The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1877-09-30
The Balletin.
A WEALTHY CHURCH.
How Caih0iic Property Has increns
ed I'm Canada

ed IN CANADA
Chicago Times Montreal Letter.
The arrival and probable permanet set
Element OF the delegate apostoIlc--ior his
labors will take many a long day TO com
pl3te prompt a consideration OF the rcla.
tons OF the church in Canada with the Va.
tican. Long before the British conquest,
the church mad made invaluable aCqlihi.
tions of land in Canada. Wherever there
was arabic soil, good fishing, and desirable
forest privileges, there the seminary Of 81
Suffice. OF the Island Of Montreal and
Jesus, and vast tracts on the Ottawa, In
which the Okla district is included. She
owns. the better part OF Quebec, and all
through the province her possessions are
immense. There are In the city Oi Al0ntre.
al alone belonging to the various church
organizations, exempt from taxation, val
ued at fifteen millions OF dollars. OF this
tWO-thifds are the property OF The kOla u
Catholic bodies. But outside Of the rcgu'
lar church properties comprised under the
heads OF churches, prc.byteries, converts,
semnlrles, hospitals, ana schools, there ~
a vast amount Of wealth invested ia build
ings. The nun, have immense posses siOIs
in the commercial heat OF the city The
nuns, in fact, are the slnartest business
people in the church They manage their
concerns with inlinltc ability, aud pile mp
property in a way 10 make llnlncier, and
capitalists who call themselves shrewed
tear there hair. AZ they saw the business
Of the city Increasing al0lg Il. Paul street,
they cut up their vast domain into building
lots and ran up massive Waro houses. The
Gray and the black nuns took time by the
iUrelock when Montreal was growing, and
provided commerce with the most spacious
and convenient Of quartrrs. They ran up
the value OF properly wherever they opera
ted, and ia tins way were beneiaclOrs 10
the owners Of real estate. And us land ia.
creased in foot value Up went the rcnt,,
unui they commanded the very best 1g-
ures in Montreal In order 10 accOmmU-
date the prOgF - Ot trade, they tore Down,
with a ruthless hand III. religious houses
that bad been landmarks nearly two cen.
turtles they bini.hed antiquity IN favor Of
capital, aud yerIly they have mad Their re-
ward. Their tenants are mostly Protest
at,-.ty IN the proportion OF eleven to
three-and from those pr0lcstnnis they de-
rive an immense income. lhCy are good
projectors. Invariably endayOTiLg Tonnage
the tenant a. comfortable ~ possible, ard
bring bin t. feel that be is Getting the val
ne OF his money. Bat he must be sharp
with bis payments, or else he viii ind tue
bailiH, down upon him in hurry. All the
religious orders are vast owners OF proper.
~. in tranactiOH, between themsa.ye-,
community Of interest aId religion have
nothing whatever 10 DO. They are sharp
IN their dealings. jesuit will skin >ul,picie,
or gray sisterhOOd, "a black si,teThOod with
as little conjunction n operators on your
corn exchange viii 70 iYr one another.
There n no sick gentimeTts pcryadIng
the yariOus bodies OF the church when bus
mess i3 on hand. when they come down
10 solid trade, religion is run into siuing.
In Quebec IL T. the same thing. The
seminary. Jesuits, the Hotel Dieu, the
general hospital Les hospltalieresJ, own
the cream Of the real estate. They hold
ground.rent on most OF the property IN the
city, and their revenues are immense. In
Montreal the Sulplciens have hold upon
every inch Of soil in which the ground
rents or i53 Il gsht have rot been cOmmut-
ed. the hold OF the dead man "lmgHmdig
Is one that can only be lOo-ened by money,
and from this source they extract an enor-
nous income. Every transaction in real
estate.adis 10 their wealth. nothing except
where their claims have been committed
by cash payment equal TO the capital
represented by the ground-rent, can be
done without their participation. They
are virtually lords and masters within their
domain, and they rule with a tigat rein tx.
Cept here policy dictates IilereDt course
The revenue arising from these vast lands
Is variously estimated for the entire prov.
ince at from four 10 five millions OF dollars
annually. This money il raised without
imposing u single cent Ofburden upon the
Catholic people. But IL tails far below the
sum raised directly from the people.