EDUCATION IN CANADA.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 177, 9 February 1860, Page 3

EDUCATION IN CANADA.

THE NEW UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, TORONTO.

The bountiful and far-seeing philanthropy —or we may say justice—-of the United States of America, in the all-important matter of ths education of the people, if it have not been surpassed, has certainly been equalled in Canada. Both the Upper and Lower, Western and Eastern, provinces have made such provision for the intellectual wants of the young as might put to shame the backwardness and lukewarmness of the “ old country,” and all its boasted civilisation. Without entering at present upon the very interesting subject of education in Lower Canada, with its preponderance of a French and Homan Catholic population, to which we may return at a future time, we confine ourselves at present to the educational establishments of Upper Canada, and more particularly to the college of which we present an illustration. Iu 1793 a grant of more than half a million of acres of land was placed at the disposal of the local authorities of Upper or Western Canada, inhabited and colonised principally by English and Scotch settlers, with a sprinkling of Irish, and very few French, for the maintenance of a university and other educational establishments. The position of the now flourishing city of Toronto —which was formerly called York, acd known? as “ dirty little York ” before its Indian and far better name was adopted—has within the last twenty years given it advantages, both, mercantile and educational, possessed by few cities on the North American continent.

Very largo amounts, both in money and. lands, have been from-time to time devoted by, the Legislature to the establishment of colleges, common and grammar schools, and much of it has boon expended within the bounds of the city. The theological seminaries of-many of the religious sects have likewise been attracted to it by its central situation and its advantages as the metropolis. The most important among them is undoubtedly the University of Upper Canada, formerly known as King’s College and Toronto University. It has gone through a strange and eventful history, a full detail of which docs not, however, lie vithiu our ore-

sent design. A brief statement may, nevertheless, be interesting. From ] 798 to 1826 little or nothing was done, but in the latter year 190,000 acres and upwards were disposed of by the General Board of Education, for general purposes., The remainder of the grant, amounting to 358,427 acres, was regarded ,as constituting that portion of the royal gift intended for the support of a university. This endowment remained untouched till the year 1827, when a Royal charter was issued, vesting the management of the college in a council of nine members, composed of the Chancellor and President and seven professors in arts and faculties, all of whom were to be members of the Established Church of England and Ireland, and to subscribe the Thirtynine Articles. The Bishop of the diocese was appointed visitor, and to have the power of disapproving bj e-laws passed by the council. The President was to be a clergyman of the Church of England. Archdeacon (now Bishop) Strachan was named as the first President. The announcement of the grant of this charter excited much ill-feeling, on account of the power over the institution which it gave to the Episcopal Church. It was loudly demanded by Parliament and the people that, the charter should be repealed,'and the University established on a footing which should give equal privileges within its walls to all religious denominations. It was a matter of difficulty, however, to secure an amendment of the charter when those interested in preserving it in its original form were high in office in the colony. Even the expressed wishes of the Imperial Cabinet and the Lieutenant Governor were set at defiance, and a measure passed by the House of Assembly, by a vote of 32 to 5, was rejected by i lie Legislative Council, iu which body the friends of the charter held sway. After many years of violent contest, a measure was passed by Parliament, and became law on the 4th March* 1837, which abolished all the tests relating to the Church of England, and provided that any professor or member of council might be admitted on declaring his belief in the Trinity. Dr. Strachan still retained the office of President.

This charter, though an improvement on the former one, was not such as to secure for the institution the confidence of the public, and an agitation for further reform was persisted in with varying fortune, amid the oscillations of party strife, until the passing of the Baldwin Act of 1849. This Act created no less than three distinct bodies to regulate the affairs of the University-—the Caput, which was for the interior government of the college; the Senate, to appoint professors and pass statutes for the general management; and the Board of Endowment, which had charge of the lands belonging to the trust. The Act likewise abolished all tests, altered the name of the institution from “ King’s College ” to that of “ Toronto University.” and gave to other colleges the privilege of becoming affiliated to it, in the manner of the University of London. Another Act was passed in 1853, which altered all these arrangements. The bill provided that there should be no professorships in connection with Toronto University, but that its functions shall be limited to the examination of candidates from any learned institution, and the granting of degrees in the several faculties of Arts, Law, and Medicine. It also provided that the then professors of Toronto University should be transferred to a new institution, to be called University College, excepting the professors of medicine, whom it dismissed with a gratuity of a year’s salary. This college, which has been recently completed, forms the subject of our illustration. The building stands in University Park, which comprises about 168 acres. The avenue leading from Queen-street comprises about ten acres, arid is five-eighths^of a mile in length. The Yonge-street avenue is a quarter of a mile long, and contains about two acres. Both avenues'are beautifully laid out and planted with trees.

About two-thirds of the whole park, of which the Government has recently taken possession with the view of erecting suitable Parliament buildings and a Government House, were set apart “ for the use and purposes of the University,” in February, 1856. It com ■ prises the portion west of Queen-street avenue, about 104 acres. His Excellency the Governor General in Council, by an order bearing date the 22nd of February, 1857, authorised the Senate of the University to erect suitable buildings, und to expend on such buildings, out of the University funds, a sum not to exceed i£75,000. In addition to this, the sum of .£20,000 was granted for the purpose of a library and museum. With the view of carrying out these objects, the Senate took immediate action, procured plans, and commenced erecting the University building, of which the following is a brief description:—

7’he chief facades of the University building are those of the south and east, the former of great and massive elevation for distant effect from the lake and town, the latter of more broken and picturesque outline for combination with the beautiful ravine lying between it and the main park avenue, from which it is chiefly viewed. 2'he general outline of the buildings approach the form of a square, having an internal quadrangle of about 200 feet square, the north side of which is left open to the park. The main frontage on the south side is about 300 feet loin*, with a massive Norman towei in its centre,°l2o feet in length, and compris-

ing two stories, that on the ground being devoted to lecture-rooms, the- upper story to the library and museum, two noble rooms, 80 fv-et bv 36 feet each, with public and.eollegiate reading rooms attached. These, which may be called the public portion of the building, are entered by the tower, and by a central

hall of the full height of the building, from which the library and museum-are approached to the right and left respectively. The east side of the building, 260 feet in length, is entered by a subsidiary tower, approached over the ravine before mentioned. This wing and entrance are devoted to the University, having Senate chamber, Chancellor’s, Vice Chancel lor’s, and Registrar’s rooms, lecture rooms, and the Hall of Convocation, 90 by 38 feet, of the full, height. The west end of the quadrangle, about 200 feet in length, comprises the student’s residences, three stories in height, with a dining-hall 56 b}’’ 34 feet in the centre, and having to the rear the necessary domestic offices, steward’s residence, and the like. The northern limits of the east and west wings respectively are completed by the official resi dences of the President and Dean of the College, and at the south-west angle of the whole are the chemical laboratories, theatre and stores.