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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m(6thode. by errata med to nent une pelure, facon i i. 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 .. ■'..I- ■ t'^ -■ - « ■ '•■■■i. ,:i SSi The Opposition Platform hfioiia-oBiw otoa: i. -^-^o- ^g^ i^^n) DOWN BT 10 ^y}. w. r: MEREDITH/ MPP,:;;:: Imm eao :ori '^i.u/Kft IN His speech to the ncsno m ;.4. u'aiy/ !;,:>& Youi^g EQen'8 Diberal-Coi^servative ^ssociatioii al«i.r GRAND OPERA HOUSE, LONDOnA'--^ " TiAdiyi9»^-ii^d. Q^ DECEMBER 16th, J889. "^''^''^^''^^^"''^ - .rat Si^ K y.;r- ...J , M i n n wmnm i m tfi ■•* A'i The speech delivered by Mr. Meredith before the Yonng Men's Ocmseiv Ti^tive Association at London on the 16ch of December last, laying down the policy of the Ontario Opposition on a number of the leading questions of the day, has attracted greater attention and evoked a more wile-spread interest than any other deliverance of a political leader of late ears. In view of the approaching elections it is now issued in this forizi, confident that the more it is studied the more it will be recognized as the utterance of a leader who is not afraid resolutely to take hold of pressing questions and deal with them on sound principles, at the same time saying not one word that ought to give offence, and making not one proposal that does injustice to any class of the community, but metes out even-handed justice to all. li would l^ impossible to deal in a single speech with all the points on which the Mowat Government ought to be arraigned, and the speech does not pretend to deal with more than the leading topics ; but on these it lays down a platform which will commend itself to every unprejudiced person in the Province. It remains for those who beUeve this to be the true policy, and desire to see it carried out, to give practical effect to their wishes by their votes. ■•■mm ^ -fft >».>- ■;;; .^-^ v"-<:'- " ■ t- ■ ij.- ,;.,. - ^..^Mii^- f I .ft M onser- do\7ii jstions spread In ifident bnce of D8 and ) word itice to dl. li which )es not it lays rson in policy, J their He Puts his Principles Before the Electors of the Province. [From The Empirb, December 17th, 1889. J !'■/; .fi y. London, Deo. 16. — The greatest demon- fltration iu the political history, not uoly of London, bat of the wentern coautios of the Province of Ontario, took pitce to-nitiht, when Mr. W. R. Meredith, Q.C , M.P.P., ilelivered an address in the Grand Opera Honse here under the anspices of the Younu Men's Liberal Conservative Association ol London. The spaciona hall, to^^ ther with the double galleries which surround the iiuditorium, were crowded to their utmost capacity, and literally hundreds of citizens were either unable to gain admittance to the hall or had to stand crushed together la the lobbies during the ent'ri three hours which the meeting occupied. The gathering was representative of the best in the commercial, mercantile, agricultural aud general interest of these districts. Bnthasiastic Reception of Mr. Meredith. Mr. Meredith on rising to speak received a tremendous ovation, the vast audience Halnting him with an enthusiasm character- istic of a London audience. His speech occupied two hours and tbirty-dve minutes in delivering, and was listened to through- oat with an intentnet-s that showed the deep interest the people took in the momentous qaeations ander discussion. There wore fre- quent enthusiastic bursiA of applause, the warmest perha' a being in endorsation of the stand the leader of the Opposition took upon the religious questions that are now under discussion. .... ,. •,..:-,,, MR. MEREDITH'S SPEECH. The Leader of i>ic OppoHlllon BeRlns Mis ■ill eiit A«l4lreHS, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, — Before proceeding to address the observa- tions which I intend to make to-night npon the public questions of the day, permit me to thank my fellow-citizens for the manner in which they have received me here to- night It la now somtt Mventeen yaaii since J had the honor of being called to oc- cupy the position of reprfHeutative in the Local House of the city of Ltndou, and I have always received from my fellow-citi- zens from that time antil now the warmest and kindest acts, which I shall never for- get till my dying day. (Applaaae.) I cannot expect, sir, that a public man in the course of a career extending over seventeen or eighteen years, as mine has, will in all thiucs have satisfied all of his constituen^a, but at all events this I can say: I have ea deavored at all times honestly to discharge my duty as the chosen representative of the Conservative party, and according to my light as to what was for the best interests of this province and this country. (Applause. ) 1 am here to-night, sir, souiewhat out of the ordinary course, because it has not been the usual thing od previous occasions that 1 should address my lellowcitizens as I am addressing them to night, and 1 have ob- served in several quarters there has been !v good deal said about why I have not spok jn and why 1 am keeping silent. Mr. C^iair- man, so far as those of my friends are con- cerned, I think they can trust me that I will speak when the time properly comes that I should speak — (hear, hear) — and for those of my opp nents who Find Fault that I Did Not Speak, I hav^ to say they would not find fault if they thought anything i^'as to be gained by my not speaking. 1 am here to-night to give an account of my stewardship and to tell you some of the reasons why I am of th* opinion that the Government which is pre- sided over by Mr. Mowat is not entitled to the confidence of the public of this country. (Cheers.) I have observed that Mr. Mowat has been addressing his constituents, and through them the people of this country npon tne public qnestions of the day, and yon seem to have a complete answer to any ohargea that are now made againvt thia k. G ivernment by saying that this Govern- meat has been in power for eighteen yean, that at the last general election and aome previous geueral eleotions the asaaalta that were made upon them by the Opposition wore fruitless. Why, Mr. Chairman, if that were a auffioient answer, then none of the great reforms for which the people in the mother country have struggled for year by year would have been accomplished. It is only by constant and persistent pursuit for all that which you believe to be in the iu« terests of the country that ultimately the electorate will displace those who are con- ducting the atfairs of the country in u man- ner opposed to the interests of the people. Now, sir, I have to-night to go over a good deal of ground. 1 have, in the oourae of the observations which T am to make to you, to trouble you by ■erereuceto the Public Pecor«ls and to read to you extracts from the public documents in support of the position I take. I therefore hope, Mr. Chairman, and ladies and gentlemen, that in view of the great is- sues upon which the people of this country are about to pronounce that you will bear with me patiently during the course of the observatians which I shall feel it my duty to address to you. Now, I am not going to enter into a discussion of the ticanoial re- cord of the Ontario Government, and if I do not take up their record in that respect and pass observatio!is upon it you are not to assume that it is not because I do not think that with reg.ird to their fiaancial adminis- tration of the &?Aird of this province they have been .leserviog of the conK>lence of the people. On ths contrary, sir, 1 am of opia^ ion that in tbfc sianagement of the finan- ces of this country they have shown a rackless disregard for the interests of the people, which haa resulted iu the Depletion of the Murplus providod by the late Hon. Sandfield Mac- donald and his economical Ciovernment, and doirg away with a larce quantity of timber and other resources ot this country, and leaving us a considerable amount to pay on account of railway obligations. I am not going to discuss, sir, to-night general Ingjs- ution which has taken place in *he H^use, more than to say this, sir, that much legis- lation in the interests of the people of this country has undoubtedly in the last eighteen years been placed upon ths statute book of the Province of Ontario, but I claim, sir, that the little band which I have had the honor to lead since 1879 has had much to do with the modelling of the wise and proper legislation wbiok. appears on our statute book of to-day. And, sir, in our opinion, when they claim credit for the enfranchisement of every man living in the country, when they claim credit for the legislation which bias been in the interests of the workmgmen, i call you to witness — yon, the intelligent observers — that tbe Opposition has been largely instramental in forcing forward this great measure in the interests of the people of this country. (Applarse.) Sir, ■ Arrularn the CoverBnaent of Mr. Mnwat. in respect of its admiuistration of our crown lands and territorial revenues. I will point cut to you briefly that a large oortion of the revenues of this country derived from our timber lands has been spent by the Admini- stration of Mr. Mowat, and what we, the Opposition, have t>een endeavoring to do, from time to time, is that these gentlemen, when they are about to dispose of the herit- age of the people in respect to these timber limits, should come to the people's repre- sentatives in Parliament, and submit their propositions to the judgment of the poople, and permit them to pass judgment upon tbera. B it instead of doing that, sir, these gentlemen, forgetting the true principles of liberalism, have announced and have ad- hered to the policy of themselves determining what shall be done with the ti*nber and re- sources of this country, and they have insisted on bring' g into the market a large quantity of the timber of the country without consulting the people's representatives or taking thtm into their confidence. The result of this has been that large quantities of the timber upon the north shore of Lake Huron have been forced into the market under the pretence of fostering settlement^ and this timber has passed into the hand^ of speculators to the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars on the advanced value of those limits, and has practically gone out of the hands of the taxpayers of this cruntry. Also in other portions of the country this same policy has prevailed and the result haa been, as I have said, to per- mit a large portion of the resources of the country in these timber limits, whose value is increasing rapidly from year to year, to pass Into the Porkets of Specalators. instead of going to publio purposes of this Province of Ontario. We have said all along that the timber policy o! this Govern- ment has been wrong ; that the House should be consulted before any large tract of timber was placed on the market, and we ha.e asked, and I venture to appeal to every sin ol Tyrauny ami Coercion of the LiQiior Dealers. x\nd now I begin to speak of another bra.:'!h of this subject. I refer to the licens* ing system. I do not propose to-night to enter u.s fully into this subject as I shall do upon HOtne other occasion, but I shall en- deavor tu show, what we all know in regard to that question, and what every conatita- eccy knows in regard to that question, that the licensing system is used as a huge meant of building up and supporting the Govern- ment in power. (Cheers.) We know it is used as a means of teriorizing those engaged in that business. Why, it was only the other day thitt a reputable journalof Toronto made specitic charee* igainst the licensing system and showed that from one end of the conn* try to the other these charges oould be truthfully made and supported by evidence incontrovertible. (Cheers.) Yon may say that tliese are only assertions, these are charges which yon caoQot prove, but .1 want to tell you in regard to this matter and matters which have been lately brought to light, that the charges cannot adnat of controversy, and I want to read evidence to you an briefly aa possible to show how they can be proved. And I shall read to you first t;he evidence of the prominent dealers of the City of Hamil- ton, indicating the way in which the lisensing system was used. I shall also refer to two other documents in proof of my position, showing that the licensing system is made use of for the purpose of bolstering up the fortunes of the Government at the expense of the people of this province. Now, sir, there was a certain Mr. Lottridge who brought an action against the Hamilton Spectator for libel, and in the coarse of the investigation which took place in accordance with the powers giren to the judge presiding oT«r the ouurt, Mr. Lotkridge wai axaminMl kod the evidanoe given to the pablio for th« first time. I am able to give you the Hworn ■tateoient of Mr. Lottridge, upon whioh I rely m proving the oharse whioh I made against the Ouvernment of the day. Now let m 8«e who Mr. Lottridge waa. Mr. Lottridge ia the leading partner ia the firm of F. Grant & Son. They have a chattel mortgage on about 45 Naloona, and there are a considerable number more aa oiiatomera. Let UB see what oourHo Mr. Lottrit'ge took, and what Mr. MoRenz'O, the lioenae in- apeotor in the City of Hamilton, dnring the eleotiona of Burn* and Waltera. Now, it may b» said thin is only an isolated trana- action, but. I venture to aay that It la the BeHt Kvldeaec for the purpose of establi -hing the poaition whioh I take here, beoanse it ia the kind of evidence ms to Vrhich there ia no diapnte, and what happens in the Cily of Hamilton, happen'4 in the City of Toronto, in the Oity of London — perhaps not in the same degree and elaewhere throughout the Province of Ontario. Mr. Lottridge had been one of the leading Cotaervativen in the City of Hamilton. This is what h" nays of himaelf : Q. Did you over tell any person that yon were a ConBervativo. but that your interest In the saloonH compollod you to take sides with the Liberal party? Mr. Teetzcl objects to the question and the witness refuses to answer. Q. Do you objeci to answer iti A. I say I did not say what you said. .1.. . Q, Didjou say anythiiiMT of the kindt , , A. I fsaid somethin'^ like it. , Q. What was it? A. I ■ eas goinB where my interests were. Q. And it was your interest to side with that side? A. I didn't aay that. I said I was going: where my interest was. I have observed receutl^' that Mr. Mowat has been claiming that his Government is conducted on the principle of truth and rigkteousnese. (Laughter.) He is oon- tinually reiterating that when he goes npon the public platform. I do not want to aay anything diare.4pectfal of him, bnt I think that I might call to mind the instance of a man, who, some 1800 yeara ago, made some observation about himself and derogato'-y to his fellow-men. Yoa recollect the man who thanked God that he was not as other men were. I do not want to be unfaii -nough to Mr. Mowat to aay that there ia A Iitttle ot tbe Ptaurisee in the statements he makes before the pab- lic— (laughter and applause) — bu^ I aay this, that if Mr. Mowat would show that hia Government ia conducted on the prio> oiple of truth and righteonaneaa we would be better able to come to a ooncluaicn M to what we think of their oonduot, not* withatanding hia proteatationa. Now. I wonder waa it the principle of truth and righteonaneaa on whioh Mr. Lottridf* changed hia politioa. Mr. Lottridge aaid il waa hia intereat to go to the Liberal party. It waa either becaaae, by reoaon of thai influance, he could got an unfair advantnga of the othar men in the trade, or that by reaaon of that influence he could aay what the policy of the Government on thia liquor question ia to be. Ia there any other con* unaion that ynu could ooma to, in order that tion : Q. Did you make a canvass before the laal election of licenso-boldorst A. Yes, a partial canvafls. Q. Who was with you? A. Mr. McKenzie. Q. The license inspector ? A. Yos. Q. How many did you canvass? A. I don't know. Fifty! A. Perhaps HO. Q. Did you go 75 1 A. No. Q. That was beyond your limit! A. We may have gone to M or GO. Q. How did yon come to go tog ther in the matter ! A. T asked Mr. McKonzio to go with me, that was all. Poor innocent man. he simply aaked Mr, MoKenzie to go with him. Q. Yon aaked him to canvass for Burns and Walter! A. I told him I was going to canvaai th(! hotel and saloon men and asked him to go with mo. Q. Did you and Mr. McKenzie canvass any^ body else but license-holders? A. No. Q. You didn't go with the intention of can- vassing anybody outlicen.se-holders! A. No. Q. That was your object! A. Yon. Q. Did you canvass alone, T mean with ihese particular people ? A. Not this election. Q. Every time you went on a canvasa you looked up McKenzie! A. I did. Q. Yon didn't happen to run against him t A. No. I used to call for him. Q. Yon have got lots of friends who take a strong interest In politics on that side ! A. Yes. Q. And whodocanvassinsr? A. Yea. Q. To your knowledge! A. Yes. Q. Ana with whom yon are equally intimate aa with McKenzie ! A. Yea. Q. And itdidn't strike you to get any of them t A. No. « Q. Did you think it a proper thing for McKen- xie to go around canvassing t Nc 00 01 ow. I h and tridfs •id it party. nt.ifle hat hjr r what liqaor r 000- order o with H« two I It had inRwer Now jaat bear in mind who the witnMw waa whou oonaoiance would not permit him to answer that he thought it wae. Hu lays : A. I don't know that I should bo a Judge of that matter. Q. As a citlsen do you I A. I dont want to give an opinion. Q. Would you do it vourHolf if vou wore an inHpcotorl A. UnluttNTiiincoinpollcdtoanHwor that qucatloD I won't anHWor it. (j. You decline to exprew an opinion upon thn pronrioty of Mclvenziu nuikingHUch a canvaHs axtiiatt A. I don't wanHo uxpniHH an opinion. Q. You oxkod him to vote lor Durns and Walter! A. Yts. Q. And told him it was to his interest to do sot A. I n.ay have. Q. And the interest of all liquor deal era { A. No. Q. Did you ever make thiB argument that it was tho int<;ri!Ht of tlio licoiiKu noldurn) A. No. I nia) lavu Haid I didn't hcu why theliquor doaloFH didat support tho Iteform partv. Q. W ere you anked by anybody which aide It was theinter<:Ht of tho trade toaupporti A. I don't remember. Q. Would you deny it! A. If you tell me any person I would roinciiibor. I may have said I thought it was their inliM-estto vote for the Uoform party. Q. And thoir interest li heir buainoss ok license holdersl A. No. said I thought it was t)\e liquor interoHt to h.ipp< ' the Reform party. What a confession t( lade in this nineteenth century, that u 'he interest of the liquor party to suppo. the Reform party I Upon what principles could that be ^except that the Reform party were trait- ors to the best interests of the Province of Ontario and were abusing this power, this licensing system, in the interests of their party I Q. You will say you dldnt go any further! A. No. Q. You say you didn't say it was the interest of the lioenao holders to aupport the Reform party t A. I may have said so. Bo much for the testimony of Mr. Lottridge as to bisoondnct, the reason why he changed bis politics. And, as to the course of Mr. Mackenzie, license inspector, I have never heard from that day to this that the Reform Oovernment ever said to him : " Mr. Mac- kenzie, your conduct is hif,bly improper. You were appointed for the purpose of dis- charging a duty under the license law, and yoo had no buainesa to go around and with thia gentleman, who had himaelf an influence npon the licenae holdera. You had no buai- nesa to go about with him for the purpoae of influuncin^ men to vote in favor of any political party." But, from that day to thia, nothing of the kind haa taken place in condemnation, on the part of the Oovernment, of Mr. Mackenzie or hia conduct in thi-t reapect. I have no doubt they think it was a pretty honorable thing, Mr. Mackenzie doing what he did npon thia occasion. Now, let ua see if we have .not, OTer Mr. Lottridg^'t signatnve, that it T/aa in tht interest of the lioense holders to snp- port the Reform party. Now. you know, gentlemen, that there ie an inspector in Hamilton, and that this inspector makes poriodical visits during the year for the pur- pose of ascertaining whetlier the law hoc been carried oat by those who are engaged in the trade. Now, it wouM l)e very much in the interest of thoae engaged in the basi> neaa if they could get a little warning of the time when this inapector waa going round, in order that they might put their houae in order. One of the caaual dutiea of Mr. Lottridgti was getting these men the infor- mation. Let me read to you what he sent out aa a atrictly private communication, dated the ISth June, 1886, to every onu of the me" who wore cuatomers of hia brew- ery: "Dear Sir, — You are hereby notified that there will be a general inapeo ion made next week by the provincial lie uae iiispoot- or. Pleaae govern youraelf accirdingly. Youra truly Strictly Private. (Sgd.) Jamea M. Lottridge." (Laughter.) Now then we have, too, another evidence under tho hand of an official of the Govern- ment, of the principle under wliich they think thia licenae aystem ought to be con- ducted. There ia a Mr. Manning, who ia the chief officnr connected with the licenae branch. On tho 14tb February, 1889. he wrote this letter. He marks it uuofiioial, but he signs it chief officer. Provincial Srcbktabt's Dxpahtment, Canada Tkmperanci!; Act Divihion. Toronto, February 14, 1889. [Unofflnal] Dear Sir. — I am in receipt of your favor of the 8th Inat., and In reply thereto, without in- tention to enter into a controversy upon the points of your letter, I beg to call your stten- lion to tho fact that the Ontario Government is the only provincial government that haa made any effort to enforce the Scott Act : that I am not concerned to defend their bona fldea in the matter and as tlio matter has been mooted by you I would eimply eay that a gentleman 01 considerable influence and' posi- tion called on me the other day to say that a more rigid enforcement of the Act would be highly injurious to the Mowat Government, and thus wo again have the difficulty of pleasing all parties. 1 have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant. (Signed), F. W. Manning, Chief Officer. To S. E. McCully, Esq., M.D. Now let me see what Mr. Manning says in that letter, not highly injurious to the public, but highly injurious to the Mowat Government. So that we have here, sir, a confession over the hand of an officer that this lioense law is not administered for the pnrpose of pleasing both parties and in the political interest of the Government of tho day. Now then, gentlemen, we bad one other testimony from the official reoorda, one other pretty ole»r evidence of the way in which this license law has been adminli- tered by the government of the day. A re- turn waa brought down from the county of Duudaa of the oonvictiona that had been made by the Soott Act magistrate of that county, and when the return waa brought down it proved tbia, that about the time the general election waa coming on in the oouuty of Dundas, the Soott Act iuspeotora' mill and the Scott Act Ma^lHtraiteN Mill '' was working up to its full oupaoity ; but direotly that the elections were understood to come on, and down to the timo the elections were over, not a prosecution under the Soott Act took place, and it waa not for some months afterwards, and after the timu for protesting the election, that the Soott Act mill again went into operation ; indicat- ing this, that in the enforcing of this law it was not the public interest that was bein^ ■evved, but the interest of the political party that had the administration of the law in its hande. I know there are differ- uncua of opinion amont; the people of this country as to whether we should have a license law or whether we should have a prohibitory law ; but there is no ditference of opinion in riirht-thinking men in all political parties in this country that the driokiug habit is a great evil, and that the license law in this country shoull be care- fully looked ufter, and that the law should be rigidly enforced, and that means ouglu not to be provided for the youug and those addicted to drink to be ensnared intoblaccs that are improperly carried on. Auu any Government that prostituted this important office of administering the license system of the country for the purpose of making political capital have so grave a sin to answer for that I do not think they should deserve the confidence of the people of this country, and they ought to be swept out of existence. (Cheers.) I say, Mr. Chair- man, ladies and gentlemen, that that trade in this country ought, in the interests of temperance, to be in the hands of no political party. I say that it is not right that the enormous amount of monty tiiat is invested in the liquor traffic should be at the mei "y of the inspectors aud commissioners in the inter- ests of tiie party in power for the time being, I don't care whether it is a Conser- vative oc Liberal Government in power, I say it is not right, it is not fair, it is not just — and I say tliat instead of leaving these great interests in the hands of the Govern- ment of the day to be manipulated by them, and the whole force of liquor interests turned for Tiie rnrpuHCM of Influencing LearlAlatlon, I say that the proper way to deal with this question U by non-partisan parties in the localities where law has to be enforced. (Cheers.) Why should the county counoila not be entrusted with the appointment of oommiaaiona for the purpope of adniiniatering this law ? Are they not juat as respectable and freer from political bias than men appointed by the Government of the day ? I want to know why our county counoila ahoull not he entrusted with ttiat same duty. And in the great centres of population f want to know why we ought not to elect three com- miasionera, and the people be charged with the duty of looking after theae important interests. I am an old Conservative, sir, but I have grnat confidence in the people of this country and in the democracy in this our Dominion. (Cheers.) I believe that we cannot too much trust the people of this country, and although they can go wrong at times, that down in the hearts of the people is to be found right and justice, and that The rrople Nny be EutrUHted with the administration of the license sys tem. We will have, sir, under the syatem which I propose, freedom from political partisanship ; we would have the license law administered in accurdanoe with the requirements of thu locality in which the law prevails, and we would not have the trade at thn mercy of the political parties of the country. I appeal to you, sir, aud I appeal to the ladies and gentlemen present, whether thu license system, as proposed by the Opposition of the Local House, ia not more lu the interests of the temperance people of this country than the partisan, than the corrupt, than the dishonest admin- istration of the law as it is on the statute book to-day. I hnppened, in my reading the other day, to Hiui no less an authority in favor of the position which was taken by the Conservative Opposition in the Local House here than the • « "'" RlKlk' Hon. W. E. eiad«tone. leader of the Liberal party in Great Britain, He was av tho poopli*, and Ttaf! Witiiicn Have (be Klgtat to have their great moral power used for this purpuae, we will have an honest admin istration of the law in the localities, and I think, air, thiit it ia a atrong argument that the power should bo taknn away from the Ailministration in which it is now veated. (Oheeri.) THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. Tbe Evil KcHUllH »r Partisan Control eftts AITal H. I come now, ulr, foi- a moment or two to the quebtion of the control of our edncational systoH). Every Canadian is proud of ihc educational system of thia province. It is of cotnparalively recent oriuin and develop- ment. We have a splendid system, altliough tlio Government of the day laid their hands upon it. It is a system the superior of which does not exist in any part of this world. Now I say, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gen- tlemen, th^tt it was a moat 'mfortuaate thini; the day that the Kducation Depart- ment was tnk trol of a Minister having a seat in Parlia- ment and responsible to the people of the country. I iio not deny that that proposi- tion looks well in theory, but J say that in practice it is an entire mistake, and that the result has been to show that the ohanite from a non-partisan party to the political head has not been in the interests of educa- tion, in the interests of the people of this country. Now I want to read What Dr. Byersen Halil in 1868 on this point, in order that you may sec what Dr. Ryerson 's view was at that time on that question. Ho was then sug- geHting to the Oovernment of the day that there ought to be a nen-partisan committee of the House chosen each session for the purpose of considering the educational esti- mates, for the purpose of considering educational legislation, and in doing so he pointed oat in thia way what the dangers were of the system which the Oovernment of the day has since followed. He said : Uy many thouKhtful men thia system has been considered more safe, more likely to secure a compelont, and working head of tbr. department and less liable to make Ihescho.:: system a tool of party politics than for the head of it to have a seat in Parliament and thus leave the educational in to rests of this country dependent upon the votes of the majority of the electors of onr riding. Now, sir, this language was prophetic. What he pointed out in 1868, as the result of ParliainoDt taking the control of the Education Department and placing it under the hand of a political chief has been demonstrated to-day in the position of this department as seen under tbe present and the past administrators, and part of the policy of the Opposition is to wipe out this political head of the Department, and to say that the great edu'^ational interests of this oountry should not be recognized in party politics and dragged dov/u — that tbe • 4.0 whioh are tb« hiffheat datim that any State has to perforin, mnat be raised bo that every man, no matter what hie politica may be, oan anite with his fellow-oitizens in perfect- ing a syBtem of education under which he ean bring ap hie children aa worthy citizens and educated men. I come now, sir, to speak for a moment npon what I claim to be a cry ins; evil in our election law. We have, it is supposed, a ballot for our parliamentary election, and when I say parliamentary, I mean to say for the purpose of elections to the Legislative Assembly. We have a ballot, but We Have Not a Hrcret Ballot We have a ballot by whicli a man of nnsorupnlous character has the means of detecting how another man voted if he desires U> do so. I say he haa the means of knowing bow bis neighbor'B vote haiS been cast. This bnlloL has been the means and is made the means of intimidating or in- fluencing many men who would cast their votea differently if they had the freedom of the secret bailee, bat they know that tho way in which they cast it oan be known, that their ballot oan be traced, and that it oan be ascertained how they voted. Many Esay be opposed to the principle of the ballot, but I venture to say that nothing haa done ao much to advance the interests of the great masses of the people as the placing in their hands of the ballot, by meauB of which they can come up and cast a ballot as the equal of the first men in the land. (Applause.) I say that this system of the ballot, under whioh it is permitted to investigate ibe way in which any man votes, which permits that the ballot of any man can be traced, is ▲ Delaslon, a Mockery aad • Snare, because it brings in its train tho evils and terrorB of men being afraid to cast their vote. One plank in the platform of the Conservative party to which I call your attention to-night, and for whioh I think 1 have the right of calling for the support of the great masses of the p(iople of thia coun- try, is to make tbis ballot therthing it was intended to be, a secret ballot, by means of whioh a man can in secrecy cast his vote, which be cannot do under the existing system. That is the practice in Dominion elections, and the eviJ results whioh come from the present system iu Ontario should be avoided by the adoption of this same principle in regard to Ontario elections. Again and again in the House we have endeavored to impress these views upon the governmental majority, and in respect to ttiem, now, I think we have a right to appeal to the people of the country whether khey are going to uphold the views ennn- •iated and upheld by the Ooveronentof this province. Wow I nome for a moment to the question of •j"''^ Bxemptlens nrom Taxallea, This subject has been under discnasion in the Province of Ontario, and the Qov ■ i.-rnment of the country has tioliered with it and appointed a oommisaion to do somethmg, but it has always backed away from it. Now, sir, in my judgment, a very large amount of the property exempted from taxation ongbt in all fairnnss ^ud jus- tice to pay taxes, as the little iqt whioh be- longs to the workingmau and the wage- earner. (Loud applause.) Long, long ago — and I think it is cne of the thinf^s for -rhich Beformers of Great Britain and this country have a right to be proud is the separation of the state and the church— (ap- plause) — the interests of the state and the interests of the church have been, rnmpletely separated, and I say, therefore, that any system of taxation that takes out of my pocket, or out of your pocket, a dollar or ten cents or any other sum whatever against my will and compels me to contribute for the "upport of any other church is mis- chievouB. A large an ay of objections can be urged against the connection between the state and the church, and measures whi'h have been adopted in this country Bhbuid not longer be all. ed ta remaiu on the statute book. (Applause.) I say that the property of a church or of the miuister ought to be subject to taxation just as that of the merchant or of the richest or poorest man carrying on any business in the ooun- try. The True Principle of Tazutlon is taxation on urope.ty, where you find it, but I don't mean to say, or I don't intend to give the idea, that I would do away with the exemptions on small portions of salaries of workmgmen now exempt from taxation under the existing law. (Applause.) But, air, we want a radical change in our system of taxation, for there are many and mat.y exeraptiona npon the statute book that onght to be wiped out in the interests of the people of this country, and I say that this woald have the effect of lessening the taxa- tion apon the struggling classes of our people, who hare but little and get but little. (Applause. ) I would aay, Mr, aomethlng also upon The Qnestlen ef Labor Legislation^ And I would say here to my friend Mr. Mowat, that if his Government would not pay so mnoh attention to what they oall the qnestion of provincial rights, if they would not enter into so many oontesta with the oentral Government, and if tl-.ey nonld direct their attention more to the social questions which are at the present time claiming the attention of most legialatura, u tbey would b doing more in the interest ot the people r ae oountry. There is a call, air, on all hauds for aometbing to be donetn equalize the enormous dififetrences that exist between the rich and the poor. (Applause.) They do not exist to the same extent in this freeoouatry of Canada, thank Qod, as tbey do in other lands, but they do exist here, and I think one of the niKhest duties that could be performed by any Legislature would be to pay attention to the question of these relative differenaea as they exist, and to the improvement of the condition of the work- ingman. (Applause.) Improvements »re needed in the Factory Act, improvements are needed in the Act with regard to in- juries sustained by workingmen. (Ap- plause.) Much baa been done in that direction already. I am glad to see upon the platform a member of the Local House who has been ohoaen from the ranks of labor, who has distingnisb«j himself upon the floor of the Housv :a hia painstaking endeavors to advance tiie interests of the workingman. (Loud applause.) Yoa have, sir, a demonstration in him of a man taken from the bench worthy to take hia seat in the House and intelligently discuss the questions of public policy, and especially those questions which affect the interest of the great masses of the people, with which interests he is most closely identified. This snbjeot and other relations of capital and labor should most earnestly engage the attention of the Legis- lature to the exclusion of questions which are now made the subject of their attention. I come now to disouss what I may call I'he Vexed Questions ofthe fresent Day. I do not know whether what I nhall say to-nifiht will please all those who have been my friends in the past. If it does not I shall regret it, oU^ I shall ncveitheless dis- charge my duties according to my con- scientious convictions. (Applause.) THE SFPARATE SCHOOLS. Tbe Tarloos Issues Fully Deflucil and Dlseosscd. An(i first, sir, I want to show why, when- ever a qnestion which aiTecta the relations between the Roman Catholic people of this country and their fellow-citizens the Protes- tants is up for consideration, it cannot be discussed just as a question between Metho- (lists and Presbyterians or Anglicans and Presbyterians. (Cheers.) Iwant to knowwhy in the discussion of public questions pnblio men whenever called upon to take a particular line should be hounded from one end of the country to the other by shouts of intolerance and the no-Popery cry. I repudiate the foul aoousation made against good maa, M ({ood men as stand in this oommanitf this day and throughout the oountry. I ask the people of this country if it is not sufficient to disgust any public man if, when called upon to act on a question affecting thn material interests of the oountry, he cannot do so without being affected by this or that relisrious body. Now I know of no country under the sun where the rights of the So- man Catholic citizens ar.' more upheld than in this great province of Ontario. There is no office in the state, from the higheat to the lowest, that is not open to him and that ought not to be open to him as freely aa to any good subject of Her Majesty — there ia no office in theory, at all events, if not in practice — that is, in any case, the view of the lintolerant majority of tlie province of Ontario. Look aorose the border, and ses the state ot things existing there to day. There is not a separate school from one end of the United Statea of America to the other — (loud and prolonged cbeera) — yet think what baa been done there in the interests of right and juatice, bleea- ings which havo never been denied to the Roman Catholic people of that country : bi*^ we in the province of Ontario have given our Roman Catholic fellow oitixens separate schools, which have been Guaranteed to Them by the Creat Charter upon which confederation was built. So I say there are no people in any country under the sun more liberal, more just to this minority, than are the people of the province of Ontario. Now, sir, having said that much, I desire to enter my protest against the line of argument that has been used in certain quart^^rs towards thia ques- tion. I take from a newspaper published in the city of Kingston, addressed, it ia true, to the readers of the paper, but ariaing out of m&ttera which engage the attention of the people of this province — the words are used by a newspaper, but to some ex- tent, I apprehend, by the gentleman who presides over the archiepiscopal see at Kingston : Holding, as we do, the balance of power be- tween the two factions, wo are, if oiuy true to ourselves and to the crisis about to come upon ue, independent of either and can dictate the terms upon which one or the other shall receive our support. ISow, I say I believe that there are hun- dreds, if not thousands, of our Roman Catholic fellow-citizens who do not subscribe to those views, and who do not feel them- aelvea in a position to bind themselves to- gether in a compact to defeat or work against the two great factiona in the atate One of the evils of the Parliamentary sys- tem of England to-day w-^s the great danger 12 ' to tlM ttMte arliing from a oompaot minority \ awayingirooi aide to side and ezaoting terma I in retain for its support. Is there not «reat Banvcr te the 8Ute '' in thia solid compact of the minority in the great heat there is between parties, sway- ^ ing from one side to the other, and exacting '' from that other what in conscience it could not give without the support of that com- ' pact party ? I say this is one of the danger* < to modem civilization. I say that in the face *- of anch a solid compact both parties should ' be willing to throw down their arms and cry, "Unite, nnite, against a common enemy, for there is danger to the commonity.'* (Loud and prolonged cheers.) Now, sir, I have a right to speak with ' some emphasis on the snbjeot and can, in ' the face of my fellow-citizens, say that I « havenererbeenanilliberalman; butbecausel dared at the last general election, when in my humble judgment I thought fit to say : that it was a mistake separate schools were ^' established in Ontario, thunderbolts were shot at me from one end of the country to the other by my Roman Catholic friends, many of whom voted against me. How^^er, 1° have aright to say, and speaking in this andienoe I do ask, was such treatment fair and just? (Cries of "No," and cheers.) It will be a sad day in this country when - any publio man cannot express an opinion in this matter without having the power of the great ohuroh of Rome hurled against him ia the discharge of his duties. (Prolonged cheering.) I repeat what I aaid at the last election. I say that I think it was a great mistake that separate schools were estab- lished in the province of Ontario, and I wish to-day that my Roman Catholic fellow - . citizens oould see ■aw Muck Better it Wenld Be if these schools should be done away with. I think there is nothing tends more to foster ill-will and bitterness between young Pro- testants and young Roman Catholics than to bring them up, as it were, in hostile camps. Would it not be a much better means of making them lov^ one another and of mak- ing them respect one another in bringing . them up side by side in the one school and at the same desk? (Loudoheers.) Therefore, " I say I do regret that ever separate schools were established ic Ontario, and I may ask joa whether the experience we have had for the last thirty years, for the laat twenty-five years, I should say. since the Separate S(!b'»ol Act of 1863 was passed, whether the; sti . J of matters would not have been better to-day if, instead of being turned out of both public and separate schools, they were altogether turned out of the public schools of Ontario T I make that enquiry in an in- offensive spirit, and simply ask you to con- pare results and ask yourselves whether the students turned out of the separate schooli^ art > any better citizens, any more religious citizens, any more honest men than thosi- who hav^ been turned out of the publ'c schools? (Great cheering.) Now, sir, we have implanted in onr constitution the decree that there shall be senarate schools, and that decree prescribes that they shall exist on a basis upon which they existed at the time of confederation. We cannot alter that if we would. It was a Vompromise entered into at the time confederation wbf' given to you, but my position is, as was put by the leading men who spoke on the occa sion on the passing of the Act of 1863, an^ while I am ready to afford every faoilitv foi the purpose of improving these separate schools in their machinery, their working, and in their development, while I am willing to say that no dollar of the money of separ- ate school supporters shall be taken to sup- port the publio schools, and that no dollnr of the money of publio school supporters shall be taken to support separate sehools — yet I do say, holding these views, I would be guilty of treason if I opened the door wider for the admittance of separate sehoals into Ontario. One of the sins which lohiirge at the door of the Government of the day is that they have not been mindful of this high duty which they owe to the people of the country, but have proseeded by legislation in an op- posite direction. I observed this morning that the Olobe newspaper appeals to the Hon. George Brown in support of the posi- tion which it and the Mowat Government are taking upon the question. You will observe, if you have read the Globe, that in a certain portion of the advice something ia omitted. Now, what ia omitted are these words uttered by the Hon. Geo. Brown, and which do much to qualify the observa- tions which he made and which are the sub- ject of the Globe's article. He S!iid: I admit that from my point of view this is a blot on the scheme of the Houae. It is confefe- cdlv one of the concesslona from our side that had to be made to secure this great measure of reform. He was referring to the confederation, scheme. The great point with the men who were in the House of that day was this, by this Act of 1867 we make a finality of this separate school question and will not be disturbed by it again. It was accepted by the Roman Catholic minority in this Pro- vince. Now it seems to me, sir, that a cer- tain high dignitary of the church, who has passed to his long home since, has had An BBilrelr Brraneoas Ylew of what the Separate School Act of 1863 i 18 I'hether tbe kte achoolt^ e reHj as was put I the ocoa- 1863, an^ faoilitv foi ) separate r working, am willing ^ of separ- en to sup- DO dollar sapporters ) sehuols — 9, 1 would the door ite aeho3]s it the door that they high duty le country, 1 in an op- B morning als to the t the posi- overnment You will be, that in mething is are these 0. Brown, le observa- re the sub- id: w this is a t is confefti- r side that measure of ifederatioi. B men who as this, by lity of this ill not be loepted by D this Pro- that a oer- ), who has 8 had lew ctof 1863 wa«, and it is npdti his lines that the ad- miniitration of Mr. Mowat has been legis- lating since 1876. Let me read to you what that distinguished prelate said upon the election of a school trubtee in the City of Toronto, when the present Hon. Timothy Warren Anglin was elected to fill that position. He said : It is quite erroneous to think that what ap- pertains to the election of separate school trustees is merely a secular matter and does not touch religion. The Phristlan education of South is a religious nialtcr, one to be chiefly Irected by the clergy and especially by the bishops, who have to a.nawer for the souls of tho-e confined to their care, both parents and children. Now. the election of persons to aid the clergy in their sacred duty of educating youth is a sacred affair.* Upon this proposition which his Grace is about to make I most firmly join issue. He ■ays : The Church justly and religiously claims the right to define the bounds of her own rights and jurisdiction. Were this in the power of the Btate the Church would not be permitted al- ways to preach the true Gospel of Christ. Now, we pronounce that the election of separate school trustees is a religious aflfair, and that each elector must answer before God for his vote. We never tried to control our Catholic peoplein their votesfor purely secularconcerns, such as for elections of mayor or of aldermen, or of members of Parliament, etc., but the elect ion of a''fieparato school tm^tee, being a religious affair, concerning the salvation of souls, it is our duty to interfere and see that proper men arc elected. We will conclude as we did in one of our former letters : " Obey your prelatas and be loyal to them, for they watch as having to render an account of your souls, that tbey may do thl. (Cheers.) Now, ■ee what are the two cardinal principles in that pastoral delivered in Anril, 1888. First, that the Church has to define the limits of our jurisdiction, and wherever it shall gay to the State, " This matter is in my ood- trol," the State must stand aside. The other proposition is that we have nut con- fided to the Catholic laity, as we always ■nppnsed, the control of their separate ■chools, but that they are merely aids to the clergy and bishops in the oondnot of those schools and that trustees are practical- ly selected at the bidding of the Hierarchy. If that be so, why go through the farce of electing school trustees at all ? Why should bot the Hierarchy be entrusted with the appointment of trustees T I speak now upon a matter in which The Catbelle lAlty are Interetted, just as the Protestants are interested, in this matter. If this is the true position, then there is no reason in the world why the Catholic Hierarchy should not be trusted with the appointment of the trustees, and not ueoesiitate the expense of having the farce of an election for the purpose of choos- ing men to o ndnot the affairs of the separ- ate schools. (Hear, hear.) That i» not the Separate School Act of 1863, and no man who was not a traitor to his country wonld have assented to an Act that involved principles such as these. No man, 1 say, who was not a traitor to his country would have assented to legis- lation which admitted the right of tbe ohnroh to define the limits of its jurisdiction and to hand over directly to tbe Church the control of the educational affairs ot any portion of the people of this province. I say it wonld never have been assented to by any Legislature in this province. What is the theory of the Separate School Aot? The Theory of the Separate School Act is that any five or more heads of families who conscientiously do not desire to have their children educated in the public school may form a separate school. They elect trustees, who manage the i^fiairs of the school accord ing to the principle with relation to the fmblio school. Not one word from first to ast about the church to do this. It is some- thing given tothp citizens, and in the legis lation there is not one word about tbe church being entru>sted with any power whatsoever. Now that was the poncession to the conscientious convictions of the indi- vidual citizens, and standing upon that ground is the only ground upon which the separate schools can possibly be defended in this country. Let me ask you for a moment if there is not somewhat of an an- omaly. I ask my Catholic fellow-citizens to follow me in this argument and see if I am not justified in taking the ground that there ouitht not to be separate schools. We have long ago unanimously said there should be no conueotion between church and state. Our Catholic fellow-citizens were with us in this battle. They said so, too. The very last vestige of church and state is done away with. We, the majority, said that with regard to the Protestant church. What was the principle upon which that rested ? That the state could not ander- take to be the means of conveying, at the expense of tlie state, the Deffinas of Any PHrtlcalar KellRlon. Now what are the separate schools under the present system ? Every teacher in them is an officer of tbe state. They have tbe powers of the state the trustees have 14 for levying taxation, and I want to know the differenoe between a connection between ohuroh and state where from the pulpit dogmas are preaohed, and the school where the dogmas are by the state inonloated at the debks of the school room. Is there any difference in principle 7 I venture to say, sir, that there is no difference in principle, and I use that simply as an argument why I am justified in taking the ground that I take, that there ought to be no extension of the influence of separate schools, while they should be mad ) as perfect as they can onder the existing system. Mr. Mowat says that these amendments that have been made have not been suggested by anybody connected with the church. They have not been dictated. They nave not been even suggested. I do not know that Mr. Mowat says that— tho Olobe says that Mr. Mowat says so-(lang. ter)-because I cannot 'believe that Mr. Mowat did say so, heoaase whenever the necessity of any change in the separate school law has come up, the invariable an- swer by those who represent that particular interest in the Cabinet is that no amend- ment in the Separate School Act ought to be made unless the Separate Sebool Sapporten Ask lor It. So that you see the very principle upon which we havs been legislating all along, that no changes in the Separate School Act ought to be made unless that demand came from the separate school supporters. Now, let me see. First they uay we have done nothing. We have not facilitated the for- mation of separate schools. Now let me read what is said in the life of Archbishop Lynch, written in his lifetime, and in all Erobability, I doubt not, from what the ook itself says, submitted to his grace for his cunaideration. The author is speaking of Archbishop Lynch's position in Ontario politics : It seemed for some time after Confederation that the Ontario Catholics would be obliged to make the best of the imperfect Act of 1863, as there appeared but small prospect that any Legislature elected by tho people of that pro- vince would bo prepared todo anything towards making the measures more efFoctivo. The coalition Gtovemment of Mr. Saudfleld Macdon- ald, the first Government of the new province of Ontario, did not feel disposed to grant any conceasions to tho Catholic body in the matter of separate schools. A better feeling, however, soon began to prevaU among the Protestant majority towards Catholics, which wo are bound to Hay the present Archbishop of Toronto was largely instrumental in bringing about. The people of Ontario at last realized tho injustico of admitting the principle of separate schools and yet preventing by burdensome and onerous restrictions their full and free development. The consequence and, result of this change in Bubllc opinion and in- tho better and more boral sentlmonts of the Protestant majority of Ontario towm-rts their Catholic follow citi- ■ens, is that the f •resent Liberal Government of Ontario have been enabled to grant to the OathoUc minority of this province all the amendments in the Separate School Act neces- sary to carry out the spirit and intention of the law. What other Qovemments could not or would not grant in this respect has been fully and generously conceded by Mr. MowaPs ad- ministration. For this reason and for the fur- ther and most important^ reason that the pre- sent Liberal Qovemment of Ontario have always shown themselves prepared to trea^ the Catholics of this province in a fair and equit- able spirit, and have recognized the claim of the Catholic minority by giving an important Sortfolio in the Cabinet to a representative latholio. the present Archbishop of Toronto, has felt it his duty to give Mr. Mowat'a Gov- ernment such support as a Catholic bishop may consistently without compromising himself by merely political entanglements. Now, sir, you see what the view of Arch- bishop Lynch was.* You know what hia view was of What the Separate School Act was, and he declares there, or in fact it is declared under his hand, that the Mowat Gbvernment had passed all the changes in the law that were necessary to the full and free development of separate schools. Yet Mr. Mowat says: "I have done nothing, I have made no cbbnges in matters of that kind that should alter the state of the Roman Catholic schools." Now I want to read you a few statistics for the purpose of showing that Archbishop Lynch, and not Mr. Mowat, is right upon this question. In 1866 there were 161 separate schools in ex- istence. That is the year of Federation as you all know. In the year 1876 — which is the expiration of ten years from that time and by a singular coincidence the com- mencement of the new Ministry of Bduoa- tion, when Mr. Crooks assumed the port- folio of education, and it became a political appointment — in 1876 there were 167, so that in ten years the separate schools bad in- creased onlv by six. Now take the next ten years. In 1885, under the political head, the foparate schools had increased fr m 167 to 218, while in the previous ten years they had increasid only by six. Yet in 1888 they had increased them till they reached 235 in number, and yet Mr. Mowat says he has done nothing to facilitate the establish- ment of separate schools. There are three or four points upon which I am at issue with the Government of Mr. Mowat upon this question of separate schools. In tbtt first place, I say that this Act by which An Ass<^SHor >Vas Boand to Take the Fact that a man was a Roman Catholic as prima facie evidence that he was a separate school supporter, I say tha^ Act ought not to have been placed upon the statute book, and for this reason the separate school was a con- cession to the conscience of the individual Catholic, and he ahonld have been left per- fectly free to exercise his independence as to whether he would support the separate 15 ranfe to th* loa all th* >1 Act neces- >ntlon of the ould not or aboenfullT lowat's ad. for the fur- at the pro- itarlo have to treaiu tho -and equit> the claim of n important) iresentativa of Toronto, (wat'a Gtov- bishop may himself by w of Aroh- what hia School Act f&oi itii the Mowat changes in le full and ooJs. Yet nothing, I rs of that ite of the I want to purpose of 1, and not estion. In sols in ex- leration as —which is that time the com- of Eduoa- the port- A political .67, so that a bad in- B the next I'ical head, 1 fr m 167 'ears they et in 1888 y reached at says he establish- are three saue with upon this I tlM) first the Fact as prima ite school t to hare I and for as a con- idiridual left per- mce as to aeparate ■obools, or whether he would not, and I say as a result of that legislation, the result in practice, whatever the strict literal inter- pretation ot the Act may be, and that is a matter now for the consirleration of the courto, the result in practice is that, if a man who is a Oatholic desires to avoid sup- porting the separate schools he is bound himself to take the iniative and to appeal from the assessment instead of, as under the old law, leaving bim entirely at his own option to support or not to support the separate school. Now Mr. Mowat said the other day at Princeton tnat \«'hen this amendment was before the House a member of the Opposition proposed that the statute should declare that every Roman Catholic should be ipso facto a separate school sup- porter. That IS practically true. That member was Dr. O'Hnllivan, who stood on the Oj)poBitiou side of the House, a member of the Roman Catholic faith, but Mr. Mowat did not tell his meeting at. Princeton this. He did not tell the people of Ontario that upon that occasion his colleague, Mr. Fraser, pointed out to Dr. O'Snllivan that while it was not expedient to amend the law as he proposed to do, that practically all he pro- posed by his amendment would be secured by that proposed by the Minister of Educa- tioQ, which is now upon the statute book of this proviuce. I say then That Ameiidiuent Ought to lie Taken OCT the statute books. Mr. Chairman, see what the result of this is. I took occasion, in order to see how this was working in our own city, to communicate with our worthy City Clerk upon the subject. I will read to you his letter as to how the matter is working in the City of London to-day, and it is important to the Catholic separate school supporters, because if Mr. Mowat's conten- tion is correct, then not one of them is entitled to have his taxes bo to support the separate schools, and practically the separate scliools are without the right to any taxes at all to-day, except the few or the many who before 1885 were supporters of these scheols. This is what Mr. Abbott says : In reply to your letter of this day I beg to state that the habit has been discontinued since that time. The course pursued has been to examine the assessment rollrf by a committee from the Roman Catholic separate school board, and the number ascertained in that manner each year. So that you see, sir, that where they go for the purpose of ascertaining who are the supportsrs of the separate schools is not to the uotice which under the old Act the separate school supporter gave, but to the assessment roll, where he is put down as a supporter whether he be a supporter or not. Now, 1 say, that in justice to the Roman Catholic separate 8cho.d supporters, in justice to the principle npon which this Act rests, that provision of the law ought to be taken ofif the statute book, and, sir, I pro- f>osed in the year 1887 an amendment to the aw which would enable any person appealing under the assessment law, if a supporter of the separate schools did not give a notice, to secure that he might be transferred from the column of separate school supporters to that I f public school supporters, and that amrndmenf was voted down by theUovern- ment of Mr. Mowat and his followers. Now then another change has been made in the separate school law. I admit that as to this there is a great deal of room tor differenoe of opinion, partly, at all events. By the original Act it was only ratepayers who had the right to direct their taxes to go to support a separate school, and so it happened that where a tenant under an arrangement between himself and his ]and> lord did not pay his taxes, then the tenant, if he happened to be a Roman Catholic, could not apply his taxes to the support of a separate school, nor if he were a Protestant could he apply his taxes to support a public school. In 1874 or 1875 Mr. Crooks introduced an amendment, by which he declared that where properly was assessed botli for the landlord and tenant that the destination of the taxes should be determined by the re'igion of the tenant, and that no matter what the agreement between the landlord and tenant might be as to the payment of the taxes, it amounted to noth- ing. They did not know whether he paid the taxes or not. Where the Catholic ia taxed it went to support the separate school, and if the Protestant is taxed it went to the public Bchoo'. That strikAn me as being unfair. It is just as unfair o the Catholic as it is to the Protestant, and I do not see why the landlord shall not have the liberty, then, f he is paying the taxes, to say to what school it should go, and it seems to me that that amendment was not in the public interest. Then, Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, the next amendment was : Under'the law formerly The Separate Schools were laspeetcd by high school inspectors and by public school inspectors under the ordinary law of the land, but after Mr. Crooks came into office a change was made in the method of inspection, and now two inspoctors are appointed for the purpose of inspecting the Roman Catholic schools, paid out of the provincial exchequer, and not paid in the way in which the pnblio school inspection is paid throughout the country. That may be a small matter, but it is a matter of unfairness and injustice to the taxpayers or the peopleof this province. (Cheers.) Why 16 should not these schools be rnspioted juBt in the name way as the public sohools of provinoe are inspected ? Is there any reason for departing from the original rule ? It seems to me they ought to return to that old method of inspecting sohools. It would be fair fot the Roman Catholics and fair for the Protestants to put them on the same footing in that respi^ct. Then there was Wii-t Another ChaoKe Made In The Law to which I desire to state my objections. You know that the county councils now ap- point representatives upun the high school boards in counties, and city councils appoint representatives uDon the high scliools iu cities Well, now, six years ago Mr. Ross introduced an amend:nent in the law by which ^ho Roman Catholic separate schoo' board was authorized to appoint a member upon the high school board. Haven't they tue same voice cs the Protestants in the elec- tion of the city council T Haven't they the same voice in choosing the oounty ccuncil? Aud why should they have the rig'tt to select one member to sit upon the 'ligh school board ? I believe that in tito city of London they have a most excellent repre- sentative there, but what we protest agaiust is this class discrimiuation, this religious discrimination. As reaaoably might they say upon the arguuents regarding th^^ sep- arate school trustee, because the peoi le of the province did not elect to the Lei;islature a number of Roman Citholic representat- ives proportionate to the population, that the Government of the day ouuht to give seats to the requisite number there. It is not right. It is unjust for the majority to fut the minority in an unfair position, and think it would be something the Roman Catholics themselves woulcl spurn, as being a matter as to wiiich they would not stand aide by side on their own feet along with their Protestant fellowcitizena. This is one of the amendments iu the law against which I desire to outer my protest. I have only one other matter with regard to the separate schools which I desire to refer to, and that is regarding the Text Boohs or the Separate Schools. Now, sir, Mi Mowat has declared that he could not Bupport an amendment that was moved by Mr. Oraig fn the House declaring that the text books that are in use in the eeparate schools, except those that deal with matters of religion, should be under the oontrol of the department. Ho said he could not support a proposition of that kind, because he doubted whether it was out of the power or within the power of the Lcg- lature. Why, sir, by the law which created the aeparate sohools provision is made under which there is ample power given to do this thing. This is a proriaion of the original Act regarding Roman Catholic separate schools, so that they aud their registers shall be subject to such inspection as may be di- rected, from tine to time, by ^he chief superintendent of educatiou, and shall be subject also to such .-estrii'tions as may be imposed from time to time by the Council of Publio luHtruc^ion for Upper Canada. You see, therefore, in the terms of the charter for the separate schools a provision is made t*;at they shall be subject to such regulation as shall from time to time be prescribed by the Council of Public In- struction. Do you say that the people of this oountry will ever consent that a school shall be conducted by any deuomiuation in this country where the books are notsubjcct to revision by those wbo are charg< d with the administration of educational affairs, except as to the books which deal with mat- ters of religion T Why, sir, it seoms to be one of the fundamental principlee on wl.iob our school system stands, and I wan aston- ished when Mr. Mowat took that ground, and from the position which he took I ap- peal to the people of this country whether they will not say that the authorized text books in use in the separate schools, except those used for the purpose of teaching re- ligion, shall be ?6bject to revision just the same as the boiks used throughout the pro V ince. (Ay ilause, ) Now, sir, '" ussire to say a word or two before passing from this subject. It is said that our Catholic fellow citizens do not get A Fair Share ot the Appolnliuents to office, that they are not elected to the Legislature as they ought to be. There may be snmothiug in that, but, Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, is that any reason why we should alter the whole law of the country ? I say that in mat ters of state the men should be appoint- ed and not the religion. Religion is a matter I etweeu a man and his Qod. We Bay the state should not know a man ex- cept as a citizen, and the only questions when a man preoents himself for appoint- ment to office or election by the people are first, is be a good oitizon ? and second, is he worthy of the position to which he aspti'es? I venture to think, sir, that if some of our Catholic citizens would but separate themselves from the line they have been following and take the line of that principle there would be more firm friendliness be- tween the people of one religion and the other in this country, and I appeal to my fellow-citizens of the Roman Catholic faith to join together as citizens and look not at whether men worsliipn d at this or that altar. As to a differeioi botween men, who, sir, can conscientiously tell in this country any don he I mar and raer the by hav tinu 17 any man whether he hM a right to the tree- dom of con-tiieotioas worship in any religion he may choose? Who knows sutfioieDtly to mark ont the boundaries between any faith and another ? Under the univerie of God men ca» reach that eternal home beyond the skif 8, men can reach that abode of reat, by roads which noithtir priest or presbyter have marked out. (Loud and 4ong con- tiDU< d applause.) In the name, sir, ot free- dom, in the j ame of religion, in the name of The Highest Duties or CltUcnshlp, I protest against looking at the faith which any uf our fellow-citizens profess and for any purpose appealing in that way in re- spect of their citizen^hip. I say, ^ir, th'it ic is only by acting on these lines, by leaving men's religion as a matter entirely between them and ih-.ir God, that we can be a Holid and compact people and carry on our affplause.) Now, dir, I come to another phase of the quetition. I suppoa»> it will be said that I have been shouting "No Popery" from this platform t'lnight. ((Jries of "No, no.") 1 venture to say, and I appeal to every right-thinkirg man to say, if to-night I have said anything in any way offensive to nuy man m the Roman Catholic faith, or anythiug on account of which I oanuot look him in the face to-morrow and oall him my friend, as I have done before, and aa I will do. (Loud applause.) . THE FRENCH SCHOOLS. The Policy Which Ought to be PnrHued Rexarding Them. Now, sir, there has been a great deal of discussion lately about French in the public schools. Perhaps before disuusbing the matter you will permit me to go back for a moment as I want to give you another illustration of the way in which my friend Mr. Mowat conducts his afFaka upon the principle of truth and righteousness. (Ap- plause and laughter.) He went up to the county of Lambton and there made a speech in which be told the electors that he did know how I was going to get on in the dis- cussion that has taken plaoe on this subject because I had favored Roman Catholics having to do with the selection of books to be used in the public schools. Let us see how he brought in his charge — in the first plaoe — how he conducted this matter. This is what he read or referred to : "With re- spect to the educational question they would be prepared to formulate their views iu a proper way before the session closed, and he hoped the Government would be pre pared to meet them. As that question had been referred to he might say that he reoog- nized the right of Roman Catholica in this country to fair play. Anyone who would adopt another course m thi'i country was not a true Canadian. He recognized the right of the Roman Catholio authorities to give their ad vico and to make enquiries with respect to what works were used in our high schools or schools in which their children might be taught," and then he stopped. There is a man looking about for the control of the pcblio schools, and advocating aloud that the Komau Catholics 8hoald Dictate what kind of books should be used in the publio schools. But now let me read to you what follows, and what the Globe did not print: "But he recognized no more right for the Catholic church than for the Presbyter- ian, Anglican or any otherchurchiu the com- munity, and their wishes should be no more re^peoted than those of aay other religious body of representatives making representa- tions to the Education Department, " Do you think that Mr Mowat in that speech dealt fairly with me, or dealt fairly with the audience which he was addressing ? I think not. (Applause.) Now, sir, to return to the question of French in the schools. What is the course which Mr. Muwat's Government have taken in this matter ? I ask you can anybody say that the English language should not be the language of the country ? I ask you, can any state school teach any other language but the English as the language of the schools 7 (Applause.) But we live in strange times, and extraor- dinary views are sometimes put forward, and one of these extraordinar> views is that in this English-speaking province of Ontario the French language ought to be taught side by side with the Enclish language, and that it would be cruel and intolerant not so to teach it. That is the doctrine which is preached to-day. But, even if a little while ago we might have been more liberal, I think that Some Thiners that Have Been TransplrlnK not far away from here ought to teach us how careful we ought to be about the estab- lishment of a dangerous precedent. Mr. Mowat, by his alliance with Mr. Meroler, has streui^thened himself with the old Liberals in the province of Quebeo. Who can say that the Parti National has not its birth in the tomb of the Liberal party of Quebeo? Now, what have we heard de- clared, not behind the doors, but upon the house-tops, at the meeting of the St. Jean Baptiate Society in the provinoe of Quebec ? Mr. Meroier there told the people of thif country that the dream that they were going to build up a great Dominion of » 18 homofreneouB people living under the sceptre of the British crown has been but a "dream," that we don't want to be mistaken, aa they will have no part in tho work in that way to be accompIiBhed, but they desired tiO I aild up in thiH country n French Cath- olic rationality, and that as the building increased it would have a peaceful conquest C/f the province of l^uebe3 and of a portion of the province of OutArio. I scy, sir, that when the leader of a great paity, controlling the majority of the elb?tora of Qnehec, does not hesitate to declare this sentiment it is full time for us to se^> our bouse in order to meet the man who makes state- ments of this sort I obuerve '.hat there has been a kind of spasmodic t (fort on the part of Mr. Mowat'ti followers to repudiate Mr. Meroier. But it was largely owing to Mr. Mowat that Mr. Mercler Blossomed Into Existence and occupies the position he does to>day. Can Mr. Meroier 'a position be assured were it not for the puBition cf the Liberal party of Onttirio to-day 7 It stems to me it could not. What was the reason of the ex!oi.t?nce of tliia Parti [National? Why, when the traitor who had twice ri^belled against his oouniry had met the doom to wiiich he was so justly entitled — that man who caused the (laughter of the bravest Bonb of this country and caused the expendi- ture of millions of dollars — had tihe cqunl and just law of thin country executed opon him, those who would make a fo':nda- tion of revenge for that constitutional ex- •rois of the power of this nation without whicli it could not have been exercised, are nnderminins the liberties handed down to Qs by onr forefathers. (Cheers.) What did Mr. Mowat do after that ? I do not charge upon him that he sat down in secret in view of subsequent legislation, but mot in conclave with Mr. Mercier. What I do say is that he and Mr. Meroier met together and they put their hands to the pulling down ot that which is the arch of this Confederation, and without which Con- feHeration canuot live, and declared that radical changes must be made in the ocnstitution of this country — I refer to the vjto power fra^ned by treat men and pit ced in the hands of the general Gov- ernment of this country. 1 do iicj stop there, but call to mind the language of Sir George Car tier iind the Hon. Georj/e Brown and other great Icadern of parties who met together, and vith whose assistance the great charter of Confederation was made, and ask if that veto power were not placed there for Protecting the Mlnorlttes of this country. I sa;^ it is the sheet anchor >f Confederation, and without it Confeder- ation cannot stand. Look at the dooirinM of the Liberal party in Ontario and the Lib- eral party in Quebec. Look at the powers conferred upon thee local bodies. Accord mg to the View of this n^.:.n (Mercier) there might be established ir Ontario, or in Que- bee, a Htate church. Indeed there is a stato church in Quebec, and Protestants might be compelled to establish that church. I say the veto power is essential to Confeder- ation, and must be asserted again because it has boon rudely shaken by ^he events which have taken place. Thore mubt be a radical change in the constitution, by whjch the F lowers of the local legislatures will be large- V limit' d with re8()ect to those matters dealing with minorities and the establish- ment ot stiite churches in the diOerbnt pro- vinces. (Cheers.) Next I take the question of the French language in the schools. I shall point out that we ought, in view of what hp.i bSken place in the province of Quebec., not to permit the English language to be excluded from our schools, or any other principle to be recognized than that the teaching in hhese scheols should be Engl'sh and that French shouht only be tol- erated for the purpose of siving a rndimen- tal instruction in the English language. Now, Mr. Mowat has been charged throughout the country with breaking the regulations of the department, and has at- tempted to throw the responsibility apon the late Dr. Ryerson, and he has been quot- ing tn show that the departRiint recognized the French language in yean) gone by. But. ■e Only Qaotes • rorllon of what he ought to have quoted. In th ^ quotation which he gave he would lead the public to think that it was always compe- tent for a man who did not understand the Eugliah language to booome a teacher in the public schools in tho French districts of Ontario. This is not so, and n<;Ver was the law. It has always und or the law been necessary that any ma.i kihould obtain a first, or second, or third-class certificate, and that he should be able to read in the Eni^lish tongue. Let me read from the rec- ord that there might be no mistake about it, and I hope you will pardon me if my ob- servations extend longer than they ought to. (Cries of "Go on, uo on," and cheers.) The qualifications of third-class teachers are thesfi: "English language and literature; reading, to be able to read any passage to be selected from the authorized reading bookH intelligently, expressively and with correct pron inciaticn; spelling, to be abl') to writ, corre :tly any passage that may be dictated from the reading books; etymology, to know the prefixes and affixes and pricoipal roots." Then it is provided that 'Ma regard !> teachers in French or German settlemenis ^. dooirinaa id the Lib- the powers Accord rcier) there or in Qne- re ii a stAt*! iat» might oharoh. I > Confader- 1 because it ents which )e a radical whjch the 1 be large - se matters establieh- lerbiit pro- 1') question schools. I in riew of rovinoe of h language le, or any than that should be nly be tol- I rndimen- language. I charged taking the ind has at- )ility upon been quot- recognized e by. But m i. In th. Id lead the aya compe- ratand the teacher in iistriots of er was the law been obtain a nertifioate, ead in the m the rec- ike abont if my ob- ' ought to. 1 cheers, ) aohers are iteratnre ; isage to be iing booku th correct I to writt: ) dictated 7, to know ;)al Toota." regard to ittiemenu • know)edf(e of the French or Oerman crammar respeotively may be ■nbt'titated for a knowledge of the Bngliah grammar and the oertificatas to the teachers express- ly limited aocordinely. The county councils, v/ithin whose jurisdiotion there are French or Oerman settlements, are authorised to appoint one or more persons (who in their ]nd :. -neat may be competent) to examine oan- did« „es id the French or Oerman lanauage. But Nowhere TkreaRhvat These ■eff«la(l*as is there any authority given to a teacher who is not able to spell the EogUah lan- guage, understands the etymology of Eng- fiah and write a composition in the English language, and so also with regard to the second-class and so also with regard to the fint'Claas certificates. I establish therefore that never has there been, according to the regulations of the department, any authori- ty whatever for the employment or certifi- cation of teachers to teach in these aohooh who were not able to read, write or spell in the English lauKuage. Mr. Mowat would lead you to think otherwise. Mr. Mowat said Mr. Bo^ts had in 1885 stimulated the study of English in the schools. Why, sir, for years and years before Mr. Ross became Minister of Erluoation it was part of the regulations of the department that the coarse of studies shoold include reading in the English tougue from one end of the pro- vince to the other. I read now from the courfee of study in the regulations of 1879, under which it is provided : "The programme or course of study for the public schools shall be according to the annexed tihle so far as the circumstances of the particular schools will allow the same to be followed. But whenever the oircnm- stances require, such modifications of the programme are permitted as thereupon be- some necessary. It will be the duty, how- ever of the inspector to see tbat no depar- tures from the programme are made without sutflcient cause. First class, reading and English literature, tablet leasons, First Rciider, first part ; ditto, second part ; second-class, Second Reader, third class Third Reader, and so on to the sixth class, which includes critical readmg of selections of English literature prescribed for the inter- mediate examination." So you will see my statement ia amply borne out by the regulations of 1877 and 1878, and in these regulations provision was made that English should be taught in every class in every school in the province of Ontario, and an it was in the regulations which preceded 1878. Therefore, Mr. K«BH Is Not Kntltled to Take Any Credit to himself in moving in the way of teaching English in the sohools. In order that ;^oq may have a better appreciation of what ho has done towards the English language ma4 English in the schools, how much do yoa tl^ink he said of the English language should be taught in the first and second classes 7 Ho said two hours per weak. (Laughter.) "Two hours of English per week" — the rest might be all Fieu3h— and in the other two claaaea four hours ; in all the other classes all the rest might be French. Why, Mr. Ross wai not up to the times and not even to the regulations, and yet he and the Qlohe are takiui; great credit to themselves for what they have done in the way of advanoing English in the eastern section of the pro- vince. Now, Mr. Chairman, this matter has attracted attention in consequence of the newspapers taking up the cry and pub- lishing the state of matters in the eastera counties. An instance that brought it to the notice of the public was that in L'Orig- nal the English people had constructed a school, which they controlled. They were driven out by the increaee of the French pnnniation. These English people were compelled to start a school under the pro- viaiona of the " Separate School Act " and begun in the year 1876 and from that time onward. The newspaper press has continu- ed to stamp on the public mind and to clamor against this outrage, which existrd in thn eastern portion of this province. Now what was Mr. Rosa doing at this time 7 Pass- ing this regulation, which waa I^sseBlng the Amunat of English »n^ that ought to be taught in the school. That is all that can be found in connection with his work. Why, in an important matter such as this was, did he not go down him- self into th= counties of Pieacott and Rus- sell and exumint^ this affair 7 What do wo pay him for? What is the Minister of Ed- ucation for 7 Was it not his duty on hear- ing these aeriou!) complaints to inveatigat«>, so that from his place in Parliament he would be able toaay juat how matters atood in that portion of the piovince of Ontario! He did not go. He sat in his office manipu- lating the changes by means of which he waa increasing his patronage and power, but doing nothing to remedy these evila that were pointed out in the press. I want to read to you two letters which, during that time, passed between Mr. Ross and the aa- siatant inspector in that district in order to show just how careless Mr. Robs was of the duties he had to perform. Mr. Dufort, the French assistant inspector in those two conntiea, on the 2nd February, 1886, wrote to the Minister of Education : CuRRAN, Feb. 2, 1880. > Th* Hon, the Minister of Education, Toronto: Sib,— It is now more than a year ago since ] applied bo you (9.MX!9 ^ e^rie^ of . books aul.^ oriised for tho French ttohoolH of this provlnuu, tbo books r«)tioiiun(Uidod haviuK buun aent in tho incuntlnie iind it sooniH that yo\i have not decided yet. You may object to the rcadintj bookH, aa they contain Home of the tonetH of the Koman CathoUc relieion, but your lionor will ploaHu remark that of all those I examin- ed tiioy contain tho least. O'ir teiwhors arc at a, Iorh to know which to aso, and the remiit iH that ail kinds of books are to be found in our schools. By takluK ut onoe the matter into consideration you will oblige, .- Yours, etc., *4 1 •» iif , .. O. DuKOKT, AsHistant I. P. 8. Upon that Mr. Boss, tliiiiuxh his seore tar^, wrote on the 6th February, after waiting a year : ToKONTo. (1th February, 1886. Dear Sib,— With roferunco to tho hu jcct of your enquiry, tiio Minister sends herewith a copy of tho new edition of the scliool regula- tioiiH, and on piiKo 81 will be found a list of Frencli bookH which ho has appionled for us, and which he hopcH will bo Hatisfactory to you. VoufH, etc., AiiKX. Makuno, tjecy. O. Dufort, Ehq., i^ssLP. S. I. Prcucottaud llus- tel, Curran. Now, I pass on a moment from this — I shall return to it in a moment or two — to oall your attention to what took place in the winter of 1835, that was during the last ■esaion. If you recolloct Mr. Craig, the member for East Durham, brought thii matter to the attention of the HoHse. He read from the report of the inapbctor and brought to the attention of the members of the House information which he had re- ceived from different quaiters. How was the motion of Mr. Craig met ? Y<>u will «e« from this oorrespondence which I have read that Mr. Rosa' new books were being ased m the schools which ought not to be used. Does he go down into the district for the purpose of making an examination? No. Mr. Craig said thii. was an English- speaking province, we have no right in our public achools with the state mouoy to be teaching the French language, at all 'entu Ti» the Exelnalon of tbe Enerllsh Tongrae. Gross wrongs are being carried on in the eastern section of the province. In many of the schools where Protestants are, where English-speaking people are, books contain- ing the texts and teachings of the Roman Catholic church are used. He produced a book, which he said was one of those in use and demanded an explanation from the Minister of Education. He asked that some change should take place in the manage- ,nent of ihose schools. How did Mr. Rosa meet those complaints? He got up and talked about the imperial haughtiness of the Anglo-Saxons. He talked about the accident of the victorious arms of Wolfe upon the Plains of Abraham. He talked about the Highlands and of the old Gaelic tongue. He talked about Wales and other parts of the world, but be never came down to the practical diaousainn of the question, except to aay everything waa right in tho achools of tbe east, that nothing was wrong, that the Opposition was endeavoring to stir up sectional and race and reliuious cries and ought to be hounded out. That ia the way Mr. Rosa met thia charge, thia demand upon the part of Mr. Oraig for mlormatton and an investigation. Mr. Rosa might have come a little nearer home. Why, he laughed at the idea of giving inatruotion in the Ent(- liah tongue in these French schools. He said it waa a farce. How oonld yon teach the little tota the English tongue when they did not know a word of English ? And tbe Olobe, with elephantine wit — (laughter) — talked about the Opposition having talked nonsense on thia question. It was all non* sense to make the language of the schools the English tongue. They hooted the Op- position for saying so. That was all the satisfaction we got. If Mr. Ross had turn- ed to page 210, I think, of the regulations dealing with the teaching of the little In- dians of the country, he would have seen that it was provitlcd there that the teacher shall have a speaking knowledge of the In- dian tongue, but all instruction shall be as far as practicable in the English tongue. How many Gaelic settlements have wa throughout this country, all about the country ? Who ever heard of teaching the Gaelic language in the schools ? The little Claellc Chlldien Had to Pick up BnglUk as best they could. Who ever heard of eatablishiLg for our Italian fellow-citizens, and industrious, frugal citizens they are, leaching in the Italian tongue ? They had to come into our schools the same as anyone else. And why should not these people in the eastern portion of tbe province do the same? (Cheers.) Well, everything was right with regard to these schools. Every- thing was perfectly right, nothing requiring to be done. Let me take up first what happened. I see that Mr. McCarthy claims the credit for the Equal Rights Association of having forced Mr. Mowat's Government to appoint the commission which was ap- pointed shortly after the session. I do not want to take the credit away from anyone for having brought about this thing. It is sufficient that it was brought about. The commission waa appointed in the month of May, 1889, a commission of Mr. Ross' crn choosing. I do not want to say anything disparaging of this commission, I do not want to Bay they did not honestly endeavor to discharge their duties, but I think I may, without l>eing guilty of any unfairness to them, say there is evidence on every page of tl pOBSl 21 \ I of tbsa report of their desire, m far m poulble, To Hhleld the MinUter of Eduratloa and the education department from blame iu the matters with which they are dealing. Let ua lee what they aay. In the first plaoe they say : Many English parents complain thitt their children are imperfectly taught bv French toachers, whoHe knowlcago of EngiUh in loo limited to enable thorn to Impart TnHtructlon properly in that language. Then Mr. Ross had said that all the teachers were capable of teaohinft in the Koglish tongue, that English was taught in every school. What do the oommissiuiiers report? "Of ttie 69 teachers employed in the French schools inspected by us only three had attended the high schools. Tak- ing the proficiency of the French teachers in the use ot the English language as the basis of classification twenty six may be classed as good, twenty as fair and nineteen not competent to teach English with any degree of efficiency, " And yet in 27 of these 69 schools there were English pupils who had to be instructed. Then they went on to spoak of the kind of text hooks that were in use in the schools. "Oenural use is made of the French text books authorized by the council of public iustructiou for the Province of Quebec. Some of these books, such as those on arithmetic, geography and grammar, are authorized by the whole committee of the council consisting of Roman Catholics and Protestants ; others, svch as the raaders and histories, are authorized by the Roman Catholic committee of the council for the Catholic schools of Quebec. As stated else- where in this report, books of the first class were authorized for public schools in On- tario iu 1868 and 1879. No authorization has ever been given in Ontario to books of the second clasD. " Then they referred to what the books are that are in use. They Bay : "Whatever features c^ excellence these books may possess they %rn authorized and they contain TeacliluKS Pecallar to the Cbareh of Korae. Protestants complained to your commis- sioners of the use of these books, as it brought their children in contact with re- ligious teachings contrary to their own convictions. By far the most objectionable book from this point of view is an elementary reading book, ' Le Byllabaire Des Ecol^a Chretiennes,' which is used in many of the schools. Touissaint'B History and the Abrege are written in a spirit, unfriendly to the British Empire and to the development of a patriotism embracing the whole Dominion of Canada. The ase of these books should not be oontinaed in the sohoola- " Then they go on to apeak of religious exercises iu the achocla, and "In AT schoola roligiooa iostruotion la given during the school hours. Iu 22 it is given either before or after school, and in eighteen no religious instruction is given. Thia InstructiMU ]■ given bv the teachers from a catechism prepared for children of the Roman Catholic Church. In some of the schools iiytrnction is given from thia book for a certain portion of the year to children who are preparing for their first communion. In some of tne French text books in use which are elsewhere referred to in thia report, the teneta peculiar to tho Roman Catnolii] church are more or leaa prominently introduced. They were found in many ot the schools in the county of Essex, pictures of a religious character, the crucifix and small statutes of saints. In . two instances in the county of Presoott altars were found in the schools. It was stated these were erected during the month of May for services of a special nature, for the people of the neighborhood who a^iaem- bled in the school house for evening prayers, as the churches were at a considerable dis- tance from these localities. The prominence given to the Roman Catholic religion in these schools is Objectionable to the Ens llah ' >' speaking Protestants generally." Now, then, they go on to say: "The object aimed at in the public schools of the province is to give to the youth attending them such an education in the common branches of know- ledge as will fit them to occupy creditably the positions in life they may be called to fill, and this education siiould be imparted in the English language. Any departure from this rule should be only partial and in accommodation to the peculiar circumatan- cea of certain sections of the country in order that he end sought nay thereby bo more fully obtained." Now T call your at- tention, sir, particularly to this. In the report of these commissioners, that thing which had been ridiculed, that thing which had been laughed at by Mr. Rosa and the Globe newspaper, is a recommendation of the commissioners that education should be imparted in the English language, and in a regulation recently issued Mr. Roaa himaelf provides for it. You will see, therefore, that Mr. Roaa has come down entirely from the position which he occupied in the House to that which he ridiculed. That proposed by members upon the opposite side of the House he him- self makes part of the regulations which he addresses to hia inapectora in the eastern portion of the province. Now, then, it may be said, what objection" have yon to what Mr. Rosa is doing ? Why are yon not oon- tent ? Is Mr. Rosa not amending hia way ? If he waa wrong laat aeaaion ia he not show- ins that ha U willing to amend, and ii what ha !■ propoaing now not in tba inter- rata of the aohooU of the Piovinoa of On tario f I aay no. lu the tint plaoe I aay a man who waa ao little acquainted with the lohoola nnder hia oharfte, whose buaineaa it was to linow how ttieao vohoola were, aa lo make the atare I'roteatanta are, and ia in feoeral uie there. I don't wonder that 'rottiatanta objected to the uae of theae booka there. Mr. Iloaa oriea out : " It ia only a cry of * Wolf, wolf,' there ia nothing wrong. Theie achoola do not require in- veatigation. There u no neoeaaity of doing anything. I am doing all and you muat truat me." When hia own commiaaionera find thia atate of thinga, eventually : French being taught to Protoatanta, and Engliah being taught in achoola in aome oaaea where the teaohera did not know the language to teach it, in fact 19 teaohera did not un- deratand the language, the tenets of the Romiih Church ar^ tau^rht in echoola where Protestants are. Yet at the aame time when this matter waa brought up in the House, thoae who insisted upon an investigation were insulted. Had it net been that the demands of the Opposition were laughed at, and I don't know whether anything would have been done at the instance of the Opposition to make this partial investigation; in »ct, I have no doubt, sir, that when Mr. Mowat found men like Principal Caven and other leading men of the Reform party saying that something was wrong in this matter, then he found it was time to start or he would not have begun this measure at the late day which he did, and for which he does not deserve any thanks from the people of Ontario. I do not want to be Aeeased ef Inloleranee or Bigotry. I do not think I can justly be charged with it. I have endeavored to point out to you from my standpoint where these matters are ■ objectionable in my judgment. I have spoken out plainly and I have told you my sentiments. I do not think there is any savor of intolerance or bigotry about what I have said. I would be the last to carry on a political warfare in this country based upon intolerance and bigotry. As I ventured to say during the last contest, a man who carried on a political warfare on such a basis a4 this would be an enemy of man and his God. The pages of the history of oar country are red with blood, stain- ed with Btories of warfare in the name of religion by reason of bigotry and intoler- | anoe. Look at the gibbet and stake whtre osany a man for oonsoieaoe sake died on account of the intolerance and bigotry of past times. I submit that there should be no intolerance or hiuotr^ in this country. The same principle is behind this matter again, but I venture to any in this country it is not intolerance, it is not bigotry tor a man to proclaim to his fellow-oitizrns upon the hustiugR or elsewhere that he stands by The Dorlrlnca .•■efore us. There are men assisting me there who are deserving of the confidence of the people of this country, and if there is anything more than another that makes me feel the aspersions sometimes made upon members of my party, it is my knowledge that the men who are behind my back are men fitted to occupy the position I hold. These men, I know them to be worthy men, and I know them to be capable men, and in- 1/ ^ ■kaad of theM altM>k« being made by men of the Ooniervatire party, theee ■ame men ahoald be steading behind our baoka holding our handa and aaaiating as in the work they are attempting to carry on againat auoh tremendoua odds. Mr. Ohairinan and gsnilemen, I have given you to-night my viewa upon most of the public qnestiona. I have given them neceasarily in a fragmen- tary way. On these principles I am ready to stand, and I am prepared to falL I appeal to you, and through you to the people of the Province of Outario, to say whether these prmciples are founded on truth and justice, and whether they ought to be the prevailing principles throughout the Prov- ince of Ontario. I believe they ought to prevail if we desire to carry on a system of govern:nent in accordance with the prin- ciples of liberty and unity. We must leg- islate upon the principles I have attempted to lay down, and I repudiate on my own behalf, and on behalf of every one of those who follow me in the Local House, that there is any intolerance or that anyone desires sectional legislation. It is only proper, however, for a man to stand np and state his views on questions which acitate the public mind. It is only a friend of his country who, when he sees the wronga of legislation, will stand up and show what these wrongs are. It is easy to shut one's eyes to the evils entering into the body politic, but if you do not point out the evils thev cannot be remedied when the proper opportunity arrives. And, sir, I do appeal lo the peoplo of this country to value theaa lo aiqCot; ai''? £>"« ,'f»i'': (>t * ■ / ;(»• . /Isj^fi.;! V.) i»«n<>?i 'iH'i'.-'i 4ii».'r'» fi '- i. '^j\jli'it'a l\) }f} !,■■••)■' ? ir'i.-i 6l( 'Jl** (M)'. •)-■');■ .V'-li-'-'J i.ij I .v«;"- .'^ ii'ji'floii •■'v.( i ■. ■•/!■•: • .■>') /■-.,■? 'liiii^i rjiii -jiij T^il.ii » ^^^ ■ifj .*intTr*;;^j8 ,i!<.-i;*l'^ of. ; m: \ , .■{;f Iti utult! ;r-lf) no ';! *)U( -16 •*».-!.' MaifSJW i '.trt ^iTv yuii»!>!«''ji.- <>-!« '^flvr .<•.'. H r, -j!-ii 'III? 'rtffJ* •'*'> <»}»'«.> liu )'itiu".:f\i '»jl; - -t-.l -jtii i/'-iffK! -4 I'^vBTifiaa tone cwt' jri'n./a . i, fn-jninl sii 6i>-n ,iu".n'tT*\' oii.t 1[) ;.,- ii'.b^irj^ir>fi:ii >o v-ui/ieiiafj iifa • :n>f surij nut it. >i?tiJ I. ?)«/ ^■I'iii'i^f'-i 'ii-fl ^o '»)«J0'»<} nii t'j J0i{a of\''.n saftji-'v u' - "u^J-'"' j;t '^t!; i^o"' - !ii:'(«»Ostil ^m M ii .ru»*{ vai I.J SK-drti-^ai -.t« -.Iiind -^ni iKvuigd '«s puw nam- srfj *£;'■• .Iilori '1 fl«)ii<»t't*Wit n-siii' ,mfii viitTow 90 flt m ':5J ?ro0i 1 .if^ai oa'-^dT ill ho»i ,fjri!« ^/«fiiq*» 'cf .>t iflarti vronjJ I f^nij things. It it no oonaeqaence to ma woecner I am eleotad to Parliament or nol. (Ap- planae^ ) I appreciate the honor which my fellow-citizens have dont me, but I have no present or personal enda to gain. I have no personal desire to ait upon the right of the Speaker. All 1 desire to do, and all I have endeavored to do tor years — for I have given the best years of my life to the public service — is to discharge my duties honestly and accordiuK to my conscience in the interests of my couutry. (Applause.) I do not mean to say tliat I have not made mis- takes, but I say confidently th»t at all times and under all circumstances I have had be- fore me bat one beacon light, the good oi my country and of my Fatherland. (Load anplause, which was sustained for a couple of mmutes as the speaker resumed his seat.) Mr. R. Bayly, Q C, moved : That this meeting endorses the platform laid down by Mr. W. R. Meredith, leader of the Op- position in the Ontario Legialatu re, and pledged him its confidence and support. The resolution was seconded by Mr. T. F. Kingamill, and was curried with tremendona enthusiasm. H. E Clarke, M.P.P., G. W. Monk, M.P.P., A. W. Ingram, M.F.P,, and ex-Mayor Boswell, of Toronto, all thorough- ly endorsed the stand taken ^y their leader. Ballot for Separate Schools. Mr. Meredith moved a vote of thanks to the chairman, and in doing so said that m separate school trustees in Toronto had been agitating; to obtain the ballot in their election, he thought the Legislature ahould paaa aach a law at its next aesaioo^^jj. .-^{^ ' ;■ '■ ■.■.:* 1 ,io«'t o. i:'T. '-.v.-'j U li'./iii'l tAii tiiiii hncul }i(;/oK 1 .. tj .•ii-i-.v?'!>i (,rJr V fj-ini »>L.^i.>i,,..;, jailic; \:iu. r,i r- ■<•«.= Ktvif ^£ln'^^'HlU>^ a ■' I'M'Vix ^'f ■ ot it ; :. vr !'. "i-fjof t,-. >- f], _ ,^Ji^,i, 1 * ^ ■'■a^. ' fr ' * '— t'*''"!, nil-' .' ifiHf); ,/aii i)f> i 'to 'iTiJHj 0' bo'SCi'^ ml'ttfi li-.'Ail I .«i 'Vf. I .Jtiaifl^h.ii \M ,1,' f'W«fioiia=iJfl •nn II >y LL\> -aVKti I f.sijs r' iir.li| „j(o a>Jlc!qt ;m:. BivK-dJ rf;t( (» it)-! oh i .sio»au$aM. tftifr iiivi!: iJ<*'*' *'i-l ^J i'hiK I. I .L!j;a .»v»i»i j I>'>pjj.< yrtiuior, t„il. ,t\ ;i«ini'i i«oiJi.txf* hoTiit ■■.? I «A .?.« :; (! !■;/, ■.-■'■ ...lAi.iaiaoiia It aouti uo ■)'! >:!•, I'/t li'U I'tk e«iM io tjri'H'a f'c ;tH ilsjoii mdi sit aiAtt'j -oiiiiB ,?)ooid it4iw Lm it* <^i*n^oo. lao !a ■wioini hojj '^-liojjjd %> jio4«|i ;^J iitH^i^»t