e thus pressed to beg or borrow in
relation to the Academy as much as ever, or even worse, for several
of us are individually responsible for L2,200, besides Mr. Farmer's
loan of L800. At our recent Academy Board Meeting, the damages of
Mr. Lord's protested bills came under consideration. The
circumstances of the case are briefly as follows:--Mr. Lord's
sincere desire and zeal to promote the interests of the Institution
and Connexion generally, were admitted and appreciated by all the
brethren; but it appears, 1. That a large portion of the debts were
incurred in compliance with the advice of Mr. Lord, and in
consequence of his influence as the representative of the British
Connexion. He assured the Sub-Committee at Cobourg that money
should be forthcoming, and if necessary he would go to England and
beg it, that John Bull never stopped when he commenced a thing,
etc.; that Mr. Lord did that contrary to the recommendation of the
Conference Committee, and against the advice and even remonstrance
of the Chairman of the District (John Ryerson), who had been
appointed by the Conference to see that the Sub-Committee should
not exceed the appropriations of the Conference, as they had done
in former years. 2. The premises were mortgaged to Mr. Lord as
security for the sum of L2500, some of which has not been advanced,
and the payments of which he did advance were provided for (with
the exception of two or three hundred pounds) by the brethren in
this Province. 3. After Mr. Lord received information from the
Committee in London that his bills would not be honoured, he called
a meeting of the Board--stated his difficulties--got individuals to
allow him to draw upon them to meet the bills on their return, and
sent me to England. 4. Mr. Lord assured our Conference at
Belleville, June, 1836, that the brethren here would never be
called upon to pay a farthing of the damages for non-payment of his
bills. I believe that no man could feel more earnestly desirous to
promote the interests of the Canadian Connexion in every respect
than he did. It is also the full conviction of our leading brethren
that had I attended the American General Conference, instead of
being in England, such an arrangement would have been made as to
have secured to our Connexion what was due u