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N Mr. WOOD sald it was generally admit-- ted to be the duty of a State to provide far the education of the whole people. The House seemed inclined to support the prin ciple which the Government had adopted of the free school systera, Those parties who bad vno children, and others who failed to avail themselves of the public interest, were taxed cqually with others for the educa-- tional system of the conntry. It was but logical that the country, having done so much for education, should go a step further, and enact that the youth of the land for whose benefit the outlay was in-- curred should be made to attend, in order that the efforts put forth and expense in-- curred should not be rendered abortive. He supported the system on this principle. He thought the law should be made uni{orm, and be applied equaily to the town and country. Mr., McGILL said that the clause should be adopted, for the principle of compulsory education commended itselt to the majority of the people of Ontario. Mr, RYKERT--How do you know ¢ Mr. McGILL seid he spoke from what came under his own observation. Lst the pr!n:_:iplo"b? tried, for it had been found to work well in Mr. CHRISTIE said that he would re-- gret very much to see this clause adopted without the amordment that had been pro-- mauad who lived in the rural districts, and who were poor, to bave the services of their chil-- dren two--thirds of the year, but secured the child some chance of education during the reinszining pertod, The rich man who had no children, and was compelled to support schools, ought to have education diffused uni-- versally, so that his property might be ensured from the derredatiom of those who were brought up in ignorance. If the rich did not choose to send their children to be educated along with those of the poor, let them educate their children apart. Mr. RYKERT said the speech of the hon. gntloman would do very well for the stump e was opposed to the principle of the Bill and/so far as the country was concerned, there were a great number of poor attending the schools in the rural districts, He did not believe that the principle of compulsory edu cation was desired by the country, and could vot be applied in the rural districts. They bad notbins before the House showing that the people desired it, If a man possessed property, but had no children, he should contribute, no doubt, towards the educa-- tion of the people, HMe therefore proposed that this principle of compulsory education should ke confined to cities, towns and in-- coiporated villages. His opinion with re-- gard to the whole clause was known, and «ltbough he might not be supported by the Hceuse, he should place his opinion on re-- cord on tke third reading, by moving its elimination. Horn, Mr, CAMERON said this amend ment was very ifrortant, ag it interfered with the principle of the Bill. auer6 w** more recessity for compulsory education in cities, towns and villages than in the rural districts ; but, at the same time, the prin ciple that every person should be educated was intended to be reached by this Bill, ani therefore compulsory education should apply to the rural districts. _ This principle would not cause hardsbip. The Bill enabled parents Mr. RYKERT moved the addition of the words, "cities, towns and incorporated vil-- lsges," after the word '""inclusive" in the second line of the clause. He intended to move the striking out of tho clarse alito. pether at the thir« reading, but in tho mean-- time weuld reader it as efficient as possible It now being six o'clock, the House rose for recess. After recess, The House resumed, in committee of the whole, the discussion of the Education Biil. Mr. FERGUSON moved an amendment, that three trustees--not to constitute a se-- parate body, but with the teacher and in-- #pector to constitute a court--be appointed in erder to deal with refractory pupile. Aiter short desultory discussion, Mr. RYKERT moved a further amerd-- ment, that the decision should be left to the teacher and school trustees. This amendment was generally agreed to ard eventually was adop%eed. 7 s Mr. LOUNT said there might be a neces: rity for the compulsory clause in case of cities, but in rural parts it was very objec-- ticnable. weuld bave a regard to votes,. But the coun: ty Superintendent would be independent, and would only have the interests of the schcol at heart. Nr. BLAKE said that if the compulsory clauge were carried, he believed there wouid be a necessity for some special provision for the creation of industrial schools to make this clsuse operate in cities and towns. It would be a dead letter in the country das' tricts; tor men in the country would not sccept the office of school trustee if they bad to put this law in operation, and if they were to undertake the invidious task of sum:« moning their neighbours before a magistrate for not sending their children to school. There would be a general understanding in the tountry that the law would be a dead letter, and nobody would accept the office of trustee, It would inflict positive injury on the courtry if the House placed on the sta-- tute book a law the people would not ob:y. If there were statistics to show the slow progress of school attendarce in comparison with the school population, and that our school population was stationary, ho could corceive no subject more urgently needing the attention of the Housge than the subject of compulsooy education, _ Buat it appeared to bim that statistics, as far as they went, indicated that there was-- extremely satisfac» tory progrees in school attendance. Last year there had been an increarss in school at-- iendarce of 12,000; the propartion uf sshool population to school attendance was di-- minisking ; ard this was a most satis: factory rceult, and ~ anewed the natural impulke of our people at large to have their children instructed. There bad been & very sesious defect pointed out in the Bill as to the term of education BHe bad cue clservation to makse on this sub-- ject, He Ibclieved it the House were pre-- pared to aszert to the principle of compulsory education--nenely, that it was the rizht and ©nty of the Stote, in the present condition of pepuwlar feelizy, to determine that there slould be compulsory atterdance--he be-- lieved that i( the House were prepared to ament to this principle, it was stopping rhort when it stopped at the age of twelve yeors, _ The two succeeding years--from iwelve to fourteen--would 'be much morse important than the others. The House was certainly taliog very strange ground if it should ray thas the people at large wore :o micmiible to education that they would not sirx d their clildron toschool. He was bouud to say he did not believe tha't much beneftt would retult from the compulsory clause There was anothor Gifficalty. -- Our laws were net capable of being altered as regarded the Roman CatBolies, Wi%'rofcrcn:e to the icman Cathclics, they Whght have con. rcrcaiticus objections to<attending comm>In sehools, Cur laws provided for the creation uf separate schools for the tuition of the «li'éien of Reman Catholics. 'There were many sectiens in which Roman Cathoiics corld nok create separate schools, bos:use tbey wers too poor or too much sceatsered ile was anxlovus to see our system of non-- Crocmigational echcols the ouly one in the. curtiy; but bhe desired them to exist by the velvetary acticn of the people; and Gid not Cusive that chi'dren should be compslled to> stiend ~our common schools whon their rerts and cuardians wore unwilliog. The rejperte of th= Chief Suaperintendent on this ul joct woe most satisfactory, 'The country hed io coupratulate itself that so many a 'n thal % * nemen . Catkolies : voldntarily sout thou chiloren to our schools : thare wam meelerg C s i t w uw d el d T Mr. GALBRAITH said that from the es-- tabliskment of the free school system, he was convinced that in some parts compul-- zory education was necessary. (Hear, hear.) In winter children might not be able to go $9 school, or they might not hkave clothes; in this case a magistrate would not deal harshly with parents,. He knew cases where ger sons who bad no children, but paid school taxes, complained bitterly that certain chil. dren shoufil be made to accopt compulsorg ecucation. + Mr. WALLIS (Toronto ) said that he had no doubt the compulsory clause would have a beneficial effect. the dlof oman seroatic schocls of sepa «bi'6re many ( & l'-d 1 Mr. OLIVER said that he would vote against the compulsory clause as it now stood; but he would support it if the mover of the Bill would introdl:xoe a safeguard un der which it might be worked. Mr. SECORD would support the compul-- sory clause. In his days of youth there were zo such schools as wenow had,and in the case cf the children #chill penury repressed their noble rage." (Laughter.) If he had had in his yout% the advantages of the children oi to--day, he might have been a Cresar or a Seipio,' (Loud laughter. ) were rnet cap the Roman © homan Cat! seroaticus ol o gopmate sehoois Y if ofi em ay our 0 1§ but there w i»i coOmanon, an 1 i is state of onuld be an ¥ Pide« viooil 0d of course which was mm uin ie ealer were a dead at M_ufi. croum-- lated to produce hard feelin®-- > 06 tC qnae stances of the country did not req@!ro »05° the House m*.aog' "oonr should try it ! tion, he failed to see why they #000'f 1. [ | tio hohflodfiol"mn?" c The as an experiment, He would vote for he amendment of the hon. mbuh'o:d nlhg:'s believing that the cases of towns bmeeke were exceptions, and that the ..!mthe ":1 stances were not gnd to exist in Fould sections, where the compulsory clause wou do more evil than good. (Hear, hear.) Mr. FERGUSON said the increase which kad taken place in the school . attendance was owing in some measure to the full dis-- cussion w%ich took place last session cCn a similar clauee. . They all admitted the neces-- sity of education, and he hoped the clause would be carried as it stood. Mr RYKERT thought if they were to have a law on their statute book, rendering attendance compulsory, they should have one that would be operative. If a Trenb was forced to send his child to school, for fear of imprisonment, he would instruct his child to be refractory, and when the child was expelled, there could be no compulaion resorted to to compel his re--attendance, and the law would consequently become imperi-- tive, The Prussian system was different to the system proposed; nor was compulsory edu. cation the law in the States. People should be coaxed, not forced, into the schools. Mr. CUMBERLAND would support the amendment, because he thought the experi-- ment should be first tried, since it was in there that there existed the greatest neces-- sity for compulsory attendance, Hon Mr. lb-;h'd-lli[;()--lzl--(;;f;nded the clause, and said that heintended tointroducca proviso that no Roman Catholic should be forced to send his child to a Protestaat school, Mr. BLAKE--WBHat do you msan by Pro-- testant schools ? Mr. CAMERON--I mean Puablic Schools. It had been said that compulsory education had not been tried, and if this was so they could not yet say that it would be unsuc-- ceseful. 'lyhe Chief Superintendent had held conventions in 33 counties, for the pnrm <f corsidering the School Bill, and of t ©I corsicering the Schooi bill, and of these 20 dacclared in favour of compulsory educa tiop. Grand Juries, &o., all over the coun: try bad declared in its favour, There were 34,000 children not attending school, who were of school age, and it was kighly desie able that ipfluence should be brought to bear on these. Mr, CUMBERLAND--Can you divids these ketween the counties and cities, towns and villages ? Mr. CAMERON said he could not do so at the present moment, but he believed that the greater number would be found in the country. He did,. not think that the standing of school trustees would be affected by thel cleuse, as feared by the hon. member for South Bruce. He did not think that the amendment was propased in its p:ser place. The clause declared that every child should have the right to be edu-- cated, whereas the amendment would have the effect of confining it to cities, towns and villages,. (No.) He hoped the House would support the original clause, Mr, SINCLAIR thouglht that the legisla-- tion on this point should be general, But Mr. LOUNT was against ths impositlon of this clause on rural constituencies, and pr> posed an amendment to the amendment, that the words "cities, towns and incorporated villages" be inserted after the word " guar-- disn." It had been said that the clauss would be inoperative as regarded rural di= Aricts, and if so, it was useless and foolish to the ken. Secretary had admitted that it would not be so, by giving exclusive rights to one class, There were o&ers who [elt equa'-- ly repugnant to sending their children to the public schools, and their cases should be considered -- He was in tavour of the amend-- ment; and with regard to the first part of the ciause, he thought it was singularly worded, and its elimination was desirable. Mr, TROW said the conventions referred to by the hon. Secretary were generally held in county towns and vzfingel, and could no: be taken to be an expression of the opinion of the country, There woare casres _ in which it was impossibls that children could attend school, from their living so far away from the schools. Mr. FRASER thought the object of se-- cmring at least a rudimentary education for the whole people was a highly important one, and he therefore was lnclinei to support th« clause and give the Erinciple its full applica tion. Of course there were exceptional caser, but otherwise the principle would be generally applicable. ay d Sn