Documentary History of Education in Upper Canada, Vol. 21: From the Passing of the Constitutional Act of to the Close of the Reverend Doctor Ryerson's ... in 1876; 1868-1869 (Classic Reprint) - Tapa blanda

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Excerpt from Documentary History of Education in Upper Canada, Vol. 21: From the Passing of the Constitutional Act of to the Close of the Reverend Doctor Ryerson's Administration of the Education Department in 1876; 1868-1869

The various events recorded in this Volume are of special interest, both educationally and personally. The years in which they occurred were the first of the transition period which marked the political severance of Upper and Lower Canada, and our becoming the self-governing and independent Province of Ontario, under the Confederation Act of 1867.

The personal events recorded were largely influenced by the new state of things, and were the significant precursors of events which led to the final retirement of the Reverend Doctor Ryerson from office in 1876.

The first of these personal events was Doctor Ryerson's proposal in 1868 to retire in favour of a Cabinet Minister of Public Instruction. The second of these personal events was the unexpected, and somewhat peremptory, proceedings of the new Provincial Treasurer in directing, without notice to, or consultation with, Doctor Ryerson, that the payment of all School Moneys, heretofore made by him, (and for which he was under heavy Bonds with Sureties,) should in future be made by the Provincial Treasurer.

Feeling that this Act had not the usual official sanction of the Lieutenant-Governor in all of such cases, Doctor Ryerson appealed against it to the Governor-in-Council, as being contrary to the express provisions of the School Act in the matter. The Attorney General, (J. Sandfield Macdonald) had, however, (without Doctor Ryerson's knowledge,) assumed the act of the Treasurer as that of the Government, and required Doctor Ryerson to withdraw his appeal, on pain of dismissal. As Doctor Ryerson was absent, holding County School Conventions, I saw Mr. Macdonald and Mr. M. C. Cameron, (Provincial Secretary,) several times on the subject, but without effect. I, therefore, sought, by strong personal appeals to Doctor Ryerson, to induce him to withdraw his Letter, and was, at length, finally successful. Thus the matter ended.

The educational event which, however, awakened the greatest public interest, and led to a good deal of discussion in the Newspapers and by the Representatives of the outlying Colleges, was the unexpected and final withdrawal by the newly organised Provincial Government of the usual yearly Parliamentary Grant to these Colleges, which had hitherto been made by the Government of United Canada.

Appeals were made to that Government to make compensation for the failure of the Provincial Government to carry out the practically implied guarantee of the unrepealed University Act of 1853 that these Grants were to be relied upon as a certain source of income in the future.

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