The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-14
Catholic Institutions Declared
to Have Proved In
efficient.
FULL INVESTIGATION ASKED.
The Question One of the Most I'M
portant Before the Canadian
Parliament.

the Manitoba Legislature this afternoon
Attorney-General Sexton gave notice of a
motion setting forth Manitoba's reply to
the Dominion Governments demand that
separate schools should again be estab-
lished in Manitoba. 1t is direct refusal
of the demand. The reply is in the form
of memorial addressed to his Excellency
the Governor-General of Canada, in eoun-
Gil. 1t first recites the remedial order and
then submits the following:
These privileges, which by said order we are
commanded to restore to our Roman Catholic
fellow-citizens, are substantially the same
privileges which they enjoyed previous to the
year 1890. Compliance with the terms of the
order would restore the Catholic separate
schools, with no more satisfactory guarantees
for their efficiency than existed prior to the
same date.
The educational policies embodied in our
present statutes were adopted after an exami-
nation of the results of the policy Heretofore
followed, under which the separate Roman
Catholic schools (now sought to be restored)
had existed for upward of nineteen years
The said schools were found to be inefficient.
AS conducted under the Roman Catholic Sec
ton of the Board of Education they did not
possess the attributes OF efficient modern pub
lie schools. Their conduct, management and
regulation were defective. AS a result of the
leaving of 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 to defend these schools
on their merits, and we do not know of any
ground upon which the expenditure of public
money in their support could be justified.
We are, therefore, compelled to respectfully
state to your Excellency in council that we
cannot accept the responsibility of carrying
into effect the terms of the remedial order.
The reforms effected in 1890 have given an i'm
petus to educational work, but the difficulties
which are inherent in our circumstances have
constantly to be met 1t will be obvious that
the establishment of a set of Roman Catholic
schools, followed by set of Anglican schools
and by Mennonite, Icelandic schools would so
impair our political system that any approach
to even our present general standard of eff
cheney would be quite impossible. We con-
template the inauguration of such a state of
affairs with very grave apprehension. We have
no hesitancy in saying there cannot be sug-
gested any measure which, to our minds, would
more seriously imperil the development OF our
province.
We believe that when the remedial order
was made there was then not available to your
EXeellency in council full and accurate in
formation as to the working of our former svs-
tenn of schools. We also believe there was
lacking the means of forming correct judg-
ment as to the effect upon the province of the
changes indicated in the order. Being i'm
pressed with this view we respectfully submit
that it is not too late to make full and DELHI
crate investigation of the whole subject.
Should such a course be adopted, we shall
cheerfully assist in offering the most complete
Information available.
&c,
portant matter, involving as it does the
religious feelings and convictions of different
classes of the people in Canada and the educa-
tional interests OF province which is expected
to become one of the most important in the
Dominion, no hasty action should be taken
but that, on the contrary, the greatest care and
elaboration should be exercised and full and
thorough investigation made.
AS to the legislative grant we hold that it is
entirely within the control of the Legislature
of the province, and that no part of the public
funds OF the province could be made available
for the purpose of separate schools without the
voluntary action of the provincial Legislature.
If this be the case nothing could be more IN
fortunate, from the standpoint of the Roman
Catholic people themselves, than any hasty or
peremptory action on the part of the Parlia-
ment of Canada, because such action would
probably produce strained relations and tend
to prevent the possibility of restoring harmony.
We understand it has lately been suggested
that private finds of the Roman Catholic
church and people have been invested in
school buildings and land that are now appro-
priated for public school purposes. No evil
dence ofisuch fact has ever been laid before us,
so far as we can ascertain, but we profess our
selves willing, if any such injustice can be
to make full and fair compensa-
ton therefor.
In conclusion, we beg respectfully to place
on record our continued loyalty to her gracious
Majesty and to the laws which the Parliament
of Gree /: Britain has in its wisdom seen fit to
enact aor the good government of Canada.
The House then adjourned. 1t is not
expected that the question will come up
until Monday, when Premier Greenway
reaches the city from Ottawa.