42 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA ' 



since maintained its place as one of the important schools of the country^ 

 It was largely the creation of Sir John Colborne, and was modelled after 

 the great public schools of England. The fact that the State Church was 

 the controlling influence, made the new college as little acceptable to the^ 

 people of the country as was the charter of the university. But since it 

 was, in fact, the continuance in a new form and in new buildings, of an 

 institution already long in existence, it did not arouse the active oppo- 

 sition called forth by the proposal to establish the university. It did, 

 however, bring about a movement among the Methodists, which, origin- 

 ating in 1830, resulted in the opening, in 1836, of Upper Canada Aca- 

 demy and, in 1841, of Victoria College; and another movement among 

 the Presbyterians which led to tlie establishment of Queen's College in 

 1842. In this way the founding of Upper Canada College was a very 

 important factor in the history of university education in the province ; 

 and it also was such in another Vv-a}^, by absorbing more than forty-two 

 thousand pounds of the endowment and annual income of the university,, 

 and by delaying its practical realisation. 



We must now return to the instructions from the Colonial office 

 under which Sir John Colborne discontinued proceedings for the erec- 

 tion of university buildings, and inaugurated Upper Canada College. 

 These instructions were issued ïïy Sir George Murray who, on the acces- 

 sion of the "Whigs to power in 1828, had become Colonial Secretary. 

 This change of government had excited hopeful expectations in the 

 minds of those who had been opposed to the educational policy of the 

 administration, and had in part been the cause of the acquiescence with 

 which the Upper Canada College scheme nad been ïeceived. In obe- 

 dience to his instructions. Sir John Colborne, at his first meeting wiih 

 his council, stated that he "should be under the necessity of calling the 

 attention of both Houses of the Legislature to the college charter, and 

 before doing so would wish to have some well digested proposition 

 in readiness for their consideration." The instructions under which 

 this announcement was made, were contained in a despatch from Sir 

 George Murray bearing date, September 29th, 1828, in which, after 

 referring to the address of the Assembly to' the Crown, and expressing 

 regret if the university should prove to have been founded upon prin- 

 ciples which cannot be made to accord with the feelings and opinions of 

 those for whose advantage it was intended, he says "that not the per- 

 sonal opinion of Sir Peregrine Maitland, but the address adopted by a 

 full house of Assembly with scarcely a dissentient voice must be con- 

 sidered to express the prevailing opinion on the subject," and suggests 

 to the Lieutenant Governor that " he invite the Legislature to resume 

 the consideration of the question '"' and that he apprize them " that their 



