should not in any way have their
interests and feelings trifled with by the unreasonable claims of a
few, who at comparatively a late day entered the field.

As the agitation increased, Dr. Ryerson, who was in England in 1845,
addressed a letter to Lord Stanley, Colonial Secretary, in January, on
the injustice to the non-episcopal churches of the Act of 1840. He
said:--

There is a subject which, in connection with transpiring
circumstances in Canada, deeply involves the future condition of
the government of Canada, and which can be considered by your
Lordship alone: I refer to the withholding, to the present time,
from the Wesleyan Methodist body in Upper Canada all benefit of the
Act passed for the settlement of the clergy reserve question--a
question which certain parties in Canada propose to re-open, with a
view of depriving the Church of England of what is considered a
disproportionate share of the proceeds of the clergy reserves. The
advantage afforded by such a subject of agitation would be eagerly
seized upon by the leaders of the opposition in Parliament. The
Wesleyan Methodist body in Upper Canada (now numbering 131 regular
ministers, and 24,000 communicants), has for many years possessed
and does still possess the casting vote between the contending
political parties in that country; and should they join in the
agitation contemplated, nothing but military power will prevent the
wresting out of the hands of the Church of England their--the
chief--pecuniary advantages which it derives from public sources.
Hitherto the leading members of the Wesleyan Methodist body have
declined any public agitation on the subject--though solicited by
influential parties--contenting themselves with private
communication to the Government until they should find them
hopelessly unsuccessful. Should not their case be considered? I
have reason to believe that they will at their next annual meeting,
to be held in June, commence an appeal to the public and to the
Local Legislature on the injustice done them; as they have
ascertained that all the leading lawyers in Upper Canada of both
parties, as well as three successive Governors considered them
wronged in the manner in which they alone, of the four great
leading denominations of the country, have been excluded from the