nment. In 1886 they had been given
representation at Ottawa; in 1888 a local legislature was created, with
limited powers, later somewhat enlarged; and in 1897 the Executive
Council was made responsible to the legislature. Now, with half a
million people between Manitoba and British Columbia, the time had come
to take the last step. And so in 1905 the Autonomy Bills, establishing
the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, were brought before the
House of Commons by the prime minister.

{239}

There were many controversial issues involved. How many provinces
should be created? Two were decided upon, to comprise the area south
of the sixtieth parallel; the area to the north was left in the
territorial status. What should be the capitals? Provisionally
Edmonton and Regina were selected. Should the provinces be given
control of crown lands? Notwithstanding some opposition, it was
decided to maintain the policy, in force from the first acquisition of
the West, of keeping the lands in control of the Dominion, which also
had control of immigration. What financial aid should be given?
Liberal grants were provided, accepted by all parties as fair and
adequate. What legislative powers should the provinces be given,
particularly on the subject of education? This proved a thorny
question. It provoked a storm of heated controversy which for a brief
time recalled the days of the Jesuits' Estates and Manitoba school
questions.

A clause in the bills, which Sir Wilfrid Laurier introduced in February
1905, provided: first, that Section 93 of the British North America
Act, safeguarding minority privileges, should apply; secondly, to make
it clearer what these privileges were, it stipulated that {240} the
majority of the ratepayers in any district might establish such schools
as they thought fit, and that the minority, whether Protestant or
Catholic, might also do so, being in that case liable only for one set
of school rates; and thirdly, that legislative appropriations should be
divided equitably between public and separate schools.

Three main questions arose. Were separate schools desirable in
themselves? Was there any obligation, legal or moral, to establish or
maintain them? If so, what form should they take?

Introducing the bills, Sir Wilfrid stated that he 'never could
understand what objection there could be to a system of schools
wherein, after secular matters had been attended to, the tenets of the
relig