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Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthode. i : t^' ■'■■ 1. ^ Is* : 1 1 3 . ■ 1 • 6 ViLJ^.m-^ )>M> /*»"» "^7 >f^H ^ *-^ STATEMENT respecting the Presbyterian Church in Upper and Lower Can ad Ay made before the Gmeral Assembly of the Church of Scotland on Tuesday ^ 2Ztk May 1837, by the Rev, EowAnn Black^ D. /)., Minister of St PauPsj Montreal. /^ Moderator, — Previously to my bringingunder theconsidera- I tion of this venerable Court, the present state of a branch of the / Church of Scotland in Upper and Lower Canada, I beg leave, in \ my own name, and in that of my brethren in that distant coun- / try, to return you our warmest acknowledgments for the sym- S pathy that this Assembly has always expressed for our desti- / tute situation ; and for the interest it has taken in furthering 1 our views, both through the medium of direct communications I with the Government, and through the labours of a Committee, yann ually appointed to watch ovar our interests, ^n particular, ll^eg to tender to you my grateful thanks, for the indulgence kindly granted to me, of appearing this day at your bar; and mr the opportunity thus aflfbrded me, of bringing under ,^J^^ your consideration the destitute situaticm of those connected^^^^ ' with you by many endearing ties. May I be allowed to indulg e the hope that the result will be the adoption of such measures, Ml the part of this Assembly, as will awaken the Government to a sense of what, I conceive, to be the partiality of their con- duct, in reference to the Presbyterian population of Canada, and induce them to do a tardy act of justice to a body of people, more numerous than any other Protestant sect' there, and un- questionably inferior to none in point of respectability, and in attachment and loyalty to their King. The subject on which I am about to enter ought to be deep- ly intei^sting to every patriotic Scotchman. Within a fewoj^g^^^ years, ^nada has become the adopted country of thousands of^Z^^ our brethren^audeach returning year brings to its shores thou- ^lzJ^^ ^ sands more, Compelled to leave their native land, utl iw fruai c^zJi ^^rmisfortunes whicn no human prudence could perhaps foresee, '^^ f or actuated by the laudable desire of improving their own cir- cumstances, and of providing for their families. ^""^*',' Lower Canada comprehends a population of nearly 600,000. Of these about 400,000 are French Catholics, a considerable number Irish Rgman Catholics, and the remainder Protestants of various sects from Great Britain, Ireland, and the United States. Of these Protestant sects the most numerous, it is sup- posed, is that in communion with the Established Church of Scot- land — and that church can boast of having among her number, those who have, to use the language of a Canadian, awaken- ui^ JIUaJU^ v /«d, as it were, the country " into life, by theif coital and ei ,j-y4erprize, and have changed Lower Canada from a rendezvous of fur-traders, into the emporium of a large and increasing commerce." In Quebec and Montreal, the Episcopalian popu- lation can bear a comparison with the Presbyterian, but, in every other part of the province, there are, I believe, two Presbyte- rians for one Episcopalian. The Episcopal churches, owing to the sm>port ffiven by the Government^ a re more numerous than the PresDyterian ; but the actual adherents of the latter church exceed those of the former. On the banks of the St Lawrence, from 9^ miles on the east side of Quebec to about 230 miles on the west side, the land is divided into seigniories (a mode of /dividing land at one time common in France), and on these seig- niories the French Catholic population is chiefly to be found. In the cities of Montreal and Quebec, in several villages, and in many country parishes, a number of Protestants has s^deck and they are increasing in a considerable ratio. Ojy^^enfif^'er; the ChateaudHay, that falls into the St Lawrence, about twen- ty.five mileiy to the south-west of Montreal, and within these seigniories, a numerous Scotch population is to be found, and several Scotch churches have lately been erected. In the Town- ships, that is, the part of Lower Canada not included in the seigniories, and comprehending a vast extent of territory — ^in short, all Lower Canada except about thirty miles in breadth, along the north and south sides of the St Lawrence — ^in these Townships there is an annua¥ancreasing population, partly Ca- tholic, but mostly Protestant^ The attention of emigrants from Scotland, from the north of Ireland, and from several parts in England, has lately been called to this district of country, ow- ing to the formation of the Lower Canada Land Company — - a company chartered by Government — and through whose ex- ertions in making roads, and selling lands on easy terms of pay- ment, a new era is about to dawn on the country. The chief field of the labour of this company is confined to a parw)f what is called the Eastern Townships — a tract of country lying con- tiguous to the United States, blessed with a fertile soil, and a comparatively mil(^ rlimflt , ^ . The number of Protestants that ^^•***idijay eventually settle in this district of country, and in the dis- tricts immediately contiguous to it, is beyond all calculation. In many other townships on the south side of the St Law- Pfiice, and, in particular, in the townships of Rawdon and Kil- kenny on the north side, and in the seigniorv of Terrebonne, and some adjoining seigniories, the number of Protestant set- tlers has increased so rapidly, as to induce the inhabitants, with- in their respective districts, to contribute liberally towards the erection of places of worship, although, owing to the scantiness . i - ^ I ft *1, \ - f^LE. / '^^m&^m of their means, they huvcbeen unable to supply themselves with regularly ordained pastors. 1 ii it Such is a hurried Sketch in reference to the population of Lower Canada generally. I now solicit your attention for a little to the proportion of that population who adhere to the discipline and worship of the Estabhshed Church of Scotland, — to the manner in which they have been treated by the Home Government, — and to the kind of provision made for those who- labour among them in holy things. / As to the amount of the numbers of those who may be reck- / oned in communion with the Established Church of Scotland, \ it may be estimated, I think, at not less than 30,000. What 7 the number of the population might have been in 1 822, when / I first went to reside in the country, I cannot say ; but this much '^ I do know, that, at that period, there were only two congrega- ' tions in the whole of the Lower Province in communion with the ' Established Church of Scotland, one of these in Quebec, and ^ the other in Montreal. I remember well at the Communion seasons in these two cities, that many of our countrymen, and particularly those who had emigrated from the Highlands of Scotland, travelled from a considerable distance to be present these interesting occasions ; and never shall I forget the on feelings engendered when addressing those lowly and humble ^^ )k Christians, several of whom understood but imperfectly ^1^6 Ian- ^4^ >|| guage in which they were addressed. Such devotedness to the simple ceremonies of their National Church could not but touch the hearts of the few ministers then in the country, and d^ic^A make them bewail the state of utter d est jtutiQn as t o spirj^nnl A^^{ provision to which thousands were reduced, who had perhaps Jr*^*^l enjoyed the privilege of attendance on ordinances in their native/ ^ Jand. This feeling induced them to make regular missionary tours into those parts of the country where Presbyterians had^ settled ; and they have the satisfaction to think, that their la- bours w%e, to a certain extent, blessed ; that some born in the< country, and living far from God, and far from holiness, were /l£fj^ ^ brought to think seriously of the one thing needful, and that ^^^ many, whose piety was fast languishing, from non-attendance on ordinances, were, in some measure, quickened and roused to active exertion. Shortly after the period to which I allude, the Glasgow Co- lonial Society, under the patronage of that truly excellent nobleman and friend of our Church, Lord Dalhousie, was formed ; and from the exertions of that society, the best effects have followed. Many members of the Church of Scotland, both lay and clerical, have taken a lively interest in the wel- fare of this society ; and I am happy at having this opportuni- ty of stating, that the zeal and activity of its secretary, the Rev. ^- Dr Burns of Paisley, are duly estimated by his brethren in Cana- * da. S everal licentiates of acknowledged worth and piety have crossed the Atlantic under its patronage, and, after having devot- ed a portion of their time exclusively to missionary enterprize, have eventually settled on very slender means, among humble individuals, who prized their labours, and who entreated them to - remain among them. In this way, and under the blessing of Pro- /vidence, the number of churches so multiplied, that, m 1831, ' when the ministers in connection with the Church of Scotland, in both the Upper and Lower Province, assembled at Kingston, to constitute themscilves a Synod, the ministers of the Lower , Province were formed into a Presbytery, under the name of the ' Presbytery of Quebec. Since that period, other licentiates ifrom Scotland have joined our ranks, and at this time there are fourteen or fifteen organized congregations, with ministers re- gularly ordained over most of them in the Lower Province. Be- . sides these, there are thirty additional stations at which ministers are desired, but from the poverty of the inhabitants, no adequate salary can be provided. / What, then, is the provision made for these ministers ? They /have had much difficulty in getting their places of worship erected, and would never have succeeded in so doing, had it not been for the kind and charitable contributions of the merchants in Montreal and Quebec. Even with their assistance, some of the churches are still burdened with debt, and little or no pros- jpect presents itself of their being relieved from this burden. /No provision is made for the maintenance of. the clergymen, \ except what is afforded from pew-rents, and from the voluntary contributions of the hearers. In the country parishes the peo- ple, however willing, are unable to give much, as they have themselves many difficulties to encounter for several years, after they have settled on their farms. To my certain knowledge, several ministers have not received more than L.60 per annum, and even this small pittance will be reduced, owing to thi general failure of the cpops during last season. The Rev. David Brown of Valcartii^*in the neighbourhood of Quebec, has, within these few months, been obliged, most reluctantly, to relinquish his charge, from the utter inadequacy of the provision made for him, but is anxious to return to his duty, if the Government will ensure only a small permanent sum, in addition to the contributions or the people. If the present state of matters continues, others will be forced to do as Mr Brown has done, for they have nothing but poverty staring them in the face. There is not a single instance of an officiating clergyman in Lower Canada, receiving aid in, any other way than I have now mentioned. The oldest Pretbyterian clergyman, residing in \ Jti4ACoe^ - J^^ t •«0/^^ 9^^^Jlr^ Montreal, bui^ho has for many years retired from all activ duty, receives now, and. has for many years past received, L.60 fC^ annually from the Government ; but I have reason to know that this small pittance is not to be continued to his successor. /With this solitary exception, not one sin g l y farthing is given :^4M- ' the Provincial or the Home Governmenlpk Nay, more tha.. f this, the clergymen of Montreal and Q uebec have at different/^^^ I periods acted as military chaplains to the troops stationed there^^J^ry^^ / but have never received any remuneration from the Government, Us u^j^ s although they set apart a separate service jpn the Sabbaths ex- y^ ( clusively for the troops, and regularly attended to all hospital^^[^ j duties. Y^^' \ And why should such be the case ? Why should the mi- nisters of the Established Church of Scotland be starving ili ^^^^ Lower Canada, when the more favoured ministers of the sister Establishment there receive annually a salary, voted to them h^u^ ^ ^ the British House of Commons, and 'oerive aid from other sources under the control of the Government ? Why should one /(Congregation in communion with the United Associate Synod' i» Scotland in the Lower Province, and another congregation , in the Upper Province, till lately in communion with the same t^ui., body, receive annually L. 100 each from the Government of this country, and all aid be refused to the Branch of the Esta-// blished Church of Scotland in Lower Canada ? You are aware that by the statute 31st Geo. III. cap 31, a seventh part of the waste lands in Upper and Lower Canada was reserved for the support of a Protestant Church and a Protestant clergy — that for many years the members of ihe Church of England main- tained that they were, in the eye of the law, the only Protestant Church, and their ministers the only Protestant clergy, and therefore entitled to the whole of the provision arising from these reserves — and that they continue to have the bishop and his clergy appointed a Corporation for the management of them. When it was known that such power was given to the ministers of the Episcopal Church, the lew ministers in communion with the Established Church of Scotland, then in the country, aided by every member of their respective congregations, raised their voices against the pretensions of the Church of England to be considered as the only Protestant Church, and against their being clothed with such power as the charter of Corporation invested them with. Such was the force of public opinion as to the assump- tion of the clergy of the Episcopal Church to be the only Protes- tant Church, that the Crown Lawyers in, ^ llif'!.**? the year 1819) and a Select Committee. of the House of Commons in 9, h 1 8527, gave it as their opinion that the seventh part of the pub- lic lanas in Canada, set apart by act of Parliament for the sup- port of a Protestant Church and a Protestant clergy, was in- tended for the Presbyterian as well as for the Episcopal Esta- blishment. Notwithstanding all this, the bishop and his clergy have still the managment of the fund arising from the leases of ^ these reserved lands, and no part of it whatever is given for the support of the ministers of the Scotch Church. That this fund has been grossly mismanaged is evident from a report made to the Home Government by Sir James Kempt in 18f27, who states that *the expences of collection and ma- nagement exceeded the proceeds by L. 58 : 3 : 6,— and that in 1828 and 1829, the first years in which there had been any surplus, the nett proceeds were L. 177 : 15 : 6 on the one, and L. 217, 18s. on the other. Whatever may have become of the money, it is, Unfanr, a well known fact that upwards of L. 18,000 have been realized in Lower Canada from the sale )f these reserves. Lord Glenelg, the present Colonial Secretary, admits that the amount at present mvested in the British Funds, on account of the sale of these reserves, is L. 5689 ; that the interest of this sum alone is disposable ; and tnat the whole available receipts are at present absorbed by the expenses of ma- nagement. Lord Godericli (now Lord Ripon), when Colonial Secretary, was of opinion that an end should immediately be put to the system of reserving a seventh of the waste lands in Canada for ftie support of a Protestant Clergy, and in a despatch, dated the 21st November 1831, addressed to the then Governor, de- tails the measures it would be necessary to adopt for the pur- pose of causing these reserves to revert into the general mass of the Crown estate. He recoinmends an act to be introduced into the Provincial Legislature for this purpose, and, in the mean time, says that it is the express desire of His Majesty's Gtjvernment, that, until the bill shall have passed into a law, or shall have been finally rejected, the corporation do abstain from granting any- more leases of the Clergy reserves. In the contingency of the corporation acting m opposition to his Lordship's desire, he instructs the Attorney-General to take such measures as may be best adapted to bring to trial the validity of the Charter itself, and he apprehends that the result must be to ascertain that it is void m point of strict law. Now, I would ask, if the ministers of the Church of Scot- land iu Lower Canada have not just reason to complain of the manner in which this fund has been managed — and the more so — as the crown lawyers in, ^ Iwlk i w , 1819» and the British House of Commons, through its select Committee in 1827$ gave A, a decision in favour of their claims — and, above all, as a Co-^/^1^ lonial Secretary has expressed great doubts as to the validity >j«_^ of that charter, by which we are precluded from receiving any^*^*^ information on a subject in which we are so much interested, i^^^ But this is not all we have to complain of. In addition to the ^ clergy of the Episcopal Church having the sole management; of the fund arising from the leases of the clergy reserves, there is, kJuJiiiliMnlr a considerable proportion of a sum, amount- '^^ ^, ing to upwards of L. 16,000, annually voted by the British^^'^ House of Commons to the Society for the Propagation of the/ Gospel — there is a considerahjo ^propo rtion of this sum appro- ' priated to the maintenance of ^Iw^pal Clergy. Of this fact, I believe, there can be no doubt, that out of some fund or other about L. 5000 is annually paid to the Episcopal Church in Lower Canada, — and out of this sum L. 3000 is paid an- nually to the Bishop, L. 650 to the Archdeacon of Quebec, L. 300 to the Rector of Montreal, and the rer^ainder to< the inferior clergy. As to the provision made for the C a- tho l ic clergy, I have to oDse rve','*tna t they are legally entitl ed to a cgrtain p roportion o't^ the produce of the lancfoccupied by Chose professinff the Catholic faith, — anci thus in a certain :# ~)g.^. tnose protessmg tne Uatnolic laith (^ sense, the Catholic religion may be said to be the Established Religion of Lower Canada. Protestants, who may settle in what may be called the Catholic district of the country, are not obliged to pay any thing for the support of the Catholic re- ligion. In addition to this legal provision, the Government of Great Britain pays to the French Catholic Bishop an annual salary of L. 1000. Besides this, the ministers of the French Church possess large tracts of valuable land, and are the seig- niors or superiors of the whole Island and City of Montreal, and of Isle JesusjKrom whence they derive an immense re- venue. "j-Zh^/yr^fi^m P^^fsM ^^^ ' Such is the state of mattOTS in Lower Canada. I now call your attention to the present state of the branch of the Church^'' of Scotland in Upper Canada. The population of the Upper ' Province amounts, I believe, to about 400,000, an 1 is com- posed chiefly of persons from Great Britain and Ireland, and loyalists and their descendants from the United States. In such a population, various denominations of Christians are to i be found, but of all the different Protestant sects, the one in com- munion with the Established Church of Scotland is as numerous and as respectable as any other. In 182S, there were in Upper Canada only four congregations in communion with the Church ; of Scotland, with ministers regularly ordained over them. At / that period there wcs a great anxiety expressed for additional / ministers, but as the Scotch population was spread over a great ^ ki^ i^ ^/ <.5:ia,iU^^>':>%^ ^!««'«J«^ -^-S^*«*» 9 exKHi of country, although not in sufficient numbers in any one place to provide for a minister, the feelings of the people could not be gratified. It was far different with the portion of the in- habitants who had emigrated from England, or who professed Episcopacy. Whenever d few such families settled together, a church was ahiiost immediately erected, and a minister or- dained, without entailing any burden, at most a very trivial one, on the favoured people. It was in consequence of the facility given for erecting Episcopal churches, although there was then, and is now, a greater number attached to the Church of Scotland than to the Church of England, *hat Dr Strachan, formerly a licentiate of the Church of Scotland, but now Archdeacon of Toronto, presented at the Colonial Office, in, I believe, 1827, a document entitled an Ecclesias- tical Chart of Upper Canada, intended, as I suppose, for the ear of their Colonial Secretary, but which, unfortunately for the Doctor, soon made its appearance in Canada, and roused, over the whole length and breadtb>.of the country, a degree of excitement, which is not at t]l>i| moment allayed. In that do- cument, it was stated in substance, that there were only four congregations in communion with the Church of Scotland, two of which were at the time vacant ; that there was no great de- sire on the part of the population for an increase of them ; and that there was Ln evident leam'ng on the part of the Protestant population to the Church of England. I speak not hereof the motives which actuated Dr Strachan in presenting such a do- cument. I appeal to facts, to shew that there was not a shadow of ground for such a mis-statement. Although only fourteen years have elapsed since there were only four congregations in communion with the Establishe4..Church of Scotland, — and al- though only nine years have elapsed since Dr Strachan construct- ed his chart, yet at this moment there are nearly forty congrega- tions in communion with the Church of Scotland in Upper Ca- nada, with ministers regularly ordained over them. Not only is the number of congregations thus multiplied, but there is every year an increasing anj^^fcty. manifested, and an increasing demand made for ministers ofthe Established Church of Scot- land. / *rhe ministers of the Church of Scotland in Upper Canada / are not in the same state of destitution with their brethren in ; the Lower Province. In 1827,. the Government of this coun- try authorized the then Governor of Upper Canada to pay for behoof of the ministers of th Scotch Church L. 750. That sum was afterwards increased to L.IOOO, and is now, I believe, raised to L.I 350. I am uncertain whether the Government pledg ed itself that^this sum should be permane ntly paidj P, r •?!**■ V^ 5^feE=Lsi^ ty^A %i^C^ 1 ^6f ;-■ y^yt^^t*^ u^ whether it be divided equally among all the ministers now in the country. I am u nder thg jmprg ssion that the I.ieutenant- Govemor limited tlie ^ayment to acertain number, and th at rnftspfjjipntTy th^f e^are several miii iiyer^ who ha ve to depend solely on the voluntary con tributions of their people. In act dition to this, there was a certain sum, i believe L. 2000, given by the Government to aid the Presbyterians in building cnurches. But all this is but a fraction of what the Government has done for the Church of England. In addition to the sum annually voted by the British House of Commons to the Society for the propagation of the Gospel, various other sums, it ii lMliiWid» are paid, under the sanction of Government, out of other funds. A ^ It is reported that, in 1833, L. 12,281 was paid to the minis- ^ M oOtl •fS^ftefs and congregations of the Episcopal Church — in 1834 4^y^ JU9602 — and that sums, if not of a similar amount, yet to a [ J s L.100,000. The Episcopal Church here, as well as in the Lower Province, Ijav^ the sole control over the lease? of these reserves,— but whether, as in the Lower Province, the ex- pense of management absorbs the actual amount paid, I cannot say. But this is not all, in as far as the partial treatment of the Government is concerned. At the very time that the ministers of the Scotch Church received in answer to one of their memo> rials, respecting a share in these reserves, — that the Govern- ment could not interfere, as the final disposal of them was pending before the respective Legislatures, — at this very time, early in 1836, Sir John Colbdrne, the Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada, created fifty-seven English rectories, by endow- ing each of them with from 400 to 800 acres of the c^ioicest of these reserves. Much dissatisfaction prevailed, and still pre-, vails at such partial treatment. The House of Assembly of a Upper Canada had the subject of the a pprobation o f these re-^ serves before them at their last illusion, ana came to the deter-Ml mination to divide among the following sects, in proportion Xio/U^\ their respective numbers, viz. the Catholics, the Episcopalians, < the members of the Church f»An infnrtrif^, In addition ^6 the sums expended on'tiie Episcopal Church, the Govern- ment has, I believe, for sevipral years past, given grants of money to the Catholic Church, to the VVesIeyan Methodists in Upper Canada, and to the congregations in communion with -^uiJujuniA^jat=^jn.m i Jiijij^3wygr»g \n \ 10 the United Associate Synod of Scotland, — but I cannot say what the precise amount of these may be. I have thus endeavoured to stpte, as succinctly as is consis- tent with the understanding of the subject, the actual position of the Scotch Church at this moment in Canada. I have stat- ed the very slender and inadequate provision made for the rapidly increasing Church in Upper Canada, and the total over- look or rather neglect of the equally rapidly increasing Church, according to its Protestant population, of Lower Canada. I have had the honour recently of bringing the same important subject under the consideration of Lord Glenelg, his Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for the Colonies, through the me- dium both of memorials and of private interviews, but, lam sorry to say, without any good effect. In addition to what I have now stated respectmg the manner in which the members of the Scotch Church in Lower Canada have been treated, I pressed on his Lordship's attention the justice and the equity of the present Government fulfilling a |olemn pledge given by a for- mer Colonial Secretary, Lord Bathurst, when, in answer to a memorial presented by the convener of the committee appointed by the General Assembly for colonial matters in June 1825, respecting pecuniary aid, his Lordship states, that " When- ever a congregation in any of these provinces (Upper and Lower Canada) shall have erected a suitable place of worship, and be prepared to acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Church of Scotland, and to contribute according to their means towards the maintenance of a minister, upon their presenting a memo- rial to the Governor in Council, the Governor will have recei- ved his Majesty's commands, authorizing him, upon being sa- tisfied that these conditions have been duly complied with, to contribute to the support of the clergyman in such proportion as, together with the contributions of the parties presenting the memorial, may be sufficient to afford him a competent mainten- ance.'*' What could be clearer or more definite than the language of this despatch ? What reason had we to think that all we wish- ed for was accomplished ? I, together with other ministers, me- morialized Lord Dalhousie, the Governor of Lower Canada at the time, in terms of the tenor of the despatch, and what was our disappointment when his Lordship, with the deepest regret on his part, replied, That he never had received any such in- structions. In reference to this despatch, Lord Glenelg admits that such a communication waifsent to Dr Mearns, the then Convener of the Committee, with this qualification, that the contribution to be made bv the Government would necessarily be limited by the funds which it might be in the power of the '/ fm ie y> ^.dt^^ y^tA^ft^^Mj^'*^ J. A^ ^^ Crow ^ i ^ 1 ^ is the firstJ'^me I ever heard of such a qualificatfbn ; and it is the impression on my mind, that no such qualification was ever alluded to in the communicatioi from Dr Mearns to the ministers in Canada. The words of the despatch, as already quoted, appear to be definite, clear, and altogether unqualified. Lord Glenelg also expresses a de sire to fulfil this pledge, but regrets that there .are no funds at his disposal to enable him to do so. I pressed on his Lord- ship's attention that his predecessor Lord Goderich, in a de spatch to the Governor of Lower Canada, dated the 24th De cember 1830, pro posed a surrender of the casual and territori revenues to theH ouse of AssemPiy, on tha t body b urdenin^ themselves with the payment oi L.&xfiiO : 1» : 6 to the Episc<> al Church, L.IOOO to the Catholic Bishop, and L.500 to the PresDyterian Church, and that, notwithstandmg the bill to effect this did not pass, or was not introdu ced into the House oi Assembly, htivertll^Mii ihe dlflerent items, making up the L.5250 : 18 : 6, «/SI£^^(!d, ftrid 4^^t!itl paid to the Episcopal Church; that the L.IOOO to 'this Catholic Bishops was paid, and is still paid ; and that some trifl ing excuse wasf made by Lord Gosford, Governor of Canada, for not paying the paltry sum of L.500 to the Presbyterian Church in communion with the Church of Scotland. In explanation of this strange proceeding, Lord Glenelg says, that as the items making up the L.5250 : 18 : 6 had been paid previously to Lord Ripon's despatch out of the army ex- traordinaries, and other funds belonging to this country, and as Lord Goderich'^s plan for burdening the casual and territo- rial revenues of Lower Canada with this amount could not be carried into execution, he Applied to Parliament, and got an annual grant for the above specified sum, on the express condi- tion that the grant should not be continued to any but the ex- isting incumbents. This Lord Glenelg seems to ter m a vested right, in so far as the Church of England is concerned ; and the Church of Scotland having no such vested right, is denied the paltry pittance of L.600. Such, then, is the state of matters in reference to the present position and the future prospects of the Church of Scotland in Canada. Such is the stafte of destitution of the ministers in the Lower Province, that all, except those in the cities of Mon- treal and Quebec, will be forced to abandon their charges, if no immediate relief be granted to them. And what will be the consequence ? Nearty 30,000 Scotchmen, professing a devoted attachment to their National Church, and all who may hereafter leave the shores of Scotland for that land of their adoption, will be allowed to revert to a state worse than he t^u A z*-^//-^ ^'^^ X jy^^mi^ ^/tA^/>4^ f^^A^fifik*^ ;^UtJ>^ ^:^^ ^^ ^^ k^ J- --ri. ■•:M'^%:- i 12 '\' "., ,- theni&m, and to roam through the forest raised but a little above the beasts that perish. I have stated how generously the Government has provided for the Catholic Church ; how la- vishly she bestows her favours on the branch of the sister establishment. I have stated how positive promises have been made by the Government for the support of our Zion, how our expectations have been raised, but, although twelve years have elapsed since these promises were made, the pro- mises of the British Government are at this moment unful- filled ; the expectations raised by the British Government are at this moment unrealized. It is in vain for us to look, I fear, for the redress of our grievances to the Colonial Olfice. It is no consolation to us to be told that we have no vested rights, and that the provision made for the English Church expires with the present incumbents. I do not wish to deprive that church of a fair and reasonable support. On the contrary, I wifh to see that support guaranteed to her and placed on a permanent basis. I do not widi to see even the Catholic Church depriijed of the provision guaranteed to her by law.v^ While these are my feelings, it is surely reasonable that a mo- derate provision should also be made for a branch of the ^^s- tablished Church of Scotland in these provinces. That mode- rate provision, amounting to L.lOO annually to each minister already in the country, and the same amount to those who may be called to preside over a congregation, we have still hopes of obtaining, if we be aided, as we trustee shall be, by the Eupport and countenance of this Venerable Assembly. •j-9 A gentleman of much influence in the House of Commons, who, although an Episcopalian, hai shewn much sympathy for the Presbyterians on his property in Lower Canada, by build- ing one church at his own expense for their benefit, and by liberally contributing towards the erection of others, — this in- dividual has suggested to me a plan, which, if acted on, would likely be productive of some good. He suggested that the General Assembly might, without loss of time, present a me- morial to the King in Council, setting forth the grievances of the members of the Church of Scotland in Canada in general, and in particular lo the state of destitution of the ministers in the Lower Province, and praying, for relief. He stated to me farther, that, if this j)lan was adopted, on a copy of the memo- rial being sent to him, he would immediately move, in his place in the House of Commons./foritSy _production, and thus bring the whole affair before (tie couiitry . He also stated, ihat he would reckon it his duty to use his influence 'to stop the sup- plies for the support of the ministers of the Church of^England, until a rcasonaDle provision was made, in the same way, for the v> % "■^ •^ 1 vV Si it' »w« 13 ministers of the Scotch Church. Another individual, a steadjr and active friend of the Church of Scotland, also kindly stated to me, that, in the event of this plan being adopted, he would be happy to use what influence he had with the Scotch mem- bers in the House of Commons, to ensure a provision being made for the ministers of Lower Canada. I respectfully submit this plan to the c onsider ation of this lernier resort, and I trust it will 1 Ven„ be °^"ptPf]i_ One word more, and 1 liave done] It must aiP lord the utmost gratification to all united to us by religious and social relations, to know that the Church of Scotland in Canada has preserved itself with temper and firmness, and that, by the care and diligence of its pastors and people, it has advanced to a wide and influential system of religious benefits to society. If it has not had kings for its nursing fathers, nor queen^^ for its nursing mothers, if power has not come to the brightness of its rising, yet the Church of Scotland, in common with all, has en- joyed the protection of wise laws under a free, and in many re-A spects an indulgent, government. We have never licen denied tk> e Evidence of y^spect from the a uthorities over us ; and, if our \ church has established itself without favour, it has also doneso^f without fear and without reproach. While we are grateful tont^j a protecting Providence, and sensible of the blessings of a proy^ tecting government ruling in its fear, — while we lament vfith/^j humility that we can render these privileges only of so imper- 4Li feet availment|Wie yet seem called upon to express our belief ^'j that there i»aerived to us from our country and National, Church, rights in the lot of inheritance. God forbid that we should contend with unchristian zeal, possessed as we are of the privileges and advantages of the Gospel, — that we should draw* doubt on our piety and patriotism by too great a hankering, after secular concerns, involving no spiritual considerations, — or disturb even by such sentiments that general feeling of con- tentment which abounds in these provinces. We, in common with the most favoured religious bodies, rejoice to see that country advancing in the van of nations ; we wish but to de-^ liver the inheritance of our fathers to our children, whatever it may be ; we ask neither the mountain of Hebron, nor the lot ofy Judah. And we may j|f«^ ehtertain the hope, that, if the plan I have respectfully submitted be adopted, these rights will in due season yet be made manifest. There is one assurance that affords us comfort under all our trials, — thatweure not forgotten in the temples and in the land of our fathers. Scotland hath not forgotten her children, nor could she be comforted if she thought they were not. We know her ^ zeal and her affection in our behalf, and that by our patience \/(* '•%. ^ a. '>»*\^' /^/^^/'►"^ ^^' 14 and travail she is satisfied. In the faithfulness of our brethren and friends, we have much reason for joy and rejoicing, and in the number of those attached to the form of our worship who are every day joining us, we are called upon to use our best exertions to enlarge the place of our tents, — to stretch forth our habitations, and to spare not, for they are coming on the right hand and on the left, and the wilderness may yet, through means not by us foreseen, be made to blossom as the rose, and the solitary place to be glad and to rejoice. If our hopes are still to be disappointed, I trust that we shall never forget that trial and tribulation are the lot of man. I trust we shall continually retain tmd call to our remembrance the spirit of those from whom we inherit our profession and our name, and who have left us jmmt- a richer legacy in their ex- ample, even the example of those who, amidst strange and bitter trials, were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Well may we recal with triumph and with joy their example and the remem- brance of our Father land. That example and this remembrance will enable us .to persevere, iThe one will inspire us with courage and heroism ; the other will soothe us with the cheering thought, that, under Providence, our present struggle will terminate in good. / Since the foregoing stalement was put to press, Dr Black lias been favour- ed witli a communication from Lord Glenelg, in which he is informed that his Lordship will lose no time in instructing ^the Earl of Gosford to pay to the Presbytery of the Church of Scotland in Lower Canada, during the pre- sent year, the sum of L.600, out of the interest on. investments in the British Funds, on account of the sales of the Clergy Reserves in that Province ; but his Lordship does not offer any guarantee for the perpetuity of such assist- ance. ^^ ^<^^>^ ^ ^ 'iM^.^E'^fy^y^^^ a^