Board contended that the
Principal should make an allowance for rent of the house, which he had
occupied for nearly two years, and they refused to pay the account
submitted for the expenses incurred. The Governors declined to admit the
justice of this claim. The Principal had already written to the Board in
January, 1839, stating that he would "keep possession of Burnside until
his full account was paid, and that he would vacate the premises when
required to do so by the Governors."

The Board then agreed to pay to the Principal the whole amount claimed
by him, "however liable to objection, with whatever deduction for rent
he himself should agree to," if he would consent to vacate Burnside
House. The Principal, in a somewhat scornful reply, declined for two
reasons, first that this proposal implied the necessity of bribing him
to vacate the premises; and second that by accepting it, he might be
considered as selling for the settlement of his account the possession
which the Governors held of the premises by reason of his occupancy. But
he again stated that he would vacate the premises when ordered to do so
by the Governors. The result was a protracted and bitter discussion
between the two bodies, with many recriminations on both sides and more
frankness than tact. The Lord Bishop of Montreal, the Rev. Dr. G. J.
Mountain, who was Principal of the Royal Institution and formerly
Principal of McGill, naturally interested himself personally in the
discussion. On February 25th, 1839, he wrote to the Principal, saying,
"I will tell you unreservedly what I think, which is that ... you are
apt to give colour to the transactions in which you are engaged.... I
say this without reserve because if you will receive it in good part I
think it may be of use to you and save upon occasion hard constructions
being put upon your proceedings.... It is very unwillingly indeed that
as Principal of the Board, I have been drawn into any sort of collision
with you."

To this the Principal promptly replied, accusing the Board of gross
neglect and unnecessary delay. "Indeed," he said, "their zeal for the
interests of the College has for some time past chiefly manifested
itself in their efforts and schemes for dislodging me from Burnside and
in their proceedings they seem to have adopted the favourite peroration
of Cicero which may be freely translated thus, 'and Bethune must be
ousted.'" He added: "I can afford to forgive the Board for any hard