Villages Cochnawaga Lake Two Mountains. St. Regis Carleton Island Total... No. 5.-RETURN OF INDIANS. (Archives Series B. 225-2, p. 393.) RETURN of the Indians in the District of Quebec, 1st July, 1783. No. 6. STATE OF RELIGION IN CANADA. (Archives, series Q, vol. 49, p. 343.) At the Settling of the Peace in 1762 it was represented to Government that there were a vast number of French Protestants in Canada, for whose benefit it would be proper to send out Clergymen who could preach in that language, though in reality the number was very small, and the English Protestants were ten times as many, and about two years ago amounted to 6,000, and upwards. Accordingly three clergymen with a stipend each of £200 a year, were sent out to their respective Parishes of Quebec, Montreal and Trois Rivières, viz. Mr. DeMontmollin, Mr. DeLisle and Mr. Viziere. About 6 years ago, a Mr. Geary went over for one winter, with the same salary, but came back to England. And last year the Revd. Mr. Toosey, who has two Livings in Suffolk, was sent in his room, without being appointed to any settled place wherein to officiate as a clergyman. These are all the clergy in that extensive Province, except the Revd. Mr. Stuart and Mr. Doty the Society's Missionaries; lately placed, the one at Cataraqui, and the other at Sorrell, with a salary of £50 a year from the Society. The neglect of church duty appears from repeated accounts sent to the Bp. of London, and the Society, to be most shameful. There is not a single Protestant Church in the whole Province. The French Minister at Quebec, a reformed Jesuit cannot preach in English, and is very negligent in his duty. The Minister of Trois Rivière is a most dissolute character. He was formerly a Recueille [Recollet] monk at that place, quarrelled wi h his Abbot, and then got ordained here in England, and went back the Protestant Minister of that place, where he never does any duty at all. The Minister at Montreal (who is also Chaplain to the Garrison) when he does officiate, it is in the Chapel of the Recollects Convent, on Sunday mornings only, and on Christ-mas day & Good Friday. The paucity of French hearers hath so far set aside divine service and preaching in French, that the Society have credible information, that for four years together not 4 sermons were preached in that language. The evening service is never performed, and the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper not administered above 3 or 4 times in a year, at Montreal; not so often at Quebec, and not at all at Trois Rivières. Catechizing is unknown in that country. The ill effects of this neglect are very obvious, and have been severely felt. The greater part of the Inhabitants at Montreal are Presbyterians of the Church of Scotland. These, being weary of attending a Minister, whom they did not understand, & for other reasons, have established a Presbyterian Minister, and subscribed liberally to his support. His name is Bethune, and he was late chaplain to the 84th Regiment, & while Mr. Stuart assisted Mr. DeLisle (which he did for a short time) he used constantly to attend the Service of our Church. Had a worthy Clergyman of our Church settled there, this had been prevented. There are two schools, to each of which a salary of £100 a year is allotted by the Government, the one at Quebec and the other at Montreal. The Schoolmaster's name at Quebec is Tanswell. The Revd. Mr. Stuart had the School at Montreal for a short time (after his flight from Fort Hunter where he was Missionary) until, about 2 years ago the Govt. thought proper to take half the salary away and divide it between a Mr. Fisher and a Mr. Christie, both Presbyterians. The latter turning profligate, absconded, and the Govt. took that opportunity of giving £25 to a schoolmaster recommended by Joseph Brant, at the New Indian River, name unknown. But, besides the division of the Salary, there is neither a schoolhouse nor Land appropriated, nor Trustees appointed, nor any Regularities made respecting the application of the £100 salary. The Inhabitants are opulent and generous & only want a proper person to place and establish a Seminary. In that case, the Income cannot fail of being considerable. The prices for Tuition have been for Latin half a guinea, for English and Arithmetic 2 dollars per month. There is not an English School in the place. Such was the State of Religion in Canada till the Society sent the two forementioned Clergymen. The first, Mr. Stuart, is missionary at Cataraqui and to the Mohawks at the Bay of Kenti; and Mr. Vincent is the Society's Schoolmaster there. Mr. Stuart is to divide his time, betwixt the Mohawks & the New Settlements of Loyalists, for which his allowance of £50 is inadequate. It is hoped, therefore, that Government will make an addition to it, & also appoint Mr. Stuart Chaplain to the Garrison at Cataraqui, and give instructions to the Governor, to allot a Glebe, & to erect a Church & Parsonage-house and also a School-house, with a Salary & Land. The same is desired respecting Mr. Doty at Sorrel (except that there is no Garrison there). A Missionary is wanted also at Johnstown, 36 miles above Coteau de Lac, with the assistance of Government. There are Loyalists settled from Cataraqui as far as the Indian Boundaries, where a Clergyman may be of use, & they desire one. There are 44 families of the Church settled at Oswegatche where a Mr. John Bryan at present officiates. There is a Settlement likewise of the Six Nations at a Village upon the Grand River, 40 miles above Niagara, who stipulated with General Haldimand that Government should build them a church & furnish them with a Minister & Schoolmaster. Sir J. Johnson has already established the latter & pays him. (Note, there was not a resident Clergyman at Niagara during the whole war). The Society would find a Schoolmaster at Montreal, if put Establishment. upon a proper As Mr. Toosey has no fixed employment, and is an Englishman, might not he be directed to officiate either at Quebec or Montreal, or Trois Rivières, where it is presumed that Churches ought to be built? According to this Representation, there will be wanted at least three more English Clergymen, for which there must be an assistance from Government, in addition to the Society's. It is hoped that, as it was in the first sending out Ministers to Nova Scotia Government will make an allowance to such Ministers as may go from hence, and find them a passage. 6b-G |