Meanwhile the Catholic population had in creased considerably. In the province of Que bec it more than doubled in 30 years; in 1831 it counted 425,000, in 1861, 942,800 souls; in On tario it attained 260,000. This development de manded the multiplication of primary schools. This was the work of J. B. Meilleur, of whom it can be said, "he undertook the direction of Public Instruction from its cradle; that he had to create everything even to the love of in struction among the people?' Consult Meilleur, J. B. 'Memorial sur l'education au Bas Canada' (Quebec 1876). The Catholic colleges were opened of Joliette (1846), of Rigaud (1850), of Saint-Lawrence (1847), of Saint Mary of Monnoir and Levis (1853). That same year (1853), the Seminary of Quebec un dertook the heavy but glorious task to build Laval University which was inaugurated in the presence of Lord Elgin, 14 Sept. 1854, and which since has rendered such immense serv ices to the Catholic cause and to the country. Consult Roy, C., (L'Universite Laval et les fetes du Cinquantenaire) (Quebec 1903).
While these works were being accomplished in the East, the West was opening to evangeliza tion. With Monsignor Provencher, the first apostles of these districts had penetrated along the Red River. Wishing to ensure the future of these missions, the bishop of Sainte-Boniface called to his assistance the Oblate Fathers and even chose from them Father Tache as coadju tor. Monsignor Provencher died in 1853 and was succeeded by Monsignor Tache. He had to expend his intelligence and his strength dur ing 40 years (1853-94). It does not enter into the limited scope of this essay to recount the works of the Oblates in the Far West, although they constitute one of the most remarkable chapters of the Catholic missions. The apos tolic-vicarates and the Episcopal sees embrace in their jurisdiction every point in these distant regions which •came under the indefatigable zeal of these missionaries. Consult Dugas, G., 'Monsigneur Provencher et les Missions de la Riviere-Rouge (Montreal 1889) ; Piolet, S. J., 'Les missions Catholiques francaises> (Paris 1902) ; Monsignor Tache, 'Vingt annees de missions dans le Nord-Ouest de l'Amerique' (Montreal 1869) ; Don Benoit, (Vie de Mon signeur Tube' (Saint Boniface 1900 ; Pere Jonquet, 0. M. I. 'Vie de Monsigneur Gran. din (Montreal 1904) ; Cooke, R., 0. M. I., 'Sketches of the Life of Monsignor de Ma zenotP (London 1879); (Dictioimaire des Ca nadiens de l'Ouest,' par Rev. P. Morice (Quebec 1908) ; 'Histoire de l'Eglise Catholique dans l'Ouest Canadien,> 1659-1905 par Rev. P. Morice (Montreal 1912).
The years which followed 1860 were full of solicitude for the Catholic clergy. The coun cils of Quebec show us the bishops preoccupied with the progress of impiety, with evil books, with the weakening of the faith, and painfully affected by the events which led to the invasion of the pontifical dotnains by the armies of Vic tor Emmanuel. The Canadians flew to arms
and several detachments of zouaves offered their services to Pope Pius IX (1868).
The Catholic heirarchy had developed in the course of years. In 1852, Halifax was created an archbishopric with Charlottetown, Saint John, N. B., Arichat, N. S. and soon after Chatham, N. B. (1860), as suffragan sees. The year 1871 marked the creation of the ecclesias tical province of Saint Boniface (Manitoba), with the bishopric of Saint Albert (1871), and the apostolic-vicarates of Athabasca-Mackenzie and of Saskatchewan for suffragans. In the preceding year (1870) Upper Canada was created an ecclesiastical province with Toronto for archbishopric and Kingston and Hamilton for suffragans. Since then Kingston has become an archiepiscopal see (1878) with two suffra gans: Peterboro (1882) and Alexandria (1890). In the province of Quebec, Sherbrooke (1874), Chicoutimi (1878), Nicolet (1885) became bishoprics. In 18.86, Montreal was created an archbishopric under Monsignor Fabre, with Saint Hyacinthe and Sherbrooke as suffragans, to which have since been added Valleyfield (1893), and Joliette (1904). The same year Leo XIII created the ecclesiastical province. of Ottawa, which received as suffragan the Episco pal See of Pembroke (1898). To crown this flourishing hierarchy, Leo XIII honored with the cardinalpurple Monsignor Taschereau, archbishop of Quebec (1886). To conclude the study of the second half of the 19th century, mention must be made of three particular points; (a) The Awakening of the Acadian Race, which had expanded imperceptibly.— From the 25,000 that they were in 1815, the Acadians increased to the number of 80,000 (1864), and 125,000 (1899). To Father Le febvre, a Canadian priest, is due the merit of having amalgamated them and, in founding the college of Memramcook, N. B., of having con tributed powerfully to render them a force for Catholicism in the Maritime provinces. To day the Catholics of French origin in that region amount to 155,000. Consult P. Poirier, 'Le Pere Lefebvre et l'Acadie) (Montreal 1898). (b) The Schools of New Brunswick and of Manitoba.— In 1867 when the Canadian Con federation was founded, the educational system of New Brunswick allowed the Catholics of that province to have separate schools. This right was refused them in 1871, the aim being to compel them to send their children to the public schools, that is to say, Protestant schools. An organized resistance spread everywhere and to avoid a sanguinary conflict a compromise was effected. The unjust law was not abrogated but the concessions were of such a nature that peace was re-established (1874).