the reforms prayed for in this
province upwards of fifty years ago. All of these reforms have been long
since granted; but the enumeration of them shows how far off the mass of
the people and their ministers were then from the enjoyment of the civil
and religious privileges which are now the birthright of every British
subject in Canada.

This "programme of reforms" will also show what were the principles for
which Dr. Ryerson, and other pioneers of religious freedom in Upper
Canada, had to contend half a century ago. Nor was the victory easily
won which they achieved. The struggle was a long and arduous one. Each
step was contested by the dominant party, and every reform was resisted
with a determination worthy of a better cause.

In March 1831, the first attempt was made (on motion of Mr. Hagerman) to
deprive the Canadian Legislature of the power to deal with the clergy
reserve question. His motion was to revest the reserves in the crown for
religious purposes, but it was negatived by a vote of 30 to 7. Although
defeated now, the same proposition was frequently made afterwards, and
at length with success. In 1839 a provision of that kind was passed, but
it failed on technical grounds to receive the royal assent. See chapter
xxxi.

In 1831 and 1832, addresses to the King were adopted by the House of
Assembly praying, as before, that the reserves be applied to educational
purposes. In this year a satisfactory reply from the Home Government, in
regard to the clergy reserve question, was communicated to the
Legislature, and it was invited to consider the desirability of
exercising its power to "vary or repeal" certain provisions for the
support of a Protestant Clergy. In 1832 and in 1833, bills to revest the
clergy reserve lands in the Crown were read a second time, and, in 1834,
one to that effect was finally passed, but was rejected by the
Legislative Council. A bill for the sale of the reserves and the
application of the proceeds to educational purposes, was passed in 1835,
by a vote of 40 to 4, but was again rejected by the Legislative Council.
This body in the same year proposed that both Houses should abdicate
their functions in regard to the reserves (as they were unable to concur
in any measure on the subject), and request the Imperial Parliament to
legislate on the subject! The House of Assembly peremptorily refused, by
a vote of two to one, to concur in such a proposition, and read a
dignified lecture to the