J.D.B. News Letter

Quebec Jewish School Question Comes before Privy Council (By our Montreal Correspondent)

The legal representatives who are arrayed to defend various issues in the argument before the Privy Council on the appeal regarding the rights of Jews in the Protestant and other schools of the Province of Quebec, have left for England. It is expected that the Privy Council will hear the case about the middle of this month and reach a decision in time so that any necessary legislation may be passed at the next session of the Quebec Legislature, which meets in Quebec City in January.

The appeal has been taken by the majority of Jewish members of the Special Commission appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of Quebec three years ago to report upon educational matters in Montreal. These members are represented by Peter Bercovitch, K. C. L. A. and Louis S. St. Laurent, K. C. With them will be associated Sir John Simon, K. C., outstanding member of the British Bar, and Frank Gahan, British barrister.

The respondents upon the appeal, the Protestant and Catholic Board of Commissioners, are represented by George A. Campbell, K. C., J. J. Creelman, K. C., and D. N. Pritt, London barrister, for the Protestant Board; and Antonia Perrault, K. C., for the Catholic School Board.

Louis Fitch, K. C., will represent Alderman Schubert, who filed a minority report when the Special Commission made its findings. Mr. Fitch will contend the right of Jewish tax-payers to have a third panel which would control and administer a separate system of schools for Jewish children.

The Protestant Board of School Commissioners, in whose schools Jewish children of Montreal are educated, are mainly concerned about Protestant control of Protestant education in the Province of Quebec. They urge what the Act of the Quebec Legislature passed in 1903 to give to Jews the same rights and privileges as Protestants in the matters of education was unconstitutional as invading the rights of Protestants to control their own educational system. This right was secured to them at Confederation, they claim, and the Quebec Act violates the provisions of the British North America Act.

The Catholic School Board is concerned in the right of the Provincial Legislature to establish a third school panel which is neither Roman Catholic nor Protestant. It opposes the right of the Provincial Legislature to pass such an act, which it also claims would violate the provisions of the Constitution.

A fourth party which will participate in this very interesting and vital case will be the Attorney-General of Quebec, who will be represented by Charles Lanctot, K. C., Deputy Attorney-General. The Provincial Government takes no sides in this issue, but seeks to have the Privy Council tell what kind of legislation can be properly passed in educational matters.

The Protestant Committee of the Council of Public Instructions, which did not take any part when the case was up in the Canadian Courts, has, however, obtained permission to intervene in the discussion before the Privy Council. This Committee is concerned with the right of Protestants to exclusive control of Protestant schools and education. Eugene Lafleur, K. C., will represent the Protestant Committee.

The rulings of the Privy Council will decide whether or not Jewish tax-payers have a right of representation on the Protestant Board of School Commissioners, in whose schools Jewish children are being educated; and also whether or not the Provincial Government has a right to create a third school panel, a Jewish panel, which would control and administer a separate system of schools for Jewish children.

HENRI TORRES NOT INVITED BY AMERICAN JEWISH CONGRESS

Henri Torres is not coming to the United States at the invitation of the American Jewish Congress, declared in a statement he issued yesterday.

Dr. Wise stated further that the Congress was represented at the Schwartzbard trial by Mr. Bernard G. Richards, executive secretary of the American Jewish Congress.