The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-01-04
SCHOOLS IN MANITOBA
4 Extraots From a speech Delivered,
on tho vexatious
sSsys Question.
HoE. GEORGE W. ROSS EXPLAINS
Common Sense Should Be brought TO
{ Bear Upon the
N Mattcr

ss In a speech recently delivered in Mon
q treal Hon. George w. Ross thus referred
toYthe muddled question OF the Manitoba
separate schools:
As the Manitoba legislature had beyond
question the right land the pr;yy council
e has so decided) to pass the school act OF
1880, I offer no observation with regard to
n iteexcept this that believe under the act
a by GNticl Manitoba entered the union, 1t
was understood by all the other provinces
, that t.,e minority, whether Protestant OF
Catholic, would nave the right to establish
+ dsnominational schools. It was the meres5
Inockery to empower the Dominion gov
eminent to interfere for the protection Of
e demon: national schools, unless it was as
sunad that such schools existed, and that
in the changes incident 70 the growth OF
new country tho.s might need protection
from possible Interference sometinla ii the
future.
But even II tnn tIoo,nan Catholics had no
constitutional rights to UNCONVENTIONAL
schools, had they 10 vested rights? The
Manitoba legislature Itself called them in
10 existence. II they mad no standing I'M
der The union act, which Manitoba was
bound 70 respecs, surely the legislature
n,lgi,. to pay some deIarenc@to It's own leg
is,aticn Had tha Catholics numbered
1000 instead o. 20 GEO, Woull the legis-
la:uIa have acted so inconaideia;ely
Even admitting TO" the sake OF argument
thar separate schools are undesirable, yet
tic right OF o1e-seventh OF $ae whole pop
utation to such schools up TO 1890 had not
been questioned! Their teachers were rec
ogniZad as duly qualified according to law,
tie taxpayers had contributed for the cree
tion OF school buildings and the purchase
OF school sites and held them by a legal
title. Was it & reasonable thing or Il
kindly ;a:ng, Or iii harmony With British
practice. TO disq,Hsl::fy the teachers OF the
separate schools ard turn them all adrift
TO earn their bread in some other way, and
to transfer school property which had
been paid for by the Roman Catholic tax
payer and held for MIN by trustees of his
own choice to trustees appointed under q
tora}ly changed condition Of things? Were
not the rights and privileges arising out OF
the laws which the Legislature Of Manitoba
mad itself passed to he considered at this
stage, if the union act had no force or eff
feet?
Let us look upon the matter in the light
Of swell recognized Canadian precedents
if YOU will. In my early days we were
very much disturbed in Ontario by an ag-
itation for the secularzation of the clergy
reserves. The people of my province
Thought It was unfair that Episcopalians
and one section of the Presbyterian church
should be specially endowed by the state
whilst all other denominations, Catholic
Included, had to support their own clergy,
and SO they began al agitation which
finally resulted in the abolition OF the
clergy reserves This was in 1854. But
what was done with the clergylnen WHO
We're dependent for their incomes on the
endoU-lnants provided by the state? Were
they pat adrift pennilesS and homeless?
Not at all Every single clergyman whose
income was dependent upon the endoW-
n1ent Of the state was protected to the ut
Ie.'nost fartalsng the remainder Of the
endowment being distributed among the
people Of the province to whom 1t origin
ally belonged. That is what I call Brit
Ism justice as Interpreted by that great
Conservative leader, lately passed away,
SIR Junn Macdonald.
Lei NE give another case, this time
from yo11r own province. You remember
the abolition Of saigniorial tenure. How
was that brought about? By confiscating |
the rights of the seigniors and distributing
their land to tena nts whom the act intend |
ed TO relieve? Not at all While the right I
Of the tenant or cansitaire was protected,
the vested right Of the seignior was equal
~ vindicated and a very vexatiOus quss-
ton removed from the arena of party pol
tiles. That was the craftsmanship OF one
If your own distinguished citizens and OF !
french Canadian origin, too-Sir George
Il. Cartier.
One other precedent the force of which
;4oN., Il,
Of Canada took possession of the North
west territories, the rights of the Hudson's
Bay Company. although they were mere
traders i'll the fllrs and skins Of wild ami
mails, were duly considered. 1t is difficult
at first sight to see how the mere right to
shoot over millions of acres gave to the
parties so privileged any possessory right
in the land, and yet the imperial govern
ment considered the Hudson's Bay Com
pany had such q right, and the legislature
Of Manitoba when they passed the act Of
1890 and deprived UNCONVENTIONAL schools
Of the privileges which they had them
selves conferred upon them, did SO in
sight OF the property conferred by imperial
legislation upon the Hudson's Bay Com
pany in recognition Of the principle OF
vested rights. That was in 1869, under
the Craftsmanship of Lord Beaconsfield.
Well, NlttL uUuifell6u utAt: laS ItO-
man Catholics appealed to the privy coun
Gil, failed on the first appeal, appealed
again and succeeded, at least so far as to
be told that they had a grievance griev-
anea sufficiently serious to warrant the
Dominion government in exercising the
remedial power entrusted~lo it by the
British North American act. And now we
enter upon another phase OF the question.
The storm center has moved from Winni-
peg to Ottawa--from the local legislature
TO the legislature Of the Dominion and
here we are face to face with the question
in its most serious aspect.
The bitterness Of party strife on such
political issues as arise in a democratic
country are intense enough even when the
contest involves, such an elementary
question in government as protection vs..
free trade, but when the religious element
is projected into the strife, the political
barometer at once indicatestgreat atnlos-
iialerical corlmbt:on, and probabilities pre-
DICT high winds. much sheet lighting, VITA
deep mutteT:ngs Of thunder IN every con-
slitnency where an election is pending,
chilly weather the day after the election,
and a great fog around the capital for IS
hours next following.
With a haste, not to say precipitancy.
which wanted the ssalInneas of 1natureu
IeIjberation a. remedial order was passed