The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-04-07
A LESSON FOR UNCLE SAM.

1t is Just possible that the United States
government might learn a very useful les
son if its administrators would take note OF
what is passing in Canada. In 1865 the
British government confiscated the prop
erty known as the Jesuits estate, or Jesu-
it's barracks, located near the centre OF old
Quebec There WIS some delay in the pro
ceedings, but the property reverted to the
crown in 1773, when the order OF Jesults
was suppressed; and the property was set
aside for the purpose of providing superior
education in the provinces. At that time II
seems that no one doubted the right of the
government to so proceed. except 1t
was the Jesuits themselves, and
they-poor. suppressed wretches what
right had they to object to being robbed
when it was done by such magnificent
government as England, and approved by
the majority of the people of Canada. The
measure was immensely popular in its day.
The Jesuit had no rights that a Protestant
was bound to respect. One hundred and
twenty-four years passed, during which
time Justice, if it has not been dead has
slept: but recently it awoke, and the pro
vincial parliament of Quebec lately passed
a compensation bill allowing the Jesuits
100000 for the illegal coniscation by the
British government of their property over
a hundred years ago. OF course this action
aroused bitter opposition from some Pro
testant sections Of Canada, especially from
the society known as the Dominican Evan
gelical Alliance. The matter was brought
up before the Dominion parliament, which
was memoralized to prevent the compensa-
ton bill becoming a law; but amendments,
the effect of which was to destroy. the COM
pensation bill, were voted down by a ma
iority of 1862 out of a total vote Of lSS. The
governor general was appealed to and
asked to veto the bill, but he refused to do
it. saying that it was one of the subjects
strictly within the jurisdiction Of the pro
Yincial legislature, which had the legal
right to squander large sums Of money II 1t
chose and he had no right to interfere. A
petition to the Queen has been equally
futile. Lord KNUTsFoRD, secretary Of state
for the colonies, in London, having in
formed the petitioners that the matter
rested entirely with the Canadian
government. Meantime the 100000 has
been paid over to the Jesuits, and by the
order Of the Pope 100000 viii 90 to tho
Jesuits. 500, 600 to the Catholic bishops, an6
$4,000 to the Montreal university.
A hundred years from now will the
chronicler Of events record an account OF
compensating the Mormons of Utah foI
property that the great government of the
United Stetes was low-down enough tC
steal by infamous legislation: Who knows
He who is prophet enough to tell whether
the supreme court Of the United States
will say whether the theft was lawful OF
not. he knows. But if the court shall say
that the law under which the gen
eral government disgraced itself be
meath the level Of a highway rob
Der is constitutional, and thus become
a party to the damnable iniquity, and the
future chronicler is never called upon tC
record any act of restitution to the people
dispoiled of their goods, then justice fol-
once will have miscarried, that's all.