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Date: 1866-08-17
By: True Witness
Citation: “No title”, True Witness (17 August, 1866)
Other formats: TBA

The Witness is out of sorts. Whining is its ordinary mood; but, within the past week, it has been stirred up and exercised much at the withdrawal of the Education Bill.

But a few weeks ago, it kindly suggested to the Pope the propriety of His Holiness’s taking up his residence in Canada; in fact, expressed its desire that he should come, and intimated how grateful the Witness would feel if the Holy Father would bring along some few presents in the way of statues and pictures. Such an invite from the “only religious paper” quite shocked, undoubtedly, the dear grandmothers who peruse its columns; but they will be quite surprised and frightened to learn from the same organ last week, that henceforth the Pope and his Cardinals are to rule in Ottawa. Protestants are to be bound hand and foot, “and be sacrificed”—gored by Roman Bulls. “Protestant children, if not sent to the West, are to be Romanised;” and as for those Protestant parents who live in out-of-the-way places, they—the Witness exhorts, “that is, if they are animated with the spirit of their fathers—are to suffer rather their goods and chattels to be distrained by an unjust government for school taxes” than expose their children to the possibility of being taught their prayers and catechism, and hence be enabled to pray to God and worship Him as their forefathers prayed and worshipped. Not possessing any of the spirit of his fathers, the Editor, of course, cannot be expected to think of sacrificing any of his “goods and chattels,” and, if placed in the position of others whom he exhorts to make sacrifices for conscience sake, he avows, his choice will be to pay something for the support of Roman Catholic churches.

Can the Witness read the signs of the times. “Public opinion in the townships indicates that the people will submit to no injustice,” and this asserted, the ordinarily obsequious Editor strives to intimidate the government by declaring that, unless it follows his advice, “seeds of permanent trouble will certainly be sown.” In fact, the Witness is getting restive. Will no one stroke Johnny down “if he should fall from grace.”

We insert a petition to which a large number of signatures have been attached, but which was not sent to Ottawa on account, we presume, of the withdrawal of the Lower Canada Education Bill. Every fair-minded, honest Protestant will, we are convinced, admit the equity of the petitioners’ demands:—

THE SCHOOL BILL.

To the Honorable the Legislative Assembly in Parliament Assembled.

The Petition of the undersigned Roman Catholics, and other citizens of the city of Montreal, in Lower Canada.

HUMBLY SHEWETH :

That the Protestant minority in Lower Canada, to protect the education of their youth against any unfavorable influence which might arise under a separate legislature in this part of the Province, are obtaining of your honorable house, in its present session an Act by [which?] all their former privileges are maintained ; and new advantages of an extensive and organic nature, granted.

That your petitioners rejoice that the enlightened wisdom of your honorable house, in receiving favorably the demands of the Protestant minority in Lower Canada, has singularly advanced the cause of true education, by restoring to it entire liberty of action, and freeing it from the pernicious results of compromise.

That whilst your Petitioners rejoice in the justice done the cause of education in the privileges secured to the Protestant minority of Lower Canada, they beg to represent, respectfully, but most urgently, to your honorable house, that impartial justice and wise legislation, demand that similar privileges be secured to the Roman Catholic minority of Upper Canada.

That it would be most unwise at this critical juncture in the history of Canada to give occasion to divisions and heartburnings by refusing to a minority of one religious persuasion, what is granted freely to a minority of another religious persuasion.

That the Catholic minority in Upper Canada have special and weighty claims upon the consideration of your honorable house in regard to the question of superior education, which the Protestant minority in Lower Canada have not. The Protestant minority in Lower Canada have a Normal School already supported out of the educational funds ; the Catholic minority in Upper Canada have none. The Protestant minority in Lower Canada have grammar schools, industrial colleges, &c., similarly supported ; the Catholic minority in Upper Canada have none. The Protestant minority in Lower Canada are represented in the Council of Public Instruction by five members ; the Catholic minority of Upper Canada are represented by one only.

That for these grave reasons and others which will easily suggest themselves to the wisdom of your honorable house, your petitioners respectfully, but most urgently, ask that your honorable house will pass into law the bill at present before your honorable house, granting to the Roman Catholic minority of Upper Canada educational privileges similar to those granted to the Protestant minority of Lower Canada, and your petitioners will ever pray, &c.