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The Reverend Doctor Topp reported that, as appointed by the Board of Manage ment, he had taken the superintendence during the last three months of the Session, of the Class engaged in the study of Systematic Theology. The subjects dealt with were: Justification, Faith, Union with Christ, Repentance, Adoption, Regeneration. Sanctification, the Perseverance of the Saints, and Eschatology. The attendance of the Class was regular, some members of it not having been absent from a single meeting. Doctor Topp expresses unqualified satisfaction with the attention and conduct of the Class in every way.

The Senate would here desire to record its appreciation of the valuable service rendered to the College and the Church by the Reverend Doctor Topp, as also by the Reverend John Campbell; both gentlemen kindly consenting, at the request of the College Board, to take part in the work of the Session, when the College staff was unexpectedly, and, to our deep regret, weakened by the resignation of the Reverend Professor Inglis.

The Reverend Doctor Proudfoot taught during the latter half of the Session, the Class of Homiletics, which was composed of the Students of the Second and Third Years, numbering in all twenty-five. Forty-two Lectures were read in this Class, and twenty-seven Discourses of Students heard and criticized. The attendance of the Students, except when interrupted by sickness, was regular; and the interest manifested in the work of the Class very great.

The Reverend John Campbell reported that, in accordance with his appointment by the College Board, he conducted the Class in Church History during the first Term of the Session. The Class comprised the Students of the First and Second Years. Kurtz was employed as a Text Book in the Class, but Prelections were also given, embracing matter derived from other sources, whilst the arrangements observed by Kurtz was not adhered to. The ground gone over extended from the beginning of the Reformation to the present day.

The Reverend Mr. Campbell reported perfect satisfaction with the attendance of the Students, as also with their general deportment and their attention to the studies of the Class.

In the Preparatory Department of the College, there were fourteen Students during the first Term, and fifteen during the second. The Students in this Department received instruction in Classics only, in immediate connection with Knox College: the Board of Examiners prescribing certain Classes to be attended by the Students of the respective years in the University College.

At last Session, the Classes in Latin and Greek were conducted by Messieurs Scrimger and Renelson; who, in accordance with authority given by the College Board, were appointed by the Senate as Tutors.

Both Messieurs Scrimger and Renelson report regular attendance and satisfactory progress in study, on the part of their Classes.

Having obtained the sanction of the College Board to secure the services of a Teacher in Elocution, the Senate engaged Mr. Taverner to lecture on that important subject. The Senate has pleasure in bearing testimony to the interest which the Students manifested in Mr. Taverner's instructions, and to the good fruit which, it is believed, they have borne. The Senate hopes to have Elocution established as a regular part of the College Course.

The Students' Metaphysical and Literary Society was maintained with much spirit. A good deal of attention was given to the composition of Essays, and to Elocution. Discussions of important questions were held monthly, and three Public Meetings of the Society took place during the Session.

The Assembly's rule as to the preaching of Students during the Session has been faithfully adhered to; and the Senate would record its conviction that the action of the General Assembly taken last year at the instance of the Senate, has been beneficial in its operation.

During the year a considerable number of valuable Works have been added to the Library by purchase, and several Volumes have been presented.

The Senate has pleasure in reporting the establishment of two new Bursaries, to be called the "Esson Bursaries." These Bursaries, which are of the annual value of $100, are to be connected with an examination on the history of the Church. as contained in the Old Testament. They are the gift of a generous friend of the College, who is not connected with the Canada Presbyterian Church, and are named by him in token of gratitude for benefit received from the instruction of one, whose memory is held in honour in this College.

Also, a very valuable Prize consisting of Lange's Commentary, has been instituted by Mr. D. Galbraith, for proficiency in the knowledge of the original language of Scripture. The Senate is gratified to be permitted to announce that the Prize which for several years has been given, alternately for Hebrew and Greek, is the gift of Mr. [now, in 1908. Sir] William Mortimer Clark, and would here record its thanks to both of the gentlemen who have established these valuable Prizes.

The Senate is happy to state that the list of Bursaries which it is enabled to announce for competition next Session is still in advance of that above given. TORONTO, June, 1873.

WILLIAM CAVEN, Chairman of Senate, Knox College.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF EXAMINERS OF THE WESTERN SECTION.

The Board of Examiners beg leave to submit the following Report of its operations during the past year.

Eight Students presented themselves for examination in the beginning of October, with the view of being enrolled for the first time as Students of the Preparatory Course of Knox College.

In addition to arranging for their attendance on the Classes for instruction in Latin and Greek within Knox College, the Board, as in former years, prescribed certain Classes in University College for the Students of each year of the Preparatory Course. All the Students in this part of the Course were examined by the Board in Latin and Greek at the close of the Session. These examinations were, in every case, sustained, and gave evidence of marked progress during the Session in these branches. A copy of the revised Curriculum is annexed to this Report.

Thirteen Students appeared before the Board in October to pass the examination prescribed for entrants on Theology. The Examinations of all were sustained, although in some of the subjects several Papers given in were so defective, as to make a supplementary oral Examination necessary. The Scholarship in Hebrew was awarded to Mr. William Frizzell, and that for General Proficiency to Mr. Peter Straith.

An Examination was conducted by the Board, as in former years, for the purpose of awarding Scholarships to Students attending University College, with the view of entering the Ministry of the Canada (Free) Presbyterian Church.

The Board is still of opinion that this scheme is one fitted to advance the best interests of the Church and deserves a liberal support from its Congregations. Hitherto it has been kept in operation by a very few of them.

TORONTO, June 3rd, 1873.

JOHN M. KING, Convener.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON COLLEGE BUILDINGS.

The Committee appointed at the Meeting of the Board held in October, last year, to consider the state of the College Buildings, and to report on the advisability, either of altering and improving the present ones, or of erecting a new structure on the present Site, or in some other place, desire to report as follows:

The Committee having taken the subject into consideration, and carefully examined the present Building, have come to the unanimous conclusion that a new College Building is urgently required. In order to ascertain the views of the friends of the College in Toronto on this subject, they called a Public Meeting on the 4th of March last, which was well attended by prominent Members of the various City Congregations. At this Meeting there was a very general and hearty expression of opinion in favour of proceeding at once to the erection of a new College.

Thus encouraged, the Committee resolved to open a provisional subscription list, and requested the Reverend Professors Caven and Gregg, to arrange a plan for visiting different localities, and soliciting subscriptions. To this request a very ready response was given by those Gentlemen. The survices of the Reverend Alexander Young, have also been secured for the same purpose.

Pursuant to arrangement made by these Gentlemen, Toronto has been canvassed, and Hamilton, London, Galt, Guelph, Sarnia, Ayr, Kingston, Belleville and several subscriptions to the extent of upwards of $2,000. In Guelph, $2,007 have been subscribed, and a considerable amount more is still expected. The other parts of the Province have not yet to any great extent been canvassed, but wherever Professors Caven and Gregg have gone, they have met with a most cordial welcome and very gratifying success. Professor Gregg, last week, paid a visit to Belleville and Kingston, and received subscriptions to the extend of upwards of $2,000. In Guelph, $2,007 have been subscribed. In Galt, $1.500 has already been promised, and as much more, at any rate, is looked for. A few friends in Mitchell and Drummondville have given $760 without being solicited. The amount already subscribed is over $40,400. A large portion of the Church has still to be visited, and it is confidently hoped that when the whole Church has been overtaken. the subscription list will be very largely increased.

The propriety of procuring another Site for the erection of the College, has occupied the attention of the Committee, and the general opinion is in favour of securing a Site to the west of the University, on, or near, College Street. Should the General Assembly sanction a change of Site, a lot situated on College Street, and in every respect suitable, can be obtained, upon what the Committee consider reasonable terms.

The Committee, with all confidence, suggest to the Board of Management the propriety of submitting the scheme which has been entrusted to them. to the General Assembly for its approval,-of asking its sanction to a change in the College Site; and also asking for authority to sell the present Site when a suitable opportunity offers. Hearty thanks are due to the Reverend Professors Caven and Gregg for their services in soliciting and procuring subscriptions.

TORONTO, June, 1873.

JOHN MCMURRICH, Chairman of Committee.

The Committee on Foreign Missions beg to offer to the General Assembly the following recommendation which they trust will meet with approval, videlicet:

That the Foreign Mission Committee be directed, when they have obtained sufficient information for their guidance, to select a field of labour for the young women at present studying in Ottawa, and to make such arrangements as they may deem expedient for their employment in the foreign field, and that the instructions of last Assembly, in reference to the securing of female co-operation in support of this department of the work be continued.

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CHAPTER XI.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE GOVERNMENT WITH THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.-ELECTION OF MEMBERS, 1873.

I have already, in Chapter XV of the Twenty-fourth Volume of this Documentary History, referred to the rather arbitrary manner in which the Government of the day had treated the Council of Public Instruction in 1871 and 1872. The mode of doing so was in more or less of a peremptory manner, such as requiring its Members to give a "Statutory Authority" for each of its acts, and, especially, for the General Regulations, which it had passed for the Government of the Public and Grammar, or High, Schools and Collegiate Institutes of the Province.

The more effectively to accomplish this purpose, (as stated by the Council of Public Instruction), the Government had a Bill passed by the Legislature, giving it authority,—

"To cause enquiry to be made into the working of any Rules, Regulations, Instructions, or Recommendations, which have been, or may be, made, or issued by the Council of Public Instruction and to abrogate, suspend, or modify such

Rules," etcetera.

"That, as contemplated by this Act, the Government instituted a most severe and exhaustive inquisition into the acts of the Council in regard to the following [seven] subjects."

The Members of the Council of Public Instruction felt that while they had given their best consideration to the various subjects which, under the successive School Acts had been submitted to them by the Chief Superintendent of Education for the previous twenty-five years, with the sanction and approval of the Government, they were surprised that, on the advent of a new Government, they should have been, without notice, or consultation, subjected to treatment which, in itself, they regarded as uncalled for and arbitrary. The Members of the Council, therefore, at their first Meeting in January, 1873, strongly deprecated such treatment, and gave a very decided expression to their feelings in a Petition to the House of Assembly on the subject.

While, under the authority of this Act, the Council was, as a rule, required to explain and justify the various acts to which the Government took exception, yet, in some cases, that objection, on the part of the Government, was expressed, before even asking for this explanation, in the form of and Order-in-Council, disallowing the Rules, Regulations, or Instructions, thus practically rendering them inoperative.

Not content with making the Council of Public Instruction amenable to the operations of this arbitrary Act, the Government went a step further, and subjected the Chief Superintendent, as Head of the Education Department and Administrator of the School Laws of the Province, to the same treatment, and required him to explain and justify his administrative acts

on pain of having them disallowed, or abrogated, and that, too, without notice, or explanation, or consultation. It was no wonder, therefore, that he made up his mind that it was only a question of time when he would definitely hand in to the Government his resignation of the office of Chief Superintendent of Education.*

Having thus effectively destroyed the independence of the Council of Public Instruction, the next step proposed by the Government was to impair its dignity, (as a Body whose Members were appointed for life by the Lieutenant-Governor), by the infusion among its Members of persons elected by the Masters and Teachers of the Schools and of other persons connected with Education. This proposal, as originally laid before Doctor Ryerson in 1872, was as follows:

"In addition to the numbers of Persons now authorized by Law to compose the Council of Public Instruction, it may and shall be lawful for the Lieutenant-Governorin-Council to appoint annually for one year three Persons nominated respectively by the Inspectors of Public Schools, the Head Masters of High Schools and Collegiate Institutes, and the Teachers of Public Schools, in the manner hereinafter provided.".

When the Government had decided to introduce into the Legislature a Bill to the foregoing effect, the subject was referred to in "the Speech from the Throne.' Doctor Ryerson was present, but heard very imperfectly what was said on the subject by the Lieutenant-Governor. On, however, reading the Governor's Speech afterwards, he felt greatly disappointed at its tenor, and at once addressed the following Letter to the Attorney-General protesting against its implied censure on the Council of Public Instruction:

I. THE CHIEF SUPERINTENDENT OF EDUCATION TO THE HONOURABLE ATTORNEY-GENERAL MOWAT, M.P.P.

I heard imperfectly some sentences of the Speech from the Throne on Wednesday, and since reading and pondering it, I have felt much pained at the terms in which the Council of Public Instruction is referred to. Had it been proposed simply to increase the number of Members of the Council, or modify its composition, or the tenure of appointments to it, in order to meet the wishes of portions of the Community, no unpleasantness would have been felt, but when Legislation is announced in order to "give increased efficiency to the Council of Public Instruction" it is clearly implied that the Council is not, and has not hitherto been, efficient, endorsing what has been said and written against the Council, involving an imputation, or reflection, which I am sure the Council does not deserve. There may be need of "increased efficiency" in the Education Department, but if so, it is in the Chief Superintendent of Education, certainly not in the Council of Public Instruction. However, you may modify the Council I do not believe you will "increase its efficiency."

I feel the more concerned on this subject, after seeing in your reported Speech that you intended to pursue the policy of Mr. Edward Blake, and, in connection with that, calling to recollection your remark to me that you felt yourself bound to carry out the private promises, or declarations, of your Predecessors. I know the kind of

*Thus, not very long afterwards (in July, 1873), he proposed to Mr. Mowat (then Attorney General), to send in his resignation, but being dissuaded, he wrote a note to Mr. Mowat withdrawing his proposal. In reply. Mr. Mowat said "I have received your note, withdrawing your proposal to resign your office as Chief Superintendent. I hope you may long live to continue the discharge of its duties. ' OLIVER MOWAT. TORONTO, July 12th, 1873.

(NOTE Doctor Ryerson, however, felt compelled finally to resign his office in 1876.)

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