Page 95 - La Société canadienne d'histoire de l'Église catholique - Rapport 1961

Withont haste, the Senate cornmittee, with Jules Simon as ils
ehairman and reporter, studied the Ferry bills, which did not eome np
for debate in the Upper House until January 23, 1880. The first Ferry
bill was passed by the Senate on Febrnary 23, 1880 in its entirety. The
samt day, the Ferry bill on Higher Edneation was introduced. The first
six artieles were discnssed one by one, and on Mareh 2, they were al1
passed. Then caine the crux of the matter : Article Seven.

The major exehange in the debate Mas betwpen the two Jules. Sinion
and Ferry, eaeh reprerenting lhc scerbjty of his respective Hou~e in the
Aseembly. In a yerful harangue, Ferrv iurveyed ~he hi'iory of
secondary and hig er educiition sfter the Revolution. Ostracizing the
teaching inethods ol the Jesuiis and crres~ing ihe politira1 and pocial
aspects of the edueational queution, Ferrv ealled on al1 "who have
received the jnherjiance 01 the French Revolution to join" in this
eonfliet, because their first duty was to ". . . save the .ou1 of the new
generation from the inflnenee of those who disdain the pnlitical and
social order of the wnrld"."')
Julea Simrin wiis the next in address the Scnate. Moved by the
boldness of Ferry's speech, he proceeded to shatter Artiele Seven. He
found the artiele uselesa leeiiuse tlie fears whieh Ferry had expresfied
bad no ioundaiion. Next, it was ineffectibe and wciuld achieve nothing.
The Jesuit doginas io which Ferry ubjected were taught wherever there
was a Catholic priesi, and would enntinue lu lit taught Liy Jesnit sue-
eessors, secular nr reguIar. Thirtlly, it \vas, r~nfortunatel~. unjust; and
fourthly, it was supreniely ill.advised (irnpalîtiqu~).~~~~
Fearing a reversal of synipathy after the inipre~sion made by
Sinion's eloquence upon the Sena tors, Prime hlinistcr De Freuciriet inter.
vened on behalf of Ferry. His words revealed bis own hclpl<:sncss. and
formhadowed the fuiure : ". . . it is impossi1)le to escape a siniilar law,
or sorne othcr law, wbich probably will Ije less moderate thau thifi one . . .
44
i/ ihis nieusure is not passed, the executir:e potuer sriijl, iii any ease, bp
jarced !O appb laws much niore hlmrsh ilion ilie.qe. Vrite frit Ariiele
Seven, it is the most moderate you cnu ~btaiu.""~' In the end, the
Senate rejected ihe artielc ou March 15. lEUO exactly one year after
Ferry had introduced ihe hill.(l7j Execpt for Article Seven, the two
Ferry bills were now passed by borh Houses of the hssembly. Though
Article Seveu was thereby buried, ihe issue hchind it wae not.
The aarne day, the Chamber atarted the second delibcration on the
bill on Higher Education. Though he could see no alternative but the

(14) Ciied by Hanotaua, IV. 520f.
(16) Based on a citaiion in Lecanuet, II, 43.
(16) Ciied by Lecanuet, II, 44 and Hanoiflux, IV, 52. My ilalics.
(17) The rejection war hy a vote 01 187:103, and "...Christian France drew an
jrnrnenso sigh of relief". Barhier, U, 29..
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