V. Letters from the Provincial Secretary in Regard to the Action of the Provincial Treasurer and Replies by Doctor Ryerson. (Four CHAPTER VIII. PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE WITH DOCTOR RYERSON TO INDUCE HIM TO WITHDRAW HIS LETTER OF APPEAL AGAINST THE TREASURER'S NOTE. This Correspondence included Twenty-six Letters and Telegrams CHAPTER IX. REPORT ON INSTITUTIONS FOR THE DEAF, DUMB AND BLIND IN EUROPE, I. Letter to the Provincial Secretary from Doctor Ryerson II. Institutions for the Deaf, Dumb and Blind in Europe and the CHAPTER X. RETURN IN REGARD TO THE SALARIES AND EMOLUMENTS OF THE OFFICERS 2. Supplementary Memorandum to the Chief Superintendent in 3. Memorandum of three Officers of the Education Department 213 IV. Section Number Four of the Return V. Section Number Five of the Return VI. Letter from the Provincial Secretary to the Deputy Superinten- VII. Reply to the foregoing Letter by the Deputy Superintendent 218 VIII. Letter of the Deputy Superintendent to the Editor of The Globe 219 IX. Letter from the Chief Superintendent to the Provincial Sec- retary, enclosing a Memorial from Officers of the Education Department to the Lieutenant-Governor, with acknowledgment 221 X. Letter from the Chief Superintendent to the Provincial Secre- tary on the Construction of Maps, with Reply CHAPTER XI. PROCEEDINGS OF THE SENATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, 1869 I. Report of a Committee on Upper Canada College CHAPTER XII. PROCEEDINGS OF THE CHURCHES ON UNIVERSITY MATTERS I. The Methodist Church, Representing Victoria University 1. Proceedings of the Board of Victoria College II. The Presbyterian Church, (of Scotland), Representing Queen's 5. Annual Report of Queen's College to the Synod III. The Church of England, Representing Trinity University, 1868-69, 261 IV. The (Free) Presbyterian Church, Representing Knox College 1. Educational Proceedings of the Synod of the Church 2. Report of the Board of Management of Knox College 3. Receipts and Expenditures of Knox College from May, 1868, CHAPTER XIII. PROCEEDINGS OF THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION, 1869 CHAPTER XIV. EDUCATIONAL FEATURES OF THE VISIT OF PRINCE ARTHUR TO CANADA CHAPTER XV. APPORTIONMENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE SCHOOL GRANT IN ONTARIO IN 1869 281 CHAPTER XVI. DISPROPORTION IN THE LEGISLATIVE GRANT TO SOME GRAMMAR SCHOOLS IN 1869, AS COMPARED WITH THAT OF 1868. THE CAUSES NOTE. Four Letters on the subject. CHAPTER XVII. THE ONTARIO TEACHERS' CONVENTION IN 1869 CHAPTER I. PROCEEDINGS AND REPORT OF A SELECT COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY ON THE UPPER CANADA COLLEGE, THE GRAMMAR AND COMMON SCHOOLS AND OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION FOR UPPER CANADA. On the 16th of November, on motion of Honourable Attorney-General J. S. Macdonald, a Select Committee was appointed to examine into the working of the Common and Grammar School System of Ontario, together with the Department of Public Instruction; with power to send for persons and papers, and to report thereon, composed as follows:-Honourable M. C. Cameron, Messieurs Craig, (Russell), Boyd, Blake, Christie, Crosby, Cumberland, Ferguson, Ferrier, Greely, Lauder, Monteith, McDougall, McGill, McMurrich, Pardee, Beatty, Rykert, Shaw, Scott (Ottawa), Sinclair, Tett, and Williams (Durham). It was at Doctor Ryerson's very special request that inquiry into the working of the Education Department was included in the motion. On the same day, on motion of Mr. R. Christie, a Select Committee was appointed to consider the disendowment of Upper Canada College, and also the several petitions presented to this House, praying therefor; with power to send for persons and papers, and to report thereon; Honourable Attorney General Mcdonald moved in amendment, "That all the words after 'that' in the motion be expunged, and the following substituted in lieu thereof:-"the Petitions presented to this House respecting Upper Canada College, be referred to the Special Committee, appointed to examine into the working of the Common and Grammar School System of Ontario, and into the Department of Public Instruction, and that Messieurs Christie and Shaw be added to the said Committee:" And the amendment, having been put, was carried. The original motion, as amended, was then put, and carried. I have already given the material parts of the Reply, made before this Committee by the then Principal of Upper Canada College, to the Report on the College, which had been published by the Grammar School Masters' Association. I also give the substance of (and, in most cases,) the entire Proceedings of the Committee, (so far as I have been able to obtain copies of these proceedings,) which took place in the month of January, 1869. At one of the first meetings of the Select Committee the Reverend Doctor Ryerson was requested to attend and give such information in regard to the subjects to be considered by it. This he did on the 16th of December, 1868. I have not been able to obtain a copy of the proceedings of that Meeting, but, among the papers in the Education Department, was the following statement of what took place at that Meeting. The Reverend Doctor Ryerson addressed the Committee, remarking upon the nature and objects of the principal provisions of the Common and Grammar School Amendment Bills,-upon the development of the System of Public Instruction,-upon the change which he had proposed in the Department, and his retirement from its administration. Referring to the Common School Amendment Bill, Doctor Ryerson stated that in January, February and March of 1866, he made his last official Tour of Upper Canada, and consulted the people at County School Conventions as to the provisions desired for further simplifying and improving the School Law. At the close of that Tour he prepared a Draft of Bill to give effect to the recommendations of the Conventions, and proceeded to the Seat of Government to get the Bill passed by the Legislature then in Session; but, as that was expected to be the last Session of the Legislature of United Canada, it was suggested and agreed upon, to leave the School Law of Upper Canada to be considered by the proposed Upper Canada Legislature after the Confederation. Three leading provisions of the now proposed Common School Amendment Bill were pronounced upon by the County Conventions, whose proceedings were given in the Annual School Report for 1866. In regard to "Township Boards of Education," of forty County Conventions, twenty-five formally expressed a desire to adopt the principle of Township Boards; in one Meeting the Resolution affirming the principle was lost, and ten passed Resolutions in opposition to that principle. Although a large majority of the Conventions expressed themselves in favour of Township Boards, yet, as the minority opposed to them was so considerable, he (Doctor Ryerson) had only proposed to make the establishment of them permissive, on the vote of a majority of the School Sections in a Township, instead of requiring a unanimous vote, as the law now requires. In regard to County Boards of Public Instruction, "Of the forty County Conventions, thirty-five affirmed the principle of appointing Boards of Examiners for each County by the Governor-in-Council; also of uniform Examination Papers and simultaneous Examinations. The others took no action on the question, or did not report their proceedings." In the proposed Bill, it was provided, that each County Board of Examiners, (now consisting of all the Grammar School Trustees and Local Superintendents of a County,) should consist of members with prescribed qualifications, but appointed by the County Council, as at present. Respecting what has been called "Compulsory Education," of forty County Conventions, thirty seven affirmed the principle of the duty of the State to render penal the neglect of Parents to avail themselves of the opportunities afforded for the education of their children. Two Conventions declined to take any action on the matter, and three have not reported their proceedings. The Bill, as approved by the Committee, after Doctor Ryerson's explanation, provided for the application of this principle in the most lenient and liberal manner possible. As to having properly qualified County Superintendents, instead of numerous and often unqualified Local Township Superintendents, Doctor Ryerson stated that there was scarcely any difference of opinion, as also against sudden changes in the boundaries of School Sections, and on enabling School Sections to provide Teachers' Residences. In regard to frequent changes of Teachers, he stated that all persons of experience in all Countries where it was allowed, admitted the evil of it. In the most free and locally republican Countries in Europe, Holland and Switzerland, (in addition to all the German States), this was provided against; and what was proposed in the Bill suggested a remedy for the evil in the most modified form, and only after the Teacher had proved his efficiency by a six months' Trial. A County Superintendent had nothing to say in the employment of a Teacher, and would, of course, desire the removal of any inefficient one. Besides, whatever power was given to a County Superintendent in this and other |