The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-01-03
SCHOOL QUESTIO2,
The Canadian Parliament Wi
Consider it at the Present
Session,
And BOWellS Government Will
Stand or Fall on the Issue
Presented
Said to Be Doubtful Whether
the Government Will Be
Endorsed.

OTTAWA, Ont, Jan. 8. Those who
have taken a census of parliament as.
sert that the government will be de.
feated, temporarily at least, in any
attempt to restore the Roman Catholic
schools of Manitoba. The present ses
sion of parliament was called for the
express purpose of settling the disturbed
educational question of the Northwest.
Other cabinets of the Dominion govern.
ment have not been forced to deal with
the proposition but the issue this time
cannot be avoided.
Were Requested to Compromise.
The general Dominion government
requested the legislature of Manitoba
to effect some sort of compromise on the
public school question. The Greenway
government reported to Ottawa,
after the legislative session at Win
nipeg, that the people of Manitoba
in IA large majority declared their oppo.
sition to sectarian schools and rejected
any requests to concede even minor
points Under the act admitting Mani
toba to the confederation Of provinces,
it was provided that separate schools
for the children of Roman Catholics
might be maintained from public
moneys SO long as the province chose.
After 20 years of separate schools the
government of Manitoba, in 1890.
passed what was known as the public
schools act, establishing one system Of
popular education for the whole
province and taking away government
support of parochial schools.
The hierarchy of the province appealed
against the bill to the imperial privy
council, the highest court in the British
empire. Privy council decided that the
legislature of the Manitoba was acting
within its rights in passing the bill for
the adjustment of separate schools but
last winter another appeal was taken
on the ground that certain rights held
by the province at the time Of its en-
tering the dominion Moderation had
been violated. This appeal resulted in
the imperial privy council leaving dis
cretionary power with the dominion
parliament to aid the Manitoba Catho-
lies. 1t is on this question that the fate
Of the present conservative government
hinges.
Will Stapd or Fall on the Quest ion.
Sir Mackenzie Bowel, premier Of the
Dominion, now that the question has
been transferred to the general parlia-
ment, says his government will stand
or fall on the issue, and will yield no
point. The real fS.lt fer the schools is
led by Archbishop Langcvin, who is
himself of let~ rlnined, uncomproHising
character
The bill which VIII precip tate hosti!.
tiles will provide for the restoration of
Roman Catholic schools in Manitoba
with the right to conduct religious ex-
erciSes and instruction therein.
Clark Wallace, comptroller Of GUS
toms and also sovereign grand master
of the Orange order, resigned from the
cabinet as the best method of express
ing his views on the school question,
| when he learned the nature of the bill
| to be offered. Canadians say the out
come of the school fight is problemat.
but it is by no means certain a cabinet
made up of radical Orangemen would
endure any great length of time.
Ontario members who represent
| Protestant constituencies and Of whom
| there are 81, cannot vote for the re.
establishment of separate schools and
be re-elected. In the last four bye
elections, three opposition candidates
have been returned, and as indications
show, the government will be defeated
in the house in the coming session, if
they carry out their promise to bring in
a bill that will supercede Manitoba
legislatures act, and that will re- estab-
lish Roman Catholic schools. The
population of Manitoba is 200, Of
whom only 20, 600 are Roman Catholics.
| Noted Belgian Staten man Dead.
| BRUSSELS, Jan 8. --Frere- Orban, the
distinguished Belgian statesman, who,
with short intervals, has been a cabinet
minister for nearly half century, and
who has twice been president of the
council of ministers, is dead, aged "a
years.