New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-30

Church Of England Rectories. As Col. Simcoe
was the adviser Of these poitico-ecclesiastical
measures, the English Ministry who had adopted
them could not do less than appoint bin Lieu
tenant-Governor of Upper Canada, in order that
be might watch the operation OF his scheme.
He wss accordingly appointed. The religious
establishment thus suggested and applied orisi-
nally included the same system Of tithes which
to this hour weighs so heavily On the necks OF
the people of England. Ii was, however, soon
discovered that the collection Of tithes IN Up
per Canada was impossible, and the attempt
was early given mp, though it was not till 1919
that the Legislature of that Province passed an
act to render it illegal.
In pursuance Of this policy Of ruling through
a religious establishment, the right Of perform
ing tie marriage ceremony was confined to Min
listers Of the Church of England. The result Of
this restriction was that in q short time, the
majority If the marriages in the Colony were
Illegal; and their offspring legitimate and inca
pable Of iDheriting property As further evil
dence of the spirit in which the attempt was
made to erect and maintain dominant religious
establishment in the Province, we may mention
tina: no Church OF England Minister even, who
had been ordained in the United States, could
oficiate in Canada. The education Of the young
was also intended to be. placed in the hands Of
tie Church Of England.
How seriously Col. Simcoe had miscsculated,
and how egregiously the English Government
had erred in adopting his advice was soon ap-
T., tirna Of 20
serving one-seventh Of the lands 10 be alter
ward applied to the endowment Of reetories
went on, till the whole amount of the reserva-
ton reached about 5000, 900 acres. AZ FIRST
there was no intention to sell, aud till 1879 no
power was given to sell any of these lands. 1t
was intended 10 place dependent tenantry
upon them. after the European fashion. Some
of them were leased; but when they began
10 Weld any revenue, however small. sense OF
tie Injustice Of the allotment seized upon the
other religious determinations; and it soon be-
came evident that the Church of England could
not enjoy the possession to which she laid e1-
elusive claim. Upon two different grounds this
claim was at once assailed The Church OF
Scotland claimed that as established church
OF the Empire, with q Protestant Clergy it
bad an equal claim to these lands with the
Church of England 1t also fell back upon the
Act OF Union between England and Scotland, by
which an equality of privileges was guaranteed
to the latter. The English Government,
through an opinion of its law officers, admitted
the validity of the claim set up by the Church
of Scotland; and the latter therefore became a
participant in the revenue derived from these
reserves. Another ground on which the claim
Of the Church of England was contested was
equally fatal to the admittedly legal right Of the
Church of Scotland. The mass Of the Cana
dams, who belonged to neither ofthese churches,
contended that religion should be left for its
support to the voluntary offerings Of the people.
The example Of this country was held up as an
unsnswerable proof of the sufiiciency of the
voluntary principle. The directors to this
reservation of lands had fallen upon a sound
principle and one which was therefore destined
ultimately to triumph.
In 1891 the cause of voluntaryism seemed al
ready triumphant. The Imperial Government
in answer to prayer Of the Canadian Assem-
bly declared its readiness to retraee its steps
by causing the whole of the reserved lands to
revert to the general demesne of the Crown. 1t
even sent out to Canada draft of bill which
The Crown Officers were to present to the Legis-
latures of the two Provinces Of Upper and Lower
Canada. There are not wanting reasons, how
ever for suspecting the good faith Of the ImPe-
rial Government in its apparent acquiescence IN
the wishes of the colonists; for it well knew that,
packed as the Crown-nominated Legislative
Council was with High Church Tories, no
measure which proposed to annihilate the res
ervatOn of lands could pass that Chamber.
On sixteen successive occasions did the repre-
sentatlves of the Canadian people adopt meas
ures for Jevoting these reserved lands TO secu-
lar purposes; and as often did the Council
throw them out. AT length Lord Sydenham,
who carried every thing with high hand while
Canadian Governor General, forced through
both Houses bill for distributing the proceeds
of these lands among the different sects. To
effect this he scrupled not TO any means
that were necessary; and among other things
he is accused Of having bribed two members Of
the Legislature with the promise of juigeships
10 help him through at the sacrifice of their
principles. When the measure went 10 En-
gland it was found not at al to suit his Grace
the Archbishop of Csnterbury-Cansda being
an appendage TO that see-snd his Spiritual
Lordsbip dictated TO the then British Premier
Lord John Russell, a measure more nearly in
accordance with the exclusive demands which
the Church of England had never abandoned.