he Royal assent to it by
His Excellency in Her Majesty's name, is an ample refutation of
recent statements and proceedings of the Wesleyan Committee in
London ... while the Act itself will advance the paramount
interests of literary education amongst Her Majesty's Canadian
subjects.... For the accomplishment of this purpose, a grant must
be added to the charter--a measure ... honourable to the
enlightened liberality of the Government and Legislature. When they
are securely laying a broad foundation for popular government, and
devising comprehensive schemes for the development of the latent
resources of the country, and the improvement of its internal
communication, and proposing a liberal system of common school
education, free from the domination of every church, and aiding
colleges which may have been established by any church, we may
rationally and confidently anticipate the arrival of a long-looked
for era of civil government and civil liberty, social harmony, and
public prosperity.

In October, 1841, Dr. Ryerson was appointed Principal of the
newly-chartered College, and on the 21st of that month, he opened its
first session by a practical address to the students.

At the close of that address he said:--

His late Most Gracious Majesty William IV., of precious memory,
first invested this institution, in 1836, with a corporate charter
as an Academy--the first institution of the kind established by
Royal Charter, unconnected with the Church of England, throughout
the British Colonies. It is a cause of renewed satisfaction and
congratulation, that, after five years' operation as an Academy, it
has been incorporated as a College, and financially assisted by the
unanimous vote of both branches of the Provincial
Legislature,--sanctioned by more than an official cordiality, in
Her Majesty's name, by the late lamented Lord Sydenham, one of
whose last messages to the Legislative Assembly was, a
recommendation, to grant L500 as an aid to the Victoria College....
We have buoyant hopes for our country when our rulers and
legislators direct their earliest and most liberal attention to its
literary institutions and educational interests. A foundation for a
common school system in this province has been laid by the
Legislature, which I believe will at no distant da