IMAGE EVAWATfON TEST TARGET (MT-3) / O /./ V .% Q..<- •! ^< ^ ^^ 1.0 t.l 2.0 U- 1.25 u mi 1.6 ^> Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STRiBT WEBSTER, N.Y. MSSO (716) 872-4503 ^'?^.t CiHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian d« microraproductions historiquM Technical and Bibliographic Notai/Notaa tachniquaa at bibfiographiquaa The tnttituta hat attamptcd to obtain tha baat original copy available for filming. Fsaturai of thia copy which may be bibliographically uniqua, which may alter any of the images in tha reproduction, or which may significantly changa the utuat method of filming, ar* chackad balow. D Colourad covara/ Couvartura da coutaur r~| Covars damagad/ D Couvaflura endommagiNi Covert reatored «nd/or laminated/ Couvartura re»taurM et/ou paiticuita □ Cower tit?a misaing/ laii tra da couvartura manqu* □ Coloured tnapa/ Carte* giogrephiquM Ml COulaur □ Coloured ink (i.a. other than btua or blaclc}/ itncr% da coutaur li.o. autro quo btauo ou noiroi □ Coreured plates and/or llluauaiioni/ Ptanchas et/ou iiluatratioAa •>% eoulaur □ Bound with other matenoi/ Relii avec d'autrat documoAtt a D n Tight binding may eauto thadowt or distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serree pout eauter de fombro ou dO lo distorsion le long da ta marga int^rieuro Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever ()04«ibia. thatO have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanchea aiout#aa lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans te tante. mais. lorsque cela ^tait possible. CM pagea n'ont pas etd filmdes. Additional comments:/ Commentaircs suppiamemaires' L'Inatitut a microfilm* la maiileur exemplaire qu'il lul a Ate possibi* de se procurair. Las de«n raproducad thanks to tha generoeity of: MktropaiKan Toronto Library Cenediin Hi«tory Ompwtimnt Tha images appearing hara are the bast quality posaible conaidering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in kaaping with tha filming contract •pecificationt. L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grdce d la g6nArosit4 de: Metropolitan Toronto Library Canadian History Department Las images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand ■oin, compte tenu de la condition et da la netteti de l'exemplaire filmi, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de ftlmage. Original eopiea in printed paper covers ara filmad beginning with tha front cover and ending on tha laet page with a printed or illuatratad impraa- aion, or tha back cover when appropriate. All Other original eopiea ara filmed beginning on tha firat page with a printed or illuatratad Impras- sion, and ending on the laat page with a printed or illuatratad impraaaion. Lae exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimis sont filmis en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par la derniire page qui comporte una empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par le second plat, sslon Is cas. Tous les autres exemplaires originaux eont filmie en commenpant par la premiire page qui comporte una empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration et en terminant par ia darniire page qui comporte une telle •mpreinte. Tha fast racordad frame on each microfiche ahalt contain the symbol «i«»^tmaaning "CON' TINUEO 'K or the tymboi T (meaning "END "), whichever apptiee. Mepe, plataa, charta, etc., may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one expoaure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many fremes ea required. The following diagrams Illustrate the method: Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la derniere image de chaque microfiche, selon le cas: Is symbols — ^ signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbols V signifie "FIN'. Lee eertes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmAs A dss taux de reduction diffdrents. Lorsqus Is documsnt est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est filmi A partir de j'sngis supirisur gauche, de gauche A droite, et de heut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'imagee nicesssire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrant la mithode. 3ta Jure, J 12 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 v,& THE UNIVEBSITY QUESTION, /-V/- V W W*/ W^ W \> -w "W^ta/ \ TO A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. KiNGSTO^^* 22d Januabt, 1845. SIR, A pamphlet has just made its appearance from the Press of this city, which purports to dispose of the University Question in a very summary manner, and much to the satisfaction of the writer and his brethren of Queen's College. It is perfectly innocent of honest principle, or of anything like argument: no great compU- ment, you will say, to the understanding of the people of this Province, who are considered, by those who know them, to be shrewd and observing, and quite as able as the public of the other Colonies, to judge properly on any subject, when truly and correctly brought before them. But to state his case fairly would have been total ruin to his views, and have placed every honourable mind against him; and, therefore, instead of addressing himself to the reason of his readers, he carefully eschews so for- midable an adversary, and seeks to enlist the prejudices and passions, and more especially the avarice of the ene- mies of the Church of England in his favour, as the most promising way of gaining his object; nor, all things con- sidered, is this course of proceeding much to be wondered at. The population of Canada has been some time aware that Queen's College has been in a ricketty condition from its commencement, and is wretchedly conducted.-— The Trustees have indeed been most unfortunate in the ^ 9 selection of their Teachers ; for, except one whom they found in the Province, and allured from another field of labour, they have given no proof of the slightest ability in the management of their Institution, which is at this moment deemed inferior by many to most of our District Schools. In such pitiable circnmstancest what must be done? The character of Queen's College had sunk beyond recovery, and the Faculty felt conscious, that they had neither ability nor influence to secure the confidence of Parents, or to raise it above the Granmiar Schools already . established in the Province. VVitliout means, without scholars, and without resour- ces, or any dependence upon themselves, their case was truly hopeless;, for even the distant future offered no prospect of amending their condition. In this dilemma they looked around them for help with most iinscrupulous eyes, and saw King's College proceeding with energy, wisdom, and ability, in the edu* cation of the youth of the Province, and already giving promise of what a University should be, and what it is likely to become at t;o distant period. They would have perhaps sickened at all this, had they possessed any such antiquated notions as delicacy or principle; but having no such qualms, they hastened to take their eyes away from such matters, and to fasten them on the endowment. This they saw was carefully managed, and already afforded a reasonable support to many Professors and Teachers. This gave them infinite coinlbrt, and awakened a strong hope that by rancorous agitation they might be able to ensconce themselves in some corner of the University of King's College, and share largely in its emoluments, without any particular anxiety about sharing in its meri» torious labours. Now my gentle readers will admit that here was a strong temptation, and perhaps charity might allow that it was not easy to be resisted. Be this as it may, there •+■ WM k.o disposition to resist. On the contrary, every exertion h*8 been ratde to stir up the worst passions of the human heart against the University of King's Col- lege ; and all this, not that it nvi^ht be made more efficient, but that it might be reduced to an etjudhty with Queen's. In this way they have succet^ded m uniting all the wasps of the Province to plunder the Un'^ersity of King's College, for sucli insects can readily devour the honey which they have neither the ability nor the inclination to make. But it is time to turn to this formidable pamphlet which consists of thirty-six pages, and iUustralcs the common observation, that they who have tlie least pnn- ciple make the greatest pretences to principle ; that he is the most ready to appropriate his neiglibour's property who is the loude'sl in exclaiming agaiu.-sl robbery, i he author modestlv assumes the title of " Master op Arts, and to shew his learning gives us a Latin «»otto; but a» lie has forgotten to give us the English interpretation, and perhaps wisely, I shall give it for him with hucH freedom as in such cases translator s generally use:— •♦Haste! haste the work we wish! for great's the piizej From Queen's we look to King's with gloating e^es. In his early pages the Master of Arts speaks of the popularity-hunter, the Legislator of mere expediency, the public man of upright intentions but narrow views,— all of whom he most incontinently condemns; but he, the Statesman, soars infinitely above such common-place aspirants to public favour, for he acts from liberal princi- ples and pure motives, and, possessing transcendanl knowledge, he is able and ready to frame the mould ui which shall be cast the minds of all our future Statesmen, * Legislators, Divit;es, Lawyers, and Fhyslciaus. But how is he to do thi*? Why, by the most easy process m the world,-^robbing King's College of its endowment and religious charactef. 1 Like a true disciple of the modern School of Philoso- phy, he stops not to ini}uir«?, tihether there be any impediments in the way; any prior claims to satisfy; any ri^lifs to settle, or any feelings to respect. What arc Iloyal Charters to hitn but m much wuNte paper!-— What are Government grants of land, or the tenure upon which all the landed property of Canada rests? What sjgtufy the feelings and ailbefions of the Church of Eng- land, if all, or any, stand in the way of Ins sclicmcs and projeets ! They do not detain hitn a single niomcnt.-— The faith and honour of the Sov<;ieif^n, — tlie principles whith bind man fo ujan, — the basis of social order which i^ the security of property, site all thrown aside, beenuse the Faculty of Queen's College h hungry, and the Trus- tees refustr tiiem bread. Taking it for granted, that the University of King*8 College must, as a preliminary step, be destroyed, the Master trf Ails proceeds* to discuss with great coolness whether the en» the Crowti or the Legislature prepared to appropriate a million currency «f lands at that value for the foundation of separate Universities ?*' Although this be a gross exaqa;eration of the case, I say yes. The Crown and Legislature ought, if necessary, to preserve their honour and the public faiih. Disturb the titles by which all properly is held in the country, and you sliake the foundations of society, Hut this is a manifest exaggeration : who are seeking Colleges otily as yet ? The Presbyterians ami Methodists. It ta true many other detmnunationM will come forward, if uivited; but these are all that we have fo deal with at present. Now these are far iofeviot in numbers to the Church of England, and would require ' much smaller endowments. It is true the Master of ArU finds it convenient to diminish the number of Churciimen, and calls them only a fourth, probably a fifth ; though i » he well knows that, by the official returns, they are more tlian one-fourth, and will be found next ccnsust a full third of our p<»pulati<»n; and he chooses to forget that the entiownitrnt of Kin!;*s Colli-g.-* ha» been seventeen yoars under an itn|>r»ivc«l nwuii^oii^cnt, and consequently is much more v;duab!c than whrn ^.ranted in 1827. To all lhi« nriy be addt d, thnt many yiars elapi^ed before the cndowiurnt of King's CoHej^'c was i;!jfticf<'iit to support a CDllogiate Estnt)l!s!iuicnt ; :wr1 wore* riidow- nu'iits now to be given to of !»er C'onet'cs, it is but rca.Hoii- nblc thfit they Khoiild wiiit till xUc proceeds buaute by their own good nijin;i;j;t^T»u*nt stifficicnt for their iiuppott. With rt'fci tijce to ihw prt'smt Ucct ivi'r (3<'»K')jd, ^bo is untjeccssurily intrtubici'd by iTie Mmter of Arts^ \\ ntay be sufficient to remark, iba! he ha"* too niticli principle and good sense to join in the st heme v.biL'h the ptimphht ndvocntes,or to trample upotj Unyal grants utid (Charters. It i>», indeed, said th;»t the l?er« iv« r (tent ral, fiouio yeatr* ago, required assistance to Quten** College t<» u certain extent from the funds of the Universiiy of King*s Col- lege; which the Council ofthaf liistitntion, as the price of pence, utinhl htive ^iven bins had they possessed legal nuthority. Hut tfje Mu:iter vf Arts snay rest assured that the Uoceiver General « ill never consent to robbery and spoliation. In regard to the accusations of waste and inefficiency on the part of the College Council; of flagrant injustice, if disposed to keep their own property; and of their {.tealing a march on tlie other denominations; and a sel5sU disrej^ard of any interest but their own,— as no proofs are otfereil, norefutatioii U rcfjtufed; at the same time It were easy to prove them slanderous and untrue. On dividing the endowment, the Master vf Arh is more elaborate, because he fears that the share of Queen's would be comparatively small, now that the Free Church has taken away the majority of his people; but his logo- machy on the subject-^ — loi drgunicnt thrr€ i» rione-*— js 9 thoroughly unworthy of attention. There fs, neverthc- leas, some little feeling in this portion of the pamphlet which must not be passed over ; for he talks of men of higli attainments, such as the Master of Arts^-^and he no doubt speaks from sad experience, — spending their precious lives and energies in Lecturing to a half-dozen of fiptritk'ss pupils, perhaps not quite so many as half-a- dozen, at Queen* s. lie then gets into a rhapsody with, more or less vehemence, till we come to what he calls the master-difficulty, — religious division. I must freely confess that I was curious to sec how he would meet this difficulty ; but the Manter of Arts U for so»>e pages rather mysterious ; and before he ven- tures to solve the master-question, he amuses himself and his readers with a long irrelative discussion, inter- mixed however with a very few correct observations, which tell that his conscientc and judgment are at va- riance with his wishes. How he can reconcile these observations with his scheme, which at length breaks- out, is impossible for me to explain : perhaps the Master if Arts will attempt it in another pamphlet. It would appear that he docs not wish to get rid of religion altogether, — nmch less* to have a Girard College in which the sound of religion shall never be heard nor a minister of religion ever enter. The people of Cana- da, he gays, are not yet prepared for this, nor ate they prepared to educate their sons in human learning, apart entirely from the lessons of Christianity. Now so far thi* is well. The Master of Arts furthei admits that the Provincial University must look for members in a great measure to those of the youtfi who aspire to the Chris- tian Ministry; but lie is no friend to a system by which these youthful candidates for the holiest of all offices would' before reaching the hands of those who may be appointed to conduct their Theological studies, be thrown loose for three or four years in an Institution I I 4 I, i instruction ; and the said ^fa8ter of Arts admits that even King's College, bad as he thinks it, is better than this, since it is a benefit to a fraction of the population. After this he gets quite bold, and even pa}8 8on\e respect to the Church of Kngland; and I was imbibing the thought that he hnd some vague notions of religion^ when the cloven foot appeared in the plan he proposes, which is to place all denoniinatious side by side, as if there was no truth in the Gospi^l. The soluliou given by tlie Master of Art* i«, — 1. That Theology shiiU form no part of the tt aching of the University ; but in order to provide for religious instruction and superintendence, there shall be — . •2. Colleges professedly TJieological and Denomina- tional, placed beside the University and imorporatcd with it, in which the Students of each denoiuination,. while receiving in common literary and atientiHc instruc- tion provided by the public endowment, sUhH reside; enjoying simultaneously with the bent (its of the Uuiver- ftity the advantages of religious superintendence; or in which, after their preliminary Rludies in the public classes of the University, and obtHiiuug the degree of A. 11., those who are intended fur the Clerical profession in each denomination, shall proceed under IVofcssors on the foundation of the Colleges, not of the University, with their strictly Thecdogical studies. Here follows a string of advantages, sliewing that unity is the natural result of confusion ; that hostile and implacable divi- sions constitute ilie secret basis of harmony ; and that the University Couijcil, composed of Delegates from all Theological Religious Denominations in the Trovince^ will be remarkable for its sobriety, mceknes^s concord, and sameness of purpose t Now, the first objection to this scheme is, that it is the offspring of Infidelity, and in its consequences sub- versive of true religion; not that \he Manlenf ArtSj^hi^ has the hardihood to prepare it, would probably ear* • much for this, provided that the Church were reduced to a level with all Dissenting sects, and provided his share of tlie endowment was sufficient. But the second objec- tion is still more fatal ; the scheme is utterly impracti- cable. Thft collective Council of the University, made up of reprcflcntntives from the Theological Colleges or increasing denomiuiitions of Protestnnti*, would constitute the moHt complt'tc bear-garden that ever was conceived, and would becofne an nrciwi of prestimption, ignorance, and v!.i!«Mjci». No Churchman or Uonian Catholic could ever conscleniiously sit in fi\jch a motley assemblage, which mu««t ever be an object of ridicule iuHtead of respect. Thus m^rc than half the population munt, from conseientifnis motives, be deprived of all the advantages of a Colh'girjtc edtieation; and indeed I question whether any sincere Cliristian, wliatever his denomination might be, coiifd in conscience identify himself with an Institu- tion, founded on the monstrous dogma that truth and error are eqtial in value and importance. The ATastcr of ArtSt after admiring the two leadiiij^ principles of Mr. Uiildwia's Uil) of last Session, (which have, nevertheless, been cotulenmed by all honent and Christian men), namely, the spolialiiai of the University of King's College, and the placing all (denominations, that U truth and falsehorKl, on a perfect level, proceeds, for the sake of blindiniit his opponents to attack with acrimony gome insigrnticahl details. This, however, has been so frequently done in a better style and with real sineerity, tiuit I shall be readily excused for passing them over. After all, ti»e representation of the Colleges in the University Council and its working, seem to give the Master *if Arti 9omQ little uneasiness; and he has on this important point many misgivings; and is evidently at fault, because fully aware that an explosion is more probable than harmony. lie is, therefore, disposed to ..^*^'., »l.^ •,.o» C..-U ..- I* lis »*l».i:-<« i- .1 - »^ • -• -^ • . t of the Scriptures and in the Doctrioe of tbe Trinitjri** but, unfortunately for his unity, this excludes the Uoftm* rians, and so destroys his beloved principle of equality among all religious denominations ; for the prim-iplc it as much broken by excluding one, as by contiuiug the whole endowment or privilege to one. The Master of Arts^ who may aft»?r all have some piety at bottom, is compi'lled to drop Divinity degrees becense he cannot introduce them in any decent manner; and then, like the fox with the grapes, he sets himself tf> prove that they are wotthle^is. With respect to Riving the patronage of certain Pro- fessor's C'hairs to IJiitish Universities, it is too ridiculous torccpiiro conimrnt; and his sapient renmrk^ exnlaiujog away rckbiicry and spoliuiion, are excellent indicatii^us of the purity of his nioi iility, and of his fitness to instruct youth in the way of rtgUteonsneys. I have nijw gone through the pamphlet and taken up all its iatt'IHgible parts*, and the result, as rcconimeuded by the Master of Arts, is a University like a vast Mechanics' Ins:ituti<)n pouring its pestilential inflijencv ovtr the ColUges of the hostile denominaiiuns with which it is to be surrounded. Now such a Pandenmnium would not survive its first year. Every honest heart would rise against it as equally DfTensive to God and man. The scheme is not new : it has been tried on a small scale in Gcrnnny, where two diffl rent religious faculties^ the Protestant and Roman Catholic, are attached to some few of the Universities in that country. More than two has not been atltnipted ; it was reserved for the blaster of AfiJt to propose a multitude of guch faculliep. At Tubingen UnlvcrcJity the Roman Catholics and Luthe- rans have each a Theological faculty. What is tlie result ? Why, such unprincipled spectacles have reduced Protestant Germany to a mass of Infidelity; and yet religious rancour prevails more than ever, because there is no Christian charity to soften and harmonize it. The 10 less their religioa, the more fierce their contention, and nothing but the power is wanting to restore the faggot and the stake. The most eflfectual way of bringing our holy religion inta contempt, is to try the scheme which the Master of Arts suggests: I say trt/; for it can never be reduced to ra<;iice, for if carried out, \l would banish, as it has done J Protestant Germany, pure Christianity from the land. But it would be doing injustice to our people of everjf denomination to admit that such a scheme would be. patronized by any one of them, as the rude concoction of the Master of Arts and his colleagues, blinded by the hope of endawinents. I now bid adieu to the Master of Arts and turn to the Members of the Church of Kugland now in the Legisla- ture; aud I call upon them to consider well their baptis- mal vows, before they prot-.ced to favour our rancoroua enemies in oppressing the Church and her institutions. Had the Scotch Church procured from the King an endowment for a College at the time we did, would they have snffercd it to be touched? or would the members of the Church of England have desired to touch it? Cer- tainly not ! And are we entitled to less favour ? The Church asks only for bare justice, and no child of hcr's can deny her this without connnitting the most awful perjury. What would Great Britain have been at this day without her establislicd religion? It is this, more than her armies and navies, commerce and riclies, that has raised her to so great an eminence ; and when slie invades the Church her glory will soon pass away. Our holy Church treats with the greatest charity all denomi- nations of professing Christians, however strict her own opinions may be ; but for her own baptized children to fly in tiic face of their Mother, and to see her insulted , and wronged, when they are able to prevent it by simply doing their duty, is a most aggravated crime. Stand forward, then, Gentlemen! in the protection of your i 4 ^ t 11 Mother: preset ve to her the giAs freel3r granted to her by our late Sovereign, for the express purpose of teaching oiir youth religion and the sciences ; at the same time that you respect the rights of those who have unhappily •cparated from her; and give them the means, if in youi power, to educate their children as they shall desire; but be not unjust to your own household of faith! To the French Members of ihe Legislature I would ■ay: — !^espect rested rights! Do not begin the revolu- tionary work of spoliation with the University of KingS College, if you desire peace ; for its endowment stands on firmer grounds than your own estates, and the power that can take the one may take the other. Arc you i^o foolish as to suppose that when a wicked precedent is once made, your own Institutions will escape? The day li.ay be somewhat distant, and the most forward of the enemies of King*s College may flatter you with Baying, that your case is different; but believe them not! Destroy King s College, and all the endowed Colleges and Religious Houses in Lower Canada, the tyihes and all Church property, will soon be swept away; for there is no more injustice in all this than in destroyhig the University of King's College. Be assured that the party which destroys the one will, as soon as it is able, destroy all the rest! .«.'.* ...•;%