uthorities towards the close of 1814, the former began to discuss and
to put forward plans for the carrying out of the desire of the founder
of the College. The Rev. Dr. Strachan was their spokesman. On February
14, 1815, he wrote to three personal friends who were then members of
the Legislature of Lower Canada asking their co-operation and
assistance, advising haste, and setting forth his own ideas on the
establishment of McGill College,--ideas based on his knowledge of
educational conditions in Canada and on his own experience of nearly
twenty years in educational work. He urged the Provincial Legislature to
act independently of the Home Government and to grant the funds
necessary to put the College at once in operation, and he suggested
making use of the Jesuits' Estates or the Crown Lands for this purpose.
From this letter the following extracts are of interest:

"As we [the Executors] have sent the necessary documents to the
Commander of the Forces to point out the necessity of his acting
promptly in establishing a College according to the conditions of Mr.
McGill's Will, and as it is probable he may apply to the House of
Assembly upon the subject, I furnish you with my ideas.

"The scheme enclosed for the two Schools and College is as economical as
it can well be to render it respectable and useful. The number of
students will not be great for some years, nor will it ever be such as
to make the Professorships lucrative. Even the Principal will hardly
ever be able to reach one thousand pounds per annum, a remuneration
sufficiently moderate for the accumulated duties which he will have to
perform and to maintain in such an expensive place as Montreal the
dignity of his station. If the Provincial Parliament waits for something
to be done by the King all will be lost,--for the Government have too
many things to call their attention. But when the matter is once set on
foot, an address from the Legislature can at any time procure assistance
from His Majesty's Ministry. Yet six thousand pounds per annum appears
to me a trifle, considering the increased opulence of the country. It is
not probable that the Roman Catholics will object to such an
arrangement,--they have already three Seminaries said to be well
endowed,--but if any of them be poor the Legislature ought to grant them
pecuniary relief.

"I say nothing respecting religion, but in the Chapel of the University
Lectures on Theology may be given to Protestant stu