~ |

' Jon Cire,

Jotun

Pparlotieto wn, ds, aa

CORRES PVPODENC EE.

ja ides ef Wie exureme richiess ol the luculra ) Liou.

i ue property wiyeyed aid uly appreciated,

OUR COMMON SCHOOLS, The powpeds, seiboaustied mauuer ob Che weiter, tips eVieoul vverweening comce|, logether will tis SUDIe UnooUseHrusuess Gl error, Cumbine tu

Mx. Eprror : —- Pursuant to promise, proceed to give you some information ree- pecting the present condition of the majority of ewe common sehoola, in order, Uf posible, ane nus Trequent Qiuders (fvessuviy comical. to telteve the minds of many of your readers, Fen. secuiny Welle w tes better—" edetauul whe in all probability bave formed their | is Hie louuaseou of Cry lication” —are & promising Opinions without having given the matter! veginuing tor & communicator intended tur Lue mature consideration, of the exceedingly er- | teereation, delectatiwu ayd cactinalion qt tis roneous lM pressivn that our educational | embryo ualien. Phe expectations vi Lue Fun-loving affairs are in a wery faveurable and floariah.| (S46! Uitis famed aro at disappointed when, tng state. Having the Kepurt of the Vesttors | aller shippiug eve¢ ball a dozen or so of minor of Schools before me, U shall avail myself of vluuders, his ylauoe as arresivd by the tollow dig the privilege of dedacing therefrom ouch | presen > “ab few Years ago vue vars Were statistical informatica as will be necessary to! eusewod by Luw yeyous ery of u bk ree Mducatwu,

corroborate my ststemeats. [ may observe, by the way, that this hagely voluminous and paper-wasting report must have occupied rawch more time and attention in ite com- pilacion Gea its loms-windod and industrious nuthecs fhawe giwem te Che visitation wad examination ef @ublic schoole. Uf we take the elaberate tabulac statistics, amd the amar ingly verbose and Gresome remarks whech wre contained am the domgthy capert, as a eriterion of the present esate of ear odaca- Gromal moatters, we will Be eadeoed te believe Viet ear patito echo ds ate on we etosedingly prosperous and ‘hajpy coméiten, and that education is progresing with amazing rapi- dity throughout this fortenate little colony. The most cursory ohseryatien, however, can- met desl to reveal, te aay intelligent reader, ar ank €agdecity which have been practised by the wy visitors in making out their returos. We may perhaps, with pro- Priety, exeept the brief statements of Mr. Arbuckte, be, poor tatn, owing to his ** de- vlinimg goers” and ** protracted indisposi- Rien,” teviang been rendered unfit to say oF de mech in regard to the matter. Me. Prockerticid has, however, more than made ‘ap for the brevity and incompleteness of his ‘~aperannaated confrere’s report; ang has ‘een infinitely more verbose in his valuable remarks and suggestions upon edyeatiog. |t muat be amusing to the eareful reader te vbserve how indetatiggble the cautious yisi- tor is in his attempts w pateh up hia returns, by expressing his * general satisfaction,” ete., in regard to the eflicieney of the taach- ers and the improvement of the pypils. Rat, rn spite of -his futile effurte to conceal the

Gul low Uuaginew 4b Was to be al the same tine jour besiuy aad our bane.’ dn tis seytence, [Sbewk was a dx, are yiveu Us Lo less than tyrve | Jeoes al asetul Knowledge, of which the present jetta, dec vue, candy Conutesses iujself to jWato bee hitherty protonudly ignorant, Ist, that aeue other purt ol the human trayye js sub- deed de the iuticuaty of deatiess besides the ears ; { zed, that there exists sowewhere jy eregtion an auimal called a Pree Education, capable of utter wg Joyous eres ; and Srd, Ugh a) sujal or a ery cau be at the same lime our Wlessing and vur bane. | aust contess | would like to ask a “trend” a few questjoys ybout the cry of this newly discuyered creatyre. Does it resemble the bray of a jackgss, ur the shout of a goriila, v1 is its sound anything Like what a combination of these two yujses Would be! ‘Then, again, we would like ty be honeured with the coupany ot “A Friend of Education” at the next meeting of the Majr Splitting Debating Society, in order to diseyss with hiw, ip eur usual acute aud friendly mayer, the question~—"* Can anything be at the seme time a ieee and a bane!” We cau as- sure him thai we are a very patient, polite, and intylligent set of young men, although the names of three schowl-teachers are on the roll. He might yot fiud aweng us warriors werthy of his steel, but We ara—tue schoolnasters excepted— aware of our deficiencies and anxious to be en- lightened. But to returu to our aubject. Lathe very next sentence “ A Friend of Nduecation”’ shows that he is wot aware that there is any difforence vt meaning between the phrases “ the tault of a system, and a system at fault,” for he writes— “ It was free in every sense of the word, and here i# Where the syateus was at fault." Where it was that this creature of doubttul gender, which our * Friend” calls Free Education, was at fault, } and what it was that perplexed it, be has not | condescended to tell us. Why the word “system” | was thrust into the above sentence, | aw at a lose

rtartling fact, he tacitly admits that oyr|ts comprehend. Perhaps “A Friend" knows public schools are, in general, plunged into) himself what he weans; but L can assure him & wretehed condition. His figures show that | that “ comprehension wanders lost” in the con- the average atteadanve of children is far be-! test te find out whether it is a system of agricul- low what is required by the lawa relating to | ture or the human system he wakes allusion to. Education ; and his remarks give unmistake- Here follows the astounding assertion that edu- able evidence of the dissgtisfagtion of both | Sa wade too free, became an object of little we “ee Value. Se ental ae eee asl at er aa re in remy tee ae Sndeed, { am persuaded that if the visitors, ogetier valueless ; tor if great eee SB ¢ cannes ies I * ’ | the value of education, atill greater and greater

had given an impartial and dispassionate ac- | fieeness will so depreciate it that it will, by-and- count of the various sshools which they | by, be worth just nothing at all. But if, as our examined during their official visitation, we |“ Friend” himself says, education is the founda- would be alarmed a6 the unexpected intelli-| Gon of civilization, [ submit, that whether

1 would very much like to know how!

come. It is very difficult, trom a tew extracts) out; byt ot the same time, whether the whole were fact, we are only tolerate d hy the SE ee ee eee tid DY PU Criticiam, Lo yive your readers eneried into etfget, or nothing, or ouly a part, be 1 of che necesaary eyils of suciety.

wight assure them, both for hjmaglf and on the

iit must be ken as a Whole, Warder to PHF at his fellow -Cloverners, that they miuht rely |

, Wpon finding jn them every dispositpop iv pespet ithem by every means that Jay jn their power They, the Governors, would sepk to vive the fullest j development tg whatever was proposed, and to further, as far as lay jy their powgr, the jnterests land happiness of those over whem, far a time, | they had beep appointed to preside.”

| ‘That extract represents Sir Richard McDon- nell as speaking in his awn name and that of the other Lieutenant Gevernars of the Maritime Provinces, and expresajng theie intention, whe- ther the whole or any part of the propositions of the Delegaies were carried junto effect, te assist them ; and again—‘ that they would seek to give the tullest development to whatever was propos- ed.” The quotation uust be taken from a very inperfect report of the speee), a3 in the tall re- port of the apeech, given ia tie Montreal Gazette ol the jist Oetober, Sir Michard is represented as recaupmending great caution in dealing with the proposals of the Delegaivs, as appears by the tullowing extract:

“At the same time, he might, without breaking through what wight be deemed necessary caution and reserve, express the hope, that whatever pro

wsals they might make would be duly weighed - the commuauhgly at large, ly whom, pr potut ol fuct, they mast Hypally report thejr proceedings. (Laud cheering.) The moment was a very critical one, and in view of it the syzvestions of the dele ites, however framed, guyht uot to be accepted without great consideration. The whole fature ot Canada and the Maritime Peovjaces would be seri ously affected by the decision which the community at large und the differeat legislatures night sinke upou these peapasuls.”” (Applanee }

Again, Sir Richard very clearly expresses his views cs ta the necessity of sinple arrangements being made on 8 basis of mutual eonfidence :

© Gathering from the semi-official announcements which had, from time to time, been allowed to appear, they had been seeking some plan of action designed to give increased strength in matters of defence, increased economy in conducting the toa chinery of government, and increased facilitier for carrying ont mercantile arrangements. He, there fore, hoped they would find some simple as well as effective meaus to carry out those objects which we all had in common; aud that we would find it pos sible to build up such an unieu as we would all like to see — hot by endless guarantees against mutual agyression and distrust, but one in whieh the foun dations might be laid on mutual eontidence. (Loud cheers.) Lf the inhabitants of the British Proycesin of America had in themselves the staff to enable them to becouie a great people in a vreat and pros perous union, they could on y become so by being willing to make mutaal sacrifices for the benefit of one another, and by reposing in one another mutual confidence. (Cheera.) If you began to distrust one another iu the voverument of these colonics, where is ittoend? Were they to have guarantees in the local government for the protection of the English in Lower Canada, and yuarantees in the general congress for the French iu the Confederate legisla ture, er were they to be bound together by feelings of mutual respect and coutidence ! He did say this that he coved and believed there was that yood fuith—suilicient good faith and mutual confidence amongst them all to enable them to take a simple and effective mode of action which would give them strength and economy and good government forall.’ (Lond cheers )

Finally, so far was Sir Richard MaeDonne!! from committing himself or any other of H. M.'s Representatives to any special line of action in reference to the proposals of the Delegates, which at that time were unknown, that in the

= and startling revelations that would | lettered or free, it must always be a thing ot ye Contained in their roturns very great value. [ft “A Friend of Education”

I shall now give a brief exposition of the Were one of those ignerami of schovlmasters | more extensive and injurioug evils at present whom he is so erushingly severe upon, 1 would | existing in almost all eur cummon schoul j charitably coucluds that he did net mean to say fn domg so. { do not intend to Herat, | litt the [reeness of edecation lesseucd is worth ;

. 4 we arn v

: exonerate | but as he is a learned geutlemau, a profound echoulmasters trom atl the charges that May | classic achelar, lam torced ww believe that he

he brought agninat them; but simply te | meane exactly whal he saye—neither mare ner ehow that the primary cause of these evile is| less, Que classic friewd also says that it “ is a fact the reprehensible laws relating to education | that whatever is dificult of acerss um always which are now in turee. The greatest, and valued more highly than what we obtain with probably the most comman, evil existung | little or no exertion.” This fact, Re Shame, wmong our public schauls is the serious oe- | ane, Where was your classic lore, O Prieud ot currence of fierce disturbances and pees aa ae eluates eae te : : you not Knew that ** ta is derived tram

a ee pre of oem facw! Do you net know that a fact 4 one thing fasion an aeeaetiats arte oan - and # truth another, and that a scholar would be e on OCCB~) ag likely to mistake the one for the other as a

sioned by the difficulties experwnced in ob-| farmer oat be to call hia cows horace, or his taining the services of » useful and efficient | horses cows ! My dear fellow, if sau have ac- teacher, and by the determined indisposition | quired a swatterimg of Latin, for gooduess sake on the parc at the people to make up the de-| wake some use of your knowledge. Lat I must ficieney in the Government allowance to, hurry on. Leaving wiany Compting it-bits, I light teachers. {| am far from intimating that) “P°" the follow ing exceedingly eulgmatical sen there are no industrious and praise-worthy tees. “It education has became more general, teachers in the community. Un the con-| orale is emared.” ” What puncibie connsction

ean there be between “ the scale” and education | | trary, it must in all truch be admitted that What seale dows he allude to!—the scale ot

there are many emisent!y useful and success) rice, or the musical scale? [must countess jul members of the protession, who are teal- | myself at fault. There is not the remotest allu- ous and persevering im Cher endeavours to | sion ty a seale of say kind in the previous part of ** tweak tlie yoling idea ew to shoots*--Tt) the fetter, aid te drag it in here “ia, to éay the

portion of his apeech, which it way intended to give in the extract in the Morning Chronicle, we find him represented, inthe Montreal Gaze@te, as | saying :—

“It might or might not be the ease that the views or proposuls which the delevates wonld oer would be carried out; bat, whether all they pro posed be effected, or only a portion was finally ap proved, he might say that the Delegates could rely om tindiny every disposition on bis part to co-ope rate with them—to assist them by all the means its his power Ly viving the fullest development to! whatever project Her Majesty's Government, in its wisdom might approve of, when submitted to them by the Colonial Leyislatares.”’

Thia indeed amounts to ne more than a pledge | te carry out energetically any plan approved by | Her Majesty’s Government—a_ determiuation, which needed searcely to be formally announced by Her Majesty's Representative, but which per- hapa contained as much as one holding that po-

m as one A glance

1

yers,

sceptical that they have always been found | more wealthy and exiensive Country

| the champions of liberty, and that they have | always advocated the cause of the people jugaynst tyrants and the undue pressure of the power of the Vrown. In the days ol Philip of Macedon the voice of Demosthenes was heard jn Afhens warning the a against the machinations of the wily Philip to overturn their liberties. Lo the Forum of ancient Rome the eloquence of Cicero was poured forth in denouncing the oppressions vf the Commonwealth, and in defending the injured and oppressed eyen when the sol- diers of Pompey surrounded the Forum to overawe and intimidate him. Jn England, we bave had a Coke who drew up the Potition of Rights in one of the Parliaments of Charles the First. ‘The greatand immortal Hampden, to whom we ure indebted for the constitution- ul rights and privileges we now enjoy, was 4 member of the legal profession. Lord Somers, who defended the seven Bishops in the days of the tyrant James the Secund, and who draited that great charter of our hberties, “ The Bill of Rights,’’ was a lawyer. Byt to come down to more modern times, [ must not furget to mention the greatest advocate who ever pleaded in Westminster Hall, Erskine, the man who defended Mardy for High Treason in the panic-stricken days ol the first French Revolution, when, if it had not been for his successful eloquence, the liberties of British subjects would have been crushed and annihilated by the power of the Crown. And in closing, allew me to name another great lawyer,Herry Lers Brougham, who has pleaded the cause of the people in Courts of Justice and in both llouses of Par- liament for more than half a century, and is still alive, and at present doing honor to the celebrated French advocate, Berryer, who bas also been the defender of the injured and oppressed in France for nearly balf a century, under all forms of Guyernments, Kings, ?re- sidents and Emperors. In this Island, law- yers heretofore have had a narrow sphere and a contracted platform to exhibit their talents and their learning; but I hope that before many years have run their course all the Courts of British America will be open to the lawyers of this my native Colony. Before | resume my seat, a8 we are celebrating the Festival of St. Andrew, |

Ciub that two of the most able Judges that ever adorned the British Beneh were Scotch- men, namely, Lord Chief Justice Mansticld and Lord Chief Justice Campbell. Eng- land's greatest advocate, Erskine, was also a native of Seotland. Since the union of Sevtland with England she has produced more great men as historians, men ot science, soldiers, poets, and in other important walks of life, than any other eountry, in propor- tion to her populaton. How us this problem tu be solved? Un bebalf of the lawyers | now return you my sincere thanks, and L believe that so long as we have the present gentle- men upon the Bonch our rights and liberties will be safe, and the course of justice will continue to run free and unsullied,

The twelfth toast — “ Prince Edward Island, our Country *— having been duly honoured, | Maleolm MeLeed, Esqr., wae called to respond, and spoke as fullows :—

MR. MeLEOD'S SPEECH.

He said — He regretted that some one of the public men whom he saw around the beard was net called upon, for then justice might be dene to our Island Home—more expecially, said be, because he would now be prevented trem paying a tribute as requested (by the Committee) to the memory of Kuras, Seatt, Abererombie and

must remind the members of the Caledunia| |

| Clyde. Tut thie being the first time in his lite | that he was called upon tu perform: a publie duty jor his native country, he would vot refuse his services, however humble. He said he telt ne little difficulty in speaking, before sueh public wen, and Islanders too, as he saw around him, on the all important subject to which allusion had already been made. He would, however, remind them that, aere for acre, PLE. Island is able te feed aa many souls as any other spet in) British North America. Its people are as virtuous |

sition could safely guarantee.

Clie

a

Charlottetown, December 5, 1864.

reer’

Gxaminer,

ee

™

t nat, then, hope that what the Parent Selasie of

Seothuid, and the w ider field opened by the Uuion, have done for the pe ople of that coyntry, will be

atthe ancent and modern history at law- jeonferred upoy the people of this Island by our however, ought to convince the mast leyutem of ree Education, and ay alljance with a

Ju Canada we find she MeDonalds, the McDougalle, the Gialts, gpd the Browns, healing men of that conntry Their gets, us public men, are discussed jm the British Pa vliagent, and commented on by the British Press The revenne measyres which they may recom mend excite hope or aku in Shetlield, Manchester, and Glasgow. Inthe Convention lately beld ip the Colonies, the most important ever hejd in british America, a native of P. E. Island war found worthy to preside over the deliberations of lthat distinguished body. A native of P. Kk Taian | was alae fyand to huve originated the most elec ltive scheme of public instruction ln any of the Colonies. We lure seen the proceedings of oar small Parliament presided over by a native, with an acgaantanee with Parhwnentary Law und usage, und a knowledge of coustitutional learning, that in larger countries would lead to hayor and independence, and in England would be rooarded by a Peerage. The recent Convention uf Quebec was watched by members of the press from the Mather Country, and all the Provinces of Irjtish North Ameriea; but, suid he, it has not yet begn deyied that the most brilliant deseriptions we have had of the proceedings of this Convention, aud the fetes viven the Delegates, were the prodyetions at the per of one of our own public men. Byt, said be, jt matters litthe what may be the mental calibre of our publie men- who ever heard of a growl or smile from the Times newspaper because of the public nets ef timancial matters of our peaple, how ever commendable or absurd; they excite nejther pleasure hor alarm abroad, because the country is too small to attract attention, and it wi always remain so while we are isolated. — Lhe opportunity is now presented to us to cast off our paltry individuality as a Colony, and bevone a part of a country that in a few years will rank among the great powers of the world. W ill the disproved argumeuts and exploded theories that were urged to prevent our forefathers from effect ing a Union with England induce us to forega the advantages of a similar union with our great and powerful neighbors? If so, the lesson tanght by that part of the history of Great Britain has been in vain preserved for oar guidance and instruction. He said he would not presume upon the patience of the Clab to answer even one objection; and, said he there has beeu but one objection, in his opinion, otlered worthy of mneh thought—that was relative to the state of the Colouial finances. This, of all others, is a subject npon which wellaveaning men may reason falsely, and one upon which political economy has scarcely yet maine its greatest pro fessors to reason soundly ; and yet we have among us wen who pretend to tell us bow a Union will affect us 20 years henee. The man who can do this mast have not only a perfect knowledge of our present sources of wealth, but au equally accurate foresight into the capacity of the sea, the earth, and the enterprise of man to develope the resources of British North America for the next 20 years. The mind equal to sneh a task is yet unborn. Far sufer for us to be guided by the experience of the mist than strive to compass the things of the future the period of British Liners to which he had ab ready alluded might teael us the folly of directing our present conduct by speculations concerning the future. The Seotch said that taxes would increase, and the country would be ruined. ‘Trne, taxes did increase, but the country is not rnined yet, fur the Union brought them wealth. We are poor, said they, and cannot pay as high taxes as Eogland True, but theiralliauce with rich England and par ticipation in her commerce made Scotland rieb wtso The peo le of a small poor country, if enLerprisiny and intelligent, have everything to gain by a Cision with a large and wealthy country, When the stmallness of revenne is compared with the debt of Canada, the almost unlimited means of wealth of that great Colony should not be forgotten. Harp ing ou the debt of Cannda without also considering her unbounded resources, was like Biddy refusing the wealthy hand of her master because his debits exceeded her scanty earnings; or like a bachelor who would not marry a wealthy wife because his household expenses would be increased after the union. If the marriage iu beth cuses would bring debts and expenses, it would also provide the wherewith to pay them. Itis left to the option of the [sland to accept or reject a similar atiiance, and, said he, 1 for one say, accept the Union.

The fourteenth toast, in compliment to Miss Dunean and the other ladies who presented the Club with a beautiful Silk Banner, elicited the following remarks from Dr. Sutherland :-—

DR, SUTHERLAND’S SPEECH,

The learned Doctor, in a very becoming manner, spoke of the praise due to Miss Dan- can and the other ladies referred to — ‘Tne Caledonian Club owed them a debt of grati- tude, and he hoped they would be long re- membered for their kindness and generosity. He spoke of the organization of the Club, the laudable objects it had in view, its unequalled success since its formation, the broad basis of its principles ; and the keeping up of our na- tionality was highly commendable. Ie said he always rejoiced at the success of kindred institutions, such, for instance, as the Irish

| lie wind would be kept duly informed regard- jp j 7 . 1 n : . ing ite peoaeedings, aud he was sure that there would be less prejudjee agninst the scheme of Jontederation than now prevajls. Any country living in the enjoyment of free jnstitutions will not \patiently allow its public men to change or lalter these institutions in any Way without its knowledge. ‘The preas is the ouly medinw through which the people gan he pyade ae usinted with the acts of oyr publie men; god if the press is kept closed to the acts of pubjje men, the latter will gertainly he looked tpan with suspicion aud distrust. He was ia faveyr of opening the doors of the Cantereuce Reoms, in the Lower Provinces gyd in Canada, to the eanductora of the press; and it that had been dane, there would be greater chances of success attending the men- sure of Contederation — those who tavoured it would have leas work now to do in conciliating public feeling in its behalf; and it was well known that the measure cou'd not be carried unless the majority of the peaple approved of it. —Mr. Whelan then alluded to the bright pros- pects which Confederation offeged for extinguish my sectioaal and international prejudices, by means of whieh the usefulness of such institutions as the Caledonia Chib and the Benevolent. Irish Society was seriously impaired. Let the people in every section of the Colonial empire he united in their political reiations, as well as we are here in our secial ones, and we cannot tail to command greater respect abroad, and be prouder of each other’s good qualities at home. Englishmen, Irishmen, and Seetchmen have a commen inheri- tance in every attribute of greatness which the Old Country possesses—free institutions,more free than were ever yet conferred upon any section of the globe—a history adorned by the moat illustrious names and the most brilliant achievements in arts, in seience, and in arms—and a literature in reference to which Englishmen, Irishmen and Scotchmen, stand side by side, challenging the admiration of the Universe, and silently proclaim- ing by their works that the gratitude of the uni- verse is theirs by right forever and forever. While the nationalities of the Old Conntry, repre sented to some sinall extent at that Banquetting Board, were rivals in the higher and nobler walks of hfe, let us hope that they will always be rivals, too, in the humbler ones, where the epirit of Charity appeals to their sympathies; and as the response to such appeals must always con- verge to one common centre—the relief of suffering humanity—let us all hope that the nationalities will converge, too, and blend in harmonious action when such a purpose is in view, 80 a8 to resemble “«____The rainbow s light, Whose various tints nite; Aird form inbeaven’s sight, Que arch of pence.”

The next and last toast on the list was that of

~ Sn

-

| time, not only the WE a, North A Rirican Coldnict at the Brit; Britain. | wonla rather hava ot tine ine I have a strong objection to Cited desirous to impress uy own fon Pet oj ; any gentleman who may dffer no a have every respect for all who FOR} ne: | bat while | accord to them besten % jonly desire right of a cities gent ' 7 | my own, and in ao doing. wail ex | Mr. Vioe Premdent and ‘Goal - ot ye {regard any observations | mike gy’ from your President, or from ene ing at this moment occupy ® seat in ie May tive, but only as emanating from Exeey. citizen among you. * Plain In approaching this question | placed in a somewhat novel posi! the objections | have heard i » for all 80 utterly untenable, and bear =i the question, that, as a gentlemay wt on to me a few days ago, it is hhapg negative. Let me, however, ami objections. First, a gentleman : field asserts that Rina from va © the complain they are ground dowr : and therefore he argues that Pring {8 Ation jand in the Union will suffer in net Finding out, doubtless, that he ee. against himself, as | will show by he flies off at a tangent and exchange ty. Prince Edward Islami remeraber the ‘fate Cape Breton.’’ — The second ghj “i forward and exclaims, ** Union will be us; we will have to pay enormous build expensiye fortifications jg Cama” look at Quebec and all it has cost. _ 9° third gravely asks, ** What do we get? we get ag much as we give?” —Anoan remarks, **Oh! Prince Edward will have a Tae we have no oa And another, “ ]f we people : a road or a bridge, how ae ue gra hae liament in Canada know our waa?” Mr. Vice President, the taxation in U Canada is not laid en the people by the ( yernment. ‘The taxation is dane local assessment. The people tax trom municipal boards; one districs may levy ig thousand pounds for improvements, the adjoining district dees not pay oe thing. Weall know what a coun Canada has become; they have ' their noble neighbors; they area 4) people; and although the minority maygry.

Lam

g

:

°

ifr

ray

“ Our Guests,” to which the Henorables Measrs. Coles and Haviland responded as follows :— Hon. Mr. COLES. He allnded to the rapid growth of the Caledunia Chub; its gathering on Government grounds hast summer was the largest and most respeetable he had ever witnessed in the place, and was eonducted on principles highly creditable to ali concerned. He said that he regretted to see 60 lew of the trends of the Clals present at the St. Andrew's Dinner. Ile expressed the hope that a St. George's Society would yet be formed here. Institutions of this nature, he suid, were calculated to promote harmony and good will among the different Nation- : alities whieh they represented. ‘The Monor- reason to Jament being the fourth part of able gentleman then spoke of the Union “een seal Rm ae ae there = question, and said that he for one was not) east analogy een *O canes, Speed to surrender the fmanciul affairs of | Breton wnited to Nora Seotin without a the country whebly to other hands without | Separate Governor or Legislature, and Prince an equivalent. ‘Yee, said he, I supported| Edward Island united sn o Federal Union, the first resolution of the Gonference at estate - Governor and both Houses of Charlottetown, whieh states that the Union |? 4tament. ia ol of the Provinces would be desiralie, provided| ‘To the second objection 3 wouldsay, “My justice be done to a) re8. Jn the fram- friend, } fear you are of your beskemee wheo ing of the Constitutiom, however, he regret-| YO" discuss the sesence of military defence.” ted to say that justice was not done, in bis) {{ I turn to my honorable and learned friend opinion, to P. E. Island. Bot, said he, I am co ay Se sive ‘nei rae open to conviction on this subject, though 1)" ? or z not at present see my way cleat, and Backatone 5 it U attompe to abe ra therefore cannot give the scheme my support. she * thiqupes’e Ramen Salis ane

ble, yet they are happy and p: yond a paratiel. Now, to shew hw = » gument goes against the ebgeetor, iz dot

clear to us all that if the farmers of Canada, with a population of one anda nrillions, are already heavily taxed Municipal Boards, they are nos likely, sustain any Government which will general tax, and which is the only tax whe), the Maritime Provinces, including this},

land, could ever come under. As to Breton, Lhaye made enquiries ame well informed on all regarding it. }

refer you to an irtelligent and trustworthy authority with whom | lately spoke on ths

point, the Rev. A. McLean, of Eldon, fly will prove to you that Cape Breton bas yo

HEATH HAVILAND. — As an-

HON. T. other of the guests at this entertainment, 1 treat 1 shall be pardoned in elaiming the privilege of making a few remarks in consequence of the Hon. Mr. Coles having spoken upou the question

sponse to the last tuast. I duly appreciate the compliment conterred upon me, by being duvited az a guest to this the first publie dinner of the | Caledonia Club, and by a singular coincidence this is the first occasion that the public men of

of the Confederation of the Provinces in bis re-

must, however, with equal propriety, be conceded that the difficulty ot cbusiaing a| trusty and competent teacher is by no means of @ trivial or unimportant nature. 1) have already shown that aearly all of the moore useful and efficient teachers — those who

the energy and talents that will enable | them to fill offices much more pleasant and | remunerative than selool-teaching — have | jefe the woprofitable and disagreeable pro- fession ; and it is this circumstance which | aceasions the difficulties in getting good teacherr, Now, to use the sentiments ex-

ly those who are at present support- jag schools, aad with whom L have coaversed upon this tapic, before the inhabitants of a district would engage a useless, inefficient teacher, and make up towards his support filteen or twenty pounds, they would lock the dears ot theic schoolhouses, and endeavor te educate their children thomseives! Here, then, is the primary canse of those serious distacbances smongst the people to which L have alluded; and which produce such a derogatory and disastrous effect upon our colonel education.

Arising, a8 matters of consequence, from these extensive disruptions, there are innu- merable circumstances tending to the inevi- table disorganization and ultumate overthrow ef eur common schouls. Uf these circum- stances, the most important, perhaps, is the exceeding smaliness uf tho average daily at- temdance of scholars. By the Keport of the Bekeoi Visitors, it appears that the average neater of pupils sttunding commen schools is dar short of the required number. The ecueming visitors, in attempting to palliate this great fact, ladicrously attribute the ab- somes af the children to ‘‘ gathering in the hacvest.’’ or ‘* whooping cough,’ of some ether fanciful circumstance. It is quite vlwieas, however, that harvesting does not cantinue all the year round, nor does the whooping cough exist in every locality, al- theugh the visitors are stupid enough tu cite these as the ruling causes of inattendance in ali echools and at all seasona. The absurdity of these huge prevarications is only paralleled

least of it, very unkind. I must again remind the reader that 1 am criticising the production of a schuiar, and am net at liberty to form any con-| jeetuces us to what he may wean. ‘The wext sen-| teuee it a gem in ita way. Here itis. ** Pree

jen, a8 we have it, has built schools iu all parts of the Island ; so far its work is praisewor- thy ; but it has thrown broadcast over the country a swarm of teachers the majority of whom are us unqualitied tor educating the youth as they would be ior guiding the affairs of the British vation.” Eureka! This Free Education must be of the beaver species, fer not vuly dees it utter joyous eries, but it builds houses, aud school-houxes too. What an wteresting and enlightened creature it must be. The Freachman, Chailler, ia thrown completely in the shade by this discovery of * A Friend of Education.” ‘That throwing a swarm broadcast over the country must have been a wondertul feat. 1 would like te Know how it was deve. Aad then this youth, whom the majovity of thia ewarm thrown broadcast are unqualified tw teach, must be a wouderful fellow—a real pro- digy of stupidity or of cleverness. Has he been tuund so horribly thick-headed that the majority of the swarm, by their united and continuvus ef- foria, could net drive even the “ eleweutary branches” iuto his iron-beund skull! or was he so wonderfully clover that not only the elements ot kaowledge but ita higher branches came to him

_THE CALEDONIAN CLUB, |

PUBLIC DINNER ON ST. ANDREW'S DAY.

FIRST PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF THE UNION QUESTION IN CHARLOTTETOWN,

We have inserted in another coluzn, from the Islander, a brief notice of the Public Dinner in honour of St. Andrew's Day, given by the Cale- dyuian Club of this place. The Club is in its infancy, and the attendance was small. But that was owing wore to the bad state of the tra- velliag, which prevented country members from coming te town than even to the infancy of the Club. The Dinner was, however, very well served up, and the feeling throughout the evening was that of uamixed pleasure and gratification. What gave very great importance to the gather- ing was, that some members of the Club and their guests took occasion to discuss the question of Federal Union in the course of their responses to some of the toasts. The Hon. Col. Gray, whe is President of the Club, did this at great length, and very effectively. His speech, indeed, opened up the whole question of Union, and evidently

as by wtuition | Bat when | look iato this crush- ing sentence, this literary bomt-shell, so barba-| rously cast inte the middle ot the defeuceless | “gwarm,” 1 find that se far from being filled with gunpowder, crusty uaila, wusket-ball, aud) such like th dealing materials, it coutains au. | gar and spice and all things nice, that it is, in| fact, no beowb-shell at all, but a package ot sweeties, to which, with a kind of grim bumour, the sender has given the appearance of that dead- ly projectile. He says that the teachers are aa unqualified to teach the youth as they would be to guide the affairs of the British Nation. Audl must say that he is right. I have no doubt that if our school teachers had the proper training, and if they moved in the right sphere, they would be just as well qualified to teach “A Friend of Education's” youth, or any other youth as they would be te guide the affairs of the British Nation. | Or pechape he wishes us to understand that our |

made a grest impression. Maleolm MeLeod, Esqr., one of our most talented young Barristers, who seems destined to oceupy a prominent place in his of the Union question, and made a masterly ad- voeacy of it. Hon. Mr. Haviland, jun., followed in the same line, and was more than usually elo- quent and impressive. The speeches were re- ported by Mr. Archibald MeNeill; aad their importance demands that we should-give them insertion, even at the risk of leaving other inte- resting reading aside for the present. We shall give the speeches in the order in which they were delivered. ‘The first toast (the 5th), in honour of the Army and Navy, was that which called

profession, first entered on the discussion

teachers are new in their preseut circumstances | forth a speech. The Hon. Mr. Coles, who holds

qualified to guide the affairs of the British nation; | rank in the Militia service as General of Ca-

but if they were placed in other cremmmannne, | valry, was invited to respond to this toast, and

hy the opinion that ‘che raising uf @ portion of the teachers’ salaries will ensure a more regular attendance, and excite greater inte- rest among the parents."’ This gigantic idea must have occasioned! peculiar paintul- ness in making its exit from tie pregnant beaia of its distinguished author ; and it is hoped that he experiences sweet relief, after having beeu sately delivered of the monstrous abortion. Instead, sr, of exciting greater