A day or two after Messrs. Stinson and Richey's interview with Lord
Sydenham, I waited upon him, when I was given to understand that a
memorial had been presented to him in behalf of the British Conference,
on the ground of an anticipated dissolution of the Union. My feelings of
surprise and indignation, and my remonstrances against such a monstrous
proposition, may be easily conceived. It is known that Lord Sydenham,
from the very first, viewed such a proposition with disapprobation; it
was on this occasion also that His Lordship apprised me of the
conclusions he had come to on the subject of any proposition for a grant
to the Canadian Conference, previously to passing the Clergy Reserve
Bill; that he was satisfied that the Canadian Conference had a just
claim to assistance; that it did not derive any practical benefit from
the grant to the London Committee, but that it ought to do so, as such
were the original intentions of the Government in making it. Lord
Sydenham stated his recollection of the intention of the Government in
1832 to be--and perhaps the recollections of Lord Stanley may be to the
same effect--that it was supposed by the Government, from communications
from Upper Canada, that the Wesleyans here were not quite as
(conservatively) loyal as was desirable; that it being understood they
were willing to unite with the English Conference, the Government
thought it advisable to enable the English Conference to assist them,
as it would exert a salutary influence upon their feelings and
usefulness. Thus was the grant made; but from the peculiar nature of the
articles of Union, the leading objects of the grant had never been
accomplished, as the Canadian Conference had to support all its own
members and institutions--except a few missions--as much since, as
before the Union. He had, therefore, determined to write to Lord John
Russell, and recommend a different distribution of the grant; believing
that to accomplish the original and benevolent objects in Canada, it
ought to be placed under the entire control of the Canadian Conference.
In these views I did, of course, gratefully concur, although I never
fully understood until then the intentions of the Imperial Government in
making the grant. I also thought the course proposed would defeat the
intimated project of breaking up the Union, and furnish real aid to the
Church of which I was appointed advocate and representative. Leaving the
matter in the hands of Lor