onsiderable debate. The Anglican clergy
insisted on the census; the Scotch on the right of every man to make
himself a member for the purposes of the act, whatever his hereditary or
mental creed. These different views led to serious discord: the analysis
of names appended to various applications imputed all the errors,
informalities, and even corruption supposed to attach to popular
elections. Those who had never thought much on religion, gave with
facility and then retracted their adhesion: they virtually changed not
only their minister but their creed. The opposite parties represented
each other in terms full of reproach and bitterness; imputations of
sectarianism, intrusion, kidnapping, were the common forms of
recrimination. It would be useless to relate examples now before the
writer, in colours painted by the passions of the conflict. It is the
nature of religious controversy to throw on the surface all the
malignant feelings that cloud the reputation of gentler spirits, in whom
the real virtues of a communion dwell; but the lesson is worth
remembrance--that of all forms of clerical institution, none realise
less the idea of loving-kindness than that based on universal suffrage.

The social effects of this competition were lamentable: neighbours were
divided, who had often worshipped at the same altar; religious emulation
sprung up in every locality: an attempt to possess the ground, led to
the marching and counter-marching of hostile forces. The advent of an
eminent clergyman on a township was reported to the head-quarters of his
antagonists. In one place the moderator had appeared, in another the
archdeacon: it was thus the more zealous partisans of either exasperated
their antipathies. Again, the church act did not tie the laity to either
their ministers or their creeds: thus a dissatisfied people might easily
raise the preliminaries for a second or a third clergyman, and leave
their late pastors to their salaries and their solitude.

Demands on the treasury for the erection of churches and support of the
clergy perplexed the executive. The ordinary revenue showed symptoms of
declension, and the council passed a bill which declared that new
imposts were impracticable, and vested a discretionary power in the
government to refuse assistance to any new undertaking (1841). Thus the
principle of the church act was subverted, and the grant of money for
purposes of religion confided solely to the impartiality of the