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Tous las autras axamplalras origlnaux aont fllmte an commandant par ia pramlAra paga qui comporta una amprainta d'Imprasslon ou d'iilustration at an tarminant par la darnlAra paga qui comporta una taiie amprainta. Un das symbolas suivants apparaftra sur la darniAra Imaga da chaqua microfiche, salon la cas: la symbols — ► signifia "A SUiVRE", ia symbols ▼ signifia "FIN". Laa cartas, planchas, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmis i das taux da rMuction diffArents. Lorsqua la document eat trap grand pour Atra reprodult en un soul cliche, 11 est film* A partir da I'angie supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite, at da haut an bas. an prenant la nombre d'Imagas nAcessaira. Las diagrammas suivants lllustrant ia mithoda. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 {>> l?«3Tt6'=> ^i:'. , u ff /. m * •I I: ^¥ ^::: sjv -m m - ♦ ■ ^>: ^x - ♦ « ♦ HX ^X: ^^X -- • -\» <' ^::: . *:■ << ' 4 - "^i- , -•*• • THH SEPARATE SCHOOL OUHSTIOX '^^' AM) IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. KEPOKT OF THE SPEECH liKMVKUKl) IJY HON GEO. W. ROSS, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, O/i thr (Occasion .if ihc Annua/ Demonstration of tin Toronto Rejorni Association, June jgth, iSS<). %% '^ HUNTKk, ROSI', .V CO 18S9. PRINTFl.S. .♦.♦.♦ ♦ ♦ ,♦ ♦ » */»*****••»***»•»* • ♦ ♦ • V !♦!& '•»«'? :-:l ■ r ,-. <:./'■', :j.-. y. .Dm'o ;)^ ■ 1 'i' ■^ •i '^^^;.:^v;' .,V ''vW. y . \- W-. :''f ■ ■ '", ■ • "■ '..•--.■. ■■■•..■ i 1i 4. / tr » >"^- N * , />■ V ; ■r i / 1 ) ^ I „ .<:> . <^ ^!4 »'*'-« ' >\/j ■y V, 3^ f < e^ !(^ »1 I ' . V 1 'v ^ 1 \ ■• J , ! I ::.'/'^ fy' ..*' ■^ ;^ f I ) I ^o >/v \ <(-' /-^ ^ -t .>- -, ^Of >x ^ 21' ). ',.. •H i % f /*■ A th^^t. :U k> ,k \ i f \, \^» -■, *^' '>, Hi.' . THE SEPARATE SCHOOL QUESTION AND THE FUENOH LA.lSraUj^aE IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. REPORT OF THE SPEECH DELIVERED BY HON GEO. W. ROSS, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, On the Occasion of the Annual Demonstration of the Toronta* Reform Association^ fune 2gth^ i88^. ■ V;- ..' .- t ■'■'• \M: ■' X HUNTER, ROSE & CO., PRINTERS. 1889. '\ (T,.^- L I^/EFOI^T OIF ^ SI=>EEOia: DELIVERED BY THE MINISTER OF EDUCATION AT THE REFORM DEMONSTRATION, Toronto, June 29th, 1889. m t^t m At the annual demonstration in connection with the Toronto Reform Association, held at the Exhibition grounds, on Saturday, June 29th, 1889, Sir Richard Cartwright, as Chairman, intro- duced the Minister of Education to an immense gathering of en- thusiastic Reformers. When the hearty applause which greeted his appearance had subsided, HoN; G. W. Ross said : — One of the greatest responsibilities resting upon the Govern- ment of the day is to submit annually for the approval of Parlia- ment such legislation as will contribute to the development of the country, the better administration of justice and the promotion of public morality. In the discharge of this duty, the Government of which I have the honor to be a member has modified the muni- cipal laws of the Province, the laws with respect to property and civil rights — in fact all the laws coming within the constitutional limitations of the Provincial Assembly. It has neither permitted a revolutionary radicalism to accelerate unduly the wheels of legislation, nor allowed slow-paced Conservatism to retard their progress. You may examine if you choose the Revised Statutes from beginning to end, and I venture to say you can scarcely find a single page that does not testify to the fact that the Gov- ernment recognized its first duty to be to keep pace with the 1 JiO 1 8« The Separate Sdiool Question, ami GROWTH OP PUBLIC SENTIMENT in everything that concerns the Province of Ontario. (Cheers.) Among the many questions with which we have to deal, perhaps there is none more perplexing or requiring a greater knowledge of details than educational questions. The constituency specially interested in legislation of this kind is often learned, sometimes finical, but always critical. Notwithstanding this we have been able, with some measure of success I trust, to make changes in the Public Schools Act, in the High Schools Act, and even in the Uni- versity Act, which will prove beneficial to the Province. We believed it to be our duty, where the interests of education required it, to amend and improve these Acts. We saw no reason why legislation should not be progressive in educational as well as in other matters. (Cheers.) We were even vain enough to believe that the Separate Schools Act could be improved, that our Catholic fellow-citizens had not obtained perfection in the organ- isation of their schools any more than our Protestant fellow- citizens, and we flattered ourselves, after several years had passed and one or two elections had been fought and won without any criticism in regard to these changes, that they were acceptable to all classes of the community. Vain delusion ! (Laughter.) While all parties, Protestant as well as Catholic, had accepted the changes made in the Acts respecting Public and High Schools as honestly intended to promote education, it is now charged that the changes made in the Separate Schools Act were prompted not by an educational but by a political motive. Our object was said to be not to improve the Separate Schools — that was above and beyond us altogether — our object was TO CATCH THE CATHOMC VOTE. Now do not forget that we are not charged in this case with neglecting the educational interests of the children attending Separate Schools, or with injuring their mental growth, or with fostering wrong methods of teaching, but with angling for votes — with pandering to Roman Catholics. It is not charged that the Roman Catholics attending the Separate Schools do not receive a better education now than they did in '72. (Hear, hear.) If such a charge were made and sustained, then we certainly deserved to be driven from office. If we failed to provide for the 30,000 chil- dren attending the Separate Schools of Ontario as good an education as we have provided for those attending our Public Schools, we would have been guilty of a breach of public trust which not only Catholics but Protestants would resent, and that Tlie French Language in the Public Schools. '5 in the most unmistakable way. The right to a good, thorough English education is recognized by the Constitution of the Province of Ontario as the birthright of every citizen, irrespective of creed, and, as T understand public sentiment, no Government could long exist that ignored, much less repudiated, this right. (Applause.) What are the charges in detail ? First, it is said that under the Public Schools Act every ratepayer was presum- ably a Public School supporter ; now because of our action, if suf^h ratepayer be a Roman Catholic, he is presumably a Separate School supporter. Even if this presumption were true, it wo Id only apply to municipalities in which Separate Schools are estab- lished, or to 193 out of a total of 710 municipalities in the Pro- vince. But let us see what the law is in this matter. If there were no Separate School in the municipality or within three miles of it, this part of the Assessor's duty would count for nothing. I am aware that the Public School Trustees of Toronto, who nave shown such wonderful zeal in the maintenance of the Public School system, required the parents and ^ardians of children attending the ciiy schools to sign a declaration THAT THEY WERE PROTESTANTS, and that their children were vaccinated before admitting them to the Public Schools of the city. (Laughter.) Whether the vaccin- ation referred to meant inoculation with those high Tory princi- ples which usually culminate in wordy declarations on the 12th of July and then subside into subserviency to the will of the chieftain on election day, I cannot say. (Cheers and laughter.) But the declamtion is likely at all events to be withdrawn or modified as at once illegal and in direct violation of the letter and spirit of the School Act. The School Law never intended to divide and does not now divide the people of Ontario into two camps. Any division that takes place is still left to the free, un- fettered choice of the parties concerned. (Hear, hear.) But what is the argument used by our opponents in this case ? They say, quoting Section 48 of the Separate Schools Act, (1) " That the Assessors shall in the assessment roll set down the religion of the ratepayer, distinguishing between Catholic and Protestant, and whether a supporter of Public or Separate Schools, and (2) that the Assessor shall accept the statement of, or made on behalf of, any ratepayer that he is a Roman Catholic, as sufficient priToa facie evidence for placing such person in the proper column of the assessment roll for Separate School supporter; and (3) if the Assessor knows personally any ratepayer to be a Roman Catholic, this shall be sufficient for placing him in such last mentioned column.'' And having quoted the statute as I have just done, ^ The Separate School Question, o,nd they say " Does not that prove our case to a demonstration ?" Of course it does, if that is all the law says upon the question ; but WHAT ABOUT SECTION FORIY, which requires a Roman Catholic to give notice to the Clerk of the Municipality on or before the 1st of March *hat he is a Sepa- rate School supporter, otherwise he must be rated as a Public School supporter ? Is it possible to determine the whole law without giving force and effect to every section ? Did you ever hear of a lawyer or a Judge construing the law in this way ? Do theologians so construe the Holy Scriptures ? Do juries give ver- dicts on the evidence of one witness only, or the simple statement standing alone of one witness ? Is it not the universally accept- ed rule in construing statutes that the purpose or intent of the Legislature must be ascertained, not from one clause or one phrase, but from the statute as a whole ? Now, if this rule be applied to the case before us there can be but one conclusion reached, and that is, unless the mtepayer gives the notice re- quired by section 40, neither the act of the Assessor nor of the Clerk can compel him to pay rates for Separate School purposes. Speaking'on this point in 188C, the Attorney- General, who is usu- ally considered a good authority (cheers) said, " The preliminary notice has not been dispeused with ; on the contrary, it has been expressly continued by the 41st (sec. 40, R. S. O., 87) section of the Act of last session, the section which gives Roman Catholics exemption from school rates ; and any ratepayer of the munici- pality may object to the exemption before the Court of Revision on the ground that the necessary preliminary notice was not given, and he may do so without the consent and even contrary to the wish of the ratepayer whose case is in question." (Long continued applause.) But what are the objections raised to this interpretation of the law — objections raised, NOT BY LAWYERS NOR BY JUDGES, who are the accredited interpreters of the law, but by the oppo- nents of the Government ? (1) They say that " if it were not in- tended that the assessment roll should be taken as the basis for levying the school rates, why require the Assessor to distinguish at all between Catholics and Protestants, between Separate and Public School supporters ? " The answer to that is easy. By the Separate Schools Act of 1863, in addition to the notice to be given to the Clerk under section 40 of the Separate Schools Act (that is section 14 of the old Act), " the trustees of every Separate I Tfte French Language in the Public Schools. -7 School were required to transmit on or before ''le first day of June in each year a correct list of the names a* J residences of all persons supporting a Separate School under their management, and every ratepayer whose name shall not appear on such list shall be rated as a Public School supporter." In 1877 the A.ct was amended requiring the Assessor to enter upon the assessment roll the religion of each ratepayer, and the option was allowed Boards of Trustees of accepting the entries maae by the Assessor in lieu of the list required by the Act of 18C3 In 1879 it was further provided that where trustees avaijed themselves of the entries made by the Assessor, " the Assessor should accept the statement made by or on behalf of any ratepayer that he was a Roman Catholic, as prima facie evidence that such person was a Separate School supporter." The REASON FOR THESE AMENDMENTS is obvious. When the trustees made no the list they knew, of course, who were Catholics, and consequeutly who were likely to be Separate School supporters. The Assessor, if he possessed the same knowledge, was u quired to use it in fhc same way. By th' jonsolidation of the statutes in 1886 trustees were relieved of the duty of sending to the Clerk annnnlly a list of the supporters of that particular school, and the duty of making this report to the Clerk, which they were previously it quired to make, was withdrawn absolutely and transferred to the Assessor. Now, as the duty of the Assessor has been clearly substituted by the statutes for that of the trustees under the Act of 1863, it must have the same force — no more and no less — as the power conferred upon the trustees for which it has been so substituted.- It fol- lows, therefore, that as the individual ratepayer had to give notice under the old Act in addition to the notice given by the trustees, so the individual ratepayer must give notice now in addition to the entries made by the Assessor. In a city like Toronto, with perhaps 1000 ratepayers supporting the Separate Schools, it would be absurd to require the trustees " TO MAKE A LIST ANNUALLY for the Clerk, particularly when a complete list was necessary, whether there were any additions during the year or not. (Hear, hear.) But it is objected, secondly, that under the Act as it now stands any person may direct the Assessor to enter any ratepayer as a Separate School supporter, and that the Assessor is obliged to act upon that direction. The words of the statute are, " The Asses- fyppiipgi^^wi^<^ am i^ The Separate School Question and 8or shall accept the statement of or made on behalf of. any rate- fMtyer that he is a Roman Catholic as sufficient prima facie evi- dence for placing such person in the proper column of the assess- ment roll for Separate School supporters, etc." It is alleged chat under this provision of the law many Roman Catholics who prefer the Public Schools are coerced by their clergy into supporting Separate Schools, and we are charged with being parties to this ■coercion. Mr. Chairman, I cannot undertake to say whether the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church are coercionists or not ; I have no reason to thipk they are ; neither can I undertake to say how far they control their people in matters of this kind. But 1 do say that if any ratepayer goes before the Court of Revision "and asks for proof that any Catholic desires to become'a Separate School supporter, and the proof is not forthcoming in the form of •a. notice from the Catholic himself or his agent (I am now quot- ing the Act of 1863, which in this respect has never be altered), ^en such Catholic cannot be assessed as a Separate School sup- porter. It is not A, matter of assent or dissent or coercion. (Cheers.) It is purely a matter of law, and without notice or its equivalent the status of the ratepayer cannot be interfered with. It is said, however, thirdly, that His Honor Judge Sinclair de- cided that certain Roman Catholic ratepayers of the Town of Dundas should pay their taxes to the Separate Schools although they had given no notice to the Clerk before the 1st of March, as required by statute. But on what principle was this decision based ? These men had for two years allowed themselves with- out objection to be rated as Separate School supporters — they had acquiesced in the act of the Assessor, and Judge Sinclair held that •acquiescence was equivalent to notice, and in so doing he simply recognized a principle of law by which you could forfeit your title to every square foot of real estate you own. Instead of setting «side our interpretation of the law, it CONFIRMS IT. AS FAR AS IT GOES. It"«t3i€refore follows (1) that the law still presumes every rate- payer to be a Public School supporter ; (2) that no man can be- •come a Separate School supporter except by his own act or the •act of his agent, and you must remember in this case that agency was allowed under the Act of 1863 ; (3) that the assessment roll does not bind the Court of Revision ; (4) that the only evidence by which the status of a ratepayer who aesires to become a Sep- arate School supporter, or vice versa, can be absolutely determined is notice by himself or agent, or, if I accept Judge Sinclair's de- cision in the Dundas case, the equivalent of such notice ; (5) that this case has been held to be the law by the Attorney-General , ill ■ The French Langvage in the Public Schools. whose authority as an exponent of the Constitution very few will question. (Cheers.) It is said, next, that we provide by-laws for the representation of Roman Catholics on High School Boards, but make no pro- vision for the representation of Methodists, Baptists or any other donomination. Now I want you to notice the disingenuous char- acter of this objection. If we had denominational schools in Ontario as they ifiave in England, the objection would be well taken. True, we have Protestant schools, whose claim might be similarly recognized, but they are in effect fully reprcfjented on all our High School Boards already. For some reason or other, which I have never yet seen full}'- explained, Municipal and County Councils ALMOST ENTIRELY IGNORED ROMAN CATHOLICS in their appointments to High School Boards The clergy of all other denominations were appointed over and over again ; Pro- testant laymen of all denominations held seats on these Boards. Taxes were levied and collected from all alike. Out of 624 High School Trustees holding office in 1885, I have not been able to ascertain that even twenty of them were Catholics. Now,«it was impossible that this apparent discrimination should not be felt, and that very keenly, by the Catholic supporters of High Schools. I do not charge my fellow-Protesta'hts with bigotr}' in acting thus, but it was an oversight which the usual prudence of Municipal Councils failed to remedy. What was to be done ? Under such treatment it was obvious that Catholics could not take the inter« est in higher education which it was desirable they should take. To be ostracised in the management of these schools was regarded by them as a notice that their children were not wanted there, and if the Government came to their rescue it did so only to re- pair the injustice from which they suffered. Sir, I do not regret this concession, if concession our opponents choose to call it. (Hear, hear.) I know it has stimulated the Separate Schools of • the country to greater activity. I know it has REMOVED A GKItVANCE which seriously impeded the cause of higher education. If you applauded those who fought for liberty on the ground that taxation without representation was unjust, you cannot condemn us for applying a similar principle at home and to your own fellow-sub- jects. (Cheers.) It will not do to say that a similar rule should be applied to Methodists and Presbyterians. When these denom- inations have schools of their own, it will be time enough to raise -^11 Hill t) ■.yj'j^ The Separate School Question and that question. What we want now is the thorough education of all classes, Catholic as well as Protestant, and if the removal of this grievance will promote this end, as I believe it will, then we have in the results obtained the fullest justification of the wisdom of our course. (Applause.) There are several other statements made by our opponents which I will not wait to argue. They are so clearly inaccurate, I will simply contradict them categorically. (1) It is not true, as sometimes alleged, that a Roman Catholic must, if he wishes to withdraw from a Separate School, notify the Clerk annually. One notice of withdrawal is sufficient, just as one notice to be- come a Separate School supporter is sufficient. It is not true that the law has been changed as to the time within which notice must be given. The second Wednesday in January and 1st of March are the dates fixed by the Act of 1863. It is not true the Assessor can enter any ratepayer as a Separate School supporter against his will. No man's will has been tampered with. OUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS PUBLIC SCHOOLS, as I trust toward every other interest with which we have to deal, i* one of generous, yet judicial, fairness. We hope neither to punish nor uivor any class of Her Majesty's subjects because of their religious opinioifb. We a^e the guardians of minorities j ust as well as of majorities, and what justice requires in either case we shall do, fully believing that the people of Ontario will vindicate our course. (Loud applause.) Perhaps before dismissing this part of my subject it would be worth while inquiring, what is the secret of all this agitation against the Mowat Government on the Separate School question ? Has it been shown that those for whom the Separate Schools are intended are suffering any cruel wrong at our hands ? When you champion any cause you usually do so because some private right has been encroached upon. Have the privileges of any Roman Catholic been grievously assailed ? True, it may have happened that here and there one or two Catholics have been wrongly assessed, or perhaps in one or two instances the rates of a Pro- testant have gone to a Separate School. £ut this is not the fault of the law. No human foresight can prevent officers from occa- sionally blundering. It would be unreasonable to suppose that where we have iat least 500,000 ratepayers, over 700 clerks, and nearly 800 assessors, one or more of them would not make an occasional blunder. And yet, so far as I can learn from the press, public attention has been called to very few mistakes of this kind. Surely there is no reason for the outcry on this account. Or is it ■ ■^r The French Lamgua^e in the Public Schools. it because our Public Schools have been prejudiced by our so-called sympathy with Separate Schools ? But where is the proof of this ? Is it not a fact that our Public Schools were NbVER MOBE PilOSPEROUS than they are to-day ; that every department of education, from the kindergarten to the University, throbs with increased vitality; that parents, trustees, teachers and inspectors are more active than ever they were in perfecting the education of the country ? No- body has suffered and therefore nobody has been wronged. (Hear, hear.) But even if we as Liberals were to blame for unduly favoring Separate Schools, how far can our opponents divest them- selves of all responsibility ? You cannot point to a single amend- ment to which objection was taken while they were passing through the Legislature. They were accepted by the Opposition in almost every instance without a single protest. In no ca.se did they ask the House to divide upon them ; but now, maddened and chafed by seventeen long years of political obscurity, they have become reckless enough to repudiate their own acts and pre- tend — and after all it is but a pretence— to be custodians of liberties, which, if sacrificed at all, were sacrificed in their presence and with their sanction. (Loud cheers.) This, sir, is the political warfare with which we have to contend ; <^is the humiliation to which the great Conservative party IS PREPARED TO SUBMIT for a place on the Treasury benches. (Renewed cheers.) I come next to consider that most disturbing of all questions — French and German schools — and I bracket these two because every objection that applies to one applies to the dther. From an An^lo-Saxon standpoint they arp both foreign languages, and national characteristics have very little to do with the question. In the first place I may be permitted to say that there appears to me to be a great deal of needless alarm about the so-called French invasion. So far as I have yet been able to learn, the FRENCH PEOPLE IN EASTERN ONTARIO, indeed everywhere, have not taken possession of the lands they occupy by violence ; they have not with arquebus or rifle driven out the original settler and entered upon his estate without fee or reward. Their practice so far has been to buy the lands they occupy, and to pay for them the price agreed upon, and if they have multiplied in numbers and replenished that portion of the ; ( 12 The Separate School Question, and IM earth they occupy, they have the sanction of a pretty high author- ity for so doing. (Laughter.) Even if they were as dangerous and obnoxious as they are represented to be, I chink we have little to fear -when we consider that according to last census they number only 143,743, the population of the whole Pi*ovince being almost two millions. (Hear, hear.) The existence of French and German schools is not of recent origin. They were recognized by the old Council of Public Instruction in 1851, when teachers were allowed certificates on passing an examination in the French or ■German Grammar in lieu of English Grammar. Indeed, so liberally was this decision construed at that time that we find an instance in which the Board of Examiners for the County of Essex was directed on the advice of the Council of Public Instruc- tion to grant a certificate to a teacher who was reported entirely ignorant of the English language. Further prominence was^ven to the use of both French and German in 1854 by the authorisa- tion of certain text books in these languages, and in 1874 County Councils were authorised to appoint inspectors for every forty schools where the French language prevailed. Local superintend- ents in their reports to the Department make frequent reference to the French language as far back as 1854. I do not mention these matters to censure my predecessors. I am ii' MERELY STATING HISTORICAL FACTS. In 1 885 the first attempt was made by r^ulation to make the study of English compulsory by requiring the Public School readers to be used in evtiry school. (Cheers.) A. syllabus of a course in English was also prescribed requiring teachers to see that writing, spelling, composition and translation into English were also attended to in every French school. Now I am not going to say how far these regulations have been acted upon. I will leave any further observations on that point till I receive the report of the Commissioners appointed by the Department to inquire into this matter. I^ome newspapers have questioned my veracity in connection with this difficulty. I made no statement on my own authority, but on the authority of the local Inspectors for the counties in which French is spoken. I did state in the House last winter that English was taught in every school and that every teacher was capable of teaching English. I believed that state- ment to be true then and I BEUEVE IT TO BE TRUE STILL. At all events it has been confirmed by a return made by order of the House, which was printed a few weeks ago. (Cheers.) Now, The French Language in the Public Schools. U don't let it be supposed that I am satisfied with the progress made in this matter. I am hard to satisfy in many things. For instance, without disparaging anybody's work, I may say that I am not satisfied with the extent to which English is taught even in our High Schools and Universities. There is much to do in every department of study, but having begun this good work in our French schools, I may fairly claim the patient confidence of the public while I am still laboring for better results. (Applause.) Now let me see how far we are agreed as t j the remedy lor the present condition of things. (1)1 believe it to be my duty — as I stated in the House last winter in a general way, and I repeat the statement — to press steadily, prudently and reasonably for the SAME PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH in the schools of Ontario in which French and German are taught as in the Public Schools, where only English is taught. (Loud applause.) (2) To carry out at the earliest opportunity measures for training the teachers of French schools in correct methods of teaching English — (hear, hear) — as I proposed to do in 1886, but which 1 was unable to carry out from a want of qualified teachers. (3) Having introduced the authorized readers into the schools of the French counties, to see with all convenient and reasonable speed that none but authorized text books are used in these schools in other subjects. (4) Elaving already refused within the last few years to grant permits or new certificates to all persons unable to teach English, to continue so to do. This is the pro- gramme practically entered upon four 3*ears ago, and which I hope to carry out earnestly and kindly, not as if I were dealing with the enemies of Canada, but in the spirit in which a man should deal with his fellow-citizens who are willing to recognize the authority of the law. (Long continued cheers.) Now you will, perhaps, say there is nothing new in that. I know there is not. My contention has been all along that we had very little to learn from our critics in this matter. We may be blamed for moving slowly. Even that I do not admit. But,we are certainly not to blame for neglecting entirely the public interests in these matters. (Hear, hear.) Now, having said so much on what we propose to do, let me briefly refer to what we will not do : — (1) In dealing with French and Qerman in our public schools, we will not allow our French and Qerman fellow-citizens TO BE REGARDED AS ALIENS. They are not aliens is any sense of the term. (Cheers). They may not speak our langage, but neither do many of our citizens TT^ !''■ 14 The Separate School Queation, and of Scotch descent. I must be allowed to repudiate in the strongest terms the narrow sectionalism which appears to have taken such strong hold of some people, as entirely repugnant to the develop- ment of a national spirit and the unification of the people of this country. (Applause). As Anglo-Saxons we are in the majority, and we should not only be manly and chivalrous, but we should be generous as well, to this minority. It is certainly no proof of our right to supremacy to be sectional and autocratic. We shall, therefore, as a Government, deal with this question not according to the course laid out for us by designing agitators, but we trust in a calm, dispassionate and reasonable way, assuring ourselves at every step that no public interests are sacrificed or no private right ignored. (Loud applause). (2) We SHALL NOT PROHIBIT ABSOLUTELY the study of French or German in any school where the local wants of the population render a knowledge of these languages desirable or necessary. The policy enunciated by Mr. Craig in the House last session we do not propose to accept. (Cheers). He demanded that there should be but one language taught in our Public Schools. We think such a policy would be arbitrary and unwise. Germany has tried it in Alsace and Lorraine with doubt- ful eflfect. Russia has tried it in Poland also with doubtful effect. Our course will be after different procedings. If the British Gov- ernment can tolerate French in the Channel Islands, Welsh in Wales, Gaelic in Scotland and Erse in Ireland, without endanger- ing her institutions, we can surely allow our French and German fellow-citizens to receive instruction in the language which for social and domestic purposes, and even in some cases for business purposes, is a matter of considerable importance to them. (Hear hear). (3) We do not propose to regard our French and German fellow-citizens as barbarians and reactionary simply because they do not speak the English language as fluently as we do, or because they may not adopt in every respect the forms and customs of our race. * . I MUST THEREFORE RESENT — and I desire to do it in the strongest terms — the language u-^ed by a correspondent of The Toronto Telegram, in which, speaking of the Counties of Prescott and Russell, he said, " The traveller who finds himself in this Providence-forsaken hole at even- ing may well pale with anxiety at the prospect of spending a night in any of the low-walled, ramshackled apologies for home which meet his gaze. If the houses themselves are noK sufficiently repulsive, a glance at the inhabitants would certainly decide > im ^n favor of taking to the woods for his lodgings. Tke French Language in the Public Schools. 19 local in Dirty, greasy, bleary-eyed looking specimens, they no more approach the average country people to be found in Central Ontario than South African Hottentots approach the polished tvpes of European Civilisation. . . . The crops in the fields are remarakbly poor, ojtring no doubt to the ignorance of their owners with regard to the grain- producing qualities of the land. In every doorway may be seen squalid, half-naked children, whose mothers are either weeding onion beds in the garden or fishing in the nearest stream. . • . It is the land of the French, the kingdom of the garlic eaters ! " We will not allow our opponents to assume that all this zeal for one national language is the outcome of patriotic enthusiasm for the unification of the country and the perpetuation of civil liberty. I think it requires but little penetration to see through the thin veil of hypocrisy under which all their pretentions are concealed. A few years ago Prescott, Russell and Essex were represented in the Local Legislature by Conservatives. There was no cry then of French aggression and French invasion. In nearly half these schools at that time no English was taught and few of the autho- rized text books were used. The teachers were not as capable of teaching English as they are now. A. greater number of them came from Quebec then than now. Where were these g'uardians of the liberties of Ontario in those days ? In 1883, when Tory members, by virtue of the votes of the Frenchmen in these coun- ties, sat in the Legislative Assembly, were they the champions of English schools they pretend to be to-day ? When the Govern- ment submitted to the regulations of IbSo, by which substantial progress has been made for securing the introduction of English into every school did Mr. Robillard, the Tory member for Prescott, or Mr. Sol White, the Tory member for Essex, say a word in support of the policy then instituted ? Not a word. The oracles of to- day were all silent then. Even the " son of Ontario." THE ORPHAN LEADER Oh' THE OPPOSITION, while on his eastern tour in 1886, in his speeches at Winchester Springs and at Cornwall in the immediate vicinity of this Providence-forsaken land, was mute as a "mermaid by the sounding sea." (Laughter and applause.) Now like a hungry padk of wolves they are down upon us because in a day we have not changed a condition of things which must have been well known to every one of them. So long as they received the political support of the Frenchman he was a good, intelligent, progressive citizen, but when he became a Liberal and showed nis appreciation of the Mowat Government he is " a South African Hottentot and a garlic eater,'' his " children are half naked " and his wife takes to " weeding onion beds and fishing in the nearest stream." (^Cheers and laughter.) Charming gratitude this, to say 16 Tke Separate School Question. ft I' I the least of it. But I must cloue, no matter how inviting the theme. We have just attained our majority. The long days and years of a nascent childhood are now behind us. We exercise as a Province jurisdiction over 2,000,000 of people — as a Dominion over 6,000,000. Our natural heritage covers the northern half of this great Continent. Although not racially a homo- geneous people, our population represents, in its three predomi> nant elements, the Saxon, French, and German — the dominant nations of the world. Constitutionally we are a unit. Why should we not be one in spirit, in sentiment and everything that PERTAINS TO NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD ? Why should the prejudices of centuries ago be appealed to to de- termine the actions of to-day ? Why should the bitterness and narrowness of the past be invoked as the standard for the present? Shall it be said that citizenship in it43 broadest sense and with all its most valued privileges is to be enjoyed in England, in Germany,, in France, in the United States, but not in Canada ? It cannot be. (Cheers.) This land of great lakes and wide prairies and over- shadowing forests shall not be stunted in its growth by section- alism, nor broken into fragments by internal jealousies, if it lies in my power or in the power of the Liberal party to prevent it. (Cheers.) The policy which I have outlined shall be carried out in its integrity. We shall not be terrorised by violent agitators nor deterred by timid or irresolute allies. (Loud applause.) We shall move as deliberately and yet as quickly as the interests in- volved may justify. We are confident that the people of Ontario prefer the counsel of reason and prudence to the voice of passion or prejudice. The honesty of purpose already evinced will be taken as an earnest of what is yet to be shown. On these lines we shall ap- peal to the people of Ontario when the proper time arrives, and will await their verdict as calmly as the " man who wraps the draper}' of his couch around him and lies down to pleasant dreams." (The honorable gentleman retired to his seat amid long continued cheers.) 11a\ ^!^^™™'^; .- ;- *' i^:" ■ ■»,'. •■ ?>; ■ K' .' l' , S -**-- "-/t -N-;-.v' '\ :■ V, , " i' *■::* ^ft* ^ 'u •v-^-l i ' "'•''> t;^; ■.^ > '■ " ..',•!. -. '» . ■ 'x > i '■■'■ ■ ■ ■'V'U.- ■>j,i- , ;, f 1 -i 1. m. ■■. ' ,■ ■ '• <; ■■'■ i-y V - , •. "' <,'■> -^^.vMv-: .^■■ -'•■;*"fe;-;>;Mrf'::.,kiA.';:^^^ I' :'-■■ '^ ^^