ues raised in Quebec were manifold. Among them were the right
of private judgment, the authority of canon law in the province, civil
or ecclesiastical control over marriage, clerical immunity from the
{29} jurisdiction of civil courts, and the degree of intervention which
was permissible to the clergy in elections.

The first question, that of the right of private judgment, concerned
the future leader of Canadian Liberalism and became acute in connection
with the _Institut Canadien_ of Montreal. This was a literary and
scientific society, founded in 1844 by some members of the same group
who later organized the _Rouge_ party. It supplied the want of a
public library and reading-room in Montreal, and a hundred branches
sprang up throughout the province. The _Institut_ soon fell under the
suspicion of a section of the clergy. It was declared by Bishop
Bourget that immoral or heretical books which had been put on the
_Index_ were contained in the library. Rival societies were founded
under the auspices of the Church and many of the members of the
_Institut_ were induced to secede.

Nevertheless young Laurier joined the _Institut_ shortly after coming
to Montreal. In 1863 he was one of a committee of four who endeavoured
in vain to induce Bishop Bourget to specify what books were under the
ban, and in 1865 and 1866 he was a vice-president of the society. Like
his associates, he was {30} placed in a difficult position by the
bishop's unyielding attitude, for he did not wish to quarrel with his
Church. So far as he was concerned, however, his removal to
Arthabaskaville in 1866 ended the episode.

The remaining members of the _Institut_ struggled on until 1868, when
they published a _Year-Book_ containing an address by Mr L. A.
Dessaules, president of the _Institut_, commending toleration.[1] A
nice question of interpretation followed. Mr Dessaules asserted that
he meant to urge personal toleration and good-will. Bishop Bourget
contended that the address meant dogmatic toleration or indifference,
the attitude that one creed was as good as another. In spite of an
appeal to Rome by Joseph Doutre the work was placed on the _Index_, and
the announcement followed that members who persisted in adhering to the
_Institut_ would be refused the sacraments of the Church. After this
blow the _Institut_ {31} dwindled away and in time disappeared entirely.

Meanwhile Mr Laurier's weekly newspaper at Arthabaskaville, _Le
De