IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) A O # ^^ / /a 1.0 I.I 1^ 12.5 1.8 11.25 U ill 1.6 y] ^ />^ ^^ ^°> N^' 'V' y ^ a V % 17 i CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions Institut canadien de microreproductions historiques 1980 i Technical Notes / Notes techniques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Physical features of this copy which may alter any of the images in the reproduction are checked below. E Coloured covers/ Couvertures de couleur L'Institut a microfilm^ le meilleur exemplaire qu'ii lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Certains d6fauts susceptibles de nuire i la qualitd de la reproduction sont not6s ci-dessous. D Coloured pages/ Pages de couleur Th po of fill Th CO or ap n D D Coloured maps/ Cartes g^ographiques en couleur Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages d^coiordes, tachet^es ou piqu6es Tight binding (may cause shadows or distortion along interior margin)/ Reliure serrd (peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distortion le long de la marge int6rieure) □ D Coloured plates/ Planches en couleur 0Show through/ Transparence Pages damaged/ Pages endommagdes Th filr ins Mi in up bo fol D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppldmentaires Bibliographic Notes / Notes bibliographiques D Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible D Pagination incorrect/ Erreurs de pagination D D Bound with other material/ Reli6 avec d'autres documents Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque n Pages missing/ Des pages manquent Maps missing/ Des cartes gdographiques manquent D Plates missing/ Des planches manquent D Additional comments/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires 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. Les images suivantes ont 6t6 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettetd de I'exemplaire filmd, et en conformity avec les conditions du contrat de filmage. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^►(meaning CONTINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Un des symboies suivants apparaltra sur la der- nidre image de cheque microfiche, selon le cas: le symbole — »► signifie "A SUIVRE", le symbole V signifie "FIN". The original copy was borrowed from, and filmed with, the kind consent of the following institution: Library of the Public Archives of Canada Maps or plates 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 as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: L'exemplaire film6 fut reproduit grdce d la g6n6rosit6 de I'dtablissQment prdteur suivant : La bibliothdque des Archives publiques du Canada Les cartes ou les planches trop grandes pour dtre reproduites en un seul clichd sont filmdes d partir de I'angle supdrieure gauche, de gauche d droite et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Le diagramme suivant illustre la mdthode : 1 2 3 1 2 3 ;■■ * 6 e «if ,-■ z^rrr. -• ^\\ — .f THE CA.THOLIC RELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS <^ OF THE CITY OF QUEBEC, BY H TJ B E I^ T X-.A.PIXJE (^ (Translated from the French.) QUEBEC: ITdNTED BY GEORGE TII03IAS GARY, FAI5RIQUE STREET. 1870. ^. : ). i THE CATHOLIC EELIGIOUS CORPOMTMS OP THE CITY OF QUEBEC, BY HXJBERT X. -A. R TJE (Translated from the French.) QUEBEC: PKINTED BY OEOEGl THOMAS CAET, PABR.Qra STKKISr. 1870. ■<' 5SGM'L THE CATHOLIC KELIGIOUS CORPORATIONS OF THE CITY OF QUEBEC. ^' The following statistical summary, now published for the first time in this city, is based upon figures taken from the best sources, and which, consequently, offer all the guarantees desirable of their authenticity. I shall not dissemble the fact that this study has exacted much care ahd labour. Some of the Communities yielded to my demands with good grace ; others, on the contrary only acceded to my wishes painfully and with repugnance ' I am well aware that it is foreign to Catholic charity to parade its sacrifices and its good works before the world • but sometimes circumstances present themselves, which, not'only justify, but imperiously require the step I have taken. The Catholic Eeligious Corporations of the City of Quebec may be classed as follows :— 1. Educational institutions ; 2. Charitable institutions • 3 Institutions which are both educational and charitable. ' The Educational institutions are :— 1. The Quebec Seminary and Laval University. 2. The Ursulines. 3. The Congregation of Kotre-Dame. 4. The Christian Brothers' Schools. The Charitable institutions arc: — 1. The Hotel-Dieu. 2. The General Hospital. 3. The St. Bridget's Asylum. 4. The Maternity of St. Joseph. 6. The Dispensary. The mixed institutions, being both educational and chari- table, are : — 1. The Sisters of Charity. 2. The Sisters of the Good Shepherd. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. The Quebec Seminary and Laval University, L The Quebec Seminary was founded in 1663 by Mgr. de Laval-Montmorency, first Bishop of Quebec. The different donations made to the Quebec Seminary by Mgr. de Laval were as follows : — 1. The seigniories of Beuupre and Isle Jesus. 2. The fief Sault-au-Matelot, situated in the city of Quebec. 3. A house at Chateau-Eicher, and the seigniory of Petite- Nation, near Montreal. 4. All the furniture, books, ornaments, and arrears of rents due to the Bishop, belonging to him at the date of his decease. May 6, 1708. All the property, real as well as personal, given and bequeathed by Mgr. de Laval to the Quebec Seminary, had been acquired with the family wealth of that eminent prelate. It is proper to bear in mind, that Mgr. de Laval was allied to the royal family of France. The Quebec Seminary haw never received a single penny, either from the French government or that of England, or from any civil institution. Monseignour do Laval imposed but two obligations on the ijueboc Seminary:— 1. To maintain the foundation of the Grand and the Minor Seminary ; 2. To give gratuitously board and education to twelve poor boys. In 1663 the first house was erected, in wood, in the garden •of the presbytery. Therein were lodged Mgr. de Laval and his Grand Seminary, composed of a few priests. From the year 1668 the Minor Seminary was opened, in the house belonging to Madame Couillard. The foundations of this building were exposed to view some four years ago : they are situated at the entrance to the garden. In the month of May, 1678, was laid the first stone of that portion of the building (150 feet by 30) which faces the Seminary garden and the play-ground of the junior scholars. This first block consisted, at that date, of but one storey on the side of the play-ground, surmounted with an attic storey. In 1701, after the first destruction of the building by fire, a second storey was added to this block. (In 1866, after the fire of 1865, which consumed nearly one half of this portion of the institution, a third storey was added.) Dating from 1701, the Corporation of the Seminary con- tinued to add new strucuures to the first building, so that in 1714 the total length of the Seminary was 350 feet. At present the whole length of the edifices known as the " Quebec Seminary," is 684 feet. If to this figure be added the length of the Laval University buildings, erected by the same Corporation, we have a total extent of 1260 feet in length of buildings. The various donations of Mgr. de Laval were not of great value at the epoch when they were given. The country was still a wilderness, and the revenues of all the seigniories, taken together, made up but a modest sum. The holy Bishop, however, gave all that ho possessed. 6 The personal stnffof the Seminary,— that in to say, all those living in the institution, servants as well as the body of directors, touchers, ecclesiastics in minor orders, and pupils, in 1704, was only 54; in 1750, the same number; in 1810, the number was 110; and in 1870, the total is 429, not including the Laval University. During this period of more than two centuries, the Quebec Seminary suft'cred nun rous losses, consequent upon the interminable wars which desolated the country and tho memorable sieges that the city underwent, apart from tho losses by tho three great fires which happened in 1701, 1705 and 1865. Thanks to a daily economy, and to privations of every kind, not only was the Corporation of tho Seminary enabled to riso anew after each disaster and maintain its establish- ment, but it was also able to make new acquisitions of pro- perty, though of slight value, it is true, at the time when they were made. With tho development of the country- these properties- have increased in importance ; and in 1852 tho Quebec Semi- nary, faithful to tho wishes of its illustrious founder, laid tho foundations of the Laval University. II. The total cost of constructing the University buildings attained tho figure of $238,787 .72 ; and from this amount are excluded tho expenses of enlarging tho museums, libraries, &c. The Seminary was enabled to meet this enormous outlay, first, by the aid of its savings, and next, owing to genoroua loans made it by the Fabriques, by certain religious Corpora- tions, and by Priests devoted to the cause of superior education. During tho academical year just finished (1869-70,) the total receipts accruing from the fees for boarding and edu- cating pupils, tickets to the University lectures, &c , &c., for the Grand and Minor Seminary and for the Laval University, 7 ' • ■ attained Iho sum of. $20 481 21 The tottti outlay during the same period for the maintenance of those divers establishments, . • attained the sum of 49 521 2I Leaving a deficit on the year of. ; $29,140 00 This deficit of $29,140 is met in the following manner :~ 1. Rents drawn by the Seminary for five houses which it owns in the city of Quebec $3,380 77 2. Honis of Sault-au-I,fatelot 2,873 70 $6,254 47 This brings the deficit down to $22,88& 53, which balance is defrayed by the revenues arising from properties which the Seminary possesses outside of the city of Quebec,— notably its seigniories of IsleJesus and the Cote Beaupre, and its farms of St. Joachim, the Canardiore, "Beauport, &c. III. The numbur of Priests who constitute the Quebec Semi- nary is fourteen. These fourteen Priests, designated as "aggregates," are assisted by nine Priests who take the title of '' auxiliaries." Eleven Ecclesiastics in minor orders are, besides, attached to the institution as masters of the classes, masters in recrea- tion, &c. Of these 34 Priests and Ecclesiastics, 9 are University pro- fessors in the Faculties of Theology and Arts. The salaries of these 34 Priests and Ecclesiastics are distri- buted as follows : — 1. Aggregates' salary, $20 each $280 00 2. Auxiliaries' salary, $100 each 900 00 3. Ecclesiastics' salary, $55 each G05 00 Total salaries $1785 00 8 That is to say, that the total salaries of the 14 Aggregates, •united, equals about the wages of a servant in a first class family. -^ And that the sum of the salaries paid to the 34 Priests and Ecclesiastics, who do the work of the Seminary, amounts to about the sum paid to the clerk of a first class commercial house. Let us continue the calculation : Over and above the salary of $20 per annum, each Aggregate receives his boarding and cloth- ing from the institution. Say, for board, $120 ®»ch $1680 00 Clothing, $80 each 1120 00 To which add the salaries.... 280 00 Making a total of. $3,080 00 From which it will be seen that the total cost for salaries, l)oarding, clothing, &c., of these 14 Aggregates, does not equal the salary paid to a Judge of the Superior Court. IV. Gentlemen who receive such remuneration, and who are (Content with such salaries, must have something to compen- sate them. Their mode of life must be an easy one,— must offer some special attractions! Let us see what is the ^'Daily Eule for Aggregated Priests and Auxiliaries of the Quebec Seminary." Eising: from 4.30 to 6 a.m. Breakfast: 7 a.m. The interval between rising and breakfast is spent at mass, at study, &c. From 8 to 10 a.m. : teaching in class or other duties and -occupations. From 10 to 11.30 a.m. : studies and religious exercises. At 11 .30 : Dinner. This repast, as well as that of supper, 9 18 eaten in silence. During the repast all hearken to a reader. From noon to 1 p.m. : recreation. From 1 to 2 p.m. : studies or religious exercises. From 2 to 4 p.m. : classes. From 4 to 4.30 p.m. : recreation. From 4.30 to 6 p.m. : study. From 6 to 7 p.m. : religious exercises, &c. From 7 to 8 p.m. : recreation. From 8 to 9, 10 or 11 p.m. : studj and religious exercises. That is to say, two-and-a-half hours recreation and fourteen or fifteen hours work in the twenty-four. V. The Eector of the Laval University is at the same time the Superior of the Quebec Seminary. His salary is the same as that of the other Aggregates, $20. Adding to the figure of his salary the cost of his boarding and clothing, we get a total of. $220 00 These are all the emoluments of this dignitary. The present Rector of the University of To- ronto, Eev. John McCaul, draws an annual «*^*^y 0^ $4000 00 Difference of cost $3780 00 While the salary of the Rector of the University of Toronto is taken from tte revenues of that institution, which is endowed by the government, the salary and expenses of the Rector of Laval University are paid by the Quebec Seminary. The salary drawn by the Rector of the University of Toronto would more than defray all the expenses (salaries included) of the fourteen Aggregates of the Seminary. It would even leave a balance of $920. 10 VI. The number of young men who attend the classes of the Seminary and University is 531 : this includes day scholars as well as boarders. Of 213 boarders, 99 receive assistance from the Seminary to the extent of $6,388 14. Poor day scholars pay no class fee. The fee for those who can pay is $1.25 per month. The pupils of the High School of Quebec, who are, as re- gards that institution, on the same footing as the day scholars of the Quebec Seminary, pay $50 per annum, that is to say, four times as much. I The TJrsulines. I. The Ursuline Conve'^t is one of the most ancient in Canada. It was founded in 163», by Madame de la Peltrie. The properties possessed by the TJrsulines are as follows : — In the City : 1. Their Convent and the garden in which it is situated. 2. Nine houses, from which they derive a rental of $4,530. Beyond the City : The little fief of St. Ann, situated in the seigniory of Lauzon, and a farm of 8 arpents in extent, situated in the same seigniory; — The fief of St. Joseph, in the banlieue, and the seigniory of Ste. Croix; — Finally, 8, piece of land of 40 arpents in superficies, on the bank of the river St. Charles, in the banlieue of Quebec. The village of Ste. Angele is built on this last named pro- perty, but the revenue derived therefrom barely defrays the cost of agency. This piece of land was a gift from the Government of France to the TJrsulines, — the only endowment it ever received from that government, while from the other civil institutions of this country it has never received a penny of g: ''t. 11 * The number of Sisters in this institution is at present 84. The total number of their P\pil8, including those of the Normal School, confided to their direction, is 715. Of this number 351 are boarders or half-boarders, and 364 day scholars. The School Fee for day scholars is ninepence monthly : 40 pay but half that price, and 60 pay nothing at all. The number of Servants employed by the house is 14 ; so that the whol« personnel of the establishment attains the figure of 813. The Eeceipts from pupils of the Convent, if all collected, would amount to $17022 00 The Expenses of the institution, not including the cost of maintaining the Sisters, is 19562 37 Leaving a deficit of. $2540 37 As stated above, the Ursulines give instruction gratuitously to 364 young girls of the city. Neither the (xovernment nor the Corporation of Quebec have ever given a single penny of reimbursement to the Ursulines for this work of charity. Without entering into details of the Daily Rule of these good Sisters, I may merely state that they rise at 4 a.m., and retire to rest at 9 p.m., so that they devote fifteen hours out of the twenty four to labour, teaching, and to the religious services ; and that in this space of time they take but two hours of recreation. , The Congregation of Notre-Dame. I. This Convent was erected in 1843 at the expense and charge of Mgr. Signai and of the Eev. Mr. Charest, cure of St. Roch. This Convent, apart from the buildings wherein its labours are carried on,— (one of which is situated in front of the 51 m 12 \ ■■,.•* Parish Church of Si. Eoch ; the other on a site contiguous to the St. Sauveur Church,)— possesses a large store in St. Peter street, built on the site of a former Convent of the same Order, the rental of which yields $2394.00 The citizens of St. Eoch, by means of bazaars and subscrii> tions, aided in erecting the Convent in that district. One of these citizens, the Eev. Mr. Charest, cure of the Parish, has, in the course of thirty years, spent eight thousand pounds of his private means towards the support of this Convent and ■other public establishments of education and charity in his parish. II. The personnel of this House is 1160, distributed as follows: Sisters 26 Boarders, half-boarders and quarter-boarders 322 Day Scholars 800 Servants 12 1160 This Community has a branch at St. Sauveur, composed of, Sisters g I*"Pil8 500 Of the 1300 day scholars who attend the classes of these two Convents, 1000 pay no fee— 30 pay one shilling per month— 170 pay sixpence monthly— 100 threepence. The annual outlay of the St. Eoch's Convent is... $11,341. 51 The School Commissioners contribute towards *^^^ 100.00 Balance ; $11,241.51 The labour of the Good Sisters, their savings, their privations, and the private means of the Cure of St. Eoch, make up this balance. Not one of these Sisters receives a penny of salary ; th« community provides their maintenance and necessaries. 13 Once for all let it be told, that not a single one of the 374 Sisters who live in the six Communities of Eeligious Women in Quebec, receives a single penny of salary 1 All the gain which may accrue from the education which they impart, all the profit resulting from the manual labour of these Sisters, is employed in the relief of the sick and infirm of the City of Quebec, and for the education of the children of that city. Brothers op the Christian Doctrine. There are in Quebec three communities of "Brothers," designated as follows :—l. The Glacis j 2. The Coves; 3. St. Sauveur. The Community of the Glacis directs the four following schools:— The Glacis, St. John's, St. Eoch's, and the Commer- cial Academy. The number of Children who receive instruction in these various schools is 2,278. The Brothers employed in the schools at the Glacis, St. Eoch's, the Coves, and St. Sauveur, receive their remuneration from the "School Commissioners." This remuneration consists solely in the cost of their maintenance,— the Brothers receiving no salary. The Society of Education provides the maintenance of the Brothers who direct the St. John's school. Those who direct the Commercial Academy receive their remuneration out of the fees paid by the pupils. These divers Schools of the Christian Brothers have no endowment whatever. CHAEITABLE INSTITUTION'S. The Hotel-Dieu. I. The HotelDieu was founded by the Duchess D'Aiguillon, with the concurrence of Cardinal Eichelieu, in 1639. Tne I i! i m ■ill 14 miBsion of this hospital is to receive and tend tho sick. The Hotel-Bleu received from its founders a capital of 20,000 francs, yielding an income of 1500 francs at the time of the endowment. Later, the Duchess D'Aiguillon and th" Cardinal Richelieu doubled this donation. The grounc' on which the IIotel-Dicu is situated was conceded to the Duchess D'Aiguillon by the Company of the Hundred- Associates. The properties which the Hotel-Dieu now possesses are : — 1. In the City : twelve houses. 2. Beyond the City : their farm at St. Sauveur — their interest in the emphyteutic leases of St. John Suburbs — their concession of the St. Yallier Suburbs — a small farm at the Canardiere — and the Isle-aux-Oies. All these properties, excepting the donations of the Duchess D'Aiguillon, were acquired with the fruits accruing from the savings of the Sisters of the Hotel-Dieu, and by means of the dower brQught to the house by each Sister. The French Government, no more than the English Government, never donated the house a single acre of land. n. The number of beds in the hospital is 80,— of which 70 at least are occupied daily. It will be seen that not less than 70 sick persons receive each day, from the Sisters of the Hotel- Dieu, the nourishment, care, and medicaments &c., necessary to their condition. The total Expenditure for the sick amounts in each year to an average of $5,000. This sum, as well as that required for the maintenance of 55 Sisters who reside in tho house, and six serving mer employed in the ruder labours of the institu- tion, are all d ifrayed from the revenues of the Hotel-Dieu, with the exception of $640 allowed annually by Government. The Corporation of Quebec does not contribute a single penny to succour these 8 or 900 sick persons ! iia. 15 It is well to remark, that for the whole of this large establishment there are but six servants — all the work of the hospital, household work, and care of the patients, &c., being performed by the Sisters themselves. These Sisters have for all earthly reward their boarding and clothing. According to their "Eule" the Eeligious of the IIotel-Dieu devote fifteen hours out qf the twenty-four to duty: religious exercises, tending the sick, and manual labour. They take two hours recreation daily. All those whose health will permit, -^atch the sick during the night, two by two in turn. Five physicians are attached to the establishment, to which they give their services gratuitously. The General Hospital. I. This asylum was founded in 1693 by Mgr. de St. Valier, second Bishop of Canada. The property whereon the asylum is situated was acquired by Mgr. de St. Valier, out of his private revenues. In 1695 the worthy Bishop endowed the institution with a constituted rent of 1500 francs, representing a capital of 20,000 francs. The same prelate donated to the institution at successive periods two seigniories, which the Sisters were obliged to sell at a later date. An interesting fact to note here is, ths.t one of these seigniories, that of de la Burantaye, was sold in 1767 to pay a debt which the institution had contracted to enable them to assist the wounded of the French army in 1759. Down to the autumn of 1868, this huase was at once both an educational and charitable institution. Since that date the General Hospital has relinquished the work of teaching, to confine itself in future to the care of the infirm and incurable. 16 II. Tho total number of invalids and infirm sheltorod by the General Hospital, at the present date, is 158, of which number 143 are French Canadians, 12 Irish, 2 French and 1 German. The GovernmcLt assists this Asylum to the extent of 81876 annuuiiy ; being the provision made by the State for boarding and keeping 18 invalids at $67 each. The institution provides from ils own revenues for the keeping, &c., of 130 others, besides the maintenance and wants of 60 Sisters who live in the house. P"iii mi St. Bridget's Asylum. This Asylum has not yet been placed under religious rule, but I am told that it is on the point of being regularized. It was founded in 1856, by means of subscriptions and generous donations from Irish inhabitants of this city. The personnel of this institution is 60. Its annual expense amounts to $2475 85. The Government grant in its favour is $500,— that of the School Commissioners $60. The total outlay of the Asylum since its foundation is said to aggre- gate not less than seven or eight thousand pounds. INSTITUTIONS EDUCATIONAL AND CHARITABLE. The Sisters or Charity. This Asylum was founded in 1848 by Mgr. Turgeon, by means of a general collection made throughout the Diocese. 66 Sisters and 24 novices are enrolled in the institution, which gives shelter to 136 orphans and infirm persons. The Sisters of Charity give, besides, instruction to 720 young girls, of whom 403 are French speaking, and 317 of English speaking origin. n 530 of thoso young girls pay ton cents por month,— 190 pay nothing. Total receipts ^agg qq Total annual expenditure of the Asylum, for school purposes, for maintenance of the poor, and for support of the Sisters ^13 qoo 00 Annual Government grant goo qq School Commissioners grant 840 00 Their annual deficit, which is $11,560, has to be made up by the labours of the Sisters. . Asylum op the Good Shepherd. T. This Asylum was founded in 1850 : during the first year of its existence the Society of St. Vincent de Paul provided for its maintenance. In 1851 that Society purchased the house situated at the corner of Lachevrotiere and St. Am- broise streets, St. Louis suburbs. This house was the first property owned by the Sisters of the Good Shepherd. Through subscriptions, bazaars, collections, and the labour of the Sisters, this institution has grown up little by little • to-day it possesses a fine establishment in the St Louil Suburb. * ^ II. The Sisters of the Good «hepherd at present give education to 425 young girls. Of this number 200 pay ten cents per month— Total receipt $240. 225 children pay nothing. There are now in the Asylum 89 penitents ; and 30 young girls are placed in the Kefcrmatory. The number of Sisters is 74 j—of novices 19. The total of the personnel is 637, 2 l hI'I : lli!^ U'.l . 18 Total expenses of tho institution, $17,292 00 Government allowance of $5 per month for each young girl in the Reformatory. 1,800 00 School Commissioner's grant 800 00 Deficit $14,692 00 The Sisters of the Good Shepherd have to make good this deficit, which they do by holding bazaars and by devoting themselves to manual labour without restriction, — such as sewing and washing, — and even, when tho wants of the house are too pressing, they are to be found begging from house to house. — St. Joseph's House op Maternity. This hospital was founded in 1852, by the Eov. Mr. Auclair, Cure of Quebec, and by Miss Marie Methivier. At first a house was rented in the St. John Suburb, at $24 per annum. It was necessary to furnish this house, and Miss Methivier assumed the task. Miss Methivier had in her possession the sum of tv/enty pence ! With this sum she bought a crucifix, which she nailed to the naked wall of a room in the house. A few days later a pious lady of this city gave two chairs to the institution. Until this donation was received. Miss Methivier had to sit on the sills of the windows to rest herself. The fir°t mittrass given to tho institution was purchased for it by a priest of the Seminary, — that holy priest Leon Gingras. The religious communities of the city, tho Archbishopric, and the Cure of Quebec, lent a strong hand to the institution, while Miss Methivier solicited alms to meet the most pressing wants of the new house. The subscription of the Archbishopric amounted to ten pounds per annum ; that of the Cure of Quebec, Eev. Mr. Auclair, was also ten pounds. 19 ^ An act of incorporation was applied for. The names of tho pious ladies of (iuoboc wiio appear in this statute are: Miss Methivior, Mosdaraos Justice Panet, Taschereau, Tascheroau, Tetu, Tetu, relloticr, Carrier, Langovin and Bilodeau. Since then tlie institution has been- maintained by moans of bazaars and collections, and with tho trifling revenue paid for patients. The Provincial Legislature generously allows at present ^480 per annum to the institution. Miss Methivier does not receive a single penny of salary. All the time which she can spare from her numerous occupations ia employed in manual labor, sewing, &c. The proceeds of this work servos to defray the costs of the house. The Dispensary. Tho Dispensary was established in 18G6. The Quebec Seminary and the Rovd. Mr. Auclair, Cure of Quebec, defray all the cost of this establishment. All the poor of the city, without distinction of faith or origin, receive gratuitously the assistance and medicaments called for by their condition. The Sisters of Charity look after the wards, and receive tho patients. Six physicians are attached to the Dispensary, who give their advice and prescriptions gratis, every day, from 1 p.m. till 2 or 3 p.m., according to necessity. The number of sick persons treate4 by the Dispensary from the 19th February, 186P, date of the opening of this establish- ment, up to the 1st October, 1870, shews the very large figure of 11,751. The number of prescriptions given during the same space oftime is 13,854. The City Corporation has not yet given f. single penny for the support of the Dispensary, and it has not yet occurred to the. mind of anyone of our rich citizens to make the gift of a few dollars to the Dispensary towards the purchase of the few Instruments of which it stands greatly in need. 20 CLOSING REMARKS. The following table contains a Summary of the preceding Statistics : — • 1 Staff. Annual Expenses. Grant from Government. Grant from School Com- missioaers. Quebec Seminary & Laval University. Ursulinos 579 813 1669 961 240 946 637 60 124 2314 3000 sick annually. $ 49621 21 19562 37 11341 57 5000 00 10128 00 13000 00 17292 00 2475 85 1000 00 5900 00 400 00 00 00 00 640 00 1876 00 600 00 2600 00 600 00 480 00 00 50 00 00 00 100 00 00 00 840 00 820 00 60 00 Congregation of No- ! tre-Dame 1 Hotel-Dieu General Hospital .... Sisters of Charity.... Good Shepherd Saint Bridget , , Maternity 00 2880 00 00 1 Christian Brothers.. Dispensary j : Total 11343 S135721 00 6746 00 4700 00 ! ! By ; eferring to th j ; find: 1' 1. That the numb III ■ is table a er of you nd to the fo ng persons regoing figures wo of both sexes who obtain their education in the religious houses of Quebec amounts to 6161 annually. 2. That the number of sick, infirm, &c., who are provided for by the religious houses of this city, is more than 3,974 annually. 3. That out of this number of sick 486 receive gratuitously each day, and during the whole year, care and nourishment from these same communities. (The 28 infirm and invalid patients of the General Hospital, and the 30 young girls of the Reformatory School, confided by Government to the care 21 • of the Sisters of the Gootl Shepherd, are not included in this figure.) The 6161 children and young porHons of both sexes who obtain their educat n in religious communities, receive that education gratuitously, or almost so. The threepences and the fivopencos, &c., paid monthly by a certain number of the day-scholars who frequent the schools of the Sisters of Charity, of the Good Shepherd, and of the Ursulines, cannot be considered otherwise than equivalent to 0, if we compare the revenue derived from this source to the sum of the expenses incurred annually by these divers establishments. So also the $100, or the 6120, paid by the boarders of the Seminary, of the University, of the Ursulines, &c., does not suffice, or barely suffice., to dofray the cost of boarding thocc pupils. The proof of this is visible in the large deficits of all these establishments, notwithstanding that their administra- tion is conducted with the most strict economy. We have therefore at Quebec a complete system of gratuitous education. -Between this system of gratuitous education and tha followed in other countries, there are two points of capital difference,— that is to say : 1. Gratuitous education in other countries, where this system is in force, exists only in reference to elementary education. In Quebec, education of every kind, elementary and classical, is gratuitous. 2. Elsewhere the costs of this gratuitous education are borne by governments and municipalities; in Quebec the religious communities, unaided, bear the costs of this education, (the Normal Schools excepted.) In fact the amount of assistance granted for this object by the Provincial Government, and by the School Commissioners, is so small, that, compared to the enormous sum expended by our religious houses, the public grants are barely equivalent 22 Thus, the amount of assistance granted by the School Commission, to all our religious houses which impart education, does not reach the insignificant sum of $4,700 annually. That which is true for schools and for education is equally true for the hospitals and for the care of the sick. In all civilized countries of the world the governments and the municipalities are held to provide education for the people and care for the pauper sick, as a primary and imperative duty. Some of the municipalities of thp large cities in Europe devote to these objects millions annually. In Quebec the care of sick Catholic ^^aupers, as well as the education of youth, falls almost 3ntirely upon our religious communities ; the total sum which they expend annually for these two objects attaining the enormous figure of almost $136,000. In other words, that our religious communities completely rid the government and the municipalities of this annoying task and this enormous expense, by means of their own revenues. Let us suppose for a moment that, for one reason or another, our religious houses should cease to exist, on whom would devolve the task of providing the costs of public education and the outlay demanded by the care of the sick, the invalid, and the orphan ? Evidently on the Provincial ■ Government and the Quebec Municipality. Whence comes this enormous sum of $136,000 spent annually by our religious houses ? This sum is raised at Isle- Jesus, situated 180 miles from Quebec, at the Cote Beaupre, at the Isle-aux-Oies, at St. Joachim, at the Canardiere, &c., and from the boarding fees of pupils, the majority of whom are from the rural districts. And as the total revenues of the property, real and personal, possessed by the religious houses within this city, makes but a trifling sum, it appears that they contribute annually to the local capital and circulation a sum equal to $136,000 annually •23 —almost every dollar of which comes from without. Let those religious communities disappear-or let them settle elsewhere-and it is evident that, pecuniarily speaking, the loss to the city would be great. For $136,000 added to the circulation is no bagatelle in the hard times through which wo are passing. • Very strange too ! the complete interversion of parts played here. Whilst elsewhere we see the governments and the munici- palities coming to the relief of charitable and educational institutions, here it is the latter which assists the municipali- ties and the government; -not only to do a work which properly belongs to government and the municipality, but also to contribute towards expenses which should fall on them of right-especially in the case of the municipality. In fact, by consulting the table given above, it will be seen that the School Commission contributes to some of these institutionK a sum which varies from $60 to $840. Portion of the School Commission fund is subscribed by the Quebec Corporation, but, on the other hand, this same Corporation by means of water taxes, chimney taxes, and other assess- ments, collects a very handsome sum from these various institutions. To cite but one example : The Quebec Seminary pays not less than $600 per annum water tax, which, to say the least of it, is an exorbitant charge. Let us cite another example :-Tho School Commission contributes to the Congregation N.-D. a sum equal to $100, while tKe sum paid by that community to the Corporation of Quebec annually for taxes on water, vehicles and chimneys foots up $93. Balance $7 ! It is, therefore, literally true to say that the Corporation of the city withdraws with one hand that which it gives with the other. In the cases before us it even receives more than it gives,— seeing that a large share of the $100 granted by 24 the School Commission is furnished by the government. This way of doing things at least shews that our municipal corporation understands its business. It is easy enough to be generous on such conditions ! The number of persons of both sexes belonging to the Catholic Institutions of Quebec is 495, of whom 70 are Priests and Brothers, and 425 are professed Nuns. The 425 Sisters make a vow of poverty at their profession ; and the 36 Brothers who serve the schools of the Christian Doctrine make the same vow. These 461 persons receive no salary whatever, and give their services to the public gratis ! The Priests of the Seminary belonging to the secular order of the clergy are not obliged to make the same vow of poverty, and therefore are not. pre v ented from taking a salary. But they get no salary ; — for I presume no one will consider as salary the $20 paid annually to the Hector of the Laval University and to the 14 aggregated priests of the Seminary ; or the sum of $55; or even that of $100 paid to the ecclesias- tics and auxiliaries of that institution. And what reason exists, then, to prevent these 34 priests from receiving a salary proportionate to their merit and to the valuable services which they render society? None, absolutely ; for the only formality which the Seminary would have to observe would be to vote such salary ! Neither the civil authority nor those of the Church could object to such a proceeding if adopted. Let us suppose the case that the Council of the Seminary desired to vote to each of its members the reasonable salary of $1000 per annum; a sum which; assuredly, would not be exorbitant, and yet would give the 34 priests and ecclesiastics of this house a total of $34,000. And this sum which the priests of the Seminary might so justly appropriate, they make a present of to the public ! With this $34,000 the Corporation of the Quebec Seminary pays the salaries of the lay professors of the Laval University, 25 tho 20 annual half-boarding fees founded by itself to assist poor students of tho University, tho bursarships and half- bursarships which it grants to a largo number of young scholars and poor ecclesiastics. And the balance is used to augment the museums and libraries of the two institutions ; to establish new faculties in the University, the want of which is felt but cannot be overcome at present for tho lack of means ; and to meet the annual deficit in the revenues of the Seminary and University. All things balanced then, wo find we have, in the single city of Quebec, 495 persons who devote all their time, consecrate their whole lives, to the service of their fellow- beings without any personal remuneration ! And those religious communities, charitable and educational, of whom and how are they composed ? — From the very flower of the French-Canadian population ; in other words, from the very best population of the Dominion of Canada, from Manitoba to the Atlantic. By their origin, oy their birth, by kinship, these 444 persons belong to the fii'st families of Lower Canada. Those priests are our brothers and our cousins; — those nuns are our sisters and our relatives in every degree of kindred. And these facts are all of themselves so extraordinary that many Protestants, even those who live among us, will not believe them. When you enter into conversation with them on this subject, they either keep silent or receive your statements with a smile of incredulity. They suspect that underneath what you say lies some mystery — they imagine that the life of a priest or a nun offers some unknown charm. And speaking with tho higher truth they are right in so thinking ; for the particular attraction presented in the lives of these 495 persons has its beautiful side, and may be summed up in these words : "To accomplish the good of Eeligion and of one's country, without reward or human compensation." 1 m'mx^s^i 4 I i^zzr 4 I