IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /y ^.^% ^ 1.0 I.I lig |2B 12.5 1^ y£ 12.0 I' i L25 ||u |i.6 ^ 6" ► FhotDgraplilc Sdences Corporation 93 V^ EST MAIN STREET A'EBSTER.N.Y. 14SM (716) •72-4503 > ;\ ^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVI/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for l4istorical IVIicroreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Tachnical and Bibliographic Notas/Notas tachniquaa at bibiiograpliiquaa T t( Tha Instituta lias attamptad to obtain tha t>aat original copy avallabia for filming. Faaturaa of thia copy which may ba bibliographically uniqua, which may altar any of tha imagaa in tha raproduction, or which may aignificantly changa tha uauai mathod of filming, ara chackad balow. D D n D Colourad covara/ Couvartura da couiaur I I Covara damagad/ Couvartura andommagte Covara raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura raataurAa at/ou paliicul6a I I Covar titia miaaing/ La titra da couvartura manqua Colourad mapa/ Cartaa gAographiquaa an couiaur Colourad inic (i.a. othar than biua or black)/ Encra da couiaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) Colourad plataa and/or iiluatrations/ Planchaa at/ou illuatrationa an couiaur D Bound with othar matarlal/ RallA avac d'autraa documanta Tight binding may cauaa ahadowa or diatortion along intarior margin/ La r« liura aarrte paut cauaar da i'ombra ou da la diatortion la long da la marga IntMaura Blank laavaa addad during raatoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibia, thaaa hava baan omittad from filming/ 11 so paut qua cartainaa pagaa blanchaa ajoutAaa iora d'una raatauration apparafaaant dana la taxta, mala, loraqua cala Atait poaaibia, caa pagaa n'ont paa tt6 fllmiaa. Additional commanta:/ Commantairaa aupplAmantairaa; L'Inatitut a microfilm* la malllaur axamplaira qu'il lui a Ati poaaibia da aa procurar. Laa d^taila da cat axamplaira qui aont paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibllographiqua, qui pauvant modifiar una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dana le mAthoda normala da filmaga aont indiqute ci-daaaoua. D D n D D D D n Colourad pagaa/ Pagaa da couiaur Pagaa damagad/ Pagaa andommagtea Pagas raatorad and/or laminatad/ Pagaa raataurAaa at/ou pallicultea Pagaa diacoiourad, atainad or voxad/ Pagaa dicolortea, tachatAaa ou piqutea Pagaa datachad/ Pagaa dAtachAaa Showthrough/ 1'ranaparanca Quality of print variaa/ Qualit^ InAgala da I'lmpraaaion Includaa aupplamantary matarlal/ Comprand du material auppKmantaira Only adMon avallabia/ Saulo Mition diaponible Pagaa wholly or partially obacurad by arrata aiipa, tiaauaa, ate, hava baan rafilmad to anaura tha baat poaaibia imaga/ Laa pagaa totalamant ou partiallamant obacurclaa par un fauillat d'arrata, unai palura, ate, ont AtA filmAaa A nouvaau da fe^on A obtanir la maillaura imaga poac signifie "A SUIVRE", ie &ymbole y signifie "FIN". Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure ar^ filmed beginning in the upper left habid corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent Atre filmAs H des taux de rMuction diff6rents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clich*, II est film* i partir de I'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m4thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 M:/J' 'Tin 10 (JLl'IKOY "RESERVES. ^' V A L E T T I ] K FROM THK LORD BISHOP OF TORONTO TO th; DUKE OF NEWCASTLE, HKR IM.UESTY's SECRKTARV FOR THE COLONIES. TORONTO : rULNTED AT THE "CHURCHMAN" OFFICE, CORNER or KING AND NELSON STREETS. MDCCCLlir. ^55 Ill ^■\ LETTER TO THE jOUKE OP NEWCASTLE. My Lord Duke, — Your Grace's despatch of the 15th January, to the Earl of Elgin, Governor General of Canada, on the subject of the Cler^'v Re- serves, was published on the 16lh February, at Quebec, and reach- ed Toronto about the 20lh— and, as it annuunccd a total change of policy in dealing v^^ith the Church piopcrly in Canada, from that which had been judiciously adopted hy Her Majesty's late advisers, we were taken completely by surprise; and before we had time to consider the grounds upon which a change so ii;ju- rious to the interests of religion in this Colony, is souirht 1o bo (supported, or to devise the means of averting a course which will, if pursued, not only destroy the peace of Canada, but, in its con- sequences, endanger the Church Establishment of the United Kingdom, we learn from the London Times and other English journals, that a Bill for placing the Clergy Reserves at the dispo- sal of the Canadian Legislature, was brought into the House of Commons on the 18th ult., and, after some discussion, passed to a second reading. Hence it would appear that this measure, affecting our best and dearest interests, is to be hurried through the Legislature, with a precipitancy which precludes the possibility of our being heard, — a precipitancy of which we have reason bitterly to complain. It certainly presents a strange instance of attention in a Reform Go- vernment to the just rights and the feelings of the people, and a novel method of attaching the Colonies to the Mother Country. It was not surely to be anticipated that a measure dealing, a» ■we think, unjustly with the religious privileges of the members o* the Church of England and Scotland, and ultimately of the Roman Catholics in Canada,— erabracmg a population (as appears by the Ceja$u» in 1851) of more than two-thirds of the inhabitants of [4] Canada, \Yas to bo disposed of like an insignificant Railroad or Village Corporation. Yet such is really iho case ! A Bill is novr in progress which will enable the Provincial Legislature to pass measures of the most revolutionary character, infringing the rights of 1,214,742 persons out of a population oi 1,8^12,265, without so much as making them previously aware cf the intentions of tho Imperial Covernment, or deigning to allo^v them a voice or even an humble supplication on the subject. We have been lulled into a false security, and led to believe that it was impossible that any measure Ai'ould be introduced on a matter which so deeply concerns this great Colony, without being afTorded a full and convenient opportunity of pleading our cause. Even now, the provisions of the Bill befoiethe House of Commons are unknown to us. All that we do fo • certain know is, that a total change in dealing with the Clemry Reserves and Church property in Canada, has taken place in Iler Majesty's Councils, and that the three Churches ot England, Scotland, and Rome are, of a sudden, in danger of being wholly deprived of their endow- ments, without being allowed to say one word in their defence. AH we gather from your Grace's despatch is, that Her Majes- ty's Government accedes to the prayer of the Legislature of Cana- da, for placing the Clergy Reserves at its disposal, — and that no sentiments of regret at the disturbance of the present settlement would justify the Government or Parliament in witholding from the Canadian people through their representatives the right of dealing as they think fit wiih matters of strictly domestic interest. And further, that the Parliament of Canada, and not the Parliament of the United Kingdom, is the body to which the luncticns of legislation on this subject must, for the public advantage, be committed. Now, my Lord Duke, I most respectfully submit, that these opinions or grounds for legislation are much more than neutral- ized by the proceedings of the late administration, by the repeated avowals of the Legislature of Upper Canada and the constant per- suasion of the members of the Church of England, that the Im- perial, and not the Provincial Parliament, is the proper tribvinal for deciding the question ; — and this, as I shall afterwards show, ■was the conviction of Lord Sydenham, one of the most able of our Governors, and the most thoroughly acquainted with our religion* difllculties. I am willing to admit that these two grounds may appear some- "what plausible to those who are only partially acquainted with tb^ ; [6] 0.(K)0. It i» lru(;, all thuse posscNsioiis wltu at otto tiiiii? at llic disposal ol tljo Crown, and tlie.ltisuily' lOslate.s aro nolyt't linally appropriated, but who that knows the readinfi«s with wliich Lord Sydenham gave a title to a few monks of St. Sulpice, covering the whole city and island of Montreal, with the consent of the Imperial Governmewt, received or nnplied, can expect thai these vaat possessions will bu now kept back. But independent of the Jesuit Estates, we have the Seminary of Quebec, (after deilucting a generous allowance, if thought good, for the Archbishop,) with a princely endowment of more than halC a mi'lion of acres of land, to estfiblish Colleges and Seminaries of a higher order in the distiicts of Three Kivers and Quebec ; and the still richer Seminary of St. Sulpice, worth mure than hall' a million, and believed by many to bo worth double that sum, to do the same lor the district oi Montreal. 2nd. — Contrast all this, my Lord Duke, with the United Church of England and Ireland in Canada. We have three Bishops and about 250 Clergymen ; the latter having very scanty support, and yet scanty as it is, ihey are much more indebted for it to the unwea- ried benevolence of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, (the generous protector of the Colonial Church) than to Government. For although it was the intention of the British Parliament in 1791, to make ample provision for the maintenance of a Protestant Clergy in Canada, and to place the National Church on an equal footing in temporalities with that of Rome, that inten- tion has been frustrated by neglect and mismanagement, and at last by the active interference of the Government. In 1840, the lands set apart for this purpose, including the one- fourth under sale, may be assumed at three millions ot acres. Of this quantity seven-twelfths were at once swept away by the 3 and 4 Victoria cap. 78, leaving only five-twelfths for the support of the Protestant Clergy. The Church requested that she might have the management of this small remainder of her property, either to lease or endow Pa- rishes, and so ensure a permanent provision at least to a limited ex- tent. This was denied her, and the lands were ordered to be sold without reserve under the direction ol the Provincial authorities. Now it is believed that under this unscrupulous management, the share of the Church; or 1,250;000 acres, will not real^zs 18! on«-lliirl of their valiio, but, uHsuining that fhry may on tho averu'4(j leulizu iis. bd. pur nvrc, or lur Iho vvholo X-l'iU^tXX), >viiicli ut the [)ruseul ruto ol i itero^l may piuJiicc Jl'Z5,200 pur an- num,— what is tliis for tho sii[iport ol' ail tho rruluMtutit Clergy who will over bo in this vast i'rovinc(3? Bosides tho Clergy Hesorvos, Lord Seaton, towards Iho close of 181)5 and b(?giuiiiy: of 1H.'}(), whilo (iovornor of Upper Canada, es- tablished 57 Kectories for tho ben(!fit of tho Church, but of tht.''* only ■14 wore completed before his departure. They were endow- ed with lands amounlinLj in all to 17,Ht)S acres, giving an average of about 4()(J acres to each Keclory. Thirteen, which from somo accidental causo vveie lounil without LomI kS(,'alon'.s signature after his resignation of the Government, and which tlio proper authorities both hero and in Kngianil, have refused to complete, are held void, fio that tho legal Rectoriej- a e only 44 instead of 57. So much has been said about these Rectories in an unfriendly spirit, and so little in their dei'enco, that few possess any correct knowledge respecting them, while the enemies of the Church think them a monstrous evil which ouglilassoon as possible to be abated — that a few remarks on the'r origin and present value may not bo unseasonable. For were it generally known that lands equal in quantity and quality to tho whole endowment attached to these Rectories, might have been purchased for a very triding sum even 60 late as 1818, and that they confer on thei"^ Incumbents no power beyond what a lease for life confers on its liolder, we may reason- ably hope that the prejudices and hostility against them will sooa pass away, or become too feeble to produce any renewed agitation. A considerable portion of the land which forms the endowment of the Rectories was set aside at the first settlement of Upper Ca- nada. At that early period the waste lands of the Crown had ac- quired no money value, and while bestowed gratis on all appli- cants, they continued at a mere nominal price. In 1798 only ninepence per acre was ofTered for school lands, and so recently as 1818, lands might have been purchased at about one shilling per acre ; thus a quantity of land equal to the whole endowment of the Rec" ries might have been obtained for less than one thousand pounds, and although the Colony has greatly prospered since that period, and lands are much enhanced in price, this sum exceeds in Talue all that the Rectories can with any plea of justice be sa'O to have cost the public. These Rectories are scattered over the whole diocese^ au <'^ro% ?f [ 9 ] 60,000 square milos. Some have boon rnoro tli.in hall a t'pritiiry in posscsbionot' tlin Chinch, aro much iiiipiovuil, ami have C'liuiches and huuiid \vh> a matter of so little valuo and importaneo could excite so much virulence and oblocpiy, the answer is, — that to pull down tho tru(! Church of (iod, tho Church of the Sovereign and of the Englisli Nation, appears to bo the iavorite object of Um greater nmnber of I'lotestant denominations aroimd us ; and while blind to the increasing power of Itomanism, they seem to delight in vilifying and destroying the only Church capable of withstanding that of Homo. No matter how pitiful the case may be, if it can in any manner bo eherisiied and worked up into a grievanco to damage the Church of England, the acknowledged bulwark oi the Protestant Faith, they rejoice in its application. And it is to these very persons who liavc been for years in posses- sion of the Government of the Province, that it is now proposed to surrender the Clergy Reserves. To speak of their iorbearanco is a cruel mockery, for although the Rectories have been declared in all respects legal by the Crown Officers in England, and the House of Assembly in ^837 re?olved by 38 to 20 — "that this House ref^n.dsas inviolable the *' rights acquired under the Patent by whicti the Rectories have ** been endowed, and cannot therefore invite or sanction any inter- '*ference W'th the rights thus established ;" — yet a session of tho Provincial Parliament never passes without eflbrts being made to confiscate them. In the summer Session of 1851, a Bill was introduced to repeal the clauses of the Constitutional Act which authorized the creation and endowment of Rectories, and during its progress an insidious attempt was made, by dropping the power of presentation, to destroy those already existmg, as they became vacant by the dea^h of the Incumbents ; this mean trick was discovered, and corrected, but the right of presentation was taken from the Crown and given to the Church Society, whicii body conferred it on the Bishop of the Diocese. The Bill in this shape was reserved for the signification of Her Majesty's pleasure on the 30th August 1851, and the Royal assent [10] having been given on tlie 15t}i ot May, it became law, and wa« proclaimed in Canada on the Dili June 1852. This '^'•atute has become painfully interesting;, from the notice taken of" it by one of the first statesmen of the age, now Chancellor of the Exchequer, whom the writtM-has long loved and admired for his masterly work on the relation of Chnrch and State, in which he mamtains that it is the first duty of Government to advance the interests of true religion. In his speech on the Colonial Bishop's Bill on Wednesday the 28th April, 1852, to my grief and astonish- ment, Mr. Gladstone says : " I hold in my hand an Act of the Parliament of Canada, passed for the purpose of disendowing certain Rectories, which states in the Preamble, * Whereas the recognition of legal equality 'among all religious persuasions, is an admitted principle of * Colonial Legislation, and whereas in the state and condition of 'this Province such a principle is peculiarly applicable, it is 'desirable that the same should receive the sanction of direct * legislative authority, recognizing and declaring the same as * a fundamental principle of our civil polity.' '* Now if it be meant that more is intended in this preamble, than to repeat the truism that all religious persuasions in the Colony are equal in the eye of the law, a principle which has been long understood and admitted, the framer of this Act was unconscious of it, — for all that he had in view was to destroy the Rectories by dropping the power of presentation, a fraud which was discovered and prevented, so that the Act leaves the Rectories as they were, and merely transfers the patronage from the Crown to the Church Society of the Diocese, and this body empowered their Bishop to exercise it." Now the first thing which strikes me on reading Mr. Gladstone's speech alluded tc, is, that he mentions such a monstrous act of in- justice as the destruction of 44 Rectories, without the smallest sympathy or indignation, for though they were not suppressed, he believed thai they were. Surely th e extinction of 44 Parishes, even in England, would be deemed a very serious calamity from whatever cause ; how much more m Canada, still so destitute of religious ministration as scarcely to number one Clergyman for every two hundred square miles. But theory .seci.is to blunt our best natural feelings ; and perhaps no theories are so dangerous in this respect, as those of a religious character. Tl^e speech goes on to ii?fer, that because this Act passed through [II] both houses, and was sanctioned by the Queen, religious equality is fully recognized by the Imperial Governtiient, iii the Colonies. But it would appear that what is good lor the Colonies is not good for England, and we are advised to judge Colonial (juestions upon their own grounds, and English questions upon their owngiounds. But it so happens that the questions here mentioned are religious questions, which aie unchangeble in their moral and spiritual aspect, and therefore, the same at home and abroad. Now as we are already in the colonies all equal in respect to religion before the law, this equality nmst include religious ad- vantages of a physical character, that is, endowments, which in Colonies must, it seems, be destroyed, though guaranteed by tho most solemn pledges and engagements. But, if religious endow- ments be wrong in Colonies, they must be wrong in the three kingdoms, and thus, all Church Establishments must disappear ; — the inference is irresistible. Now in all this I entirely differ ; but I stop not to enter upon the general question of religious establishments, it is sufficient for my purpose on the present occasion,- to shew that were the French re- ligious endowments in Lower Canada, and those of the Church of England in Upper Canada, to be swept away, incalculabl' evils must immediately follow. How such a doctrine as that the teaching of pure Christianity ought to receive no assistance from Government in a Christian country, can be reconciled to the Holy Scriptures, is to me incom- prehensible. I must therefore, in my simplicity, adhere to my old belief, that it is the first duty of Government to advance the inter- ests of true religion, and that the religious equality so put forward is a dream which can never be realized ; because truth being Irom its nature aggressive, is stronger than falsehood, and though it may be compelled to succumb for a season, is sure to rise superior at tho last. Having thus shewn the state of religion m Canada, and the means by which it is at present supported, I feel encouraged to submit, that so far from being merely local and domestic, the Clergy Reserves involve a national question of the gravest im- portance. At the peace of 1763, the Crown oi France ceded all its rights in [ 12] ;^ .1 II Canada, not to Canada itself, but to the Crown of England, the title to which is two fold. First — The right of con(iuest. 2nd — The right of cession. The validity of the latter is acknowledged by France at this very day. The Crown and Parliament of Great Britain, by virtue of this indisputable right, set apart certain of the lands of the conquered Province, yet ungranted, for the use and support of the Protestant Church of the Colony. This was sanctioned by an Act of the Imperial Parliament in the 31st year of the reign of King George the 3rd of glorious memory. Subsequently (1840) the Crown and Parliament made and fixed a final distribution of this property, to which the Colony fully assented. In this second Act, as well as in the first, it was most distinctly enacted that the property was for the sole use of the Protestant denominations therein designated, and for no other purpose. From all this, two conclusions are obvious : — First, that the title to those lands rested with England, and that the Colony could have no claim whatever to them for gift or distribution. The Colony would indeed be defeated in a claim of this sort by a Court of Common Law. — Second : — That the Crown and Parliament having legally and constitutionally granted these lands for reli- gious purposes, cannot, even if disposed, grant them for secular purposes, which the advocates of spoliation avow as their aim and design. And here it may be asked whether the Coronation Oath of Her Majesty, as the Head of the Protestant Church, be consonant with the abandonment of the interests of that church. We should never forget that Mr. Pitt's great object in 1791, was to preserve in the Colony, if not a Protestant ascendancy, at least an equality ; and as the Roman Catholics were already richly endowed in Lower Canada, he desired that the National Church should have the prospect of a full equivalent in Upper Canada. He was not legislating for the day, but for future ages. That eminent statesman had become deeply sensible of the unwise policy which up to that time Great Britain had exercised towards her Colonies in regard to religion, and he resolved to attach the tried loyalists of Upper Canada and their descendants to the mother country, by spiritual as well as temporal advantages, and to give them, as had been promised, and as they had a right to expect, the full enjoyment of her noble constitution, which had w [13] rendered her as she still continues to be,- the great bulwark of the Protestant Faith. Hence the appropriation for the support of a Protestant Clergy. It was guarded by every conceivable security, lliat it might never be diverted to any other purpose ; and it was highly becom- ing in the Legislature of Great Britain thus to dedicate to God's holy worship and service, a portion of that vast domain which had been acquired through His blessing by the nation in resisting ag- gression. What was not thus appropriated remained in the Crown, for the benefit of the British people ; and every individual who might seek an asylum in the Province of Canada, from any part of the United Kingdom and Dependencies, had by his birthright an interest in the conquered lands, and an acknowledged title to such a poriion a"? he might be able to cultivate. In time many persons, not subjects of the Crown, found their way into the Province, and although not received on the same terms as the Loyalists, they gradttelly acquired the rights and privileges of British subjects. Thus a mixed population gradually grew up. And can anything be mure ludicrous or absurd, than that this popu- lation, which had come into the Colony individually, either from invitation, inclination, or suiferance, now somewhat numerous, should turn round upon the Imperial Government, and seize the national domain and dispose of it at their pleasure : — nay, assume the power to confiscate grants already made, and divert them from their original purpose : thus trampling upon the rights of theii fellow subjects and ignoring the title of the British nation to herown posses- sions? Yet this is exactly what the ruling party in Canada is urging in no measured language. It seeks to confiscate the Clergy Reserves, which were devoted to a special and sacred object more than 60 years ago, and to apply them to other purposes. It may indeed be said that the Imperial Government, some years ago, transferred the remainder of the national domain within the Province to the Colonial Legislature ; but although her indiscreet generosity went thus far, it did not extend to the bestowing of any right or authority to subvert grants already made, as the Legis- lature is attempting. In all former discussions on the Clergy Reserves, certain rights were acknowledged and respected as belonging to the members [14] of uie Church of England as the descendants of the U. E. Loyalists, "whose claims the Government of the time considered irresistible, and for whose benefit they were set apart. But now these are set aside as liaving no title whatever. Power and violence are to determine the question. Vested rights and the claims of justice are impediments to be swept away. Hence the spoliation sought to be perpetrated by the Legislature of Canada, has no parallel in Colonial history. Even in the midst of the American Revolution the old Colonists, during the heart-burnings and ravages of civil war, respected the Ecclesiastical endowments made by the Crown against which they were contending: — and therefore one of their writers observes that the people of the United States " look with ** indignant astonishment upon the course pursued by the liberals ** of Canada. The control of the Clergy Reserves is now claimed *' as an absolute right. England, it seems, has nothing to do with *' this property, or the slightest interest in its management. But it *' is demanded by the Colonial Government, in language bordering <(ecl some regret at the ootninencomenl of the violent debates whiuh followed, but as a siiiirle word from eitlusr would have Hilenced its promoter, their ro^Jiret must have b(;eM very slight and transi- tory, for they voted jijTainst the (Ihnrch, and yet the principal resolution was* eariied by two votes only. Now it cannot he sup- posed that a question ho vexatious, and which had in the opinion of all parties been so happily arranpjed, was thus forced back merely to iadame the public mind, without some special object in view, open or concealed. Tin* most feasible account at the time, and still generally believed, is that the Ministry find- ing their populaiity rapidly on the declii;'-^, froni the adoption of several damaging measures, especially the llebellion Losses pa)'- ment act, began to dread the approaching election, and souufht to divert the public attention from themselves to some exciting inter- est. The move was very successful, and yet three principal enemies of the Clergy Reserves were unseated at the general election. Why a greater number were not thrown over, may be accounted for by the following among other reasons. Soon after the Union, what is called Responsible Government Mvas fully recognized, and its downward operation was most rapid and ofTensive. The influencjc of the Governor General has been in a great measure extinguished. The giace of the Queen through her Representative has ceased to be felt. The Legisla- tive Council, named at pleasure by the party in povi'er, is no longer felt to be d check as an Independent Branch, ami it is notorious, that when any measure passes the Lower House, it is considered to be safe. The fountain of Justice is placed in jeopardy by the presence of two Attorney Generals, as effective members of the executive Council, and thus the Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary powers are to a fearful extent, in the same hands. All these things have depressed and disgusted the loyal and conservative party, and had at first such an elTecl upon some as to drive them to think of annexation. But f:om this folly they were speedily reclaimed. Ii, in addition to all this, the Church be deprived of her property, the last link of attachment to the Parent Slate will be snapt asunder. We feel that we ar^ I 20 I unJ«r a small but reckless jiinlii, who aro loss iluin nolliinjr, were ihoy not supported by Roman Calholic votos. Ami wo sou no hopoof rotinii to that wise? and sahilary (iovciiitmMit wliioli wo have u rij,'lit as IMtisli siiUjocts to (jypoot. Wo fool, ill truth, a-t tlio p'!()[)lo of ICiii,'huKl wonlil ih>, were extromo liailicals placoJ at Iho lioad of iho (iovonimont. Under such doprosslriij circnmstati(5t?s, the Consorvatives had little heart to appear vij^oronsly at the hnstuiju'H, atul yet as wo have aheady noticed, they (h.'tcateil the three principal (NiemioH ol the Reserves, and thus seenreil their safety had tliere been no intorfercnce on the part of the Roman C-atholics, who ow^Ui never to have voted on this cpiestion, sinco it is entirely I'rotestant. At first they lu^sitated, and seinncd rather inclintsd to as.si.st in th«!ir preservation, but since the Papal Aiy^ression, and Lord .John R\\n- soll's feeble attempt at a remedy, they are bocomo more bold, and many of them do not conceal their expiiclationofobtaininfj^ a large accession to their endowment by the secularization or re-distri- bution of the Reserves, and some are no- ways unwilling to adopt the policy of the Roman Catholics in Ireland. Now all this is the more to be deplored, because there had been from the first settlement of Upper Canada, till the Union of the two Provinces in 1810, a courteous and uninterrupted inter- change of civilities and social intercourse between the members of the Church of England and the Church of Rome. But since the unhappy union, causes of irritation and estrangement have been gradually arising. The Church 0*" England feels, from the sad'occurrences of almost every day, that she no longer possesses her just influence in the Legislature, but is thrown on all occasions, where her interests are concerned, into a hopeless minority. She finds, as was recor- ded in her protests against the Union, that her ancient opponents the Dissenters, who were seldom able to refuse her justice, now reinforced on all occasions, where she can be mortified and injured, by Roman Catholic "otes. By this unhallowed combination she lost her University, and when she requested separate schools for the education of her own children, her prayer was rejected, while they secured the privi- lege for themselves. Thus, within a few years our Holy Church has been deprived of the power of educating her chiMren in her own way, and is now threatened with the loss of the remainder [iil j ol her oiulowiriL'iU. Tlio Uumaiiists, oa tlio olhcr liuml, wiiohave OiiUflod ull tliuso uvils, aru in thu full uiul iKtuci'ublo ciijoyrnuiit uf till (Mulowrnutit iiilinitoly rnuru valiiiiblu, anil vA\\oy\i\<^ ull ttiu sweets ol civil arit-l reli^jtious liboily, wliik) Miiiislurs ol State ami Mem- bors of I'arlianuMit aro talkiiii^ in iitlcr i;^noiaiicu of our truo posi- tion, or with c'liillin;^ iiulill'oruticu, if thoy ilo, about arranging our ilotnuatic alfairs, ami conliscatin;^ our utiiull rornaimler of C'luircli property, though foncuil on cvory sidu by iho most sacred pledguM. It rni^^lit, with f^ood reason, have been expe(!ti!ci that the Roman Callioli(!s would have from delicacy, if not from priiiciple,abstained from votin;j: on mattor.i in which our Church was specially iuler- ti.sled, but they have not ilono so. In thiji aspect of ourafiairs, wliicli Lord Sydenham, as well as the opponents of the Union, clearly forcvsaw, and mo.st strenuously .sought to avert, what aro wo to do il the Clergy Reserve (piestion bo sent back for adjustment in the Colony? Hitherto we have in all our proceedings, respected the Roman Catholic endowments. Indeed so long as our Church was sustained in her own property, devoted as it was to sacred purposes, she felt it her duty to respect that of the Chnrch of Rome. While retaining het endowments small as they are, the two Chuiches could meet on something like eijual terms, but if through Romish votes and influence, we are deprived of these advantages, is it still our duty to respect that of our spoilers ? How very different would the religious aspect of Canada hare been, had the Roman Catholics done their duty, for it would have been their safety as well as ours. Had they, instead of join- ing the enemies of religion, made common cause with the Churches of England and Scotland on the preservation of Church property and separate schools, harmony and peace would have prevailed through the whole Province, and the Socialist and In- fidels would have sunk into insignificance before so powerful a combination. Had the Roman Catholics even abstained from votmg, which common justice required them to do, we could have maintained, without dilficuhy, a safe position. Hence if the result of the present contest, shall be confiscation of the Recto- ries and Reserves, the day will speedily arrive when the same measure shall be meted to the Roman Catholics, for when they stand alone, their property will soon be swept away. il [22 ] In fine, the secularization of the Reserves will become the commencement of a fiesli comost similar to that which has 80 long existt'Ll in Irelaiid, a coi.Mest ot tlie most deacily character. Lot those therefore, who look tor peace in robbin-,' the Cliurch of Eng- land oi her patrimony, pause in their career of madness, for its accompliiihmtmt will engender a uiore bitter dissension than has yet been seen in Canada, and Lord Sydenham's words will be lead in characters of blood. Many of our people indulged in a lingering hope, after all reason- able ground Oi hope had disappeared, ih^^ the lioman Catholics would in the end declare against the conliscution of the Reserves, or at all events, slantl neutral in the contest between ns and the Infidels and Dissenters, and it was not till they saw Mr. Morin, the acknowledged leader of the French party, a member of the Government and of tho Provincial Parliament, — declaring against us, that all hope vanished away. They saw ihis gentleman voting away our religious propeity while eagerly clutching the Jesuits' estates, in addition to their former endowments. They saw him eager in destroying the very being of our national Church, as far as he was able, and foolishly boasting that no power, rot even the Imperial Parliament, much less the Provincial Legislature, dare touch the Roman CathcUc endowment. But the Romanists are not all so blind, and one of them addressing the French Members of the House of Assembly, plainly asks them how they are to preserve their own rights if they record their votes for the secularization of the Reserves, and the spoliation of the Church of England. "Think you, (says this writer) that those who abrogate the law *' which gives the Church of England her rights, will respect that "which regards yours. Will they hold sacred that treaty which " gives your Church in Eastern Canada wealth and power ? When <'you do this, remember that the destroyer in his turn shall perish. *'The Chrgy Reserve question is the outer wall that protects "your rights, and against which now beats the swelling tide of ir- " religion, and threatens destruction to all you hold dear and holy. " It is our duty and interest, therefore, to aid in preserving to the " Church of England her rights. Is there any one so obtuse as " not to understand the import of the fearful denunciation, secula- " rization of the Clergy Reserves ? Is it not a declaration of war " -gainst all thai Catholics hold sacred and holy ? What does it I S3] "mean but a present and loinporuiy furbeaiaiice to the Catholic ^•Church, and future proscription ?" The defect found in tiie working of the 3 and 4 Vict. cap. 78, is the fault of the Government, in not carrying out its provisions. Had the shares assigned to the various denominations been made over to their sole charge and management, under proper regu- lations, there would have been no complaint of waste, and the Co- lonial Administration would have been relieved from much trouble and responsibility. And how mncli beltei would it be still to apply this easy remedy of retaining and gl ug new vigor to the Statute, — than by its repeal, to open the flood gates of bitter contention and infidelity, to which no man can see tlie end. Incalculable are the evils which must follow the abiogation of the 3 and 4 Vic. cap. 78. They may not intleed appear at once, but they are as sure to come to pass as the night follows the day. Should the Roman Catholics continue to speak and vote as they have done during the last four Sessions, the whole property of the Church of England in the Reserves will be taken away at the first meeting of the Provincial Legislature, and then from year to year Missions will become vacant, as the Incumbents die, till all are departed. I do not say that in all cases the ministrations of the Church will cease. This will perhaps hajipen only in a few, but such is the poverty of our people and their hardships in a new coun- try and severe olimate, that they are, and will continue to bo for a longtime imable to support their Clergy. Hence the successors of the Incumbents who go to ilieir place of test, will have to eat their scanty morsel in bitterness and sorrow, and the extension of the Church in the new and remote settlements will be sadly retarded. Ir .ne meantime many of our people will fall away to Romanism or Dissent, and their blood will be on th« heads of those who favour this fatal raeuciure. *>hould the Roman Catholics take warning, from the certainty that their endowments are much less secure than ours, the evil day may be postponed, bu* not long, for they have been so much flattered by the Socialists that they will scarcely credit what your Grace and Mr. Peel have said on the subject. It is more probable that they will trust in their numbers and their power to surmount all resistance, and in the hope of profit by confiscation. No sooner v/ill this be accomplished than the agitation af^ninst Roman Catholic endowments will commence, (for of this the So- ['2i] cialists iii'ike no secrot) ami as IIk.^ Dls.s(;iitinc?aml liaclical popula- tion iiicreaso Cur mow rapidly tliaii the French, their clestructioii is certain. All this howovor will not be accompli.^hed without violent con- tention, anil perhaps a civil war, for the Roman Catholics will h^ht for their endowments, although tliey will be overpowered by numbers, having no longer the Churches of England and Scotland to assist them, the victory will be dearly purchased, and bring in- delible disgrace upon those who might by a wiser policy have pre- vented all this misery, and blessed the Province with a long con- tinuance of peace and happiness. Canada presents an overpowering argument in favor of religious endowments, for with the small assistance derived from tb bene- volence of tlie Society for the Propagation of the (Jospel in Foieign Parts, she has been able to extend the ministrations ot the Church through a region nearly as large as Europe. Indeed, a very small measure of assistance, if wisely managed, becomes a fruitful ground upon which to rest. It removes despondency, and con- vinces neighbourhoods that they may succeed in forming Parishes and enjoying regular service, if they will but exert themselves ; and this exertion they are induced to make, and though many trials and difHculties intervene, thev commonly succeed. Thus with the small sum of about £12000 per annum (our present income) nearly 160 Clergymen are sustained. And, as none iiave fewer than three places of worship to attend, and some have more, we have 500 missionary stations, at least, kept up, where the Church ministrations are held. In some places £40 or £50 paid from the fund, will be a suffi- cient encouragement to commence, and in no case is more than £100 given. By degrees the congregations do more, and at length give up this small aid to be transferred to a new settlement. So.iething hke this process goec on in all our Colonies, and has been going on under my eye in the Diocese of Toronto lor more than 50 years. Your Bill, my Lord Duke, will, if it pass, more or less darken every one of these 500 places of worship, and may for a time reduce many of them to silence. What then shall we say to those who have the power, and will not exert it in promoting God's own work, and preventing consequences so baneful ? i!'l [ '^^^ I The experiment of leaving religion without any steady support, lias been tried in America, and the result, as one (.niieir writers remarks, is, that ol '25 millions of inhabitants, nine millions are totally destitute of religion ; and, nutwithsianding the praisewoithy exertions of the rnenjbtjr.s of our Sister Chuich in tiiat great Republic, they count only 1 million out of 25 millions, or one out of 25 of the whole population. Of these the iState of Now York, owing to an endowmeiil oi considerable ma^niluile, tlie gift of a liritish King, numbers about one-fourth ol the J^aily at d Clergy of the whole Union. Hence endowments are essential to the extension of the Church They are a stay and safeguard- and a helpless and headlong degeneracy will ensue i'roni their coniiscalion. It is not easy to conceive any provision for the suppoit of religion so little liable to exception as an appropriation of waste lands in a new Colony. It puis no one to any inconvenience or expense whether he chooses to profit by it or not. It is an appropria- tion becoming a Christian nation, and necessary to the well- being of the whole community. All who came into Canada knew that the Constitution provided, to some extent, for the support of religion, by means which can take nothing from their substance, nor interfere with any plans which they may adopt for maintaining a form of worship which they may like better. It is not however to be forgotten, that the majority of those who are the most violently opposed to this proVic.^ii, are from a foreign country. Tlie few who are oi British origin are equally opposed to the similar, but more perfect provision in the three kingdoms, and as they would not be listened to in Great Britain and Ireland, why should they be listened to here, and assisted by the Imperial Government to destroy the dearest privileges of the loyalists and their descendants, who sacrificed all they possessed in defending the unity of the Empire? Men whose claims to the participation of all the advantages of- the British Constitution, both civil and religious, were declared by the great Mr. Pitt, and the statesmen of his day, altogether irresistible. Nations in their public capacity, are dependent upon God for their existence and prosperity, and form so many provinces in His great moral Empire : and since they possess a mora! and religious character, they are bound to make His will, as revealed to them^ the rale of conduct to themselves and others, and [26] also to do homage to Him by countenancing and supporting the Institutions of His worship. Hence, among all nations, the recognition of'reli