As to the insinuation that the movement against the endowments of the Church of England is prompted by the Romans, events will give the lie to it ere long.  The following facts, however, seem to be wholly irreconcilable with this hypothesis.  Before the Union of the Provinces there were very few, if any, Roman Catholic members in the Upper Canada Parliament; they were all-powerful in the Lower.  Now it is recorded in history, that the Upper Canadian Legislative Assembly kept up year after year a series of assaults on the ‘Clergy Reserves;’ in proof of which read the narrative part of the Address to Her Majesty on the ‘Clergy Reserves’ from the Legislative Assembly last year.  And it is equally a fact that the Lower Canadian Legislative Assembly never meddled with them, except I think once, when they were invited to do so by the Government.

Some months later, in the beginning of 1852, Lord John Russell’s Administration was broken up, and Lord Grey handed over the seals of the Colonial Office to Sir John Pakington.  One of the first subjects on which the new Secretary asked to be furnished with confidential information was as to the state of public feeling in Canada upon the question of the future disposal of the ‘Clergy Reserves.’  Lord Elgin replied as follows: 

[Sidenote:  Feeling in the Province;]

You require, if I rightly understand your letter, that I should state, in the first place, whether I believe that the sentiments of the community in reference to the subject-matter of this Address are faithfully represented in the votes of the Assembly.  I cannot answer this question otherwise than affirmatively.  Not that I am by any means disposed to under-rate the importance of the petitions which may have been sent home by opponents of the measure.  The clergy of the Church of England and of that portion of the Presbyterian Church which preserves its connection with the Established Church of Scotland, are generally unwilling that the question of the reserves should be left to the decision of the Local Legislature.  They are, to a considerable extent, supported by their flocks when they approach the throne as petitioners against the prayer of the Assembly’s Address, although it is no doubt an error to suppose that the lay members of these communions are unanimous, or all alike zealous in the espousal of these views.  From this quarter the petitions which appear to have reached Lord Grey and yourself have, I apprehend, almost exclusively proceeded.  Other bodies, even of those which participate in the produce of the reserves, as for example the Wesleyans and the Roman Catholics of Upper Canada, have not, that I am aware of, moved in the matter, unless it be in an opposite direction.

[Sidenote:  in Upper Canada;] [Sidenote:  in Lower Canada;]