y receive the voluntary offerings. It often happens that the Church
accumulates large sums of money and that, if the building of a
_presbytere_ or parish church is decided upon, there is enough on hand
to pay for it outright. The municipal council and the schoolboard, on
the other hand, are always poor. The habitant watches their taxation
with a parsimonious scrutiny and it is a thankless task to carry on
their work.

Municipal interests represent of course only a part of the village's
political thought. In provincial politics, federal politics, there is
often in Quebec an interest keener even than in other parts of Canada.
It would be too much to say that the habitant has a wide outlook on
public questions; but the village notary and the village doctor are
likely to have political ambitions and rivalry becomes acute; often
indeed the curse of the village is the professional politician. At times
in Quebec politics have been closely associated with religion and always
the bishops are persons to be reckoned with. Their attitude has ever
been that, if the policy of one or the other party seems to be inimical
to the Church, they have the right to direct Catholic electors to vote
against such a party. From the point of view of British supremacy in
French Canada it would be a mistake to say that the bishops in a
political role have always been mischievous. After the conquest they
soon became the most staunch supporters of the authority of George III
and through the Church the British conqueror was able to reach the
people. When the American Revolution began, the bishops were strenuous
for British connection and from the pulpits came solemn warnings against
the Americans. Again in Britain's war on Revolutionary France the
Canadian bishops were with her, heart and soul. They ordered _Te Deums_
when Nelson destroyed the French fleet at the battle of the Nile, and
over Trafalgar there were great rejoicings. After Waterloo we find in
French Canada perhaps the most curious of all the thanksgivings; at
Malbaie, as elsewhere, a _Te Deum_ was sung and the people were told in
glowing terms of the victory of the "immortal Wellington" which had
covered "our army" with glory and ended a cruel war. Later, in the days
of Papineau, the Church opposed rebellion; she has since opposed
annexation to the United States. She has also helped to preserve order.
If a crime was to be detected, the cure read from the pulpit a demand
that any one, who c