Journal of education, 1 juin 1863, Juin

/ fw i/itT f W'Ti : a.JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.Volume VII.Montreal (Lower Canada), June, 1863.No.6.SUMMARY.—Science : Wonders of the Heavens ; lecture delivered at the Lachute College by John Bruce, Esq., Inspector of Schools, (concluded).— Official Notices : Books Approved by the Council of Public Instruction.—Diplomas granted by the Boards of Examiners.—Situations Wanted.—Notice to Teachers.—Editorial: The Coming Elections of School Commissioners and Trustees.—Public Examination : Bishop’s College, Lennoxville.— High School Department of McGill College.—Model School of McGill Normal School.—Official Documents : Report on the Inspection of Schools in Lower Canada.SCIENCE.Tlie Wonders of tlie lleavens.(Lecture delivered in the College of Lachute, Feb., 1863.) (Concluded.) THE COMETARY WORLD.The Cometary worlds now court attention—those wonderful tenuous bodies, which have so perplexed, bewildered, and terrified our race, ever since first observed.What they are, we do not know.Their intimate nature, and the offices they perform in the economy of our systems, are altogether unknown.Of their substance or matter—whether gaseous—electric—calorific, or something different from them all, we are in total ignorance.But of .one thing, we hazard not a conjecture, namely, that whether they are sun feeders—or gas feeders—electric or heat feeders—or something else— they are just as essential appendages of our system as the sun itself; and that instead of coming with a threat of heaven’s frown—the forerunners of some coming calamity, or dread catastrophe, they come fraught with heaven’s blessing to our earth or our system.Had we time, we might say not a little about the strange notions entertained by the ancients, respecting them—and the consternation with which their appearance filled their leading sages.But with these I shall occupy as little of your time as I can.A comet appeared in 1456, and passed very near the Earth.It filled Christendom with alarm.It swept the heavens with a tail, extending over sixty degrees in the form of a sword or sabre.When it appeared in 1531, its tail was changed to a bright gold colour ; and at its next appearance the tail had again changed colour.Its light was pale and watery ; and the tail was long and thick like a flaming lance or sword.The magnitude of its head exceeded that of Jupiter.Among its direful effects was the death of the Duke of Lorraine, and a great war between the Swedes and the Danes.So gravely wrote the sage chroniclers of that age !— “ The comet did me much honour,” was a remark of Cardinal Mazarin on his death bed, when informed that one had made its appearance.Referring, perhaps, to which, Shakespeare wrote— When beggars die—no comefs are seen.There are many kinds of comets, and their phenomena and forms are various.Some are of short periods, and easily identified.Others visit the neighbourhood of the sun so seldom and irregularly, that they cannot with certainty be distinguished.From the number that astronomers have marked, it is evident that a vast number belong to our system.Competent judges declare it to be en ormous.Sir John Herschel states that 140 have appeared within the earth’s orbit within the last 100 years, which have not been seen again.Now, if 1000 years be regarded as the average period of these, then it is reasonable to expect as many new ones in another century, till we have seen them all at once ; and then at least 1,400 must come within the orbit of the earth.Now the orbits of the comets are so extensive, that even the perihelion distance of many is beyond the orbit of Mars ; and as it is not unreasonable to suppose that they are distributed with the uniformity of infinite wisdom, the number ranging within the orbit of the more distant planets, may be computed from that ranging within the orbit of the earth by estimating their relative distances.By one such computation the estimated number within the range of Uranus is 11,200,000; and if we take in the vast orbit of the newly discovered planet— Neptune, it must greatly increase the number.Of Neptune I may state in passing, that they have lately discovered it to have a ring like Saturn and a moon.More may yet be discovered.You have been told that comets are material bodies.They are so, first, because they reflect the light of the sun, or shine by their own light,—which of the two has never been distinctly proved.Perhaps both suppositions may be true.Secondly, because they are subject to the laws of gravitation ; and, thirdly, because their luminosity is subject to change : for the same comet or its tail, when it has one—has at one time a red-rose colour, at another, a bright golden colour, at another, a dark leaden colour.At other times the same comet looks as if it were a furnace of fire, and on again appearing, as it it were a globe of vapour—of extreme tenuity.The bodies of comets have not all the same appearance with respect to their tenuity.Some have no nuclei, their light being nearly uniform ; others have appeared with heads, or nuclei as large and brilliant as Jupiter; and a few have been discovered, with a very minute stellar point—indicating the existence of a solid body ; and others change their form and magnitudes during their visibility ; when they approach the sun the nebulous head of the body diminishes, , and when they recede from the sun they begin again to dilate.The tails of comets have also something very remarkable in their phenomena.The luminosity of some, streams out in every direction.A great number have single tails, shooting out to immense distances.One appeared in 1680, whose tail was 141 millions of miles in length ; another appeared in 1843, whose luminous train extended 200 millions of miles—double the distance of the sun from the earth ; and one is expected this year after an absence of 300 years, 70 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION which when it appeared in 1264 had a train 100° long, to the great terror of our forefathers.Of comets which have tails the shape is exceedingly various.Some have one tail, others two or three at different angles, and a few have been seen with more than three.Some have what we may call a succession of tails —one succeeding another with a vacant space between every' two.But let me remark that the tails of all those comets which have heads,—appear only at certain distances from the head.In the comet of 1811 ihe nebulosity was 20,000 miles from the centre of the nucleus, which was in diameter 2,700 miles.From all the information which can be gleaned upon the subject, almost all speculation has proceeded on the assumption, that the tails of comets consist of matter similar to the gases on our earth, and is a continued efflux from iheir bodies.The matter of the tail of a comet is of such extreme tenuity that, according to Sir Isaac Newton, the whole tail of a comet might be comprised in the space of a cubic inch, and that, even then, its density would not exceed that of our atmosphere.The nuclei of many are so tenuous, that stars—even wliole clusters, can be seen through them.I may state farther that the trains of these bodies are generally turned away from the sun, but this rule is by no means universal.The comet of 1825 had two tails—one directed towards the sun, and one from it.Much more might be said about the cometary system—but time will not admit.We direct your attention next to the stellar universe.In launching forlh on an investigation of the surrounding glories of the higher worlds of suns and systems, a problem arises which demands solution, or will prove an insurmountable barrier to any high achievements.Man looks forth from his planet-home on the starlit vault around him, and seeks to ascertain the mighty laws by which those orbs subsist, and the relations which they sustain to each other.In doing this he thinks on the immensity of spaces intervening.How, in imagination, is he to reach even the nearest of those suns ?How is he to wing his flight from orb to orb ?Where is the measuring-rod to fathom the infinite depth ?The longest line with which nature has furnished us of actually measuring, is the circumference of our own globe.From this geometry teaches us how to find its diameter, and the diameter we employ as a scale with which to compare the distances of the sun and moon and the other bodies of the solar system.But large as is this means of measurement in our conceptions, it is an insensible point in comparison of the distances of the apparently fixed stars, and, therefore, other aid must be brought into requisition.The base of the earth’s diameter being too small, they have attempted to discover a change in the position of the stars when viewed from the earlh in two opposite points of its orbit, with a base of nearly 200 millions of miles ; and if a parallactic angle of the smallest measure could be obtained—the distances of such stars might be computed.Sirius was one of the first, tried with this immense base line of 200 millions of miles but with no success.But astronomers persevered, and at length, in our own time, responses came from several points almost at once.By Professor Henderson it was ascertained that the star of the constellation Centaur had a parallax of a full second,—establishing its distance in miles at about nineteen millions of millions.Afterwards, Professor Bessel, of Konigs-berg, assigned a parallax of thirty-one hundreths of a second to the double star 61 Cygni, placing it at a distance of nearly 670,000 times the distance of the earth from the sun,—a distance which would require nine years and a quarter for a ray of light to traverse.By farther researches, this conclusion has been confirmed.Another star m the constellation Ursa Major, exhibits a parallax of | of a second : and several others have had smaller parallaxes assigned them.By perseverance and careful computation, it is found that Sirius shows a parallactic displacement of a quarter of a second, which indicates a distance greater than that of 61 Cygni.Vega in Lyra is supposed to have a parallax of about the same amount.In the present state of our knowledge, it would appear that the brightest stars are not always the neatest to the solar system.It has been considered from recondite investigations, that the average distance of a star of the first magnitude from the earth is 986,000 radii of our annual oibil—a distance so immense that it would take licht I5j years to traverse ; and from a star of the sixth magnitude 120.years.If then, ihe distances of the majority of stars visible to the naked eye are so enormously great, how are we to estimate our distance from those minute points of light discernible only by Eosse’s telescope ?The conclusion is forced upon us that we do no' see them, as they appeared a few years ago, or even during the liie-time of man, but witn the rays which proceeded lrom them several thousand years ago.What an idea this consideration gives us of the immensity of the stellar-universe ! So mighty are the distances thus opened up to our contemplation, and so insignificant is this world in the comparison, that were the globe, with all its myriads sunk into annihilation, it would be a thing unknown in ihe stellar heavens, or where known—known only as a little star that had ceased to twinkle.It is no easy task for even the astronomer to gain conceptions of the cigantic theme before him at all adequate to its vast proportions.AVhat thoughts must burst upon the mind, when it, for the first time, attempts to grasp the great fact of the immensity of the universe ! What feelings, too deep for utterance, and even for tears, overwhelm the soul, at the perception of the thought, that earth is but an atom in the awful expanse of creation, and we but dust upon it ! The vast spaces, the enormous magnitudes, the surpassing effulgences, the dazzling splendours, the amazing diversity ami complexity, and yet the unity and harmony of all, communicate delights and longings which are almost painful, and the entire man is fain, for very self-conservation to melt into a spiritual swoon of wonder.A chemist once stood with an astronomer upon his watch-tower : the eye of a telescope was bent upon a double star, a system of two suns of different coloured radiances, and we know not how many planets apiece, revolving round one another: the light by which the friends beheld these sun-stars had taken at least 30 years to come to the e'arlh; it had been coming, and at the rate of 195,000 miles in a second, while they had been growing from childhood to manhood ; and now their conversation was all about the celestial organism, of which it was a single pulse.“ If I truly and presently believed all we have been saying,” said the chemist, “ I should surely die where I stand, and pass away to God by exolution.” “ Ah,” said the master of the observatory, « we know these things, but we can haidly be said to believe them.Their vastnesses—their inscrutable mysteries, dazzle and bewilder the very eye of belief! From distance, let us now proceed to magnitude.On account of the immense distances of the stars, it is impossible to form any correct idea of their actual magnitudes, by direct computation.Hence their sizes can be determined only by their light and distances compared with that of the sun ; and i)r.Wallaston has found by photometrical experiments, that the light of Sirius, the brightest of the fixed stars, is to that of the sun as one to about 20,000,001).Now the proportion of light received from any luminous body, being inversely as the square of its distance, it follows that the sun would require to be removed to 141,400 (the square root of the above number) times its actual distance, in order to make its light equal to that of Sirius.Dr.Wallaston, assuming the smallest limit of its parallax, which approaches more nearly to the truth, supposes the light of Sirius to be equal to fourteen suns !—It this be true, or even approximates to the truth, what an idea does it give us of the glory and majesty and omnific power of Him who brought it into existence, and clothed it with its glory, “ by the breath of His mouth—who commanded, and it stood fast.” Passing the asterism of stars, which may not be very interesting to my audience, I proceed to notice some other thing in the stellar universe more attractive and, perhaps, easier remembered.On examining ihe stars with telescopes of considerable power, many of them are found to be composed of two or more stars placed contiguously to each olher, or of which the distance subtends a very minute angle.And we have many instances of two stars whose angle of position so varies as to indicate a motion of revolution about a common centre, and in this case the two stars form— what astronomers call a binary system—performing to each other the office of planet and sun—yet both suns.Motions have been so rapid, with some of these as to become measurable within short, periods of time ; and at certain epochs the feebler star has been observed to disappear — either on passing behind or before its primary ; or by approaching so near it, that its light has been absorbed by that of the other.The number of double stars yet discovered is estimated at about 6000.How wonderful are the revelations which astronomy unfolds, may be gathered from the fact that, when we thus speak of double star systems, and allude to it as one of ordinary interest, we are in truth, recording tire astounding fact, that suns revolve round suns, and vast systems of suns, around others as vast : that vast as are the planetary systems, in all their proportions, yet that these are but as a tiny speck in the great universe of God, in which all suns and all systems sustain relations to one another so simple, and yet so gigantic, that they may be expressed in a sentence, but which our mightiest arithmetic and most comprehensive imaginings cannot fully explain.It is a wonderful thought, that a globe as large as those in our own solar system should revolve around the central orb at the rate of many thousand miles an hour; but how overpowering is the conception of a sun encircled with a retinue of vast planets, satellites and comets, each in rapid motion, sweeping through the universe at a speed with which those of our planetary FOR LOWER CANADA.n system will not bear comparison ; and when to this we add the still more wonderful astronomic fact that suns, numerous as the sand on the 6ea shore form distinct systems, each system having one grand focal point of movement, each star carrying along with it, its attendant retinue of worlds.Indeed the number assigned by recent observation to double, ternary, quadruple, and multiple systems, that is of suns revolving around a common centre in almost every possible modification of relationship which secondaries can bear to their primaries, or to each other, is altogether amazing.And to some such system our own sun no doubt belongs.Her.-chel ascertained that our solar system moves towards a point near to the constellation Hercules; and his discoveries have been since confirmed by subsequent and more accurate enquiries in both the northern and southern hemispheres.Thus the progressive motion of our system may be considered as determined within certain limits, and from it the question naturally follows—“ Is the world of the fixed stars composed merely of a number of neighbouring partial systems, divided into groups, or must we assume the existence of our universal relation —a rotation of all self-luminous celestial bodies—namely suns—around one grand common system of gravity, which is either filled with matter or void?— Will the future history of astronomy ever reveal the secret ?We now come to the last division of our subject—“ The Nebular Hypothesis.”—In observing the remotest regions of the siJereal 6pace, it is found that there are multitudes of masses of cloudy light of irregular but permanent forms.Their forms are exceedingly singular and varied—some round—some oval—some annular some convoluted or spiral—some spindle-shaped, and others have very strange forms, with luminous streams running spirally from the centre.One of the most magnificent clusters in our hemisphere occurs in the constellation Hercules.It is visible to the naked eye on dark nights as a hazy-lookmg object, and the stars composing it are readily seen with a telescope of moderate power.When examined by a powerful instrument its aspect is grand beyond conception : the stars which are coarsely scattered at the borders, come up to a perfect blaze in the centre.Another splendid cluster is situated in Centaurus.While in the telescope it is found to cover a space Ij of the apparent diameter of the moon ; over it are congregated, luminous bodies, or suns of countless numbers.But our subject in wonder and extent, has no limit ; and contemplation has no limit.The number of suns and of systems the unaided eye can take in, is a thousand, and the best telescope which the genius of man bas constructed can take in eighty millions.But why subject the dominions of the universe to the eye of man, or to the powers of his genius?Fancy may take its flight—its flight far beyond the ken of eye or of telescope.It may expatiate in the outer regions of all that is visible, and shall we have the boldness to say that there is nothing there—or beyond ?The farthest off twinkling point brought to view by Rosse’s telescope, may be, with reference to the whole universe, but on the mere threshold of creation.Once more, view in thought the mighty field, studded with worlds, and crowded with systems, lying within the reach of aided vision.Speak we of their distances—we speak of what the mind cannot take in.Had Adam and Eve started by an express train at their creation, to go from Neptune to the sun, travelling at the rate of 50 miles an hour, they would not have reached it yet, for Neptune is more than 6000 years from the centre of our planetary system.Of magnitudes and numbers, we relate and recount what the mind cannot grasp.Mark the magnitude of sun : it is 500 times larger than the whole system of planets, satellites and comets, and would contain within its circumference thirteen hundred thousand globes as large as our own, and more than sixty million globes of the size of the moon.Look at the milky way.It alone must contain more than 20 millions of suns,—around which there is every reason to believe a thousand of millions of worlds are revolving.Look, too at the nebulæ which are so many milky ways, and which are even, in some cases estimated to surpass the Galaxy in splendour.Three thousand of these have been actually discovered ; and if two-thirds of them be estimated as revolvable, we have the tremendous aggregate of some 40 thousand millions of stars, existing in what appeared at first to us only as streaks of clouds ; and these are suns—each bearing with it its system of planetary worlds! How surpassing the spectacle! How transcending all finite comprehension ! How magnificent the evidence here presented of the greatness of the Almighty Author of all ! Think on the glorious maje.-ty of His kingdom—who has set His glory above the heavens.Think, and wonder! Think, and believe, that the Architect of the heavens—of the universe—by whom and for whom all were breathed into existence is He, who, in the humblest form, came to save us ! John Bruce, Inspector of Schools.OFFICIAL NOTICES.BOOKS APPROVED BY THE COUNCIL OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION The Council of Public Instruction, at its meeting of the 12th May last, approved of the following Books, which approval was confirmed by His Excellency the Governor General in Council on the 21st of said month, viz.: (For Model Schools) Cours d'Arithmétique Commerciale ; — Printed by Eusèbe Senécal, Montreal, 1863.Cours de Tenue des Livres, en partie double et en partie simple.—Eusebe Senécal, Printer, Montreal ; 1861.Louis Giard, Recording Clerk.DIPLOMAS GRANTED.CATHOLIC BOARD OP EXAMINERS FOR THE DISTRICT OF MONTREAL.First-Class Model School (E )—Miss Maria Ann Mulquiney.First-Class Elementary (F.)—Messrs.David Bélanger, Godfrey Boileau, Joseph Lemieux, Isaïe Noiseux, Antoine Tarte : Misses Sophie Bélanger, Mathilde Bourgeois, Julienne Bénèche dite Lavictoire, Julie Chevrier, Adélaïde Sulomée Choquette, Marie Alma Courval, Flavie Demers, Onésime Dorval, Marie Anastasie Duvernay, Julie Galipeau, Albina Gaumont, Aurélie Guilbert, Marie Hébert, Joséphine Hogue, Agnès Laconabe, Marie Célina Lafontaine, Marguerite Mélina Lambert dite Aubin, Avelina Langevin, Cordélia Lavallée, Marie Pbélonise Leblanc, Angélique Lucas, Marie Anne Eulalie Stéphanie Marchesseau, Victoire Martel, Marie Césarie Perras, Alphonsine Perron.Marie Georgina Pion, Marie Vitaline Pion, Louise Poirier, Rachel Raby, Domitilde Ranger, Célina Reinville, Rosalie Rodier, Stéphanie Rouleau, Marie Théonise Rousse, Vitaline Sabourin, Malvina Savoie, Elisabeth St.Germain, Célina Touchette.First-Class Elementary (F.E.)—Miss Marguerite Emma Blanchard and Miss Marie Noémie Larivière.Second-Class Elementary (F.)—Misses Marie de Lima Auclair, Marie Malvina Bâchant, Marguerite Brault, Sophronie Brault, Aurélie Brunelle, Marie Hermine Charpentier, Adeline Demers, Marie Herminie Demers, Célestine Goulet, Esther Grégoire, Emilie Hébert, Rosalie Hébert, Marie Célina Lalancette, Eulalie Lapalme, Elisabeth Lavallée, Marie Christine Leduc, Angèle Phaueuf, Flavie Taraux.Second-Class Elementary (E) — Misses Elena Murphy, Catherine O’Connell, and Jane Reilly.May 5th and 6th, 1863.F.K.Valade.Secretary.CATHOLIC BOARD OF EXAMINERS FOR THE DISTRICT OF QEBBEC.Second-class Elementary (F.)—Miss Marie Célina Breton.May 30, 1863.(Adjourned meeting.) N.Laoasse.Secretary.situation wanted.A young lady, who holds a Model school diploma from the McGill Normal School, would accept of a situation as Teacher.She is competent to teach, in addition to the usual branches, Fiencb, Drawing, Mensuration, and the elements of music.Address “ E.H.” Education Office.NOTICE TO TEACHERS.The Catholic Board of Examiners of Montreal will meet on the First Tuesday in August next, at the usual place of meeting, Vitré Street, at 9 o’clock a.tn.AH candidates for diplomas must come provided with a Certificate of Baptism and Testimonials of good morals, as required 72 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION by the Rules and Regulations of the Council of Public Instruction.The examination will be conducted according to the Programmes laid down in the said Rules and Regulations.By Order, F.X.Yalade.Secretary.JOURNAL OF EDUCATION.MONTREAL (LOWER CANADA), JUNE, 1863.Tlie coming Elections or School Commissioners and Trustees.During the political contest which has just closed, we have seen that the opposing parties, fully convinced of the importance of being well represented in the Legislature, left nothing undone to ensure the success of their respective candidates.Another contest, of a more humble character no doubt, but fully as important in many respects, will take place during the ensuing month of July,—we allude to the election of School Commissioners and Trustees.It would be well if a little of that excessive ardor which characterized the first of these contests were now to replace the extreme indifference manifested in many places with regard to a choice affecting the welfare, not only of the present, but of future generations.We are aware that the duties of the School Commissioner or Trustee, are not always such as to render the office a very enviable one ; indeed it happens occasionally that the most impartial conduct will bring the incumbent into disfavor or involve him into endless difficulties.In certain localities it sometimes happens that men, who from their acquirements can do good service to the cause of education, only draw upon themselves by their efforts to assume the direction of school affairs, the implacable hatred of the misguided inhabitants.In other places, where education is not so much a matter of indifference", a more healthy influence prevails ; yet incapable, or ill-disposed persons are sometimes chosen in the absence of more eligible candidates, because the election takes place without discussion and almost unnoticed.But wherever perseverance, activity, firmness and a little devotedness have been displayed the true friends of the cause have succeeded in giving a liberal and progressive direction to school affairs, maintaining at the same time a wise economy.It is not so difficult to enlighten the people upon matters touching their own interests as some may suppose ; and we have no fear of being misunderstood in attempting to point out some of the evils which will surely follow the election of incapable men or those whose management shall be influenced by a sordid spirit of avarice, which almost invariably turns to the ultimate pecuniary disadvantage of the municipalities they serve.In the first place, when an injudicious choice of commissioners has been made, the important trust of Secretary-treasurer to the Board will, through favor, be bestowed upon some incapable, or, it may be, dishonest person ; when, if incapacity only exist, the following conse- quences will probably ensue : entries improperly made in the register, or omitted altogether, irregular or illegal proceedings , lawsuits , regular assessment annulled, costs , special assessment to defray these costs, new assessment to replace the first, and possibly other lawsuits ad infinitum.The difficulties into which school municipalities may be dragged by the unfortunately not uncommon dishonesty of secretary-treasurers, are numberless ; unpaid teachers, lawsuits and their costs, fraudulent omission to credit payments of taxes in the books, by which arrears that have no existence are made to appear as due, actions at law instituted in good faith to recover these arrears, and dismissal of these actions with costs upon production of the receipts, defalcations, and legal proceedings, very often useless, against the defalcator and his sureties, then special assessment to meet the liabilities thus incurred, &c., &c.We have here enumerated only a few of the baleful consequences that usually attend the selection of improper persons to act as school commissioners.Much could be added respecting the unjust dismissal of teachers for the only reason that their services cost too much, the difficulties, lawsuits and expense which follow ; the obstinacy often manifested in the retention of incapable and unlicensed teachers, notwithstanding the remonstrances sent from this Department ; the attempts to evade the requirements of the law, the useless journeys to obtain legal advice, and the confiscation of the government grant, last consequence of all.Thus the desire to obtain cheap schools and economical commissioners will produce a result opposite to that intended and very poor schools into the bargain, or perhaps no schools at all.This picture is not drawn from fancy, but from stern reality ; and we could adduce the facts and figures of many cases in proof.It could be easily shown that the parishes iu which the people have resolutely taxed themselves, adopted a liberal policy and secured the services of able school commissioners, sincere secretary-treasurers and good teachers, have not been so heavily taxed, nor spent so much money in any given time as those in which an attempt was made to economise at the expense of education.Arguments of a higher order are not wanting to confirm the assertions we have put forth ; and jve believe that the people are not insensible to the immense advantage attend^g the diffusion of learning, the obvious absurdity and injustice of refusing to allow a fit remuneration to teachers for their labor, the injury done to the intellect of their children by the evil state of things we have just depicted, the cruelty of crowding poor little beings in small, ill-ventilated, improperly laid-out and only partly furnished rooms,—in short to the duty, the sacred obligation of electing to the trust of commissioner or trustee men impressed with the importance of their duty and resolved to do it.We believe that all intelligent and patriotic men who can serve their country have a duty to perform in this matter, and that the proper fulfilment of this is nowhere impossible and not even as difficult, at least in many places, as it has been pretended.Nor do we perceive why the exertions of those who may be entrusted with the task, FOR LOWER CANADA.73 ungrateful as it is, should be deemed unworthy of reward.Services rendered in so honorable and important a cause should surely bestow a title to public confidence and respect.PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS.Bishops College.The annual convocation of the University of Bishops College took place in the College Hall, at Lennoxville, on the 24th and 25th days of June, when Hon.J.S.McCord, the Chancellor; the Hon.Edward Hale, Vice-Chancellor ; the Lord Bishop ol Montreal, the Lord Bishop of Quebec, Major Campbell, Capt.Rhodes and a very large number of the members of the University were present.Ori the first day, the ordinary business was proceeded with, and a meeting of the corporation was held under the presidency of the Metropolitan, when the Rev.George Claik Irving, B.A., of Cambridge, Vice-Provost and Mathematical Professor of Trinity College, Toronto, was appointed Rector of the Junior Department of Bishops College, vacant by the appointment of thb Right Rev.James W.Williams to the Bishoprick of Quebec.On the 25th, in the presence of a large number of visitors, the Chancellor conferred the following degrees on The Right Rev.James W.Williams, of Quebec, D.D., honoris causa.The Venerable Archdeacon Scott, D.D., ol an American College, D D , ad eundem.The Rev.Canon Bancroft, D.D., of Columbia College, N.Y., D.D .ad eundem.The Hon.Edward Hale, M.A., D.C.L., honoris causa.Joseph W.Marsh, Esq., M.A., of Vermont University, M.A., ad eundem.Rev.David Robertson, Chaplain to the Forces, M.A., honoris causa.Rev.Francis G.C.Brathwaite, B.A., of Balioi College, Oxford, M.A., honoris causa.T.D’Orval Doty, Esq., B.A., of Kenyon College, Ohio, B.A., ad eundem.Jeremie Babin and Sullivan A.Taylor, Graduates of the College, received their degrees of B.A.Will ïam H.Mayo, William Yule, and Edward Hale, matriculants, were admitted to the University.Henry Miles, Esq., M.A., Professor of Mathematics, delivered a very eloquent address, in which he alluded to the great loss the University had experienced in the deaths of the late lamented Bishop of Quebec, and the Hon.Hollis Smith, and the removal of the late Rector of the Junior Department.He described the progress ol the institution and its flourishing condition, having now extensive accommodations.He stated that in the Junior Department there were at present 150 pupils.Mr.Babin delivered the valedictory address in French.In the evening, prizes were distributed to the successful pupils of the Junior Department by the Bishop of Quebec, and recitations in English and French were delivered by the Juniors.High School Department of McGill College.ANNUAL DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZES, ETC.Yesterday morning the annual public oral examination of this school was held at Burnside Hall.At three in the afternoon the distribution of prizes and award of honors took place in the Hall of the McGill Normal School.Rev.Dr.Leach presided, having on his right Prof.Howe, Rector of the High School, and on the left Rev.Mr.Kemp, hi.A.We also observed present, Principal Dawson, Rev.Dr.Wilkes, Mr.Gibson and Mr.Johnson, masters of the High School, and Mr.Andrews, Professor of Elocution, of the same institution.There was a good number of ladies and gentlemen interested in the progress of education generally in attendance during the proceedings.Business was opened by the Rector, Mr.Howe, reading the prize and honor list as follows : PRIZE AND HONOR LIST—SESSION 1862-63.SIXTH FORM—15 PUPILS.Caleb S.Holiday, Montreal, Dux, and Davidson Medallist.2 Wm.J.Watts.Latin—1 Holiday max ; 2 Watts; 3 Taylor.Greek—1 W'atts; 2 Holiday max.English—1 Holiday max; 2 Fraser; 3 Watts French—1 Watts; 2 Holiday max; 3 Moore max.—German—1 Watts.History — 1 Holiday max; 2 Fraser.Geography—1 Holiday max ; 2 Fraser.Algebra—1 Moore max ; 2 Fitzgerald, 3 Morgan ma.—Arithmetic—! Fitzgerald ; 2 Moore max ; 3 Morgan ma.Geom.and Trigon.—1 Fraser ; 2 Watts ; 3 Holiday max.Nat.Philos.—1 Moore max; 2 Watts ; 3 Morgan ma.Religious Studies—1 Holiday max ; 2 Fraser ; 3 Watts.Book-keeping— 1 Moore max ; 2 Fitzgerald.Drawing— 1 Watts ; 2 Holiday max.Punctuality—Watts, Fraser.Good Conduct—McDougall ma, Fraser and Holiday max.FIFTH FORM—17 PUPILS.Montgomery Jones, Montreal, Dux.2 Wm.D.Marier, 3 Franc 0.Wood.Latin—1 Jones max ; 2 Marier ; 3 Wood.Greek—1 Jones max ; 2 Marier ; 3 Wood.English —1 Jones max ; 2 Marier ; 3 Wood.French—1 Jones max ; 2 Marier ; 3 Wood.History—1 Jones max ; 2 Marier; 3 Wood and Morgan mi, equal.—Geography—1 Marier; 2 Jones max ; 3 Wood.Algebra—1 Simpson ma, and Wood equal ; 3 Jones max.Arithmetic—1 Kennedy ; 2 Jones max ; 3 Marier.Geometry—1 Jones max ; 2 Wood ; 3 Morgan mi.Religious Studies— 1 Jones max ; 2 Wood ; 3 Mailer.Writing—1 Johnston ; 2 Marier.Book-keeping—1 Johnston ; 2 Campbell.Drawing—1 Johnston ; 2 Morgan mi.Punctuality—Marier.Good Conduct— Marier and Morgan mi.FOURTH FORM—43 PUPILS.Andrew James Simpson, Montreal, Dux.2 Edward B.Green-shields, 3 David Rodger, 4 Charles Cushing.Latin—1 Rodger ma; 2 Greenshields ; 3 Simpson mi; 4 Lewis ma.Greek—1 Simpson mi; 2 Morgan ma; 3 Rodger ma; 4 McGoun and Greenshields equal.English—1 Rossma^ 2 Forester ma ; 3 Simpson mi ; 4 Evans.French—1 Simpson mi ; 2 Jackson ; 3 Rodger ma; 4 McGoun.History—1 Lewis ma; 2 Forester ma ; 3 Cushing ; 4 Greenshields.Geography—1 Greenshields, 2 Lewis ma ; 3 Clarke ma and Darling max equal.Arithmetic—1 Simpson ; 2 Cushing and Fuller ma equal; 4 McGoun ma.Geometry —1 Greenshields; 2 Simpson mi; 3 Baynes ma; 4 Cushing.Religious Studies—1 Evans ; 2 Ross ma ; 3 Simpson mi ; 4 Lewis.Writing—1 Seymour; 2 Jackson; 3 Perkins; 4 Simpson mi.Book Keeping—1 Jackson ; 2 Dougall ; 3 Murray.Drawing —1 Major ma; 2 Sutherland ; 3 Rodger"ma; 4 Tooke.Elocution—1 Tooke; 2 Sutherland ma; 3 Ross ma; 4 Evans.Punctuality— Sirrtpson mi ; Patterson.Good Conduct—Evans and Simpson mi.THIRD FORM—39 PUPILS.Alexander Robertson, Montreal, Dux.2 John W.Lovell 3 James Notman, 4 John Thom Finnie.Latin —1 Robertson ma; 2 Lovell mi: 3 Notman; 4 Finnie.Greek—1 Robertson ma ; 2 David ; 3 Flanagan ; 4 Birks ma.English —1 Robertson ma ; 2 Miller max ; 3 Cochrane ma ; 4 Por-teous ma.French—1 Robertson ma; 2 Finnie; 3 Peddie • 4 Drumm.History—1 Robertson ma ; 2 Notman ; 3 Shepherd ma ; 4 Lyman ma and Miller max equal Geography—1 Robertson ma ; 2 Miller max; 3 Lyman ma; 4 Thomson ma.Arithmetic—1 Shepherd ma ; 2 Finnie ; 3 Lovell mi ; 4 Ireland mi.Scripture_ 1 Robertson ma ; 2 Cochrane ma and Whitney equal.Writing— 1 Miller max ; 2 Drumm ; 3 Shepherd ma.Elocution—1 Thomson ma; 2 Walkem ; 3 Cochrane ma ; 4 Bacon.Punctuality—Birks Brown, Drumm, MacfarJand and Peddie.Good Conduct—Finnie’ Lyman ma, Shepherd ma.SECOND FORM—45 PUPILS.ja.uco xvuuger , iUUIlllCdl, LIIIA.•-» -THU ctl E.Roe, 4 Charles C.Brydges ; 5 Henry G.W Bachfley Latin 1 Rodger mi ; 2 Badgley mi ; 3 Roe ; 4 Ihydges ma ; 5 Torrance v.English-1 Rodger mi ; 2 Roe ; 3 Torrance min, 4 Heward ma ; 5 Learmont.History—1 Heward ma ; 2 McNab • 4 Crosbie mi ; 4 Brydges ma ; 5 Rodger mi.Geography_1 Rodwr m, ; 2 McNab; 3 Heward ma ; 4 Roe ; 5 LearmonL P /rithmetm-1 Baird, - Irving ma ; 3 Shepherd mi ; 4 Learmont ; 5 Brydges ma.Scripture—1 Heward ma ; 2 Kneeshaw ; 3 Bryd-es ma ¦ 4 BadrrUv Writing-] Brydges ma ; 2 Barrow mi’;3 Beni ; 4 McNab, 5 Baird.Elocution—1 Davidson; 2 Heward rrn ¦ 1 Kneeshaw ; 4 Badgley mi ; 5 Torrance mi.Punctuality-Bulmeî Footner, Learmont, Mackay, Torrance mi.Good Conducb-Badgley mi, Brydges ma, Learmont.uct 74 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION FIRST FORM—62 PDPILS.Alfred Th.Holland, Montreal, Dux ; 2 James M.Cochrane; 3 Dwight Lathiop ; 4 James Ferres ; 5 William H.Childs ; 6 Alfred Jaques.Latin—1 Holland ; 2 Ferres ; 3 Childs ; 4 Hlmpsted ; 5 Lathrop ; 6 McDougall mi.English—1 Birks mi ; 2 Holland; 3 Cochrane mi ; 4 Ferres ; 5 Mitchell mi ; 6 Brydges mi.History 1 Childs; 2 Jaques mi ; 3 Miller mins ; 4 Buchanan ; 5 Moore mi ; 6 Lathrop.Geography—1 Jaques mi ; 2 Lathrop ; 3 Holland ; 4 Miller mins ; 5 Stewart mi ; 6 Snodgrass.Arithmetic—1 Holland ; 2 Hempsted ; 3 Ibbotson ; 4 Nelson ; 5 Green and Stevenson mi equal.Scripture —1 Henderson ma ; 2 Cochrane mi ; 3 Childs ; 4 Miller mins ; 5 Jaques mi ; 6 Nelson ma.Writing—1 Brydges mi ; 2 Holland ; 3 Molson ; 4 Arthur ; 5 Honey ; 6 Lyman mi.Elocution—1 Holland ; 2 Cochiane mi; 3 McDougall mi; 4 Birks mi; 5 Snodgrass ; 6 Lewis mi.Punctuality—Clarke mi and Hempsted.Good Conduct—Arthur, Brydges mi ; Cross ma; Kissock, Lathrop, Molson.PREPARATORY FORM—41 PUPILS.Charles Rhodes Jones, Montreal, Dux ; 2 Alexander S.Cross; 3 O’Hara Baynes ; 4 Alfred H.Wolff.English—i Jones mi ; 2 Cross mi ; 3 Baynes mi ; 4 Wolff.Geography—1 Jones mi ; 2 Cross mi ; 3 Stephens ma ; 4 Wolff.Arithmetic—1 Wolff ; 2 Craig; 3 Wardlovv and Cooper equal.Scripture.—1 Macduff; 2 Wolff; 3 Cross mi ; 4 Baynes mi.Writing—1 Holiday ma ; 2 Kay ; 3 Cooper ; 4 Wardlow.Elocution—1 Baynes mi ; 2 Cross mi ; 3 Stephens ma ; 4 Howe.Punctuality— Duff mi.Good Conduct—Smith.The chairman now addressed the audience, the majority of which was composed of the pupils of the institution.The speaker being for the greater part of the time inaudible to the writer, he can only give a few of his remarks.After referring to the present position of the school, and the desirability of its receiving a more liberal support, he expressed a hope that the income of the school would in future be found adequate for all the requirements of a prosperous existence.He did not think that the duties of the School could be peiformed better than they were, and he hoped that the change which had recently taken place would have a most beneficial result as regards the institution.All the branches of a first rate education were taught in this School and the various educational advantages enjoyed in the principal institutions of learning throughout the country were combined in the High School system.Dr.Leach next referred to the necessity and importance of the pupils endeavoring to overcome any difficulties which might arise in their path, recommending them, also, instead of being over anxious to persue their studies and gain fresh ground during vacation, to go over the ground already won and make sure of the studies already passed over as the best means of advancing in their course.He concluded by offering the pupils excellent advice respecting their moral conduct, impressing upon them the duty of devoting ^their talents and acquirements to none but good and useful purposes.Rev.Mr.Kemp said he had the greatest confidence in this institution, and was thoroughly convinced that the instruction was of a character and imparted in a manner to prove highly beneficial to all ttie pupils.He hoped that the boys who were not so clever as their fellows would not feel discouraged.God did not give every boy talent orgenious, but made each to fill his own place, and the b^sl way to do so was to be upright, honest and diligent, striving to make the best use of the faculties given.If they did so, they would get on well in the world, for it was not always the cleverest boy who succeeded best.He would like to see the boys of this school possess esprit de corps which would manifest itself in a desire on their part to be zealous of the honor of the school and anxious for its prosperity.The benefits conferred on society by ils operations were very great and daily becoming more felt in the community, and he hopeddhe institution would continue to o-row in prosperity and influence.He only differed from Dr.Leach in one thing—he would advise the boys to throw aside books and studies altogether till after vacation.(Loud and long continued applause from the juveniles.) Rev.Dr.Wilkes also addressed the pupils giving them some excellent advice as regards morals and physique, and was loudly applauded.During the afternoon, the following recitations were given by Mr.Andrew’s pupils in a manner highly creditable to the boys and their instructor:—“Edinburgh after Flodden,” by Master Thomson, (3d foim ;) scenes from Hamlet by Thomson, Cochrane and Walken ; “ Where there’s a will there’s a way,” by Heward M.A., and Learmont, (2d form ;) “ Rest content, John,” by Molson, (1st form ;) “ The Critic,” by Baynes ; “ Poor Jim,” by Smith.Prof.Howe now announced the vacation, hoping the pupils would enjoy themselves during the term, keeping in mind the good advice they had received.(Loud cheers from the boys.) The proceedings were closed with the benediction by Rev.Dr.Wilkes.McGill Normal School.MODEL SCHOOLS.The public Examination of the Model Schools took place on Monday morning in presence of a large number of the friends of the pupils.In the afternoon the distribution of prizes took place, Principal Dawson presiding.The distribution was prefaced by several pieces of music from the entire Class, when Prof.Robins delivered a brief appropriate address to the pupils.Miss Derick then read the following list of names for prices ;— PRIMARY DEPARTMENT, SENIOR SECTION.5th Class.—John M’Bride, arithmetic, regularity, punctuality; Wm.Wilson, Geography ; John Tees, Grammar ; Maiy Cunningham, Writing and Spelling.4th Class—Annie Spaulding, reading and geography; Erva Jones, spelling ; Charlotte Hodges, arithmetic.3rd Class.—James Wilson, reading; James McAdams, writing ; John McKenzie, spelling and geography.2nd Class.— Mary Parslow, writing and spelling.1st Class.—Elizabeth Cochburn, reading; Sarah White, good conduct.During the session nine pupils have been promoted to the girl’s school, and eight to the boys’ school.The following pupils are to be promoted next session to the boys school : John McBride, John Tees, Lewis Noyes, Wm.Wilson, John Glen.To the girl’s school—Lina bavage, Lilly Fleck, Lilly Boyd, Mary Cunningham.Principal Dawson then distributed the prizes to the pupils of the Primary Department.Miss McCracken read the subjoined list of names for prizes in the girl’s department.JUNIOR DIVISION.R.Faulkner, reading and geography; M.J.Millen, spelling, arithmetic and punctuality ; J.Bowie, writing ; M.Noyes, Drawing ; M.Cunningham, grammar and punctuality; A.Steven, writing anil good conduct; E.Hunter, reading; C.Shepstone, spelling, arithmetic, eeography and grammar; S.Himes, reading and spelling.; E.Cribb, spelling; E.Thomas, writing; R.Patton, drawing and punctuality.INTERMEDIATE DIVISION.M.Heavysege, reading, writing, drawing, composition, good conduct, punctuality and regularity ; M.Kinlock, spelling ; J.Ross, arithmetic ; M.Gibson, grammar, E.Millen, reading, spelling and composition; S.Johnson, writing and arithmetic; M.Gillespie, geography ; R.Beers, good conduct, punctuality and regularity; J.Hunter, reading; M."J.Richardson, spelling and writing; A.Shepstone, arithmetic ; A.Paton, geography.SENIOR DIVISION.E.Hillock, spelling, writing, English History, grammar and botany; A.Cains, French, arithmetic, natural philosophy, punctuality, and regularity of attendance ; M.Wilson, drawing, geography and composition ; K.Ferguson, reading, writing and punctuality; M.Baillie, natural philosophy; J.Boath, spelhng, English history, geography, grammar, natural philosophy ; J Carlisle, reading and composition ; M.Ritchie, writing and French ; M.Perry, arithmetic; A.Willett, drawing, composition, reading and English history ; M.Paton, spelling and aiilhmetic ; L.Slepheti-son, writing and geography ; G.Hunter, grammar, good conduct, punctuality and regularity of attendance ; A.Bell, good conduct, punctuality and regularity of attendance; J.Baillie, reading ; J.Cooper, writing and spelling; M.Rodgers, writiijg and drawing; R.Robinson, arithmetic and composition. FOR LOWER CANADA.75 This %vas followed by singing by the pupils, after Principal Dawson distributed the prizes.Mr.McGregor read the boys’ list of names for prizes given below.boy’s department—m’cill model school.—junior division.Heading: Cameron, Renwick, Archibald Stevenson ; Spelling: Pearson, Kennick ; Writing: A.Stephenson, Hoy; Drawing: Pearson, A.Stevenson, Hoy ; Arithmetic : Horne, Rennick, Jones ; Geography: Horne, A.Stevenson; Grammar: Horne, Rennick, Jones.INTERMEDIATE DIVISION.Reading : Bryson, Geen; Spelling, Taylor, Garlic; Writing: Taylor, Hilton; Drawing: Taylor, f.eslie, Hilton ; Composition: Bryson ; Arithmetic : Hilton, McGinn, Fleck ; Geography : McGinn, Goodbody, Garlic ; Grammar: Taylor, Fleck, Garlic; Etymology : Taylor, Bryson Geen.SENIOR DIVISION.Reading : Lowden, Hutchins, C.Sims ; Spelling : Phillips, J.Gardner, Moore ; Writing.Taylor, W.Coristine, Moore ; Drawing : W.Coristine, Kershaw, C.Coristine ; French : Phillips, McBride ; Composition : Goold, C.Sims ; Algebra : Savage, Lowden ; Arithmetic : Esplin, Goold, McBride, Moore ; Geography: Esplin, Savage, McGinn, Kershaw ; Grammar: Esplin, J.Gardner ; Etymology: Esplin, J.Gardner, C.Coristine ; Canadian History: Esplin, Watson, McGinn ; English History: Esplin, Watson, W.Coristine, C.Sims ; General paper: Savage; Punctuali'y and Regularity: Savage, McBride, Taylor, Lowden.The Rev.Mr.Muir delivered a very interesting address to the boys and girls separately, in which he exhorted the former to exercise “ push” and “ pluck,” and be governed by principle in order to become true men; and instructed the latter that tiue beauty consisted in living to please others, rather than oneself, and that for this purpose they should cultivate “ taste, tact, and temper.” A farewell essay was then read by Miss Sutherland, in which she touched with feeling the approaching departure of the Principal teacher, Miss McCracken.^ Prof.Dawson then c!osed the exercises, by announcing the coming term.He expressed regret that Miss McCracken, the principal teacher in the Girls’ Department was about to sever her connexion with the school, in which, he said, she had rendered such valuable services.Report on tt»e Inspection of Schools in Lower Canada.(Translated and printed by order of the Legislative Assembly.) Education Office, 1 Montreal, 2nd January, 1863.) Honorable T.D.McGee, President of the Executive Council, and Acting Provincial Secretary.Sir,—I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your letter, dated 17th November last, in which you require of me, for the information of His Excellency the Governor General in Council, a Report on the following questions respecting the inspection of schools in Lower Canada :— 1st.On the system of inspection at present followed, and its efficacy in relation to the wants and requirements of our society ; 2nd.On the possibility of reducing the number of Inspection Districts, and the cost and efficacy of such a system as compared with the present system ; 3rd.On the question of the possibility and desirability of relieving the Department of Public Instruction of the trouble and expense of the inspection of schools, in whole or in part, by leaving it to the municipal authorities, as is the practice in Upper Canada.I.The important subject included in the foregoing questions has already, on several occasions, attracted my attention, and I think that I cannot do better than quote here a passage from, my Report for 1857, in which it is considered at some length :— “ The inspection of the schools falls short of what is desirable to be done, and it is generally thought that the inspectors are negligent in the performance of their duty.Hasty visits, unattended by the School Commissioners, statistics imperfectly collected, reports written in some cases by hearsay, many municipalities neglected and uimsited for several years, form a state of things which was represented to me with reference to the functionaries in question, as really prevailing when I entered on my office.Unfortunately I became convinced that the picture, though unfair to many, and overcharged with respect to most of the inspectors, was not devoid of truth in its general coloring.I exerted myself to remedy the evil, as far as lay in my power, and the dismissal of two proved that the Government were earnest in their determination, that those persons who had voluntarily assumed the important task, should acquit themselves of it in a suitable manner.LTnfortunately also, certain circumstances render the superintendence which I endeavoured to exercise over these officers very difficult.It is evident that while parties confine themselves to general complaints against the Inspectors, without specifying particular derelictions of duty in any, it will always be difficult for the department to find out, and to punish their neglect.Now, the very persons who go so far as to demand the abolition of the office, are often the last to specify to the authorities the misconduct and irregular proceedings of the officers impeached, while they seek to deprive the country of an institution which is absolutely necessary, to ensure the working of any system of public instruction.No doubt a noble feeling deters many honorable citizens from any act which might seem to belong to the trade of the informer, but it seems to me that the civil courage shewn in simply denouncing the culpable neglect of a public officer, in whose hands are the destinies of the youth of our country, should not be repugnant to the most delicate mind.“ However this may he, the great extent of the districts of inspection, as I observed in my first report, by rendering the frequent and proper inspection of the schools impracticable, affords an excellent excuse for the Inspectors, of which they avail themselves when they are accused.It is very difficult for the Department to ascertain whether they do all that is posssible to be done when it is clearly known that they cannot perfectly fulfil all the duties incumbent on them.The majority have from one hundred to two hundred shools to visit twice a year, and to travel over districts comprising on an average between 400,000 and 500,000 acres of settled country; some of the districts contain as much as 800,000 acres of inhabited land, and extend over nearly 200 superficial leagues.It is certain that were it not for the hospitality afforded gratuitously to the Inspectors by the friends of education in some localities, their salaries, averaging £200, and never exceeding £250, would be almost entirely absorbed by their travelling expenses.The consequence of this is, that the office can be generally accepted only by persons exercising other professions, and who make a secondary affair of that which ought to be their only and exclusive occupation.“ Are we to conclude from the preceding remarks that the office of Inspector ought to be abolished, thus effecting a reduction of £4000 in the expenses of the Department ?In the first place I doubt much whether this reduction of the expenditure would be a saving.It is to the action of the Inspectors, however imperfect that we are indebted for the remarkable increase which has every year taken place in the assessments ; and by glancing over the reports of my predecessor, it will readily beseen that that increase became considerable, dating only from the same period as the establishment of the office of Inspector.There is great reason to fear that the suppression of the inspection of schools, account books and Commissioner’s records, would have the immediate effect of diminishing, to a considerable extent, the amount of the assessments and contributions.Without going further we may state as certain that the Inspectors have detected, stopped or prevented defalcations of the Secretary-Treasurers to an amount in the agregate, far exceeding their salaries.“ When we have admitted that the inspection of schools is necessary, it seems to me that in Lower Canada at least, it would be difficult to carry it into effect otherwise than by officers appointed and paid by the Government, In France, in BeMum in Prussia, in England and in Ireland, they have Inspectors ap- 76 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION pointed by the Government.In nearly all the States of the Union there are County Superintendents who are nothing but Inspectors under the jurisdiction of the Superiutendent-Geneml of the State.In England, although there is, properly speaking, no system of public instruction, regularly organized at the expense of the State, the inspection of schools is considered an object of the highest importance, and the sum of £40,000 sterling is annually devoted to pay for it, being a very considerable portion of the appropriation lor public instruction.In New Brunswick a system of inspection has recently been established, and in Nova Scotia the Superintendent of Education insists on the appointment of Inspectors, and declares that it is impossible to make the system work without these important auxiliaries.The following extract from the report of Mr.Forester, on this head will interest the reader : “ C\ ithout Inspectors ” he says, “ it is impossible for me to acquit myself of my duties ; and the labor of my office would exceed my powers, moral and physical.Moreover, by delaying the appointment of those officers a large portion of my usefulness is destroyed.It is an acknowledged fact that many countries in Europe are unable to dispense with their services.There is more reason to consider them as.indispensable in this country, where the means of communication between the various localities scattered over the country are much more rare.Their duties are of two kinds : 1.The dilfusion throughout the most remote settlements of a knowledge of the various laws relating to public instruction, and the execution of the orders issued from time to time by the Superintendent.2.The excitement of emulation among the ratepayers of the places which they visit, and the consequent promotion of the interests of education.” u In Upper Canada there are not less than 300 Inspectors.They are paid by the municipalities, and the appointment of them is entrusted to the municipal authorities.Their salaries vary from $4 to 86 for each visit to a school.“ Independently of all other considerations, it is evident that in the present state of the municipal system of Lower Canada it would be impossible to secure the efficient inspection of schools under such an arrangement.Moreover, it appears to me very doubtful in principle whether the officer who should control the direction exercised by the Commissioners and Trustees over the schools, ought to be appointed and paid by any local authoritv rather than by the Department of Public Instruction.“ What remains to be done, therefore, is, as I suggested in a former Report, to reduce the excessive extent of the districts of inspection, and, as often as may be practicable, to appoint men to be Inspectors who have been teachers.This measu-e would necessarily involve an increase of expense, but on this head, as on many others, we must be content to represent to the Legislature and the Government what we say every day to the rate-payers : that it is better to spend a little more and obtain a result, than to spend a small amount to no purpose.Moreover we might organize new districts, so as to render an effective inspection of all the schools«twice in the year physically possible.This arrangement would not require more than six or seven additional Inspectors, and a part of their salaries might be derived from a slight deduction from the salaries of those Inspectors whose districts may have been diminished in a considerable degree, and the latter would be gainers by the change.“ It would then become very easy to regulate the length of the visits, and the forms to be observed in making them ; and, in short, to prescribe to the Inspectors a mode of proceeding from which they could not deviate.In other countries the Inspector is bound to draw up a procès-verbal of his visits during its continuance.This is countersigned by the teacher and by those persons who represent the local authorities, and who are Sound to attend.The Government functionary can receive his salary only on the production of all the procès-verbaux.“ It would be necessary, in this country, to compel School Commissioners and their Secretary-Treasurers, by a penalty, to attend the Inspectors in their visits.It may be seen, by the Reports of the latter, that they have the greatest difficulty in obtain- ing the attendance of Commissioners and Trustees, and even in finding them together, so as to procure from them the necessary explanations, and to convey to them the advice which is needful to guide them in the performance of their duties.“ Teachers ought, all other things being equal, to be preferred to all other candidates, and when the Normal Schools shall have been longer in operation, it would be just to provide that the office of Inspector shall be given to none but professors and teachers of a certain number of years standing.This would be one of the most powerful means of procuring and retaining the services of young persons of merit as teachers, and of securing functionaries who will attend exclusively to their duties.” The Government acted upon the suggestion contained in this report, and all the Inspectors appointed after that date, with the exception of two, have been old teachers.These two exceptions were made in favor of Mr.Thomas McCord, Advocate, appointed Inspector for the Counties of Ottawa and Ponctiac, and Mr.William Hamilton, Merchant, appointed to replace Mr.McCord, for the Protestant part of that district only.A perfect knowledge of both languages, the general esteem of those who were to be under his authority, both Protestants and Catholics, and legal knowledge, valuable in a new district containing many poor and backward localities, were the grounds which caused Mr.McCord’s appointment to be decided upon.He, however, very soon perceived that with so small a salary, and being subject to heavy travelling expenses, he could not on the one hand entirely give up the practice of his profession, nor, on the other, follow it profitably without failing to do justice to his new duties, and of his own accord he honorably tendered his resignation.He was replaced in the Catholic part of his inspection district (the Protestants having asked for a separation, which was immediately granted them) by Mr.Rouleau, who was at the time a teacher at the Aylmer Catholic Academy ; he had been formerly a pupil at the Laval Normal School and holds an Academy diploma, which he obtained at that institution ; and in the Protestant part, as I have just said, by Mr.Hamilton.Other Inspectors having resigned their office, several vacancies occurred, in addition to those resulting from deaths.The following teachers have accordingly been promoted to the office of Inspector : Mr.Leroux, for the Counties of Bagot, Rouville and St.Hyacinth ; Mr.Boivin, (formerly a pupil of the Laval Normal School, at which he obtained a Model School diploma) for the Counties of Saguenay and Charlevoix ; Mr.Grondin, for the Counties of Beauharnais, Laprairie and Chateauguay ; Mr.Hubbard, for the Counties of Stanstead, Richmond, Compton and Wolf ; Mr.Caron, for the Counties of Napierville, Iberville and St.Johns ; Mr.Juneau (Model School Teacher, attached to the Laval Normal School) for the Counties of Lévis and Dorchester) Mr.Bdchard, for the County of Gaspé.The latter has been promoted to the offices of French Corresponding Clerk, Librarian to this Department and Assistant Editor of the Journal de VInstruction Publique.Mr.Tremblay, also a teacher, has succeeded Mr.Béchard.In other words, within the space of four years no less than nine teachers have been promoted to the office of Inspector, one of them being subsequently called to fill an office in this Department.As there were already among the Inspectors five former teachers, the number of those who have experience in imparting instruction now amounts to 13 out of 27.All the new Inspectors, taken from the class of teachers, have performed their task in a satisfactory manner ; and if some of them have made enemies, it has perhaps resulted from excess of zeal, but most probably from the impartiality and firmness with which they have fulfilled their duty.I may remark that their activity and ability have been appreciated by those who are the best qualified to judge of them.On several occasions I have received, both from the clergy and from Members of Parliament and from teachers in their respective districts, the most flattering testimony respecting them.They have all, without an exception, regularly travelled through their inspection districts ; they have visited the schools instrusted to their care j they have promulgated FOR LOWER CANADA.77 the best systems of instruction : they have entered with zeal and energy into the measures recommended by the Department ; they l have courageously striven against the fatal disposition of the Commissioners to grant only insufficient remuneration to the teachers ; they have put a stop to and diminished the defalcations of the Secretary-Treasurers, and have caused to be substituted almost universally the system of assessment for that-of voluntary contribution.The Government took advantage moreover of the vacancies which took place to inaugurate a better division of the Inspectorships and to form new ones.This was managed without any great increase of expense by assigning to the new inspectors, salaries of rather smaller amount than those given to the former incumbents, and making a slight reduction in the remuneration of those inspectors whose duties were diminished.In accordance with this principle, in April, 1850, on the decease of Mr.L’Espérance, school inspector of Cap Chatte and St.Anne des Monts, that district which was of small extent, and the inspector of which received 8250 per annum, was suppressed or rather united to a new district of greater extent, formed by dividing that of Mr.Inspector Meagher, which consisted of the Counties of Bonaventure and Gaspé, and for which he received 81,000 salary.His salary was reduced to $700, and his duties were limited to the County of Bonaventure, and the new Inspec- ( tor, Mr.Béchard, to whom the County of Gaspé was assigned, received only $000, which did not increase the aggregate of expense by more than $50.On the 2nd December, 1859, Mr.Béland’s district was divided : M.Juneau was appointed to the Inspectorship of the Counties of Dorchester and Lévis ; Mr.Béland retaining the Counties of Beauce and Lotbinière ; they each receive $700.As Mr.Béland had previously received $875, this made an increase of $525.On 7th March, 1860, Mr.Inspector Lanctot having resigned, his district was divided into two.To one of the new districts were added portions ot the Districts of Messrs.Leroux and Par-melee, Mr.Leroux’s district receiving an accession of a part of Mr.Ârchambeaùlt’s, whose salary was slightly reduced.The new Inspectors, Messrs.Grondin and Caron, had therefore under their charge,—the former Laprairie, Beauharnais and Chateauguay, the latter—Napierville, St.John’s and Iberville, and they received each $700, instead of $881, which had been Mr.Lanctot’s salary.Thus the aggregate of increase, if we deduct from it $84, taken from Mr.Arckambeault’s salary was no more than $432.Finally, on 8th June, 1861, as I before said, the Inspectorship of Mr.McCord, comprising the Counties of Ottawa and Pontiac, was divided into two, and given to two Inspectors, Mr.Bouleau and Sir.Hamilton, the former having charge of the Catholic and the latter of the Protestant schools, and each receiving $500, whereas Mr.McCord’s salary was $884; the increase did not therefore exceed $216.Thus, four large districts were divided, and the Inspectors increased in number from 24 to 27, involving an increase of $1,223 only, or about $400 to each new Inspector.Actuated by the same spirit, on 29th February last, in a report respecting the complaints brought against Mr.Inspector Parme-lee, I recommended the appointment of a new Inspector, to have the charge of the Catholic schools in the Inspection Districts of Messrs.Hubbard and Parmelee, with the exception of those in the County of Missisquoi, which I proposed to add to the Inspectorship of Mr.Caron.This new arrangement would involve an increase not exceeding $600.This report is still under consideration.I thought it right to begin with this short account of my proceedings hitherto.It includes a portion of my answer to the first question relative to the working of the present system.I do not intend to deny that the system as it now exists has many opponents, and that, judging by appearances, the plan of inspection, as now carried on, is far from being popular ; but if we look closely into the motives of such opposition we shall find :— 1st.That many of the opponents of the present system are equally adverse to any system of inspection, not perceiving the utility of it.2nd.That many others think that the sums absorbed by the School Inspectors would be more profitably applied to the maintenance of the schools themselves, and would ser\e to lessen by so much the school tax in each locality.3rd.That the Inspectors, like all other public functionaries, create enemies, either by their fault, or even their extreme zeal and partiality.4th.To the above we must add what I have already' said : that some of the Inspectors do not make their visits as useful as they might, either because their districts are too extensive, or because, having other occupations, they fulfil their duties negligently and carelessy.As concerning this last point, however, I must repeat that rarely have precise and circumstantial complaints been alleged against the present Inspectors, and that generally the Inspectors have been able to show that they were unfounded and the result of malicious feelings.1.With respect to the first mentioned cause of opposition, the very terms of your letter would excuse me from replying to it, if such a reply was not already given very sufficiently by the extract from my report of 1857, relative to the necessity of some system of inspection.To the instances already cited I might add those of Austria, Italy and Greece, which, like other countries, have made provision for the frequent inspection of all their educational institutions.In fact, I know of no state in which the Government provides for the education of the people without having a numerous staff of Superintendents whose expenses form no inconsiderable part of the budget.The many and exact regulations applicable to the performance of this function, which is, in many countries exercised by the priesLhood and possess a different class of officials for each grade of schools, speak more eloquently in favor of it than the most labored dissertations.If we find no discussion on this head in the works on public education, it is no doubt because the question has never been mooted in any country but Canada.But the almost universal provision made by law on this subject, has the support of some statesmen who have affirmed most energetically the necessity of inspection.“ I have not hesitated” says Mr.Guizot (in his report for 1840), “ to propose to Your Majesty an increase in the number of primary sub-inspectors, as I am satisfied that no expense was more effectual for the improvement of schools.” Let me observe that the Inspectors of primary schools were at that time already 168 in number, and that they have been frequently increased since then will be seen hereafter.The school inspections were in fact at first a sort of general inquiry into the working of the educational system, an exceptional proceeding, which became by the force of circumstances a permanent institution.In the third volume of his Memoirs, published in 1860, Mr.Guizot gives the history of the institution, and expresses his satisfaction that he had been the father of it.“ Another plan, unforeseen and difficult of execution,*appearcd to me necessary in order to establish relations with the teachers dipersed throughout France, to know them realy and to act upon them in other ways than by casual and empty words.One" month after the promulgation of the new law, I ordered a general inspection of all the elementary schools in the kingdom, public or private.I desired not only to verify the external and material facts which usually form the object of statistical inquiries on tbe question of primary instruction,—such as the number of schools and scholars, their classification, their age, and the incidental expenses of the service,—but I particularly directed the Inspector to study the interior economy of the schools, the aptitude, zeal and conduct of the teachers, their relations with the pupils, the families, and the local authorities, civil and religious ; in a word the moral state of that branch of education, and its results.Facts of this nature cannot be ascertained at a distance, by means of correspondence, or descriptions.Special visits, personal communication, and a close examination of men and things, are indispensable to this just estimate and understanding.Four hundred 78 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION and ninety persons, the greater number of whom were functionaries of every order in the university, gave themselves up during tour months to this arduous investigation.Thirty-three thousand lour hundred and fifty-six schools were actually visited, and morally described in the Reports addressed to me by the Inspectors.One amongst the number, with whose rare ability and indefatigable zeal I had long been familiar, Mr.Lorain, now an honorary rector, drew up from these collected Reports a table of elementary instruction in France in 1833, even more remarkable for the moral and practicable views therin developed, than for the number and variety ot the facts comprised.This laborious undertaking not only had the effect of giving me a more complete and precise knowledge of the condition and real necessities of elementary instruction, but it furnished the public, in the most remote corners of^ho country, with a living instance of the active solicitude of the Government for popular education.At the same time it power-iully stimulated the teachers, by impressing on them a sense of the interest attached to their office, and of the vigilance with which they were overlooked.‘‘Two years later, on my proposition, a Royal decree transformed this casual and single inspection of the Elementary Schools into a permanent arrangement.In every district an Inspector was appointed to visit the schools at stated periods, and to communicate fully to the Minister, the Rectors, the Prefects, and the General and Municipal Councils their condition and wants.“ Since that time, and throughout repeated debates, whether in the Chambers or in the Local and Elective Councils, the utility of this institution has become so apparent, that, at the request of a majority of the councils, an Inspector has been established in every district, and the periodical inspection of Elementary Schools has taken its place in the administration of public instruction as one of the most effective guarantees of their sufficiency and progress.” In discussing the law relative to common school education (l'instruction moyenne) in 1850, Mr.Rogier, Minister of the Interior and of Public Instruction in Belgium, expressed himself in these terms : “ Inspection is the soul of education, and must never be lost sight of ; we might as well give up State education as suppress inspection, for inspection is the only effectual method by which the Government can ascertain the manner of communicating instruction in the State establishments.” It is proper to observe that the discussion turned on the mere question of the number of inspectors to be appointed, and that Mr.Rogier’s remarks were not made as offering any subject of debate, but as an axiom on which he founded his arguments in support of the number of inspectors whom he wished to be appointed.We must further take notice that this was no question of the inspection of primary schools, but ot schools of a class of teachers which in this country are supported out of the grant for superior education, and the greater part of which are not subject to inspection at all.“ In Germany, as well as in France, says Mr.Rendu, and in accordance with necessities arising from the very nature of things, there are two kinds of inspection of schools : the one essentially local, the other serving as a bond between the municipality and the central authority.” This was precisely the intention of our own Government when they established in the first instance, as visitors ex officio, in each locality the curé, the mayor, and various other public functionaries, and then added to such local inspectors, officers who are a bond between the municipality and the central authority.In no way could they have expressed more philosophically the necessity of such functionaries than by saying, as Mr.Rendu did, that it “arises from the very nature of things.” A more lengthened justification of the application of that portion of the public expenditure which goes to remunerate those modest but useful functionaries will be found in the following passage of Mr.Salvandy’s Report for the year 1843 : “ Their mission requires that they should possess qualities seldom found combined in the same person.They must have a thorough knowledge of nil methods of tuition ; must be able to examine the pupils in all branches included in the programme of the school ; must keep up a constant correspondence with the committees and the teachers themselves ; must send in reports to the superior authorities, well sustained by facts, and far from substituting their own action for that of the committees, must do their best to second the decisions of the latter.They must, moreover, when in presence of the individuals who belong'to those bodies, maintain the independence of their opinions without derogating from the respect due to the disinterested zeal of those honorable citizens.These are difficult tasks, and such as few but men of mark can accomplish ; and here, as in other departments of the service of primary education, a great disproportion exists between the importance of the duty and the emoluments attached to it.” But nowhere, if we judge by the place it holds in the scale of pecuniary aid afforded by the State for the purposes of public instruction, is the inspection of schools more highly appreciated than in England.“ Such,” says Mr.Rendu, with great truth, “ is in this country the respect for independent power of action, that we may fairly say, the nation is the principle, the State an accident." Nevertheless, such being the order of things that the initiative of the State is generally a matter of small account, provision has been made for the inspection not only of those institutions which receive aid from the State, but even of perfectly independent schools.True, the latter may choose whether they will submit to such jurisdiction or not, but (what shows how favorable publio opinion in England is to inspection) numbers of independent schools do apply to be inspected, and the number of such is yearly increasing.Government does not, in short, interfere in public education, save by according grants of money to schools and taking care that they shall be inspected.I shall cite one more extract from a work of Mr.Rendu’s (on primary instruction in London).In this it will be observed, that although the salaries of the English inspectors are very high, they seem to him barely competent, and that he is far from looking upon the great cost of publishing their reports in extenso as thrown away : — “ The right of inspection, we find, is strictly attached to the grant of aid ; and the exercise of this right is the second means of action placed by the English Government in the hands of the Committee of Council.“ The interest of the Government is to bind men of merit to the performance of their duty by a respectable rate of remuneration.This rate would anywhere but in England seem to be excessive, the salary of an inspector being £720 sterling, exclusive of travelling expenses.“ It is fitting, in this place, to make two remarks ; and although with some hesitation, I shall introduce them.The amount of salary is doubtless not the measure of the moral value of a duty, but in a certain degree it is significant of it.Moreover, such amount is the measure, not perhaps exactly, but certainly approxi-matively, of the importance which the opinion of Government attaches to the duty.How does it happen then that aristocratic England assigns a much higher place in pul lie estimation than France does to a mission on which the future education of the people so essentially depends ?Then the present rate of salary allowed to inspectors in France being given, how can it be expected, I beg to be informed, that many men of solid worth should bind themselves to Ihe service of primary education ?Save a few, whose vocation has been decided by exceptional circumstantes, where and how are we to find such men ?And yet, the diversity of interests against which they have to contend, the antagonism of influences which it is their business to conciliate, the necessity of possessing a ready stock of rhetoric to maintain their ground in unforseen emergencies, are difficulties, and perils, which beset an inspector of primary schools, more than any other public functionaries connected with the administrative part of education.* * “ We have observed that in England, the Inspectors refrain from interfering in any way with the discipline and management of the schools ; and yet their influence over them is considerable, more so over the general interests of education, I can boldly affirm, FOR LOWER CANADA.79 than in France itself, where they exercise a direct jurisdiction over personal action.This is explained by a single word : The judgments of the Inspectors are in England made public.“ The province of the Inspector is limited to ascertaining, comparing and discussing results.True, but in evidence and as judge of appeal, he invokes, in confirmation of his judgment, the dreaded powei.^opinion.Every year, the reports of lier Majesty’s Inspectors, addressed to the Committee of Council, are collected to be published, and presented, by Her Majesty’s command, to the two Houses of Parliament.« please to consider, Sir, the effect of such a publication of the Inspector’s reports.“ In the first place, it supposes in the Inspectors sovereign impartiality, in the minds of the inspected absolute confidence in the justice of’the Inspectors; and this two-fold sentiment elevates the functionary because it does honor to his office.Is it not clear that reports which are destined to be submitted to public opinion, and subjected to its animadversions, and to be laid before the highest court of jurisdiction in the country, must acquire an intrinsic value proportioned to the importance which is given to them ?Between such reports and documents which are annually laid on the shelf to be covered with dust and remain unread, what comparison is possible ?The former are matter of discussion in a Parliament, while the others are cut down by the writers of them to adapt them to the size of a deed-box.“ J haye before me a large volume of more than 1,000 pages, which contains the Report of 1850-51, and there in the reports of Mr.Moseley, Mr.Cook and others, I find in every page interesting discussions of principles, solutions of difficulties in the art of teaching, &c.In such reports there is no danger in storing their ideas ; they are sure not to be lost.” The above should suffice, one would think, to refute very effectually the opinion entertained in principle that the Inspection of schools is useless or nearly so ; and on that opinion the opposition to the present system seems to be principally founded.2.I now come to the second cause of opposition.It is certain that whenever the people are convinced that no increase of the local aid, and therefore no chance of diminishing the school rate, would be brought about by an alteration of the mode of inspection, from that moment, I say, they would be better able to do justice to the system itself.In this particular the opposition to inspection does not differ from the old opposition to the levying of the school-rate.Now any system of inspection, whether administered as heretofore by agents paid by the State, or by persons whose sorvices are remunerated by local taxation in the municipality, will always stir up the same kind of dissatisfaction.Needless to add, that in the latter case the complaint would be the louder because the burthen would be nearer to the back that bears it.3.The feelings of personal hostility which an Inspector is sure to bring down upon his head, either by lys own fault, or without any fault of his, are very great; and in this, as in many other cases, people aiÿ ashamed to confess their enmity against the individual ; nay, they sometimes disguise it even from themselves, and they make an onslaught directly on the institution without stopping to estimate its importance and its usefulness.The kind of duty imposed on the Inspector, consisting of the surveillance of other functionaries who are to enforce the law, with the task of reproving them when there is need, nay, even of denouncing their misdeeds to a superior authority, is not likely to beget any love in those who are the objects of his official care.As Mr.Rendu observes in the passage above quoted, these functionaries must be men of superior minds never to fail in point of tact or discretion —never to wound people’s excessive, nay, their natural susceptibility, in the performance of duties which are as delicate as they are difficult.But not to speak of the ordinary superintendence which they are to exercise over schools and schoolmasters and all their appliances, and over Commissioners' and Secretary-Treasurers’ accounts, the numberless and never-ending difficulties which are always occuring relative to the formation and division of school districts, and the choice of sites for school houses are generally settled by their enquiries and reports, as are those arising about the division or bounding of school municipalities ; the claims for money consequent on such changes between different municipalities ; the establishment of dissentient schools and the apportioning of the Government grant between Commissioners and Trustees ; the possession of school-houses (often a subject of dispute between the two bodies when they exist in one locality) ; indemnity claimed by teachers who allege they have been unjustly dismissed ; complaints of Curés, parents and ratepayers against Commissioners or teachers ; the imposition of extraordinary rates to pay off debt or build school-houses ; the apportionment of the school fund to different districts ; the auditing and giving up their accounts by Secretary-Treasurers; in shor>, about the inauguration and maintenance of Model Schools which are almost always unpopular at first.On all these matters the law has conferred on the Superintendent a jurisdiction in appeal from the decisions of the Commissioners, and a kind of administrative power of arbitration which, in case of need, finds its sanction in the confiscation of the Government Grant.All these questions, some of which may appear rather trivial at the first glance, are, nevertheless, very interesting in all places where they arise, but generally connected with the family and local heart-burnings and party quarrels which unhappily divide our parishes.They are also, as you may suppose, exaggerated by differences of religion, language and origin.None but those whose experience has taught them, can have an idea of the importance attached to triumph, and of the rancour which lingers in the breasts of the defeated party.4.Finally, the inefficiency of the present Inspectors, in some districts, has added another ground of complaint to the prejudices and antipathies already existing, and confirmed, in a certain degree, the contempt into which the institution itself had fallen.I have stated the causes of that inefficiency, and pointed out some remedies which have been already applied where circumstances permitted it to be done.I now resume my answer to the first question ; I.The present system of Inspection is similar to that which has been generally adopted in Europe.It serves as a connecting tie between the central power and the load authority, and has rendered immense service to the cause of public instruction.II.It is imperfect in this, that some districts are still too extensive for the duties at present devolving on the Inspectors, and for the remuneration assigned to them, and also because some of them have other occupations which lead them to neglect the performance of their duties.Several of them visit as many as three schools in one day,—too many to allow of the duty being properly performed.III.-To remedy the inefficiency of the present system, it is necessary, Firstly.To subdivide three or four of the districts which appear to be still too large for the requirements of the system and for the remuneration assigned to the Inspectors.Secondly.To continue to appoint none but teachers to the office of Inspector.Thirdly.To make a regulation providing minutely for the execution of the duties of Inspectors, prescribing the exact length of their visits and the manner of conducting them ; obliging them to be present at the conferences of the teachers a certain number of times in the year, and to visit the Normal and Model Schools, in order that they may keep up their knowledge of the progress made in them, and promulgate the spirit of improvement in their several districts.Fourthly.To compel the School Commissioners by legal enactment, under a penalty, to attend when the Inspector visits the school, and to sign his report.Were this duly attended to, it would speedily open the eyes of the Commissioners to the importance of the office of an Inspector, and would secure the obedience of the latter to the regulation, and would be a protective measure for those Inspectors who discharge their duties, and are neverthe- 80 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION less exposed to unjust animadversions, -which they have no evidence to repel.The visitors ex officio might also he required to make use, at least when at.home, of the privilege accorded to them by law, under the penalty of forfeiting the privilege by non user.Fifthly.To exact from Inspectors the employment of their whole time in the exercise of their functions.Those who might not think fit to give up their other occupations, and might not find it advantageous to do so, might imitate the example already set them, by tendering their resignation.There would be no lack of teachers ready to accept the vacated offices for the salaries attached to them, and to discharge all the duties of them very practically and scrupulously.Sixthly.To furnish each School Corporation with printed registers to serve as journals in which the Inspector should enter the report of his visit.Commissioners and Trustees have been again and again enjoined to procure such registers for the teachers; but the recommendation has been sometimes unheeded.Though the expense of printing and distributing those registers by the department, as it is done in Upper Canada, might be considerable, I believe it would be a useful.measure as furnishing the means of procuring information which is not to be had otherwise in a connected form, and likely to be influential with the inspectors and visitors of the schools.II.My remark in my answer to the first question relative to the too great extent of their districts, shews clearly that the present number of Inspectors could not be diminished without a corresponding modification of the amount and even the character of their duties.In fact, from the 365 days in the year, we must deduct at least CO days’ of the annual vacation (the law allows a greater number, inasmuch as the right of a school to share in the grant depends only on its being kept open eight months in the year,) 62 Sundays and feast days ; about 50 other holidays, and finally about 50 other days occupied in travelling, or in special missions,or in auditing accounts, which leaves 140 days.However, as several of the days deducted belong to two of the categories mentioned, and holidays need not be a hindrance if the teacher be forewarned of the Inspector’s visit (not, by the bye, always possible,) we may say that on an average, the number of days which an inspector may devote to the special duty of visiting the schools is 180.Now there are 3000 schools under control ; but as the inspectors are instructed to visit the independent schools, when invited to do so, we may state the number of schools to be visited in the year at 3,200.As the number of inspectors is at present 27 this, if we suppose two visits to each school in the year, would give nearly one visit and a half per day ; but this arithmetical average is not the true one, inasmuch as three or four of the districts have but few schools, but on the other hand contaiu a vast area to be travelled over, and considerable difficulties to be surmounted in the imperfect means of communication and the severity of the climate.The other districts contain a much larger number of schools.I subjoin to this report a table marked A, shewing : 1.The extent of each Inspector’s district ; 2.The number of inhabitants ; 3.The number of schools under control; 4.The number of scholars; 5.The salary of the Inspector.It will be seen by this table, that, allowing 180 days occupied in visiting, two of the Inspectors have on an average about three schools to visit in a day, and ten others nearly two schools, counting two visits in the year.If to these be added the independent schools, we shall find that, in the time allowed, the Inspectors have, on an average and in round numbers, four of them four, others three, and some two schools to visit in one day.If, therefore, we reduce the number of Inspectors to 10, assuming 3,200 as the number of schools to be visited, and 180 days as the time applicable for the performance of the duty, we shall find (reckoning two visits in the year) nearly four schools to be visited in each day ; if the number were reduced to six, it would be very nearly six schools per day.From all which it necessarily results, that if we intend to reduce the number of Inspectors to 10, they must make only one visit in the year.I have drawn up a table, marked B, containing a plan of inspection, on the footing of 10 districts only, and comprising, approximately, the same heads of information with respect to them as the other table does for the old districts.I believe that it would be utterly impracticable to throw the country into larger districts than are comprised in this table, even if the number of visits were reduced to one in the year.We might, indeed, further reduce the number ot districts to eight, it we disregarded the difference between Catholic and Protestant communities ; but I could not, in this respect recommend a deviation from the system introduced, and by me sought to be extended.The aim of our educational legislation is to give the most, the best possible guarantees to religious minorities in the education of their children.We have separate Schools, separate Boards of Examiners as far as practicable, and it seems to me that, as nearly as may be, we ought to have separate Inspectors.In Prussia and everywhere else throughout Germany, the Inspectors are even members of the respective clerical bodies.In England and Scotland there are Inspectors for each religious denomination; and provision is even made, by Order in Council, that the heads of the different religious bodies shall have a voice in the choice of them.On the head of salaries for the Inspectors there is a question of some difficulty, and the same question arose when the present system was first introduced.The Inspectors have no allowance for travelling expenses, even when engaged in the special missions not unfrequently imposed on them by the Department.Would it not be better to allow them travelling charges, and would not that be a futher guarantee for their activity and vigilance ?On the other hand, it may be asked whether such allowance might not give occasion to innumerable difficulties - nay, even to many abuses.In the table which I have prepared, I have taken it for granted that the present system is to continue.If it were resolved to grant the travelling expenses, the rate of salary should be as follows :— Instead of $1,400, $1,000 ; instead of $1,600, $1,200; instead of $1,800, $1,400.The aggregate amount of the salaries recommended in the table is $16,400; and as there would be more likelihood of that sum being exceeded, than there is of its being found more than sufficient, if the other plan be adopted—that of giving smaller fixed salaries with allowances for travelling charges and particular missions—it appears to be but little likely that the saving would exceed $4,000 of the present expenditure, which does nor quite reach $20,000.We must observe that the great extent of the districts will propably prevent the Inspectors from always acquiting themselves of those particular missions, the nature of which I have already explained, and that in such cases I shall have to employ the officers of my own Department, involving an increase in the staff of the office, with a corresponding increase of the contingent disbufsements for travelling expenses.Let us now examine in detail the new division, bearing in mind throughout, that the table does not take into account the independent schools.District No.1 comprises the Judicial Districts of Gaspé and Eimouski, less the Protestant schools of the first of these districts.It is the Gulf Electoral Division for the Legislative Council, and is a vast territory to travel over, replete with difficulties of every kind, which far outweigh the small number of primary schools under control, which is only 88.I need not add that it would be impossible to travel over this district twice in the course of one year.The same remarks apply to District of Inspection No.2 which would consist of the Judicial Districts of Saguenay and Chicoutimi.In these two Inspection Districts the number of schools will increase considerably within the next few years.District No.3 comprises the Judicial Districts of Kamouraska, Montmagny, Quebec, and Beauce, and not less than 652 schools, FOR LOWER CANADA 81 which would give the Inspector four schools a day, or thereabouts, to visit if he made but one visit during the year.It is true that the means of communication, throughout a portion of this district, are varying; but it is very doubtful whether this Inspector can visit regularly all the schools of his district.District No.4 comprises the Judicial Districts of Arthabaska, Three Rivers, and Richelieu.It contains 439 schools under control ; but the number of those in the District of Arthabaska cannot fail to increase rapidly.This district, for a single visit, would give a little over two schools a day.The extent of territory to be travelled over is considerable, and the northern part of the Districts of Three Rivers and of Richelieu is susceptible of a rapid increase.District No.5 comprises the Protestant schools of the Judicial Districts of St.Francis and Bedford, and contains about 300 schools, which would give, for a single visit, a fraction over one school a day.There is here a vast district to be travelled over, and the means of communication are throughout a portion of it not very easy.District No.6, comprising the Judicial Districts of St.Hyacinthe and Iberville, together with the Catholic schools of the districts of Bedford and St.Francis, would be of very great extent, and would include a very large number of schools under control, (539), or, on an average, three schools a day ; and in a district increasing so fast, it is doubtfull whether 180 days, which we have adopted as the rule, could be devoted to visits.Besides, the Catholic schools of the districts of Bedford and St.François must go on increasing rapidly.This district (No.6) could not, therefore, remain long without being subdivided.District No.7 would comprise the Judicial Districts of Montreal, Joliette, and Beauharnois, less the Protestant schools of the City of Montreal, of the Counties of Jacques-Cartier and Hochelaga, and of the district of Beauharnois.There would be 504 schools to visit, that is to say, about three a day ; but the number of days, ISO, might possibly be increased, in view of the facilities of communication.Nevertheless, the rear of the district of Joliette is difficult to travel over, and this portion of District No.7 is also liable to an increase.It must also be stated, that the District of Montreal contains a large number of independent schools, which are not taken into account, and which the inspectors have always been in the habit of visiting.District No.S would comprise the Judicial Districts" of Terrebonne and Ottawa, less the Protestant schools of the Counties of Argenteuil, Ottawa, and Pontiac, Here, as in Nos.1 and 2, the vast extent of territory compensates for the comparatively small number of schools, which, besides, must rapidly increase.I have endeavoured to combine in District No.9 the leading groups of the Protestant population of the eastern portion of Lower Canada.These groups are greatly isolated one from another.The inspector might visit, during the winter, the schools in the vicinity of Quebec and those of Megantic, and in the summer, those of the District of Gaspé.If, however, the latter should be found to be too great a tax, the proposed salary might be reduced, and one of two courses adopted : either to appoint a Protestant inspector for the Protestant schools of the District of Gaspé, or else to leave these schools under the control of the Catholic inspector, as they are at present.District No.10 contains a pretty large number of schools, under control, to which must be added a considerable number of independent schools, which freely submit to the inspection.So that the number of schools to be visited would be greater than it appears from the table.Some few Protestant establishments will still remain under the inspection of Catholic inspectors (the inspectors of Nos.5, 9, and 10 are to be Protestants) ; but this is unavoidable for the present, without a large increase of expenditure.As may naturally be supposed, I considered several other plans before deciding upon the present one ; and notwithstanding that it still presents difficulties, more particularly on account of the excessive number of schools contained in Districts Nos.3, 6, and 7, it is nevertheless the best I have been able to discover.The adoption of twelve as the number of districts would perhaps give better results ; but it would then be necessary to abandon one or other of the objects in view.The plan summed up in table B would therefore have the following advantages : — 1.A more suitable remuneration of the Inspectors ; 2.A reduction in expenditure of about $4,000.It would present, however, on the other hand, several serious drawbacks :— 1.The reducing of the number of visits to but one a year.It is of the utmost advantage to have the schools, or at all events the greater part of them, visited twice a year ; the inspector should meet the Commissioners and the Secretary-Treasurer twice a year.It is the only means of ascertaining the progress made in teaching; of knowing whether the recommandations made during the first visit, whether to the Teachers, to the Commissioners, or to the Secretary-Treasurer have been carried out.The two visits are all the more needed from the fact that in many localities the schools are rarely if ever visited by the Commissioners or by visitors, with the exception of the parish priests, and the latter are sometimes unnable, owing to the extent of their parishes and the importance of their other duties, to visit them as often as they would wish.2.Inasmuch as the school inspector has not only to visit the schools, but as he has, moreover, to examine the accounts of the Secretary-Treasurer, frequent special missions, two semi-annual reports, and a very active correspondence with the various school corporations and the Department, in fact a great deal of writing, it is greatly to be feared that the extent of the districts, and the large number of schools to be visited, would interfere with the discharge of these duties, which our present state of transition in the matter of public instruction renders highly important.3.It must necessarily happen under this system that a pretty large number of schools will remain unvisited.This is the case already under the present system, and if the inspector goes over his district but once a year, any accident which may prevent him from visiting a particular school, cannot be remedied during the remainder of the year.Moreover it would be very difficult for the inspectors to visit any but the schools under the control of the Commissioners, and yet it is very important that they should be in a position to accept the invitations frequently made to them to visit other institutions, more particularly those which are subsidized out of the fund for Superior Education.4.In fine, I fear that the result of the reduction of the number of inspectors would be a complete modification of their functions ; that they would come to be satisfied with visiting the model schools and perhaps one of the elementary schools in each parish ; with a hasty conference with the School Commissioners relative to their affairs, and a mere glance at the accounts presented by the Secretary-Treasurer.The rapid increase in the number of schools, and the vast extent of the districts, would furnish an excellent reason for acting thus.It will,[perhaps, be expected on the other hand, that it will only be necessary to increase the number of ins^ctors in proportion to the increase in the number of schools ; but, with the high salaries which would be given, this would not perhaps be granted without difficulty, and, in any case, would be attended with a great deal of delay.Such a system of inspection by well paid functionaries, men of high capacity, whose inspection would have for its object, more especially, general observation and encouragement, would imply the co-existence of a subordinate system of inspection, more immediate and more minute.It is not for me to say whether the country is in a position to inaugurate a double system of this kind ; I will merely state that it would be either more imperfect still than the present system, or else far more costly.I will now give a few details relative to the systems of inspection prevailing in France and in England, as regards, more especially, the number of inspectors and their salaries.It will be seen that the number of inspectors, taking into account the vast extent of 82 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION Lower Canada, the difficulties which still exist in consequence of the state of the roads in certain parts of our country, is at the least as large in France and in Egland as in Canada, if it be not larger.Mr.Jourdain, in a work entitled, “ Le budget de l’instruction publique (en France) depuis la fondation de l'université impériale jusqu'à nos jours,” gives some interesting details on the subject of inspection.While the amounts of the salaries, which he rightly considers very small, may to us appear to he absurd, it must be remembered that the value of money in France is very different from what it is in Canada, and that the salaries attached to all public offices in that country are small.It must also he remembered that the travelling expenses of the inspectors are defrayed by the State.11 After the 1st of September 1850,” says Mr.Jourdain, “ the sub-inspectors disappeared ; but the number of inspectors was raised to three hundred ; it might have been raised to three hundred and forty-three, had the Government adhered to the letter of the 20th section of the law of the 15th March, 1850, which created an inspection in each section.The inspectors were divided into classes; those of Paris received 4,000 fr.; those of the Departments 2,000 fr., 1,800 fr., 1,500 fr., and 1,200 fr.The total expenditure, in 1851, was 748,006 fr.85c.; of which 455,738 fr, 57c.for salaries, and 292,268 fr.28c.for incidental expenses.In 1852, it was still 741,132 fr.93c.A certain number of vacancies and of delays occurring in making inspections, reduced it in 1853, to 715,884 fr.39c.; in 1854, to 706,721 fr.61c.; in 1855, to 715,884 fr.39 ; in 1854, to 706,721 fr.61c.; in 1855, to 707,982 fr.73e.# “ No doubt these figures are high, and yet upon a careful examination of the position of the inspectors, it is easy to see that the small salary they received is out of proportion with the importance of the functions entrusted to them, and the duties imposed upon them by the rank they occupy in the State.What position can be more distressing than that of an inspector—( the father of a family—without personal means, who receives from the State 1,200 fr., reduced by monthly deductions to 1,140 fr., whose duties prohibit him from engaging in any other kind of business; and who, nevertheless, is compelled to make a certain appearance.It is of the utmost importance that this state of things should cease to exist, and that the minimum of the salaries should be raised to 1,800 fr.This would, it is true, be an additionnai expenditure of 200,000 fr., and some persons would, perhaps, prefer to abolish the service, but the sorry saving thereby secured would inevitably result in the ruin of primary instruction.If during the past twenty-five years, popular education has made any progress amongst us ; if the schools are better conducted ; if the communes consent to make the sacrifices necessary to their support, it is in a great degree to the primary inspectors that the result is due.The best judges in such matters have always looked upon inspection as the mainspring of the system, as they have always asked that it should be entrusted to special men.% “ It is to be hoped that these ideas may prevail, and that far from weakening a useful institution, the government will#ndow it with resources indispensable to the welfare of the parties and the service.” In England there were, in 1859, 54 inspectors, and 20 sub-inspectors visiting 6,641 primary schools (forming 9384 divisions or departments), 38 normal schools, 539 charity schools, and 118 reformatory, ragged, or industrial schools; in all 7336 institutions.This is a greater number than 27 inspectors for 3200 schools, which is the case with us ; and if, on the one hand, the number of pupils in the schools in England is greater in proportion, on the other, the extent of country to be travelled is much smaller, and the communication is incomparably easier.A measure recently adopted in England will confer yet higher importance on the inspection of schools.The inspectors, under the authority of the revised code of public education, divide the pupils in the school into classes, according to the degree of knowledge possessed by them, and the number of pupils in each class regulates the amount of the Government grant to the schools which receive it.The inspectors may withdraw different proportions of the grant payable to each school, for various reasons, and their duties on this point and on every other are prescribed by Order in Council with the greatest care.Such a measure must tend to increase both the number of inspectors and the cost of inspection.Should the Government decide in favor of the plan set forth in Table B, I would request to be permitted to make two suggestions.The first is that the law should, in that case, provide that the office of Inspector shall not be given in future to any but teachers holding academy diplomas, who have taught in Low7er Canada for at least five years, and who have, moreover, undergone an examination on the legislative enactments and regulations relative to public education.I consider it right to insist upon this point, because the office of Inspector, already very much coveted at the present time by men who have no experience in teaching nor any administrative ability, would be still more so under this new system both on account of the appointments being higher, and on account of their increased importance.Besides, a formal legislative enactment would be a species of compensation to the teachers for the diminution of the chances which are now offered to them, whilst at the same time the new office would be of itself a much more worthy object of emulation.In France the qualifications for the post of an inspector are that the candidate be a bachelor of arts, a director of a normal school, or a teacher of a superior class ; that he have been a teacher five years, and that he have, moreover, undergone a special examination.One-third of the places as inspectors are reserved for teachers.The second suggestion is that, if the government should find no means of indemnifying those inspectors now acting, who would, by the adoption of the new plan, be removed from office, it might be only gradually adopted and applied only as vacancies might occur.‘ III.The local and municipal system is that which exists in Upper Canada.The number of Inspectors is 326.In the country parts they are appointed by the County Councils ; in the cities by the Boards of Trustees.Each Inspector receives five dollars for each school visited.The great number of Inspectors required by such a system, and the small emolument accruing from the office have produced such a result in Upper Canada as might have been for-foreseen.Of the 326 Inspectors, 146, or nearly one-half, are members of the clergy.In Lower Canada there would be the same necessity of having •recourse to the clergy for the working of such a system.The teachers could not undertake it, because it would draw them from their occupation, neither would it afford them a competent remuneration.Besides these two classes of men, it would be difficult to find a large number with taste, aptitude and education enough, who would be willing, for such paltry fees, to set aside their other business engagements.Frequent changes and great irregularity would be the consequences.With respect to the Catholic clergy of Lower Canada, it would probably be difficult to induce the ecclesiastical authorities to allow the Curds or a certain number of them to fill an elective office for which they are to be paid, in which they would be liable to receive orders and injunctions from the civil authorities, to take the character of Governement officers, and undergo election by a Municipal Council.The very nature of the duties of an Inspector in many parishes in which, law in hand, a constant war is to be waged with the local authorities, with men whose ill-will, whose views and tendencies are to he constantly combatted, would be a sufficient motive to deter a priest from undertaking amission so different from his own.Under the present system the Curds are ex-officio visitors ; they may be elected to be Commissioners ; they have the selection of the books of religious instruction.They have done and daily do a great deal for education ; but, in order FOR LOWER CANADA.83 to avoid compromising their sacred office, and injuring interests of a still higher order, they have felt themselves and still feel themselves bound to use great prudence ; even in some places they have not thought it consistent with their duty to accept the office of commissioner.It is emphatically as curés, and in some places as curés only, that they can render the greatest services to public education.If, in order to give greater importance to the office, no more than one Inspector were to be appointed in a county, the remuneration must of necessity be slightly increased, and as one of the principal motives of opposition to the present Inspectors has been their salaries which they receive from the Government, that opposition would be much increased by the levying of the amount, by local taxation of the inhabitants of the county.Might we not apprehend that, in some places, it would fail to be provided for, and be raised in a very irregular way ?If the law did not restrict the choice of Inspectors to teachers, they might be regarded, under this system, as being virtually exoluded, for influences much stronger than what any of them possess would be set to work in the County Council.If, on the other hand, the law restricted the choice to teachers, might wre not apprehend that they would become, with a view to obtaining the office, partisans of one of the factions into which counties are generally divided, and so throw away in petty intrigues and degrading efforts, the time and the energy which they owe to the instruction of youth, together with what is of equal importance, the respect af the public ?Neither can I understand that an Inspector should not be removable.Will he be liable to periodical re-election by the County Council or only to dismissal in case of neglect or bad conduct ?In either case he would be too dependent on local authority, nay, we may say he would be immediately dependent on each school municipality, seeing that the latter are generally the same as the rural municipalities, and the County Council is composed of the mayors of the same respectively.Will the Superintendent of Education be permitted to dismiss an Inspector who has been appointed by» the County Council ?In such a case, what a struggle will ensue for the ascendancy ! Has not the Superintendent enough on his hands in contending with the School Commissioners, without bringing him also in collision with the County Councils ?A purely local and municipal system of inspection supposes, moreover, thfe existence of a population which has long enjoyed municipal institutions and had the benefit, for several generations, of a system of primary instruction.The Inspector is, in that case, less the agent of the central than of the local authority, and it is natural that he should be appointed and paid by the latter.But this system would still leave room to wish for the official agent of the central authority, as Mr.Rendu so well expresses it in the passage above quoted.Even these persons who would not have the inspection lodged in the hands of the central authority, who would wish to decentralize the direction of public education, must admit that in order to effect this, they must change our legislation.Let us look back to the time when the present school system was inaugurated in Lower Canada, and we shall confess that the undertaking was at its outset apparently a moral impossibility.The establishment of a system of public instruction by the agency of local and municipal authorities, themselves elective amidst a population who had been always opposed to every system of direct taxation, among whom primary instruction had been, by a succession of occurrences ever to be regretted, almost completely interrupted for a period ot ten years, was in truth asking men of no education to educate others—men who set their faces against all taxes to tax themselves for a purpose of the importance of which they were ignorant.The law, moreover, had only prescribed one restriction as regards the choice of Commissioners, and that restriction, however favorable to the rate-payers, was very far from being so to the establishment of schools.In order to be a Commissioner it was not necessary (nor indeed is it so now) to have any education whatsoever, to know even how to read or write ; all that was re- quired was to be a rate-payer as the owner of real property.There was nothing to prevent the election of five proprietors at once the most ignorant and the most hostile to taxes of any kind.And this used to be done, and unhappily is done still, though not so frequently.To attain the success, as we have, under such circumstances, was it not to prove the falsity of the keenest human foresight ?It is true that on the one hand the law had enacted various penalties, and that on the other hand it counted on the efforts and zeal of educated men, at the head of whom would naturally be found members of the clergy.It counted, moreover, (and this has not proved the least important element of its success) on the good sense, the spirit of order and the peaceful and pious habits of the population.But these penalties and restrictions had been valueless without the aid of the central authority to apply them.It was necessary that the zeal and the efforts of educated men suould be seconded and sustained by an authority independent of that which it was intended to supervise, frequently even to control.In fact the good disposition of the Canadian people required to be stimulated and developed by men specially charged with that mission, and receiving fair remuneration for their struggles with men—educated men, unfortunately, but part-izans of ignorance, with a view to the attainment of political ends.Thence arose the office of Inspector, and only since its creation has any progress been made.• Since that time the opposition to schools has not ceased to exist, but ta£en a fresh direction.It is no longer directed against taxation absolutely (although in many places there is still a predilection in favor of the illusory resource of voluntary subscription), but its aim is now to prevent the increase of teachers’ salaries, to impede the establishment of Model Schools, and to oppose all improvements necessary to promote the progress of education.So well aware of this were the Legislature and the Government, that every succeeding Session has conferred newr powers on the Department, to enable it to contend with these TABLE A.Names of 27 Inspectors.J.B.F.Painchaud.Joseph Meagher .( Thomas Tremblay .( V.Martin.G.Tanguay.S.Boivin.John Hume.F.E.Juneau.P.F.Beland.J.Crépault.P.U.Bardv.Rev.R.Plees.P.Hubert.G.A.Bourgeois.B.Maurault.H.Hubbard.R.Parmelee.J.N.A.Avchambeault C.H.Leroux .Michel Caron.1 Louis Grondin.£ John Bruce.F.X.Valade.A.D.Dorvnt.C.Germain.C.B.Rouleau.r Wm.Hamilton.| Extent of the dis- tricts in superficial (acres).J Population in 1861.Number of schools under control.Number of scholars.Salary of each in- spector.i $ 2,651 5 271 125 241,340 ^ 13,092 30 2,662 700 S 11,426 21 905 600 69,669 10,478 26 1,116 500 584,092 60,473 181 7,961 875 209,007 21,324 45 1,935 500 214,121 26,232 83 3 340 750 685,437 ?34,442 99 6,837 700 S 35,935 106 6,690 700 386,134 41,748 138 6.534 750 544,571 100,498 180 11,986 1,000 10,931 16 1,205 250 443,909 51.956 122 7,000 750 175,000 22,581 71 2,998 700 333,482 37,608 112 6,075 750 484,143 47.033 284 9,868 800 380,704 49,813 246 8,107 875 931,219 } 47,687 112 7.588 800 > 55,945 172 10.547 800 470,523 ?45,563 131 7,924 700 S 44,638 114 7,856 700 331,139 58,231 150 8,303 1,000 424,175 117,068 150 8,644 i'ooo 630,008 72,885 193 10,432 '875 393,584 49,398 133 7,476 750 826,227 ^ 27,148 4g 1,796 550 ] 13,866 39 1,692 550 Totals.3,004 157,748 19,050 84 JOURNAL OF EDUCATION fatal proclivities.Now the powers thus assigned, and those which | the law had already given, could be exercised only by the medium ] and aid of agents appointed by the Government; paid by the Government, and responsible to the Government.In short, in both sections of the Province, the system of public instruction is both departmental and municipal, but in Upper Canada it partakes more of the latter than the former; and there is nothing surprising in the fact, that the same principle also predominates in the business of inspection.In Lower Canada the opposite is the true state of things, and those persons who wish to see the system of Upper Canada introduced, independently of any other consideration, should premise the assimilation of the two school codes, and provide for the relief of the Department from a hundred faculties and duties which it would become impossible to exercise and discharge.I regret the great length to which this Report has grown.As the terms of your letter were made as comprehensive as possible, I thought it incumbent on me to omit no labor of research which might be necessary in order to complete the body of information required.I recapitulate as follows : 1.I should prefer some improvement of the present system to any actual chÿige, as I have shewn at the close of the first section of this work.2.The reduction of the number of inspectors, so as tü increase the amount of remuneration and yet to diminish the actual ex- T A B L penditure, seems to me very difficult to be effected.Assuming j such a reduction, I should recommend the plan set forth in table B.Twelve districts, instead of ten laid down in the table, would seem preferable, and afford room to diminish the extent of Districts 3, 6, and 7.But in that case it would be requisite either to lower the proposed rates of salaries, or otherwise to give up the hope of any saving.With twelve inspectors and the following scale of salaries, $1,200, $1,400, and $1,600, we should reach $16,300, and effect a saving of rather more than $600.I fear the above rates of salary would be too low.There is also another system of remuneration, which would deserve consideration, that of allowing so much for fees for each school visitation and so much for travelling expenses per day when absent from place of residence._ 3.It does not appear to me practicable, in the present state of the municipal system of Lower Canada and of the law respecting public instruction, to relieve this department from the expense and labor of the inspection of schools, and it is my sincere conviction, that for.a long time to come, no system of purely municipal inspection can be brought to work with advantage.I have the honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, Pierre J.O.Chauveau, Superintendent of Education.E B.! Districts of Inspection and Names of Judicial Districts CONTAINED IN EACH.i Population of each district of Inspection.Number of schools un- der control.Number of scholars in each district ofln- .spection.Proposed Salaries of Inspectors.No.1.Includes the judicial districts of Gaspé and Rimouski, except the Protestant Schools of the district of Gaspé 41,465 88 4,702 $ 1,400 No.2.Includes the judicial districts of Saguenay and Chicoutimi 31,802 71 3,051 1,409 No.3.Includes the judicial districts of Kamouraska, Montmagny, Quebec and Beauce, except the Protestant Schools of the City and Ccunty of Quebec and of the County of Lévis 257,668 652 37,947 1,800 No.4.Includes the judicial districts of Arthabaska, Three Rivers and Richeiieu, except the Protestant Schools of the County of Mégantic 162,646 439 23,486 1,600 No.5.Includes the judicial districts of St.Francis and Bedford, except the Catholic 58,174 294 9,975 1,600 No 6 Includes the judicial districts of St.Hyacinthe and Iberville, besides the Catholic 539 Schools of the judicial districts of St.Francis and Bedford 123,223 26,571 1,800 No 7.Includes the judicial districts of Montreal, Joliette and Beauharnois, except the Protestant Schools of the City of Montreal and of the Counties of Jacques-Cartier, Hochelaga and Huntingdon 263,762 495 29,282 1,800 No 8 Includes the judicial districts of Terrebonne and Ottawa, except the Protestant 69,805 169 8,341 1,400 Schools of the Counties of Argenteuil, Ottawa and Pontiac No 9 Includes the Protestant Schools of the City and County of Quebec, of the Counties 22,008 61 3,559 1,800 of Lévis, and Mégantic, Gaspé and Bonaventure No.10.Includes the Protestant Schools of the City of Montreal, and of the Counties of Hochelaga, Jocques-Cartier and Argenteuil, and also the Protestant Schools of the judicial districts of Beauharnais and Ottawa 58,849 196 10,834 1,800 3,004 157,748 16,400 Eüsèbe Senécal, Printer, No.4, St.Vincent Street, Montreal.