ergy reserve question;
and within four weeks sent a calumniating letter against me to Lord
Glenelg; and the Attorney-General, so far from remembering the estimate
he professed (on my return from England) to place upon my services to
the Province, sought last winter to get a clause inserted in the Report
of the Select Committee on the Upper Canada Academy, impugning my
motives and exonerating Sir Francis from the allegations contained in my
petition (see page 180), without even investigating its merits, etc.

[93] In a letter to a friend, in January, 1838, Dr. Ryerson relates an
amusing incident which was characteristic of Sir Allan MacNab's love of
a bit of fun. He said:--In conversation one day with Mr. Speaker MacNab,
he gravely proposed to me that I should meet Archdeacon Strachan and a
clergyman of the Church of Scotland; and for him and other members of
the Assembly to hear us put forth our respective claims to the clergy
reserves, and for them to say a word now and then if they liked. After
having heard the parsons argue the point, some member was to bring such
a measure before the Assembly, as we three should propose. This rather
amusing way of settling the question was evidently by way of a joke, so
I made no objection to it. He is to inform me of the time and place for
the argument, after having consulted the other parties concerned; but I
shall hear no more of it!

[94] The cause of this apathy will be apparent from the narrative in
chapter xxxi., and the note on page 225.

[95] In their address they designated themselves as the Bishop,
Archdeacons, and Clergy of the Established Church _of Upper Canada_; but
Sir George Arthur, in his reply, addressed them as the Bishop,
Archdeacons, and Clergy of the established Church _of England_ in Upper
Canada.

CHAPTER XXX.

1838-1839.

The Ruling Party and the Reserves.--"Divide et Impera."

In dealing with so large and influential a body as the Methodists, made
up, as it was years ago, of two distinct elements, somewhat antagonistic
to each other, it can easily be understood that the more astute among
the high church or "family compact" party clearly saw that their only
hope of success in the clergy reserve controversy was by taking
advantage of the presence of this antagonistic element in the Methodist
body, and to turn it to practical account against Dr. Ryerson, so as to
checkmate him in the contest. Queen Elizabeth's motto: _Divide et
impera_, was t