he
commutation of the reserved life-interests of incumbents, which laid the
foundation of a small permanent endowment; but, with this exception, the
equality of destitution among all Protestant communities was complete.[2]

The various stages through which this question passed may be traced in the
following letters, of which the first was written to Lord Grey on July 5,
1850:

Two addresses to the Queen were voted by the Assembly a few days ago
and brought up by the House to me for transmission. The one is an
address, very loyal in its tone, deprecating all revolutionary
changes.

[Sidenote: Address to the Queen.]

The other address is not so satisfactory. It prays Her Majesty to
obtain the repeal of the Imperial Act on the Clergy Reserves passed in
1840, and to hand them over to the Canadian Parliament to deal with
them as it may see fit--guaranteeing, however, the life interests of
incumbents. The resolutions on which this address was founded were
introduced by a member of the Government, which has treated the
question as an _open_ one.

You are sufficiently acquainted with Canadian history to be aware of
the fact, that these unfortunate Clergy Reserves have been a bone of
contention ever since they were set apart. I know how very
inconvenient it is to repeal the Imperial Act which was intended to be
a final settlement of the question; but I must candidly say I very
much doubt whether you will be able to preserve the Colony if you
retain it on the Statute Book. Even Lafontaine and others who
recognise certain vested rights of the Protestant churches under the
Constitutional Act, advocate the repeal of the Imperial Act of 1840:
partly because Lower Canada was not consulted at all when it was
passed; and, secondly, because the distribution made under that Act is
an unfair one, and inconsistent with the views of the Upper Canadian
Legislature, as expressed at the time but set aside in deference, as
it is alleged, to the remonstrances of the English bishops. Some among
the Anglo-Saxon Liberals, and some of the Orange Tories, I suspect,
share these views.

A considerable section is for appropriating the proceeds of the
reserves at once, and applying them to education, without any regard
to the rights either of individuals or of churches. These persons are
furious with the supporters of the addr