IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // ^5^ 1.0 I.I 1^ 1^ |2.5 ■50 *^™ RIlHB •" lii |2.2 U£ 12.0 US ■a I L25 M u ^ 6" ^ -■[ V] 7m ^J ■> /: /^ /A '/ THJ s Science! Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. M580 (716) 872-4503 CIKM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checlted below. D D D D / >c D Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur pn Covers damaged/ Couverture endommagde Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurde et/ou pellicul6e I I Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ D Cartes gdographiques en couleur Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serrde peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int6risure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certeines pages blanches ajout6es lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela dtait possible, ces pages n'ont pas 6t6 fiim^es. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl6mentaires; L'institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqute ci-dessous. I — I Coloured pages/ n Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Pages restored and/oi Pages restaurdes et/ou peilicul^es I — I Pages damaged/ I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~l Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ II Pages d6color6es, tacheties ou piqu^en □ Pages detached/ Pages ddtach6es Showthrough/ Transparence I I Quality of print varies/ Quality in6gale de I'impression Includes supplementary material/ Comprend du materiel supplimentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible imago/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure, etc., ont 6t6 film^es A nouveau de fapon d obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item :s filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmA au taux de reduction indlquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X y 12X 16X 20X 26X 30X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed here has been reproduced thanks to the generosity of: Library of the Public Archives of Canada L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grAce A la gAnArositA de: La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada The images appearing here are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in keeping with the filming contract specifications. Las images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetA de rexemplaire film6, et en conformity avec las conditions du co:itrat de filmage. Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the back cover when appropriate. All other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol —►(meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. IVIaps, plates, charts, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames ac required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est ImprimAe sont filmAs en commengant par le premier plat et en terminant solt par la derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, salon le cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiSmAs en commengant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par la dernlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaTtra sur la dernlAre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbols — ► signifie "A SUIVRE ", le symbols V signifie "FIN ". Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmAs d des taux de reduction diffArents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul clichA. 11 est film6 A partir de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 ROIV S] THE I A CONSII OF 0. \V CORRESPONDENCE '>■ UETWEEN THK ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP OF TOliOiNTO AND THE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS, ON THE SUBJECT OF SEPARATE COMMON SCHOOLS I IN UPPER CANADA. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE PROVISIONS OF THE LAW AND THE GENERAL REGULATIONS REGARDINC^ RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN OUR COMMON SCHOOLS ; THE REGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND ; ALSO, A CONSIDERATION OF THE QUESTION OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION IN CONNECTION WITH OUR SYSTEM OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, FROM TFIR CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT'S ANNUAL REl'ORT FOR 1851. TORONTO: PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY THOMAS HUGH BENTLEY, REAR OF THE COURT HOUSE, OR No. 9, WELLINGTON BUILDINGS, KING STREET, 1853. CORRESPONDENCE, &t. 1. Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada ; Boliciting attention to the case of the Roman Catholic Separate School in Chatham : tiRisHTOWN, (near Chatham,) 20th February, 1853. Reverend and Dear Dr. — I beg to recom- mend to your equity, and to the good spirit of our Council of Public Instruction, the petition of the R. Catholics of Chatham. My visitation through the Diocese convinces me more and more that this spirit, so solemnly professed at the laying of the corner stone of the Normal School by difTerent interested parties, and particularly by our most excellent Governor General, is far from being prevalent in certain localities. For God's sake, and for the prosperity of the country, let us combine all our exertions, that re- ligious liberty, liberty of conscience, may be more real than nominal ; there is no other element of peace in this part of the world, composed of so many different persuasions. Aa for me, I will do anything and make any sacrifice for the success of a principle, the privation of which is nothing short of a more or less dis- guised persecution. I remain, with the best feelings of respect, Rev. and dear Sir, Your most devoted Servant, (Signed) tARM'DUS FR. MY. Bp, qf Toronto. Rev. Dr. E. Ryerson, Chief Supeiintendent of Schools, Toronto. II. Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, to the Chief Superintendent of Schools, containing additional remarks on the case of tho Roman Catholic Separate School in Chatham : tLoNDON, 7ih March, 1852. Rev. and Dear Doctor, — I hear from Chat- ham, subsequently to my appeal to your equity and to your answer, that there the negroes are incomparably better treated than the Catholics ; — that the latter have received for their separate school, attended on an average by 46 pupils, only £4 lOs., Government money; and are offered as little out of about £300 taxes raised for the pay- ment of teachers, — to which the Catholics havo much contributed, as well as to the high sum levied for the building of a new school-hcuse ; — that in another mixed school the anti-Catholic history of England by Goldsmith is perused as a text book. Aga'n, Rev. dear Doctor, where is the equity of such 8 management ? Where that liberal spirit professed in pamphlets, public speeches, reports, &c.? And am I not right to call our most deplo- rable system of education a regular disguised per- secution 1 And still I have at hand facts of a worse character. 1 remain , Rev. and dear Doctor, Respectfully and friendly yours, (Signed) fARM'DUS FR. MY. Bp. of Toronto Rev. Dr. E. Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Schools, Toronto. III. Loiter fn;ni the Chief .Siiperintcndrnt of Schools, to tho Roman Cn'.liolic Didlmp of Toronto, in reply to the foregoing : IDepattmctit o( IJubKc Enstructfon, EcucATroN Okfick, Toiio.iro, 13th March, T85i2. Mt Lord, — I hnve tlif honor to acknowkdgo the receipt of your letterd of the 20th ultimo, and of the 7th instant, rospectiiiff a difTt'rence between the trustees of a heparale school, and the Board of Trustpes of the public schools in the town of Chatham. On the 21st ultimo, I received through the Honorable S. B. Harrison, a communication from the trustees of the separate school in tho town of Chatham on the same subject. In respect to the complaint that Goldsmith's England is read cs a text book in one of the mixed schools of Chailiam, iliorecan be no reason- able ground for it, since tiio 11th section of the school Act* expressly provides that " no pupil in any Common school shall bo required to read or to study in or from any religious book or join in any exercise of devotion or religion which sliall be objected to by his or her parents or guar- dians." Therefore every Cntholio and Protestant child is effectually protected a{;:ainst the use of any book, or joining in any exercise, to which his or her parents or guardians religiously object ; and I presume the parties who made the com- plaint which you statC; will not complain as a grievance that they cannot ('Ictate as to what text books shall be used in a mixed school by tho children of other parents, as long as their own chil- dren are under their own protection in this respect. Though I had not heard before of the objections which you mention, to Goldsmith's very defective compendium of the History of England, the book is not sanctioned by the Council of Public Instruc- tion; nor has any elementary history been recom- mended to be taught in the common schools, beyond what is furnished in the admirable series of text books prepared and published by the National Board of Education for Ireland, and which are as acceptable to Roman Catholics as they are to Pro- testants. I have observed with regret, that, demands for exemptions and advantages have recently been made on the part of some advocates of separate schools which had not been previously heard of during the whole ten years of the existence and operations of the provisions of the law for separate, as well as mixed schools. I cannot but regard such occurrences as ominous of evil. It is pos- sible that the Legislature may accede to the de- mands of individuals praying, on grounds of con- * SeeAppeacUi, No. 1, a. fcciencp, for unrestricted liberty of teaching, — • exoinpling thrin from all school taxes, with a cor- responding exclusion of ihoir children from all public schools, — leaving them perfectly free to establish their own schools ut their own expense; but I am p-'rsuaded the People of Upper Canada will ni'ver sulT.-r themselves to be taxed, or tho machi.jL'ry of ihoir Government to be employed, for the building and support of denominational sohool-hciuses, any more than for denominational plucos of worship and clergy. Public school housos are equally tho property of all e|p"su8 of the school Municipality in which they are erected ; and there is the best assurance that schools v ill bo perpetuated in them according to law. But there is no guarantee that a Sei)arate School will be continued six months, as it ceases to exist legally, (at least so far as it relates to any claim upon the Public School Fund.) the moment the Public School Trustees employ in the same school division, a teacher of tho same religi- ous fnilh with that of the supporters of the sepa- rate school.* Should the advocates of a separate school be able to claim exemption from the pay- ment of a property-rate for the erection of a public school house, they, or any one of them at his pleasure, might, on the completion of such house, legally claim admission to it for his or their chil- dren upon the very same condition as the children of those who had been taxed to build the house- A man may send his children to a separate school to-day ; but he has the legal right to send them to the public school to-morrow, if he pleases; and, as a general rule, (judging from the nature of the case, and from the experience of several years,) he will do so, as soon as he finds that his children can be as safely and more cheaply educated in the public school than in the separate one. I make these remarks in reference to an objection which has been made by some of the supporters of a separate school in Chatham, and in one or two other p'aces, against being taxed for the erection of public school hous s. I herewith enclose you a co|)y of my reply to the trustees of the separate school in Chatham, and which I had also made to a similar com- munication from Belleville. I have the honor to be, My Lord, Your obedient humble servant, (Signed) E. KYERSON. The Right Rev. Dr. De Charbonnel, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto. " Provided fourthly, tliat no Protestant Separate Sctinol shall lie allowed in any school division, except where the teacher of the Coninion School is a Roman Catholic; nor shall any Konian Catholic Separate School lie allowed, except where the Teacher of the Common School is a Roman Catholic." — Fourth Provi$o in 19t/t lection of the School Act, teaching', — will) a cor- '11 from all itiy free to vn expenao; )ppr Canadft xcci, or the employed, omiiiatioiial ominetional 10 properly ty in which t assurance n according a Separate tia it ceases ales to any he moment 11 the same ime rcligi- f the sepa- a separate fn the pay- of a puhlic item at his luch house, • their chil- lie children the house, irate school send them eases; and, Uurc of the Mai years,) lis children :ated in the i. I make tion which arters of a jno or two le erection ly reply to Chatham, lilar com- vant, RSON. Sclinol shall he teacher of 1 any Roman B the Teacher ntrlh Provito IV. Letter from the Ruman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, to the Chief Supi rintendent of Schouls, expressing his extreme dissaliBfuclion with the operations of the systom of I'ulilic PJlemenlary Initruction in Upper Canada : tOiKvir.LE, 24lh March, 1852. Rev. Doctor, — In your answer to my letters, you do not say a single word about my two lirst compbiuts, viz : — the coloured people bolter 'realcd in Chatham than Catholics, and the ridi- culous offer of £4 lOs, — out of about £300 taxes raised, — for the Catholic Separate School of 46 children in the same town. With regard to my third complaiul, you grant on ono hand, that Goldsmith's History is very defective, therefore it does not do honor to the teachers who make use of it, and of other books of the same dpfecliveness, to my knowledge, nor to the visitors who tolornte such books in Public Schools, nor to the school system under which such very defective b.)oks may be upod, not only against your sanction, but even lefrally. For, you say on another hand, that there can be no reasonable complaint for reading that very defective book in mixed schools, since the 1 1th section of the School Act provide?, that no pupil shall be required (Catholics are forced to do so in certain Schools) to read in any religious book objected to by his parents, and thereby protects all rolicriouR Bersuasions. Therefore a Quaker book abusing Baptism, a Baptist book, abusing infant Baptioui, a Mttho- dist book abusing the Iliijh Church, a Presbyte- rian book abusing Episcopacy, a Unitarian book abusing the Trinity of persons in God, a Socinian book abusing all Mystcriei^, Sic; all those books may be rend in the same class room of your mixed schools, as well as the anti-Catho- lic Goldsmith's History, and t'lnt Icfrully, and of course without any reasonable complaint, because no pupil is forced to read the book objected to by his parent, and thereby children of all religious persuasions are equally protected. O beautiful protection I Beautiful harmony ! O admirable means of leaching God and his ordman- oes ! Admirable way of making children improve in religion, faith, piety, unity, charily, and in read- ing into the bargain ! And you are astonished, Rev. Doctor, at our demand of having nothing to do with sucii a chimera, such a mixture, such a regular schoo! of Pyrrhonism, of ir lifferentism, of infidelity, and consequently of all vices ant' crimes ! Please tell me would you Find jour children to a Bchool where your ptjternal authority and family prescriptions wo\ild be interpreted in ten different ways, becaut^c none of your child-3n would bo forc- ed to read those mongrel iuterprLtations, — and thereby they would be protected in their filial re- spect and feelings towards you 1 Would the Government of Canada counlonnnco schools in which pupils could read books respecting annoxa- tinnism, or any other rcbellionism, because no child would bo forced to read the ism objected lo by hiH parontF, and thereby all children would he protected in their loyally to the country and Her Majesty ? ISo, most certainly no ; and religion alone, the basis of true individual, domestic, and social hap- piuiHS, will be a mockery in our public schools ; or, ut least, a quite indifferent object! And you call our demand a scruple, an omen of evil ! Say as well that good is evil, and evil, good ! Let your mixed schools be without immediate danger on thn treble part of teachers, books and fellow -pupils for the respective faith of all the children — which is seldom the case in this secta- rian country, — and I will tolerate, even recommend them, as I do some/times, through want of a better system, hut always on the condition that children arc religiously instructed at home or at Church ; because secular instruction without a religious education is rather a scourge than a boon for a country; witnesses, the United Staloi;, Scotland, Sweden, Prussia, Stc, where, according to statis- tics, infidelity, and immorality aru increasing' in proportion to godless education. But as long as most of your mixed schools shall be what they are, as distant from the common schools of Ireland, ju^tly praised in your answer, as night is from the day ;* as long as most of your mixed schools shsill he a danger lor the faith and morals of our children, they and we, their tem- poral and spiritual parents, will act according to tiie doctrine of the God unknown to your schools, as ho was in Athens : " If thy hand, foot, eye, is an occasion of sin to thee, cut it off, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. What does it avail a man to gain the world if ho lose his soul 1 Seek first the Kingdom of God and his Justice." Now as to the boustcd system of school build- ings giving more security than our separate schools, — ns if hIoucs, or bricks would be better than teachers and bock.*, — let the Scotch Protestant Laing, in his recent "Niil)lic Instruction for I').licr Camilla ; ami oftlio <-'i>iiiiiii|):;raic srliool shiill po into opcriition at till! siiiiK^ lime witli iilloralinns in srJiool ^e'tioiis." — Firsi I'riiri.in, in VMh sr.rliiin of the. Sihnol /Icf •—•' Provided secondly, iliat any nlli-rations in tlii,' boundaries of a sclioul sec- tion bfiall notf-'o intoelli'r.t Uelore Ilie Twenty-liftlulay olUecdin- ber, next alter tlie lime when ii >liall lia\'e Ix^en made." — Second Proviso in fuurlli clause of itilh aecUon uj the Schuol Act, iiiuiiica- .•COnHBI;' circdiii- )in|)luiiit ppcting tu tu the tliCriame jsaary to to your the corn Icliool in from the to your lunuuica History ale that polled to [ireuts or was useii IiIh [loiut ply were 1 remarks sly : from an CbUh>- jf it could 6 to what hool, from ally wilh- e Separate f the town panel ioned d for until tion of the ion of any any sepa- ber in any ;s preferred . to other uccd, were m, and did 1 as to ex- ! Common has ostab- wliich has was cordi- te lamented was never olshnll poiiito lool !-eMi.)iis." — •' Provided ;i school sec- lay of Oocinn- dc." — Second ml Act. objected to, ns far n« I know, by a sinjflc Roman Oalliolic in Upper Canada, duriny the life of tlie excellent Prelate and patriot, nor until a recent period. If yotir Lord«hi|) liaa llionglit proper, durin(jf the laut twelve months, to dojit a diHorent course, and to inlroduco from the Continent of of Europe, a new class of ideas and feedings among the Roman Catholics of Upper Canada, in regard to schools and our whole school system, I must Htill adhere to my frequent unqualified cxprcssionfl of admiration at the opposite course pursued by your honored and devoted predecessor. Bishop Power; — while I may note thn facts that from only thrco neighbourhoods in Upper Canada have de- mands boon made by Roman Catholief, in accord- ance with this new movement, not sanctioned by law; that the only Roman Catholic member of the Legislative Assembly elected in Upper Cunada has repeatedly declared himself opposed to the very principle of separate schools ; and that the only County Municipal Council in Upper ("Canada in which a majority of the membera arc Roman Catholics, has adopted resolutions against tho section of the School Act which jjermits tho establishment of separate schools under any cir- cumstances. Tho facts, that, out of 3000 Com- mon Schools, not fo many as fifty separate Roman Catholic Schools have ever existed or been appli- ed for, in any one year, in all Upper Canada, and that the number of such separnlo schools had gradually diminished to less than thirty, until within the last twelve months,* and thnt during ten years but one single complaint (and that during the present month) has been made to this Department of any interference with tho religi- ous faith of Roman Catholic chihlron ; and that not a Roman Catholic child in Upper Canada is known to have been proselyted to Protestantism by means of our public Schools ; — these facts clearly show the general disinclination of Roman Catholics in Upper Canada to isolate themselves from their fellow citizens in school matters, any more than in other common interests of the coun- try, and the mutually just, Christian and generous spirit in which the school as well as other com- mon affairs of the country have been promoted by Government, by Municipal Councils, and by the people at large in their various School Sec- tions. The exceptions to this pervading spiiit of the people of Upper Canada have been " few and far between;" and in such cases the proviiiion * The following Table hIiows the iiuiiilu't of I'rotwtant and Roman Cailiulic Scparato Hcliools reported, since 1-47: — VEAR. NO. OF SEP^nXTE SCHOOLS. If^l- 41 1818 3-2 l&l!l 31 HjO 40 = '21 Roman Catholic and 23 Protestant. 1831 20= 10 Eoiiian Catliolic and 4 Protestant. of tho school law porii.ittmg tho establishment of separate schools in cortoin circumstances, has been made uso nf, and just about as often by a Protestant, OS by^a Roman ('alludir, minority in o School Municipality. Rut tho provision of iho law for separate schoola was never o^kcd or advo- cated until since ISTjO na a theory, but merely as a protection in circumstances arising from the peculiar social stale of neighbtmrhoodsor Munici- palities. I always thought the iritroduction of any provision for separate schools in a popular system of common education like that of U|)per Canada, was to bo regretted and inexpedient; but finding such a provision in existence, and that parties concerned attached great importance to it, [ have advocated its continuance, — leaving sepa- rate schools to die out, not by force of legislative enactment, but under tho influence of increasingly enlightened and enlarged views of Christian re- lations, rights and duties between difl'eront cliisaes of the community. I have, at all times, endeavour- ed to securo to parties desiring separate schools, all ihe facilities which tho law provides — though I believe the legal provision for separate schools has been, and is, seriously injurious, rather than beneficinl, to the Roman Catholic portion of the community, as I know very many intelligent members of that Church believe as well as myself. I have as heartily sought to respect the feelingH and promote the interests of my Roman Catholic fellow-cilizons, as those of any oiIict purlioii of the community ; and I shall continue to do so, notwithstanding the personally discourteous tone and character of your Lordship's communica- tion. There are, comparatively, few school divisions in Upper Canada, beyond tho cities and towns, (whore tho Trustees have generally employed a fair proportion of Roman Catholic teachers,) in which it is possible for the Roman Catliolics to maintain an efficient separate school ; and if jour Lordship persists in rcprosenting tiio Common Schools maintained by the several religious classes of the community, as fraugiil with .'^cepti- ci«m, infidelity and vice, the situation of Roman Catholics, sparely scattered throughout mere than 2,500 of the 3,000 school sections in Upper Canada, will be rendered unpleasant to ihemiielves, tiiid they will be encouraged to neglect th'educa- ti'm of their children altogether. By the 'iffifial Return f -r 1S49, there were Z\i') Roman Catiuilic School Teachers employed in Upper Canada ; in ].8")0, their number was increased to 390 ; ' .md I have as cordially endeavoured to get situations for good Roman Catholic teachers as for p-ood * In 1931, tliere were 37t5 Roman Catliolic Ti'aclierH j-eportcd. 8 ProlCBtnnt tonclicrc It i.:" clear that the prcntor part of tlie:>l)0 Roiiinii Catholic ICBclicrH liavo been cmi)loyod by I'roli'ntuiil TruslccH ami parontH ; but if tho war of lotnl HoparutiDii in all school TnuttPfH bptwecn tho "rotfistnnls and lloiiiun (JatholicH of Uppor ('nnnc" is oommoiiced, aa pro- claimod by your liordship, many of thcHo worthy tcachora will bo plnn( d in piiiiiful circiiinstuncoK, and n Hftparntinn will noon begin to take plrco between tho two porlions of the coinmunily in othor relations and employments. Vonr LurdHhip fayf, •' Wc must have, and wo will have tho full nmnag'!mont of onr bcIiooIh, aa wol! as the Frotostniits in Lower Canada, or tho world of tho 10th century will know, that hero as olsewhcre. CuthoIicH, against tho constitution of the countrj', against its best ar.d most sacred in- terests, are persecuted by tho most cruel and hypocritical porsccuticn." On this passage I remark, that I am not awaro of Lower (Canada presenting a better slandnrd ihon Ui'por Concda of eitliLr religious or civil rigliis i'. the management of schoi'ls by any portions '.f tho community. A popular municipal system not yet bjing fully estab- lished in Lower Canada, tin) school system there is necessarily more despotic then here, and tho I'^xecutivo Governnunt does many Inings there which appertain to clecti\>. Municipalities to do hero ; and to accomplish what is indicated by vour Lordship, would involve tho subversion of ihe Municipal system and liberties of the people of Upper Cnnnda. From the beginning, Upper and Lower Canada has each had its own school system. Of the aiuiiial Lcgialalive school grant of j:rj(t,O00, Lower Canada received i:29,0()0 per annum until 18.")! (when the grant was cqunlly divided,) and Upper Canada £2L000 ; which constituted tlie whole of the Legislative School Fund of Upper Canada for tho efilablishmenl and und support of tho Normal as well as Common Schools. Upper Canada has not attempted to interfere with Lower Canada in regard to its school system, nor has Lower Canada attempted to interfere with Upper Canada in regard to its school systi'm ; nor do I think the collision in school mat- tcis invoked by your Lordship, will be responded to by either section of United Canada : at least, for tho sake of the peace and unity of Canada, I hope it may not. Then as to the "^act which your Lordship says will be known to the world of the 19th century," I may observe, that the monngers cf the twenty- iine Roman Catholic, and twenty-five Protestant fipparate schools in Upper Canada, are placed upon cyaclly the same footing ; that tho mana- gers of each class of these schools have precisely the same cnntn-l of thorn that tho Truitcoa of Common School* have over their schools ; that each class of Separate Schools and tho Commou Schools arc under tho same rirjulations ;• that those relations and regulations have oxinted for ton years with the B|)probalion of your lamented predecessor, (who was n Uritish colonist by birth and education, as well as fc«ling,) and with the concurrence of both Roman Catholici and I'rotes- tonts; nor had I over heard, before receiving your Lordihip'b letter, that theOovernmcnt and Legis- lature hud for BO many y<}ars established and maintained, and that I, in connection with th« elective Manicipalities of Upper Canada, had been admiidstering iind extending a syitem of "the most cruel and hypocritical persecution" ngaiait any portion of the community. Noy, so perfect is tho equality among teacheri, as well as managers, of each class of schools, that they are all examined and classed ae to their Intel - loctual attainments, by tho same Board of Examina- tion; while the certificntes of their respoctivo Cler- gy aro the guarantee for their religious knowledge and charactor.f This is perfect equality for the teachers of Separate Romon Catholic, or Protes- tant, or Common Schools ; and the great princi- ple is maintained, that no part of tho School Fund raised uy, or belonging to, a Municipality shall be paid to any teacher whose qualifications are not attested by Examiners oppointed by such Municipality. It is true, that no Roman Catholic or Protestant can be compelled to support a separate school, unless he applies for it or chooses to send his chil- dren to it; and ills also true, that every Protestant and Roman Catholic has a right to send his child- ren to the public school, and also the right of equal protection to h's own views in regard to the re- ligious instruction of his children. It is further- morn true, that no part of the money for separate schools is paid into the hands, and placed at the discretion, of either the Roman Catholic or Protes- tant Clergy, but is subject to the orders in each case of the elected Trustees of separate schools in aid of tho support of teachers employed by them. Bui in each of those cases, I think the law secures individual protection and rights, rather * " I'roviiied always, that onch such separate scliool .... shall he under the same reiiulntions in respect to tlie persons foi' wlioin sucli school I? perniiueil to lie estalilished, as are Coninion Schools generally. — First Proviso in llK/t eectioH of the School Jet. t " Provided always, that no certificnle of qunlificntion shall lie piven to any iiersun as a Teacher who shall not I'urnish satis- fnctory proofof (jooil moral character." — First Proviso in second clause of the •41t/A section of the School Jet. — " (Jaiididates shall not lie eliallile to be admitted to examination, until Uiey Bliall li:ive t'uriiished the examiners with satislaclorv evidence of tlieir Kiricily teniperaie haliitb and ijood moral i^r oter." — General Rfgulatiiiua jirearribcillil the Coi •ti.it of I'u"'. Instruction for the examiualion qf Teacfurs, era. A^T-. AS.' sfef^^fS- . riiitoos of ">Ih ; that I'Ommou IS ;• that xi^tod for lamented by birth with the id I'rotea- viiijf your "d LegiB- shcd and with the had been of "the ogfalnit toBchere, uols, that leir Intel-- I'iXamina- ivo Clor- nowledge y for the r Protes- t princi- 3 School licipality ifications by 8uch 'rotestant } school, ' his chil- rotestant liis child- ; of equai ) the re- fiiriher- separata 3d nt the ■ Protes- in each schools loyed by the law > rather shall for whom 3n Schools Jet. ttion shall nish sntis- > in secmid Intra shall tliey shall :c of their —General uction Jut 1 than bronilios the " moit cruel and hypocritical porRecution." Tliero id thu« no iiifTcronco whatever bctwcnn ProtCRtniit or lloinan Cutliulic Rt'paruto M(!h()olfl and mixed bcIiooIh, as tu tlio examiniition of tuach- eri, oil till' ciTtificateH of iheir respectivo clergy; no difll'rciic'j an to llio times at wliich hucIi schools ■hall communcfl, and tlio legal eonditiiina niid rogulutions to which they are Hiibjict ; no dilFor- cncc as to tbe baaiH of apportioning the soliool fund, to aid iii the paymeiit of the salarieH of the teacher of each class of schools. * There is there- fore not tlio slightest ground for alleging '* most cruel and hypocritical persecution" in regard to the one, any more than in respect to the other, clasb of schools ; and there arc " the blessed princi- ples of religious liberty, and equal civil right," in regard to them all. The demand which your Tiordship advocates In behalf of thi; Trustees of tho Koman Catholic separate schools in tho town of Chathar. is two-fold. 1. That whatever sum or sums of money any Municipality may raise for school purposes, shall be regarded as the legal school fund of such Municipality, and bo equally divided according to attendunce^betwecn the public and separate school. 2. That the same principle slmll be uppliid in the expenditure of whatever moneys may be raised for the building, repairs and furiiishing of school houses ; that is, that tho Municipalities shall bo under the same obligation to provide separate school houses as pubuc school houses; that they shall not bo able to provide for the latter without providing for the former. Now, in regard to this demand, I have three remarks to make : 1. It is novel ; it has never been made in any communication to this Depart- ment, until since tho commencement of tho cur- rent year. 2. It proposes a novel inferjjretion of the term "School Fund." The 4Ulli sec- tion of the school Act defines it to consist in each Municipality of "the sum of money appro- * The following arc tlio provisiDiis of the law relative to tlio .ipportiotiiiientol'tlie Scliool I-'iiml to liolh (^oiiiiiion and f*e|)arate Schools:—" Ami lie it eimclrii, That it Hhall lie the duty ul' each local yii|i(Tliiteiident oIHcIiooIh, as soon as he shall have received from the County Clerk a tiotifiratiun of the aiiiuimt of money ujiportioned lo the Township or Townships wiUiiii the limits of his charge, to ap|iortion the same (unless otherwise instructed liy the Chief iSuperinteiident of Schools), umoiig Uio several school sections entitled to receive it, according to the ratesof the average atti'sid-'8 what tho law declares to constitute the School Fund, and to AfJiatever amount a Municipality may increase it, no part of it, as in liower Canada, can be applied to liie erection, rents, or repairs of school houses ; but both the 4Ut!i and 45th Sections of our School Act expressly require that such money " shall be expended for no other purpose than that of paying Ike salaries of qualifi- ed teachers of Common Schools ;" 3. I remark thirdly, that as no apportionment from the Legis- lative school grant, or school fund, is made, and as no part of such fund can be applied for the * See .\ppen(lix. No. 0. t " Provided always, that the sum or suii:s so levied, may I ^ increasetl at Uio discretion of such ('ouiicil, either to increase the County School Fund, or to give special or additional aid Vi new or needy scliuol seclions, on the recoinniendalion ol'oiKsor nioro Local t^uperimendeiits." — First I'rociaoiii the first clause of the i'tk section of the iichoul Act. I! 1« 1:S * );- erection, rents, repairs, or furnisiiing of sclioo) houses of any Jescriplior., all sunib expended for these purposes in any Municipuiily mii-il be raised by local voluntary assessment or subscription in such Municipality. Tiio principle of the school law is, thill each Municipality has a right to do what it pleases with its o . n ; with what it does not receive from the Lotfislalure; what it is not required to raise os a condition of receivint,' Legis- lative aid, biit what it voluntarily provides within its own juri.-^diction. But if according to your Lordsliip's advocacy, a Municipality must bo compelled to tax themselves to provide separate school hduses for religions persuasions, in addi- tion to public school houses, there may be a high degree of "civil liberty" secured to certain reli- gious persuasions, but a melancholy slavery imposed upon the Municipa'iiies. The liberty of teachinir, any more than the libertv of preaching, by any religious persuasion, has never been under- stood in U()per Canada to mean the right of com- pelling Municipalities to provide places of teach- ing, any more than places ot preaching, for such religious persuasion. Such liberty, or rather such despotic authority, f,osse^sed by any religious per- suasion, is the grave of the public JMunicipal liber- ties of Upper Canada. Your Lordship has furthermore be^n pleased to designate Upper Canada — the country of my birth and warmest aft'ctions — " this sectarian country;" a term which not merely implies the existence of sectarianism, (lor that exists in Austria and Italy as well as in Upper Canada,) but that sucli is the distinguishing character of the country, as we are accustomed to say an enlightened, a civilized, or barbarous country, according to the prevailing character of its institutions and inhabitants. I think your Lordship's designation of Upper Canada is an unmerited imputation; I am pursuad- ed that a large majority of the people are as firm believers in "the Faiher, the Son, and the Holy Ghost," aiid in all thai our Lord and his A-'ostles taught as necessary to everlasting salvation, as either your Lordship or myself. A standard English lexicographer has defined " sect" as "a party in reliijion which holds tenets different from those ot the prevuiling denomination In a Kingdom or Stall'," and Becherelle in his noble " Diclionnarie JViilioniil," sav?, after Linguet that " De toutes les sectcs, il n'en est pas do plus furieu--es, de plus intolerantes, de plus iujustes, que celles qui chois- issont pour cri do guerre la religion et la liberie."* But I see no a; plication of either oi these charac- teristics of sectarians to the majority of the people * " Of all sects, UiosG nre tlie niogt fii'ions, tin* uuM intole- rant, ami most unjust, wlio adopt as tli'ir war-crj : Religion and Libel If. whom your Lordship reproaches — a people, in roli- gious morals, in honesty, industry, in enterprise, in the first and essential elements of a national's civili- zation, in advance of the mass ol tlie |)eoplo of those very states of Italy to the schools of whose capi- tal you have drawn roy attention. Your Lordship has represented " God as un- known to our scliools as he was in Athens;" and by the passages of the scriptures which you have quoted, as well as by your remarks upon our school regulations, you intimato that I place earth before heaven, and the gain of the world before the loss of the soul. I remark, that I believe a majority of the members of the Council of Public Instruction, by whom the regulu'icns were made for our schools in regard to religious and moral instruction, are as deeply impressed with the worth of the soul and the value of heaven, as your Lordship ; and so far from God being unknown to our schools, the authorized version of His inspired Word (the text book of the religious faith of a large majority of the neople of Upper Canada) is read in 2067 out of 3000 of them. And if the regulations are criminally defective in this re- spect, yourLordship as a member of the Council of Public Instru>;tion, has had, and ;slill has ample opportunity to propose their correction and amend- ment. Though I have perhaps learned, by personal observation and enquiry, more of both Irish and Canadian Schools than your Lordship, and am not sensible of the vast inferiority of Canadian schools of which you speak : yet if such be the fact in a religious point of view, the fault must lie with the clergy throughout thecoun'ry, and not in the regulations, since our regulations are bor- rowed from those which have operated so be- neficially in Ireland.* Who is to provide for, and look after the religious instruction of the youth of the land, but the clergy and the churches 1 Government was certainly not established to be the censor and shepherd of religious persuasions and their clergy, or to perform their duties. I lament that the clergy and religious persuasions of Upper Canada have not been more attentive to the reli- gions instruction ci' their youth — the youth of the land; — but as to our youth and fellow country- men in Upper Canada not being taught to respect law and authority, as in the schools of Rome, I may observe tliat authority and law rre maintain- ed among us by tho people tlieniselves, without our capital being occupied by foreign armies to keep the . itizens from expelling their Sovereign from tho tl; /Ue. You. ^. 'rdsliip draws a vivid picture of each of the children in a school being taught from a See Appendix, Nos. 3 and 1. 11 pl^", in roli- iterprise, in iiiul'scivili- plo of those vliose capi- od as un- Ikmis;" and li you have upon our place earth 'orld before I believe a of Public were made and moral with the ?ii, as your r unknown on of His gious faith er Canada) 1. And if in this re- le Council lias ample iid amend- )y personal I Irish and ') and am Canadian uch be the It must lie y, and not 3 are bor- ted f?o be- lle for, and le youth of churches ? 3d to be the asioiis and I lament 3 of Upper > the reli- uih of the country- to respect Rome, I maiiitain- 3> without armies to Sovereign ■ of each ht from a book abusing the religion of the parents of the other cliildrcn. I liave only to remark on this point, that the picture exists in your Lordship's imagituuion alone, as there is no foundation for it in fact or probability. Even should the teacher hear the children separately recito once a week the catechism of their religious persuasion, as he would hear them recite a fact in history or rule in arithmetic (without any regard to the merits of it), what your Lurdship fancies could not occur even in this strongest case that can be put, as the catechism of no religious persuasion, as far as I know, consists in abusing other religious per- suasions; but in a summary of (christian faith and duty professed by its adherents. I know not of the occurrence of a cass such as your Lordship has imagined in all Upper Canada during the liist ten years ; and down to a recent period an in- creased friendly feeling and co-operation existed between Roman Catholics and Protestants — a feeling which I had hoped, and had reason to be- lieve, until within the last twelve months, would have been promoted by your Lordship, as it was by your honored predecessor. Your Lordship say?, indeed, that " Catholics are forced in certain sciiools to read from religious books to which their parents ol)ject ;"' but why are not the names of the places and parlies men- tioned ? For I can promise your Lordship a prompt and efl^'ctive remedy in every case which siiall be made known to this Department. But it appears to me, tliat if such cases exist, they would be made known from the great import- ance and publicity which has been given to the case of Mr, Maurice Carroll, and the School Trustees at Georgetown, in the townsliip of Esquesirg, the only case of the kind that was ever brought under the notice of this Department ; and on the very day I received Mr. Carroll's let- ter of complaint, I answered it in strong terms of condemnation as to the proceedings of the Trus- tees, and in maintenance of his supremacy and inviolable rights in regard to the attendance or non-attendance of his children upon religions cx- ercis(>s in the school. A day or two afterwards, I repeated the same decision and views to the teacher and trustees concerned, and there the matter has ended; and it would have been the occasion of no bad feelings beyond the school section itself, had not the complaining parties, according to tho ad- vice of your Lordship, previously spread it in the new^pnpers, instead of first appealing to the tri- bunal authorised by law to decide on such matters — r; eour^e being open to the judges of the land and the Governor General in Cuuiri], should I fail in impartiality and energy to remedy the wrong complained of. And I must appeal to your Lord- ship, and especially after your Lordship haa spoken so decidedly of "respect towards authority, law, and government being taught in our scliocLs,'' whether it was promoting either of tliese objects for your Lordship to encourage Mr. Maurice Carroll, of Georgetown, to go to the i evvspapers, instead of the legal authorities, to remedy a legal vvro. g — to appeal to popular passion and re- ligious animositiefc instead of first api>ealing to government, and exhausting tho resources pro- vided by law for legal protection against illegal oppression ?* Should the examples and counsels which your Lordship has given to Mr. Maurice Carroll, be adopted by all |>arties throughout the land in regard to any alleged wrong that may bo commited by one party against another, wliat respect for law would there be ? What admi- nistration of law could there be ? What must he the social state of the country other than that of unbrii'led passion, lawlessness, and anarchy? On a matter of so much importnneo to the social hap- piness and best interests of all classes of ponple in Upper Canada, I confidently appeal from your L)rd«hip under excitement, to your Lordship when calm and thoughtful. Your Lordship has called my attention to the authority of Guizot, as much better than mine in school matters. I readily acknowledge the au- thority of that great statesman and educationist. I read his projects for school laws in Franco, and his various circulars, to local school authori- ties at tlio time he was French Minister of Pub- lic Instruction, before I prepared my own projects and circulars ; and wh.'U I found under his sys- tem, a Pkoman Catholic Priest, a Protestant Min- ii>ter; and a Jewish Rabbi, in connection with several laymen, composing and acting harmoni- ously in each of tho Educational Committees, — answering to our County Boards, — Idid not imagine that a system based on the same principle, could bo regarded as a *' most cruel and hypocriticn] per- secution," by either Protestant or Roman Catholic in Upper Canada. Then your Lordship cites me to tho testimony of the " Scotch Presbyterian, Laing," in regard to tiie number of schools in Rome, and their ten- * " Let your hishop Ijless you ;inil your family for your judici- ous, noble, paternal anil quite Cailiulic coiiduct in the very painful cniiTiicncy nientionecl in your letter of the 'JOUi uliiuio to the Editor ol llic Mirmr I'iually, tlirouL'li ;lic pre.-H, vou I a\ denounced tliosc facts to the t,'ood seusc of the rouiilry, as hein;^, in your ?ouiid opinion, afier pra>er, the lici-t weapon apainst Satan and liis agents. Honor once more to your energy, and let every Catholic lie ai' enert,'etic and send lo the open colininis ol the Mirror of Toronto any complaint, as well grounded as yours, — soon mixed Kchools will lie «hat they ought to he, respectful towards all sectarian persuasions — tiuakers and Haptists, IliL'li and IiOw (^hu'ch, Kpiscopallaua and Presliyte^ rians, I'nitarians iind I'nlversalists, &,c., &c., and we l.'atholic^) shall he soon placed in the same |K)silion towards the majority in this section of tlic Province, w hich the Protestant minority occupies in Lower Canada." — The Roman Calhulic llisltop of Toronto lo Mr. Maurice Carroll, of Georgetotcn, pubtUhed in the Toronto Mtrror of the Wi of April, IcJ'i. n i S^i \ii dency to promote respect to established authority. I have no wish to question the correctneBS of the conclusion which your Lordship would wish to establish by these references, much less to dis- parage the schools alluded to, many of which I have personally visited, and found them admirably conducted, and well adapted to the purposes for which they were ostablishcd. But I must say, that I do not consider respect for existing au- thority to bo tho solo object of education, or of the establishment and multiplioation of schools for the mass of the people. Of course, the more energetically such an object is promoted, in both Austria and Italy, and in all despotic countries, the more effectually will schools and education be employed as an instrumtnt of despotism. I think education and schools fail to fulfil a vital part of their mission if they do not develop all the intel- lectual powers of man, teach him self-reliance as well as dependence on God, excite him to indus- try and enterprise, and instruct him in the rights as well as duties of man. That the numerous schools of Rome and Roman Italy fail in several of the.ie particulars, notwithstanding their effici- ency in other respects, is manifest from tho pro- verbial indolence, dishonesty, poverty, and misery of the mass of the people, notwithstanding its genial climate, the fertility of the soil, and the glory of its ancinnt historical recollections, while hyperborean Scotland, with its mountain heaths and glens, stands by the united testimony of travellers and historians, as far above modern Italy in all the elements ot the intellectual and moral grandeur of man, as it is below it in beauty of climate and richness of soil. And this differ- ence may bo largely traced to the different sys- tems of education in tho schools and colleges of the two countries. Your Lordship will recollect that Laing wrote before 1848, and with a view to prompt his fellow-countrymen to still greater efforts in the cause of popular education. Since Laing wrote, there has been a revolution at Rome, and the very city, the streets of which were stud- ded with schools, expelled its Sovereign, and at this day is only kept in subjection to the existing authority, by the bayonets of France and Austria; while Edinburgh maintains an inviolable and spontaneous allegiance to its Sovereign, as deep in its religious convictions as it is fervent in its patriotic impulses. I think it right to say this much in reply to your Lordship's references to Scotland, although I have no connection with that country by natural birth or confession of faith. In regard to the use of Goldsmith's abridge- ment of English History, or of any other book in our scliools, I have no authority to eject from, or introduce into our schoo's, Goldsmith's or any other bock published in the British domi- nions, without tho previous sanction of the Council of Public Instruction, of which your Lordship is a member. Though Goldsmith's his- tory is, in my opinion, very defective in compa- rison with other later and better compiled books on the same .. . ojoct ; yet that history has been used as a text book in a large proportion of the best schools in both England and America, during the last half century ; nor was I aware until I received your Lordship's letter, that Goldsmith was less a favourite with Roman Catholics than Protes- tants. Thus far the Council of Public Instruc- tion has never, in any instance, exercised the power of prohibiting the use of any book in the schools — contenting itself with recommending and providing facilities for cheaply procuring the best books for the schools, as the most likely, as well as most quiet, way of superseding the use of objectionable and defective books. But it is com- petent for your Lordshiif, as a member of the Council of Public Instruction, to bring under the notice of that body any book, the use of which you may think injurious or contrary to the objects of the schools, and propose its exclusion ; or to introduce any general regulation or regulations, which you may deem necessary for improving the character and efficiency of our Schools. I have thus not rendered myself liable to blame for having passed over in silence any one of the many topics which your Lordship has thought proper to introduce ; but I have carefully noticed each of them, in a belief that your Lordship enter- tains defective and erroneous views of the school system and municipal institutions of Upper Cana- da ; with a desire of placing before you the whole question in its present end probable future bear- ings, before your Lordship shall enter upon the course indicated in your letter ; and from a sense of duty to successive Administrationb and Parlia- ments that have established our Common School system, and to the Municipalities and people at large, who have so nobly sustained it, as well as from a deep consciousness of personal responsibi- lity in this matter fur the future well-being and destinies of my native land. I hav3 the honor to be, My Lord, Your obedient, humble servant, (Signed) E. RYERSON. The Right Rev. Dr. DeCharhonoel, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto. la imith's or tish (lomi- on of the hich your mitli's his- in compa- !d books on been used f the best during the I received I was less in Protes- ic Instruc- rcised the 3ol{ in the mmending curing the liicely, as the use of it is corn- ier of the under the of which he objects an ; or to gulations, roving the i to blame >ne of the s thought \y noticed hip enter- ;he school per Cana- the whole uro bear- 'Jpon the 11 a sense id Pariia- n School people at 8 well as sponsibi- eing and ^ VI. Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Chief Superintendent of Schools, on the subject of the Roman Catholic Separate Schoula in the City of Toronto. tHAMiLTOK CiTT, 6th April, 1852. REVFtiEND Doctor, — When on your return from P^uropc last year you heard of the proceedings of the Board of School Trustees of Toronto, to- wards our Catholic Schools, you told me with an energetic expression which I will not transcribe, that, had yon been in Toronto, such things would not have taken place. Now, Reverend Doctor, that you are in Toronto, be kind enough to provide, if not for the past, at least for the present and future, that our six or seven hundred pupils, aa ivell instructed as, and better educated than, all the others, may receive from the con.mon funds for cducutiun, a share which will be a little equitable. And this beginning of redress will make me, Reverend Doctor, Your grateful servant, (Signed) fARM'DUS FR. MY, Bp. of Toronto. The Rev. Dr. Rycrson, Chief Superintendent of Schools, Toronto. ant, SON. VII. Letter from Chief Superintendent of Schools to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, in reply to the foregoing : — Bepavttnent of l&nblk instruction, Education Office, Toronto, lOlh April, 1862, My Lord, — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th instant, and to state in reply, that the conversation to which you refer, related to the establishment of separate Bchools in the City of Toronto, and not to any definite sum to be given for their support, — as the proportion of the school fund given in aid of each separate school was not the subject of dispute, and as that is fixed by law. The ground of complaint referred to, was removed by special Act of the Legislature at the last session.* The first instalment of the school fund for the current year will be payable the first of next July, and should there be any hesitation on the part of the Toronto Board of School Trustees (of * See Appendjj, No. 2. which I ^ave no apprehension) to give ctlict to the provisions of the iiiw in roijard to the separ- ate schools established, I shall readily employ the means provided hy law for the execution of its provisions. I have the honor to be, My Lord, Your obedient, humble servant, (Signed) E. RYERSON. The Right Rev. Dr. Ds Charbonnel, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto. VIII. Letter from the Roman Catholic Bialiop of Toronto, to the Chief Superintendent of Schools ; containing a reiteration, in French, of the senti- ments expressed in his former Icttcis. ^Translation.^ ToHoxTO, 1st May, 185!2. Mn. SuPEHmXENDENT, — My last letter, doubt- less on account of my English, wap neither clear nor understood, since it has caused you to address to me personalities and insinuations which I repel as unworthy of you and of me. All my previous intercourse with you and the Council of Public Instruction has been polite and Christiar, and somotimes tolerant to an extent that I have been required to justify. My last letter was energetic only after eighteen months of observation and patient representations orrainst a school system, which my conscience, as a Ca- tholic Bishop, reject?, with all my might, for the souls confided to me ; a system which, notwith- standing your explanations, I repeat fearlessly, and irreapective of anv person, is, for us Catholics, a disguised persecutic.i, unanimously and strenu- ously condemned by other bishops as well as my- self. For I read, first, in the acts of the Provin- cial Councils of Baltimore, (pages 84 and 117), sanctioned by the Supreme Head of our Church, one and universal : Council Bait. Prov. 1, Can. XXXIV.— " Whereas very many youth of Catholic parents, especially among th'^ poor, have been and still are, in many parts of this Province, exposed to great danger of losing their faith, and having their morals corrupted, from the want of proper teachers to whom so important a trust can be safely confided ; we judge it indispensibly ne- cessary to establish schools, in which youth may be nurtured in the principles, of faith and morals, while they are instructed in literatute." Can. XXXV. — " Since not unfroquently many things are found in the books which are generally if 14 1^^ used in the acIidoIb, in which iho principles of our faith are inipiijrnrd, our (iojjmas fn)=oly expountled, and history ilsfif perverted ; on accmint of whicii the minds of tlie young arc imbued with errors, to the tcrrihlo loss of their souls ; zeal for religion, ns well as the proper education of youth, and the honor itself of the American Union, demands that some remedy be provided for so great an evil. Therefore we determine, that, there shall be published for the use of schoolti, as soon as possible, books entirely expurgated from errors, and approved by the authority of the Bishoprf, and in whicli notiiing may bu con- tained which mi^Mit produce enmity or hatred to the Catholic faith." Council Bult. Prov. IV., Can. VI.—" As it ap- pears that the system of public instruction, in most of the Provinces is so devised and admin- istered as to encourage heresies and gradually and imperceptibly to fill the minds of Catholic youth with errors, we admonish pastors, that with the utmost zeal they watch over the Chris- tian and Catholic education of Catholic youth, and to take special pains lost such youth use the Protestant version of the Scripture?, or recite the hymns or prayers of the Sectaries. It must be carefully provided, that no books or exercises of this kind be introduced in the Public Schools, to the danger of faith and piety." Now these Canons are the perfect expression of our sentiments. I read, secondly, in the correspondence of that great Archbishop whom the whole Church laments, the mediator between Ireland and England, the Dove of Dublin : " In Ireland it was required that, in all the schools for the education of the poor, the Bible, without notes, should be read in the presence of all the pupils of the schools, rnd that the Catechism and all books of that kind ahould be excluded." Is not this the case in our Mixed Schools ? '• Tliese regulations," continued the incompar- able Dr. Murray, "our Bishops resisted^ and en- deavoured most earnestly to withdraw the Ca- tholic pupils from schools of that kind That a remedy might be provided for this most wretched state of things, our Government, strongly urged by me and others, at length de- cided to establish another system of educating the poor, which would be more acceptable to the Catholics."* Suffer me, then, Mr. Superintendent, to obey God rather than man, and to resist, as did the * See Regulations of the Cominissionura of National Education in Irelauii, Appendix, No. i, and note on page 17. loyal and conciliating Archbishop, your unhappy School system, iry 'o rrscue from it my dear children, and to remedy tl is scourge by urging our Government to give us a system whicii will bo ai-cc'ptabl,' to us — a system which shall not render the condition of the Irish here worse than it is in Ireland — a pystem worthy of American or Canadian liberalism, so much vaunted in the world: imless Upper Canada prefers to continue, what I cannot, in strict logic, call anything but a cruel and disguised persecution. I have said, that if the Catechism were suffi- ciently taught in the family or by the pastor, so rare in this large diocese : and if the Mixed Schools were exclusivrly for secular instruction, and without danger to our Catholics, In regiird to masters, books, and companions, the Catholic Hierarchy might tolerate it, as I have done in certain localities, after having made due inquiry. Otherwise, in default of these conditions, it ia forbidden to our faithful to send their children to these schools, on pp.in of the refusal of the sacra- ments ; because the soul and heaven are above everything ; because the foot, the hand, tho ey-, occasions of sin, ought to be sacrificed to salvation ; because finally, Jesus Christ has confided the mission of instruction, which has civilized the world, to no others than the apostles and their successors to the eud of time. It is their right so sacred and inalienable, that every wise and paternal Christian Government has made laws respecting instruction only in per- fect harmony with the teaching Church — the Bishops united to their supreme and universal Head ; and this I'ight is so inviolable, that of late, as well as in former times, in France, in Belgium in Prussia, in Austria, as in Ireland, the Bishops., with the Pope, have done everything to overthrow or modify every school or University system op- posed to the mission given by Jesus Christ to his sacred College. " Go therefore tench all nations, and preach to every creature, (St. Mark,) teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you ; and lo, I am with you oven unto the end of the world (St. Matthew). He that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be condemned." (St. Mark.) I have the honor ti be, Mr. Superintendent, Your humble and obedient servant, (Signed,) t ARM'D FR. MY. Bp. of Toronto. The Rev. Egerton Ryerson, D. D., Chief Superintendent of Education, Toronto. % versiv local i 1 10 ir unhappy my dear by urging wliicli will sliall not worse than merican or the world: LIP, what I )ut a cruel were euffi- pastor, so the Mixed nstruction, in rcgiird Catholic done in le inquiry. tions, it ii hildren to the sacra- aven are the hand, sacrificed Christ has vhich has le apostles lable, that overnment nly in per- lurch — the universal lat of late, n Belgium s Bishops., overthrow fBtem op- rist to his preach to them to )mmanded the end of believetb not shall t servant, :. MY. ' Toronto. IX. Letter from the Chief Superintendent of School-e, to the Roman Catholic Bishop ofToronto, in reply to the foregoing : ZDepavtment of |)ut)Ifc Snstcuctfon, EuucATioK Office, Toronto, 12th May, 1852, My Lord, — T have the honor tr> acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 1st instant; and as your Lordship has not thought proper to notice the perfect equality which 1 showed in my letter of the 24th ultimo, to exist between Protestant and Roman Catholic Separate Schools in Upper Canada, nor indeed any of the facts and reasons I have adduced to show the equal rights and protection of Roman Catholics with all other classes of the community under one common school system ; and its harmony with the free Institutions of our country, in reply to the state- ments and attacks contained in your letter of the 24th of March, it is not necessarry that I should discuss these topics again, further than I may have occasion to allude to them in answer to some portions of your Lordship's letter now before me. Your Lordship refers to the friendly and cor- dial character of the intercourse which has taken place from time to time between your Lordship and the other members of the Council of Public Instruction, including myself. I can assure your Lordship that the feelings of respect and pleasure attending that intercourse, could not have been greater on your part than on mine; and I there- fore felt greatly surprised, pained and disappointed, when I read your Lordship's letter of the 24th of March, denouncing that whole system of Public Instruction which I had understood your Loidship to be a colleague in promoting ; attacking the principles on which I have acted during the whole period of my official connection with that system ; impugning the motives of its founders ; reflect- ing upon the character of the people of Upper Canada; and advocating that which would be sub- versive of their hitherto acknowledged rights of local self-government. In my reply to that letter, I disclaim having cherished a feeling or intended a remark in the slightest degree personally disrespectful to your Lordship ; but I felt it my duty to answer expli- city and fully your Lordship's statements, reason- ings, and references ; and if I said anything, (of which I am unconscious,) which can be charac- terized as unworthy <* personalities and insinua- tions " it was said in reply to much stronger and more pointed remarks of the same character con- tained in your Lordship's letter of tiie 24th of March. 1 liad hoped thtit a full exposition of the civil and Municipol iiisliutions of tiiis CDiuitry, and their equal foirnesa nnd application to all re- ligious persuasions and classes of people in re- gard to our Common School system, woiild Hntisfy your Lordship ihnl whether pirfecl or inipt-rfect, our school system is based upon the principles of equal jn-^lice and rights to both Protn.-^laiit and Roman Catholic, and that you had been quite mistaken in p.ononncing it a system of "most cruel and hypocritical persecution " agoinst the Roman Catholics. I regret that I have been unable to produce any change in your Lordship's views as to our system of public instruction, or in your avowala of liostility to it; but I phiill not fail, neverthelosi',to conduct myself towards your Lordshio personally, with the same respect and courtesy which I have en- deavoured to observe in all my previou6 inter- course with you. I think that no erroneous impression was con- veyed or disadvantage experienced by your Lord- ship's having written your letter ot the •24th March, in English; since your If^tter of tlio Ist instant expresses the sntno sentiments, m still stronger terms, on these very points, respect- ing which I might have been supposed to misapprehend your meaning. Your Lordship again designates our school system, "a disguised persecution against Roman Catholics'' — "pour nous CathoUques une persecution deguiaee ,•" and in another place you call it, " a cruel and dis- guised persecution " — " une persecution cruelle et deguisee." These representations and assertions your Lord- ship repeats, against the irrefragable proofs which I have adduced to the contrary, — against the noto- rious fact that, under our school system, Roman Catholics not only enjoy equal protection and ad- vantages with every other portion of the com- munity, but a privilege in reg-ard to Separate Schools, which is not granted to any one reli- gious persuasion of Protestants, in either Upper or Lower Canada. In view of such facts, your Lordship's reiterated assertions, in connection with the object for which they are made, must be regarded, I will not say as you have said " a cruel and disguished persecution," but an act of great injustice to the Legislators and people of Upper Canada; a contradiction to the conduct of your lamented predecessor, the late Bishop Power; and an invasion of the rights of property and municipalities which have been regarded as invio- lable. I think therefore that your Lordship has assumed the position of the persecutor, rather than the Legislature and Municipalities of Upper Canada. 16 Your Tiordsliip says, that our School Systein is unnniniously and strenuously condemn .J by other Roman Catholic Bialmps thnn yourself, and in proof, you quoto certain Acts of the Piovincial CounciU of Baltimore, which, you state, have been sanctioned by the Popo ; but 1 can find nothing in the acts (juoted, which onn bo fairly ap- plied tu our Schools. As to the first of the Acts of tho Provincial Councils of Baltimore, quoted by your Lordship, no proof can bo adduced, that tho operations of our schools in all past years, have exposed to great peril the faith and morals of the children of Catholic parents. In regard to the socond of the Acts referred to, whatever may be snid to the hooks introduced by public authori- ity into some of the Schools of the United States to which this Act refers, no school book has been sanctioned by the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada, in which there \.i a paragraph that impugns the principles of the Roman Catho- lic faith, or erroneously interprets its dogmac, much less falsifies the facts of history, since the only series of books for use in our schools, are those which have been introduced into the Na- tional Schools in Irel".nd, with tho concurrence of the lamented Dr. Murray, to whom your Lord- ship refers in just terms of praise and admiration. And in respect to the last Act quoted by your Lordship, (setting forth among other things, that the system of public education is so devised and conducted as to foster heresies, and gradually and imperceptibly fill the minds of Roman Catho- lic youths with the false principles of the Sectar- ies, and that the Priest must watch dilligently lest such youth should read the Protestant ver- sion of the Scriptures, or recite the hymns or prayers of the Sectaries,) I remark, that our sys- tem of Public Instructioi: knows nothing of the different religious opinions which exist in the coun- try ; does not protend to judge what are heresies, or what parties are heretics ; nor does it favor one class of religious opinions more than another ; nor does it require Roman Catholic children to read the Protestant vert-ion of the Holy Scriptures, or hear, much less *' recite the prayers or hymns of the Sectaries;" although I know of Roman Ca- tholic schools, the authorities of which, require Pro testant youth attending them to be present at the recital of Roman Catholic prayers and hymns, and alleging, at the same time, that there is not, nor shall there be, any interference with the religious principles of such youth. Your Lordship quotes the words of the late Dr. Murray, late Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin, who, referring to the former School sys- tem in Ireland, under the direction of a body called the Kildare Place Society, says, " it was required that in all the Schools for the education of the poor, the sacred Scriptures, without note or comment, should be read in the presence of all tho pupils of the Schools :" and you then ask mo if this is nut the case in our Mixed Schools ? I answer, it is not the case. We have no regula- tion that requires any book whatever to be read before all the children of any one of our Mixed Schools ; nor does our School law permit any School authority whatever to require the atten- dance of Komun Catholic or Protestant pupils at tho reading of any book, or the recital of any hymn or prayer to which the parents or guardians of such pupils shall object. Our Government does not assume, or pretend to the right of assu- ming, the power of commanding or prohibiting any portion of the population of Upper Canada in matters of religion ; what it recommmends in respect to moral example and instruction in the Schools, is common to all, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, Jew and Christian, — each and all of whom recognize the Ten Commandments; but as to religious instruction, it is left to the discretion of the parties and parents concerned in each School Division; for, as Jehovah does not authorize any one human being to lord it over the faith of another human being, but makes every man personally accountable, and therefore gives him an equal right with every man to judge and act for himself in the matters of his eternal salvation, so our law does not permit any parent his child to be lorded over by others in matters of religious faith, instruction, or devotion. Your Lordship further q-otes Dr. Murray, in saying that he and the other Roman Catholic Bishops in Ireland, most earnestly resisted the former (Kildare Place) system of poor Schools in Ireland, and at length prevailed upon the Govern- ment to establish another (the present National) system which would be more acceptable to the Roman Catholics. Now, the very system which was thus established in Ireland in regard to books and religious instruction, and which Dr. Murray supported to the end of his life, is that which ia established in Upper Canada, as I stated in my last letter to your Lordship, as may be seen by comparing our general School regulations* with those which Dr. Murroy, and other members of the National Board of Education, have established in Ireland,! and which I quoted at length in my cor- respondence on the School La*' of Upper Canada, printed in 1850, by order of the Legislative As- sembly, (a copy of which was sent you) pages 52 and 53. Therefore, if your Lordship followed the example of the incomparable Dr. Murray, as well as that of the late Bishop Power, you would give your cordial support to a system of Schools * See Appendix, No. 3. t See Appendix, No. 4. n lout note or :e of all tho I ask mo if ciiools ? I no regula- te be read our Mixed )ormit any tho atten- t pupils at tal of any ' ^iiardiana overnment lit of assu- )roliibiting )er Canada nmenda in ion in the II Catholic -each and andments; left to the concerned ovah does ord it over )ut makes I therefore in to judge bis eternal iny parent matters of lurray, Id I Catholic sisted the Schools in e Govern- National) ble to the em which 1 to books '. Murray . which ia ad in ray 3 seen by jns* with imbers of stablished n my cor- r Canada, ative Ab- u) pages I followed jrray, as ou would SScbools No. 4. which yoii arc now donmincing na "a cruel and disguiseil ptTsecuiion."* In r'jrard to tlio ac's or resolulionH o( the Roman Cfllholic Provincial Councils of Baltimori', quoted hi your Lorilship, I liiivi' two ndditional romnrkato offer: The oiia is, tiint no Legislature of niiy free State of tho American confedcrnr.y has PRtabiishod or given a iartliiiig's aid for tho estublishniont of a ckss of denominiitiunal elementary Schools, either Protestant or Kumun Catholic, nucii as ore refiTr..'d to, and Huchas yourLordahip is demanding in Upper Canada. I know of but two instances of any formal effort or demand being madti upon an American State Legislature for that purpose; the one was made a few years since by Arch- bishop Hughes of New York, but failed of succesfi; and the other is now being made in the state of Maryland. f Wherever such denominational elementary schoold exiat in tho noiyhbouring States, they are wholly supported by the religious persuasion establishing them ; nor are the members of such persuasion exempted, nor have I ever heard of their asking exemption, on that account, from paying, with others, all taxes required fur the erection of public School Mouses, and tlie support of the public Schools. Nay, I have reason to believe that, notwithstanding the Acts of tho Councils quoted by your Lordship, the oppo- sition of tho Roman Catholic Bishops and Clergy to public Schools in the neighbouring States is very partial. If it exists at all, in many places. When in Boston a few months since, I learned en good authority, that the Roman Catholic Bishop of that Diocese, when applied to by cer- tain priests, lately from Europe, to interpose in arresting what they considered the groat injury being done to the religious faith of Roman Catholic children, by attending the public Free Schools, replied, that he would no nothing of the kind, that he received his early education in those Schools ; that be would never have attained his present position but for the Boston system of Free Schools. I cannot but be deeply impressed with the conviction that it would be a great bles- sing to the Roman Catholic youth of Upper Canada, if the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toron- * " Archbishop Murray, so long the ornament of his church and country, was one of our original members ; and our success has been greatly oving to his constant presence amongst us, and to the confidence reposed by the members of his ciiurch in his great sense, experience and integrity. He was strongly convinced that our system was one of the greatest blessings ever conferred on the people of Ireland ; and one of the last acts which preceded the close of his life, was to assist, at tlic age of >^3 years, at a mceUng of our Bowtii."— Eighteenth Report of the Commit- iiontri of /fmtiunal Education in Ireland, for Itioi. \ A geniJ«nian in Maryland writes that "the public disappro- val of the p ki/lsions of tiie bill has been manifested to such an extent, thati ibink it hardly probable the bill will again be called up," B to would imitate tho example of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Bjston. IJiii that is a matter which rests with your Lordship, and not with me, to decide. My second remark is, that tho acts of thw Provincial Counci's referred to, are those of Eccle- siastics alone, and of Foreign Ecclesiastics ; and although your Lordship may refer to them as the commands uf God, they cannot be viewed by others as possessing any more authority, or entitled to any higher consideration, than acts and resolu- tions on the same subjects adopted by a Protestant r^piscopal Convention, or Pres^jyterian Synod, or Methodist Conleroiice, and apprt /ed by the Bishop, or Moderolor, or President of these reli- gious persuasious respectively. I likewise obaorvethat your Lordship makes no reference to the opinions of the laity on this subject ; but wo should noi forget, whatever may be one's own wishes, that our Legislators and Municipalities in Upper Canada, and our responsible Ministers of tlie Crown, are not the agents of any body of Ecclesiastics, foreign or domestic, but the elected and responsible Rep.-esenliitivcs of the whole people, includini,^ both clergy and laity ; and the references in my last letter show that your Lordship is far from representing tho unanimous sentiments of even thai portion of the Upper Canada lay electors who belong to your own church, any more than those of your lamented predecessor in office. In regard to the alleged injustice done to Roman Catholics in tho distribution of school moneys, so frequently asserted by your Lordship, there ia one circumstance which I may mention in addition to the facts and reasons I have given in reply to your Lordship's statements and claims. The Board of School Trustees in the city of Toronto have caused a very careful inquiry to be made into the census returns and tax rolli of the city, in order to ascertain the comparative amount of taxes paid by Roman Catholics and Protestants The result of that inquiry is, that while one- fourth of the entire population of the city is re- turned as Roman Catholics, a fraction less than one-twelfth of the taxes is paid by them ;* and I presume the wealth of the Roman Catbo lies, in proportion to their numbers, compares • The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Separate Schools in Toronto claimed £1,15U for their schools ; and in reporting upon tills demand, the Committee of the Board of School Trustees state that—" From a receni return your Committee find that the total atinual value of tlie taxable property in llie city amounts to jE18(1,983 58.:— of this, the proportion held by Roman Catholics Is X15,TS0 IDs. The total nett amount of school tax for last year, at Sjd in the pound, was ,£l,SOO: the nett proportion contri- buted by the Roman Catholic inhatiitants was £156 10s."— Beporf of Free School Commttee of Board of School TruiUu for the City of Toronto, daUd 19(A May, 1852. 18 ■ R favorably as that of PrutCBtants in the city of Toronto, as in uny other Municipality in Upper Canada. It is, ihereforc, clear that no class of the population is so much bene- fittod by tho General School taxes, in propor- tion to what they pay, as Roman Catholics ; and hence assuming — what tho people and Legis- lature of Upper Canada have repeatedly repudi- ated — that the authority and officers of law ought to be employed to impose and collect taxes for any religious denomination, the sums of school money which would be payable, when apportioned upon the basis of property, to Roman Catholic Separate Schools, would bo much less than what the School Act now allows such schools upon the basis of the attendance of pupils. Of all classes in the community, the Roman Ca- tholics have the strongest reason to desire the system of Mixed Schools ; and t very efTurt to urge them to apply for Separate Schools, so far as it succeeds, imposes upon them additional pecu- niary burden?, at the same time that it must inflict upon them losses and disadvantages to which they arr not now subject. Your Lordship says that " ii the catechi&m of your Church were properly taught in the family and by the priest, so rare in this vast Diocese, and if the mixed School were confined exclu- eively to secular instruction, and without dan- ger to Roman Catholic youth, in regard to mas- ters, books and companions, the Roman Catholic hierarchy might tolerate it ; but that, in the absence of these conditions, Roman Catholic parents are forbidden to send their children to the Schools under pain of the refusal of the sacra- ments." May I, my Lord become the advocate of thou- sands of children of your own Church before you carry into effect the purpose here avowed ? A child cannot remain in ignorance of his catechism without criminal neglect of duty on the part of both his parents and Priest ; but if these are guilty of inflicting upon the child one injury, is your Lordship to inflict upon that unforunate child the additional injury of prohibition of all secular instruction, — adding the curse of intellec- tual to that of spiritual ignorance 1 I hope, upon the grounds of humanity itself, this may not be the case. As to the Schools being exclusively confiDed to secular instruction, I am somewhat surprised that your Lordship should insist upon this, after having alleged, in a former letter, as a reproach against our schools, that God was as unknown in them as he was in ancient Athens; but I have already shown that a child cannot receive any other than secular instruction, unless in accordance with the wishes of his parent or guardian; and that there is the game regard to parental religious rights ond wishes in ret^pect to books. And in respect to masters and companions, I may add, that 1 am not aware of Roman Catholic masters or youth possessing any superiority over Protes- tant matiters and youth, in respect to either morals or manners. It appears, then, that no censure is to be inflict- ed upon the parent or priest for neglcctitig his duly in teaching the child the catechism; nor is the parent threatened with any censure if he altogether neglects to send his child to the school; but he is to be refused the sacraments if he sends his child without the catechism having been taught such child, or if there be anything in the master, or the books, or the pupils of the School, which may not receive the sanction of the Ecclesiastical turveil- lance established. I cannot but see, that the car- rying out of such a system on the part of your Lordship, must place the Roman Catholic youth of Upper Canada, in a deplorable condition, and doom their descendants to o hopeless inferiority in com- parif^on with other clcases of their fellow-citizens. 1 feel that I am not exceeding my duty in speak- ing plainly and strongly on this point, since the educational interests of all classes have been intrusted to my care, and I am bound by official as well as Christian and patriotic considerations, to do all in my power to prevent any single child in Upper Canada from growing up in ignorance, and therefore in a state of vassalage and degrada- tion, in our free country. I notice, finally, the avowal with which your Lordship's letter concludes, — containing an ex- pression of sentiment and statement of facts which I have often seen ascribed to the authorities of your Church, but which I have never before seen so liroadly and explicitly avowed by any of its dignitaries,— an avowal which I could not have credited did it not appear over your Lordship's own signature. Your Lordship says, that "Jesus Christ has confided the mission of instruction which has civilized the world, only to the apostles and their successors, to the end of time. It is their right, so sacred and so inalienable, that every wise and paternal Christian government has made laws in regard to instruction only in harmony with ihe teaching Church, — the Bishops united to their universal and supreme head; and this right is 80 inviolable, that recently, as heretofore, in France, in Belgium, in Prussia, in Austria, as in Ireland, the Bishops with the Pope, have done all in their power to overthrow or modif/ every School or University system which is in opposition to the mission given by Jesus Christ to His sacred College." I V: m 19 rdinn; and I religioua And in may add, in masters er Protea- her morals be inflict- ccting his ; noria the altogether but he is hia child iglit such ter, or the h may not iurvetl- >t the car- rt of your icyouth of and doom ty in com- v-citizens. in speak- since the lave been l)y official iderations, ngle child gnorance, 1 degrada- hich your g an ex- cts which lorities of efore seen ny of its not have jordship's at "Jesus nstruction e apostles ne. It is that every : has made i harmony pa united this right tofore, in :ria, as in e done all if/ every )ppoBition t to His It 1b here clearly claimed, " tlint the Pope and Bibhops of the Roman Catholic Church aru the only persons anthnriKed by (iod himt>clf to direct ihc ediicalion of youth, and therefore, that all others undertajjing thnl work, ore invading tho prerogative of God; that all legislation on the sub- ject must have the sanction of " tlie Uinhops with the Pope;" aiid tiiat they hove done, and will do, all in their power to overthrow or modify every syHtem of public instruction, from the School to the University, which is not under thoir control. Such being your Lordship' .s sentiments and iur tentions, I am glad that you have frankly avowed them. The people of Upper Canada and their repre- sentatives will at once understand their position and duty. But, in view of such avowals and refer- ences, I am surprised that your Lord»hip should have invoked "the blessed principles of religious liberty and equal rights," since, in con- nection with the sentiments above avowed, there can be no religious liberty or rights except for the " Bishops and the Pope ;" and since they de- nounce the doctrine of " religious liberty and equal rights" as an awful heresy in the Roman States, and will not allow to Protestants even liber- ty of worship or teaching, much less aid from tho State for that purpose, as your Lordship demands in behalf of the Roman Catholic Schools in Upper Canada. In conclusion, I may observe, that whatever may be the result of this correspondence, I shall have the satisfaction of knowing that I have not left your Lordship uninformed as to any feature of our civil and municipal institutions involved in the question; and of their perfect fairness, and the equality of their application, to both Roman Catholics and Protestants; of the protection and security of the members of all religious persua- sions, in regard to the peculiarities of faith, and therefore, the utter groundlessness of your Lord- ship's imputations, and the unreasonableness of your claims upon the ground of " religious liberty and equal rights." Indeed the passage above quoted from your Lordship's last letter shows that the claims set up by your Lordship are not merely for "religious liberty and equal rights," but for the absolute supremacy and control on the part of your Bishops with the Pope, in our system of public instruction. As Belgium, France, and some other countries in Europe, have been disturbed for many years by the efforts of some of your Bishops for the direction of systems of public education, and the various grades of Schools and Colleges, so may Upper Canada be disturbed in like manner (0 some extent, by the efforts of your Lordship ; but 1 doubt whether such eflfort* will meet with much sympathy from a largo portion of tho mem- bers of tho Roman Catholic Church ; as I am persuaded thoy will not from the people of Upper Canada at lar^'c. I can appeal to the history of the past in proof of my acting towards the Ro- man Catholic Church in the samu spirit as to- wards oiiy other church; but I must be unfaithful to all my past precedents, as well as to the trust reposed in me, and the almost unanimous feeling of the country, if I should not do all in my power to resist — come from what quarter It may — every invasion of " the blessed principles of religious liberty and equal right))," among all classes of the People of Upper Canada. I have tho honor to bo, My Lord, Your obedient, humble servant, (Signed) E. RYERSON. Tho Right Rev. Dr. OeCharbonnel, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toront". [For a copy of the Binhop's k'ttcr of tho let May, in the original French, to which the fore);oin|{ In a reply, see Appemltx, No. 7, page 30.] X. Note from the Roman Catholic Bishop of To- ronto to the Chief Superintendent of Schools, acknowledging the receipt of the foregoing letter, as the conclusion of the correspondence with the Head of the Educational Department : Saturday, 22nd May, 1852. Rkv. Doctor, — The conclusion of our Corres- pondence must be that our opinions on Separate Schools are quite different. But I hope that by making use of all constitu- tional means, in order to obtain our right, I will not upset the Government of Canada, nor its insti- tutions. I have the honor to be. Rev. Doctor, Your obedient, humble servant, (Signed) t ARM'DUS FR. MY., Bp. of Toronto.. Rev. Dr. E. Ryerson, Chief Superintendent of Schools, Toronto. XI. Letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Chairman of the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada, on the subject of the preceding; Correspondence: 26th May, 1852. Mr. Presidbkt. — I beg to state, that, if a cor- respondence, exchanged between the Rev. Dr. Ryerson and me, has come to the cognizance of 30 your Council, it had no rofurence ot uU to my i»- torcoursoB with your deliberaliotis and ruHitliitioiiH, My coimcienlicuH nttoiulaniie ni liiem, when bo- journing in Toronto; my conduct ol iho iayinjr of ttio corner stone of thi* Nornmi School; and some of my letters to the Rev. Doctor, arc eviden- ces of my fcelingH towards a body from which I receive nothing but courtesy and kindness. Ilenco 1^ T wrote to iiis Reverence on the '20lh February last, *' my visitation through the Diocese con- vinces mo more and more that the good spirit of our Council of Public Instruction is far from being prevalent in certain localities ;"* and on the 3Uth last, after having received from his Reverence 23 pages in folio of personalities and insinuations unworthy of him and of me, [ replied : "all my precedents with you, Reverend Doctor, and the Council of Public Instruction have been polite and Christian, and sometimes of a tolerance for which my Church made me respon8iblo."t Were I not leaving town again, Mr. President, I would ask of your kindness a special meeting, I ^ in which I would lay before your Council all my complaints on the operation of the proviso for Separate Schools, and the course I followed to ! '^ slop the annihilation of that boon by a system which I cannot but call a disguised persecution, oome from what quarter it may. I have the honor to be, Mr. President, Your obedient, humble servant, (Signed,) t ARM'DUS FR. MY, Bp. of Toronto. Judge Harrison, President of the Council of Public Instruction, Toronto. XII. Letter from the Chief Superintendent of Schools, to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, in reply to the foregoing: ISepactment ot 'i&vbUc £nsttuct(on, Education Office, Toronto, 31 st May, 1852. Mr Lord, — The Honorable S. B. Harrison has transferred to me your letter of the 26th instant, addressed to him as Chairtnan of the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada ; the subject of your letter not coming within the duties prescribed by law to that body, but relating to the duties and conduct of the Chief Superinten- dent of Schools. * See second paragraph of Letter I. t 8e« flnt paragraph of Letter VIII, and Appendix Mo. 7. I fhoiililvpry impprfcctly understand my dutlci, wen? I lo trouble the Council of Public InBtriiction with the voluminouH corr('t<|K>ndct ce of this De- partment, except the communications which I mnkc at tin' requoht of the Council, or such as I receive to be laid before it. As a member of tho Council of Public Instruction, as well no of the Senuio of the Toronto Univerbit}', I am only one of the body consisting of several numbers ; but ns Chief Kiijterintcntfont of Schools for Upper Canada, I have distinct duties to discharge, and i|i respect to which I am responsible to my So- vereign through Ilor Representative. The sev- eral clauses of tho yOlh section of the School Act, prehcribe the duties of the Council of Public Instruction ; and tho several cla'.ises of tho 35th section prescribe my ilulics. It is my general duty to nee that every part of tho School low is duly executed; and especially "to see that all inoneya apportioned by me are applied to the objects for which they were granted; and for that purpose to decide upon all matters and complaints subniitted to me, which involve the expenditure of any part of the School Fund." ' The 34th Section of tho Act provides, that I "shall be resjionsible to, and subject to the direction of, tho Governor General." If your Lordship, therefore, has complaints to make of my oiUcial conduct, tiie way is open ; and I am prepared at any moment to answer to the authority by which I have been appointed, and to the country on whoso behalf I have laboured, for my official acts. Notice of every meeting of the Counf il of Pub- lic Instruction is invariably sent to the rseidence of your Lordship ; and at any such meeting, (as I have stated in my two last letters,) your Lord- ship has, of course, the right of bringing before the members of the Council any subject that you may think proper; and should your Lordship de- sire it, 1 shall be happy to call a special meet- ing of the Council to suit your Lordship'B convenience. It now becomes my duty, my Lord, to advert to the personal imputations which your Lordship has been pleased to make against me, in your let- ter to the Honorable Mr. Harrison. Not to notice the unofficial character of such personal imputations in such a letter, I may ob- serve, that the statement of your Lordship is cal- culated to convey a very erroneous impression of the facts relative to what your Lordship is pleas- ed to term my " personalities ond insinuations ;" while your drawing attention from the questions which your Lordship has voluntary raised, and from your Lordship's own attacks upon our Schools and School law, to a matter of alleged pereooal discourtesy in my letter to your Lordship^ I 91 my duties, lll^trllction r lliia De- I wliicli I r Hiich a8 I iber of the (IK of ihe II (inly one ibers ; but (or Upper iiirge, nud to my So- The 86 V- he School of Public f the 35th Mieral duty Hv \h duly ill moneys olijecta for purpose to 8ubn)itted f any part ion of the )lfl to, and General." iplaints to ifl open ; answer to jjnted, and laboured, 'il of Pub- residence ieting, (as 'our Lord- ig before t that you rdship de- cial meet- liordship'e to advert Lordship your let- r of such may ob- ip is cal- ression of is pleas- iiations ;" questions iaed, and jpon our >f alleged Lordship^ is wlmt I did not expect, and wlint I can hardly conceive to bo "worthy of your liordsbip or of me." Your liordship's letter to Mr. Ilarriflon con- veys the impression tliot I addressed to you "il3 pages, in folio, of unworthy porsonolitios and in- sinuations," in reply to your letter of the 'iOth Feb- ruary last. Your Lordship mur,t bo awaro tlint this is not the case: and I regret that thu langimge of your letter is calculated to do me an act of gross injustice. Permit me, therefore, my Lord, to state the facts of the case. On the 20th of February, your Lordship ad- dressed me a letter (dated "Irishtown")* recom- mending to my favorable- attention the peti- tion of I he Roman Cnlliolic School Trustees of Chatham. On the 7tb of March, your Lordship ad- dressed me another short letter (dated "London,")! on the same subject. On the "iHrd of February, I replied to the Roman Catholic Trustees of Chat- ham; and my ofKcial duty required me to do no more as it is not usual in Public Departments to correspond on questions of complaint with others than tiie complaining parties themselvep. But I did more ; out of respect to your Lordship, in an otHcial letter, dated the 13th March, t I enclosed you a copy of my reply to the Roman Catholic Trustees of Chatham; and in reply to your letters of the 20th of February and the 7th of March, I briefly explained the law in reference to the use of Books in the Schools — the rights of parents in regard to them — the wliolly unobjectionable character, on religious grounds, of tlie books which the Council of Public Instruction had recommended — and t' e claims which the Roman Catholic Trustees of Chatham had made for a portion of the local Municipal Assessments to build their separate School-houseH, and for exemption from Municipal Assessments for the erection of Publio School-houses. Your Lordship cannot but admit that this letter, with its enclosure, could not have been dictated by any other than a feeling of respect for your Lordship personally and officially, and with a strict regard to the principles and operations of the School system ns established by law. But what was the result ? The result was, as your Lordship cannot, I am sun', forgot, a letter dated — "Oakville, 24th March, 1852,"|| in which your Lordship treated with sarcasm, ridicule and scorn, my letter of the 13th March, relative to the School law; employed "personalities and insinuations," such as I had never before re- ceived from aBv Clergyman ; charged our Schools with being the nurseries of " all vices and crimes;" contrasted the clmraclor and tendoncics of I'rimary Schools in Canada, the United Statoo, Ireland, Scotland and Rome ; denounced our whole, "Scliool System as the ruin of relinrion, and a persecution for the Roman Catholic Church," and those who had established that system as carrying on against the Roman Catholics a " most cruel and hypo- critical persecution." I must have been destitute of the feelings of a Canadian or a patriot, not to have felt on tiie perusal of such a letter from your Lordship, under sufh circumstances; but I delayed answering it until I could do so after calm and mature consideration, and then I replied dis- tinctly to each of tho numerous counts, (per- sonal and public) of j >ur Lordship'd indictment.* And my answer to tho many charges and insinuations of such a letter, your Lordship is ])leaHcd to represent as a reply to your short letter of the 20th of February, and as "23 pages of personalities and insinuations unworthy of you and of me." Your Lordship states, furthermore that in reply to my "23 pagesof personalities and insinuations," you referred to the previous friendly relations ex- isting between yourself and the other members of the Council of Public Instruction. I never inti- mated or imagined that those relations were other- wise than friendly and Christian ;t but your Lordship's letter referred to, (dated 1st May,)t con- tains other avowals and assumptions for wliich I know of no precedent in the history of Canadian Correspondence and to which I replied in my letter of the 12th. || I am aware that the "go, id spirit of our Council of Public Instruc- tion is far from being prevalent in certain localities " of the country ; but I am happy to know that such "localities" are comparatively few, since, notwithstanding the counsels to make vigorous efforts to establish and multiply Separate Schools, the number of such Schools is one-third less occording to the returns of this year, than they were according to the returns of last year ;§ and for such " localities," yearly di- minishing in number, the operation of the Separate School Clause of the law may still be invoked. I have only to add, that notwithstanding the course pursued, and tlio language employed, by your Lordship in regard to me, I shall still endea- vour, as lieretc'ivf, to treat my Roman Catholic fel- low subjects as kindly and cordially as those of * Letter I. t Letter il. i Letter Itl. II Letter IV. * Letter V. t 8ce sccDiul pnragrapli of Letter IX, page 15. I Letter VIII, and Appendix No. 7, page 30. II Letter IX. § See note to Letter V , on page 7, si 32 nny other roliglom permmlon In the country ; anii the more so, ai I am latiided the examplu and ipirit of tho lanu'iittd Hiihop Powr r are itill wide- ly cherithod by tho Roman Cathulici in Tppor Canada; an well aa thotoftimony home by myself and the Council of I'ublic Initruction, and mime- roui others, not membera of the Roman Catholic Church, to tho virtuca and patriotism of that ex- cellent man. I bavo the honor to be, My Lord, Your Lordahip'a Mott obedient, humblo lervant, (Signed) E. RYERSON. The Right Rev, Dr. DeCharbonnel, Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto. P. S. — Nor should I omit to remind your Lord- ship, that the provision of the law in regard to Separate SchoolF, as am-nded by the short bill of 1351,* (the draft of which was pre- pared by myself in the presence of your Lord- ship, and that of the very Reverend Vicar Ge- neral McDonald) was approved of by your Lord- ship. My prinledCorreBpondenco on tho law in lS40,f my oHicial Circulars printed in 1850,^ * 8co Appendix, No. 9. ( " I cannot ilpp:iri from whnt I liavf ntnlc.l niul illustrntoil tit large In my ' Report un a Sifttem of Public Elementary Intlrur- tion fi>r Vpper Cannda,' printed by order of the tjeglslntive Asscinlily in I '*W, umlcr tlie head of nible and Kcligioiiii Instriie- llon in Schools, (page W-5'i) where, while I have held up to reprobation merely sectarian instruction in the schools, I have shown t!ic extent to which the Holy Hcripiurcs are lined, and religions instruction '^ivcn, in the non-sectarian mixed schools of ditT'Tent Christian countries — Protefnntand Roman fr-.tholic. On this vital question, 1 am happy to lie »u»latnc 1 by the authority .mdexaniplcof the Irlih National lioaril. . . . I have not assumed it to lie tlie duty, or even cc.ustituiioiial riplit, of the (Jovcrnmcnt 10 conii)el any thini,' in respect either to relielous books or religiouii Instruction ; but to recommend the local Trustees to do so, and toprotidepoweriandfaciUliet to enable them to comply with Uiat recommendation within Uic wise restriction lm|Kisrd by law, I have respected the rights and scruples of the Roman Catliolic, as well as those of the Protestant, allhouch, by sonc, I have tieen accused of having too friendly a feeling towards the Roman CaOiolics. It affords me pleasure to record the fact — and the circumstance shows tlio case and fairness with which I have acted on this sutject— that before adopting the section in ibe printed Forms and Regulations on the ' Contlitution and Qorernment i\f the Schooli in reipeet to Religious Instruction,' I submitted it to tlic late Roman Catlinllc Rishop Power, who, after examining it, said he would not object to it, as Roman Catholics were fully protected in their rights and views, and as lie did not wish to interfere with Protestants in tlie fullest exercise of iheir rights and views." — Correipondence on the School Laic in XH^, printed by order of the Le^ilatire Juemblii, page 53. ; "The provision of tlie lOth Section, as far as it relates to separate Proteetant and Roman Catholic schools, is substantially in connection with my recent lettert to your Lordfhip, show, that no change hat taken place in my inteiprutation, viewa, or administration of the law ; but that the courie now pursued by your iiordship has arisen from the adoption, on your part, of a new policy, and the avowal of new sentiments and objects. (Signed) E. R. the (,inie as ihat cuiitJilnid In the Mill and SOlh M-ctlousof (h« School Act of 1-13 and in Uic U'Jnd and X)rd N-cilons of Ibo School Act of 1-W, with ihe exception that the prcMMil Act Impo- ses more tfTecilve restriciions and conditions in the establish- ment of such schooli than eliiwr of tho former Act« rcfrrreil to. L'nder the city and town scIkjoI .^c|of 1^17, the cstabllalimenlof separate hcIuh^Is in cities and towns was at Uic discretion ol the .Munici)ialitie», and not at that of the applicant parties. No complaint having liern made against this provlslcju of the law, even In ciiie* and towns, it was at rlrst pro[>oscd to extend the application of the same principle ami provision to Township Municipalities ; but obji>ctlons having be<.>n made to It by tome (Ixitli Protestant and Runiaii Catholic) .Members of Ute Legisla- ture.tlie provision of tho former school act was re-enacted— requi- ring ho we\ er,the petition of tw el ve heads of famlllcs,inslead of teti lidiabiiaiils, as a condition of establishing n separate srhnoliaml aiding it u|)on the priiK-iple of aN.-rage allendance. Instead of at the discretion of the I.ocal Huperintendent, as under the fotmer Acts. Hut notw lihsiaiiding the existence of this provision of tlic law since I- n, there were lar't >e.ar but .11 separate sctiootiln all I'piM'r C.inada— nearly an a* many of ihcin tioing Protestant as Rom.'in Calhulic ; bo that this provision of the law is seldom acted u|ion, except In extreme cas^s, ami is of little conse-quenee for good or for evil— the law iiroviding etrectu:il protection ogainst Intcrlerence with Uie relisious opinions and wishes of parents and guardians of all classes, and there belns no proba- bility that separate Bcbo cuinMlih. i"t« refrrreil to. InMlaliiiienlof MTeiiuli III the pnrile*. No III of the law, to eiienil tlie tu Tuwnthlp to It liy lome if Uio lA-glila- lac It'll— rcqul- .Inatrnilorteti Ic arhnoltond , liinK'ncI of ni I Iff ila- former •oviiilon of tlM- no icliooli In r.g I'roti'dtnnt nw is MJiloni ' PoniK^iuence •il protection llil WlHllCi of ("If no proba- iH in time to ) bo obterved, 1 certain por- . 'J"hf Kchool k« procured, "51. Nor are leiiipteU from Icliool purpo- :iK»e» and de- ■r I'roieHtantii yjiiiil protec- "■i«li to have they shouUl holecoiiiinu- Supfrinltud' mitt, 1H30. ry remark on luier certain Oman Catho- iip Councils, J shown that I upwards of ?nt Common he besinnlng ve or invld- Bchool (livi- . prohibiting JUS exercise, ir eunrdlang rliools (only~ f them Pro- em is rarely nd occasioD school divl- Jifferent re- rate school, ik profier to ••ent liie e«- 'hiej Super- tted 1th Oc- A P P E x\ D I X . •ft No. 1. PROnSflOM'Sof the School Jet, Uth and llth Victoria, Chapter 48, relatiitfr to Ueligioun Iii- $truction and Separate Schools. An Ait for tho Dottor Rdtabliohmont and Main- teiiaiioo of Common Schools in Upper Caimda. a. Religious Instruction. XIV. And it bo enacted, That no foreign bookd in tho English branches of education shall be u.sed in any Model or Common School, without tho expreas permission of tho Council of Public Instruction ; nor ehall any pu|)il, in any such School, bo required to read or study in or from any religious book, or join in any exorcise of 'devotion or religion, which shall bo objected to by his or her parents or guardians : Provided always, that, within this limitation, pupils shall bo allowed to receive such religious instruction as their parents and guardians shall desire, ac- cording to tho general regulations which shall be provided according to law- b. Srparatb Schools. XIX. And it bo enacted. That it shall be tho duty of tho Municipal Council of any Township, and of the Board of School Trustees of any City, Town, or incorporated Village, on the application in writing of twelve or more resident heads of families, to authorize the establLshment ol one or more separate schools for Protestants, Roman Catholics, or coloured pconlo, and, in such case, it shall prescribe tho limits of tho divisions or sections for such schools, and shall make the sumo provision for tho holding of the first meeting for the election of Trustees of each separate school or schools, as is p"ovided in tho fourth section of this Act for holding tho first school meeting in a new school sretiuii : Provided always, that each such separate school shall go intoo|)pratioii at tliosamo time with alterntioiis in school sections, and shall bo under the suino regulations in respect to tho persons for whom such school is permitted to bo establi.ihed, as are Common School.^ generally : Provided secondly, that none but coloured poop'o shall bo allowed to Vuto for the election of Trus- tees of the separate school for their children, and none but tho parties petitioning for tho establish- ment of, or sending children to, a separate Protest- ant or Roman Catholic school, shuU vote at tho oloetion of Trustees of such school : Provided thirdly, thnt each such separate Protestant, or Roman Catiiolic, or coloured school shall b<; en- titled to share in tho school fund according to the averniro attendance of pupils attending each such separate school, (the moan attendance for both summer and winter being taken,) as compared with the whole average attendanoo of pupils at- tending tho Common Schools in such City, Town, Village, or Township : Provided fourthly, that no Protestant separate school shall bo allowed in any school division except whore tho Teacher of the Common School is a Roman Catholic, nor shall any Roman Catholic sepiirato school be al- lowed except where tho Teacher of tho Common School is a Pri>testant. Provided fifthly, that the Trustees of tho Common School sections within tho limits of which such separate school section or sections shall have been formed, shall not include tho children attending such separate school or schools, in their return of children of school age residing in their school sections. 24 No. 2. DECLARATORY SCHOOL ACT, Uth and 15th Victoria, Chapter Ul, relating to Sepa- rate Schools in Cities and Towns. An Act to dofino and restore certain Rights to* parties therein tueutionod. Whcroas it is cxpodiont to remove doubts whicli have arisen in regard to certain provisions of the ninotoonth section of an Act passed in the thirteenth and fourtoenih year of Her Majesty's Roign, and ontilled An Act for the better Estab- lishment and Mainlen'tncc of Common Schools in Upper Canada ; and whereas it is inexpedient to deprive any of the parties concornod of rights whicli they hove enjoyed under preceding School Acts for Upper Canada : B ; it therefore enacted by the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty, by and w'th the advice and consent of the Legislativo Council and Legislative Assembly of the Prcvhico of Canada, constituted and assembled by virtue of and under the authority of an Act passed in tho Parliament of the United Kingdom of Groat Britain and Ireland, and intituled An Act to re- unite the Provinces of Upper and Lower Canada, and for the Government of Canada, and it is hereby enacted by the authority of the same, That each of tho parties applying according to tho provisions of the said nineteenth section of said Act, shall be entitled to have a separate school in each ward, or in two or more wards united, as said party or parties shall judge ex- pedient, in each City or Town in Upper Canada : Provided always, that oaoh such school shall bo - subject to all tho obligations and entitled to all tho advantages imposed and conferred upon sepa- rate schools by tho said ninoteonlh section of said Act. No. 3. REGULATION'S of the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada, as to the Con- stitution andGovcrnmciU of Schools with fesjject to Religious and Moral Instruction. ^ As Christianity is the basis of our whole system of elementary education, that principle should pervado it throughout. Where it cannot be car- ried out in mixed schools to tho satisfaction of both Roman Catholics and Protcatants, tho law pro- vides for tho establi.shmont of separate schools. And the Common School Act, fourteenth section, securing individual rights as well as recognizing Christianity, provides, " that in any Model or Common Schorl established under this Act, no child shall be retiUired to read or study in or from any religious book, or to join in an exercise of devotion or religion, which shall be omjeoted to by hU or her parents or guardians : Provided always, tliat within this limitation, pupils shall bo allowed to receive such religious instruction as their parents or guardians shall desire, according to tho general regulations which slmll be provided according to law." In tlie section of this Act thus quoted, tho prin- ciple of religious instruction in tho schools is re- cognized, the restriction within which it is to be given is stated, and tho exclusive right of each parent and guardian on the subject is secured, without any interposition from Trustees, Supor- intondonts, or t!ie Government itself. Tho Common School being a day, and not a boarding school, rules arising from domestic re- lations and duties are not required ; and as llie pupils are under tho care of thoir parents and guardians on Sabbaths, no regulations are called for in respect to their attendance at public worship. In regard to tho nature and extent of the doily religious exercises of the school, and tho special religious instruction given to pupils, the Council OF Public Instruction fou Upper CxNiiDA makes the following regulations and reccmmen- dations : — 1. The public religious exercises of each school shall bo a matter of mutual voluntary arrangement between tho Trustees and Teacher ; and it shall be a matter of mutual voluntary arrangement between the Teacher and the parent or guardian of each pupil, as to whether he shall hoar such pupil recite from tho Scriptures, or Catachism, or other summury of religious doctrine and duty of the persuasion of such parent or guardian. Suoh recitations, however, are not to interfere with the regular exercises of the school. 2. But tho principles of religion and morality should be inculcated upon all tho pupils of the school. What tho Commissioners of National Education in Ireland state as existing in schools under their charge, should characterize the in- struction given in each school in Upper Canada. The (/ommissioners state, that, "in the National Schools the importance of reI:"gion is constantly impressed upon the minds of children, through the works calculated to promote good principles and fill tho heart with love for religion, but which are so compiled as not to clash with the doctrines of any particular class of Christians." In each school the Teacher should exert his best ent^oav- ou"s, both by example and precept, to impress upon ttiC minds of all cliildren and youth com- mitted to his care and instruction, the principles of piety, justice, and a sacred regard to truth, love to their country, humanity, and universal benevolence, sobriety, industry, frugality, chastity, moderation, and temperance, and those other vir- tues which are the ornament of society, and on 25 which a freo constitution of governtnont is founJod ; and it is the duty of oaoii teacher to endocvour to load hia pupils, as thoir ajjos and capaoilios will admit, into a clear understanding of the tendency of tlie above-mentioned virtues, in order to preserve and perfect the blessings of law and libeuy, as well os to promote their future happiness, and also to point out to them the evil tendency of the opposite vices. No. 4. REGULATIONS of the Commissioners of JVational Education in Ireland, as to the Gov- ernment of Schools u'ilh respect to Attendance and Religious Instruction. 1. The ordinary school business, during which all children, of whatever denomination thoy may be, are required to attend, is to embrace a spec' fied number of hours each day. 2. Opportunities are to be afforded to the children of each school for receiving such religious instruction as their parents or guardians ap- prove of. 3. The patrons of the several schools have the right of appointing such religious instruction as they may t.hink proper to bo given therein : provided that each school be open to children of all communions ; that due regard be had to parental right and authority ; that, accordingly, no child be compelled to receive, or be present at, any religious instruction to which his parents or guardians object ; and that the time for giving it be BO fixed, that no child shall be thereby, in oflect, excluded, directly or 'ndirectly, from the other advantages which the school affords. Sub- ject to this, religious instruction may be given, either during the fixed school hours or otherwise. 4. In schools, towards the building of which the Commissioners have contributed, and which are, therefore, voHted in trustees for the purpose of national education, or, which are vested in the Commissioners in their corporate capacity, such pastors or other persons as shall bo approved of by the parents or guardians of tho children respectively, shall havo access to them in the school-room, for the purpose of giving them religious instruction theroj at convenient times to be appointed for that purpose, whether those pastors or persons shall have signed the original ai /lioation or otherwise. 6. In schools not vesisd, but which receive aid only by way of salary and books, it is for the Patrons to determine whether religious instruction shall bo given in the school-room or not ; but if they do not allow it in the scl..jo]-room, the chil- dren whose parents or guardians so desire, must be allowed to absent themselves from the school, at reasonable times, for the purpose of receiving such instruction elsewhere. 6. The reading of the Scriptures, either in the Protestant Authorized or Douay Version, ns well as the teaching of Catechisms, comes within tho rule as to religious instruction. 7. The rule as to religious instruct ion applies to public prayer and to all other religious cxc.-cisos. 8. The Commissioners do not insist on tho Scripture lessons being road in any of the National Schools, nor do thoy allow them to bo read during the time of secular or literary in- struction, in any school ottonded by children whose parents or guardians object to their being so road. In such case, the Commissioners pro- hibit the use of them, except at tho times ■ : religious instruction, when tho persons giving it may use those lessons, or not, as they think proper. 9. Whatever arrangement is mndo in any school for giving religious instruction, must bo puhlicly notified in the school-room, in order that those children, and those only, may be present whose parents or guardians allow them. to. If any other books than the Holy Scrip- tures, or tho standard books of the Church to which the children using them belong, are em- ployed in communicating religious instruction, tho title of each is to be made known to the Commissioners. 11. Tho use of the books pubhohod by tho Commissioners is not compulsory ; but the titles of all other books which the conductors of schools intend for the ordinary school bu^in'jsF, are to bo reported to the Commissioners ; and none are to be used to which they object ; but they prohibit such only as may appear to them to contain matter objectionable in itself, or objectionable for common instruction, as peculiarly belonging to some particular religious denomination. 12. A Registry is to be kept in each school of tho daily attendance of tho scholars, and tho average attendance, according to tho form fur- nished by the Commissioners. JVoteby the Chief Superintendent of Schools for Upper Canada — No grants aro made by Govern ment in Upper Canada, as in Ireland, towards tho erection of school-houses. Such houses, among us, aro erected by the people themseh'cs in each muni- cipality. Over such houses, therefore, tho Govern- ment has no control. The elected Trustees of schools in Canada, sustain the same relation to our Common Schools that tho local " Patrons" sustain to the National Schools in Ireland. The sole diffe- rence, therefore between the National Schools in Ireland and in lippor Canada, in respect to religi- ous instruction, is, that with us, the Trustees or 20 Patrons of the school are periodically elected by ♦he frooholdorf ^ i householders at Inrgo, — which is not the ease in Ireland It is, therefore, in- consistent and absurd to profess approval of the National School system in Ireland, in -egard to its regulations respecting religious instruction, and oppose the National School system of Upper Canada. No. 6. QUESTION of Religious Inatmetion, in con- nection with the System of Public Instruction in Upper Canada. [From the Anmml Rciwrtof the Clilef Superintendent of Schools for 18S1.] The quodtion of religious instruction has been a topic of voluminous and earnest discussion among statesmen and educationists in both Europe and America — has agitated more than one country on the continent of Europe — has hitherto deprived England of a national system of education, per- mitting to it nothing but a series of petty expedi- ents in varying forms of government grants to certain religious denominations, while the groat mass of the labouring population is unreached by a ray of inieilectual light, and is '* perishing for lack of knowledge" amidst the din of sectarian war about " religious education," and under the very shadows of the cathedr&l and the chapel. If I have not made this question a prominent topic of remark in my annual reports, it is not because I have undervalued or overlooked its importance. In my first and preliminary report on a system of Public Elementary Instruction for Upper Canada, I devoted thirty pages to the dis- cussion of this subject (pp. 22-52,) and adduced the experience and practice of most educating countries in Europe and America respecting it. In preparing the draf. of the school law, I sought to place it where it had been placed by the au- thority of Government, and by the consent of all parties, in Ireland — as a matter of regulation by a National Board, and with the guards which all have considered essential. Those regulations have boon prepared and duly sanctioned, and placed in the huads of all school authorities ; nor have 1 failed from time to time to press their importance upon r \ parties concerned. It is however, worthy of remark, that in no instances have those parties who have thought proper to assail the school system, and myself personally, on the question of religious instruction, quoted a line from what I have professedly written on the subject, or from the Regulations, which I have recommended, while such parties have more than once pretended to give my views by quoting pas- eages which were not at all written in reference to this question, and whioh contained no exposi> tion of my views on it. As some prominence has been given to this question during the year by individual writers, and some vague statements and notions put forth, I will offer a few remarks on it in concluding this report. 1. My first remark is, that the system of Com- mon School instruction should, like the legislature whioh has established, and the government that administers, it, be non-sectarian and national. It should be considered in a provincial, rather than in a denominational point of view — in reference to its bearing upon the condition and interests of the country at largo, and not upon those of par- ticular religious persuasions as distinct from public interests, or upon the interests of one religious persuasion more than those of another. And thus may bo observed the difference between a mere sectarian and a patriot — between one who con- siders the institutions and legislation and govern- ment of his country in a sectarian spirit, and another who regards them i- i patriotic spirit. The one places his sect above his country, and supports or opposes every public law or measure of government, just as it may or may not promote the interest of his own sect, irrespective of the public interests, and in rivalship with those of other sects ; the other views the well-being of his country as the great end to be proposed and pursued, and the sects as among the instrumen- talities tributary to that end. Some indeed have gone to the extreme of viewing all religious per- suasions as evils to be dreaded, and as far as possiole proscribed; but an enlightened and pa- triotic spirit rather views them as holding and propagating in common tl u great principles of virtue and morality, which form the basis of the safety and happiness of society ; and therefore as distinct agencies more or less promotive of its interests — their very rivalships tending to stimu- late greater activity, and therefore, as a whole, more beneficial than injurious. I think a national system of public instruction should be in harmony with this national spirit. 2. I remark again, that a system of public instruction should be in harmony with the views and feelings of the great body of the people, especially of the better educated classes. I be- lieve the number of persons in Upper Canada who would theoretically or practically exclude Christianity in all its forms as an essential ele- ment in the education of the country, is exceed- ingly small, and that more than nine-tenths of the people regard religious instruction as an essential and vital part of the education of their offspring. On this, as well as on higher grounds. 87 I lay it down as a fundamental principle, that religious instruction must form a part of the education of the youth of our country, and that that religious instruction must bo given by the eeveral religious persuasions to their youth ro- epectively. There would be no Christianity among us wore it not for the religious persuasions, since they, collectively, constitute the Christianity of the country, and, separately, the several agencies by which Christian doctrines and wor- ship and morals are maintained and difiused throughout the length and breadth of the land. If in the much that certain writers have said about and against " sectarian teachiner," and against "sectarian bias" in the education of youth, it is meant to proscribe or ignore the religious teaching of youth by sects or religious persuasions; then is it the theory, if not the design of such writers, to preclude religious truth altogether from the minds of the youth of the land, and thus prepare the way for raising up a nation of infidels ! But if on the other hand, it be insisted, as it nas been by some, that as each religious persuasion is the proper religious instructor of its own youth, therefore each religious persuasion should have its own elementary schools, and thus denomina- tional common schools should supersede our present public common schools, and the school fund be appropriated to the denominations instead of to the municipalities ; I remark that this theory is equally fallacious witli the former, and fraught with consequences no less fatal to the interests of universal education than is the former theory of the interests of all Christianity. The history of modern Europe is general, and of England in par- ticular, teaches us that when the elementary schools wore in the hands of the church, and the State performed no other office in regard to schools than that of tax-assessor and tax-gatherer to the church, tho mass of the people w^ere deplo- rably ignorant, and, therefore, deplorably enslaved. In Upper Canada, the establishment and support of denominational schools to meet the circumsten- oes of each religious persuasion would not only cost the people more than five-fold what they have now to pay for school purposes, but would leave the youth of minor religious persuasions, and a large portion of the poorer youth of the country, without any means of education upon terms within tho pecuniary resources of their parents, unless as paupers, or at the expense of their religious faith. 3. But the establishment of denominational Common Schools for the purpose of denominational religious instruction itself is inexpedient. The Common Schools are not boarding, but day schools. The children attending theui reside with their own parents, and are within tho charge of their own pastors ; and therefore tho oversight and duties of the parents and pastors of children attending the Common Schools are not in tho least suspended or interfered with. Tho children attending such schools can bo with tho Teacher only from 9 o'clock in the morning until 4 o'clock in the afternoon of five or six days n. tho wook; while during the morning and night of each week- day, and tho whole of Sunday, they arc with their parents or pastors : and the mornings, and evenings, and Sabbath of each week, are tho very portions of time which convenience, usage, and ecclesiastical laws, prescribe for religious studies and instruction — portions of time du- ring which pupils are not and cannot bo with the Teacher, but are and must be under tho over- sight of their parents or pastors. And tho con- stitution or order of discipline of each roligioua persuasion enjoins upon its pastors and members to teach the summary of religious faith and prac- tice required to be taught to tho children of the members of each such j orsuasion. I might here adduce what is enj iiied on this subject by tho Roman Catholic, and tho several Protestant Churches ; but as an example of what is required, in some form or other, by tho laws or rules of every religious persuasion, I will quote tho 59th canon of the Church of England, which is as follows : — " Every Parson, Vicar, or Curate, upon every Sunday and holiday, before evening prayer, shall, for half an hour or more, examine and instruct the youth and ignorant persons in his parish, in tho Ten Commandments, the Articles of the Belief, and tho Lord's Prayer, and shall dili<,'ently hear, instruct, and teach them the Catechism set forth in the Book of Common Prayer ; and all fathers, ; ts, masters, and mistresses, shall cause their children, servants, and apprentices, which have not learned the Catechism, to come to the church at the time appointed, obediently to hear, and to be ordered by tho Minister, until they have learned the same. And if any Minis- ter neglect his duty herein, let him be sharply reproved upon the first complaint, and true notice thereof given to the Bishop or ordinary of tho place. If, after submitting himself, he shall wil- lingly offend therein again, let him be suspended; if so the third time, there being little hope that he will be therein reformed, then excornmunioated, and so remain until he will be reformed. And, likewise, if any of the said fathers, mothers, masters, or mistresses, children, servants, or ap- prentices, shall neglect their duties, of tho one sort of not causing them to come, and tho other in refusing to learn, as aforesaid, let them bo BUHpendod by thoir ordinariop, (if thoy bo not children,) nnd if they so persist by the space of B month, then lot thom be oxconimunicatod." To loquiro, therefore, the Teacher in any com- mon day school to teach the catechism of any religions persuasion, is not only a work of siipo- rerogatioii, but a direct intorforonco with the disciplinary order of each religious persusasion ; and instead of providing by law for the extension of religious instruction and the promotion of Christian morality, it is providing by law for the neglect of pastoral and parental duty, by transfer- ring to the Common School Teacher the duties which thoir church enjoins upon them, and thus sanctioning immoralities in pastors and parents, which must, in a high degree, bo injurious to the interests of public murals, no loss than to the interests of children and of the Common Schools. Instead of providing by law denominational day schools for the teaching of denominational cate- chisms in school, it would seem more suitable to enforce by law the performance of the acknow- ledged disciplinary duties of pastors and members of religious persuasions by hv,- permitting their children to enter the public schools until thoir parents and pastors had taught thom the cate- chism ot' their own Church. The theory, there- fore, of denominational day schools is as inexpe- dient on religious grounds, as it is on the grounds of economy and educational extension. The demand to make the Teacher do the canonical work of the clergyman, is as impolitic as it is sol- fish. Economy, as well as patriotism, requires that the schools established for all should be open to all upon e(jual terms, and upon principles com- mon to all — leaving to each religious persuasion the performance of its own recognized and appro- propriato duties in teaching its own catechism to its own children. Surely it is not the province of government to usurp tho functions of the religious persuasions of tho country ; but it should recog- nize their existence, and therefore not provide for denominational teaching to the pupils in the day schools, any more than it should provide such pupils with daily food and raiment, or weekly preaching, or places of worship. As tho state recognizes tho existence of parents and the per- formance of parental duties by not providing chil- dren with what should be provided by their parents — namely, clothing and food — so should it recognize tho existence of the religious per- snasions and tho performance of their duties, by not providing for tho teaching in tho schools of that which each religious persuasion declares should be taught by its own ministers and tho parents of its children. 4. But, it may bo asked, ought not roligious instruction to be given in day schools, and ought not government to require this in every sohoonl I answer, what may or ought to bo done in regard to roligious instruction, and what the government ought to require, are two different things. Who doubts that public worship should bo attended and family duties performed 1 But does it thore- foro follow, that government is to compel atten- dance upon tho one, or tho porformanoo of tho other ? If our Government were a despotism, and if there wore no law or no liberty, civil or religious, but tho absolute will of tho Sovereign, then Government would, of course, compel such religious or other instruction as it ploasod, as is tho case under despotisms in Europe. But as our government is a constitutional and a popular government, it is to compel no farther in matters of religious instruction than it is itself tho ex- pression of tho mind of the country, and than it is organized by law to do. Therefore, in the "General Regulations on tho Constitution and Government of sohools respecting roligious In- struction," (quoted on a preceding page) it is made tho duty of every Teacher to inculcate those principles and duties of pioty and virtue which form tho basis of morality and order in a Btato, while parents and school Teachers and school managers aro left free to provide for and give such further religious instruction as they shall desire and deem expedient. If with us, ai in despotic countries, the people were nothing politically or civilly but slaves and machines, commanded and moved by the will of one man, and all the local school authorites were appointed by him, then the schools might bo tho religious teachers of his will ; but with us tho people in each municipality share as largely in tho man- agement of the schools as they do in making the school law itself. Thoy erect the school-houses; they employ tho Toaehora ; they provide tho greater part of the means for tho support of the schools ; they are tho parties immediately con- cerned — the parents and pastors of the children taught in tho sohools. Who then aro to be the judges of tho nature and extent of the reli- gious instruction to be given to the pupils in the schools — these parents and pastors, ov tho Exe- cutive Government, eounscHod and administered by means of heads of departments, who are changed from time to time at tho pleasure of the popular mind, and who aro not understood to bo invested with any religious authority over tho children of their constituents ? 5. Then if the question bo viewed as one of fact, instead of theory, what is the conclusion I f f? forced i In whic ostabli^l most en free, the Europe the fiict those d( were on the sea that wo of the ( when '1 regard manage Teachoi roligiou time 1 And if ol'religi sedly d( fomalo, found t than in portion is done the ritu ical ins other p( ligious schools, under tl Parish I bourg, I York, a Church convert houses, of Schc 6. I of yout and ad porsuaf obligati youth, purpose tional ( duty 01 diffei'ei and it! duties the Ch countr; the da; by tha And if i20 not religious s, and ought 'ory Bohool ? >no in regard govornmont ings. Who bo attonded loes it thore- nmpul atton- lanoo of tho a despotism, orly, civil or Sovereign, compel such )loa6od, as is pe. But as nd a popular )r in matters tsolf tho ox- ind than it is Pore, in tho titution and religious In- page) it is to inculcate y and virtue id order in a eaohors and vide for and ion as they ' with us, ah. 'ero nothing machines, Df one man, ire appointed ho religious le people in in the man- making the hool-houses; >rovide the )port of the iiately oon- the children are to be of the reli- •upils in the oi- tho Exe- dininistered who are asure of the rstood to be ty over tho id as one of conclusion forced upon us ? Arc those countries in Eiirnpo in which donominational day schools alone are oBtabli.hod and permlUod by government, the moht enlightonod, tho most virtuoup, the most free, tho moat prosperous, of all tho countries of Europe or America ? Nay, the very reverse is the fuot. And it wore not ditricuU to show that those denominational schools in England, which were endowed in former ages, have often boon the seats of oppressions, vices, and practices, that would not be tolerated in the most imperfect of the Common Schools of Upper Canada. And when our Common Schools wore formerly, in regard to government control, chiefly under the management of one denomination, wore the Teachers and schools more elevated in their religious and moral character, than at tho present time 1 I:s not tho reverse notoriously tho case ? And if enquiry be made into the actual amount of religious instruction given in what are profes- sedly denominational schools, whether male and female, (and I have made tho enquiry,) it will bo found to consist of prayers not more frequently than in the Common Schools, and of reciting a portion of catechism each week — a thing which is done in many of the Common Schools, although the ritual of each denomination requires catechet- ical instruction to be given elsewhere and by other parties. So obviously unnecessary on re- ligious grounds are soparato denominational schools, that two school- houses which were built under the auspices of the Church of England for Parish Schools of that Church— tho one at Co- bourg, by the congregation of tho Archdeacon of York, and the other in connection with Trinity Church, Toronto East— have, after fair trial, been converted for the time being into common school- houses, under the direction of the Public Boards of School Trustees in Cobourg and Toronto. 6. I am persuaded that the religious interests of youth will be much more effectually cared for and advanced, by insisting that each religious persuasion shall fulfill its acknowledged rules and obligations for the religious instruction of its own youth, than by any attempt to convert for that purpose the common day schools into denomina- tional ones, and thus legislate for the neglect of duty on tho part of pastors and parents of the different persuasions. The common day school and its Teacher ought not to be burdened with duties which belong to the pastor, the parent, a,id the Church. The education of the youth '-: the country ccnsista not merely of what is taught in the day school, but also of what is taught at home by the parents, and in the church by the pastor. And if the religious part of the education of youth is, in any instances, nonflcrteJ or defective, the blame rests with the [mstors and parents cnti- cernod, who, by such neglect, have violated their own religious canons or rules, as well as tiie ex- press commands of *,ho Holy Scriptures. Fn all such cases, pastors and parents are ilie renpoiisi- blc, IIS well as guilty, parties, laid not the 'I'liielier of the Common Hchool, nor tho Common Seliool system. 7. But in respect to colleges and other high seminaries of learning, tho case is dillereiit. Such institutions cannot bo established within an hour's walk of every man's door. Youtii, in order to attend them, must as a general rui>j, leave their homes and bo taken from daily over- sight and iubtruf^ ns of their parents and pastors. During this period of their oilucatiou, the duties of parental and pastoral earo and instruction must be suspended, or provision nvist be made for it in connection with such institutions. Youth attend- ing colleges and colleginto seminaries are at an age when they are most exposed to temptation- must need the best coun^'els in religion and morals — arc pursuing studies which most involve tho principles of human action, and tho duties and relations of common lifo. At such a period, and under such circumstances, youth need tho exer- cise of all that is tender and vigilant in parental afiection, and all that is instructive and wise in pastoral oversight ; yet they aro far removed from both their pastor and parent. Hence, what is supplied by tho parent and pastor at home, ought, as far as possible, to bo provided in con- nection with each college abroad. And, there- fore, the same reason that condemns the establish- ment of public denominational day schools, justifies tho establishment of denominationsl colleges, in connection with which the duties of tho parent and pastor can be best discharged. Public aid is given to denominational colleges, not for denominational purposes, (whicii ia the special object of denominational day schools,) but for the advancement of science and litoraturb alone, because such colleges aro tho most econom- ical, efficient, and available agencies for teaching the higher branches of education in the country : tho aid being given, not to theological seminaries, nor for the support of theological professors, but exclusively towards the support of teachers of science and literature. Nor is such aid given to a denominational college until after a largo outlay has been made by its projectors in tho procuring of premises, erecting or procuiir p.nd furnishing buildings, and tho employment of pro- fessors and teachers — evincive of the intelligence, disposition, and enterprise of a large section of 80 the cotninunity to cstabliah iin.i sustain such an institution. It is not, however, my Iniontion to iliseiiss the question ofrccognizin=, parcipie I'&ino ot lo ciel uvant ton!, jiaicciuo le jnod, la main ot I'uiil, occnsioiis Je poclii-, doivont 6tre sncrifitvs au salut; ])arcqu' onHn J, Christ n'a confie la mission do rensoignniont qui a civilise lo monde, qu'aux Apotres ot ii hnirs suc- cessoui-H, juecju' u la consunniintion dis tonips. Cost lour droit si sacr6 ct si inalionablo quo tout gouvornnient chretion, sago et ])at('inol, nc fait de loii sur I'onseignment qu'on paifaito har- monic avec I'eglise enscignanto, los cvoqiios unis k l«?ur chef universel ot sujireire; ot co droit est si inviolable, qu'on cos derniers tomps, ooinnio toujours, en France, en Bolgi(|ue, on Prusso, on Autriche comme en Irlande, los evoijuos avoc le Papo ont tout fait pour ronvoisor ou modifiortout systeme scholaire ou universitaire, en opposition avec la mission donnee par J. Christ a sou sacru college. " Euntes ergo, docetc omnos gentes, pnedicate omni croaturie, (St. Marc,) docentes eos servare omnia quaccumque mandani vobis, ct ecce ego vobiscum sum usque ad consummationem soculi. (St. Matt.) Qui crediderit, salvus erit, qui vero non crediderit condemnabitur." (St. Maro). J'ai I'honneur d'etre, Monsieur le Surintondant, Votre humble et obeisst. servr,, (Signe,) f ARM'D. FR. M., Ev. de Toronto. Au Rev. Egerton Ryerson, D.T., Surintondant en chef des ocoles, Toronto. C C) N T E N T S . Nn. II. Ill IV VI, VII VIII, IX X, XI XII connr,9i'oNi)KNCE. Date. Pass. I.pttcr froii! thi- Hoiii.iii Cilhulir Itl-liop, of Toronto lo llic L'liii-r .Su|i(!ririt('ii(li'iil of t'clirjuls, soliciting ntietl- tiiiii to the ciuu of tlio Kotimu (.'niliulic rtr|i!irnio Sriiool in Clmthiiiii ; nml ^'iiMi|iliiiiilnK ^uin'riilly of tin; IKV,2. pruv.ilijiicc of a H|piril, whirh ts nollilnnnliort of ii more or Ichh ilinKiiim'il (icrHirutioi 'JOtli Feb.,.. .. !! I.fitpr Iruiii tliB Uoinnii Cilliolic llLjIiop of 'I'uroiilo lo tho Clilcf Hii|)crliitoiiil('iil of Hchoojs, on iliu cnsu of tlio ••icpantf Hciiool in (;ii.illi,iiii : rociipluiiiiiiu timt the Nf;;ed in his former letters; quoting the Canons of the Roman Catliolic I'rovincial (,'ouiicils of Ualtimorc; and the teslimony of Archbishop Murrny, in reference to schools in Ireland : stating that if tb" schools were exclusively lor secular instruction, he might tolerate Ihcni, otherwise Roman Catholics arc forbidden to send ilicir children to them on pain of the refusal of the sacraments ; and asserting that the Tope and Uisliops of the Roman Catholic Church are the only persons authorized by God himself to direct the Education of youth, and that they have done and will do nil in tlieir power to overthrow or modify every sys- tem not in liarniony with tlie mission of the teaching church. [FrcncA original in Appendii, No. 7, page 30], Ist May,. .. . 13 Letter from the Chief Supcrinlendent of Schools to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, showing that the sanii- scniimimlH and avowals are advanced in the foregoing as in Ibrnier letters ; that the same sybleni .^a regards regulations and books, which Archbishop Murray supported in Ireland, is established in Upper (Canada, and was so recognized by the late Bisliop Tower : that the canons of the Roman Catholic Trovincinl Councils of Hailimoro arc of no more value than those of other religious bodies ; thnt on the basis of property, Roman Catholics are most benefitted by the mixed schools ; advocating the righis of Roman Catliolic clUldren to obtain nn education in our Tublic Schools ; and noticing the assertion of the claim for supremacy by the Roman Cathoix Church in the direction of systems of public instruction, I2th May... . 19 Note from tlie Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Cliief Superintendent of Schools, acknowledging tlie forenoing letter as the conclusion of tiie correspondence with the Head of the Educational Department, . . .22nd May,. .. 11) Leiier from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Chairman of the Council of Public Instruction, cliarging the Chief Superintendent of Schools with having employed jiersonalitles and insinuations in the foregoing correspondence .20th May,. .. Ifl Letter from the Chief Superintendent of Schools to tlie Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto, defending himself from the personal imputations in the foregoing ; defining his position and duties as Head of the Educational i)e|),nrtnK!nt and ineniber of the Council of Public Instruction ; and recapitulating tlie nrgunicnts and demands contained in the foregoing correspondence ,° ^h May 80 Vo. 1. No. O No. o rj. No. I. No. 5. No. 6. No. 7. APPENDIX. Provisions of the School Act, t3th and 14th Victoria, chapter 48, relating to Religious Instruction and separate Schools,.. S3 Declaratory Sciiool Act, Mth and 13th Victoria, ch. Ill, relating to Separate Schools in Cities and Towns, 24 Regulations of the Council of Public Instruction for Upper Canada as to the Constitution and Government of Schools, with respect to Keiigious and Moral Instruction 21 Regulations of the Commissioners of National Education in Ireland as to the Government of Schools wlUi respect to attendance and Religious Instruction— with note, by the Chief Suixjrintendent of Schools 25 auestion of Religious InstrucUon in connection wiih the system of Public InsixucUon in Upper Cannda-from the Annual Reixirt of the Chief Superintendent of Schools for 1851, . 7/. . . . . . 26 Fortietli Section of the School Act, 13th and 14th Victoria, chapter 48, defining the " Common School Fund," 30 'iSFl-h H^pL'T"'" the Roman Catholic Bishop of Toronto to the Chief Superintendent of Schools, in the original f reach. (For traiutattoit ««e LitUrFltl, page t3), ,, ,, gg Date. Pasb. m'i. Jllth Feb ri th Mar., 3 3th Mar...... 4 24th Mar 5 tIthApril,. ...0 Ith April,. ... 13 10th April,... 13 Ist May,. ... 13 12t)iMay,...19 22nd May,. .. U 20th May,... 19 ilp May SO e Schools,.. 23 24 :hoolg, with 21 I respect to 25 the Annual 26 " 30 the original 30 KUKOKS AM) OMISSIONS IN TIIK LK(MSI,ATIVK AHHI'.MUI.VS IIIMTION in I II I Coirespomlonce between the Roman Catliolic Bishop of Toronto and ttiu Chief Superintendent of Bohools. rullUECTKH IN nil'. I'HICHKM ICIiillov. '! '/'() the I'Miliir I'f llii Minor i'oCO.MlP, Jllli. •Jillli. (...lit. Oi.Mi SiK, — III my ('iirri>|mii(|i III ■• wiili Dr. Ilyi'i -11(1, will I'll 111' liirNMinli'ii in (^irliri', lo In' pi 1 11 1 I'll liy iiiilcr ol till' i.i':;i^l:ii i\<' Acm'iiiI'I). -lomi- niiiisKion.' mill II ixi'ioi'^ iiDsli'iiiii-hiiKiii liiivi- iiKt iiiily iiiktii [iliii'i , 1)111 II lllii.-'l IHMISi'll^ii'liI |illlirlUlUiiill rjinriirtiri/i'- llli' cut lie ol my li'iii ri. IhI. Mv tlrsi IctU'i to lilt! Ilfvfri'iiii SiiiMTinii'iiilini, miiiiiid ifu' romiilniiiih ol ililltri'iii loi "iliiicf. i'iImiivc lotlic Si'iiool Mysli'lii. Iiiib lici'ii oniiui'il iii llir (nililislifil Corri'HpoiKkiH'i . •.'ml. 'I'lir I, mill It'Ms <>r till' ( 'iiiiiicils III liiiliimort', mill ilic oMrnci iroiii ihf Ihu' Ah'IiIii-iIiiiii Miiniiv's ( 'iirn'r-poiiilcii I-. iiri- nifD oniiiU'il. :(rii. Ill my Kreiii'li IfiuT I iiiii iiii.-.i'i'|ir<'.'-f'iiii'il, liv hiiviiiir liii- liiiliiw iiit; phiiisf — " im fi/sliinr ilijriif ili; cr li/,4 iiilisnii: .Imiiiiiiiii ini ('iiiiinliiii laiil ririili ihiiis It niiriiilr," — Uiiiisiaii'ii — " II wys'i'iii wmiliy nl Aiiii'rii-iiii or < 'fiimiliaii I iSfraii.-iii ») uiiii'li Wiinlfil in tlic wiirlil." Nil" , iililioin'li I mil 111' a liiiiji! Mimli^li v.rin'r, yi'i I ridi .' roiri spoi.oi'M'i- bfiwi'fii iiiiii...i'l|'an.'l iMi'. I'lillrii ioi, and priiiti>il l the licjiool «y;-',ii!]." I answor, that lin'i't' is ;m, "lid ncvi'v lias lircn. in tli',' roeords ol" ''lis j);.- p.irtiiirn , -..u o;;' ''i:l liiri'. Ill' any kind. ;Vojii ihi- Roman ('mholir- l.isho|i ol Toioiiio to m ' 'soi I— I'o reived nil I'l \',u- dull- of tlif tii'.'isiaif-sion of tl.r con'i-sjioi'.- ili'ici' to Oi:pIi'i- — v.h'i'i; M'dl i.i.t ]<> foiivn; n tl:i- prini'vi ni:!':-:,^, ,:i;u'i.- ir '. rr' ! in; i: '.I I ihlid! tin- Ui?hrp is, ii,^!(iin:";.s, |i.-.-;:id t>> la^ the l.jiitT io v I icli in-' tvtir-ri-. lipfo.'p liippubia', llin [.V.-^ well iisih" pnMu-, ni!i\' liiioiv the kiiidoi oiiii.s.-io.i of \',hic'i: In: cunijiinii'..-. !. Till.' Biiilav.' foiiiplniiis tIrU ;iic "i.alln ti»:..;.- o.' the Coimcils of iialtlinoro, aii'i the c.vtriici frniu tlir lull' Arcliliisliop Murray''* rorrc-pondoncf-. arr a',-o omitlod." Hill ill'. Bi.clinp will Inn'lv ■. uiilnn- :r);-av that thosp irxis arr not I'liirlv tianslalcil. Tlmi li.r Latin iinoiations rtliTri'd to have not. lid n primi' ! in I ri <|uiii d i'v ill! i.iuislntivi .\HHtiiibly, I torwanled a copy (cnii'liilly iiiiiisriil.il) of llir llisliop's I'ri'iuli it'itcr, iiii liuliiiL'' till' I. mill ti'Ms 111 ipH'siioii; mill appi'iidi'il a ii'iiiislmioii ol ihriii, as miiy lie sri'ii liy ri |i iriihi 10 liir prini'd Srln dnlt' pirlisi'd to ihr I'or- rrspondtncr. \\ hy lli.isf who wiiiii'riiiicinl tlir pnnliii!' fur lIll' l.r^'l .IdllM' As."i'llllil>, liavr linl prilltt'll ill' iiriLina! Ii'.\t oi tin- leltrr ri'lrrn d 'to, as wril lis tin 'riiiishllioil, i know liol, I'.Xcrpt it hr that tlli' riili.s nl till' lli.lisi,' of AsMiiildv (io i.ot ptTlllit lit'iii. lati\i' (liii'iiiiii'iiis to III' pi lined III liny hiii tlie I'.nulisli niul freneli lanttliai'es. Uiii, in vii w ol lliese fiiets. tin iiiii'iiipt 10 impii;in iiiv lan'iiefs on lliis jiniiil, will iioi III Hill I'csslnl. I may a'so ohservr, tliiil in the KrciU'l! edition of tliiti corri'-'poiidi'ni'e, the original I'Vem li ot the Ili.-lioii's hiiir IS i.'iveii aeeiuati'ly Iroiii the eopv wliii'h I liiid liirnishi"! ; and the i'Vein h tniiisliilor'^ reiiiliiiii'.' ol ihe i.aiiti te.M.v into I'reneh, entiieh, ii'rrei'v with my triiiislatioii of tlietii iiiio Unulisli. Siiiei olisi r\ niu ill voiii papvr oi' lo-tiiiy, this impiitution nt the Bishop, ( h.ive aseenr.ined llial the la.^t sheet n| ,i raiiiphli'l liditiiiii ol llie eiirrespoiiiieiiee ln'tweeii lii> lor.islrp and mysill. (whieh an iiidisiihial is iiriutiii'.] il! iliis lily,) liiii el lo lie printed ; and I have fiir- lli^llell a copy V\' tile orii^inal leller, ilH Itldill!' the I.atiii t.'\u III N\ hii h ilie l'.i-.ho|i refers, to lie pririleil will saiil correspiindenee. The 'iieriiry pillilie will, there- fore, have the menus of jndfii"-' what ^'iiiiind of eoin- iilaint iheie is, on aecniiiii of the ollieets ol ilie Li>'is- liiiive Assembly hiiviii^' prii.ied the iransliilion ef lie' i.alin lexis ill iineslin!!. insli'iid li( the nrii-'llial to.Vi- llieiliselves :;. As I') ill.' iiaii.--laMi.')i nf iln- I'Veneh plirape tn wliieh tin iiishop fleyotes t'Mi paiai;iaphs, mill whiiii he denoiinee-. (IS " u jjross mis-iraiislalioii," I slioiilii .suppose thai the ei)iiimoiie-t reader ciuil'l see that ill. primer had sent forth ir iii>ii"i(l ol' r — fhiis ennvei'iin/ ^iis onl\ primers eai' do so;iietliiies) the words ciiiiiiliii (wliieh WHS ihe word ii; the mannsi ripl) into the woni "wmiti'd." I ilunk the liis.iop wid I'liid the unri riiiin/i'if, i|'ii'e ll 111 lii.-il slicel nl ,1 r lii'twt'fii 111' mil is [iriiitiii'j til I llUVt' t'lll- (lill!^ tile r-Hli'i liritilfd will if will, tlirrc- ioiiikI o\' coih- ■i oi' ilie Lii'is- .■«lllti(lll ct tllr firiiAiiifl! (oxis mil iilirnsi' ti. lis, illlil wllirii ion," I slioiili! il sei- timl tin IIS finvcilin.- WOllls C/lllllltll I into the WDiii liiiil tin.' sMini ill- iiinio uocii iiiisi' "Ijfian/iii ii.'l;itioii." Klciicerel'i'ired filers, and i)>< OVSII ilitlt.'ff— - r iiiiiir, .'iji ! ;iiJ lied ;ind Iriili:- lyed. i'liil Sdii" (I niueli sv(ii>' pli inert:. II I- I to I he I'rii'M !i;id iel'i eopii - I lie prool' N\ii- iiif'nrilied iha: (^iiclier In h> i liiiil no nuenl- rel'ore, in )■:( iii'inlC'i leite-, ■tlir'nniiMf ei,i- ; !,v II the em.n M & ■'liili'/e Assc':ii' ""' ted. ho i-iinil in'ii'i 'p of Toroati . It serMiiit. m l.KSO.N