-62 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



colleges. It was, however, afterwards partially comprised, and gave rise 

 subsequently to serious conflicts. 



The bill forthwith evoked strong protests from the Bishop of Toron- 

 to, and from the trustees of Queen's College, and from the Synod of the 

 Church of Scotland in Canada. The action of King's College Council 

 was the most remarkable. Of the seven members residing in the city, 

 one was absent through sickness, one declined to take part, and three 

 voted for and carried a petition supporting the bill ; the president and 

 the professor of Divinity voted against it; and expressed their dissent 

 in individual petitions. The Methodists and Eoman Catholics took no 

 direct action on the Baldwin bili but in their addresses to Parliament 

 confined themselves to asking aid for the efficient support of their own 

 colleges. The Editor of the " Guardian," however, the Eev. Dr. Sander- 

 son expressed himself in its columns against the bill. The objections 

 of all these parties were founded on two points : — (1) that religion in 

 some form is an essential element of education and should not be exclud- 

 ed from the university; (2) that centralization is not in tne best interests 

 of education. A third objection came from the Church of England, 

 which claimed the exclusive control of the university and the endow- 

 ment. The first of these objections was of such vital force that it not 

 only brought about the foundation of a new college for the Church of 

 England, and, later of one for the Baptists, but also served to maintain 

 both Queen's and Victoria in increasing strength. These facts are quite 

 sufficient to demonstrate the necessity for the recognition of religion in 

 education in any scheme for the creation of a truly provincial univer- 

 sity, i.e., of a university which shall commend itself to the entire body 

 of the people. 



The second objection was much more cogent in 1850 than it is 

 to-day. The university college ideal of that day did not involve a staff 

 of more than seven professors, and an annual expenditure of $20,000 

 seemed ample. The curriculum was fixed and compact, requiring only 

 professors in Classics, Mathematics, Philosophy, Chemistry and Natural 

 History, and a tutor in English and Modern Languages. The full chair 

 which combined English literature and history was a later development. 

 To expand this college into the university of that time it was only neces- 

 sary to add the three professional faculties. Colleges of tbis limited 

 scope could do their l)est work with about a hundred students, and more 

 than that number necessitated duplication of classes. The tutorial 

 method of instruction was without exception employed, and a class of 

 thirty was unwieldy. There could thus be no objection on the score of 

 either economy or efficiency to a college at Montreal, another at Kings- 

 ton, another at Toronto, and another at Ivondon. The spirit of emula- 



