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ie va oX * 2 d cng j L tss > he: ~<.23 e * es iA P"& -- l--ONTARIO LEGISLATURE. | _ ";."1' ze + 4 ' . | THIRD PARLIAMENT----FOURTH SESSION. |___-- . w in 0h --Gpicc cce mina 8 Lxurstattya Assixcry, > : % Wodnesday, Fob. 19. A o4 The Speaker took the chair at 3 o'clock, y ; Prayers were road by Rev.J. C. Antlif, B.D. * | PETITIONS. The following potitions wero presented :-- f By Mr. Currie--Thirty--six petitions from Welland praying for certain amendments to the Municipal Act respecting the market tax on farm produce. By Mr. Parkhill--From the County Council of the eounty of Simcos, respecting distribution of ballot paperse to returning--officers, REPORTS BY COMMITTEESY. | _ Mr. FRASER prosented the twelfth report of the Committec on Private Bills, which was adoptod. | _ Mr. FRASER presented the tenth raport of the i Committoo on Railways, which was adopted. ;' INTRODUCTION OF BILLS, The following Bills were introduced and read & frst time :-- To amend the Municipal Act--Mr. Mowat. Yor the administration of justice in the northerly and westerly parts of Ontario--Mr. Mowat. To make certain proyisions respocting Magistrates' ' Courts--Mr. Mowat. THIRD READINGS. The following Bills were read & third timo and passed :-- Respecting the Brookville Mutual Building Society --Mr. Cole, Relating to the Toronto Hospitai--Mr. Chisholm, HIGKH SCHOOLS. Mr. CURRIE moved, " That in the opinion of this House all moneys drautod by the Legislature for High Schools shouf be apportioned between coun-- + ties and cities according to Sxe ratio of population in each, as compared with the wholoe population of the Province."' He advocated a return to the old prac-- tice of dividing grants among High Schools accord-- ing to population. Formerly counties received about four cents per head of population for that pur-- pose, whereas now the amount varied from less than hbalf a cont to about fAfteen conts, He compared the amounts received by counties under the old and new regulations, contending that great irregularities in the apportionment of the money oxisted, and that many countios would have received much larger sums under the old system thin under the new. HMo desired to approach the tubject without auy political considerations. The system of inspection was entirely too costly in pro-- * portion to the amount distributed, He thought it \ | would trouble the Hon. Minister of Education to / | explain the difference in the amounts of grauts to |»**~ | High Schools in diiferent counties, In one part of | the constituency of Monck the amount received was | four and a quarter cents per head, and in another part of the same constituency, belonging to a differ-- + ent county, the amount was seven and threo--quartor cents, whilo in & county adjoining it was fifteen <+! conts, He could not see, if it were right to divide | Common School moneys on the basis of population, why it would not be equally right _ to | awdopt that _ principle in -- regard .« to High School :. "The tendency of the prosent system was towards centralization of authority, and to place too much power in the hands of Inspoctors. Throughout the country it was often thought, too, that favouritism was shown to schools in diffcrent * sections. Mr. SPEAKER pointed out that the motion could not bo put from the chair, us it «nvolved a different appropriation of the public money than had been recommended by the Crown. o Mr. CROOKS said that he was anxious to have the digcussion on the motion take place, and the proper mode, no doubt, to bring the matter ap would be when the Education Estimates wore under con-- sideration, Ho desired to say that the bou. gentle-- man who made the motion was entirely in error if he supposed that any well--founded charges of favour-- itism could bo brought ngainst the Inspectors, Me liked to bring ali these insinuations to a head, and lust yoar the Mouse had the opportunity of sccing how he had beon able to refute a number of un-- founded charges brought in the public newspapers. Mr. CREIGHTON called the attention of the Speakor to the fact that a Bill had been introduced by the hon. Minister of Kducation, and read a second rime, which chaunged the mode of appropriating the public funds, The motion was not put. #f THE MERCER ESTATE. Mr. LAUDER moved, "That it be an instruction to the Standing Committee on Printing to order the priniing in Sessional Papers, and for aistribution to members of this House, the Return No. 34 of last Session, relating to the estate of the late Andrew Mercer.)' Mr, MOWAT said that a retarn would be brought down to the HMouse in a few days which would fur-- nish all thednformation asked for, and in a neater ' shape than that in which the hon, gentleman pro-- posed it should be brought down. He asked the hon. gentleman to allow his motion to stand until the returns were made, which was agreed to. a APPEALS. Mr. Clarke (Norfolk)--Order of the House for a R:aturn showing the number of appoals to the Court of Appoal in this Province, including County Court appeals, and the number of appeals in the last two years frqu. this Province to the Supreme Court, showing in each case the amounts claimed, the costs incurred, the nature of the action, so far as those particulars appesr from the files of the Court, and tho result of such appeal. QGurried. sOOOL oOF TECHNOLOGY. % Mr. BELT, moved for an order of the House for