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APRIL, 1893- LA-^l? ■f The School Question. « ♦ » AN EXHAUSTIVE DISQUISITION ON THE SUBJECT. » ♦ ♦ ArcIibLsliop Taclie Answers the Question : «* Are the Public Schools of Manitoba the Continuation of the Protestant Schools of the same Province." Having learned that the Judiclu. Coni- nWttee of the Privy Council had rendered a decision contrary to the interests of the Catholics of Manitoba on the school question, I thought it my duty to claim anew the intervention of the federal authorities, and I did so, in a petition addressed to his Excellency the Governor-Genenil-in-Council. A para- gi'aph of that petition has attracted e:*- pecial attention, both in the Commons and in the press. Here is the paragraph : "That two statutes, Ki Vic, chap. 37 and ;i8, were passed in the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba, to mertre the Roman Catholic schools with those of the Protestjmt denominations, and to re<|uire all meTnbers of the com- munity, whether Roman Catholic or Protest{ir>t,to contribute through taxation to the support of what are therein called public scnools, but which are in reality a continuation of the Protestant schools." Certainly I should never have used that lianguage if I had not felt convinced of its correctness; my assertions nevertheless have been denied by some and doubted by others. I owe to myself and the sacred cause I endeavor to protect to give the proofs, wliich have forced on my mind the conviction I have ex- pressed. Those proofs I will ad- dur e; especially from pul)lic documents. Daily observation convinces me that the question of the Catholic schools of Mani- toba is far from having been studied in its entire aspect, and that, not only by the adversaries of those schools, but e.c^nby some of those who desire to protect t! em. The subject is very dry and in no way ' ry attractive; nevertheless, I pray those 'lo feel sonje interest in the matter to ex. m- ine carefully what follows, and I take ihe liberty to dedicate to them what I now write. I can easily foresee that this new action on my part may pro- voke the repetition of the abuse which has been lavished on me in some newspapers. I nmy assure those so disposed that I will not answer them. 1 shall leave them in the enjoy- ment of such pastime, coupled with the trouble of flndi-ig out why I keep silent under such attacks. To secure an easier understanding of what I am going to say, I will Hrstgive the meaning to lie attached to some ormy expressions. I will call "Old Regime." the laws of education passed by the Legisla- ture of Manitoba, and in force in the province un'il the 1st May, 189(). I will call "New Regime" the laws of education in force since that date, "Public Protestant Schools" meant, under tlie old legime, schools estab- lished, controlled and supported by Protestants for the use of Pro- test^int children ; on the other hand PUBLIC CATHOLIC SCHOOLS meant schools established, controlled and supported by Catholics^ for the use of Catholic children, and were recognized by the law; the pui)lic schools of to-day are those established by the new regime* What I undertake to prove is this: The rctual public >>chools of Manitoba are the continuation of the former Protestant public schools of the province, and to make my undertaking gooci, I must first show the condition of public schools, Protestant and Catholic, under the old regime and demonstrate afterwards that the new re- gime, while destroying the public Catholic schools, maintains the public Protestant schools, of which they are in reality but the continuation. I. OLD REGIME. The Province of Manitoba was admitted into Canadian confederation on the 1.5th •July, 1870. It began to orgiinize in Sep- tend)er. Its first parliament was sum- moned for and ojMjned the 15th day of March, 1871, One of the first tasks of the new legislature wa« the question of public instruction and o/i the 3ra May, the Lieut- enant-Governor assented to a law, pa-ssed under the title "An Act to establish a System of P]ducation in the Province." While entering in such a grave question, the government, the legislative coun- cil and the legislative assembly of th»! new province Imd to look, and ill fact did look, into the eoiiHtitutioii of C'aiiiulii, British Nortli Anierica Act, 1H({7, clause !K{, and into the constitution of the Province of Manitoba, "Manitoba Act, 1H70," clause 22, for gnichince in their task. They easily found there two things. 1st. That the provincial authorities are not absolute in matters of education. 2iid. That, rexafdiiifi; the same matter,the constitution of the whole DouMuion, and the constitution of Manitoba both recog- nized that the "Subjects of the Queen,' formed two ditfereiit sections, named re- spectively " Protestant" and " Roman Catholic, ' and that, even if one of the sections was in a minority in any pro- vince. • The two mentioned sections existed in the Province of Manitoba, as census taken .by the government towards the end of 1870, IiimI just a.scertained the numerical relation bi^tween the two groups, as well as that of the whole ))opulation. 12,228 was the total population. The Catholics had registeied mor«- than all the othors taken together: they were then the major- ity of the Qiieen's sr.lijects, while the Protestants w.'re the ininorily. It was decided, nevertheless, that no attention should be paid t) that ditlereiue and that the two sections should be considered as equal in number. The ecpiality of numbers, supported by e(|nality of rights, dictated naturally the ecpiality of jn-ivil- eges and obi igatimu, hence the following dispositions made by the tii-st law of our system of education. " I. The Lieutenant-Governor in Coun- cil may appoint not less than ten and not more than fourteen persons to be a board of education forthe Province of Manitoba, of whom one-hiilf shall be Protestants, and the other half Catholics." " II. The Lieutenant-Covernor in Coun- cil may appoint one of the Protestant members of the board to be superinten- dent of Protestant schools, and one of the Catholic memliers to be superintendent of the Catholic schools " " X. Kach section shall have under its control and management the discipline of the schools of the sect'on." " XI. It shall make the rules and regu- lations for the examination, grading and licensing of the teachers " " XIII. From the sum appropriated by the legislature for common school educa- tion, there shall first be paid the incident- al expenses of the board and of the sec- tions, and the residue then remaining .shall be appropriated to the support and maintenance or common schools, one moiety thereof to the support of Protestant .schools, and the other moiety to the support of Catholic schools." This legislation sanctioned the rights and privileges to denominational schools, enjoyed by the population by practice before the union with Canada. The law made the schools deno- minational between Roman Catholics and Protestants, according to this distinction expres.sed in theconstitutionabUHpositions estalilishing the Canadian confederation and the Province of Manitoba. The increase of the population and other circumst^inces recjuired amendmeuts to the first law, but, let it be remembered, tho.se amendmcMts did not alter the fundamental principle on which the .school system rested ; on the contrary tht'y forti- fied and supported it more ann more. In 1875 the numerical eouilibrium hiwl ceased, the Protestants had increased in number more rapidly than the Catholics ; hence certain dispositions of the Act 38 Vic. chap. 27. Its first clause tixed at twelve the number of Protestant members of the Hoard of Education, and at iiine the number of Catholic memliers. Clause IV says : "The sum voted l»y the legislature for common school piiv- f loses shall be divided between the 'rotestant and Roman Catholic sections of the l)oard in proportion to the num- ber of children, aged from .'i to Hi years, and residing in the dillerent school districts in the province." In order to avoid the confasion which would have been the result of certain expressions, the clause XXVIII enacted that the words "dissident or separate schools" should be replaced by the fol- lowing words : "Protestant or Catholic schools as the case may be ;" while the words, "regular district," should be re- placed by the words, "Protestant district or Catholic district, as the case may be." After ten years of exjierience all the school acts till then enacted and the amendment.s thereto, were all repealed and the Act 44 Vic, chapter 4, was passed instead, 1881. What was to be the nature of this new law, resulting from experience, reflection and work? Had the population manifested any desire for any change in the principles and general direction determined ly the first laws on education? Shad legislators, to answer their own aspir- ation, and those of their constituents, enact radical modifications in the system already adopted i No, the principles re- mained as they were, their application had given general satisfaction, tJie inter- ested parties were pleased; the character- istic aspect of the school laws of Manitolwi not only remained what it was, but re- ceived a new impulse, in the law passed after ten years of experience. Let us ex- amine it, and if it is necessary to under- stand its true spirit, to re-sort to long quo- tations, the reader will pardon them as they seem necessary to comprehend the situation. The government l>eing the first execu- tive authority of the law, the latter indi- cates the duty of the former in the follow- ing clauses ers thereof; and it shall be the duty of each nection "(a). To have under its control and man- agement the schools' of tfie section . . . "(I)) To arrange for the proper examina- tion, grading and licensing of the teachers "(c). To select all the books, maps and globes to be used in the schools under its control "(d). To appoint inspectors, who shall hold oflice durmg the pleasure of the sec- tion appointing them.' The superintendents are the executive officers of their respective sections, r.nd as such their duties are well deflnea in the act. THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS hai' attracted the solicitude of the legisla- ture, which, on tliat important point as well as on the i-est, was unwilling to dis- ttirb the basis on which rested the whole school system. Here are the princip!»l dispositions of the law on this point: "12. (a) The estalilishment of a school district of one denomination shall not jti-e- vent the establishment of a school district of the other denomination in the same plac*', and a Protestant and a ('atholic i)artition of the public motiies and the legislative grant, Iiave been already quoted from the law. It may be mentioned now how to provide for the balance of funds required for the con- struction and support of tlu' schools. "2.^). Eor the purpose of sui)plement ing the legislative grant it shall be the duty of the boards of trustees of all school districts from time to time to pre- pare and lay before the municipal council an estimateof suchsumsas nniy i)ereol district, including religious, benevolent a)id edu- cational corporati(»n.s, shall pay their re- spective assessmentf. to the schools of th"ir respective denominations, and in no case shall a Protestant ratej)ayer be obliged to pay for a ('atholic school, or a Catholic nitepayer for a Protestant school." NORMAL SCHOOLS. The 30th May, 1882. the liieutenant- Governor of Manitoba assented to an act "To establish Normal Schools in Connec- tion with Public Schools." This act, 45 Victoria, chap. 8, is a complement of the preceding, and does not in any way alter the main lines traced tK'foi-e. Here is its first clause : " I. The Protestant and Catholic sec- tions of the Board of Education are hereby respectively empowered " (ay. To Establish, in Connection with the Prv^testant public schools of the city of Winniijeg, and with the Roman Catho- lic public scliools of St. Boniface, normal school departments, with a view to the in.''truction and training of teachers of public schools in the science of education and the art of teaching." The alK>ve mentioned acts 44 and 41, Vic. have been amended during the fol- lowing years, but no modification was made to the fundamental principle of the laws that I have nanici, The old regime; that code, one in its origin, became dual in its application to the whole province, in oi'der to facilitate education, while safe- )?uur(linK th«' just th'siros of the p;vroiit.s aiul rcinoviiiK tlu- friction that is u natu- ral consi'nut'Mct' of the; doiiiination of a portion or tAw ))opulation over tlui otlu-r. I liavc! no intention of coinniuncinK a dissertation on the merit or shortconiiuKs of the old school laws; I am lookinji after facts, and will not delay with praise or condemnation of theories and convictions, which have their ojiponentsand supporters. My own views on the matter of education air not the object of this essay; I C(m- sidcr the facts as they existed \nider the old regime in ohUm' to fully establish the f'U'ts as they are under the new regime. For the sake of cieuj-ness 1 recapitulate. The system'of public schools of Mani- toba was created by law. That law, en- trusted to the government, passed from it to the interested jiarties, by the nomina- tion of a school board. No one in the nrovin(!e was exodicio mend)er of the Ijoani, all its members were appointed by the government; the choice was restricted only by the consideration that the law en- tertained for the religious convic- tions of the population. It was also the executive of the province which re mitted to the board and its sections, the public ujoney voted by the legislature for the maintenance of schools; thelawe(pially protected all the religious beliefs ; the faith of so!iie parents did not deprive their chil''ren of the legitimnte share of the p\iblic money to which they were entitled as citizens of Manitoba of school age. The governmei.t knew what was going on each year. OlHi ial reports vveie sub- mitted and ac(iuair.ttd it with all that was interesting in the p'-ovince regarding schools. The whole was laid before the representatives of the people, to whom the government is responsible. Nothing was concealed, there were no privileges, no exclusion in the system : eipial indi- vidual rights were equally protected. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION was a second factor in the system. In order that it couivd accomplish its duties with more ease m\d justice towards everyone, it was divided into two sections or committees. These two sections were, as it were, benevolent currents running from the same spring and circulating through the country in all directions, conveying with them the satis- faction and fecundity of intellectual culture. The two currents could deepen their channel, increase the volume of their waters, become stronger or wealter; the course could lie more or less rapid, more or less regular,according to circumstances, but they had always to run on parallel lines; the law, in mainttiining them with- in those parallels, prevented encroach- ment or confusion, in order that they could continue their course, spreading everywhere the advantages of the instruc- tion and the education agreeably to the convictions of the parents, permitting the conscience of everyone to l)reathe freely and to acknowledge In the law a protec- tion and not a tyranny. Alongside of these parallel curn'nts, were |)lanned the school districts; the law entrusted their creation and direction to citizens whose ideas harmonized with the feelings of the par- ents of the children using the schools. Then the teachers, the inspectors, the pro- gramme of studi«'s, the disciplinary regu- lations, the religious and moral teaching; in a word, all that could seeriod the I'rotestant schools numbered sixteen and the Cath- olics seventeen, to the present, there has been an almost entire absence of the friction and disagireement that have marked the progress of educati(>n in some of the sister provinces." After quoting the above, I could easily deTuonstrate the falsity and even the absurdity of the accusa- tions heaped upon Catholic scliools, both with regard to their teaching of secular branches and to their social, religious and moral influence. But no, 1 must remember what I promised to prove, and not allow myself to be carried away into side issues. My contention is that the non-Catholic public school under the old regime were really Protestant schools. There is no doubt that the Catholic section of the Board of Education faithfully discharged the duty imposed upon them, that of establishing and con- trolling their schools, according to Catho- lic views. It is equally certain that the Protestant section of the same board were also faithful to their trust. They estab- lished and controlled their schools, accord- ing to Protestant views. Here is what their superintendent,.!. B. Somerset, v/rote, on page 27 of his report, already men- tioned : 5 "The il»'v»'l()])m»'iit of (lie itinriil imture iH II prhuary r»*(|uisit(' in any system of (HiiKwitioii. • Tlu' ItoHvd, rccoj^iii/iiiji thi.s priiifiplf, has provided for flu' iiioHt care- ful iiumiry into the charaeter of its teach- OFM, and for sncli syHtenifttic religions in- strnction in its scluwls, as may he jj;iven with the ol)jeet of t<>aeiiinK the principles of Christian truth containtM' In the Uiltje, and acceptearliament, nor in the press, nor anywhere elsi- to my knowledfjci'. The same rejjort, |)ai>;es 27 and 28, recites the rej^nlatlons of tlie Protestant section of the hoard, regardinjj; religions tea<'hin^, as adojjted on the 2nd December, IHHr), which were in force when Mr. Somerset wrOi« his report and continued to be so afti5r: "Kvery school establiNherani- I mendiei's will be and i lie (lisix that it is morally to beconu' zation •, the mem se\ (• are Protestant as well as the live mendiers of the executive council. Therefore twelve Protestants continiu' the work of the twelve Protestants who formed the Pro- testant section of the board of education under the old rcKinie. Ills Lordship, the Bishop of Rupert's liand, chairman of the old Protestant section of the board of edu- cation, is chain. i. in of the new advisoi-y board ; the l{ev. Dr. (J. IJryce, member of the ohl board, is also niemUei- of th^^ new J»oard ; all the clerks are not only Protest- ant, but some are the same as under tlie old law. The Inspectors All the Catholic in- spectorships were abolished, but the Protestant inspectorships were |)reserved. Tliree old inemnbents weie maintained in charf?e and the two others were replaced by Protestants. While dismissing all the Catholic inspectorsanew inspector- ship was created for the Mennonitvs and one of their denomination brouj^ht from the I'nited States to till the situation. The numerous functions of the new comer would seem strange und to pro- t^-ct the religious convictions of those childien, in -onformily with the de- sires of their parents. How is it possible to (hem !o direct, to protect, to teach, to form the teachers and the pupils ofthe schools without a certain tendeix'y (o bias in conforndty with their own personal convictions Y Is it possible for any one to be Protestant in every respect, every- whci'c, and always, ttxcept in the scIkh)!, of which the same |ierson has the control and dir(>ction, with the pow«'r of interpret- ing and executing the law i To illustrate the dilficulty, let us supftose that the actual school laws should *n>nuiin what they are to-day, but that a complete chang»' is made of the persons who appiv and intcrprt't them; let us suppose that afl the members of the government are Ro- man ('at holies; that all Ine members of the advisoiy iM)ard aiul the stiiH of the Depart meni of I'Iducation are also Roman ('atholics, thitt all the inspectors, piincipals and teachers of the Ndrmal schools will be also Roman C.-it holies; what wouhl Protestants believe of the religious teaching in the schools of Mani- toba? What would the "K(|ual Righters' think, say or write? Pardon my sincerity, I am also an e(|ual righter ami I say that when all those comn'cted with the s(^hools are Protestant, it is but natural that such schoe at least in a great proportion Protestant, and very often absolutely hostile to Catho- lic ideas. The most superficial examination of all that is said and written everywhere suf- fices to demonstrate the injustice there would lie in placing Catholi- hildren in the obligation of using book^ cnosen or'y by Protestants. Religious Exercises. — One of the numer- ous reasons pro\ ' ig that the schools, now called public, ar. but the continuation of tho Prot«'Mtant .schofils of the old rt'Kiiuc, istliffat't tlitit tlic cxtTciHcs uikI rcliKioHM mid iiionil tciicliiiiKH iin* id and Neleeted hv the Fi )te.staiij Meet Ion of the hoard of* educath n. The f!'ayers and leetiire.s of the hihle are not he oidy lelinions ex»'i'ei.se.s in use in the puhlie selioois ; there js, under thet'tleof iiiorals," a whole mine, uhieh tlu- j)ro- feHsor ean explon-, in (trder to induce, in the minds of his pupils, the leliKipH'^ eon virtion.s lie has himself, as it was formerly done in the schools called Pro- testant schools. As a proof of what I allinii, I oiler to the examinatiun of seri- ous-minded neople I lie resemhlance, nay the simililudt , existing hetween the rules pn'scrihed in the iincient Protestant «chool.-i and those pies<'i'ilH'd hy the advis- ory iKiard in the schools now called puh lie : l'i-(i^riiiniiic of stti- flicf^ ft»i- (he l*nilt-s(unl piiliiir .'<('i|oois of Miiiii- tolHi, revised Ma>,l«85». ProfjfraninH' of stii- ilies for (ln! imhiie sriioois of Maiiiloha, atlopled Sept. 1st. lh!(l. and re-ailopted .Sept. ls(.. IWI-.', MoralH (a) DiitU's lo HClf. |h) iMities lo others. (e) Duties to stale. (d) iXilieKloaniinals. Toestalilish I heliabit "f rij^lil iloiiiK- iiistnie- I ion ill ;iHii'al principles iiiiist 1)1' arconipaiiied li.\' I raining in mural practices. Tiie Iciiclier's lliflu- Ulice and exiiinple. Current incidents stories, nicinory Kcnis, sentiiiienls in the school lessons. Kxiiiiiiiiation of mot- ives that i>rompt to ni-t ion, didactic tidies, IcjK'hinK the U'u coni- iiiaiidnients, etc., art iiuuins to be em- ployed. .VI orals (a) Duties lu self. (Ill DiitioH (o others. (c) Duties to »UtyUi. ((II Duties loanimals. To establish I lie habit of rih'ht doiiiK. instruc- tion in moral |irinci)>les must be accompanied by training in moral pract ices. The teacher's iiitla- ence and example. I'lirreiit iiicidciits, stories, mciiiory KeiiiK, sentiments i i; I h e s;'hool lessons, Kxamination of mot- ives that jiromiit to ai'tio'i. didactic talks. Learning Hie ten com- mandments, etc., are means lo he em- ployed. A great effort of imaKimitionisnot neee.s- sary to discove. , in the ahove lines, a com- plete assortment of religious arms, oHen- si\e und defensive, put to the dis|K)sition of those whose mission it is to teach to children; those children so acci'ssihle to the most various impn'ssions and more apt, than is jjenerally l»eli<\<'d, to seize the thought of the professor and 1k» guided hy the influences to which they are sul)niit- U'd, As a rule, pupils thii:k in the .same way as their teaener. 'I here is still less douht on the certainty of this result, when a professor is guided hy the preceding programme. What can- not he said hy a talented and zealous pro- fessor, charged with the teaching of the Ten Commandments, having to help him, his influence and example, the recalling of current incidents ; in narrating to his scholars stories, niemorv gems, in insisting on the sentiments in tin* scIkmiI lessons and the examinaMon of itiotives that prompt to action, in making didactic talks and add ing to all li.at an etc., (et cetera) as large, if it pleases hiiii, as in his own religious ideas. All these means put in the hands of an intelligent and clever person, sjiffU-e iMider the new regiim', as well as under the old, "for the introduction in the school of a systematic religious inst ruction contained in the Hihle and accepted liy all Protcslaiil denominations." The regulations used in puhlic schooissingularly modify tlu- ti'Xi'of the act that says: "The puhlic schools shall he conipletidy non-sectarian." These last words ",vould not have het'ii accejit*'*! as a criterion of truth hy the nohle lords of the .judicial committee ot tlu- privy council, liad their lordships known what happens here. School Populatinn There weie in Mani- ttiha, and that hy law, soin;' schools which could in conscience he freipient.'d hy t'atlioiic children. The new law wishes this nc more, hut continues in favor of I'rotc'lant children the schools they for iiierly had. Official documents show the unjust distinction intioduced hy tiie prac- tice and aiiplication of I hi" new law. Inder tlic old regime Protestant schools were not for Cat holic children who had no right to them and, as the schools of the new regime are hut the continuation of the formerly Protestant schools, one must not he too nnnh astonished to see thatCatholic; childrt II an> counted no more under Ihe new organization than they wi re foinieiiy. One may perhaps he surjirised iil the fact that schools, h. »sting of he: , national, keep no account of the children of a not- ahle fiart of the nation. What I say here would jn-ohahly not he iM-lii'ved if I could not iinnc it hy an odicial document whose authenticity cannot he denied. This document is entitled, "Heport of the De- part nieiitof Kducation, iVlanitolia, for the year IKOl," addressed to the lieutenant- governor and signed hy the Honorahle Daniel .McLean, niemher of the govern- ment, and charged hy the latter of th(,' direction of the depariinent of education. The following lahle, taken from page two of Ihe report, expi esses in lignres the systematical exclusion of which Catholic children are the victims under the new law; My Hemaks on the ad,)oin- iiiK stali'iiient. SCHOOL I'OIH!L.\- TION. ca H ■ "^ X "^ = 31? s= u •::«^ M .s "o t-'i- > m H 1S71 817 IKKl 7.(KKI 4.9I!I 1H82 9,(!41 fi.!l72 i8tu i-'.:m«) lti.8;{l 1884|14,129 11,708 1885 15,850 13,074 These HKiires show but the Protestant children and arc tak(^ii from the reports of the superintendents of I'rotesl- aiit schools under the old rc- Kinie. No aec.f»nnt is taken nor no mention made of Catholic children whose enumeration may be foiriid in the official reports of the superintend- ents of Catholic Hchoolsunder the old rcKinio. 8 ii^ 1887 n.tilK) 18«« 1«,».t(( l«Ki 25.()/7 18!)1 128,078 15.92fi 1«,!>40 18.IMX) 18,:<.t8 2;},2o6 23,871 ThoHc figures arc only I'rotosUint children. for No Catliolie cliildruii are hIiowii by theso i, while permitting the Pro- testant schools to continue to develop and tx> prosper, are so prejudicial to Catholic schools that alrei"'.y many have l)een closed and others are on the point of meeting the same fate, .while the rest are maintained, but with (lifliculty. I give Winnipeg as an illustration : The Catholics have in the city five educational establi:',hment.s, frequented by over 500 children. Under the oi'd regime, the Catholics of Winnipeg had their own school trustees as ch.e Protestants Jiad theirs; the limits of the two districts were not similar, nevertheless the attorney- general iu I89(^ decided that the Catholic trustees would not be recogi.isied any more. This decision entailed the confisca- tion of all appertaining to the Catholic school trust', es, in favor of the Protestant school board. Fortunately the Catho- licestablishments belonged to corponvtidns that the school law could not reach and ,tlie Catholic children remained where they were. There was something reached by the decision of the then attorney-general, it is the assessments levied on Catholics. For tivree years past the school taxes of tlie Catholics, instead of turning to their benefit, are applied to help the schools, where Catholic children ao not attend. The Catholic schools of Winnipeg, de- prived of the assessments of their support- ers, deprived also of their legitimate snare of the public money, are left to the good will of the parents, helped by the self- denial vif the teachers. I have witnessed the beginning and the growth of the city of Winnipeg; at all times I have admired the liberality of its inhabitants-: ; it is perfectly well establish- ed that the people of Winnipeg give freely and generously. How is it that, in the same city we find an unjast meanness such as the one perpetrated against the Catholic schools of the place. I know that several of the best citizens are ashamed, when thinking that money is taken even from the poorest Catholics to help in edu- cating the children of Protestants, even of some of the richest. Unfortunately this sentiment has not reached the main bodv of the citizens and the meanness is still being acted. Its injustice is so much the more manifest that the school board has not sufficient accom- modation, we are told, even for Hie Protestnnt children. What embarrass- ment it would be fur that school board if,ata fixed day, all theCatholicchlldrenofthecity would go and ask for their place in the public schools, to the maintenance of which their parents are forced to contri- itute. The ignorar 3 of the financial posi- tion made for the Cat lolic schools by the new law can alone account for 'he affirma- tion nijule by the noble lords of the judi- cial committee of the Privy Council. Tlieir Lordships surely were not aware of t!ie bitter sarcasm they used when they said, "In such a case the Roman Catholics were really placed in a better position than the Protestants." The Friends of Public Schools-In 1890, the governn»ent first intended to complet- ely secularize the primary instruction, but it met with such remonstrance that it modified its bill, merely fibolishing the Catholic schools and securing that the Protestants would be left with such school as they had themselves framed by the "introduction of systenjativ religious Instruction accept- ed by all their denominations." The parti- zars of secularization are dissatisfied with the religious practices maintained in the schools; they would like to sec the disap- pearance of prayers, of the reading of tne Bible and the "means to be employed," according to Ihe prof^ramme pre.scril)ed In the new as uell as in the old schools. Complete secularization is not without supporters in different classes of citizens, but the Protestant clergy "en masse" look at it as the most daiigerous thing after the Catholic tv aching. The rev. gentlemen accept with enth\isiasm the new laws because, while repudiating the Catholic doctrine, they do not admit of seculariza- tion and because they are in reality but the continuation of the Protestant schools, such as some of the clergy and laity of the different denominations have made them, through the Protestant section of the board of education. It is very difficult to imagine what has been printed in the press and what has been said in different political and religions meetings to prove, sometimes indirectly, but ahvays '--itli evidence, that the " scliool question of Manitolwi is purely and simply a religious one. I will not make any ([notations, it would take a large vf,iume to reproduce what has been said coolly and in a be- coming manner, but it would take many large volumes to contain the violent lan- guage, the accusations and insinuations of all sorts against that scarecrow, that people dressed and stuffed according to their ideas and which, through stupidity or malice they call the "Romish church "' In the midst of this coarse and absurd trash, had nnyone, just anc disinterested, the coTirage to raise his voice to appeal to connnon sense or to the most elementary sentiments of justice, what has not beeli said against such persons f They \yere so many .Juda es, traitors to the Protestant cause, sold to Rome, to the archbishop, to the hierarchy, and oth-.'r stupidities of the kind. I beg the reader's pardon for mak- ing even a pas.- ing allusion to all these painful occurrences. I do it merely to prepare for the following question : Why become so blindly sectarian in upholding a school system, if not because the system itsf'lf is sectarian < Why such appeals to fanaticism, made in season and out of season, everywhere and on every opporttmity, if not because the schools spoken of are in reality what people pre- tend they are not, Protestant schools; but enough on that humiliating aspect of the question. 1 will now prove that the pub- lic schools of Manitoba have secured tlie official apnrobation and the supi)ort of the religious denominations, which had most contributed to mould the Protestant schools under the old regime. The Presbvterians assembled in svnod in Winnipeg, the 22ud of November, 1892. Tlie question of public schools was again discussed at great length; the Rev. Dr. Robertson movevith anv of the existing religious exercista. If tliey did he would not second them. . . Engage only Christian men and women. While there were exceptions, there was no cla.ss of people for wnoin he had a higher res- pect than the school teachers ; and a Sunday seldom passed that he did not give thanks from his pulpit for the help rendered him in church work by Chris- tian school teachers." The Rev. J. Pringle "regards separate schools as a curse to any piovince or any town. He was gl ;d we were not left to the alternative of separate or secular schools ; if we were, he would go in with his might for secular schools." The Rev. Principal King opposed the last four resolutions of Dr. Robertson, saying: 'It was a mistake to bring such (luestions before this church court to make their beloved synod the tool of sonve political party. He wash- ed his hands clear of the whole thing. ' The venerable doctor a'.so said : "That he could not agree with the senti- ment of one speaker, looking to the rele- gation ol religion to the church and family alone." He moved 'as an amendment to Dr. Rol)e."t son's resolutions, that all the clauses be omitted except the first one which reads as follows : " That this synod, is accordance with the position taken at previous meetings of synod, in favor of natioiuil schools established in Manitoba in IHttO, desires to express its continued anxiety for their complete establishment throughout the bounds of this synod." The pronosition was adopted. The Rev. Principal King then moved another resolution, seconded l;v the Rev. P. Wright : "That the synod, in harmony with the decision of the general assembly of IKS'), on the subject of religion and instruction in the public schools, would earnestly depreciate any change in the existing school law of the province of Manitoba, in the direction of the withdrawal or the abridgement of the right now enjoyed by the people. . . He thinks that such abridgement would lie both dishonoring to (Jod and injurious to the interests of the state." The resolution V, as adopted. I confess that I understand nothing in the ordinary language if all these asser- tions of the Presljyterian synod do not mean : (!) That the Catholic schc lis must be by all means done away with ; (2» that sectdar schools must also l)e opposed ; (;i) that one nmst use every effort to maintain the actual schools with the continuance of their re- ligious exercises. In other words, and according to ipy pronosition, the Presby- terian svnod proven that the actual pub- lic schools, are and should not cease to be but the continuatioji of the Protestant w 10 >1 school", of the old re^iime. Dr. Kinjjc, him- self, in 1HS)2, aftiiiiu'd his views as similar to those in the general assembly of 18H9. One member of the synod, tlie Rev. Dr. Bryce, fearing that somebody might think there was in the resolntion of his confrere something in favor of secularizing the schools " which was not so * * * read from the act all the clauses providing for religious exercises in the schools," and to "prove that the synod ought to tirinly and decidedly take a stand." The rever- end speaker exhibited to the assembly a precious gem ,)f the first sectarian water. People would hardly believe it, but the assertion was made in full synod and no- body was reported as having objected. I beg pardon from the noble lords of the judicial committee in daring to quote the words of a most zealous champion of ))ub- lic schools, who in the midst of the synod of his church thought proper to say (The Winnipeg Daily Tribune, Nov. 23,1892): " The action of the Presl)yterian body as representing the strongest religious deuomiuation in the North- west in declaring for national schools on two previous occasions, which declara- tion was sent to the Privy Council, had an important effect upon the decision which was given." Were this affirmation made so solemsih', true, the judicial annals of Great Britain would have to record that the highest tribunal of the empire, under the pressure of the declar- tions of Presbyterian synods of Winni- peg, had given a decision contrary to the sacred interests of education among the Catholics of this province. An Anglican svnod met on the 11th January, 1803, in Winnipeg under the presi- dency of Ilis Lordship the Bishop of Rupert's Land. The meeting numbered more than one hundred and twenty menibers, comiirising the chief of the clergy and laity of the Church of Englaiul. The Riglit Rev. president de- livered his charge; most of it being on the religious teaching in the primary schools. His Lordship expressed arguments and motives which are found in all Catholic treatises on the subject and substantiated by Statistics. Here are quotations from the charge : "The known exclusion of re- ligious teaching makes religion itself felt as something extra and superfluous. . . . Pure secular education has been accompanied by the deterioration of tone and character in the young. . . . The efforts to supply religious education independently or the school failed. . . . Religious instruction will be given syste- matically by few parents, not at all where most needed." Speakingof "what would happen in Eng- land if the present assistance to separate schools were to cease," His Lordship des- criljed at the same time what would hap- pen! n Manitoba and sajaj : "Many schools would be closed, many others would give but inferior education, still enough will be carried on, that a government system of secular instruction might call itself national, but would be so in name not in reality." I have already stated that the Metropolitan of R\ipert's Land, after having been for nineteen years the i)resi- dent of the Protestar^t section of the t)oard of Cvlacation, is since president of the advisory board for thv p\ibllc schools. He is consequently perfectly aware of the value of the religious exercises, prescribed t)y each of these t'.vo boards and here is the enumeration and appreci- ation made by His Lordship, "There is a short prayer concluding with the Lord's Prayer. There is a reading of a passage of the Bible. In the teaching of morals, there are the ten commandments." Now, these are not small things in themselves, l)ut they are doubly important, because they carry with them, for the teachers, adegit^o of liberty." Yes, the bishop knows the value of what has been chosen and pre- scribed, under his presidency, for teaching the children of his church, as well as other Protestant children, and he adds : "The teachers who ignore these exercises can hardly be realizing their position as .Christian men." After so speaking the president of the Anglican synod gave the following advice : "I think the synod would do well to pass a reso- lution, expressing the hope that there would be no interference with the present religious exercises," in public schools. The charge of the Metropolitan met with full approval and the committee appointed to report on it, presented the following : "(2) Resolved, that while this synod would gladly see a larger measure of religi- ous teaching in ourschools than at present prevails, it trusts that every effort will be made, both by the educational authorities and by the C^hristian public generally, to render existing regulations on the subject as widely operative and efficient as pos- sible." "(li) This synod stanfls pledged to resist to the utmost any attempt to secularize our public schools. ' The Rev. Canon O'Meara in propos- ing the adoptiorr of the clauses of the report concerning religi- ous educatioir, reminded tlie synod that it is owing to the sta. id taken in 18tK) "by the bishop and the Rev. Dr. King "of the Presbyterian church that the hit«n- tion to fasten upon the country an utter- ly godless system was changed. The Rev. T. H. Walton seconded the motion. "He argued that irr the iirterests of children, the state and the church, education should not be made purely secular." After" that the metropolitan acknowledged tnat "when the parish schools were giveir up there seemed to l)e no doubt that there would be a certain amount of religious irrstructiou in the (public) schools. ^ It is evident that the Anglican synod (I) repudiates the purely secular schools as dangerous to all ; (2) that on the contrary 11 it rec()gni>i#h tlie uhNolute necessity of re- lijfious instruction in public schools ; (3) that it sifHnns that the Anglicans in giv- ing up their parochial schools, had no doubt that the public schools would con- tinue togive religious instruction. (4) the synod recognizes that in fact the public schools have r Mgious exercises, "that are not small things in themselves, but that are doubly imiiortjint, because they carry with them for the teacher a degree of liberty in his teaching." (5) the synod pledges itself to resist to the utmost any measure tending to diminish the religious instruction actually given in public schools. To all that, Mr. Mulock, a member of the synod, adds "that as soon as the Protes- tant bodies agreed upon what they wanted, the governnient was willing to take action." CONCLUSION. As a conclusion of all I have stated, I cannot help being convinced that the actual public schools of Manitoba are anything • else but the continuation of the Protes- tant public schools, formerly established by law in the province and in force since the Srd May, 1871, until the Ist May, IHIH). The two systems are the same, as far as Protestants are concerned, but the result of the introduction of the new system has Vieen detrimental to Catholics. The old regime liad consideration for all religious beliefs and placed the citizens on the same equal footing with regard to their religious convictions; Me new regime on the contrary, while hiding under false na nes, pretends to offer the same advant- ages to all, but creates an essential dis- tinction. Some may conscientiously accept and in fact do accept what the law gives, while others can- not conscientiously avail themselves of the same, and suffer by the practical ex- clusion to which they are condemned. An effort is made to conceal stich a painful distinction. The equality of rights is proclaimed and we are told: " It is not the law that is in fault. It is owing to religious convictions, which everylwdy must respect, and to the teaching of their church that the Roman Catholics find themselves unable to partake of the ad- vantages which the law offers to all alike.'' What a queer reasoning, laws favor- able to Catholics were repealed, others were enacted contrary to their religious cjnvictions. Such religious convictions "which everybody must respect" and it is said: It is not tne law t'lat is in fault, the Catholic religion! it were said : It is of the Roman empire, were put to death under Nero and his successors, that was "owing to the religious convictions of those Christ- ians and to the teaching of their chui'ch," which forbade to the faithful certain prac- tices that the law declared etjuallj' advan- tageous to all alike." IS but it Just as if not the fault if Christians W S: The results secured by the two school systems of Manitoba are very different. 'I he old regime has not failed to develop a remarkable advancement in the interest of education; a progress seldom achieved, if ever, in a new country' and, in a vva: Srecious to nil, as relate(l by Mr, J omerset, when he says : "There has been an almost entire absence of the friction and disagreement that have marked the progress of education in some of tlie sister provinces." Can anyone say the same with regard to the new system? Alas, no ! It materially retards instruc- tion, at least amongst Catholics. On the other harid, how painful it is to witness every day the friction, the disagreements, the injurious proceedings, the disunion and- the uneasiness whiih prevail in the province since thi-ee years. The law was to unite and it divides; it was to assimi- late and it enlarges the distincition. The Catholics have undoubtedly to suf- fer, l)ut that does not close their eyes to advantages offered by their native or adopted land. We may suffer, t we cannot be traitors. Why add to the dif- ficulty of supporting our schools as under the new law, the unjust reproach of failing in o.ir obligations to coiintry and allegiance. Such grave accusations have been uttered against us and the reader will permit me to rep\idiate them before closing my remarks and to tell to those Vinac(iuainted with my position, what my faith requires from me both in religious and in civil order, I am a Christian, as such I raise my aspirations far above the world. While looKing towards Heaven my faith is increased in the Holy Chtircli of my Sf viour, as the way which leads to it. 1 give my allegiance to that Holv Church, listening to her teaching by which I am directed to love the Lord my God with my v/hole heart, and my neighljor as myself. Her sacred teaching tells me to do good to them that hate me or wish me evil, and as I would that men should do to me, do I also to them in like manner. I am a Catholic 1 My allegiance to my church in the spiritual order is also my guide in the ac- complishment of my civil or political duties. The sun of Canada has smiled upon my cradle, I hope it will also shine over my grave. For six generations, my ancestors were born on the banks of the St. Lawrence. Canada is my country. I never had nor never will have another home. Manitoba and the Northwest have had my life, my labors and my aff'ections for nearly lialf a century, they will have them until my last day. I am a Can- adian. I was born and I have lived in British possessions • my allegiance is, therefore, to the Crown of England ; my conscience and my heart repudiate anything that should be contrary" to my obligations as a British subject." I feel happy to live under the protection of the glorious banner of the British empire. Can I be a 12 traitor to niy allef^iance becaiise I desire that tha soft breeze of liberty should wave the noble standard towards my co-religion- ists as well as towards my other country- men in order that every one may enjoy the protection and impartiality to which all are entitled in return of ttieir allegi- ance ? t Alex., Arch, of St. Boniface, O.M.I. St. Boniface, April 20th, imi. HWfPP'P'^P'PN^ I