Dominions and, in their schools on the Monday following, were held various patriotic exercises. At least 16,000,000 persons or children attended in or shared in these demonstrations. In Manitoba the Department of Education issued an artistic little pamphlet dealing with the subject. Everywhere, throughout the Empire, the schools shared in some form of patriotic exercise and flags flew in all the large places though just prior to this on Apl. 20, the British House of Commons had rejected an Opposition Bill asking for the official recognition of Empire Day. A controversy as to the originator of this celebration and of the Day itself occurred about this time when Mr. Castell Hopkins issued a pamphlet describing his reasons for believing Sir George W. Ross, when Minister of Education in Ontario, to have been the father of the movement. Elaborate documents were quoted and various proofs given. The following extract summarizes the claim made: "Others may have urged the idea in part, or discussed it publicly in some vague form, while Mr. Ross was quietly working it out in the Ontario schools as a result of his 1893 instructions. Mrs. Fessenden of Hamilton, did do excellent work in this direction during 1897-8 while Lord Meath followed up the definite Ontario creation of Empire Day in 1899 with his well-known advocacy in England. But to Canada belongs the honour and to Senator Ross the obvious credit of initiative and of detailed, specific official action. . . . The first outlines of what is now known as ' Empire Day' are to be found in a volume of Patriotic Recitations published by the Hon. G. W. Ross in 1893, and dedicated to the teachers of Canada. The object of this volume was to direct the attention of teachers to the importance of cultivating a spirit of patriotism in their pupils by exercises of a patriotic character and by the recitation of selections in poetry and prose calculated to stir up feelings of loyalty_and devotion to their country and Empire." Mrs. Clementina Fessenden put up a vigorous contention in favour of her position in the matter and found considerable support in the press. Her claim was based on having tried to obtain local support in Hamilton (1897-8) and aid from the Minister of Education in celebrating a Flag Day-such as was and had been common in Boston and other United States cities for many years; and in having been acknowledged by Resolution at a meeting of the Ontario Historical Association (Sept. 16, 1898) presided over by Mr. Ross himself, as having "happily originated such a Day." Her contention was supported by Mr. F. C. Wurtele, a Quebec publicist and opposed by Dr. A. H. MacKay, Chief Superintendent of Education in Nova Scotia, on the ground that a "Flag Day" for the Maritime Province Schools had been proposed by the Halifax Educational Review in June, 1890. Trafalgar Day was, for perhaps the first time, given a distinct celebration this year in Canada. It was initiated by the movement for a distribution to the Public Schools of Nelson Shields made from metal taken from the Victory. By Oct. 21, 1910, these shields had been distributed, under the auspices of the British and Foreign Sailors' Society, through the generosity of Lord Strathcona, its President, and with a message of good-will from the late King, in Toronto, Vancouver, Brantford, Hamilton, Stratford and Westmount. A crowded meeting at Winnipeg on Oct. 20, presided over by Sir D. H. McMillan, Lieut.-Governor, marked the presentation by Rev. Alfred Hall, on behalf of Lord Strathcona, of Shields to some old veterans and youthful cadets and to the Educational Department, the University and various Colleges which were represented. For some extraordinary reason or other the Public School Board refused to accept any Shields or to attend the meeting. Some people said it was because a slight expense was attached, but Mr. Hall stated that when he heard of this objection he offered to waive all conditions. Shields were presented to the Regina Schools on Nov. 3rd at a meeting presided over by the Lieut.-Governor. An important incident of the year was the visit of 165 Manitoba teachers to Great Britain. It was the outcome of the 1909 visit of the British Association to Winnipeg and of earnest efforts made by Mr. Robert Fletcher, Deputy Minister of Education for Manitoba. The Victoria League was in charge of the visitors when they reached the shores of Great Britain. The delegation was received by Mr. W. Runciman, President of the British Board of Agriculture, on July 18th; it had been welcomed home on the 16th, by the London Teachers' Association, the National Union of Teachers and representatives of the Victoria League with Lord Strathcona also present. Following this, two weeks were spent in London and then many parts of the British Isles, including Dublin, Belfast, and Killarney, Stratford-on-Avon and Warwick, Edinburgh and Ayr, the home of Burns, Windsor and Richmond, St. Alban's, Margate and Hatfield House, Westminster Abbey, and the Houses of Parliament, were visited. A short time was also spent on the Continent. Another interesting Colonial experience in Great Britain was that of the Imperial Pioneers-a small band of sturdy Colonial representatives who endeavoured to educate British opinion on the Empire aspects of the Tariff Reform policy. Canada was represented by L. W. R. Mulloy, the blind hero of the South African War who had been completing his education in England and W. F. Cockshutt, ex-M.P. of Brantford. Australia was represented by Frank Fox, a well-known writer and Hon. Daniel O'Connor; from South Africa came P. J. Hannon and from New Zealand Captain H. Hely-Pounds. Meetings were held at Newington, Battersea, Deptford, Shoreditch, Rotherhithe, Stratford, Islington, Limehouse, Torquay, Bournemouth and many other places. Early in the year (Feb. 3) these gentlemen and others were per manently organized as the Imperial Mission with the Duke of Argyll as Hon. President and the Earl of Dundonald as President of the Organizing Council. Later on a Provisional Council was formed in Canada with G. T. Blackstock, K.C., as President. The question of appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Imperial Privy Council came up from time to time during the year. Saturday Night, which represented some Radical opinion in Canada, declared on Mch. 26th that Privy Council judgments were usually based on vexatious and obscure technicalities and that a kindlier feeling would be the result of their abolition. In a dispute between Provinces or between the Federal Administration and a Province such appeals were, however, a necessity. The Toronto Globe on Dec. 29th apparently endorsed a tentative suggestion of the retiring President of the Ontario Law Association along the line of abolition. "There is no doubt that this final tribunal has rectified some wrongs that would have resulted from the decisions of lower Courts. It is also fair to assume that it has inflicted some wrongs which would have been avoided if the earlier decisions had remained. The final Court is no more likely to do justice between litigants than any of the lower or intermediary Courts. Nor is the addition of another appeal any assurance of just decisions." On the other hand the most representative members of the legal profession were in favour of the maintenance of the appeal and, especially so, in Quebec. Men like I. F. Hellmuth, K.C., Wallace Nesbitt, K.C., J. M. Clark, K.C., G. F. Shepley, K.C., of Toronto, Eugene Lafleur, K.C., and R. C. Smith, K.C., of Montreal, J. A. M. Aikins, K.C., of Winnipeg or E. P. Davis, K.C., of Vancouver, who appeared more or less frequently before the London Tribunal, were usually in favour of the maintenance and strengthening of that Court. Mr. J. M. Clark on several occasions pointed out the very high character of its Judges and the great value of the work done by them. So did Mr. Wallace Nesbitt, Dr. George R. Parkin, c.M.G., of the Rhodes' Trust was in Canada during the year, after visiting nearly all the American States and addressing 30,000 American students. He described the Canadian Rhodes' Scholars at Oxford as a credit to their country. Amongst those winning honours during the year were J. A. Estey, N. S. Macdonnell, A. H. Miller, C. A. Adamson, W. K. Fraser, and C. M. Barbeau. It was decided by the Trustees in a case which came before them early in the year that a Scholar from Canada must be a permanent resident, if not absolutely a native of the country. The Report at the beginning of the year showed the number of Rhodes Scholars as being 179 of whom 90 came from the United States, 78 from British Colonies, and 11 from Germany. The Canadian selections during 1910 were as follows: There were some British honours of a public nature conferred upon Canadians during the year which were of importance. Dr. William Osler, Regius Professor of Medicine at Oxford was made a D. Sc. of the University of Leeds; Professor A. P. Coleman of the University of Toronto was given the high compliment of election as F.R.S. and was also awarded the Murchison Medal by the Royal Geological Society for distinguished personal investigations; Colonel George T. Denison of Toronto was elected a Vice-President of the Royal Colonial Institute of London which has 9,000 members in all parts of the Empire; Professor Frank P. Day of the University of New Brunswick won the degree of B. Litt. at Oxford; Professor A. B. Macallum, Ph.D., D.Sc., F.R.S., of Toronto University was chosen President of Section 1 (Physiology) of the British Association for the Advancement of Science; Dr. John Watson, Vice-Principal of Queen's University, was appointed to the Gifford Lectureship at Glasgow for 1910-11; Dr. C. C. Wallace of Halifax was awarded a Science Research Scholarship by the Royal Commission of the 1851 Exhibition-a much coveted prize. In connection with the work of the Grand Priory of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem and its subsidiary Ambulance Association some high honours were conferred during the year. Mr. Horace Boulton, M.v.o., had visited Canada in the interest of organization work for the Provinces and Dominion and active steps were taken at Ottawa and Toronto to this end. A meeting at the capital on Feb. 24 resulted in the formation of the Canadian Branch of the Association with the Governor-General and Countess Grey as Patrons, Sir T. G. Shaughnessy as Hon. President, Dr. F. Montizambert, I.s.o., as President, Fred. Cook as Hon. Secy., Geo. Burn, Hon. Treas., and Capt. R. J. Birdwhistle as General Secretary. Classes of instruction in first aid, etc., had already been under way for some years. In this the C. P. R. and Grand Trunk had been active. On Dec. 21st a gathering in Toronto, presided over by Colonel James Mason and addressed by the Governor-General, organized a Provincial Branch of the St. John Ambulance Association with Colonel Mason as President and a representative Committee having the following objects: (1) The instruction of persons in rendering first aid in cases of accident or sudden illness, and in the transport of sick and injured; (2) the instruction of persons in the elementary principles and practice of home nursing; (3) the instruction of per sons in the principles of domestic hygiene and sanitation; (4) the carrying out of works for relief of suffering, of the sick and injured in the time of peace, and in time of war; (5) the organization of auxiliary voluntary aid centres to be utilized in time of war. Other Provincial organizations were also formed as follows: British Columbia, W. D. Brydone-Jack, M.D., President; Manitoba, Mayor Sanford Evans; Saskatchewan, Wm. Trant of Regina; Alberta, Dr. H. M. Tory of Strathcona; New Brunswick, Lieut.-Col. Geo. West-Jones; Nova Scotia, Mayor J. A. Chisholm, K.C., of Halifax; Prince Edward Island, Hon. F. L. Haszard of Charlottetown. Meantime, in connection with quiet work which had been going on for several years the King, who was Patron and Head of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, had conferred the following honoursincluding an insignia which is always worn on State occasions by His Majesty himself: KNIGHTS OF GRACE. His Excellency, Earl Grey, G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O. Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal. Sir T. G. Shaughnessy, K.C.V.O. Colonel James Mason..... John Mortimer Courtney, 1.8.0. George E. Drummond. ESQUIRES OF THE ORDER. Charles A. Hodgetts, M.D. Canadian Interest in India and Egypt .Ottawa. ..London. Montreal. .Toronto. .Ottawa. .Montreal. .Quebec. .Ottawa. Of Canadian relations with other parts of the Empire only the briefest summary is possible. With India they are very slight and only a few interesting events can be referred to here. The new Imperial Council passed a Press Bill intended to control, somewhat, the seditious liberties of the native press; the unrest which still existed at the beginning of the year and which W. F. Hatheway, M.L.A., of St. John, declared to be everywhere in evidence, decreased steadily toward the close of this period; H. L. Fraser, a recent Indian official, stated that the causes of this unrest were (1) anarchical teachings, (2) economic changes through improved transportation facilities and machinery, (3) education and its consequent ambitions, (4) seditious writings and speeches. The retirement of the Earl of Minto as Viceroy of India, his appointment by the King as a K.G., and the succession of Lord Hardinge occurred toward the close of the year. Speaking in Toronto on Sept. 10 Rev. Henry Haight, President of the British Methodist Conference, who had spent 27 years in India said: "In my estimation, as an example of wise and kindly rule British |