thanks to you, a yoke of stupor, which is a yoke of degredation and decay; Spain has lost this secret power which it had from the Romans; this genius of art which it had from the Arabs; this world which it had from God, and in exchange for all you have made it lose, it has received from you the Inquisition—the Inquisition, which certain men of the party tried to-day to reestablish; which has burned on the funeral pile millions of men; the Inquisition which disinterred the dead to burn them as heritics; which declared the children of heritics infamous and incapable of any public honors, excepting only those who shall have denounced their fathers; the Inquisition, which, while I speak, still holds in the Papal library the manuscripts of Galileo sealed under the Papal signet. These are your masterpieces. This fire which we call Italy you have extinguished. This colossus that we call Spain you have undermined—the one in ashes, the other in ruins. This is what you have done for two great nations. What do you wish to do for France? Stop! you have just come from Rome! I congratulate you, you have had fine success there. You came from gagging the Roman people, and now you wish to gag the French people. I understand. This attempt is still more fine, but take care, it is dangerous. France is a lion, What the hierarchy failed to effect in France

and is still alive!"

they are now seeking to fasten upon Canada !

The above are some of the reasons why the Acts of 1890 were passed. In one of his letters Dr. Grant says:-"The men responsible for the change did not attack the old system for faulty administration or poor results; but they took the ground that it was wrong in principle and must be abolished root and branch.' In this, as in very many other of his statements, Dr. Grant is entirely wrong. Anyone at all conversant with educational matters in Manitoba must know that for years the inefficency of the Roman Catholic separate schools had been a recognized evil. Mr. Luxton so stated it in 1874. The resolutions of the Protestant section in 1876 point to the same thing. The statistical material collected by the Government in 1889 before the introduction of the Acts of 1890 and the debates in the Legislature all show that nearly all, if not all, the considerations I have referred to were in the minds of our legislators when they decided to put an end to such schools. They determined to abolish them

“root and branch" not only because they were wrong in princi ple, but also because their record was bad both here and everywhere. It was believed then as it is believed now that any attempted compromise by which any portion of such a system is retained must enevitably lead to most undesirable results.

CHAPTER IX.

MANITOBA FOllowed the EXAMPLE OF THE CIVILIZED World. -MUST SHE PUT ON THE CAST OFF GARMENTS OF EUROPE?

In taking her stand in favor of national and seeking to get rid of separate schools, Manitoba has but followed the enlightened example of the civilized world. According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica (Vol. VIII p. 712) in all Europe education is passing from the control of the clergy into the hands of the state. The same is said to be true even of Mexico, Central America and South America.

SWITZERLAND.

In Switzerland some cantons are almost exclusively Catholic, while in others Protestants constitute the large majority. Care is taken that there is no compulsion to attend religious services and no interference with liberty of conscience. The exercises consist in hymns, prayers, and reading the Bible, generally without comment. Sectarian education in the sense in which the Roman Catholics demand it is not found to be necessary.

BELGIUM.

While the Liberals of Belgium favor purely secular schools, the Conservatives have always strongly contended for denominational teaching. In the large centres of industry, despite the interference of the clergy and the strife of political parties, instruction continues to be secular. This is the case notwithstanding that "The Roman Catholic religion is professed by nearly the entire population of Belgium." (Statesman's Year Book 1891, p. 374.)

ITALY.

In Italy "the priesthood claims to direct the education of the masses, but the changes which have taken place in the temporal rule have greatly restricted their influence. Speaking generally, religious instruction is only imparted once a week by laymen, and only to those children whose parents desire it. It does not form part of the national system, and, as in other Catholic countries, the clergy are bitterly opposed to education by the state as at present regulated." ("Subjects of the Day," May, 1890, p. 75.)

FRANCE.

"In France the struggle for priestly ascendancy has exercised

greater influence over State instruction than in any other European country, and entirely to the disadvantage of the clergy. The department of education professes complete neutrality towards the religious denominations, but it is by exclusion and not by the concurrent endorsement of education. Hence the State system which is purely secular, is usually designated"Godless education," and it is no doubt one of the results against priestly interference in other than religious affairs." (Ibid.)

IRELAND.

Under the National School system of Ireland the Roman Catholics and Protestants are educated together. The conscience clause provides that when "once the religion of a child is entered on the register, the teacher, if of a different religious persuasion, must not permit the child, unless under the written authority of the parent on a certificate duly witnessed, to remain in attendance whilst religious instruction was proceeding." Bishop Doyle, the vehement advocate of Catholic schools, felt compelled to say: "I cannot refrain from expressing the ardent desire I feel of having the children of all Irishmen without distinction united in schools and in every relation of life." The Pope, though at first opposed to the system, finally called upon his Bishops to thank the Government "for giving so much of its wealth to the poor children of the country."-(Ibid. p. 59.)

AUSTRALIA.

"The Australian colonies are essentially democratic, and so, like the United States, they all base their common school systems on the principles of religious freedom, and the non-establishment of any particular form of religious belief."-(Ibid. p. 109.)

THE UNITED STATES.

E. E. White, LL. D., Superintendent of Public Schools of Cincinnati, in a paper read before the National Educational Association in Topeka, Kansas, July 15, 1886, says, (p. 10): "The great majority of American schools are religious without being sectarian; and it is high time that this fact were more universally recognized. It is doubtless true that the most impressive forms of presenting religious sanctions to the mind and heart of the young are prayer, silent or spoken, and the reverent reading of the Bible, especially those portions of the present human duty in its relation to the Divine Will-forms still per

mitted and widely used in four-fifths of the American schools." -(Papers of the American Historical Association, Vol. 2, No. 4, P. 457.)

MEXICO.

"What do Mexico, Central America, and South America think of the parochial school? I hold in my hand a book published in 1888, entitled, "The Capitals of South America," by William E. Curtis, appointed in 1885, by President Arthur, Secretary of the Spanish American Commission. He had exceptional advan

tages to ascertain the facts, and is a fair writer.

:

Let Mexico speak Parochial schools have been prohibited. Free public schools have been established. Whoever sends a child to a parochial school is fined (p. 4)." (Dr. Sydney Strong in the Envelope Series Quarterly, Boston, January, 1893.)

CENTRAL AMERICA.

"Let the Republics of Central America speak :

Guatemala.

- Children between the ages of 8 and 14 are required to attend the public schools (p. 84). San Salvador.-Education is free and compulsory and under State control (p. 178). Costa Rica.— Education under State control and is compulsory (p. 218). Whoever sends a child to a parochial school is subject to a heavy fine." (Ibid).

SOUTH AMERICAN REPUBLICS.

"Let the Republics of South America, with their 50,000,000 of people, speak: Remember that until 20 years ago the education of the children was in parochial schools under control of the clergy. Argentine Republic.-Free public schools under State control and a compulsory law, closely modelled after the system of the State of Michigan (p. 557). Chili.-Public, non-sectarian schools. Whoever sends a child to a parochial school is fined (p. 494). Uruguay.-Parochial schools have been closed, and free public schools have been established (p. 611). Venezuela.— Schools are supported by the government (p 27 ). Brazil.—The same (p. 678). So on through the list, every one of them repudiating the parochial school and establishing free public schools, until we reach Ecuador." (Ibid).

THE EXAMPLE SET BY OUR OWN CANADIAN PROVINCES.

NEW BRUNSWICK.

In the Province of New Brunswick the school system is purely