The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1895-06-20
MANITOBA SCHOOLS.


reply to the Dominion Governments
demand that separate schools should
be again established in Manitoba. 1t
is direct refusal of the demand.
The reply is in the form Of a memo
rial addressed to His Excellency, the
Governor General of Canada, in
Council. 1t first recites the remedial
order and then submits the follow
ing:
"These privileges, which by said
order we are commanded to restore
to our Roman Catholic fellow citi-
zens, are substantially the same
privileges which they enjoyed pre-
vious to the year 1890. Compliance
with the terms OF the order would
restore Catholic separate SCHOOLS,
with no more satisfactory guarantees
for their efficiency than existed prior
to the said date. The educational
policy embodied in our present stat
utes was adopted after an examina-
ton of the results of the policy
heretofore followed, under which
the separate Roman Catholic schools
(now sought to be restoredD had ex-
listed for upwards of nineteen years
The said schools were found to be
inefficient. AS conducted under the
Roman Catholic section of the Board
of Education, they did not possess
the attributes of efficient modern
public schools. Their conduct, man
agement and regulation were defect
i've. AS result of leaving large
section of the population with no
better means of education than was
thus supplied, many people grew up
in state of illiteracy. So far as we
are aware, there has never been an
attempt made to defend these schools
on their merits, and we do not know
of any grounds upon which the ex-
penditure of public money in their
support could be justified.
eve are therefore compelled to
respectfully state to your excel
lepcy in council that we can not
accept the responsibility of carrying
into effect the terms of the remedial
order. The reforms effected in 1896
have given an impetus to educa-
tional work, but the difficulties
which are inherent in our circum-
stances have constantly to met. 1t
will be obvious that the establish
ment of set of Roman Catholic
schools, followed by set OF Angli.
can schools, ahd probably Mennon-
| ite, Icelandic and other schools,
would 30 impair our present system
that any approach to even our pres
ent general standard of efficiency
would be quite impossible. We con-
template the Inauguration Of such
state of affairs with very grave sp-
prehension. We have no hesitation
in saying that there caa not be sug-
gested any measure, which, to our
minds, would more seriously imperll
the development of our province.
eve believe that when the rene.
dial order was made there was then
available to your excellency in coun
Gil full and accurate information as
to the working of our former system
of schools. We also believe ths
there was lacking the means O
forming correct judgment as to tn
effect upon the province of tn
change indicated in the order.
"Being impressed with this view
we respe ctfully submit that it Is moi
yet too late to make full and delib
crate investigation of the whole
subject. Should such course be
adopted, we shall cheerfully assist in
offering the most complete informa.
ton available.
"It is urged most strongly that
upon 30 important matter, involv-
ing, as it does, the religious feeling
and convictions of different classes
of the people in Canada and the
| educational interests of province
which is expected to become one oi
the most important in the dominion,
no hasty action should be taken
but that, on the contrary, the great
est care and deliberation should b.
exercised and full and tboroug
investigation made.
Gas to the legislative grant, W,
hold that it is entirely within tn
control of the legislature of the
province, and that no part Of tn,
public funds of the province coulo
be made available for the support o
separate schools without the volun.
tary action of the provincial legisla
| ture.
''lf this be the case, nothing could
be more unfortunate from the stand
point of the Roman Catholic people
themselves than any hasty or per-
emptory action on the part of the
parliament of Canada, because such
action would probably produc
strained relations and tend to pre-
vent the possibility of restoring
harmony.
"We understand that it has been
lately suggested that private funds
of the Roman Catholic church and
people has been invested in school
buildings and lands that are now
appropriated for public school pur-
poses. No evidence of such fact
| has ever been laid before us, so fal