The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-22
The Dominion Parliament on Free Schools

W
ion government and the extent of the local
governments of the respective provinces con-
shutting the confederation, is question that
promises 10 be productive of constant ifrita-
ton in the Dominion and grave complications
In the future. Just now this question is agi-
tatlng the public mind in various parts of that
country and is being considered by the news
papers, on account of the recent vote OF the
Dominion House ofCommons requesting the
Govemor-General not to approve the anu
separate school law of New Brunswick, which
was enacted in 1871 and is now in succe sful
operation. The question was first carried by
the opponents ofthe measure to the privy
council, which refused to take the responsible
ity OF advising the Dominion governor to dis
allow an act that the New Brunswick Assem-
bly, had passed an; its local governor ap-
proved.
The new school system of New Brunswick
Is on the same principle of that which has
been established in New England. The
Catholics and conservatives oppose the es-
Enlistment of free schools supported ny gen.
sral taxation, the former because they are not
allowed to control their proportional part of
the money for sectarian schools and the lat
ter because they are hostile 10 any innovation,
and most of all any Yankee scheme. In New
Brunswick there is large majority of the
people as well as of the Assembly in its favor.
Put into practical operation, its good results
have exceeded the expectations of its most
hopeful friends. Its enemies in New Bruins
wick haye hopelessly given up the attempt to
secure its abolition by the local government
and they have applied to the Dominion au-
thorities. The privy council some time since
gave its opinion that it was within the scope
of the constitutional power of New Bruus-
wick to establish such system of education.
Not satisfied with that, MIR. Costigan Roman
Catholic of another province introduced
resolution requesting the Governor
General to disallow the bill which formal
ly comes before him for final approval. The
resolution called forth warm debate in
which the government assumed the opposi-
ton while the opponents of the government,
with Catholics, advocated it.
In the course of the debate, strange as it
may seem, the system of free education was
assaed with great bitterness, painfully illus
trating that the average Dominion member of
parliament fails to recognize that the general,
unsectarian education of the people is the on
ly road to advancement. In the vote which
followed, the government was defeated, the
Catholics which usually adhere to it voting
with the opposition, whose eagerncss to out
vote the ministry surpassed their devotion to
the higher interests of the country.
It now remains to be seen what the Gov
ernor-G General will do under this novel state
of affairs. The House of Commons are not
his constitutional advisers and it is assumed
that he will not feel bound by the late vote.
In that event, the opponents of the free
school system, confident of their majority in
the House, will introduce a motion of want
of confidence in the government and force it
through, which ofcourse will oblige the pres
ent ministry to retire, to be replaced by one
that will advise the Governor-General to dis
allow the free school act of New Brunswick.
This will raise the question as to what sub
jects the local governments of the provinces
can legislate upon. When they cannot pre-
scribe the method of the education of the
young and raise money by taxation for the
support ofschools, there are few matters that
can be considered within their constitutional
authority, and for all practical purposes the
local governments may as we'll be abolished,
since their authority has been seized by the
Dominion Parliament.
lent in their joy at their victory over popular
education, and the friends of free schools are
equally indignant at their defeat. as may be
seen from the following extract from the st.
John NeUs:
What if the result of a general appeal to the
right? What, indeed With our Union
predictions so strong, and, apart from the
trouble that has overtaken us, with our I'm
ion hopes and prospects SO bright and prom
1sing, we shrink from pursuing that question
now. But If driven to consider it at last, we
should have to say that New Brunswick can
never consent to have its constitutional rights
in the Union trampled under foot in the man.
ner proposed, never, never, never.
In the Harper for June, Mr.. Charles
Ncrdhof recently of the New York Evening
Post, shows that the present penitentiary
system of the country costs ten millions, and
repays less than half of it and makes the pris-
oners worse rather than better. He recon-
meLds that for q punishment the coun-
try revive the exploded system of a penal