two Acts were passed, one intended to facilitate I agreements between mastera and workmen for participation in profits; the other intended to facilitate the adjustment of dis- ! pntes between masters and workmen. With reference to these two measures, and the Mechanics' Lien Act passed in the same I session, the Hon. Attorney-General Mowat made the following remarks in a speech delivered in Toronto on the 8th of January, 11879: " We have passed laws securing to mechanics, labourers, and others, alien I for their pay on the property on which their labour is expended or their I materials used, so far as this seemed practicable without prejudice to persons not concerned in the transaction. We have passed laws in the interest of [masters and workmen, for facilitating agreements between' them for sharing the profits of the businnss in which they may be engaged. The object of that law is of great importance to tho working classes. It is by such means that their status is to be raised. Those who have given attention to this Bub> Meet seem to be unaware of any method by which so large an amount of good I can be looked for to the great mass of our working population as some method I which ma^ enable them somehow to share the profits of the business in which ' thoy are employed. In framing these laws we had the advantage of what had I been done elsewhere, and we have placed on the Statute book the best laws ' that the example or experience of other places enabled us to devise. We I have also passed a law to facilitate, by means of a machinery found useful elsewhere, the amicable settlement of disputes botweeu employers and em- [ ployed." In 1880 an Act waa patted for the relief of Co-operative As- Isociations, experience having shown that a relaxation of the I former law was necessary in two respects. This Statute increases [the maximum value of the shares any one member may hold from 26 THE MOWAT OOVERNMENT. $4C0 to $1,000, and authorizes associations to incur a debt, secured by mortgage, for the purchase of business premises. In 1885 an Act was passed, which is of great importance as affording valuable protection to workmen in respect of wages. It provides that when a debtor makes an assignment of real or per- sonal property for the general benefit of his creditors, an exception shall be made in favour of persons in his employment at, or im- mediately before, the time of the assignment, who shall be paid in full up to three months' wages or salary, and be entitled to take rank as general creditors for tne remainder of the amount due thera. A similar provision is made to«>apply to the distribution of the assets of a company in process of liquidation under *' The Joint Stock Companies' winding-Up Act," and to the settlement of claims under " The Creditors' Relief Act, 1880." The measure applies to all wage-earners, whether by the day, the week, the piece, or otherwise. With a view to the protection of the Ontario labourer from the oppressive competition of certain classes of foreigners, whom it is the custom to bring into the country under agreements which virtually prevent them from being free agents in the disposal of their services, the Legislature, in the session of 1886, enacted as follows : — "Any agreement or bargain, verbal or written, expressed or implied, which may hereafter be made between any person, and any other person not a resi- dent of Canada, for the performance of labour or service, or having reference to the performance of labour or service by such other person in the Province of Ontario, and made as aforesaid, previous to the migration or cominr' into Canada of such other person whose labour or service is contracted for, dhall be void and of no effect as against the person only so migrating or coming." This enactment leaves the imported foreign labourer, who comes into Ontario on the strength of a • previous agreement, free to break his agreement after his arrival here if he sees fit to do so, while if he chooses to observe the agreement on his part, he can hold his employer to it also. The object of this legislation is to discourage the practice of advancing mone}' to foreign labourers to pay their passage into this Province, by making it impossible for the employer to recover the aura advanced if the employee sees fit to break his engagement. No more effective means could be devised. Another Statute that calls for notice in this connection is one passed in 1874, which enacts that the wages or siJary due to a labourer, mechanic, or servant, shall not be liable to seizure, or attachment, or garnishment for debt, unless the sum due to him exceeds S25, and then only for the amount of such excess. The ob- THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 27 ject in view is to prevent the wage-earner from being left entirely )enniless, a reasonable relief in view of all that the law has done tor other classes of debtors. Workmen Allowed Time to Cast Their Votes. " The Franchise and Representation Act of 1885 " confers the right of voting on practically all wage-earners who are residents loT a sufticient time in one district, for the amount of wages which entitles a man to be placed on the voters' list is only $230, and a ■)art of that may he in the form of board and lodging. To many l^ersons of this class, however, in cities and towns, where during the whole of the hours of polling they are employed at a distance from their voting places, polling their votes is a matter of loss and lifficulty. With a view to removing tliis obstacle, the Legisla- ture in the session of 1886 enacted that " any voter entitled to rote within ^ city or town, shall, on the day of polling, for the purpose of voting, be entitled to absent himself from any service, )r employment " for the two hours between twelve and two in the middle of the day, without making himself " liable to any pen- ilty, or to suffer or incur any reduction " of wages, provided that, hf his employer requires him to do so, he shall afterwards make lup for his absence by an hour of extra work. i 28 THE MO WAT GOVERN MENT. ATTORNBYOENERAL'S DEPARTMEBIT. I . j I This has been presided over by Hon. Oliver Mowat for eigh- teen years without interruption. Ppon him personally has de-| volved the duty of prosecuting the claim of the rrovince to the dis- puted territory west and north, about half the Province, and to thel land, timber and minerals which it comprises. The struggle over! the Boundary Question, which is fully described on succeedingj pages, was made by Sir John Macdonald an expensive one fori the Province, and an onerous one for Mr. Mowat. Apart from thej special duties devolving upon him as Premier, the Attorney-Gen- eral's labours were, during that long period, arduous and continu- ous. The following account of his Department will make thisj clear : «■ Law Reform. This department of Legislation is under the personal direction and supervision of the Attorney-General of the Province, and as | that responsible office has been continuously filled by the Hon. Oliver Mowat during the past eighteen years, he is in a peculiar I sense entitled to whatever credit is due for improvements made | in the system of administering justice. For originating and carry- ing into operation reforms of this kind, Mr. Mowat is pre-emi- nently fitted, not merely by great natural ability and an unusually I long and varied professional and parliamentary experiegMj^but still more by a judicial cast of mind and a rare corabipipPli of I progressiveness and caution. He was a prominent aiBii flwtive member of the old Legislative Assembly long before O^od«ra- tion, and was at the same time in the enjoyment of a Ittwre prac- tice at the Bar. For seven years before assuming the ASliBrney- General's portfolio, he occupied the position of Vice- Chancellor in the Court of Chancery, and ever since he entered on his present office he has been, by the discharge of its duties, made increasingly familiar with the whole machinery of the administration of jus- tice, criminal as well as civil. The extent, importance and beneficial character of the reforms t---:'* have been effected in the law during his rSgime can be fully appreciated only by a careful student of the whole Statute Law of the Province since 1872. He had laborious and e;xtra duties ca'-^sed by the necessity of defending Ontario against attacks made •apo^ her territorial and legislative rights by the Government of THE MO WAT GOVERNMKN". 29 [Sir John Macdonald. The chief burden of that defence fell upon Mr. Mowat, and it was well for the Province that it had so capable a defender. For a period of ten or t'velve years he was engaged in resisting unjust and unwarranted encroachments on Provincial rights in the liquor license ease, the rivers and streams case, the escheats case, the disputed, territory timber case, and, above all, the boundary case. The obvious observation is that it would be good policy to entrust this great depaitmont again to a jurist who has shown so much capacity for conducting and improving it. The attacks mrvde on rrovincial Rights he has succeeded in repelling. Not a single case remains unfinished ; not a single case did he lose. Many changes in the public law have been already noticed — those, for instance, effected by the Mechanics* Lien Act, the Act conferring the municipal franchise on women, the Acts modifying the parlia- mentary and municipal law, the Acts atfecting the status of the labouring classes, the Acts regulating the traffic in alcoholic li(juors, etc. Administration of JuMice. The constitution and conduct of the Courts is not made a Ljround of complaint. This fact, with an opposition anxious to discover any points of defect in legislation or administration, cer- tainly suggests the perfection of the service. The grand improve- ments which have led to this satisfactory state of things have nearly all been, made since the present Government assumed office. The tendency has been in the direction of greater simplicity and less expense. The Division Court Act and its amendments have had a most beneficial efiect in enlarging the powers of that Court, in cor- recting its imperfections, and in wisely regulating its proceedings. The County and Superior Courts have also been vastly improved by the legislation introduced by Attorney-General Mowat. The " Administration of Justice Acts" of 1873 and 1874 introduced the reforms which were destined to find their completion in the Ju- dicature Act of 1881. The last mentioned Act, founded on an Im- perial Act much considered and now in force, was a marvel of legal grasp and administrative wisdom. Its two great principles were consolidation and simplification, and with the other legislation referred to it completed the judicial fabric of this Province — the enlarged powers of the Division Courts relieving the County Courts, and the enlarged powers of the County Courts relieving the Superior Courts ; while the former various modes of procedure of the Superior Courts were unified and consolidated, the Courts of Common Law and Equity were made auxiliary to each other — Ij so THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. I I the old distinctions being abolished, and the jurisdictions of the three *' Divisions" of what was now constituted the Supreme Court of Judicature were made concurrent. The assiduity with which the operations of the improved system is watched is visible in the amendments which ara promptly introduced as often as called for ; and to-day, thanks to the wisdom and energv of the Attorney-General of this Province, we have laws regulating pro- cedure, real property, domestic relations; evidence before the courts, creditors and insolvent debtors, trial by jury, insurance, and a vast number of other subjects, which are second to those of no other country in the world. Revision of the Statutes, In the work of Revision, also, the greatest possible industry has been displayed. This has had the effect of eliminating the repealed legislation, and of consolidating and arranging, under a most excel- lent system of classification, that which remains in force. The first Revision was completed in 1877, the code being published in two volumes under the title of Revised Statutes of Ontario. A subsequent revision brought the work down to 1887 — and the pro- fession and the public have now the advantage of the consoli- dation of all the laws of the Province ciown to three years ago. This difficult and successful business of consolidation and classi- fication was conducted, in both cases, under the direct supervis- ion of Attorney-General Mowat. # Administrative Duties. To this Department belongs the supervision of the administra- tion of justice throughout the Province, including the investigation of complaints made in respect to the conduct of magistrates, the prosecution of criminals both for offences committed against the laws of the Dominion and for those against the statutes of the Province. These prosecutions at the Assizes are conducted by counsel appointed by the Attorney-General, and at the General Sessions and Countj'^ Judges' Criminal Courts by the County Attorneys ; but cases are constantly arising upon which the ad- vice and direction of the Department is required, while in many offences of a serious character the evidence has to be obtained through officers directly instructed by this Department. In con- nection with criminal prosecutions arise applications for bail, which in all cases may be made to the judges at Toronto, and in many serious cases mut be so made ; also applications to be re- THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. SI lieved from forfeiture of bail. This Department has a great deal to do with both, especially the latter. These can be favourably entertained only where the circumstances are of a very excep- tional nature, and careful enquiry into the facts upon which it is claimed relief should be granted is always made. It advises as to proceedings before Justices of the Peace and other inferior magis- trates, for, notwithstanding the forms provided for ordinary cases, the applications made to discharge prisoners on Habeas Corpus, or to quash convictions on account of irregularities, or msufficiency in the proceedings before these officers, are very numerous. In many of these, this Department finds it necessary to make enquiry and to intervene. Cases of difficulty are also from time to time reserved by Judges at the Assize and mother Criminal Courts for the opinion of the Judges of the High Court, sitting together at Toronto ; and these are, wherever practicable, argued by the officers of this Department. To the Attorney- General also belor gs the consideration of applications for Writs of Error, for leave to file information in his name in connection with supposed invasions of public right, for entries of nolle prosequi, and for the admission of criminals as Queen's evidence, etc., etc. It is his duty also to make appointments to all offices connected with the administra- tion of justice, such as Justices of the Peace, Police and Stipendiary Magistrates, Coroners, County Attorneys, and officers of the various courts in the different counties. U I I' Advisory Duties. It is the duty of this Department to advise the officers of the other Departments of the Government upon the numerous legal questions which constantly arise in connection with the varied matters coming befofe them ; and advice is constantly required by County Attorneys, Crown Counsel, Coronera, and all others em- ployed m the aJrainistration of justice. It is also the office of the Attorney-General's Department to see that all Statutes and Orders-in-Council are drawn up in proper form, and that the public interests, as well as the rights of indi- viduals, are carefully guarded. This is all the m6re necessary in the ca^-e of Statutes, since there is only one legislative chamber. Th^ manner in which the work o£ supervision has been carried ouf during the Mowat regime is the best possible proof that, with an experienced and watchful Premier and a competent and care- ful Attorney-General, there is not the slightest need for a second one. In connection with this description of the administration of 82 THE MOWAT GOVEUNMENT. the Attorney-Oeneral's Department, is the extra work entailed by the Appeal Cases, in which he stood for the rights of this Province, against the attempted encroachments upon its rights by the Dominion Government's political friends of his present Opposition. The Boundary Question was the most pro- tracted and important of these, but on account of the length of its description it may be convenient to consider others first. * 1. The Jnaurance Case. An Act was passed in lb76 "to secure uniform conditions in policies of fire insurance." It enacts a number of conditions, which were prepared under the supervision of the Superior Court Judges of the Province, and which are to be read into and form part of every fire insurance policy issued by every company doing business in Ontario. Variations from these conditions are allowed, but they must be cons|)icuously printed in the policy, and they must be such as a Court or Judge, trying a disputed case, will hold to be "just and reasonable." The right of the Ontario Legislature to impose such conditions on insurance companies opferating under charters not granted under Provincial authority was contested in the well-known cases of Parsorts v. The Citiaens Insurance Company, and Parsons v. The Queen Insurance Company, and the question of jurisdiction was finally decided by the Privy Council in favour of the Statute. The judgment in these cases, in 1881, is one of the most important ever delivered ia support of Provincial Legislative rights. The following is the memorandum on the subject : — " An Act of the Province of Ontario to^ secure uniform con- ditions of policies of fire insurance, was held to be within the power of a Provincial Legislature over Property and Civil Rights. Such an Act, so far as relates to insurance on property withiu the Province, may bind all fire insurance companies, whether in- corporated by Imperial, Dominion, Provincial, Colonial, or foreign authority." 2. The Escheats Case. The estate of the late Andrew Mercer having escheated tathe Crown for want of heirs, the property, which had been largely expended by the Ontario Government for the erection of "The Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Women," was claimed for the Dominion Governnient. Attorney-General Mowat stoutly con- tested this claim on the part of the Province. The case was TUB MOWAT GOVEKNMEKT. S3 carried to tho Privy Council, and that tribunal decided that tHcheated lands belonged to the Province, under section 109 of the British North America Act. 1'he question as to escheated personal property has not yet been finally decided. . 3. The Rivers and Streams Case. The principle involved in the suit between McLaren and Cald- well waa the right of a riparian owner to obstruct the passage of timber down a " floatable ' stream. McLaren asserted this right over parts of the Mississippi River, and Caldwell denied it. Ihe Ontario Legislature, with a view of settling the dispute in the public interest and without prejudice to either party, passed the Rivers and Streams Act of 188L This was three times dis- allowed by the L")omiiiion Government, and as often re-enacted by the. Ontario Legislature. After the last enactment, in 1884, it was allowed to become law, the Privy Council having mean- time decided that McLaren's claim could not be sustained. The disallowance of this statute, which was not claimed to be beyond the competence of the Ontario Legislature, was an un- warrantable exercise of a dangerous power for the benefit of a political favourite of the Dominion Government, and a complete violation of the conditions laid down by Sir John Macdonald himself for the exercise of the power, of disallowance. 4. The Liquor License Case. The right to control the traffic in alcoholic liquors by means of license laws was exercised by the various Provincial Legislatures without interference, from 1867 to 1883. In the latter year the Dominion Pf},riiament, on the strength of an inference from the judgment of the Privy Council affirming the validity of the " Scott Act," passed the license law known as the " McCarthy Act." This had the effect of throwing the liquor traffic in the Provinces into utter confusion and greatly increasing the number of drinking places licensed to sell. The evil caused by this invasion of Provincial jurisdiction was remedied by two judicial decisions, / (1) the judgment of the Privy Council in Hodge vs. The Queen, affirming the validity of the Crooks Act, and (2) the subsequent judgment of the Supreme Court, an J then of the Privy Council, declaring the McCarthy Act unconstitutional and void. 6. Boundary Case. For a term of no less than isix years, prior to the setting aside of their pretensions by the judgment of the Privy Council, the 3 84 THE MOW AT GOVKHNMKNT. Dominion Government were engaged in a persistent attempt to de- prive Ontario of her awarded title to a large expanse of territory ii^ the northern and western parts of the Province, and also of her title to the land, the timber, and the minerals comprised wit)iin the disputed area. The controversy as to the location of tho northerly and westerly boundaries of this Province began in 1871, and was settled by arbitration in 1878, and had the decision of the arbitrators been acted upon by the Dominion Government, all the subsequent trouble, irritation, aud expense would have been saved. I'he following summary ot the ease will show the nature of Ontario's claim, tlie steps taken by the Mowat Govern- ment to make jt good, the obstacles thrown in their way by the Macdonald Government at Ottawa, and the attitude oi. the Con- servative Opposition in the Ontario Legislature towards the question : 1. The Boutherly and westt ^ly boundaries of the old Province of Quebec were de6nod by the Act uf 1774 to be the Ohi(> river, westward to the banks of the Mississippi river, " and northward to the southern boundary of the territory granted to the merchant adventurers of EngL'ud trading to Hud- sou's Bay." The Act of 1791 divided that ^'rovince into Upper and Lowei Canada by a line drawn due north from Lake Teniiscaming to Hudson's Bay, and Upper Canada was declared to include all that part of Canada lying " to the westward and southward of said line." {Imperial Acta, 1774 ^*t<^( 1791). 2. By the Confederation Act the Province of Ontario is declared to ba the part of Canada which formerly constituted the Provincu of Upper Canada {B. N. A. Act, 1867, section 6) ; and the admission of the North- West Terri- tory into the Union waa made subject to the foregoing provision (section IJfG.) 3. For % number of years prior to the 'acquisition of the North- West Terri- tory, successive Governments of Canada claimed that Upper Canada extend- ed as far west, at least, as a line drawn due north from the head waters of the Mississippi. (This included the territory av\arded to Ontario in 1878.) 4. A minute of the Canadian Government, dated 17th January, 1857, ap- proved by the Governor-General, asserted the general feeling in this country to be, that "the western boundary -of Canada extends to the Pacific ocean," (Ontario Boundary Papers, 188Si, p. 2). 5. In tk memorandum of Hon. Joseph Cauohon, Commissioner of Crown Lands in 1857, it was contended that under the Hudson's Bay Company's charter it was difficult to arrive ut the result that the Company had any ter- ritorial rights at all in the North- West (0. B. P. p. SO) ; that the westerly boundary of Canada was eith'ar the White Earth River, several hundred miles west of the Lake of the Woods, or the summit of the Rookv Moun- tains ; and that the northerly boundary was either no particular limit, or the shore of Hudson's Bay (p. 2^). This contention claimed for Ontario even more territory than the Province had under the award. 6. In 1857 Chief Justice Draper was appointed by the Canadian Gov- ernment a special agent to represent Canadian rights and interests before a Committee of the British House of Commons un the subject of the lludson^d Bay territory (0. B. P. pp. 4 ^nd 5). Judge Draper advised a reference of the question to the Imperial Privy Council for decision, and b« confidently THE MOWAT QOVERNMENT. 9B ared to bo the hoped tb»t luoh deoUinn would give to Canada " a clear right weit to the line of the MiaaiMippi " (p. ^7); but for the purpoae nf such reference " the oonaeut of both part lea would be indispons^ible " (p. 67). 7. In 1864 a report of the Executive Oouncil recommended '* tlHitthe claim -7 8). Similar Orders-in-Counoil were passed in 187B, when new arbitrators were named (p. 26G). Informa- tion with respect to the progress of arrangements was from time to time com- municated to Parliament and the Legislature {p. 442). 15. The arbitrators met at Ottawa in August, 1878, and after hearing the rguments of counsel on both sides they madn a unanimous award (0. B. P., pp. 301-370), Their decision, as stated by Sir Francis Uincks, one of the arbitrators, was arrived at "after a careful study by each arbitrator of the evidence in the case, and without previous consultation or cominutiicitionof any kind with one another" (p. 409). "The only questions of doubt were decided in favor of the Dominion" (p. 431). " 1 believe," Chief Justice Harrison, another of the arbitrators, wrote, " there never was an award made in a matter of such importance that is so little open to honest criticism" (p. 424). The third arbitrator waa Sir Edward Thornton, British Ambass^idor to the United States. 16. The Legislature of Ontario in the session of 1879 passed an Act giving its assent to the award (0. B. P. , p. 372), and various despatches were sent to the Duminion Government during 1879, 1880 and 1881, urging a settle- ment of thequesticm according to the award, but without eliciting anv further ■ reply than an acknowledgment and a jjromise of consideration {pp. 871> 373, 377, 403 and 461). 17. In the session of 1880 the Legislature passed a series of reaolulions with respect to the award, expressing a determination that " the rights of the Province as determined and declared oy the aw.ird of the arbitrators" should not be firmly maintained. Every member of the Opposition voted for those resolutions (0. B. P.,pp, 386-7). Another series of resolutions was passed in the session of 1881, affirming that " it is the duty of the Govomment of Ontario to assert and maintain the just claims and rights of the Province of Ontario as determined by the award of the arbitrators." Every member of the House but one voted for those resolutions (p. 406) ; but in the session of 1882 the Opposition voted in a body against a similar set (pp. 485-9). 18. In 1880 a Committee of the House of Commons was appointed to in- quire into matters connected with the boundaries of Ontario, and a£ter hear- ing a mass of ex pay te statements, not under oath, this Committee expressed the opinion that the award did not describe the true boundaries of the Pro- vince (0. JB. P., p. 447). In the session of 18«1 an Act wea passed extending the boundaries of Manitoba eastward to the boundary of Ontario, wherever it should be, thus n?aking the Province of M mitoba a party to tne dispute, in spite of protests by the Ontario Government (pp. 408-13). In January, 1882, the Dominion Government addressed a despatch to the Ontario Gov- ernment on the matter in dispute, and thereby for the first time formally re- ' pudiated the award {p. 468). The same despatch proposed a reference to the Supreme Court or to an English ex-Judge, and argued against a reference to the Privy Council, thoui^h expressing a willingness to agree ilieruto, if the Provinces of Ontario and Manitoba shnnld bnth prefer such a reference. The Ontario Government imreply, under date 18th February, 1882, declined the THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 37 ny Dominion d in referring rerumeut and k. Orders-in- referees were them) on the given by both r giving bind- ers-in-Counoil G). Informa- I to time oom- iv hearing the ixdiO.B.P., ca, one of the itrator of the imunicitionof f doubt were Chief Justice ,n award made criticium" (p. ^mbaasador to 1 an Act giving hes were sent ^ing a settle- g anv further • llUli {pp. '67ly of resolutions rights of the ators" should )ted for those na was passed ovornment of e Province of ember of the sBsion of 1882 jointed to in- id after hoar- ,ee expressed B of the Pro- ed extending rio, wherever i the dispute, In January, )ntario Gov- formally re- erence to the , reference to Lereto, if the frence. The I declined the proposals as to the Supreme Court or an English ex Judge, pointed out the advantages of a direct and immediate reference to the Privy Council, made suggestions as to evidence which would save delay, and urged the ne- cessity of provisional arrangements respecting the government of the terri- tory and the management of its lands, etc., meanwhile. {lb. pp. 472-4S0, Out. Sess , Pap., No. 23, 1882-3.) In the Parliamentary Session of thi- same year a i*eaolution was passed by the House of Commons proposing to refer the subject to the Supreme Court or to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (p. 490). Tliis recolution was communicated to the Ontario Govern- ment on the 2nd September, 1882, and replied to at length on the 11th December, 1882, complaining (amongst other things) that the resolution " while it involved an indefinite prolongation of the unuecf ssary and injurious "dispute, offered no relief in respect of past wrong?; contained no proposal "for the government of the country pending the delay ; submitted no pro- " posal for the temporary legi8lati)n which so extensive a territory will, "from time to time,- require in matters of Provincial jurisdiction ; offered "for the management of the lands a proposition so vague and indefinite as "to make impossible its intelligent c 'Cisideration ; and failed to show an;* " readiness to terminate the dispute which the Dominion Government had " raised, and have for more than four years kept open, to the great admin- " istrative disorder of the territory, and to the great injury of this Province." 19. During the year 1883 the Manitoba Government mode an atiempt to 86123 and 'hold the disputed territory as far east as Thunder B^iy. When this attempt was resisted at Rat Portage by the officials of the Ontario Govern- ment, the Winnipeg Field Bittery, with the consent, if not at the instigation of the Dominion Government, was sent to enforce the Manitoba Govern- ment's pretensions. The tact and firmness of the Governmeut of Ontar^and of their officers prevented on the one hand an outbreak of violence, and avoid- ed on the other even a temporary abandonment of the rights of the Province. 20. In Decetnber of the same year, at a conference between the representa- tives of the Ontario and Manitoba Governments, an agreement was arrived at, providing for a reference of the boundary between the two Provinces to the Imperial Privy Council, and for th« peaceable administration of the dis- puted territory pending the decision of tne case to be confirmed by the two Legislatrres. {(hit. Sess. Papers of 1884, i\'o. 3). This was doiiey and th- Tnvy Council early tii 1^84 decided tlie diipute in favor of Ontaito, defining the boundary as substantially laid down by the arbitrators in 1878. The refer- ence was Rs to our western boundary only, Manitoba having no interest in the northern boundary, and the Dominion Government declifiing to have it included in the reference. 21. Notwithstanding repeated efforts on the part of the Ontario Govern- menttb induce the Dominion Government to A^ree to a definition of the whole northern boundary, nothing was done to complete the unfinished description until the year 1889, when, the Imperial Parliament passed an Act confirming both the western and northern boundaries substantially as awarded in 1878. Had the Dominion Government consented to a reference of the northern boundary to the Privy Council at the same time as the western boundary, in which alone Manitoba was concerned, the matter would have been settled long before. The dispute had been kept open for the obvious purpose of other attacks on the Province of Ontario. 22. Sir John Macdonald, in a speech delivered shortly before the Privy Council's decision, publicly declared that, though the boundary ques- tion should be settled in favour of Ontario, this Province did not own the land, or the timber, or the minerals of the disputed territory. The implied threat couched in this declaration he afterwards sought to make good oy assisting Mil ^1! 38 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. the St. Oatharinei' Milling Company, to which he had made extensive grants of timber liVnits, to contest in the Oourts the right of the Ontario Qovernment to collect dues on timber cut in the disputed territory. The case was first tried by Chancellor Boyd, and was by him decided in favour of the Prorinoe. The Milling Company carried it to the Ontario Court of Appeal, which unani- mously sustained Chancellor Boyd's Judgment, and afilrmed that " lands uugranted upon which Indians have been accustomed to roam and live in their primitive state form part of the public lands, and are under the British North America Act now held in the same manner by that Province in which such laiula are situate as before the confederation of the several Provinces." 23. Not content with this decision, Sir John Macdonald aided the St. Catharines' Milling Company in carrying the case on appeal to the Supreme Court of the Dominion, Dalton McCarthy, M. P. for North Simcoe, being retained at the expense of the Dominion Government as counsel for the Com- pany against the Province. The result was a Judgment still sustaining the contention of the Province. One would have thought, with all of his experi- ence with the Privy Council, that the "Great Constitutional Lawyer," friend of our Ontario Opposition would have discountenanced the proposal of the St. Catharines' Milling Company to carry their case further. The resources of the Dominion, however, were at his back, and he determined to use them to defeat this Province if possible. With the silent consent of his friends in the Ontario Legislature, not one of whom uttered a word of protest, Sir John Macdonald backed the St. Catharines' Milling Comp&ny in their final attack, only to receive, after mature consideration, the judgment of the Privy Council establishing the claims of the Province, not only to the Crown lands in the territory, but to everything in and upon these lands. 24. Thus ended the bitter struggle, in a complete triumph for Ontario and her patriotic and skilful Attorney-General, who is now able to count six victories before the highest Court of Refeience in the Realm, in favor of what, in every contest, he had held to be our Provincial rights. He has conducted most of these battles, and several of them he fought in person ; and though the Leader of the Opposition for a short time appeared to support the brst contention of the Province as to the Boundary, yet from that day to this his sympathies have evidently been with his Ottawa Chieftain, and he has given the Attorney-General not one word of comfort or assistance in any of these str^iggles for the rights of the Province. And now he comes, with all the assurance possible, to iisk the people of Ontario to depose their patri- otic Premier, who has so long fought their battles and so wisely administered their affair.^, and to place himself upon the vacant throne. Are they likely to do such a thing 1 2o. Finally, it is a n'atter of some little in(orest what would have become of oar territory if the friends of our Ontario Opposition had obtained possession. The question needs not go long unanswered. It is evident that the Dominion Government have from 1878 down regarded the Disputed Ter ritory as a preserve to be made a means- of rewarding its jobbern and partis- ans. The following is a list of the principal Tory M. P.'s, M.P.P.'s, wire- pullers, manipulators, and managers, among whom the timber limits of this territory were largely parcelled out by the Domnion Government after the award of the Privy Council declaring the territory to belong to Ontario, with the dales of the Order- in- Council granting the limits, the number on the plan, and the quantities granted. It will be seen that they considered it a true Tory policy, in such a case, to make the most of their time :-~ fv THE MOWA.T GOVERNMENT. 80 awyer," friend ft s; I T 40 THB MOWAT GOVEKNMENT. i I and eighty othera, including saoh prominent Toriea as : Smith and Mair, HaDiiltoa, St. Catharines Lumber Co., James Tsbister, H. J. Scott, T. W. Currier, W. B. Soartb, Hiram Robinson, A. J. Jackrton, James Murray, St. Catharines, A. J. Parsons, Rat Portage, MoCaul and McDougall, MoArthur and Boyle, Winnipeg, Bankers, etc. There are not half-a-dozen Reformers among the whole lot. All of these gentlemen, unless where otherwise indicat- ed, received fifty square miles, or 33,000 acres each, without competition, or bonus. Well is it for Ontario that there is a Mowat and a Privy Council. If it were not so, these Tories, with the help of their great manipulater at Ot- tawa, and with the approving smiles of their friends of the Ontario Opposition, would soon get away with our north-western territory, and expect us to reward them with office for so relieving us. 26. The expense necessarily incurred by the Province in thus defending its rights has been very great. But it has resulted in the establishment of the principle of Provincial autonomy and right, and, so far as this Government is concerned, is money well expended. The responsibility for much of the outlay rests with the Opposition, who might have checked their Ottawa friend if tliey had been true to their Province. When they were willing to see our funds go to the amount of $100,000 in the Boundary Contest, and the subsequent suit of the Milling Company, what would they have done with the territory if their friends h^ got it, and how would they spend our money and rule the country if they got into power ? I t ;! ri THE MOWAT GOVEONMENT. 41 DEPARTJIIENT OF PrBLIC WORKS. This Department has been, during the past four Parliamentary terms, under the management of the Hon. C. F, Fraser, and has been conducted in such a way that though large amounts of money have been spent from time to time under contracts, the most vigilant and unscrupulous opponents of the Government have never till quite recently ventured even to hint at corruption or mismanagement. An effort was made during the late session by one of the members of the Opposition to fasten upon the Minister a charge of maladministration in connection with the new Parliamentary Buildings. The attempt singularly failed, and was laughed out of the House, even the Leader of the Opposition practically admitting that the charge was not sustained. Indeed, after the discussion, all that was left of the matter was the statement that the architect of the works was an American, — though the fact was that he was born in England, but had of late years resided in Buffalo. He secured the appointment after a fair competition, expert judges deciding that his plans were the best. The following quotation is from the speech of the Hon. Minister of Public " Works, on March 6th, 1890, in reply to the charge referred to. His challenge for the appointment of a Commission to investigate was never accepted : — Mr. Creighton, Hon. Mr. Fraser said, was not quite Bur© what the word "jobbery " meant, bo h|Jk>oked it up in Webster, and then had considered that the words " jobbSf^" and "corruption" were terms proper to be applied to himself (Mr. Fraser) and the architect of the new Parliament Buildings. Now, Mr. Creighton could not have avoided knowing, as an old journalist, as a man long in public life, and also as a man too /•Hie not to have the knowledge, that a charge of jobbery and corruption against a Department was a charge against the head of the Department himself, a charge that he was in some way getting some private advantage at the expense of the public, and therefore dishonestly. Now, to remove any doubt that the Empire must have intended the public to understand the charges in this light, he would place some other extracts before the House, besides the one Mr. Creighton had succeeded in discovering. In the Empire of January 22nd, 1889, appeared an editorial article entitled " Parliamentary Buildings Job." The phrase in this article to which he took particular exception was that which closed the article, viz., the whole transaction teems with jobbery and wrong-doing. Now, continued Mr. ^ Fraser, there could not be a worse charge against the Government or against a Department. Now, in place of makidg any retraction of a charge against the honesty of the speaker, Mr. Creighton had charged him deliberately — not with having made any personal gain, bat with what 42 THE MOW AT GOVKRNMENT. WM just u bad. It was no excuse for a publio man to say be had not put any plunder in bis own pocket — that he had not stolen himself, if be allowed others to do so. Mr. C-8ighton must be very stupid, or dull, or obtuse, if he did not see that his explanation this afternoon onlv made matters worse. He repeated that Mr. Creighton had chained that ne (Hr. Fraser), with knowledge of the matter, with knowledge of what was in the mind of others whom Mr. Creighton charged with dishonest transac- tions, had wilfully lent himself to such transactions. " I tell him," said Mr. Fraser, " he oan have a Commission, and can have the opportunity of proving what he has charged. I stake my reputation on the result." (Loud applause.) ^ The folio *!ng t^oie gives the amount spent between 1867 and 1889 op the buildings and works erected or maintained at the expense of the Province, under the control of this Department, and shows the object in view in the expenditure : — Public Bv Ain^-i and Works. {Capital Account) ^18^7-1889.) NAME \V >R.tC Oovemmsnt House Farlianient and T)ep rtmental Buildings New Parlianient and Departmental Buildigv, Queen's Park :.. Asylum for thd Insane, Toronto " •• " Mimico Branch ♦* " London " " Hamilton " " Kingston •• (Branch) " " .^^. Asylum for Idiots, Orillia Wf^. Deaf and Dumb Institute, Belleville Blind Institute, Brantford — Reformatory for Boys, Penetanguishene Central Prii-on, Toronto Agricultural College, Guelph Stiliool uf Practical Science, Toronto, (old building) '♦ •' " " (new bld'Dg and addition) Andrew Mercer Reformatory for Female?, Toronto t) <( i( •< Educational D'pt and Normal and Model Schools, Toronto Normal and Model School!*, Ottawa Oovemment Farm, Mimioo Osfrioode Hall, Toronto. Agricultural Hall, Toronto Brook's Monument, Qaeenston Heights *NoTB, — These items cover the expenditure by Public Works Department in Inspect of the construction of the new buildings, but do not include the amount paid to Toronto University for the old Asylum premises. Totals. 9 c. 169,563 97 86,285 98 451,781 39 298,268 00 178,097 04 7:«*,400 95 663.260 31 321,088 22 9,422 82 292,081 72 233,856 80 233,618 45 140,311 48 677,671 66 344 874 59 59,100 28 88.329 54 l4 171 1351 162734 122772 109002 114050 82 52 148 139 97 79 57 89 110 149 188 123 110 155 150 143 125 149 133 109 74 84 i 2120 956 4685* :M52{ 22684 6038 2141 :i8st6 2261 5534 6037 4911 ;i621 8«70 5562 8927 5809 6998 5474 5"i!U 2797 3708 Total 153 \2i,7i>& | 3,:W;,3334| 2,545|100,:i63i 11,037 1 10,04 11 Jr. 128 no 66 89 283 354 756 670 64t; 642 472 513 4S7 487 502 790 605» •681 70tf 64'.' 523 880 The population of the free grant district has increased witK great rapidity under this system of settlement. In lb7l the in- habitants of Muskbka, Parry Sound, and Ni pissing district.- numbered only 0,919; at the census of 1881 they numV)ered 27,204. At the pi esent r2,te of increase the population of these districts cannot be far short of 45,000. A similar increase has taken place in those portions of Haliburton, Peterboro', Bastings, Addington, Frontenac, Renfrew, and Algoma, which have been brought under the operation of the " Free Grants and HoiiiesteadH Act." The sales of lands are still considerable in spite of the working of the free grant system. In 1889, according to the Crown Lands Commissioner's Report, there wei e vsold of Crown, Clergj', Common School, and Grammar School lands, 55,424 acres, for the sum of $73,388.08. Woods and Fo rests. The revenue from timber is derived from (1) bonuses, (2) annual ground rents, and (3) timber dues. The timber limits nr'^j.rlways disposed of at public auction, the person obtaining a lim* , )eing THE MOWAT OOVEUNMENT. 49 the one who bids tho highest, the ground rent being the same in all canes — ^3.00 per sqnaro mile — and the timber dues ($1.00 per thousand feet) being payable only as the timber is cut. The bonus secures for the purchaser nothing more than the firnt right to obtain an annual license to cut timber on a particular limit, subject to the payment of ground rent and of certain dues on every log cut. The chief part of the yearly revenue from thia branch arises from the collection of ground rents and timber dues, but, from time to time, as settlement encroaches on the timber lands, the latter have to be put under license, i.e., sold at auction, in the sense above ex plamed. The total collection for the year covered by the last report is §1,078,598 12, which includes $(Jf),068.16 paid in on account of Bonus; the latter amount being deducted leaves $l,()12,5.'jy 06 as the revenue from timber dues, ground rent, etc., during the year. Sales of Timber LimiU. Since Mr. Mowat became Premier in 187" every sale of timber limits has been carried out under the ispices of the late Commissioner of Crown Lands. The area sold within the 17 years to 1890 was 3,276 square miles, for which the Ontario Government received in round numbers, by way of bonus, the largo amount of $2,460,081 m average raHi of nearly $751 a square mile. For the same ; of timber lauds, the Dominion Government received, by way ui bonus, only $14,- 535, or a uniform rate of onjy five dollars a square mile. The difference between these two sums representc what has gone into the pockets of speculators' and of supporters of the Government at Ottawa. The sale of timber limits in 1887 disposed of 459- square miles, and realized $1,313,755, or the magnificent average ot $2,859 a mile. The first sale of pine timber lands, after the Liberal party came into power in 1871, took place in 1872, while the Hon. W. R. Scott was Commissioner of Crown Lands. The aroa then disposed of was about 5,000 square miles. The transaction was, during the next session of the Legislature, exhaustively discussed in all its aspects, and the Assembly, by a large majority, endorsed what had been done, only four members voting against the Tesolution of approval, while Messrs. Cameron and Meredith, the past and the present leader of the Opposition, were amongst those who voted for it. This sale has been endorsed by the people, after full dis- ciission, at four general elections (1875, 1879, 1883, and 1886), so that there is no longer any need to discuss it as an open question. 1 ir i I$0 THE MOWAT QOVKBNMENT. The total amount bid at the sale was $592,601, and some limits, in respect of which the purchasers failed to comply with the pre- scribed conditions, have been re-sold at auction with satisfactory- results. , It is instructive to compare the sales above referred to with the •sale of timber lands made by the Conservative Government of the Province of Quebec. Between October, 1873, and January, 1890, the Quebec Government sold 6,235 square miles, realizing by way of bonus the sum of $398,722, an average of about $62 per square mile, as compared with the average of $400 per mile realized by the Ontario Government. It is to be observed, as has been previously st^ated, that what was sold in Ontario was only the right to cut the pine timber upon the territory, and that the timber when cut will be subject to the ordinary timber duties mentioned above. In this way a large sum will be paid into the revenue annually as a result of the sales. No right or title whatever in the land was con- veyed to the purchasers at the sales, and the licenses issued to them are strictly under the control of the Legislature and th« Department. Comparison: Ontario vs. The Dominion. The following schedule will show the comparison between the general sales by the Department of the Interior of the Dominion Government of Dominion timber limits and the last sale of timber limits in this province in 1887 : — Amount of bonus per square mile Annual ground rent. Duet per ra feet. Board measure Ontario ^,859 f i.OO , $1 Dominion - • Nil 05.00 75 cent*. I H On a limit of 50 square miles (which is the average size granted by the Dominion Govemis ont) the gain to the people of On- tario in bonuses over the Dominion system would n:>e 9142,950.00 Oo an average limit of 50 square miles the gain to the Provined on dues alone would be 12,500.00 1155,460.00 Less $109 difference in ground rent , 100.00 Leaving the irat f am in favor of Ontario on 60 square mile'^ ' i55,350.00 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 51 Crovm Lands Revenue. The importance of this Department as a source of Provinflal revenue, is seen from the following table of receipts during the years 1878-89 : Crown Lands and Timber Revenue. 1873 $1,121,264 1874 890,676» 1875 494,004 1876 637,370 1877..... 628.713 1878 445.192 1879 457,340 1880 616,311 1881 992,504 Carried over $6,283,374 Brought over $6,283,374 1882 $1,095,152 1883 635 447 1884 670,305 1885 736,865 1886 820,895 1887 1,118,892 1888 1,450,089 1889 1,204,6S9 Total, $13,915,658 The average of the receipts for the past .seventeen years, there- fore, has been about $773,000 a year, and the table shows that though the revenue fluctuates it does not steadily decrease. The importance of the Department from this point of view demands that it should continue to be administered with the same^^busi- ness capacity, and the same freedom from favouritism and cor- ru[)iion in the future as in the past; as, under the present Com- missioner, it undoubtedly will. Prevention of Bush Fires. In order more effectually to prevent the destruction of valuable forests by fires, and more stringently to enforce the provisions of the Act for their preservation, a number of men are placed in the summer months on the various timber limits which, from the advance of settlement, or other causes, are exposed to danger from fire. The efl^ect of their presence is always most beneficial. "Fires are suppressed which might otherwise become vast con- flagrations, causing incalculable loss. Persons wantonly violat- ing the provisions of the ' Fire Act ' are promptly brought to justice and fined, and a general and strong interest in the dir- ection of preventing the starting and spread of bush fires is created and kept alive." The cost to the Province is trifling, considering the amount of property saved from destruction. There was paid during the year covered by last report on 52 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. il account of this service $24,113.08, but of this $6,258.55 was on amount of 1887, leaving the net expenditure on account of this year to be $17,854.53 — one half of which is refundable by the Licensees. The information gathered shows about seventy distinct fires ; timber damaged, one hundred and sixty millions of feet, of which not more than about ten or fifteen millions will be a total loss. The principal cause of the fires is given as the setting out of fires by settlers in the process of clearing their land for cultiva- tion, and carelessness as to the surrounding circumstances. Colonization Roads. ' In the absence of railways, these great highways are the only means by which intending settlers can have access to lands set apart for settlement. Without them the great Free Grant dis- tricts could never have been settled at all, and a large proportion of the revenue derived from the sale of Crown Lands would not have been realized. Even in localities traversed by railways they retain their usefulness, for without them the railways them- selves Would be comparatively inaccessible to the settlers. Some idea of the importance of this branch of the public service, and also of the rate at which it is expanding, may be obtained from the Allowing table, the comparison being between the Sanfield- Macdonald Administration (1807-71) ajijd the Mowat Administra- tion (1872-89) '.— 1807 71. Yearly Avernge. 1872 89. f early Average. New roads built. .218 miles 53 miles 3256 miles 180 miles R..ad8 repaired... 44 1 «« 110 " 6^70 " 370 " Bridges built... 2 672 feet (68 feet 53708 feet 2f8;{ feet Expenditure., f 178,000 $44,600 $1,999,018,25 $111,056 The expenditure of nearly two millions of dollars is, of course, a return of surplus revenue to the people. A large part of the Provincial revenue is derived from the sale of Crown Lands, the sale of timber limits, and the receipt of timber dues ; an«l it is not merely a wise policy to use a portion of that revenue to develop the country, but a just policy to use it in alleviating the inevitable hardships of backwoods settlen)ent and frontier life. THE MOWAT GOVER>'MtKT. 53 'i ;i ;l;' PROTOCIJLL TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT. The Treasury Department proper, including the Audit Office, has entrusted to it the keeping of the accounts of the Provinc**, and embraces the management of the Public Institutions. No charge of either corruption or inefficiency has ever been made against these branches of the public service, under either the present Treasurer, Hon. A. M. Ross, or his predecessors. Railway Aid. In the session of 1871 an Act was passed at the instance of the Sandfield Macdonald Government, setting apart a million and a half of dollars (Sl,cOO,()00), as a fund for the purpose of aiding railways on certain conditions. It was contended by the then Opposition that the grant to eaclv rail way should be submitted to the As-embly for its approval before being paid over to the com- pany constructing it, and when the Liberal party came into power in la72, an Act was passed requiring this to be done. By another Act, also passed in 1872, the " Railway Fund " was increased from $1,500,000 to $1,900,000, and a " Railway Subsidy Fund" was created by setting apart the sum of $100,000 a year for twenty years, vspecial appropriations to particular roads were made by Acts passed in 187 1), 1877, 1878, and IhSI. During the present parliament, in 1889 and 1890, aid was granted to ^lertain colonization railways, these being in the new Thunder Bay, Algoma, Parry Sound, and Nipissing Districts. The total mileage of the railways so aided was 288 miles, and the grant being $3,000 per mile, the total sum granted towards the opening up of these outlying districts in this way was $828,- 000. These subsidies, added to previous ones to other lines, bring the amount granted to railways out of the surplus revenues, and thus given bjkck to the people, to a total of more than seven and a half millions of dollars. By a series of enactmetits extending over many years, muni- cipalities were authorized to vote sums in aid of railways, and advantage was extensively taken of the powers thus conferred. The policy of liberally aiding railways out of Provincial funds has had the effect of stimulating the liberality and enterprise of the munic'.palities, which have granted, by way of subsidies to railways, about twice as great a total arnoUnt as that granted by the Government, Under the Municipal Loan Fund settlement 54 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. scheme, about to be considered, the Province has repaid to the municipalities, as appears from the various statements of the Treasurer, almost a million and a half of dollars, which is to be added to the sums paid directly to the several railways, thus in- creasing the bulk sum paid to the people to assist in their railway enterprises, to nearly nine millions. This liberality has secured the building, or projected building, of 3,000 miles of railway, thus making Ontario, in the matter of such accommodation, one of the moat adequately equipped cowntries in the world. The total Pro- vincial and Municipal aid thus granted has exceeded $21,500,000. 4 Surpltbs Diatribviion and Municipal Loan Fund. The payments in aid of railways, liberal as they were, did not exhaust the accumulations of surplus revenue. In the session of 1873 Attorney-General Mowat submitted a measure for the distribution of a portion of the surplus in connec- tion with the settlement of the Municipal Loan Fund question. The total indebtedness to the fund amounted, in 1872, to twelve million dollars ($12,000,000), and on this immense sum the Pro- vince at large had to pay interest. The Municipal Loan Fund Act of 1873 authorized the appropria- tion of a certain sum out of the Provincial surplus to each municipality according to population. To a municipality not in debt to the Loan Fund the amount was to be paid in full. To one in debt to the Fund the subsidy was to be set off against the debt, the balance, if there was one, being payable to the munici- pality. In cases where the amount of debt exceeded the amount of subsidy the municipality remained liable for the difference. By the operation of this policy, inestimable benefits were ^ conferred on the municipalities. Some were relieved from a crushing incubus of debt, and all w^ere made participators in the general prosperity of the Province. The total amount distributed under this scheme was about $3,447,525, The following table shows to what purposes the greater part of this subsidy has been applied by municipalities ; • In roads and bridges $1,181,682 06 In paying debts caused by granting aid to railways 987,889 18 In payinff other debts incurred for permanent works not specified 28,679 56 In educational purposes, including school-hointes built, school debts paid, and investments for school purposes 705,468 36 In building and improving^ town halla 147,346 40 (72 town halls have been Built or paid for, and a large number of markets and lock-ups). \l THE MOWAT GOVJEBNMENT. 65 part ■ In town and village improvementa, by constraotion of water- works, making aidewalks, plantiu<| shade-trees, and buy- ing steam fire engines 76,432 66 (n making and improving harbours 43,749 46 In drainage 27,642 27 In paying share of cost of county buildings, and aiding in the erection of mills and manufactories 13,382 50 In buying and.laying out public parks and ngricultaral society grounds 4,954 26 In the purchase and improvements of cemeteries 1,917 02 In aid given to unoivanized districts, in making roads and bridges, and building schools 6,334 82 Total $3,225,378 64 Drainage Inveatments. As far back as 1869 an Act was passed, auihorizing the Govemment to advance money for the drainage of large areas, the works to be carried out under the Public Works Act of 1868, and the improved land to be used as security for *the repayment of the advance by means of a rental charge. This Statute was repealed by an Act passed in 1873. It made still more liberal arrangements for the construction of drainage works, which under it may be undertaken at the in- stance of the owners of the land, and without the intervention of any municipal Council; the security and mode of collection remaining the same. By an Act passed in 1873 it was provided that the Govern- ment might advance money at the rate of five per cent, to muni- cipalities for drainage purposes, leaving the work to be done by the local authoritaes. The method of investment under this system is the purchase of municipal debentures to the required amount, the municipality being responsible for the payment of the debentures, and being left to collect for itself the amounts charged agajnst the lands benefited. The maximum amount invested under either system cannot at any time exceed $350,000, but the money, as it is repaid by one municipality, may be lent to another. In this way the total amount invested under both plans up to the end of 1885 was about $941,200, and for the four succeeding years, including 1^89, $143,605.75. The area drained is made up of tracts scattered over the counties of Kent, Lambton, Middlesex, Elgin, Lanark, Lennox, Grey, Addington, Peterboro', Essex, Leeds, Welland, Huron, Bruce, Durham, Perth, Hastings, and Haldimand. Another application of the same form of investment was made ill 1878, by an Act authorizing the Government to advance i ii Hi 60 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. money at five per cent., through the medium of municipal de- bentul-es, for tile-draining purposes. The total amount so in- vested must never exceed $200,000, and the amount that has been invested to close of 188i) is S78,45G.69. In 1887 the Gov- ernment reduced the rate of interest on all drainage loans to four per cent. Audit of Public Accounts. * In the session of 188C an Act was passed ** to provide for the better auditing of the public accounts of the rrovince." It creates a Treasury Board of three members, who are Ministers of the Crown, and also creates the office of Auditor-General, the incumbent of which is removable from office only on address of the Legxl^tive Assembly to the Lieutenant-Governor. The Auditor- General's duty is to " examine, check, and audit all accounts of receipts and expenditures of public moneys ;" to " see that no cheque issues for the payment of any public money*, for which there is no direct legislative appropriation; " to present t> the Legislative Assembly a statement of all expenditures made, on the order of the Treasury Board, without his sanction ; and to prepare the Public Accounts for submission to the Legislature, The system of auditing the Public Accounts, rVreddy efficient, has been made by this Statute still more so, whi. the people of the , Provitico have as satisfactory a check upon irregular expenditure of public funds as it is possible to devise. Financial Administration. The financial policy of the Mowat Government has been characterized by the most careful economy in all Provincial ex- penditures that are under administrative control, and by a liberal expenditure of surplus revenue for local services of various kinds, which, but for the relief thus afforded, would have greatly in- creased the burden of municipal taxation. The absolutely neces- sary expense of carrying on the Government of the Province absorbs a comparatively small part of the Provincial revenue. It has been the policy of the Mowat Government to return the rest of it annually to the people, instead of hoarding it up as an ad- dition to the large surplus already in the Provincial Treasury. That this policy of surplus distribution had once the approval of Mr. Meredith is shown by the following extract from one of the first 8i)eeches made by him after he assumed the leadership of the Op|)Osition :— »• "One question upon irhioh it waa incumbent that they should submit a policy was that of the disposition of the large surplus which the honorable h THE MOWAT aOVERN?4ENT. h member for Elgin said wan at the disponal of the Province. In not indicating their intentions with reference to the Rurplua of four and one-half millions which they claimed to have in hand they were certainly untrue to thfcir duty and unworthy of confidence." , If his subsequent utterances and actions have not always been in harmony with this expression of his views it is his place, not that of his opponents, to reconcile them. Independent Criticism. « The Mail in a criticism of the Provincial Treasurer's financial statement, said : . , "The Provincial estimates for 1890, which were submitted in the Assem- bly yesterday provide for a gross expenditure of ^,420,000, The ordinary expenditure will be $2,829,000, the capital exper diture $566 000, and that on account of refunds $25,000. The gross expenditure of Quebec for the fiscal year 1890-1 will exceed five millions. The general conduct of the Ontario Government is not beyond criticism, quite the contrary ; but it mutt be allowed that its management of the finances has been thrifty, judicioun and cZean."— (Feb. 13th, 1890.) And on April 11th, 1890, the Mail said editorially : — "The Government can also make out a good case for itself in regard to its administration of the finances. After dealing liberally by the niuuicipalities and exhibiting a creditable enterprise in building railways and erecting pub- lic institutions, Mr. Mowat is able to show a comfortable surplus. Instead of having a surplus of five or six millions in the treasury, Quebec has a debt of thirty millions, and, in spite of the direct taxes imposed on commercial corporations and of other revenue raising devices, a fresh loan is inevitable. It must also be admitted that Mr. Mowat has passed many progressive meas- ures aflectingf the general interests of the community, and that, on the WHOIif, HIS MANAGEMENT HAS BBEN CLEAN AND FREE PROM SCANDAIi, TheSA are powbrfui. reasons for oivtNO him a new t»rm." — (April 11th, 1890.) A Policy of Relief. When the Liberal party came into office in 1871 there were two courses open to them in dealing with that portion of the annual revenue which is in excess of the sum absolutely required for the public service of the Province — that is to say, for Civil Govern- ment, Legislation, and Administration of Justice. They might have adopted a policy of hoarding up the annual surpluses and allowing them to accumulate in the Treasury, throwing upon the people the whole cost of Education, of the local administration of justice, of the maintenance of convicts and lunatics, of the relief of the poor and the diseased, and of the construction and main- tenance of coioilization roads. Had they done this they might liow have been able to show a total surplus of nearly fifty mil- i \' ■!| w Y^ V, 58 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. lions of dollars, for the accumulated sum would have been itself a source of steadily increasing revenue. They preferred to take the alternative course of relieving the burden of municipal taxa- tion, by expending not merely the surplus revenue of each year as it accrued, but also a large part of the accumulated surplus with which they were called upon to deal when they took upon them- selves the ta»k of administering the afi'alrs of the Province. The Surplus. When the Liberal party came into office in 1871 they found in the Treasury an accumulated surplus of t sh and trust funds, amounting to nearly seven millions of dollacs ($7,000,000). By an Act passed the previous session a million and a-half of dollars ($1, A 00,000) had been appropriated in aid of railway con- struction. This sum was suKsequently iucrensed by several other Acts until it amounted to a total of $7,500,000, by far the greater portion of which has already been paid. In 1^73 an Act was passed appropriating out of. the accumu- lated surplus nearly three and a-half millioas of dollars; to be di- vided amongst the various municipalities, and used as a meanf of wiping out the indebtedness of some of them to the Municirml Loan Fund, Each year a large and ever increasing amount has been spent out of currenU revenue on services the cost of which would other- wise have greatly increased the burden of municipal taxation. Even these payments did not usually exhaust the annual revenue of the Province, and there has generally been a surplus to add to that already accumulated. Occasionally the expenditure under the Supply Bill has exceeded the revenue, making it necessary to draw to that extent on the surpluses of previous years. The following table gives the ordinary revenue and expendi- ture under the Supply Bill for the years 187^-89 inclusive, and shows the annual surpluses and deficits : — Bevenue. Expenditure. Surplus. Deficit. 1873.... $2,931, 439 $2,460,212 $471,227 1874.... 2611,550 2,342,339 269,211 1875 2,49.%6o6 2,063,560 430,106 1876.... 2,423,372 2.156.185 268,187 1877.... 2,462.940 2,363,806 99,134 1878.... 2,244,133 2,408,534 104,401 1879 2,44S,617 2,285.282 163,335 18S0.... 2,400,200 2,243,663 156,637 1881 2,746,772 2,281.053 465,719 ...... f^ THE MO WAT OOVERNMENT. 59 Revenue. 1882.... 2,838,543 1883 2,394,198 1884 2,623,874 1886 2,697.420 1886.... 2,843,632 1887.... 3,123,211 1888 3,552,264 4889 8,499.385 Expenditure. 2,429,554 2,648,171 2,870,036 2,693,525 2,769,978 2,864,713 3,007,037 8,181,614 Snrplas. 408,989 3,895 73,654 358,498 645,227 317,771 Deficit. 153,978 346,161 Totals, 4,031,490 664,540 Net addition to the surplus from 1873 to 1889, out of revenue 83,366,950 Another. Astet. Owing to the recognition by the Dominion Government in 1884 of a debt of $5,397,503, due from the Dominion to the late Pro- vince of Canada, an addition was made in 1885 to the surplus of the Province, to the extent of $2,848,289, which is Ontario s share of the above sum under the Quebec Award. The following is a statement of the Provincial assets, liabilities and surplus at the close of 1889 : — Inveatmenis, Interest-Bearing, and Cash Assets of the Province. I. DiKEOT Investment.s : — Dominion 6 per cent. Bonds $200,000 00 Market value over par value 10,000 00 Drainage 5 per cent. Debentures, invested 31st December, 1889.. 187,481 14 Tile Drainage 5 per cent. Deben- tures, invested 31st Dec, 1889.. 78,456 69 Drainage Works — Municipal As- sessmenta 224.742 01 8210,000 00 490,679 84 1700,679 84 2. Capital held and Debts Dpe by the Dominion to Ontabio, Beabino InT BREST :— U. 0. Grammer School Fund, (2 Vict., Cap. 10)..$ 312,76ft 04 D. C. Building Fund. (18 Sec, Act 1864) . . . 1,472,391 41 Land Improvement Fund, (See Award) 124,686 18 Ontario's Share of Library, (See Award) 105,641 00 Common School Fund, (Consol. Stats., Cap. 20) — proceeds realized to Slst December, 1889, $2,446,584 64— after deducting Land Im- provement Fund. Portion belonging to Ontario 1,433,569 32 w 60 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. Balance of Unpaid Snbaidy and other Credits held by Doiainion,aooor(ling to Statement of Account prepared by the Finance Minister, ^ and transmitted to the Provincial Troaaurer, in June, 1886 , $1,677,385 00 5,126,340 96 8. Other Dkbts Dtrjt to the Peovincb : — Murigag«s re sale of AByliiiu lauda, bearing 5 per cent, intefiest 92,115 37 4. Bank Balakoes : — Current Accounts $106,518 90 Special Deposits 411,742 77 617,261 67 Total. St0,436,397 83 Liabilities of the Frovinpe at Present Payable. 1. Balance Due to Municipalities re Surplus Dis- tribution 2. Balance duo to Munioipalitiua re Land Improve- ment Fund — Interest S. Quebec's Share of Collections for Common School Fund in 1 SfSO, made up as follows : — Collections during;; 1889, on ac- count of lands sold between 14th June, 1853, and 6th March, 1861 $10,423 36 Less 6 per cent., cost of manage- uieut G25 40 $1,291 34 3,256 67 Less one-quarter for Land Im- Druvement Fund $9,797 96 2,449 49 $7,348 47 Collections during 1889, on sales made since 6th March, 1861 . . Less 6 per cent. , cost of manage- ment 3,991 93 239 70 ^ THK 9*1 $11,103 70 Quebec's proportion according to population of 1881. Total. 4,597 51 9,145 42 Surplus of Assets after deducting Liabilities presently pay- able .$6,427,262 41 Surplus frovi 1873 to 1889. Owing to a variety of causes the surplus in the Treasury fluctu- THE MOWAT OOVKRNMKNT. Gl ates from year to year, but a glance at the following taWe will tthow that there is no likelihood of itn being speedily wiped out : — Year. Surplus. 187a $4,332,294. 1874 5,756,352 1875 5,090,376 1876. 4,873,203 im.^ 4,762,798 18!; J 4,430;t9S 1879 4,809,027 1880 4,220,088 1881 4.509,691 Year. Surplus. 1882 $4,825,586 1883 4.384,241 1884 6,859,606 1885 6,766,090 1886 6,680,339 1887 6.665,352 1888 6,734,649 1889 6,427,252 While the presence of this large surplus in the Treasury is no reason for reckless or useless expenditure, it is a reason lor not adopting the policy of increasing the burden of direct taxation by throwing on the municipalities the -cost of any of the services of which the Province at present relieves them by means of grants for education, for administration of justice, tor agricultural societies and mechanics' institutes, for the maintenance of con- victs and lunatics, in aid of charitable institutions, etc., etc. 3%e Annual Expenditure, The expenditure of the Province, under the Supply Bill, is in- curred under the heads given in the subjoined table, which shows the total amounts spent on the various services in 1889 :-r- Civil Government '. $211,761 G8 Legislation .^ 119,938 69 Administration of Justice S66,'262 24 Education 598,238 32 Public Institutions' Maintenance 728,909 61 Immigration 6,849 90 Agriculture 138,787 68 Hospitals and Charities 120,402 48 Bepaira and Maintenance 64,732 60 Public Buildings 518,407 39 Public Works 23,071 66 Colonization Roads 103,666 63 Charges on Crown Lands 101,776 68 Consolidation of Statutes 781 97 Miscellaneous 60,013 63 Refund* 18,024 87 Ordinary Expenditure under Supply Bill $3,181,614 93 62 THK MOWAT OOVEHNMKNT. Dmnsfije Debentures $ 17,727 88 Tile " 8,900 00 ll»ilir»y Aid Certifioatei 247,082 14 Anmuty " 62,200 00 Widows' Pensions 1,764 07 New Parliament Buildings 143,167 35 93,653,356 37 Increased Expenditure. Ifc is made a charge againnt the Mowat Government that som^ of these iUnns of expenditure are larger low than they were under the Sandfield-Macdonald Government in 1871. Bearing in mind that " increased expenditure" in some cases means really ** increased payments out of surplus revenue to keep down local taxation," it is ^instructive to compare certain items of expend- iture in 1871 with the same items in 1889. In the following table the payments under the head of " Administration of Jus- tice " include only the amounts handed over directly to County Treasurers to pay part of the expenses of holding courts in the different localities; the payments under the heads of " Education," " Agriculture and Arts,' and " Hospitals and Charities," are also direct grants : Service. 1871. 1889. Increase. Education $361,306 ^ $598,238 $240,932 Agriculture and Arts 76,381 138,787 , 62,406 Hospitals and Charities 40,260 120.402 80,142 Public Asylums, &c 171,423 728 909 657,486 Administration of Justice 104,049 144,770 40,721 Colonization Roads 55,409 103,666 48,247 Total $798,828 $1,834,772 $1,036,934 Money Returned to the People. The following table shows the total amount of the increased grants for the same services under the Mowat Administration, as compared with what they would have been if no increase had taken place : Total for 18 Total of actual Total in- 1871. years at the grants for 18 crease in rate of 1871. years. 18 years. Education $351,306 $6,323,508 $9,408,400 $3,084,892 Agriculture and Arts.... 76,381 1,374,868 2,114,678 739,720 Hospitals and Charities.. 40,260 724,680 1,398,521 673,841 Asylums, &c 171,423 3,085,614 9,083,469 5,997,865 Administration of Justice 104,049 1,872,882 3,455,360 1,652,478 Colonization Roads 65,419 997,642 1,909,042 1,001,600 Total.... $798,838 $14,379,084 $27,429,370 $13,060,286 THE MOWAT OOVBRNMENT. 63 This Government has therefore returned to the people for the various services mentioned, no less a sum than $lt'i,06(),286 more than tliey would have done if they had continued the scale of distribution adopt(3d by their predecessorH, By reference to the af)pended table of annual expenditures, it will be seen that the chief part of the increase in the expenditure is due to increased ]myment« that are really part of a regular distribution of surplus revenue, and to the creation of new ser- vices which come under the same description. Amongst the latter may be specified the School of Practical Science, Inspection of Division Courts, the Agricultuinl College, the Central Prison, the Niagara Falls Police, Short-hand reporting in the Courts, Revision of Voters' Lists by County Judges, County Model Schools, the License Branch, the Mercer Reformatory, the Board of Health, the Bureau of Industries, Inspection of Judicial Offices, Farmers* Institutes and many others, all of' which have been es- tablished since 1871. It is^ impossible to carry on these various services, to maintain new and enlarged lunatic asylums, and to provide for the administration of justice over the increasing area of the newly-settled districts, without greatly increasing the annual expenditure. Tlie Proposed Reductions by the OppositioTL The best evidence that the annual expenditure under the Mowat Administration is unimpeachable is the character of the propotsals mad \>y the Opposition from year to year in the form of amend- ments to the Supply Bill. Taking the years 1883-1!S89, which included the whole of the two Parliamentary terms, the proposed reducftons were year by year as follows : — In 1884 : To strike out the sum of $2,750 appropriated to meet one half of the cost of a daiu on Burnt River. In 1885 : (1) To reduce the sum appropriated for sessional i^lerV ^y $5,000; (2) to reduce the vote for immigration purposes ^ ,yunt granted for thn public service each year under the Supply Bill and also the amount by which the Opposition asked to have it reduced : Amonnt of Supply. 1884 «2,891,652 1886 2,9;}7,882 1886 3,136,651 1887 3,1«6,771 1888 3,205,804 1889 3,440,040 1890 3,626,293 Amount objected to. $ 2,760 24,900 1,400 16,100 TotalB......f21, 777,700. $47,150 In other words, oi;it of a total proposed appropriation in seven years of the Opposition objected to only $47,150 a trifle over two mills on the dollar. Comparisons with Quebec and the Dominion. The following table shows the rate at which the cost of civil government and legislation increased in vVntario, Quebec, and the Dominion, respectively, from lb73 to 1889, inclusive: Oivil (loTernment 1873. Ontario $175,9141 Quebec 135,106 Dotniuion 750,874 Legislation., Ontario 119,650 Quebec. 163,569 dominion 629,3432 $ 1889. 211,761 231.703 1,281.713 119,938 224,544 701,170 Increase. $ 36,847 96,657 630,839 288 60,976 171,837 Percentago. 20 70 70 l-13th 30 33 The following comparison of certain items of annual expendi- ture in Ontario with the same items in Quebec, in 1889, is very instructive. The first table includes the suras spent in carrying on the public service of the Province, and in the^e it will be seen the e.Kitenditure of Quebec is higher than that of Ontario, though the population is less. The sec >ud table includes appropriations that are intended to lessen the burden of local taxation, and in these Ontario is the more liberal: (1) Inclading " Salaries ttnd Expenawi of the Eautfation r)epartinent," chnrged in tbs i'uijlic AccoiuiiM of 1873 to "Education," but now char|{ed to " Civil (ioveruinent,* (2) Uixolusivv of the cost of the General Electiou in 1872. * THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. Tabte I; Service. Quebec. Ontario. OivU Government * $231,763 |211,76l Legislation. 224,644 119,938 AdminiBiration of Justice 515,272 366,252 Table II. Quebec. Ontario. Prisons and Asylums $271,956 $728,909 Education 385,835 598,238 66 £xc«B8 in Qaeboi. f 20,002 104,606 149,020 Excess in Ontario. $456,953 212,403 Fwrther Proof of Economy. To make still clearer, if possible, the economy with which the finances of Ontario have been managed during the Mowat Ad- ministration, look at the sums voted under the Supply Bills of Ontario, Quebec and the Dominion in the years 1873 and 1889 respectively;— \ 1873. 1880. IncreMe. Percentage^ Ontario i... $2,4^:0,212 $3,360,040 $ 899,*2« .36 Quebec 1.713,700 ^024,024 1,910,274 105 Dominion 19,174,648 36,817,834 17,74.3,186 90 » Lastly, Quebec started with a clean sheet in 1867, and she has since piled up a debt of $25,000,000. Ontario, liberal as h*t nothing iu this section con- tained sh»}l be construed into an <^xrrcis9 oi jurisdiction by the Logislafure of the Proviooe of Ontario Icvond the revival of provisions of law which were in force at the data of the pasning of Th* Briiish North America Act. and which the subsequent legislation of this Province purported to repeal. " I: '■ THE MOWAT QOVERNMBNT. Unjust Oriticiama Answered. 7d A great deal of professional criticism ia ex jiende'd by the Oppo- sition on the Temperance legislation of this Government. It is fitting that 8U(Jh criticisms should be ofTered by those^who, in their othei' capacity of supporters of the present Dominion author- ities, were recentl3' eager to take the control of this interest out of the hands of the Province, to which the Confederation Act entrusts it, to give it to their political friends at Ott*,wa, and to foist upon the people of this Province an additional, elaborate, and expensive law, whose principal merits were that it attempted to cover the ground already satisfactorily occupied by the provincial law, anl to provide a great number of commissiionerships, in- spectorships, and other positions for their own political friends. In the face of the principle laid down by that proposed law, which attempted to give the full control of the regulation of this traffic into the hands of the Doiiiinion Government, the Opposition are now contending that this control should go Imck to the munici- palities. But such a provision is not desired, and has never been asked for, by the municipalities themselves. For it would re-in- troduce into municipal elections, and into the administration of municipal concerns, all the corruption and disadvantage incident to the operatidn of the liquor influence upon every election and upon every question arising in municipal affairs; Far better to place such power in the hands of one central provincial authority, having a general oversight and uniform administration, and direct- ly responsible to the representatives o^ the people in Parliament. The Crooks' Act Endorsed. The friends of the temperance cause hailed with delight the withdrawal of the power from municipal corporati >ns to issue liquor licenses, and the a.sbumption of tha^ authority by the Uov- ermnent, that being the effect of the passage f the " Cro ks' Act." The following resolution, adopted by the Methodist Gen- eral Conference in 1882, when the agitation to return to the old system was being advanced by the Opposition, voiceh.'llb.Za J'lh"' """ "■""Sod .'Vr ■]""««<« «' ^c^b. HI. Hoi£rS"'" «"' '"^«- -; .^^i^.i?s«:is ■^O^ioy ,^ 1882. of retu^LlChtltTpatrerth'"™" "' ""• ""-"s expedient •-c^r :'''""'■"" "^"'-^^"'' --'•.- Poiicy in 1883. wa« moved by Mr Mer«»rlifi. ^'rv. -fi^tii January IRRH «k '. J^ i«r, Meredith, seconded by Hon. Mr'. Uonll^'' i til N 1 :, ,/ I I 82 TPE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. That all the words in the nioUon after " That " bo struok out, and the fol- lowing nubatituted theruior : — " This Houaa, while recognizing the ueocseity of roaiuiaining the other proviaions of the existiof liquor license law,' and strictly enforcing them, is of opioion that it is not in the public interest or calculated to promote the cause of temperance to continue the mode of ap- pointiiig Boards of License Oouimiasionera and License Inspectors now in force, and is furthei^ of opiniov itxatt these Boaids should, in order to remove them'as far as possible from the iiJuences of politici^ partisanship, be ap- pointed in Counties, by the county councils, and in Cities and Towns separate from Ooimtitis by the oouncils thereof, and that the power uf appointing ond or more License Inspectors in each license diatnut should be vested in the Board, and this House regrets that legislation providing for this change in the law, and for handing over to vhe Municipalities the wLole of tue license fees, except a sum sufficient to pay the expenses of the License Branch of the Department of the Provincial Secretary, has not been proposed for its consideration by the advisers of His Honour the Lieutenant-Qorernor." — Lost.— Yeas, 26 ; Nays,4U. Policy in 1890. The policy of the Opposition was again rfe-conatructed b^ the submisaion of the following resolution during the' late session of the Legislature, as an amendment to the Hon. Mr. Gibson's mea- sure : — "That the Bill be not now read a thbd tiine, but- be referred back 'o a Committee of the Whole HonsA, And so aniendcd as to provide that the license commissioners hereafter bs appoint^ in eountla by County Councils, and in cities and to«ms elected by the muflreipal electors of saoh cities and towns. " Ganada Temperan^ Act. Biit efficient as the legislation in this departmer>t was thus up to 1886, this Qoveinmeht by no means relaxed its t^orts. In 1887, complaints were made of the want of machinery tor the enforcement of The Canada Temperance Act, coa^monly known as the " Scott Act," in the counties in which it had been adopted. Though this was a Dominion law, and should have been enforced by the Federal authorities, as the Act provides for the Inland Revenue Officers securing its observance, yet for the sake of the in- terests involved th6 Government of this Province passed an Act foi the appointment of special Police Magistrates in all such counties, and defining their jurisdiction, tenure cf office, place of holdin# o A / W Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 t^/ fA fM 90 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. and the Creameries Association, all of which are operated in close connection with the Agiiculture and Arts Branch. The annual reports of these different bodies are published at the expense of the Pjovince, and the information they contain on the subjects treated of is of the most practical and useful kind. ' Only by a careful attention to the peculiar climatic condition of the Pro- vinces can the various industries represented by these societies be successiully carried on, and it is the policy of the Department to make thera as useful as possible in conducting expeiiments, comparing notes, and educating the public. Immigration. I The policy pursued by the Ontario Government for many years past has been to promote the immigration of no working people* but farmers with means and domestic servants, and to discourage the influx of people from the cities and towns of the old world, whether they were mechanics or ordinary unskilled labourers. This branch of the public service is now under control of the Department of Agriculture. The sum spent on this service in 1889 was $6,849. The amount voted for 1890 was only $5,800. The cost, per head, of immigrants brought into and settled within the Province has been reduced from $2,74 in 1880 to $1.3G in 188.5, and to 44 cents in 18?^. The following table gives the number of immigrants settled in Ontario each year since Con- federation, with the value of their effects as reported through the Customs : Number Settled. Value of Effecta. 10,873 Nat reported. 16,893 •« (( 1868 1869 1870 25,590 1871 25,842 1872 28,129 1873 39,184 1874 > 31,720 " 1875 21,761 $328,236 1876 19,123 279,138 1877 17,879 806,662 1878 17,940 311,117 1879 28,827 244,618 1830 1881 1882 1883 1884 24,726 258,919 25,2UQ 313,075 84,206 503,032 40,494 533,295 33,494 405,770 wmmmmm MP THE MOWAT QOVKBNMENT, 1886 ]886 1887 1888 1880 21,052 389.138 22,467 435,364 26.744 378,264 27,222 421,923 23,198 467,894 Total $560,554 ^,566,445 91 The character of the immigrants secured under the present system, and the value of their personal effects, make it perfectly- clear that the comparatively small amount now appropriated for immigration is well spent. The Public Health. Apart altogether from Acts of Parliament designed to protect the public by confining the practice of surgery, dentistry, and pharmacy to persons who have received a professional training, important laws have during the past few years been placed on the statute book of the Province by this Government for the purpose of protecting more effectually the public health, especially against the ravages of infectious diseases. The first of these v.'as passed in 1873. It provides for the compulsory cleansing of private premises, for the creation of local Boards of Health by municipal authorities, for the creation of a " Central Board of Health," by the Lieutenant-Governor in Coun- cil, during the prevalence of any formidable epidemic, endemic or contagious disease ; '* for the proclaiming of infected districts ; and generally for taking such steps as may seem to the Boards of Health necessaiy to prevent the spread of the disease or mitigate its severity. Experience of the working of this Act having shown that it did not furnish the requisite security, another statute^ was passed in 1882, creating a permanent Board of Health for the Province, and clothing it with various important powers, to be exercised at all times. One of the duties of this body is to educate the jmblic on sanitary matters by the distribution of sanitary literature. An- other is to conduct, under oath if necessary, investigations of the causes of prevalent contagious diseai^es, or of excessive mortality, in specified localities. A third is to keep at all times an adequate supply of vaccine matter for the purpose of supplying it as cheap- ly as possible to medical practitioners. And a fourth is to keep up communication "with local Boards of Health on sanitary matters, and endeavour to secure the organization of such a Board in each municipality. The Act of 1882 also provides for taking 92 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. stringent measures for tha suppression of small-pox and other in- fectious diseases, by means of isolation, forcible, if necessary, but as complete as possible.^ The Statutes relating to the public health were consolidated and amended by the Public Health Act ot 1884, which gives in- creased powers of various kinds to the Provincial Board of Health, and also to Local Board?, especially with a view to preventing the spread of infectious diseases, suppressing nuisances, and guard- ing against injurious defects in systems of water supply and sew- erage. . In 1885, an Act was passed embodying still more stringent provisions, and another in 1886, to which the same remark ap- plies. In 1887 the laws respecting the Public Health were still further strengthened by an Act requiring notice to be given in public schools of infectious diseases in the families of any of the children in attendance ; regulating the supply of ice ; providing for the inspection of slaughter-houses and dairies, and the su{)ply of vaccine matter ; and further providing for complaint by a tenant or other person before a magistrate in cases of neglect to carry out the directions of the Sanitary Inspector or Local Board of Health. The public safety in this direction was further guarded by a statute in 1889, which provided that in unorganized districts the Stipendiary Magistrate should be, ex-officio, a Medical Health Officer, that the Provincial Board of Health might appoint Sani- tary Inspectors in such districts, and that all constables in Pro- vincial or Territorial Districts should be, ex-officio, Sanitary In- spectors. The efficiency of the system thus provided was severely tested by an outbreak in the County of Hastings of small-pox of a strangely malignant type, and under conditions peculiarly favour- able to the spread of the disease. By means of the powers conferred on the Provincial Board of Health, the district was at once completely isolated, and in a comparatively short time the disease was entirely extirpated. A still more satisfactory proof of its usefulness was furnished by the manner in which the Board dealt with the outbreak of small-pox in Montreal. In spite of the extensive passenger traffic between that city and all parts of Ontario, the disease was prevented from coming into this Province, the precautions taken by the Board having un- doubtedly been the means of preventing a public calamity of the moat terrible kind. The annual reports of the Board, and its THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 93 other publications, have done much to di^Heminate useful sanitai-v nformation. aiid it has been instrumental by means of investicra- dkelaes ^^'"^'"'"^ ""^"^^ ^^*^^ ««"»*««« of malarial and other The Secretary of the Provincial Board, Dr. Peter H Brvce U generally recognised throughout Canada and the United States a^ one of the ablest and most efficient sanitarians in Ameri^! 94 THE MOWAT GOVEENMENT, DEPARTMBlff OF EDUCiiTION. In 1876, the Department of Education was placed under the control of a Minister of the Crown, thus making its management a matter for which the Ministry of the day are directly responsible to the people. This was in direct conformity to the advice of the late distinguished Chief Superintendent of Education, the Bev. Dr. Ryerson. It may be of interest to quote the opinion of the late Rev. Dr. Ryerson on this important subject. As early as 1868, he strenu- ously' urged the change, and that, too, in full view of his twenty- four years' experience as Chief Superintendent of the Depart- ment under the old system. The following extracts are taken, from his letter to the late Hon. M. C. Cameion, then Provincial Secretary, of Dec. 7th, 1868:— *' The Department of Public Inatrliotion ahould be under the management of a member of the Executive CounciJ, to be designated * Minister of Public Infitruction,' who shall be an ex officio member of the Toronto University and of the Council of Public Instruction, and who, in addition to the powers and functions vested in the Chief Superintendent of Education, shall have the oversight of all educational institutions which are or may be aided by public endowment or legislative grant, to inspect and examine, from time to time, personally or any person appointed by him, into the character and working of such institution ; and by him shall all public mo)ieys be paid in support or aid of such institutions, and to him they will report at such times and in such manner as he shall direct " Our system of public instruction baa acquired such gigantic dimensions, and the network of its operations so pervades every municipality of the land, and is so interwoven with our municipal and judicial systems of government, that I think its administration should now be vested in a responsible Minister of the Crown, with a seat in Parliament ; and that I should not stand in the way of the application to our varied educational interests of that ministerial responsibility, which ia sound in principle and wise in policy. During the past year I have presented a report on school systems in other countries, with a view of improving my own ; and the Legislative Assembly has appointed a Select Committee for the same purpose. 1 have, therefore, thought this was the proper time to suggest the modification and extension of the Department uf Public Instruction." . This letter waa acknowledged on Jan. 30th, 1869. In the course of his reply, the Provincial Secretary wrote as follows : — *' I am directed by Hia Excellency the Lieutenant-Governor to thank you for the valuable suggestions contained in your letter, and to request that you THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. «i5. will continue to diaoharge those important duties, which you have perfonned lof a quarter of a century with so much credit to yourself and benefit to the people of this Province, until His Exoollency's advisers shall have more fully considered your suggestions, and matured a measure for placing your de- partment under the direct supervision of a member of the Executive Coi:^ncil." Dr. Ryerson consented to continue the former state of things for the time being. On the 10th of February, 1872, however, he renewed the subject in a letter to the Hon. Edward Blake, then Premier of Ontario. In this letter he said i — " After much deliberation, I have thought it advisable to address you in respect to my long desired retirement from the Education Department, of which I have had charge longer than any Judge has ever occupied the Bench in Canada, and to a greater age. . . . '' The infirmities of age must compel me to retire before long ; and I have thought my immediate or early retirement would enable the Government to exercise its difofeisionaI \ %■'■ K-n, i 1 » 96 THE MOWAT QOVEBNMENT. training, and of the Frovinolal Normal Sohoola for the provincial training of teachers. (7) The granting of power to trustees of High S«hoo]s and Collegiate In- stitates to expropriate land for High School purposes. (8) The selection by the Department of suitable text-boolcB in the several subjects of Public and Hi^ School, study, to the exclusion of such books aa may be unauthorized and unsuitable. This arrangement insures uniformity, and the establishment of Institutes for the training of High School manten and tends to greater proficiency in study. (9) " Before 1879, school trustees determined, without reference to the peo- ple, how much money should be expended for the erection of a new sohool- V house or the enlargement of a school site ; now there can be no more expen- diture I'or either of such purposes without drat obtaining the consent of the ratepayers concerned at a public meotinj; called for considering the ques- tion. *' (10) Formerly trustees levied and collecte'^ all taxes for school purposes at a great expense to the ratepayers ; now they u.e able to employ the urdin- ary municipal machinery for this purpose. The saving in this way alone for the collection of the sum of $2,685,621 paid for the support of schools by local taxation, even allowing only two per cent. 'for collection, would amount to $52,000 per annum, or $936,000 in eighteen years. "(11) Giving the rights to trustees in cities, towns and incorporated vil- . lages to apply the ballot to school elections, and to employ for this purpose the officers of the municipality engaged in conducting the municipal elections. "(12) Providing that school debentures shall be issued by the muni- cipality, and not by the school section, as formerly, so that school tmstees are able to borrow money at a lower rate of interest, and very often on much' better terms as to premium, etc. " (13) Simplifying the machinery for forming, altering or dissolving union school sections. " (14) Arranging for the gradual extinction of the s'iperannnated teachers' fund. " (15) Fixing more definitely than before the holidays for Public and High Schools. " (16) Simplifying the curriculum of studies for the Public Schools. The effect of this has been to reduce the number of classes in^a Public School from 33 classes under the old regulations to 21 under the new. Higher Education. ' The changes above named were intended mainly to apply to our Public and High Schools. But these were not the only improvements effected. The Univemty Act of 1853 continued without amendment till 1873, when extensive changes were . i made in the constitution of the Provincial University. Oon- vocation was revived, and was assigned certain functions in rela- tion to the management of the University. The Chancellor and fifteen members of the University Senate were made elective by the graduates, and the system of affiliation of colleges to the THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 97 and vere cn- ela- aDd by the University was placed on an improved footing. The University Act was in 1877 conBolidated with the above and other amend- ing Acts, and the Statutes regulating University College and Upper Canada Gbllege wore at the same time recast and improved. In 1887, an Act was passed, respecting the income and property of the University of Toronto, University College, and Upper Can- ada College, providing for the transference to the University of Toronto of the present U. C. College site and buildings, and for the erection and equipment of new buildings for Upper Canada College. Provision was also made the same year for the feder- ation of other universities with the univcrsitv of Toronto. School of Practical Science. In 1873 the Legislature passed a Statute creating a "School of Practical Science for instruction in mining, engineering, and the mechanical and manufacturing arts." This institution was established in response to a demand for improved facilities for obtaining an industrial training, and it is worthy of remark that a similar demand has for some time past been pressed by educa- tionists with increasing urgency on the British Parliament. In 1889 the sum of $50,000 was voted by the House for en- larging the School of Practical Science. Last session the sum of $15,000 was granted for the purpose of supplying the necessary machinery and apparatus for a complete course in Civil Engineer- ing, Mining Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. It is also intended to appoint a Professor of Architecture. These improve- ments will furnish a thorough and practical education for machin- ists, surveyors and engineers equal to what can be obtained in the schools of the United States or Great Britain. Liberality of the Oovermnent The liberal provision made for education is one of the most praiseworthy features of the Administration of the last eighteen years. The 'average amount paid, per annum, by the Govern- ment of the late Mr. Sandfield Macdonald for all edvMotional pur- poses, was $295,962 ; the average amount paid during the last eighteen years was ^«IS85,000, or an average increase of 78 per cent The total sum paid out of the Provincial treasury for •educational purposes since 1871 amounts to $0,448,8^8. Out of tlie whole sum voted by the Legislature in 1871 for ed- ucational purposes, 73 per cent, went directly to the public in re- 7 \ I 98 THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. I Hof of local taxation ; in 1880 no less than 80 percent, was given to the people for a similar purpose. The grants to Public and Separate Schools rose from a yearly- average of $107,540 during the Sandfiuld Macdonald period, to a yearly average of $)ilt$o,8l8, during the Mowat r6gime\ the grant to Poor achools from S5,!)90 in 1871 to $94,939 in 1889 ; the grant to High schools from $71,480 to $08,375 in 1889. Besides the aid given directly to education by making grants from the Provincial treasury, every dollar of which is a propor- tionate relief to the tax payer, much has been done to promote the efficiency of our schools in other ways. In 1871 we had but one Normal school, for which the Governmet contributed the sum of $17,78 5; in 1880 we had two Normal schools, for which the Qovemment contributed the sum of $41,494. In 1871 we had no county Model schools for training third-class teachers ; in 1889 we had 58 county Model 'schools, to which the Government con- tributed $8,700. In 1871 we had no Training Institutes for High school masters ; in 188D we had five Training Institutes, to which the Government contributed $2,100. In 1871 we had no Art schools for teaching mechanics and others drawing, and the elements of industrial design; in 1889 we had eig'it .^b schools, to which the Government contributed $4,916. In 1871 we had no properly organized Teachers' Associations ; in 1889 we had 06 Associations, attended by 6,882 teachers, to which the Govern- ment contributed $1,890. In 1871 we had only 51 Mechanics' Institutes ; in 1889 we had 179 Mechanics' Institutes, with librar- ies aggregating 252,832 volumes, to which the Government con- tributed $31,429. The following grants to Public, Separate and High Schools from 1872-1889 inclusive, shows the liberality of the Mowat Government towards education during this last eighteen yeaifs : AMOUNT GRANTED TO OOUNTIEg. (Inolnding Incorporated Yilkgeg and Towofl, but not Cities.) Br»nt $79, 670 Bruce 164,786 Oarleton. 83,961 Dufferin 36,983 Dand»s 69,511 Durham 129,829 Elgin 112,620 Ewex 116,865 Frontenao 80,270 QlenKanr 67,115 Grey. 184,501 Haldiinand 87,368 HaUburton 32,741 Halton. 67.462 Hastings 142,813 Huron 210,465 Kent 135,103 Lambton 127,625 Lanark 142,465 Leeda and Grenville 200,567 Lennox and Addingtun 97,678 Lincoln 108,651 Middlwez 202,745 Norfolk 109.026 Nortbtimberland 16;i,648 Ontario 188,614 Oxford 160,469 Peel 85,12$ THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. 99 19 given % yearly iod, to a me', the [I 1889 ; 889. 5 grants proper- promote had but bhe sum lich the I had no 1111880 8nt con- utes for utes, to had no eind the schools, we had had 66 loveni- 5hanics' librar- jnt con- Jchools I Mowat je&ta : 142,813 210.465 135,103 127,625 142,465 200,567 97,678 108,651 202,745 109,026 15;i,648 188,614 160,469 , 8o,12ft Perth 178,263 PeterborouKh 123,663 I'rencott aiul liuesell 95,906 Prince Edward $1,434 Waterloo 157.903 Wellanii 99,.S86 Wellington 18.5, tWO Wentworth ,.... 97,994 York 190,060 Districts 139,438 Totftl (Countiea) $5,311,916 orriEa. Belleville $26,067 Branlford 46,652 Oueluh 28,616 Hamilton 137,376 KingMton 65,665 London 82,066 Ottawa 96,165 St. Catharines 48,947 8t. Thomas 29,457 Stratford 15,133 Toronto 246,029 Total 822,163 Grand T..U1 $0,134,069 Salaries of Teachers. The average of the salaries paid to teachers in Ontario, as com- pared with the average of those paid in the United States, will show that our school system has not led to any great extrava- gance in this branch of expenditure : — Male Teachers, Female Tenchers, per months per month. IllinoiB ^1.48 Maine 83.82 M isaachusetts 116 85 Michigan 45.31 Ohio -. - 55.00 Pennsylvania 38.53 Ontario 35.35 42.11 20.70 44.93 31.06 40.00 29.86 24.34 A comparison of the cost to the country of the education of each pupil is equally satisfactory, as the following table will show : — Cost Per Pupil. Ohio 12.70 Maasaohusetts 19.83 Mic^ij^an , 11.71 New York 13.68 Ontario 7.76 Provincial, Normal and Model Schools. It is sometimes alleged that the cost ot administering this branch of the public service has increased since the Department was entrusted to a responsible Minister of the Crown. As in the case of other Departments, the work to be done has increased, but even in the face of this fact it lias been found possible to greatly reduce expenditures in some branchea The following 100 THE dOWAT GOVERNMENT. table, for instance, shows the growth and expenditure of th» Normal and Model Schools since 1878: — YlAB. •a '• poo 1878 1870 1880 188^ 188-' 1883 1884 1885 188rt 1887 1888 188» 14 18 Vi IS 16 15 15 12 U 13 12 12 226 429 483 418 260 338 361 405 439 411 44.) 442 8 8 15 15 15 Iti 10 17 18 18 21 W2 ;w2 3i)l 607 698 799 7tiO 742 668 660 763 794 91.'8 !1^ I $7753 00 7798 00 9122 (K) 11523 00 13783 50 13232 00 12106 75 ll3r.2 :>o I15l.'5 00 13427 00 14595 00 16502 00 .a I H (34032 92 3.J719 58 36694 07 41808 la 44888 02 45540 40 407-1 02 37477 80 37477 89 40131 24 39495 86 41494 15 FRGI^CU AN» OEItMiN SCHOOLS. French Canadians from the Province of Quebec commenced to settle in the counties of Prescott and Russell £,bout the year 1840, and in the county of Essex about 1700. Naturally, like other nationalities, they formed a somewhat compact community, and clung with considerable tenacity to their own customs and language. For many years their schools were almost exclusively French, but, as they became surrounded with English-speaking neighbors, they began to acquire a knowledge of English, and for the last few years, particularly in the county of Essex, the Eng- lish language has received considerable attention in all their public schools. The attention of the Education Department was first directed to the qualifications of the teachers of thtsse French schools by a letter from the Secretary of the Board of Public Instruction for the County of Essex to the Chief Supeiintendent, in the follow- ing terms v ' Office of thk Board of Pobuo Instruction, Sandwich, April 12th, 1851. Sir,— I have been directed by the Board of Public Instruotion for tlj» County of Essex to refer to your consideration the case of a candidate who made application today for a certificate of qualification as teacher. It may not, perhaps, be necessary to inform you that the majority of thir inhabitants of the township of Sandwich are French Canadian, that the THE MOW AT GOVETiNMKNT. 101 \^ 80 1840, other and and isively aking nd for Eng- their ijcted by a B}n for llow- or tl}» e who French lanfiuige it in very goneral um, and that in moat of the ichool 8eo> tioni of the townihip the teaohen and pupila bein^;; French, the exerciaee and inatnictioii in tho achoola are cindiictod in that language. Of the oamlidates presi^nting thciiisulvci bofure the Board of Publio Inatruotion and beli>nging to the township of Sandwich, there haa not hitherto buen anf one who did not ftoMetfl, at all eventa, in aome degree, a knowled|{e of KngliHh langna^e. Mr, Gigon, who cfime before the Board to-day, is entirely ignorant of it, and upon reference to the pro^'ramme of examination presuribed by the Coun- cil of Public Instruotiou, the B'ard of Examinera present felt conatrained to refnsd to grant, at prencnt, a oertjticate of qualification. Ab, however, it might p()«Bibly be ur«ed on behalf of Mr. Oit;on, that in thia part of Upper (^'anada, in the midat of a French community, tho pro- gramme of '^examination ahould not be ntrictly i\dhered to, and that there would be injustice in debarring a teacher from desiring a participatioti in the Gov«irnraent appropriation of moneys for schools, because although capable of imparling the elements of a good education, he conveys instruction only in the French language, the languasfe of the pupila who attend hia achool— the B( ard have deemed Mr. Gigon'a rase of sufficient importance to be sub- mitted to the Chief Superintendent as being decisive of thb principle whether or not it is an esseniiai toward the obtaining of Government atipport that teachers of common schools should deliver or be able to deliver their instruc- tions in the English language. PrevioUB to Mr. (iigon'd appearing before the Board, a memorial, a copy of Wiiich I beg leave to furnidh herewith, was presented to the Board on behalf of some very respectable Canadian flahitana of the school section in which Mr. Gigon is keeping school. I must mention to you in connection with this memorial that Mr. Gigon produced a proper certificate of having taken the oath of allegiance and also a very excellent testimonial aa to eha' acter and capability as a teacher from Monsieur Pere Point. Mr. Gigon stated that there were about fifty pupils attending his achool, all of them very young and all of whom spoke only the French language. I remain, etc., S. J. MACDONELL, J. G. HoDOiNS, E^q., Sec. B. P. 1. for Essex. Dep. Supt., I'oronto. The First Regulation. On the 20111 April, the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada adopted the following regulation : — Ordered, That there be added to the programme the following : In regard to teachers of French or German, that a knowledge of French or O'JnnaL Grammar be substituted for a knowledge of English grammar, •nd that the certificate to the teacher be expressly limited accordingly. On the 30th April, the following letter was sent to the local svperintendent : — Education Office, Toeonto, 30th April, 1861. Sib, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th inst., enclosing a communication from the Trustees of School Section No. 0, Township of Sandwich, and to at ate in reply that there ia nothing in J 102 THE MOW AT QOVERNMENT. the School Act to prevent the Board of Public Instniclion for the County of Essex from granting a certificate of quaUfication to any person upon passing the requisite examination, who shall have complied with the conditions con- tained in the 2nd clause of the 29th section of the School Aot. Mr. Gigon hav'ng complied with these conditions as intimated in a '' jtter I have received from the Secretary of the County Board, the Council oi Pub- lic Instruction for Upper Canada has sanctioned a liberal construction of the programme for the examination and classification of teachers, making the tern: " English " convertible into the term " French " where it occurs and when applied to French candidates for examination by the County Board. The certificate should, of course, be limited to teaching in the French lan- guage. The School Act expressly authorized trustees to employ any qualified teacher they please ; should, therefore, Mr. Gigon obtain a certificate from th' County Board, the Trustees can engage his services, and no Board or school officers can prevent them, as has been assumed in a memorial trans- m'Hed to me by the Secretary of the County Board from certain inhabitants of School Section No. 6, Sandwich. I have, etc., P. McMatLiN, Esq., J. GEORGE HODGINS. Local Saperintendent, • Sandwich. The Regulation of the 25th of April was re-enacted by the Council of Public Instruction in 1858, 1871 and 1874, and by the Education Department in 1883. Down to this time, therefore, the policy of the old Council of Public Instruction was continued without any variation. Change in 1885. In August, 1885, the following Regulation was adopted : 1B5. In addition to the examination conducted in the French or the Ger- man languasje, every candidate f(jr a teacher's certificate shall be required to pass such examinat ons in English grammar nnd in translation from French or German into English, as may be prescribed by the Board of Examiners. By this Regulation a knowledge of Engli"^';. grammar and translation from French or Gorman into Fngli oh was, for the fir.^t time, uiade obligatory. As the answers of candidates for teachers* certificates were, prior to this date, accepted if given in French or German, it will be seen that the Regulation of 1885 was the first Regulation that made it necessary for a teacher of a French or German school to know English grammar, and to be able to translate into English such exercises as may have been prescribed by the examiners. Training of Teachers in English. In 1886 an attempt was made to establish a Model School in Eastern Ontario for those who were expected to teach in the THE MO WAT QOVEKNMENT. 103 French schools. Under the date of 25th of May, 1886, Mr. Sura- merby, Inspector for the counties of "Pre-scott and Rusaell, wrote to the Minister of Education as follows : Laminers. EussELL, 25th May, 1886. Sir, — Our Board of Examiners and our County Council are anxioua to have some provision made for the professional training of the teachern of our French schools. The knowledge of the English language possessed by the majority of these teachers is not sufficient to enable them to take advantage of the training given in our present Model School. On the 14th of June, the Secretary of the Education Depai't- ment, as instructed by the Minister, replied as follows : Toronto, l4ih June, 1886. Dear Sir, — Your letter of the 25th ult. has been under consideration, [of the Minister] and you are hereby authorized to open the Model School lor the training of French teachers, on the following; conditions : 1. That the principal be able to instruct in English as well as in French, and hold at least a second class Normal School certificate. 2. That provision be made by the trustees for relieving hira from all pub- lic school work during at least half of each day. 3. That the other two teachers be also conversant with both English and French, and hold certificates i^ranted in this Province.. 4. Provision should be made to give the teachers a course of instruction in English, and a review of the work they will have to do in school, many being we;ik in their n on professional work. Arrangements could be made for an examination at the close of the term in this work, as well as the professional. 5. That a suitable building of at least three rooms be provided. The usual grant of !f 150 will be made on the above conditions. Yours, etc., ALEX. MARLING, Secretary. W. J. SuMMEBBY, Esq., I. P. S. Prescott and RusseU, Russell. Training ScJiool Abandoned. On the 15th of November of the same year, the following letter was received from Mr. Summerby, and so the matter was dropped for a time : . ' RcssBLL, 15th November, 1886. Sir,- -Referring to tlie proposed Model School for the trainini; of French teachers, I have the honour to report for the information of the Honour;ible the Minister of Education that we were unable to establish tt owing to the fact that no suitable and properly qualified principal could be found to tako ^ charge of it. I have, etc., W. J. SUMMERBY, The Secretary, Inspector i'ublic Sohools. Education Department', Toronto. I I 1 104 THE M'JWAT government. In August, 1880, renewed efforts were made by the Minister of ' Education to establish the desired Model School. On the 4th of October, the Board of Examiners for the County met and passed a resolution establishinor a French Model School at the village of Plantagenet, provided the Trustees accept the following con- ditions, viz, : — RcsSKLL, 7th Oct., 1889. Dbab Sir, — On the 4th instaot our Board of Examiners met at Plan- tagenet and passed a resolution establishing the French Model School at that village, if the Trustees accept it on the following conditions : — 1. That the school be in operation fur the trainiag of teachers during the whole year. 2. That the school be free to the students in training for at least three yeara from the establishment thereof. 3. That the room for Model School purposes be at least 24 x 30 feet, be properly furnished, and be attached to the Public School building. 4. That the Board of Trustees appoint a principal, subject to the approval of the Minister of Education ; that all the assistants be qualified to teash in Ontario, and that one of them at least be a Normal trained teacher, holding,' at least a Second Class Certificate. 5. That the Model School Master be Principal of the Publio School as is now provided for by the regulations governing County Model Schools. 6. That the B .>ard of Trustees provide the required accommodation and have the school ready to go into operation on thj tirst of January, 1890. Your obedient Servant, (Signed) W. J. SUM MERE Y, luspecLur Publi' .jchools, Hon. G. W. Ross, Minister cf Education, 1 Toronto. i Training School Established. On the 19th of the same month the Trustees accepted these conditions, and on the 12th January, 18i)0, the school was opene ' with 23 teachers in training. So highly was the action of the Education Deparmcnt apprec! ated, that the County Council voted $800 for its sustenance. Th Assembly, at its last session, voted $600, and the school is it ported as doing well. We have, therefore, for the first time i: the history of our school system, made a practical effort to trail young men and women of French origin for doin ^ good work i\ the French schools of the Province. French and German Text-Booh. The use of unauthorised text-books in the French language, was first brought to the notice of the Chief Superintendent, Dr Ryerson, by the following letter from the Inspector of the County of Kent : — THE MO WAT QOVEHNMKNT. 105 OiEARVitLB, 25th September, 1856. Rev. Sir,— In the Town»hip8 of Dover Ea«t and West are two French Schools, which uae a series of French books, recommended by the Archbishop of Paris and other French dignitaries of the Church of Rome, and which are exolusively devoted to the teaching of the prculiar dogmas of that church. I write you to know whether any common school can be made sectarian when vll the inhabitants of the section are agreed to its being such ? Also, when it is necpssary to use hooka in the French language, what series of books would you recommend ? I have, etc., Rev. K. Ryekson, D. D., Chief Superintendent, Toronto. D. MILLS, Local Supt. Co. of Kent. To this letter the following reply was sent : 8th October, 18("iG. Sir, — I have the honor to state in reply to your letter of the 25th ult. that as there is no list of books proscribed or recommended for French schools, and as it may be presumed that the pupils attending them are for the most part or altogether Roman Catholics, I do not see that wo can do anything in regard to the kind of books which are used in the few schools of French people in Upper Canada. I have, etc., E. RYERSON. David Mills, Epq., Snpt. Co, of Kent, Clearville. French Text Books Authorised. In 1868 the Council of Public Instruction authorised text- books in Gramtnar, Geography, Arithmetic and Reading (7 in all) in the French language , for French schools, In 1879 the Educa- tion Department adopted for the use of French schools the ttxt- books used in mixed schools in the Province of Quebec, but, as the supporters of vhe French schools were nearly all Roman Cath- olics, the text books in common use were of a denominational character, and such as were suitable only for Separate Schools. In 1887 an effort was made to revise the list of French text- hoolv ind the following letter was addressed by the Minister of Education to the Inspectors : Toronto, 5th. 7 uly, 1887. My Dkar Sir, — I would like to revise the list of the authorisud books for use in those Public Schools where both French and English are taught. You are (../are that the only authorised books in such schools now are, in Eitglish, the authorised English books ; in French, the books accepted by the Protes- tant and Roman Catholic sections of the Council of Public Instruction of Quebec. As these lists are very old, and as it is desirable to keep up with 106 THE MOWAT QOVERNMENT. the improFements tha*^^ have been made since 18C8^ I would like to get such ■uggeatioDs in regard to books in the French language in the subjtcts of the Public School curriculum as you might think would be useful. Yonra truly, GEO. W. ROSS. Thbo. Qiua-rdot, Esq., T. P. S., Sandwich, Ont. Similar letters were sent to Inspectors Dufort and Summorby. Bi-li/nguil Readers. In 1888 the Minister obtained from the Chief Superintendent of Education for New Brunswick a set of French-English readers used in the French schools of that Province, and referred thera to the Central Committee for report. In April of 1889 the Com- mittee reported favorably, and on the 17th of October they were formally authorised. It might be well to notice that these books are used in about 400 French schools in the Maritime Provinces with great success. They are purely undenominational. This is the first practical step ever taken to overcome the diffi- culty with respect to text-books in French schools. The Teaching of English. From what has already been stated it will be seen that the old Council of Public Instruction authorised the Board of JExaminers for the County of Essex, to engage a teacher who did not know a word of English, and that a knowledge of English grammar or English translation was not required till 1885. The use of denoraiuational text-books was also permitted with- out restraint. Similar freedom was permitted with regard to the study of French. So far as the regulations of the Council of Public Instruction or the Department were concerned, no teacher was required to give instruction in any of the French or German schools in the English language until 1885, when the following regulation was adopted ; 24. The programme of studies prescribed shall be followed by the teacher aa far as the circumatances of hia sciiool permit. Any modifications deemed mecesaary should be made only with the concurrence of the Inspector and the trostees. In French and Oerman ScIiooIm the uuMiorised Readcrti shall be used lu addition to any text>bokti in either of the languages aioresald. This Regulation was followed by instructions to the teachers of French ScJ' '- as to how the subjects of Reading, Spelling, Composition > Grammar should be taught, and they were re- THE MO WAT GOVEll^MENT. 107 quired to give at least 2 hours per week to the 1st and 2nd forms, and 4 hours per week to the 3rd and 4th forms, or ] 2 hours per week in all to the study of English', aa average of nearly ?4 hours per day. On the 2.')rd February, 1887, as the result of this change in the Regulations, Mr. Sumnierby, Inspector, reported that there were only 27 Departments in these counties in which English was not taught. On the 4th of January, 1888, this number was reduced to 6, and on the 2;ird February, 1889, the Inspectors reported that English was taught in every school. Mr. Summerby s statement was as follows : • School Jnspectok's Offiob, Russell, 23rd February, 1889. Dsar Sir, — I am in receipt of the printed copy of the resolution respect- ing the French schools and shall endeavor to have the information aeked for ready for entry when the schedule comes to hand. Last year I had to r* port that we had six schools in which EagUsh was not taught. Mr. Dufort has made a verbal report to me that these six fell into line during 1888,80 that we can now say that English is taught in every public school in the counties. Yours truly, W.J. SUMMERBY. Hon. G. W. Ross, , Minister of Educatic and Mr. Dufort's, dated 25th February, was as follows : Ctjeban, 25th February, 1889. The Hon. the Minister of Education, Toronto. Sir, — Last year according as I made my first visits I insisted on all the teachers that they had to teach English, and also explained to trustees and parents the necessity of having it taught. The result is that I now have the 'pleasure of stating that English is taught in all the schools more or less. Your obedient servant, O. DUFORT, Assistant I. P. S. Appointment of Commissioners. On account of the conflicting statements made through the Press, and, in order to ascertain the true condition of the French schools, the Minister of Education appointed the Rev. A. H. Rey- ner, M. A., Professor in Victoria University, the Rev. D. I, McLeod and J. J, Tilly, Inspector of Model Schools, Commissioners to visit all the schools in the Province in which French was taught, to ^w 103 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. report without delay how they stood with respect to the study of English, the use of unauthorised text-books and the qualification of the teachers. With regard to the study of English in the Counties of Pros- cott and Russell, they reported as follows: With reference to the instructions contained hi your circular just quoted (respecting the ttudy of English) we find : I. That some English is tanght in every school. II. That the Ontario Readers have been introduced into every school. III. That the pupils are usually well supplied, with English reading books. IV. That in at lenst twelve schools the work done in English is much be- yond the amount prescribed. Y. That in 24 schools more time is given to English than that prescribed in the circular ; in 6 the time prescribed is given, and in 28 less than the time prescribed is given. VI. That in very few schools has sufficient attention been given to colIo« quial exorcises. In several schools only young children were ]>reBent, and classes were therefore confined to pupils in the First Iliaader. It should be mentioned, however, that whenever the teacher was at all profioi nt in spAaking English, and when the school contained pupils who had been atter.diug some time, these pupils were almost invariably in the third or fourth class in English, showing that progress was being made in this subject. In 17 schools the re- sults were very satisfactory indeed, and in several cases quite equal to the work'done in good English schools. In 21 schools fair progress was being made, and in 18 the pupils knew very little English. The pupils usually translated freely and correctly, and spelled nearly, if not quite as well as the English pupils present in the schoob ; but onl^ those who had been taught orally, and who had been trained to give thour answers directly in spoken English, showed any readiness in speaking the language. At least 00 per cent, of the pupils reported as not learnins; English wire in the first French reader, or had been recently promoted to ih ^ second class. Very few were found in higher classes who were not learning English. The County of Essex. Of the schools in the County of Essex they reported as follows "There are thirty schools in the County of Essex in which French is taught, and all were inspected by us. Mauy of these could scarcely be dis- tinguished from English schools. In twelve schools, English is mainly the language of the school ; in fourteen, French and English are taught about equally ; and in four, French is the language of the school, the teaching in English being limited to reading and translation. The work done in these schools is about equal to what is dune in the ordinary English rural school. The school houses and grounds usually show neat- ness and taste, and the schools are very well supplied with desks and other requisites. Taking the standing of the pupils in English as the basts of olasaifioation, seventften schools may bt classed as good, six a» fair, and aevm as pior and unsatisfactory. " ' It 'i^.tiiS. J-i-. ' .*; ' THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. 109 Teachers. Of the teachers in the counticH of Prescott and Russell they re- p ^rted as follows : 4( u^ teachers. Jachers. r extent :t- books. >aitment to them, tions : — schools in )ackward- Igeof the ? a larger se Bchoola they are from tho > English ase more ;he use of 8e, tjQoro it in the tandard, n them, ny yeara wii way, r by the jr them, ey have ug the 1 13 the QH and ^ t with If the feelings dopted, to a nd the ihools, Tho arded rman W case ioDal ed to THE MOWAT QOVERNMEKT. Enforcing the Regulations. Ill In order to ascertain the effect of the Regulations, the Minister of Education addressed the following letter to. the Inspectors of Prescott, Russell, Kent and Essex : ToBONTo.lOth February, 1890. My Dear Sir, — On the 22nd October last I transmitted to you '' Instrno* tions" foh teachers and truntees of French schools, with a request that you would report in detail at your next visit as to every matter to which atten- tion was called in these Instructions, but more partioulary as to the extent to which English was studied and the regulations observed with respect to unauthorised te:<(t-booka and religious exercises. As you will probably by this time have visited a number, if not all of the schools in which the regulations of the Department in the particulars above referred to wore not faiihf iilly carried out, you vrouldi no doubt, be able to report their present condition in these respects as compared with their con- dition at the time they were visited by yourself and the Commissioners. I should like your statement to contain a report on each school by name or number. Yours truly, (Signed) GEO. W. ROSS. Tbbo. Girardot, Esq., I. P. S., Sandwich. A similar letter was addressed to Inspectors J. C. Morgan, Dufort and Nichols. , Report of the Inspector for Prescott and Russdl. The Inspector of Prescott and Russell, Mr. 0. Dufort, replied as follows: 1 desire to state also that the bi-lingual text-books are being introduced as fast as possible, and within a year they will entirely supersede the Mont- petit aeries. The regulations with regard to religious instruction are being carried out ; in every school section which I have visited these regulations came into force, and I have no doubt that they will be faithfully observed everywhere. The altars in the two schools mentioned in the Commissioners' Report have been removed and will not be replaced Our training school has been opened with twenty-three students, is well received by tho people everywhere, and liberally assisted by the County and Township Councils. Respectfully yours, 0. DUFORT, Assist. I. P. 8. CcHKAN, Feb. 16th, 1890. Report of the Inspector for Kent. The Inspector of Kent, Wilraot *M. Nichols, B. A., replied as follows ; I I 112 THE MOWAT GOVEIINMENT. ^ Blenhkim, 11th February, 1890. Sir, — I have th« honor to roport that bo soon aa praotioablo I personally delivered a copy of the Instruutions both iu English and in French to the teachers of those of ray schools in whioh these two lai uages are used in teaching. I also left copies for ihe trustees, and at ii.) same time called ■peoial attention to the Bi-lingual Readers, informing ihe teachers where these could be readily obtained, as I had requested a doal<-r to keep a snpply in order that there should bo no dithculty in this direction. I may here say that so long as the teaching of French is oonsidero I a necessity in such schools, 1 confidently expect much better results from the iise of the bi-lin- gual series than have been obtained hitherto. These books wil! be introduced at once, but only as favorable occasion offers on the promotion of pupils, and *so as to avoid cause of complaint that^indue haste has been ma< e in efTecting tha change. Report of the Inspector for Essex. The Inspector of Essex, Mr. Th. Girardot, replied as follows: To the Honorable G. W. Ross, Minister of Education. HoNORABiB Sir, — In regard to the state of the French schools nnder my supervision in the County of Essex, I have the honor to report as follows : Since I visited them with the Commissioners, I have inspected them during the last school term of 1889, and I am glad to state that I found teachers giving more time to the study of English. As it can be seen in the detailed statement herewith, if compared with the report of said Commissioners, none but authorised English books are used in all the schools. As to French books, the bi-lingual readers having appeared in this county rnly in the beginning of the year, they could r.ot be introduced before, but I am aware that they are now used in moat of the schools. The other French books used presently are all authorised. As far aa I could find out, regulations in regard to religious instruction are carried out in all the schools. Changes cannot be made suddenly, people have to be dealt with gradually and smoothly. I sincerely believe that after my next visits to the schools, which will begin as soon as the roads will permit and after the teachers' convention, which will take place in the beginning of May, all our French schools in Essex will work satisfactorily, according to the regulations of the Department. This places beyond all question the contention of the Minister of Education that the Regulations of the Department are being enforced, that the prudent but firm policy which he inaugurated was producing very substantial results. Mr. Craig's Bill. > On the 3rd of April Mr. Craig moved the second reading of a Bill to make English the language of instruction in the Public and Separate Schools of the Province. To which the Minister of Education moved, in amendment, the following motion : TFIE MOWAT OOVKKNMENT. 113 890. • jrsonally sh to the I used in ae called rs where a supply here say in iuch le bi-lin- troduced ipilfl, and eirecting loW3: inder my I follows : im durir.'j? I teachers B detailed era, none French ly in the m aware ich book 9 itionn in Chan({e8 ally iind Is, which vention, Ihoolfl in irtment. linister being tu rated of a *ublic it, the Mr. Ro?8 (Middfesex), moved in ftmendment, seconded by Mr, Frazkr, That all the words of the motion after the first word " That" be omitted therefrom, and that the following be Bubntituted instead thereof, "the fol- lowing K« giilations of the Education Department have been in force since the tenth of February last, namely : — 1. In school sections where the French or Gorman language prevails, the trustees, with the approval r f the Inspector, may, in addition to the course of study prescribed for Public Schools, require instruction to be given in reading, grammar and composition to such oupils as are directed by their parents or guardians to study cither of these lang\mr;es, and in all such cases^ the authorized text-books in French or German shall be used. 2. It shall be the duty of the teacher to conduct every exercise and recita- tion from the text-books prescribed for Public Schools, in the English lan- guage, and all commuiy cation between teacher and pupil in re^tard to matters of discipline and in the management of the school shiill be in English, except so far as this is impracticable by reason of the pupil not understanding Eng- lish. Recita,:ons m French or German may be conducted in the language of the text-book. 3. It shall be the duty of the Inspector to examine carefully in English every pupil according to the course of study prescribed for Public Schools ; but he shall be at liberty to use his own discretion as to what explanations he will give in any other language that appears to be better known by the p\ipil. The standard of efhciency recognized in Public Schools where the English language only is taught shall be the standard for French and Ger- man schools, reasonable allowance being made for pupils whose mother tongue is French or German. The Inspector shall report at once to the Education Department any school in which the regulations respecting the study and use of English are disregarded by the teacher or trustees. 4. In counties where there is a scarcity of teachers qualitied to teach Eng- lish, the Board of Examiners for the county, with the approval of the Educa- tion Department, may establish a Model School for the special training of French or German teachers. Such schools shall hold two sessions each year, and shall in addition to the ordinary professional course required for County Alodel Schools, give a full literary course in English in all the subjects pre- ficiibcd for Third Class Teachers' Certificates, or for District CertiHcates a» the Board may direct. The final examination for certificates to teach »hall be conducted in the English language. There shall also bo a final examina- tion in the French or German language, in reading, grammar and composi- tion. Boards of Examiners shall possess all the powers with respect to such scW>ols as they now possess with respect to County Model Schools. The Re* gulations governing the inspection of County Model Schools by the County and Departmental Inspector shall apply to these schools. ' That this House hereby records its approval of these Regulations, and or* ders that Bill (No. 223), be read a second time this day six months. The reasons for declining to accept briefly ; Mr. Craig's Bill were (1) It was unnecessary, as the ground was fully covered by the Regula- tions of the Department. (2) The Bill did not provide for the training of teachers for French ichools. 8 114 THE MO WAT OOVKUNMENT. ! I I (3) The Bill did uot require En({liHh to be uied in the manageuoent and discipline of the anhool, as required by the liet^^ulationa. (4) The liill BiibBtituted the withdrawal of tho toHcher'a certificate fur the present law by which the School grant ia withdrawn for a violation of the IlMgulatioui of the Department, and thua in roduced a new principle into school logialation. (5) When a Ttjauher or Board of Truatees failed to carry out the proviaidna of the Bill in ^ood faith, then the use of French was to be prohibited in such aohoola, that u, the pupils were to be instructed in English, no matter whether they understood a word of it or not, because the teacher or trustees violated the law. (0) Moreover, it was painted out that the mover of the Bill took the ground last year, that " English should be the only language of instruction in all our Public schools. " His words were, aa re;>ortod in the Jimpire of March 9th, 1889 : '• Wore they willing to have two languages in this Province in the Public "Schools of Ontario if such were not tho lieaii^ of the people, the Engliah " language only should be taught." " He did uot want to speak a word against tho French lan^'uage but aa •' this was essentially an EngliMh-speakiiig Province they could only have " one language — the English Language — in their Public schools ; that was the "great principle he wished to lay down." "Mr. Meredith in the same debate said that the course outlined by his " friend, the moiiber for E. Durham, should prevail in the education of the "young in this country, and he would give the broadest utterance to his feel- " ings, even if the result should be to drive him from public life.'' The Oovernment Policy. Tho following quotation from a speech delivered by the Hon. Mr. Ross in Toronto, in June last, is worthy of notice : — "In dealing with French and Gorman in our public schools, we will not allow our French and German fellow-citizens to be regarded aa aliens. They are not aliens in any sense of the term. (Cheers.) They may not speak our language, but neither do many of our citizens of Scotch descent. I must be allowed to repudiate in the strongest terms the narrow sectionalism which appears to have taken such strong hold upon some people, a(iuires but little penetration to see through the thin veil of hypocrisy under which all their pretensions are concealed. A few years ago Prescott, Russell and Esaex were rt.presented in the Local legislature by Conservatives. There wns no cry then of French aggression and French invasion. In nearly half these Hohouls at that time no English was taught, and few of the authorized text books were usud. The teachers were not as csipuble of teaching English as they are now. A greater number of them came from Quebec then than now Where were these guardians of the liberties of Onta:io in those days 1 in 1883, when Tory members, by virtue of the votes of the Frenchman in these counties, sat in the Legislative Assembly, were they the champions of Eni.'- lish schools they pretend to be to-day 1 Whon the Government submitted to the regulations of 1885, by which substantial progress has been made for securing the introduction of English into every school, did Mr. Robillard, the Tory member for Prescott, or Mr. Sol. White, the Ti>ry member for Essex, say a word in support of the policy then instituted 7 Not a word. The oracles of to-day were all silent then. Even the * son of Ontario,' the Orphan Leailer of the Opposition, while on his eastern tour in 1880, in his speeches at Winchister Springs and at Cornwall, in the immediate vicinity of this Providence-forsaken land, was mute as a ' mermaid by the sounding sea. ' (Laughter and applause.) Now like a hungry pack of wolves they are down upon us because iu a day we have not changed the condition of things which must have been well known to every one of them. So long as they received the political support of the Frenchman he was a good, intelligent, progressive citizen^ but '^hen he became a Liberal, and showed his appreciation of the Mowat Government, he is ' a South African Hottentot and a garlic eater,' his 'children are half naked' and his wife takes to ' weeding onion beds and fishing in the nearest stream.' (Cheers and laughter.) Charming gratitude this, to say the least of it. " Regulations of the Department. Next in importance to the School Act and its amendments are the Regulations of the Department. These have been revised with great care by the present Minister, and submitted to Pai lia- ment for approval or rejection. The whole of the operations of the Department are in this way brought directly under the con- trol df the people's representativeri, in a more critical sense than ever before. i ! 11 116 THE MOWAT GOVEHNMKNT. The following are some of the most important amendnienta made : — (a) The area of School grounds, the capacity of ychoola, and their furniture and equipment were more accurately defined. (6) The programme of studies was simplified and the number of subjects reduced from 13 in 1883, to 8 in 1889. (c) Prawing, Agriculture, Temperance and Hygiene, formerly recommended as subjects of study, wore made obligatory.* (d) Provision was made for the use of the authorized Readers in French and German Schools, in addition to text-books in thesa languages, (e) Better provision was made for religious instruction, and all Public Schools were required to begin the exercises of the day by the reading of the Scriptures, either from the Bible or authorized selections, and by the use of the Lord's Prayer, or the prayer sanctioned by the Department. (J) The first Friday in May was declared an Arbor Day. (g) The qualifications of First, Second and Third Class Teachers were more accurately defined, the standard, particularly in English subjects, raised, and the principle of options more generally applied, (h) The regulations respecting County Model . Schools were modified and the number of obligatory subjects increased, (i) Provision was made for the examination of teachers desirous to qualify themselves for Kindergarten work, (j) Ex- perience in teaching was recognized in the ease of those who desired to renew their Third Class Certificates, (k) The course of study for Normal »School certificates was limited to purely pro- fessional work, and the amount of practical teaching in Model Schools increased. (I) The mode of conducting Departmental Examinations was changed, and only those having experience as Teachers employed as sub-exAminers. (m) Text-books used for Public Schools were limited to one text-book in each subject, unless the Trustees by resolution provided for the retention of some book previously used, (n) The publishers of all authorized )text-books were placed under a contract with the Department to manufacture books according to a fixed standard of excellence. (o) Negotiations were successfully canied through with the Sen- ate of the University for the admission of First and Second Class Teachers to Senior and Junior Matriculation respectively pro tanto, and honours at Senior Matriculation accepted by the De- partment in lieu of First Class Certificates grade " C." (p) Limi- tations were placed upon the indiscriminate extension of Third Class Certificates, (^j Agriculture and Temperance were added as optional subjects for entrance to High Schools, the qualifications of specialists for High School work were defined, and professional experience and success recognized M Provision was nvide for distributing the grant for High School purposes on the basis ot THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 117 luient3 chooU, etined. iber of awing, ided as s made lerraan Better Schools ding of )ns, and by i^e a Arbor d Class acularly IS more y Model, subjects teachers (i) Ex- ose who iB course ely pro- „ Model iinental ience as used for subject, ntion of ^orized ment to jellence. ,he Sen- id Class ily pro the De- >) Limi- I Third e added ications tssional ie for lasis ot Teachers' salaries, equipment of tlie school, and the cond ition and suitability of the school premises, (n) Training Institutes were established for the professional training of High School Assistants and First Clas.s Teachers, (t). Distinct provision wa^ made for a Commercial or Business Course in each High School, (tt) The text-book list for High Schools was revised, and by eliminating those that had become obsolete or were unneces.sary, the list was reduced from 147 in 1883 to 55 in 1889. {v) The course of study for High Schools was adapted to the course of study for Matricu- lation into the University, and the number of Departmental Ex- aminations reduced from four in 1888 to two in 1889. (w) Can- didates for Second Class Certificates are required to take the Third Class Examination before being eligible to write for a second, (x) The number of papers required for Third Class Cer- tificates has been reduced from 23 in 1883 to 8 obligatory and 2 optional, and for Second Ckiss Certificates from 28 to 10 obliga- tory and 2 optional. \ ■ SEPARATE SCHOOLS. The first School Act admitting of the principle of Separate Schools was passed in 1841. Amendments of various degrees of importance were made in 1846, 1851, 1853, 1855. 1857, and 18G3 — the amendments of 18G3 being the most important of alL This Act was in force at the time of Confederation and it was in respect to it so far aa the Roman Catholics of Ontario were con- cerned that section 93 was inserted in the B. N. A, Act, as fol- lowes : — 03. — III aiid for each Frovincd the Legislature may exclusively makela General in Council on an appeal under this section is not duTy executed by the proper Provincial authorities in that behalf, then and in every such casu, and as far only as the circumstances of each case require, the Parliament of Canada msy make remedial laws for the due execution of the provisions of this section and of any decision of the Governor- General in Council under this section. • Tfw Act of 1863. The controversy of the last few years haa arisen out of the following sections of the Act of 18(i3 : — Sec. 14, now 40 R. S. 1887; Section 18 now section 47; section 13 now section 61; and section 26 now section 64 ; — 14.— Every person paying rates, whether as proprietor or tenant, who, by himself, or his agent, on or before the first day of March in any year, gives to the clerk of the municipality notice in writing that he is a Roman Catho- lic, and supporter of a Separate School situated in the municipality or in a municipality contiguous thereto, shall be exempted from the payment of all rates imposed for the support of Public Schools, and of Public School libra- ries^ or for the purchase of land or erection of buildings for Public School purposes, within the city, town, incorporated village or section in which ho resides, for the then current year, and every subsequent year thereafter, while he continues to stipport a Separate School; and the notice shall not be required to be renewed annually; and it shall be the duty of the trustees of every .Separate School to transmit to the clerk of the municipality or clerk of muHicipalities (as the case may bf) on or before the Urd day of June in each year J a correct list of tiie names avd residinccs of all persons supporting the Separate Schools under thtir management; and every ratepayer whose name shall net appear on such list shall be rated for support of Corflmon Schools. 47. — (1) Any Roman Catholic who may desire to withdraw his support from a Separate School, shall give notice in writing to the clerk of the muni- cipality, before the second Wednesday in January in any year, otherwise he shall be deemed a supporter of the school. (2) But any person who has withdiawn his support from a Roman Catholic Separate School shall not be exempted from paying any rate for the support of Separate Schools or Separate School libraries, or for the erection of a Separate School house, imposed before the time of his withdrawing such support from the Separate School. 61. — The teachers of a Separate School under this Act shall be subject to the same examinations, and receive their certificates of qualification, in the same manner as Public School teachers generally ; but the persons qualified by law aa teachers, either in the Province of Ontario, or, at the time of the passing of The British North America Act, in the Province of Quebec, shall be considered qualified teachers for the purpose of this Act. 64. — The Iloman Catholic Separate Schools (with their registers) shall be subject to such inspection as may be directed from time to time by the Min- ister of Education, and shall be subject also to such regulations as may be imposed from time to time by the Education Department. ( Efect of Section 40. By section 14 (now 40) the trustees of separate schools were required to furnish the Municipal Clerk, on or before 1st Juna THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 119 with a list of Separate School supporters. Any Roman Catholic not entered on such list would be liable for Public School rates ; the trouble and annoyance of preparing such a list annually was greatly complained of by Separate School trustees, inasmuch as this section rendered it necessary for them to make up annually a list of all the Separate School supporters, and this in the cities sometimes amounted to several hundreds if not thousands of names. Aiiundment of 1877. In 1877 the Separate School Act was amended so as to relieve Trustees of Separate Schools of the duty of supplying annually a list of their supporters and transferring this duty to the assessor. This amendment was as follows : — * Municipal Councils were required ' ' To cause the Assessor of the Tuwuahip, in pre^ ariiig the annual assessment roll of the Township, and setting down therein the school section of the person taxable, to distinguish between Public or Separate, and in setting down therein his religion, to distinguish between Protestant and Roman Catholic, and whether supporters of Public or Separate Schools ; and the Aasessor shall, accordingly, insert such particulars in the respective columns of the assessment roll prescribed by law for the school section and religion respectively of the person taxab'e." " The Court of Revision shall try aod determine all complaints in rej^ard to persons in these particulars aUtged to be UTongfuUy placed upon or omttted from th» roll (as the case may be), and any person so curoplaining, or any elector of the municipf the ^allbe x\\ be Min- lay be |wer« Tuna , Amendvient of 1879. It was found after this amendment went into operation that frequent mistakes were made by the assessor with respect to the rating of Public and Separate School supporters respectively. To obviate this the Separate School Act was further amended in 1879 as follows : (Sec. 26, sab-sec. 3, 18V9.) "In any case where the trustees of any " Roman Catholic Separate school avail themselves of the provisions contained ** in the 78th sec. of the Public ochool Act, for the purpose (amongst others) " of ascertaining through the aasessor of the municipality of the persons who *' are the supporters of Separate Schools in such Municipality, the assensor " shall accept the statement of any ratepayer that he is a Roman Catholic, aa " sufficient ^rima/acie evidence for placing such person in the proper ool- I 120 THE MOWAT GOVEKNM'.NT. " umn of the assesanoent roll for Separate School Buppoiters, or if the assessor " know personally any person to be a Roman Oatholio this shall alsu be suf« •' ficient for placing him in such last mentioned column." In 1886 these clauses were consolidated and read as follows : 4§. — (I) The assessor or acsessors of every municipality shall in the as- sessment roll set down the religion of the person taxable, distinguishing be- tween Protestant and Roman Catholic, and whether supporters of Public or Separate Schools but nothing herein contained shall be deemed to interfere with the rights of Public School trustees under the Public Schools Act. (2) The as'aeseor shall accept the statement of, or made on behalf of, any ratepayer, that he is a Roman Catholic, as sufficient prima /aci« evidence for placing such person in the proper column of the assessment roll for Separate School supporters, or if the assea^'tor knows personally any ratepayer to be a Roman Catholic this shall also be suthcient for placing him in such last men- tioned column. (3) The Court of Revision shall try and determine all complaints in regard to persons in these particulars alleged to be wrongfully placed upon or omit- ted from the roll (as the case may be), and any person so complaining, or any ratepayer of the municipality, may give notice in writing to the clerk of the municipality of such complaint, and the provisions of the Assessment Act, in reference to giving notice of complaints against the assessment roll, and proceedings for the trial thereof, shall likewise apply to all comp iainta under this section of this Act, 49 V. c. 46, s. 49. Efect of Araeyidments of if 77-79. It was contended by the opponents of the Government (1) that these amendments completely changed the status of Roman Catho- lics with respect to the Public School system, and instead of their being prima facie Public School supporters, as they were in the Act of 1863, they were now prima facie Separate School sup- porters. (2) It was alleged that without even the knowledge or consent of a Roman Catholic, any person on his behalf could notify the assessor that he was a Separate School supporter, and thus change his status with respect to the Public Schools. (3) It was alleged that the notice required in section 40 was dispensed with. In answer to these allegations the Hon. Mr. Crooks, then Minister of Education, replied as follows : " There has been no change in the principle on which Separate Schools are based, namely, the permission or option which each Roman Catholic has to become a supporter of a Separate School or not. His being a Catholic is merely pritna facie evidence on which the assessor could place his name among the supporters of the Separate School ; but he cannot do so if the Roman Catholic ratepayer instructs him to the contrary; and in that case, not being a supporter of a Separate School, he would be liable to Public School rates and entitled to send his children to the Public School. The law permits each Roman Catholic ratepayer his individual option in supporting the Separate School, and provides the proper machinery for having this au settled that he must pay a school rate for one or the other. " THE MOWAT GOVERNMKNT. 121 The following statement by Mr. Mowat in 1886 was also given as an answer : ire to is the se, javr ]ng *• But the ludicrous absurdity of the objection is th»t the preliminary notice has not been disponsod with. On the contrary, it is expressly con- tinued by the list sec. of the Act of last session, the section which gives Roman Catholics exemption from school rates, and any Protestant or other ratepayer of the municipality may object to the exemption before the Court of Revision, on the ground that the necessary preliminary notice was not given; and he may do so without the consent, and even contrary to the wish of the ratepayer whose case is in question. Could anything show more clearly the mortal weakness of our ausailants than the neooesity of sotting up so idle a criticism ? " As the Conservative or;3'ans still persisted in thoir statements, the case was submitted by the Minister of Ijklucation to the Courts for decision in the following form : Decision of Judges on Separate Schools Act. In pursuance of the Publio Schools Act» Revised Statutes of Ontario, 1887, chapter 225, section 237 : Tho Minister of Education for Ontario submits to the Honourable John Alexander Boyd, Chancellor, President of tho Chancery Divisiuu of Uer Majesty's High Court of Justice for Ontario, for his opinion and decision ; Or with hia consent, for the opinion and decision of the Divisional Court of the said Chancery Division, the following cases or questions :— First Question. Is or is not a ratepayer, who has not, by himself or his agent, given notice in accordance with the last foregoing section, entitled to exemption from the payment of rates imposed for the support of Public Schools or for other Public School purposes, as in that section mentioned i Answer. This Court in answer to the First question submitted by the said special Case doth declare that : — If the assessor is satisfied with the prima facie evidence of the statement made by or on behalf of any ratepayer that he is a Roman Catholic, and thereupon (seeking and having no further information) places such person upon the assessment roll as a Separate School supporter, this ratepayer though he may not by himself or his agent have given notice in writing pur- suant to section 40 of the Separate Schools Act may be entitled to exemption from the payment of rates for Public School purposes, he being in tho case i|uppo8ed assessed as a supporter of Roman Catholic Separate Schools. Second Question. Is it or is it not open to the Court of Revision of the municipality, under section 120 (3) of the Public Schools Act, on the complaint of a person placed by the assessor in the column of the assessment roll for S^arate fc^chool supporters. ? T — mmmm 11 ii I; 122 THE MOWAT QOVERNMENT. Or, on the complaint of any other person being an elector, to try and determine oomplainta in regard to — (a) The religion uf the person placed by the oasesBor on the roll aa taxable as Protestant or Roman Catholic ; i (6) Whether auch person is a supporter of Public Schools or of Separate Schools within the meaning of the provisions uf law in that behalf ; (c) Whether such person has been placed in the wrong column < f the assessment roll for the purposes of school tax ; (d) Whether the name of any person wrongfully omitted frojm the proper column of the roll should be inserted thereon ; (e) Or any other fact or particular relating to persoiis alleged to be wrong- fully placed upon or omitted from the roll under section 120. Answer. And this Court in answer to the Second question doth declare that : — The CouTt of Revision has jurisdiction on application of the person as- sessed, or of any municipal elector (or ratepayer, as in the JBoparate Schools Act, section 48 (3) ) to hear and determine complaints ; (a) In regard to the religion of the person placed on the roll as Protestanfc or Rioman Catholic, and (b) As t6 whether such person is or is not a supporter of Public or Sepa- rate Schools within the meaning of the provisions of law in that behalf, and (c) — Which appears to be involved in (fc) — whether sarih person has been placed in the wrong column of the asBessmoat roll for the purposes of the school tax. It is also competent for the Court of Revision to determine whether the name of any person wrongfully omitted from the proper columu of the as- sessment roll should be inserted therein upon the complaint of the person himself or of any elector (or ratepayer). As to the trinl of any other fact or particular under section 120 of the Public Schools Act, the answers already given appear to exhaust all facts and particulars thereunder. Third Question. Ir or is not the assessor bound to accept the statement of, or made on bbhalf of, any ratepayer under section 120 (2) of the Public Schools Act in case he is made aware or ascertains before completing his roll that such rate- payer is not a Roman Catholic or has not given the notice required by section 40 of the Separate Schools Act, or is for any reason not entitled to exemption from Public School rates. Answer, And this Cbnrt in answer to the third (question doth declare that — The assessor is not bound to accept this statement of, or made on behalf of, any ratepayer under section 120 (2) of the Public Schools Act, in case he i^ made aware or ascertains before completing his roll that such ratepayer is not a Roman Catholic or has not given the notice required by section 40 of the Separate Schools Act, or is for any reasi n not entitled to exemption from Pubac So^'r '. '.'^•^:^ ^i f,t. .s^r Fouith Question. t'^ t ; <«' • ratej; Iyer is in any year wrongfully assessed as a Roman Catholic and 8u;;^v.of tet ot S.-.narute Schools, and through inadvertence or other causes THE MOWAT GOVERNMEirT. 123 did not appeal therefrom, or being a Roman Catholic has not since g;iyen tho n 'tice of withdrawal mentioi^d in section 47 of the Separate Schools Act, is he or iahe not estopped from claiming in such following, or future year with reference to the assessment of such year that he is not a Rom»n Catholic or has not g^ven the said notice ? If the ratepayer hiinself is estopped, are or are not the other ratepayers of tho mnnicipaiity estopped also, and without remedy by appeal in such follow- ing ur future year ? Answer. And this Court as to the Fourth question submitted by the said Special Case which is recast by cuunaol on both sides after the argument is as fol- lows, viz : 4. (a) In case a ratepayer, not being a Roman Catholic, is in any year wrongfully asseasud as a Roman Catholic and supporter of Separato Schools, and through inadvertence or other causes did not appeal therefrom, is he or is he not estopped from claiming in such following or future year with ref- erence to the assessment of such year t«tiat he i& not a Roman Catholic ? ■(b) Or is a ratepayer, being a Roman Catholic and appearing on the assess- ment roll as a Roman Catholic and supporter of Seiparato Schools (.Uthough he had not given the notice under tho 40th section of Separate Schools Act), and not having given the notice of withdrawal mentioned in section 47 of the Separate Schools Act, is he or is he not estopped from claiming in such fol- lowing or future year that he should not be placed as a suf)porter of Separate Schools with reference to the assessment of such year, although he had not given the said notice of withdrawal. (c) Under the circumstances stated in either of the last two paragraphs, if the ratepayer himself is estopped, are or are not the othevatepayers of the municipality estopped also, and without remedy by appeal in such following or future year ? As to the first part of the question lettered (a) doth declare that : A ratepayer not a Roman Catholic, being wrongfully assessed as a Roman Cathohc and supporter of Separate Schools, who through inadvertence or other causes does not appeal therefrom, is not estopped (nor are other rate- payers) from claiming in reference to the assessment of the following or fu- ture year that he is not a Roman Catholic. And as to the second part of the said question lettered (h) doth declare that : — A ratepayer, being a Roman Catholic and appearing in the assessment roll as a Roman Catholic and supporter of Separate Schools, who has not given the notice in writing of being such supporter mentioned in section 40 of the Sep irate Schools Act, is not (nor are the other ratepajers) estopped from claiming in the following or future year, that he should not be placed as a supporter of Separate Schools with reference to the assessment of such year, although he has not given notice of withdrawal mentioned in section 47 of the* Separate Schools Act. And as to that part of the said question lettered (c) the answers to the previous parts of the said question appearing to thb Court to be also a suf- ficent answer tc the said paragraph lettered (c), this Court doth not see fit to make any further or other answer thereto. The contention of the Government was fully sustained, and as a matter of law this should have set the whole question at rest. 12-4 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. i. ' In orJer, however, to remove all cause of complaint and render it almost impossible for mistakes to occur, the Minister of Edu- cation introduced into the House the following Bill, which received the assent of the Lieutenant-Governor on 7th April : No. 18G]. BILL. 1890. An Act to amend the Public and Separate Sehoolo Act. HER MAJESTY by and with the advice and consent tf the'LegislativB Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follovi s : — I, The clerk of every municipality shall forthwith after the passing of this Act, enter in a convenient index book, and in alphabetical order, the name of any ptrson who has given to him or any former clerk of the municipality notice in writing that such person is a Roman Catholic and a supporter of a separate school in or contiguovis to the municipality, as provided by the 4\.>th section of The Separate SchooU Act, or by previous Acts respectirg separate schools ; the clerk shall also enter to opposite the name, and in a cuhimn for this purpose, the date on which the notice was received, t^nd in a third column opposite the name any notice by such person of withdrawal from supporting A separate school, as provided by the 47th section of the said Act, or by any such Act as aforesaid, with the date of such withdrawal ; or any disallowance of the notice by the court of revision or county judge, with the date of such disallowance. The Ipdex hot k may be in the form set out in the schedule to this Act, and shall be open to inspection by ratepayers. (2) The clerk shall enter in the same book, and in the proper alphabetical place therein, all such notices hereafter from time to time received by the clerk. (.'i) It shall be the duty of the clerk to 61e and carefully preserve all Huch notices which have been heretofore received, or shall hereafter be received. il. In the case of a municipality in which there are supporters of a Koman Catholic separate school therein, or contiguous thereto, there shall be printed in conspicuous characters, or written across or on the assessor's notice to every ratepayer, provided for by the 47th section of The Aaspssment Ad, and set forth in schedule B. to the said Act, in addition to the proper entry here* tofore required, to be made in the column respecting the school tax, the . folio wiug words: "You are assessed aa a separate school supporter," or " You are assessed as a public school stipporter," as the case may be ; or these words may be added to the notice to the ratepayer set forth in the said schedule. 3. Where the list required by the first section of this Aot is prepared, the assessor is to be guided thereby in ascertaining who have givt n the notices which are by Kw necessary, in order to entitle supporters of Roman Catholic separate schools to exemption from the public school tax. 4. The statement made undrr the second sub-section of the 48th section of The Separate Schools Act, the 120th section of The Public Schools Act, or the fourteenth sub-section of The > Assessment Act. nieanp, and has always meant, a statement made to the ai^sessor on behalf of the ratepayer by his authority, and not otherwise. 5. In case of its appearing to the munic'oal council of any municipality after the litial revision of the assessment roll, that through some mistake or inadvertence any ratepayers have beeo placed in the wrong school tax column, either a» supporters of s>^parate schools or supporters of public schools, it THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 1£5 shall be competent for the municipal council after due enquirj and notice to correct auch errors if such council sees fit, by directing the amount of the tAX of such ratepayers to be paid to the proper school board. But it shall not be competent for the council to reverse the decision of the court of revisi( n or the county court judge as to any ratepayer. (2) In case of such action by a municipal council the ratepayer shall be liable for the same amount of school tax as if he had in the first instance been entered on the roll properly. This Act .requires the clerk to keep an index book for those who give notice under section 40; requires the assessor to be guide«] by the notices entered in that book, in making up his roll, and empowers the Council to rectify mistakes where they occur, even at the last moment. Mr. Meredith's Bill on the same subj( ct made no provision for preventing the mistakes which were a real ground of complaint, but proposed a useless re-afiirmation of section 40, which had never been repealed. His Bill, which was rejected by the House, is as follows : No. 171.] BILL. [1890. An Act respecting Separate School Supporteia. WHEREAS every ratepayer ought to be by law prima facie a publio school supporter and no one should be rat.ed as a Homan Catholic sep- arate school supporter unless he by his own voluntary net declares his inten- tion to be a supporter of separate schools in accordance with the provisiona of the law ; Theref()re Her Majesty by and with the advice and consent of the Legis- lative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enncts as follows : — 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of any act or law to the contrary, no person otherwise liable for public school rates shall be exempt from the pay- ment thereof or be liable for the payment of rates in support of a Roman Catholic separate school unless he shall have given the notice provided for by section 40 of The Separate Schools Act. ft. It shall be the duty of the clerk of the municipality in preparing the collector's roll thereof to place in the column of public school rates, the rates of every ratepayer who shall not have {m thoin, at the risk of loss of seaLs and iiifluence, thvir uow recogniaod rights. It ill became the Couiniisaioner to accuse the bon. member of West Toronto of being hostile to the Separate School system, and liy attempt to make out that this alle^^ed feeling was shared by the Oonserva- 'ive party. It was the leader ot the Govornmont who had been hostile to it, id had voted against the concession of the right to have Separate Schools. While he recognised the right of the Oatholios to have Separate Schools, ha did not see why no attempt should be made to improve the system. The Cottiinissioner said that the Bill must be rejf*cted because of the speech of the mover. According to him, a Bill was to be rejected, not on its merits, but according to the speech delivered by the mover. He knew nothing ot tho state of Separate Schools in Toronto, but so far as London was concerned he believed they were well conducted. He did not favor forcing the ball t system upon the Separate School supporters if they did not want it, but le supported the proposition to extend the billot to the Public School elections." In 1886, he acquirsccd in the ballot for Public Schoob, but made no request that the same principle should be applied to Separate Schools. Now he is exceedingly anxious for a com- pulsory ballot in both Public and Separate Schools, even with- out evidence that a respectable minority desires it in either ca.se. Inspection of Separate Schools. Under Dr. Ryerson the Separate Schools in rural districts were inspected by the Public School Inspectors, and in cities, towns, and incorporated villages, were inspected by the High School In- spectors — and for this purpose an additional High School In- spector at an annual expense, including salary and travelling ex- penses, of about $2,500 a year, was appointed. In 1882 this system was abandoned and an Inspector appointed specially for Separate Schools. As the work was too laborious for one In- spector another was appointed in IhS* ; the salaries of both, in- eluding travelling expenaes in 1889 were $4<,268. It is said that an injustice is done to the Province by making the salaries of the Separate School Inspectors a charge upon the public revenue, while in the case of Public School Inspectors one half is a charge •ipon the public revenue, and onti half upon the county. More- ver, it is said that in cities and towns separated from the coun£y, [Qe whole of the salaries of the Public School Inspectors is paid out of the local revenue, and there is no just ground for charging the salaries of the Separate School Inspectors upon the Provin- * cial treasury. The answer to that is (1) City Inspectors are ap- ointed by the trustees without reference to the Government. . hv should they not be paid by the authoritias appointing t '.m I (2) The Province pays towards Public School inspection ! 1 VM THB MOW AT GOVERNMKNT. the BUin of $35,890 annually. This sum is a chat^o upon tho whole Province, Catholica as well ns Protestants. InspcctorH are also paid an equal amount from the county rates which Is a charge upon ProtostantH and Catholics alike. If, therefore, the Catholics of the Province, representing one-sixth of the popula- tion, are taxed $7^750 for tne salaries of Inspictors whose ser- vices are not usud for inspection of Separate Schools, there is no injustice in taxing tire whole Province $4,208 for the salaries of Separate School Inspectors, although their services are only used in the interests of Separate Schools. (3) When Separate Schools were inspected under Dr. Ryerson, by the High School Inspect- ors, their salaries were a charge upon the revenue of the Pro- vince, so that as a matter of iact there is no change in the prin- ciple, the change is merely in the name of the officers employed. (4) So long as Separate Schools are denominational it is but reasonable that the Inspectors of the same denomination as the school will get the confidence of teachers and trustees more fully than would Inspectors of a different denomination whose advice when justly tendered might be regarded with sus|)icion and dis- trust. TUB TEXT BOOK ^ilJESTION. The following statement shows the Readers authorised in the schools of the Province since the establishment of the school system : The Irish National Readers, authorised 27th October, ISio; The Canadian Readers, authorised 4th January, 18C8 ; And the Ontario Readers in 1884. Two series of Readers were authorised in 1883, but were intro- duced into only a few schools, so that practically there were only two changes made in the Reading Books in the Public Schools of Ontario since 1846, viz , one by Dr. Ryerson, and the Ontario Readers by the present Minister of Education. Text Boohs authoHaed by the Council of Public Instruction. On the 31st December, 18G7, the number of text books author- ised in the Public Schools of Ontario was 25. Additional books authorised in 1B68 6 «• ♦' " 1869 3 " " " 1870 3 . *» " •' 1871 13 «* «' '< 1872 1 « " " 1876 15 Or a total in six years of 41 pon tho itorH are ich Is ft ore, the po{»ula- 1080 ser- sre is no laries of Illy used I Schools Inspect- the rro- tho piin- mployed. t is but m as the lore fully 96 advice and dis- A in the le school ire intro- ?ere only jhools of Ontario 'uction. author- THE MOW AT QOYRKNMENT. 129 Bo«^k8 Htruck off during the same period by the Council of Public Instruction, 19. Text Books authorised by Mr. Crooks. In 1877.. 17 Inl878 « In 1879 .• 4 Inl880 3 In 1881 2 In 1882 4 In 1883 a Or a totalin teveu yean of .' 34 L^Text books struck ofT by Mr. Crooks, 36. Books added since 1883. In 1884 '. 1 In 1885 2 In 1886 In 1887 16 In 1888 lnl889* Inl890 Or a total in seven yean of 19 * Great Diversity of Text Boolcs. In the Public Schools of Ontario there were on the 31st of December, 187o, 5 5 authorised text books, in the 24 subjects in the five forms df the Public School course, and on the Slst of December, 1883, 53 authorised text books covering 15 different subejepts of study. In some subjects the number authorised was to great as to be confusing to pupils and parents. For instance, there were authorised in Grammar, 11 text books; Arithmetic, 4 text books ; Geography, 9 text books ; History, 5 text books. The numberirauthorised on the Slst December, 1889, was 19, in eleven subjects of study. Owing to the constant changes of teachers and the capricious- ness of many members of the profession in regard to text books, one geojTfraphy or grammar was often set aside and another intro- duced into the school without any substantial educational benefit * Kea^ ^m. V 1- 1889. 9 Cost of Text-Books. ^ The following comparison of the size and cost of the Readers submitted to the Department in 1883, and the Ontario Readers now used may be instructive : — ' ' Pftges. Cost. Gage's 752 $1 31 Royal.... 972 I 60 Royal Canadian..., 955 180 Ontario Readers 976 1 35 The average price of the throe series discarded is S1.63 ; the price of the new series if $1.35, shewing a difference of eightoen cents in favor of the new series. THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. 131 School Act n upon the riodel School thorised text iteea and tlifi ig of a school en.' (44 V. f text bookb each subject V. all change pedient. eni when we the Province 5t four forms loer of pupils ,307. iw limited to shows how use of text -.•■'(.. lof Ihe 14 f6. 18 k 17 h. 9 the Readers irio Readers S1.53 ; the of eighteen Comparisons with American and English Readers. Pages. Price. Wilson Series. 911 ^1 79 Sheldon's New York . ...890 1 92 Swinton's 922 1 80, Appleton's 694 1 72 McGuffey's, Cincinnati. .066 1 39 Barnes' New Reader 894 1 76 Lippincott's 818 1 67 Collins' (English) 694 1 22j^ Collins' (Progressive). ... 692 I lOi^ Ontario Readers 976 1 35.. A7 Arbitration. t.ii Under the agreement with the publishers, the Education De- partment has the right to submit to arbitration every book on the authorized list in order to ascertain if any reduction can be made in the price of publication while leaving the publi.shers a reasonable profit. So much had been said with regard to the cost of text books that the Minister of Education felt it to be his duty to act upon that clause of the agreement authorising the arbitra- tion. On the 27th May, 1889, the Minister of Education appointed James Bain, jr.. Librarian of the Public Library of the City of Toronto, as arbitrator on behalf of the Department ; the publish- ei^ appointed Richard Brown, jvholesale book manufacturer, and the Chancellor of Ontario, appointed His Honor Edward Morgan, .Junior Judge of the County of York, as third arbitrator. After a session of fourteen days, and the examination of 21 witnesses, the^arbitrators reported as follows :-- « «kt.')« Having fully weighed and considered all the evidence, vouchers, allega- tions and proofs laid before us under oath, touchinij the matters referred to us, and having heard the parties by their respective counsel, hereby make and publish our award of and concerning the matters no to as referred as follows • — 1st. As to the books published by the Canada Publishing Company we find tutd award and determine as follows : — The Public School Arithmetic is published without profit, and the present retail price is therefore not excessive. The Pubmc School Grammar is published without pro6t, and the presen- retail price is therefore not excessive. The Public School Qroorai-hy realizes to the publisher a fair profit, but one which we do not consider excessive, and therefore do not consider that the retail price thereof should be reduced. ■• I- 13^ THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. i i M » The Public School Mut'io Rbadbr realizes to the publisher;.a fair bnt net exotiSBive profit, and the retail price should not be reduced. Thb Uioh School Music Rkadeb realizes to the publisher a fair profit, and the retail price cannot be fairly reduced. Thk Hioh School Grammar. — The capital account on this book is aa yet unrealized by the publisher, and the profit on estimated future sales after the capital account has been wiped out will not be excessive, and the retail price cannot be reduced. Thb Hiau School Gbooraput. — The publishers realize on the sale of this book a very fair profit, but not in our judgment an excessive one so as to call for a reduction of the retail price, the more especially as on some of tho hooka of their authorised series a loss is being sustained by them. Thb Orthokpist. — The profit on this book is merely nominal to the publish- ers, and is far from being excessive. The retail price should not be reduced. Elements or Aloebra. — One-third only of the capital account has as yet been reaHzed by the publishers and upon estimated sales for the next three years at the end of that time it will not be wiped out. This shows that the book is being published without profit, and that the retail price mii^ht be increased itnd not reduced. Hue's First French Book. — This book is being published at a loss to the publishers. Price is therefore not excessive. Willia-ms' Composition and Practical English. — The publisher's profit on this book is fair, but not excessive, and does not call for any reduction J*- in the retail price. 2nd. As to the books published by the Methodist Publishing Company we find, award and determine as follows : — McGuirl's P and G Drawing has so far been published without any profit, as the capital account is not yet nearly realized, and at the estimated *' sales for next three years it will noc then be realized. Profit therefore - not t-xcHssive, and retail price might be increased rather than reduced. fliQH School Algebra. — The capital account is not nearly aa yet realized, and at estimated sales will not be fully realized at end of next three years. 'J his shows profit not excessive, and that retail piice should not be reduced, but if anything increased. 3rd. As to the books published by the Grip Publishing Company we find, award and determine as follows : — The EioH School Dkawinq Course has been so far published at a large profit to tlie publiahei's. The capital account has been extinguished and a fair profit besiiles returned to the publisher, and in the future the profit will be excessive on estimated sales. The retail price of this book as now establiahed should theroforo be reduced to fifteen cents, which would yield a fair and roasouablo profit to the publisher. Ptibmo School Temperance. — The capital account of this book has not been realized, and at estimated sales will not bo tealized at end of three years. The profit is clearly not excessive, as there will be a loss on the book at end of tl>ree years. The English pi ice of this book is two shillings stei'- Lug, and tlie pubiishera ask thxt retail price be inortaaed, whicli roquoat we think may fairly be graiitwd. 4tk. At to the books publiahed by tbfl Bose Publishing Company, we find, an»rd and dstenuine as fttUons ;■— »•■ fair but net r profit, and ok is as yei future sales cesaive, and sale of this one so as to on some of by them, the publish- 3uld not be b has as yet lot the next This shows I retail price 1 loss to the r'a profit on y reduction /ompany we ; any profit, iti estimated tit therefore reduced. 'et realized, f next three should not ny we find, d at a large i(uished and re the profit »uk as now rhich would las not been three yearn, the book at liliiu^sstev:- lich rtiqueit ay, wo 6nd, THE MOWAT OOVEHNMEKT. J«8e of the last named Took Th^''-'^^^ f»«t» are the .an. • »1.00 as against »l 75 *?„ 7 ^^e profit ia not 7,« • ^^® ** "» the capital account tk ^rr^^^^w book is aJ«o .« . , ^Ih. A. to the book, „„L t Ti' ''"""iiau aulhoK „f ' "S""" «« •»d determine a» fofc^""'" "^ W. J. q,^, ^ ™«^ P"^- fe-rB^r-^^^^^^^^ -—...a. »-da d ,,.^.^boo|.. pjbW d^ ,, ,^, ,^^,^,^ ^^^^ ^ rUBuo School HxsTiiwv ..., u ., ; "'l'*"? we find, H'oa School B^„,,„„ ,,;„^ Pnc. of th».e books'^ houM",™!"™ P~6» t" ;•- oThr l^'P""' ««"« H.OH ScHvo. Bo„..„ J,^'' """ ""•"'»« be red „"oe^a'; ''''"'"• The ret^! This book has had a f- 'ti^-i' I 134 THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. I-' -I '.i ! X\ r \- ! 1, ' ! " : i ! .' 1 ' ^ ■' !, ' i [, H ■ i I . ■ 1 1 '; i '4 ■. 7th. As to the books published by Warwick & Sons we find, award and determine a& follows, namely : — Baldwin's Aht of School Manaormbnt, akd HoUOHTON's PhYSIOAI. Cui.TUBB. We find that the capital account of these books respectively has not been realized on the number of books published to date, and that the profit on these books has not been and will not be excessive, and that the retail price should not be reduced. With respect to the Canadian Pubho School Drawing Coubsb in five books published by the Canada Publishing Company and the Kindbbqartbn Dbawino Books published by Selby & Company, and which are not included in and covered by the agreement of reference above recited, but as to which we were requested by the Minister of Education and the publishers to en- quire into and repeat on, we hereby report as follows ; — Thb Canadian Drawing Course. We do not thin'k the price ten cents as originally fixed was at the time ex- cessive I^esause the capital account of the books was about $3,500 and the sale for the first three years somewhat limited. Now, however, that the capital account has been paid off, the profits at ten cents per book would in the future be excessive. 'JThe price has been properly reduced to six cents per copy, which price wUfiyield the publisherSjOnly a fair and reasonable profit. Had the price been reduced at an earlier date the I, publishers might have bad just ground of complaint against the Depart- ment. At five cents per copy the books would be published at a loss. The Kindergarten Drawing Couksb. We find that owing to the large amount paid for copyright, and this bbok not being on tha compulsory authoristd list and its sale having to be pressed so as to introduce it to the rural schools, it only having been introduced about a year, the price at which it is now sold is not too large and that the profit realized by the publishers is not excessive. An examination into the prices charged in the United States for school books of a kind almost identical with those forming the subject of this refer- ence has satisfied us that the prices of Canadian school books are far below the prices obtained in the United States, and that theEducatisn Department of Ontario has exercised extreme care in dealing with each book as to the re- tail price thereof so that the public have obtained the books at lower prices than could have been obtained under any other system than the system of authorization nqw adopted by the Department, siui this system while it fully protects the public and secures low priced school oooks appears to be reason- ably fair to the publisher. Of the school books issued by American and Canadian piiblishers with respect to which the differetice in price in favor of the Canadian book is most strongly marked, may be mentioned : Williamh' CoMPOsmoN. — Canadian price 50 cents ; American price 75 cents. High Siuoot German Grammar. — Canadian price 75 cents ; American price ^1.50. HioH School Geographv. — Canadian wholesale price 7o cents; United States wholesale priu«^ $1.10. PuBi ic School Geoguaphv. — Canadian 190 pages, wholesale price 50 cents ; United States 121 pages, wholesale price 70 cents ; and many others. In view of thesp circumstances and inasmuch as many of the books referred to us are sold at profits below what is usually obtained by the trade, the THE MOWAT" GOVKRNMKNT. 135 trard and not been e profit on the retail 18B in five >EEOARTBN >t included ta to which hers to en- he time ex- $3,500 and )wevoT, that tin per book jrly reduced ily a fair and ier date the the Depart- at a loBB. thi« bbok not ;o be pressed p introduced [rge and that Lb for school Uf this refer- Cre far below [Department las to the re- I lower prices Ihe system of ■while it fully fco be reason - jlishers with [book is most |r ice 7 5 cents. American Inited States [ice 5(> cenia , Vjy others. looks referred Te trade, the flndersigaed would respectfully submit that if it ia deemed iuexpadiont by the Education Department to increase the price of said books, the privilege of publication now enjoyed by the respective publishera should not be dis- turbed for at least one year from the date of this reference. We feel it to bo our duty to the various publishers to mention that not- withatariding the fact that many of the books in the Schedule have not been yielding even fair prolits, all of said books,* especially the High School and Public School geographies are up to a very high standard of exuellen6o as to binding, typography, illustrations and other matters that go to the mako up of a well published book and are fully equal in these respects to the school publications in the United States and in the Mother Country. In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have set their hunds and seals this Twenty seventh day of May, A. D. 1889. (S«d.) RicHD. Brown, " James Bain, Jr., " E. Morgan. Witvejss : (Sgd.) J. R. Miller. Objection to ArhUraiion. Objection was taken to the arbitration on the ground that the public and the press were not admitted while the evidei.ce was being taken, and a motion was made in the House last session asking for copies of the evidence. In reply to an enquiiy made by the Minister of Education respecting the mode of coi ducting the proceedings, the following letter wa^ received from the arbi- trators : ToKONTo, February 27th, 1890. The Honorable G. W, Ross, Minister of Education, Toronto: Dear Sir, — In reply to your letter of to-day respecting the recent school book arbitration, we may say that on the opening of the arbitration it was suggested on behalf of the various publishers concerned, that it was a con- sent arbitration in which all the publishers joined so as to save expense and have one award covering all the books : that the evidence to be given, on which only we could come to a just conclusion, would involve a disc i sure of the private bu sines* affairs of each publishing house — at any rate so far aa the publishing of these books was concerned, and that it was not desirable that the respective publishers should be let into the business and trade secrets of each other ; and it was urged that the evidence taken by us on these points as to each set of books should not be made public and communicated to the publishers at large, but be merely for our information as arbitrators. This was assented to on behalf of the Minister of Education, and the evi- dence was so taken, each of us making his own notes thereof. These notes were not preserved by us after our award was made. We are of the opinion that this method of conducting the arbitration resulted in our obtaining from each publisher and the various expert wit- nesses called, evidence of a much more full, frank and exhaustive character than we could have obtained if the enquiry had been conducted in the presence of all the publishers and witnesses and the general public, and so enabled us more SMScurately to arrive at the conclusion whether or not an ex« l! :K '■¥^-' 'Pi -' I ! 13G THE MOWAT GOVKKNMENT. I ( oeuive profit was beiD(;r realized by any publisher on any of the books under' consideration. We have the honor to be, etc. , (Signed^ Jajheh Bain, Jr. ] f Signed) Rich'b Bkown. > Arbitrator: (Signed) Edw. Moroak. ) • High School Text Books. The first list of authorised text books for Grammar Scliools was prepared in 1855, and consisted of 87 books. Amendments were made to this from time to time, so that on the 31st Decem- ber, 1875, the list ccnr'^^ed of 80 books. Various additions were made by Mr. C"oks, *4,id on 31st December, 1883, the list con- sisted of 131 books. Additions and eliminations were made since that date, and on 31st December, 1889, the list corsisted of 55 books unconditionally authorised. The text books conditionally authorised dropped out on the Ist July, 1889, unless extended by resolution of the '^'-zrt'^.c'^ adopted prior to that date. Foli I, '.'■' ^h'S Lefartment. Since 1883 tho Education T-ipaitment has labored assidu- ously to consolidate ii- i-r,Q tex-o -•ok every sub-department of «aeh subject in the course ol ^^'v^y, , vriev to reduce the expense to the pupils. The following suii-er- :• shows the number and cost of the books used in the same subject in 1882 and 1889 : — 1883. 1889. Reading 3 books cost $1 85 1 book cost % 60 Orthopy and Spelling. 3 " "2 30 2 " " 100 History 2 " " 95 1 " " 35 Geography 2 " "126 1 " ♦' t 00 Arithmetic 2 '* " 1 m 1 " " 60 Saving in the First Foi^m. Without giving details as to each subject, the reduction in the number of books required for the first form of High Schools alone in 1883 and 1889 respectively, effected the following results : Cost of Text Books. 1883. 18e9. Reading f I 85 $ 60 English Composition 1 00 50 Orthoei y and Spelling 1 30 50 History 95 85 Geography 126 100 Arithmetic 1 60 60 Algebra 90 76 Commercial Course 1 60 0|6 Drawing 1 CO 75 Physics 1 60 1 00 Botauy 125 100 514 10" $7 60 THE MOW AT GOVERNMENT. 137 I under' ator». Scliools idments Decem- ns were ist Con- nie since ;d of 55 itionally ?xtendetl i asaidu- •tinent of 3 expense iiiber and 1889 :— 60 1 00 35 I 00 60 Ion in the >ol8 alone ilts: ts. JO i)0 )0 i5 Total saving' in First Form amounts to $6.50 per pupil. No. of pupils in First Form in 3888, 13,403. Total saving in Fust Form,, 387,509. Saving in all the Foiina. The following table shows the amount saved to the pupils in each subject in all the forms of the High Schools on the basis of attendance in 1888, as the result of consolidating text books and reducing prices, that is, providing every pupil purchase one book in each subject : 8i>1>ject8. No. of Pupils in Subject. Reading ..16,3^ Composition and Orthoepy 17,603 History : 17,610 Gtography 17,518 Arithmetic 17,430 Algebra 17,319 Tkigonomotry 887 Oommercial Course 12,336 Drawing 13.327 Chemistry 3,181 Physics ' 6,676 Botany 5,234 Greek.... 1,126 Latin 6, 1*62 French 6,616 German ^.^ .v 1,662 Total eil2,703 ' G(ytnj>arifion with the United States. Previous to 1883 several of the text books used in the High Schools were imported from the United States without any special arrangement with the publishers. Nearly all of these books are now produced in Canada. The following statement shows the prices in Canada and the United States : — • iff United States Authorised ■ ( Saving pwr Amount Pupil. Saved. ei 25 I?20,487 1 30 22,884 CO 10,«ti6 26 4,380 1 00 17 430 15 2,698 26 222 96 11,719 26 3,382 75 2,885 50 . 2,838 26 1,308 1 76 1,970 1 50 8,943 13 860 60 7,81 pnoe. Ayres' Orthoepist $1 00 Ayres' Verbalist 1 00 Structure of English Prose 1 75 Harkness' Latin Grammar 1 50 McKay's Elements of Euclid 1 25 Allen & Greenough's Latin Grammar 1 50 Leighton's First Steps in Latin 1 50 Goodwin's Greek Grammar 2 26 White's First Lestions in Greek 1 60 High School Physics 1 50 Eigh School German (}rammjir . . . . 1 50 Baldwin's School Maiiageineiit 1 60 price. 9 35 35 00 00 75 00 00 25 00 00 00 75 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 - 1 188 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. i ! To Encourage Canadian TeaeJiers and Manufacturers. In 1883 only 1 9 of the 53 text books used in our Public Schools were exclusively the production of the teachers of the Province ; now, with the exception of the temperance text book and those used in French and Grammar Schools, all aie produced by our own teachers or under their own supervision. Of the 53 text books on the Public School list of 1883, six were imported. Now *very text book in the Public School list is manufactured in On- ?tario. Of the 131 text books in the High School list the same year, 81 were imported already manufactured, and two were imported in sheets. Of those added since, all are produced in the Province ■with the exception of seven. Extracts from the Minutes of tJie Council of Public Instruction with regard to the Text Books used in Separate Schools. Council Room, Education Office, May 19, 1875. The Council met pursuant to notice at 3 o'clock p.m., the Very Tteverend H. J. Grasset, B.D., in the chair. Present : — The Chairman ; the Chief Superinlendent of Education ; the Rev. .1. Jennin'gs, D.D. ; His Grace the Most Reverend J. J. Lynch, D.D. ; the Honorable W. McMaster ; H. M Deroche, Esq., M. P.P. ; James Mac- lellan, Esq., M.A. Q.C. ; the Very Reverend W. Snodgrass, D.D. ; the Rev. J. Ambery, M.A. ; the Rev. S. S. Nellea, D.D., LL.D. ; the Rev. Bishop Carman, D.D. ; Daniel Wilson, Esq., LL.D. ; Goldwin Smith, Esq., M.A. "(12). Ordered That the Council liaving laid down a principle which precludes the intro- duction into the Text Books used in Public Schools of religious dogma op- posed to the tenets of any Christiati denomination, and having removed from thosr. Text Books everything which had been pointed out to them by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of this Province, as offensive to the feelings of itoman Catholics, think it also right to state what they conceive to be their duty with regard to the Text Books to be used in the Separate Schools. With regard to these books, the Council do not consider themselves respon- sible for any statements of religious doctrine, or for any expression of religious feeling, nor will they interfere with anything to which those terms may be fairly applied ; but they consider themselves responsible for the historical veracity of the books, and for their consistency with civil duty, and the con- cord which ought to prevail, and which it is one object of a system of public education to promote, among all classes of Her Majesty's subjects." k' Schoola rovince ; id those I by our > 53 text i. Now 1 in On- ,rae year, imported Province struction tools. 19, 1876. y Reverend cation ; the rnch. D.D. ; James Mac- . ; the Rev. Lev. Bishop Eb.!-, M.A. IS the intro- dogma op- moved from ;hem by the [the feelings to be their ,te Schools, [ives respon- of religious [rms may be je historical ,nd the con- im of publio THE MO WAT aOVEIlNMENT. TUG TORY MANIFESTO. 139 J "FACTS FOR IRISH ELECTORS" IN 1883. »r PROOF OF ITS AUTHENTICITY. Ajffidavit of the Author. The following is a copy of the affidavit of M. W. Kir wan, set- ting forth that the pamphlet called " Facts for Irish Electors" was prepared and revised by W, R. Meredith, Sir John Macdonald and C. W. Bunting, prior to the General Election of 1883, where- in an earnest appeal was made to the Irish Catholic Electors to support Conservative candidates on account of the liberality of the leader of the Opposition, and alleging that they should oppose the Mowat Government on account of their ultra-Protes- tant leaning.* AJ^davit of M. W. Kirwan. " I, the undersigned M. W. Kirwan, of the City of Quebec, and presently in the City of Montreal, solemnly affirm as follows : " I am a journalist. " When in the City of Toronto in the year 1882, I was shown a letter from Sir John Macdonald, Prime Minister of Canada, addressed to a prominent Conservative friend of mine, urging the desirability of securing my services as a writer of campaign litera- ture for the Conservative party during the approaching Ontario Provincial Elections. " The letter was an autograph one. *' I was accordingly engaged by H. H. Smith, of Peterborough^ the organizer of the Conservative party for Ontario. " My salary was to be SlOO a month. The understanding was that I should assist the Conservative party by special ap- peals to the Irish Catholic Electors. " Sir John Macdonald and Mr, ]|lere«lith, the leader of the Opposition in the Ontario Legislature, were aware of the agree- ment. • " I accordingly began to write an appeal to the Irish Catholics of Ontario. *Gopie» of •* Facts for Irish Electors^* can be procured from W. T. R. Prta^ toii, Qe''^eral Secretary Reform Association, Toronto. HI I i n\o XBE MOWaT qoyermient. "I wrote the sheet • FiictH tor the Irish Catholic Efootors,** extracts from which have recently appeared in the Globe, of Toronto. •While I was preparing it, I had, occasionally, to make inquir- ies &H to the lisituro and scope of my work from Jllr. Mere- ■ dith, to whom I had always eid they take an aotive part in the oontest, and if so, how 7 8. What reason!, if any, do the Oathulio eleoton give for supporting Mr. Mowat ? 9. Mave you any sutrguiitions to make as to the bast means of putting the Ooiisurvative cause fairly hufore tho Oatholic eleotors ? 10. Give the names of a few of the most influuntial Calholios in your riding ' 11. Send a complete list of the OathoHo electors in your riding, with names and addroHses. 12. Otili^e by returning this list at once, and the reply to question eleven, as anon aa poanible. 13. Name of riding. "Those questions were also siibmftteil to Mr. Me'*e<1ith and a]>proved by him. It ifa.^, to the best of ray recollection, on his suggestion that the auswers were directed to bo sent to H. H. Smith, of Peterborough, although said circulars were mai'ed by me from Toronto. My salary was regularly paid by Mr, Smith during this time, and for several months while I was oanvfissing and adlressing meetings of the Irish Catholic electors of Ontario. " And I make this solemn declaration, cotiscientrously believing the same to be true, and by virtue of the Act passed in the thirty- seventh year of Her Majesty's reign, entitled * Au Act for the sup- pression of voluntary and extra judicial oaths.' " Solemrdy tilfirmed before me at Montreal,"' on this fourth day of December, A.D. 1880. W. A. Weir, ^ Vm W Kihwan " A Commissioner in Quebec for .receiving afli- j * * davits for Ontario | 181 St. James St., Montreal. J the last ▲ NEW PARTY. There is another interesting document to hand, which also, in a very striking manner, shows the treaciiery of its promoters. It deserves a place beside the formulas of the " New Party " and the ** Equal Rights Party," botli of which, though professing en- tire independence of the existing parties, and opposition to both, and tlnugh apparently not actuated by common motives and interests, seem to be at one in the opinion that the Mowat Gov- ernment should be turned out because Sir John Macdonald re- fusi'd to disallow the Jesuit Act ! The late election in West Lambton, and projected ones in the coming contest, prove this i;! U2 THE MOWAT aOVBRNMF.NT. fact beyond much controversy. But here is an organization which wants to do the same thii g under a diflbrent namu and line. It calls itself by the pretentious name of "The Ontario Educational Reform Party." The fact that the notorious Big Push Wilkinson, of the recent " Brood of brawling bribers," is one of the organiz- ers and leading lights of this organization will not secure for its proposals the confidence and support of the good men and true to whom it appeals. Hei« is the sclieme as outlined by the Secre- tary of the organization in letters addressed to prominent electors throughout the Province, or which the following is a copy :• — H, Toronto, 9th August, '80. " Dear Sir, — 1 have been instructed to write to you by our party. '* W9 have formed a party upon the enclosed platform, to be known as the Ontario Educational Reform Party. The party is to work exclusively in Provincial pulitics. The purposes are : — " (1) To neutralise the Oatholio solid vote in the Legislature, and thus dis- enthral any party from its control and influence. " (2) To reform the school laws in conformity with the platform. "The mode of accomplishing this is to run independent caudiuatos in about thirty ridings in which Mr. Meredith's party cannot win, thus securing, say, half that number of seats from Mr. Mowat's side, and so secure the balance of power between the two parties, and be able to dictate terms to them. By not opposing Mr. Meredith in the ridings that he can oavry we can get a solid Oonservative vote, and our platform wul bring us enough ultra-Protestants to win the election. *' There is no advantage to us in winning from Mr. Meredith, as his is the smaller side, and the more he gets, the less we will need to get to give us the balance of power. "The party is not seeking for power or to reform a Government, but only to become the balance of power. " We find that you stand in such position in your riding of that if ' you were to name the candidate on this platform you could win easily and without a peradventure. You could get the solid Conservative vote, for they v)ould not bring out a candidate, and you would get your personal friends, lieformers, and the ultra- Protestants who would rather vote against than have Catholic rule. "A requisition circulated by your filouds would commit enough Ee/ormert to you, before you accepted, to make ^our election an assured fact. " We will be glad to have your views upon it, and will be happy to give you any further information that you may desire. Your correspondence will be strictly confidential, as we hope ours will be with you. Be assured we are going to win in the next election, which may come oft this fall, for we are meeting with the utmost encouragement from every quarter. When we get a little further, along and tlie leading citizens return from their summer holidays, we are going to hold a large public meeting in the city, at which we would like to have your presence on the platform. '^ Your obedient servant, »'H. J. BOSWELL. ^ •• Sec of the O. B. R. P. '* 29 Adelaide Street East" o give 36 will ed we 'or we n we mmer ch w* P. THE MO WAT OOVKRJNMENT. TUi: TORY PLATFORM AND MR. MOW ATS REPLY. 143 At the last sitting of the late Session of the Legislative As- sembly, the leader of the Oppositiou, Mr. Meredith, introduced the following resolution as an amendment to the motion to go iuto Committee of Supply. The hyprocisy of the Opposition ---« exposed by the Attorney-General in the brief debate that jwed in such a trenchant manner that it has been coiiaidered cUvisable to insert the summary of his speech as it appeared in the published report of the proceedings of the House with some alight verbal corrections : Mr. Meredith's Separate School Platforvi. Mr. Meredith moved on amendment to the motion to go into supply : ' "That this House doth declare that the rights guaranteed by the B.N. A. Act to the supporters of Separate or Dissentient Schools are civil rights ap- pertaining to then) as citizens, and that the assumption that y Church organization or body or the Bishops, priests or ministers thereof are entitled t'" control the ratepayers in the exercise and ei)joyment of such, his indi- lal right, or to command obedience to its or their «5irt'ction by them or >e trustees of any such schools, in the exercise by tiiem of such rights « performance by them of the duties delegated to the^ i by the State, is wholly unwarranted and dangerous to the State and oi i, to be i sis ted, and this Bouse doth further declare that it is within the constitutional rights of the Legislature, through the Department of Educat'on, to regulate such schools and particularly to prescribe the text-books to be used in them, and that the said Department ought in the exercise of that right to make provisions regulating the text-books to be used in the said schools, except those employed in giving religious instruction when and whdre such in- struction is permitted by law." , i> . « Mr. Meredith said that one of his main reasons for his bring- ing forward this amendment was that the Attorney- General had last session stated that he did net believe the Government had a right to deal with the question of text-books in Separate Schools, and that this session he had told the House he was mistaken. The rest of the resolution referred to a matter which he had al- ready discussed in the House, the j)08ition of certain of the Roman Catholic hierarchy in connection with Separate Schools. Hon. Mr. Mowat said that as regards text books in Separate Schools, what he had said last year as to the power of a Provin- 'i. yt / 14i THB MOW AT GOVERNMENT. \ * ' It- i 1 'j \\-i"'i cial Government to dfeal with those text-books, was that he was not then " {)repared to say" thai a Provincial Government had such a power. The point had then been sprung upon the House on a motion against going into Supply. He had not had occasion to consider the question previously, and was therefore not " pre- pared" then to aiiirm that the power existed. That this was so appeared from every newspaper report of the debate which he had seen, and although in some of the reports some additional ex- pressions of a stronger character were ascribed to him, this had arisen' from a misapprehension of the reporter in condensing what he said. He had not been "prepared" last session to say that the Government had jurisdiction over text liooks for Separate Schools. He had considered the subject to some extent since, and was of opinion that such a power oxisted in regard to some classes of text books and not in regard to others, and it was extremely diffi- cult to draw the line between the two classes. There was a dif- ference of professional opinion on the subject. The Public School text books aie largely used in the Separate Schools, and the use of them is increasing, but if he had been contemplating com- pulsory legislation on the subject he would have thought it his duty to bring the subject before the Courts previous to such legis- lation. Mr. Meiedith's resolution, in amendment to the motion of the Treasurer to go into Supply, precluded any amendment by which the House could express what its exact views were. The resolution was one of want of confidence, and was meant to be so. The resolution had a good deal to say as to the hierarchy not being entitled to control the ratepayers, and was intended to sug- gest that the law as recognised by the Government gave to the hierarchy such a power ; but the fact was entirely otherwise. The law gave no power whatever in the matter to bishop or priest. The legal power was given to the ratepayois and suppor- ters of Separate Schools. Bishop or priest had no more power under the law in the matter of Separate Schools than a layman had. The degree of deference or obedience which the Roman Catholic laity gave was for themselves to choose, according to their sense of what duty or convenience re- quired. It was not founded on any law of the Legislature. No law had given it ; and if a Roman Catholic chose to render what we might think an excessive amount of deference or obedience, no law which could be made would prevent his doing so. Mr. Meredith and all his party knew perfectly that nobody on the Government side of the House would favour a law giving to bish- ops or clergy any control over the laity. It must always be a matter of voluntary choice on the part of the laity themselvea. THE MOWAT OOVERNMKNT. 145 :, it his h legia- njotion [lent by The be so. hy not to sug- to the erwise. hop 01 uppoi- moie chools dience V88 to Ince re- No what ce, no Mr. on the bish- be a vea. Hon. Mr. Fraaer remarked that in his opinion it would hav(^ been more manly on the part of the hon. gentleman, the leader of the Opposition, if he had brought forward a motion of the char- acter of that now before the House in a diftorent manner. The hon. gentleman had not done the bmvest kmd of thing in moving as a want of confidence motion a resolution afi'ecting the minority, as this did. In the British Parliament a motion of this kind would have been given notice of, and the same practice ought to rule here. The amendment was then voted on with the follow- ing result : — Yjeas. — Messrs, BIyth, Caldwell, Clnnoy, Craig, Croighton. CiiieBs, French, Hiinmell, Hess, Hudson, liigraiu, Keanis, Less, Marter, Meacham, Mereditli, Metcalf, Miller, Monk, Morgan, O'Connor, <.)atrom, Pieaton, ]{ irke, Smith (Frontonac), Stewart, Tooley, Whitney, Willuughby, Wood (Haatings), \Vyli9_:U. Nays. — Messrs. Allen. Armstrong, Awrey, Ballantyne, Bishop, Bkzard, Chisholm, Clarke (Wellington), Conmee, Dack. Dance, Davis, Drury, D'y- den, Evanturel, Ferguson, Field, Fraaer, Freeman, Garaoa, (.libson (Hairil- ton), Gibson (Huron). Gilmonr, Gould, Graham, Harcourt, Hard), Leys, Lyon, McAndrew, McKay, M:Laui»hlin, McMihon, Mack, Mackenzie, Morin, Mowat, O'Connor, Phelj'S, Robillard, Ross (Huron), Ross Middle- sex), Smith, (York), Snider, Spra^ue, Strattou, Waters, Wuod (Brant) — 49. REPORT OF THE €09iniTtfiE ON I>IBLI€ Ail€0UAT8. A charge having been made in the public press that improper favoritism had been shown by the Education Department in the distribution of Separate School grants, the (jueslnon was fully investigated by the Public Accounts' Committee during the recent Session of the Legislature. TJie allegations were proved to bo without foundation, and tlie result of the deliber- ations of the committee was embodied in the following report upon the question, to the Legislative* Assembly ; — The Separate School Syntcm. " The Committee ascertained that, previous to 1880, there was a larger average attendance at the Public than at the Separate Schools in Ottawa, but that since that date thare has been a trifling superiority in this respect in the 8e[)arate Schools as compared with the Public Schools. In ISMfl the average attend- 10 4 ^ 146 THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. ance at the Public Schools was 3,260, while that at the Separate Schools was 3,813. The witnesses account for this by the fact that a Model School has been established in Ottawa, at which the at- tendance is alraosc exclusively Protestant, and amounted last year t ) 345, that a Kindergarten School had been opened at which the attendance in 1889, almost if not entirely Protestant, was 54; and that a Collegiate Institute, drawing its pupils from the Pro- testant element, had an attendance of 314. The total attendance in these various institutions is 713, which, added to 3,260, the average attendance at the Public Schools, gives a total of 3,973, or an actual superiority in numbers of children of Protestant parentage and guardianship attending schools aided by Legis- lative grants over the total attendance of Roman Catholic children educated at Separate Schools in. Ottawa. From the evidence taken it appears that the increase in the average attendance at Separate Schools in Ottawa since 1880 is, to a large extent, accounted for by an influx of French popula- tion, the annexation to Ottawa of New Edinburgh and Rochester- ville, increased school accommodation in the shape of new build- ings, five of which, of a very superior character, have been built within the past two years, and by the assiduity of the local Superintendent, Father Rooney, and of two lady Directresses, whose special duty it is to look up absentees from school, and to urge more prompt attendance. This system of special supervision exists, according to the evidence of Inspector Donovan, wherever a Separate School is established, and undoubtedly tends to in- crease the average attendance thereat. The Word "Convent" •' From the use of the word " convent " as a designation of the building in which some Separate Schools are held, especially in the case of Water Street School in Ottawa, and of others styled convents in Renfrew and Lindsay, an impression has been made upon a portion of the public mind that these schools are really pri- vate convent schools, and improperly assisted from the Legislative grant made for Separate School purposes only. An inquiry, entered upon at the instigation of the hon. member for Grenville, resulted in convincing the Committee that no Separate School is connected with any private school. In the case of Water Street Convent, in Ottawa, for instance, it was made clear, from the evidence of the Separate School Inspectors and the Secretary of the Separate School Board, that the building formerly known as Water Street Convent has been rented by the Separate School Boatd for ten or more years for Separate School purposes, that it THE MO WAT GOVERNMENT. 147 contains six class rooms, which are daily used in the education of Separate School female pupils, many, of whom are doing the fifth form work of the Public School and are regularly prepared for third-class examinations. All children attending this school reside in the city with their parents or guardians, while the teachers who are in Orders occupy some of the rooms in the building. They have under their care an orphan child who receives her education in the Separate School. At Renfrew. " At Renfrew there is a Separate School, erected in 1886, which is styled a convent, but which is really a school building in which there are class rooms for Separate School pupils and residential rooms for the teachers. Six boarders are resident with these teachers, but are not returned as Separate School pupils. To this school female pupils only are admitted. There is another Separate School in Renfrew which is used exclusively for boys. The lady in charge of the girls' school styled it, in one of her semi-annual returns, as " The Convent School." She lised this title so as to distinguish her school from the boys' school, but it was erroneous and misleading, had not been used previously, and has not been repeated. At Lint^say. "In Lindsay there are two buildings rented by the Separate School Board, in which are three schools, two of the ordinary grades, and one, for girls, of higher grade, in which High School fees are charged and fifth form work is done by the pupils. The residential part of the building is styled a convent, and here live a few boarders, less than ten in number, who, in one instance, were returned as attending at the Separate School, but the error was discovered, and the grUiit paid for ihem was deducted from the next grant and the mistake lias not again occurred. It was shown, too, that at Toronto, Chatham, Stratford, Guelph, and other points, where convents and Separate Schools exist, no returns of convent pupils are made as of children attending Separate Schools. The Public School System. " Mr. Wilkinson, Secretary of the Toronto Public School Board, stated ir. his evidence that it is not at all unusual for that body to rent for temporary use Sunday School rooms connected with • !!• 148 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. churches, mission chapels or churches and society halla, and men- tioned that a building which was also used &» an Orange Hall had on one occajsion being engaged for a year or more for Public School Snrposes. These buildings are usetl by the school authorities oring achool hours only, and are available for church, mission and society work on Sundays and for evening services. The aTerr.ge rental. of these buildings, including fire and caretaking, is $3C per month, and it is said that the expenditure is pi'otitabie, inasmuch as school work is conveniently prosecuted while new school buildings are being erected. " Mr. Wilkinson further testified that the children cared for in the Orphans' Home, Girls' Home and Boys' Home — all regarded as Protestant institutions and supported by private charity and aided by a Legislative grant — are returned as Public School papils, and that the Legislative grant to the Public Schools of Toronto is increased by such return. The children, it may be ackied, are taught in rooms connected with the various institu- tions in which they reside, and the Board of School Trustees exercises no control over the various Homes, but supplies teachers for the instruction of the children cared for therein, and furniture for the school room. " (Signed), Charles Clarke, Chairman." . 1 1 : ' ili KG ORANGE I3f€ORrOR4T10N. As misrepresentations continue to be from time to time made with* reference to the Bill for Incorporating the Orange Society, which passed in the Ontario Legislature in 187^i, it has been thought proper to insert here the Attorney-General's report of 16th December, 1«S73, which shows the facts. It may be stated that the Bill was brought in by a private member on his own responsibility. The question of its passing was treated as an open question. The Attorney-General favored the Bill. Every other member of the Government was against it. The Lieutenant-Gov- ernor reserved the Bill for the consideration and assent of the Governor-General, as in other British Provinces Bills were and are occa.sionally reserved for the consideration and assent of the Imperial Government. The Governor-General was not advised to give his assent, and the Bill did not become law. The report tot forth the reasons for reserving the Bill, and discussed the THE MO WAT UOVERNMENT. 149 aen- had :hool rities asion The king, table, i new for in ;ar^ed ,y arid School aols of nay be astitu- rustees sachers rniture lan." grounds on which the Dorainiori Government declined to assent to the Bill. In the following session the Government introduced and the Legislature passed a general Act, now R. S. 0. c. 172, for incorporating societies, under which the Orange Association mij>ht have had incorporation, but did not choose to do so. Many simi- lar societies, however, have availed themselves of the Act. The nndersigned has had under oonsideration the report of the late Min- iiter of Justioe, Sir John A. Maodonald, dated 29th August, 1873, on the Bills passed by the Legislative Assembly at its last session for the incorpor- ation of the Loyal Orange Associations of this Province, and the Order in Council adopting the said Report. It appears that the Minister of Justice by his report, advised that the Bills referred to should not be allowed by His Excellency the Governor- General, because, in effect, the reservation of the Bills by the Lieutenant- Governor was (as the Minister of Justice argued) unnecessary ; no express instructions to reserve havin(^ been given, and the bills being such aa fell within the juriadiciion of a Provincial Legislature to pass. The refusal to advise the allowance of the bills, because their reservation was unnecessary, was a course which had no precod Empire as » whole. Again, it was a matter of notoriety that a bill had bee,^ brought into the Parliament of the Province of Canada in 1858, and been supported in the Legislative Assembly by both the late Minister of Jastice and the under- signed, and by many of the political friends with whom thoy respectively acted, but was rejected by the Assembly without having been permitted to go even to a second reading ; and the undersigned does not recollect that from that time until the introduction of th^ bills now in question, like bills were ever submitted in this country for legislative sanction. It will be remembered, that the attention of the undersigned was not directed to the question of the Lieutenant-Governor's duty in regard to these bills until after they had been passed by t^e Legislativd Assembly. The question being then raised and discussed, and the undersigned having fiven to it his best attention, it seemed to him that to concur in advising the lieutenant- Governor to reserve the bills for the assent of His Excellency the C3Ternor- General, was the fitting course to take in view of the constitu- tional consideration to which the undersigned has in substance referred, as well as in deference, not only to the opinions of his colleagues, who had voted against the bills when before the Assembly, but in deference also to the advisers of His Excellency the Governor-General, and to the oonveni- enoe of the parties whom the bills were designed to incorporate. The Do- minion Government had the power of disallowing the Acts should the bills receive the Lieutenant-Governor's assent ; and the reservation of them would obviously embarrass the Dominion authorities less than subsequent disallowance ; while, on the other hand, if the bills were, from the Domi- nion standpoint, unobjectionable, the reservation need delay their operation* \ THE MOW AT QOVEKNMENT. 1(1 but a few weeks ; the responsible head of the Dominion QoVemment being a prominent member of the order, and not to be supposed adverse to the bills, or solicitous to find reasons to prevent their becoming law. In arguing that the reservation had been unnecessary, the Minister of Justice suggested that the reservation of bills should be confined to those wKicb the Provincial Legislature had no juribdiction to pass. But the Lieutenant-Governor received no instructions to reserve even such Bills, and to limit reservation to such bills had never before been the rule in colonial practice. In the absence of either instructions or precedent for such a restriction, it was impossible to advise the Lieutenant-Governor that such a restriction should be his rule of action. Bills which the Legislature had no power to pass, do not become law e\%i if they do re>-eive the assent of the Lieutenant-Governor, but, on the contrary, and nutwithstanding such assent, such Acts are absolutely null and void. The undersigned has always been of opinion that the desire of the numerous and respectable body of Orangemen to become incorporated, ought not to be resisted, and that the objections to their incorporation were not sufficient to maintain such resistance ; though, on that point, his col- leagues and many of their friends in the Legislative Assembly took a differ- ent view. Such bills, whenever proposed, have no doubt, from historical memories and other causes, excited extremely bitter feelings on the part of a section of the population, but the hostile feelings with which such special legislation is regarded, should not apply to incorporation under general incorporation laws, the policy of which, as a check upon private bill legislation generally, then ndersigned has alremly suggested for the consideration of the Executive Council. AH parties rec Ignise the right of all men and all legal bodies to equal advantages under tife general laws of the land, whatever these general laws may be ; and, on the other hand, good subjects will not desire incor- poration in a way olFeneive to any large class of their fellow subjects, when iuoorporation is attainable by a method free from that difHculty. Respectfully submitted, (Signed) O. Mowat. December 16th, 1873. II TnG BRIBERY CASE. At the gervsral election of 1883 strenuous efforts were made to defeat the Mowat Government, and by means ot a lavish and illegitimate expenditure of money the majority supporting it was considerably reduced. In the hope of completing the overthrow of the Administration an unsuccessful attempt was made eaHy in the session of 1884! to induce some of the supporters of the Gov- ernment to vote against it. The attempt was renewed toward the close of the session, and at length, with a view to the exposure and punishment of the parties offering bribes, three members of 152 THE MOW AT GOVhlHNMKNT. 11 I ilil the Legislative Assembly — Robert McKim, \V..l). Balfour ami Dr. Dowling — agreed to accept money offered to them as a cor- rupt inducement to vote want of confidence in the Government. The sum agreed upon was not actually paid to Dr. Dowling, owing to the arrest of John A. Wilkinson, the Conservative agent in tlie matter; but the sum of $1,000 whs paid to Mr. McKim, and the sum of 8^00 to Mr. Balfour by the same Wilkinson. They placed the money in the hands of the Speaker, who^ on the even- ing of the 17th of March, |||id the matter before the Assembly, and on motion of Attorney-Generul Mowat it was referred to the Corauiitte on Privileges and Elections. From the evidence taken before the Committee it appeared that, beside Wilkinson, the fol- lowing persons were engaged in the conspiracy to defeat the Gov- erniiient by bribing members who had been elected to support it ; Christopher W. Bunting, managing editor of the i^ ''/ /7 newspaper : Edward Meek, a Toronto barrister; F. S. Kirkla J, a Wisconsin lawyer, and an applicant for certain concessions respecting tim- ber on mining lands ; and Frederick Stimson, alias Lynch, who was said to be in the cattle ranching business in the North-West. A good deal of the negotiation with Mr. McKim w&a carried on by Messrs. Bunting and Meek in the Mail building. Wilkinson invited the members to whom offers of money were made to his room in the Walker House, where they met Stimson. The latter person, in company with John Shields, of Section B. notoriet}^ on tlio loth of March, changed six 1?100 Dominion of Canadia bills for thirtv $100 bills of the Bank of British North America, and the money paid by Wilkinson to Messrs. McKim and Balfour was made up of bills of the latter description. After taking a certain amount of evi)ience in the case, the Committee on Privileges and Elections recommenxled that, owing to the neai- approach of the end of the Session, steps should be taken to " secure, through a commission composed of Judges, a full and searching investigation " into the matters referred to the Connnittee. This reconmiendation was approved of by the Assembly, and subsequently Mr. Justice Proudfoot, of the Chan- cery Division of the fligh Court of Justice, Judge ^cott, of the County Court of Peel, and Judge Senkler. of the County Court of Lincoln, were commissioned to inv^estigate the bribery charges. Evidence was, in the course of the summer of 18S4, taken at several sittings of this Commission, its proceedings being given at length in the Sessional Papers of 1685.^ Judge Scott declined to express any oj)inion as to the guilt of the five persons charged with the otfence, but Mr. Justice Proudfoot and Judge Senkler (1) SesHonal Paper, No. 9, Part III., Vol. XVII. THB MOWAT OOVERNMENT. 158 agreed on a finding, * of which the following are the essential portions : Svery reasonable endeavour was made to serire notice on John A. Wilkin- son anci Frederick Stimson, but without effect, save as just mentioned with regard to John A. Wilkinso .'.... Christopher \V, Buiiting was served on the first day of August with a subptuiia to attend the adjourned meeting of the Commissioners on the first uf iSeptember Mr. Bunting was present at the meeting of the Commissioners in the mouth of September, and thence till the close of the pruceedings, in compliance, as he stated, with the subixjona^ which had been served upon him. Mr. Meek appeared in person on tne 14th of July, and Mr. Kirkiand was rt^presonred by Mr. Caswell, his counsel On the 4th of October, while M**. MoKim was being re-examined, Mr. Bunting was in Court and was informed that he could not cross-examine him. This, after consultation with h^a counsel, he declined, on the 0th of October, to do, for reasons that appear in the report of the evidence. ' ... On the 2nd day of September, W. 11. Meredith, Esq., preferred a charge against certain members of the Govern- ment in the following terms : " That members of the Government, Messrs. Fraser, Pardee, Hardy, aud Mr. Mowat, knowing that attempts were being made to corrupt members of the House, induced members of the House to approach the persons who are aaid to have been engaged y\ this work, for the purpose of inducing them to make corrupt offer«, and to endeavour to entiap others not engaged in the matter into the same crimin»l acts." The sittings (of the Commission) were public and open, and accommoda- tion WttS provided for reporters of the public press The Com- missioners, pursuant to the direction of the Commission, transmit herewith the evidence taken by them, and make the following report : An endeavour was made by Mr. Meek to impeach the credibility of ' wo of the witnesses — Robert McKiin and JohnCasoaden — and many witnesses were examined against tliei^ and for them. The Commissioners cunsidured that the credibility of Messrs. MuKim and Cascaden was not successfully at- tacked. The Commissioners also have to report that telegraphic messages to Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Bunting were destroyed in April last, a week or two after the proceedings in the Police Court, by Mr. Dwight, the Q6neral Manager of the Great North- Western Telegraph Company. The OommisHioners fini that during the debate on the Address at the last session of the House of Assembly, a debate that lasted from the opening of the House on the 23rd of January till the Cth of February, an endeavour was made by John A, Wilkinson, Edward Meok, and Christopher W. Bunting, acting in concert, to form a coalition government, and for that purpose, to induce munibers of the House, supporters of the Government, to vote against them on tiie Address. (!) The date of the Report is January 10, 1885. (2) On the 17th of July he wa< served with the noticd at Winnipeg. (3) Nadtely, that he had not been served with a notice in time to be pre*>entat the earlier seHsions of the Oo(nmissi()ner4, and that he had not been furnished with a copy of the ovideace taken at those Hessiona. (Report, p. 149.) i W 154 THE MOWAT GOVERNMENT. In purB\ianco of this scheme ne^otiationn were enterod into with Wilkinson, Meek, and Bunting with Robert MoKim, and by Meek with John CtiBoa5 7,523 20,040 352 8,618 3,331 5,793,869 2,473 12,936 5,185 17,068 11,833 3,823 2,172 20,565 53,527 6,605 18,203 4,174 12,667 16,704 3,620 4,739 4,145 1,212 86 1,634 4,398 16,455 3,362 14,809 31,254 15,812 103,630 236,569 9,654 802,149 O 09 gpq ^' $ • 25,355 9,006 23,619 431 17,363 11,047 29,485 5,171 335 4,149 8,991 5,469 6,686 4,470 4,920 11,356 6,601 16,041 32,142 1,666 2,146 23,319 45,217 15,163 9,471 7,758 24,121 18,281 1,418 11,326 r085 1,.84 352 1,076 4,346 14,554 3,537 13,735 13,088 8,360 69,791 89,424 605 608,660 512,094 I ne uniai c o 4-1 lind Institu- tion. eaf and Dumb Insti- tution. Public, Sepa- rate and High Schools. dministra- tion of Justice. jrricultural Societies. echanics' Institutes. Total. W P < 1 < ^ $ • $ $ :$ $' $ $ • ,355 22,474 21,872 8i,843 73,149 27,580 12,130 401,233 ,006 18,054 20,055 170,605 52,671 28,000 10,428 440,213 ,619 10,439 22,855 88,861 81,831 13,300 • ••••• •••«■• 474,538 431 7,605 673 3(3,983 10,136 10,500 2,596 77,037 ,363 8,391 18,017 117,710 87,320 26,720 5,012 440,366 ,047 13,664 13,652 120,858 67,156 23,800 809 384,922 ,485 19,626 14,713 a3,923 49,528 13,300 5,691 453,474 ,171 2,996 9,930 66,014) f 19,898 ) 335 9,499 6,624 73,3()6 y 40,097< 13,300 481V 547,636 ,149 3,298 4,676 70, 029 j I 13,231 1,143 j ,991 ,469 ^ 9,334 1,399 13,577 3,330 [ 210,167 39,633 51,460 ( 3,166 I t 4,384 ( 511,040 ,686 13,797 24,089 192,216 56,978 37,100 8,764 497,277 ,470 9,211 5,830 91,511 44,738 17,733 2,200 266,755 1.046 32,741 14,840 4,780 53,407 ,926' ' 3,ii6" 7; 590 70,755 26,736 13,300 7,'495"* 229,921 ,356 12,378 33,319 149,536 52,999 40,138 2,216 433,162 .601 16,978 35,666 219,409 51,155 37,099 25,382 566,629 ,041 11,552 12,560 l^i9,841 61,081 25,260 8,242 415,124 142 13,875 18,879 1SI,907 64,521 25,200 12,150 486,330 ij66 969 6,372 148,477 25,327 26,600 9,477 336,452 146 6,979 8,293 103,345 26,367 26,599 3,502 271,615 319 8,710 7,011 114,810 57,097 24,383 10,778 389,148 217 24,537 31,697 210,991 152,246 39,900 13,472 949,600 163 12,497 16,423 114,311 55,309 26,600 5,940 341,402 471 758 8,951 5,388 23,711 14,915 1()1,568 ) 136.572 [ 70,703 1 26,600 26,600 4,743 ) 7,745 f 771,405 121 11,955 17,384 199,068 61,879 26,600 11,365 662,762 281 4,107 13,304 156,620 52,319 26,600 14,179 454,248 US 2,734 6,382 89,532 29,945 19,950 11,614 271,653 526 11,857 37,280 184,824 49,279 26,600 16,089 482,642 )85 10,439 8,497 131,227 27,966 25,596 8,818 295,885 .84 152 653 2,502 3,281 8,320 } 99,794 26,620 f 13,300 t 13,300 36) 1611 219,181 176 9,081 2,794 G6,380 26,335 13,300 400 166,971 46 17,881 11,335 145,509 42,601 27,040 3,777 315,828 54 13,366 28,069 205,208 86,471 43,950 20,670 697,247 37 8,028 4,641 157,066 37,325 26,600 6.391 325,407 35 9,282 17,173 164,993 56,259 26,600 30,116 428,495 88 6,851 7,203 104,616 55,705 17,733 11,422 327,999 60 19,375 22,418 1<)4,833 61,592 39,900 24,566 543,317 91 34,387 25,356 103.100 115,657 26,600 7,496 759,679 24 68,788 48,532 199,674 313,831 39,712 14,210 1,867,961 )5 JO 5,098 10,954 139,768 651,824 32,922 3,330 779,960 512,094 1 670,298 5,543,561 2,857,225 1,086,274 352,681 18,226,711 o Ifft^l }n m Mi IIsTDKX, ' ., Paof. Acclrtotd, Rollwtv (Lnbnr Law») , 24 A(!iiiinlstration of JiiHtice ...'.'..'.'..'.. 29-lt)] " etc., (irants for (Schedule) 1611 AdminiBti atioii, the Liberal, Facts concerniug Cabinet 156 Agriculture, Department of 84-93 " Laws faseed to Advance luterewt 84 Agricultural College 85 " " A nal.y SIM of Attendance 87 ^ Agricultural Statistics, Provision for 88 Agricnltural Societies, Aid to, etc., .. 89 Appeals to Imperial Pt ivy Council 32-40 Arbitration on Text Book^, and Keport, lH|j*l« 131 " " " Discussion in Legislature , . 136 Assets and Liabilities of Province, 1889 59,60 Asylnms, Maintenance and Statisiica 67,68 Attorney General's Department 28-40 Audit of Public Accounts 66 Blind, Institute for the (Maintenance and Attendance) 68 Boawell's JiOtter, Announcing " Educational Reform Party " 142 Rouudary Case, (Appeal to Privy Cotmcil) 33 Bribery Case of 1884. History of 161 " " Findin^if the Commissioners. .. .«ft* 163 Bush Fires, Means of Preventing (Crown Lands) 61 Cabinet, Names of Members and Dates of Appointment : 166 Central Prison 66 Charitable Inf^titutions, Comparisons of Cost, Ontario and U.S 70 " " System of Maintenance 70 Colonization Roads (Crown Ijands Dej)'!) 62 Conveuts, IJeply to change of use for Separate Schools 146 Crooks Act, Synopsis of J'eatures 76 " " Application of certain Provision for Enforcement of Scdtt Act.... 76 Crown Domain "iB Crown Lands, Jlepartment of 44-52 Crown Lands, Locations since 18G8 , • 4?* Crown Lands, Revenue since 1873 61 Deaf and Dumb, Institute for (Maintenance and Attendance) , 60 Drainage Investments (Loans to Munii ipalities) 66 Distribution of Provincial Funds (Schedule) 169 Division CoTxrts, Inspeotiou of 72 Disputed Elections 8 B?ducation, Department of 94 " History of its Establishment 94 " Ex|,cnditure8 for 98 " Grants of public money to sustain (Schedule) 169 *• *' The Ontario Educational Reform Party " 141 " Reaulations issued by Department 11^ Electors, Qualification of ^ •• Registration of 6 (1C:1) \* '■i' l''i< w X nil 164 INOKX. Elections, Manner of Eoncluoting , fl Elections, I>i»put«i89, ohowing increased grants to people 62 Expenilituren, Paltry objections to Snjply BilN byj )pposition since 1884 &i " ( ioinparisou < with C^iiebec and DooiinioQ 64 Experimental Farm (Agricultural College) 86 Factories' Act (La-or Lawn) ^.. 88 " Facts for Irish Electoi-s,' 'I'ory manifesto in 188;J 139 Farmers' Instituted ' 87 Financial Administration 66 " " < Wticisms of Toronto Afaif 67 Flooding of Land (Crown Lands Dept.) 46 French and Uerman Schools, Kegulatiou and Jiistory of 100 , trench and Ueruian, Training Schools 102-106 Text iiooks Authorized 106 " Hi-lin«ual lieaders 106 •* Uejtort of Commissioners, 1889 107 *• Ktgulations Enforced Ill " Kefxirts of Local In8peot>ginlatiire " " HiKh School, Authorizations of " ** Policy of the Department " " Hftvinj? in exjtenKe to J'upllii '• " Ooniparidon with U. S iirices '* " Eni:ounwten'*'"t of Canadian Teachers and ManHifacturem. Timher Tiiroits, Soles of " " ( 'ouipHrison of Provincial and Dominion Policy Voting, Time al'owed workmen for, (Labor Laws). ■Wi'fxli! and Forent8, (Crown LandHj)epartnient). Work and Wawt-i (Labor Tjaw"*) Workmen, allowed time to vote, (Labor LawH) . . . 27 48. 2S 97 1 J i •I- .\' 129 131 M ■M> ■Mi 4!) \r>(i •71 27 48. 125 I X. .% I^jt,|k|j^^^^^^^