ON CAPE BEETON. 2SS 



of one of the governors-geueral of Canada ; Inverness, in memory of old Scotia. These 

 districts are represented in the parliament of the Dominion by five members, and in the 

 assembly ofNova Scotia by eight members. For many years of its history the island was 

 governed for certain local purposes by the old English system of quarter sessions, com- 

 posed of a grand jury and justices of the peace, who imposed the assessment and devoted 

 its proceeds to the public needs ; but this unsatisfactory and feeble system has at last 

 given place to municipal self-government based on that of the large and enterprising 

 province of Ontario. Still, despite this move in a right direction, the legislature of the 

 province attempts at times to be a great municipal council for the whole province in many 

 particulars ; for instance, in the construction of roads and bridges. This system, as it is 

 worked out by political managers, is susceptible of much political jobbery and wasteful 

 expenditure of the public moneys. 



In 1829 an historian' wrote of the schools of Cape Breton, "there are none worthy of 

 the name, not even for the acquirement of mere elemental knowledge, except one or two 

 at Sydney and Arichat, and these are chiefly maintained in questionable existence by in- 

 dividual exertion." For nearly thirty years and more the same remarks applied to the 

 educational condition of the island, and it was not until 186.5 that the legislature of 

 Nova Scotia at last awoke from its indifference on the subject and adopted a school system 

 which, with the various amendments made subsequently in the original laws, has brought 

 about a great change for the better. Illiteracy was the rule in Cape Breton as in other 

 sections of Nova Scotia until this new school law, largely based on that of the great and 

 prosperous province of Upper Canada, now Ontario, was extended over the province from 

 one end to the other.- Under existing conditions nearly all the children are brought in 

 Cape Breton within the reach of educational influences of some kind. In each of the 

 counties there is an academy, open to all young people who are able to pass the prescribed 

 examinations. In Sydney this institution has attained a high state of efficiency, and is 

 housed in a large and convenient building in remarkable contrast with the school accom- 

 modation in the town a quarter of a century ago and less. In addition to these academies 

 there are twenty-five graded schools in the island, a few of which are of a high order, par- 

 ticularly that at North Sydney. The number of common school sections throughout Cape 

 Breton in 1890 was 469, but of these 29 were without teachers — not a creditable state- 

 ment to make of communities in these days. The 47*7 teachers employed during the 

 summer term of 1890 in the island are classified as follows : — 



Grade A. (Academic and Graded Schools) 8 



" B. (FirstClass) G2 



" C. (Second " ) 1.53 



" D. (Third ") 25t 



The third or inferior class of teachers still bears an undue i^roportion to the total 

 number in each county, as the following statement shows : — 



Cape lîreton Co 69 out of 161 in all, 



Bichmond 37 " " 74 " " 



Inverness 98 " " 1G9 " " 



Victoria 50 " " 73 " " 



Haliburton, " Hist, of N. S.," ii. 249. ^ Eev. Dr. Smith, of Sydney, has given me the facts on this subject. 



