838, only that it was more
decisive. It may be interesting, therefore, to refer to these special
features in the discussion of 1838-9.

The first was the final change of tactics on the part of the leaders of
the Church of England party in the contest. The second was the
persistent and personal efforts which Lieutenant Governor Arthur put
forth in behalf of that party, so as to enable them to accomplish their
object, and, at the same time, to counteract the efforts of those who
were seeking to uphold Canadian and popular rights. The third was (as
shown in the last chapter) the plan adopted to foment discord in the
Methodist body--which was by far the most formidable opponent of the
scheme of monopoly and aggrandisement which the ruling party was seeking
to promote.

At this distance of time it is easy to survey the whole field of
conflict, and to note the plans and strategies of the combatants.
Although efforts had hitherto been made to shift the battle-ground from
Upper Canada to England, yet, as the Colonial Secretary had discouraged
such efforts as unwise, and as an unnecessary interference with the
rights of the Provincial Legislature, the matter was not openly pressed
in 1839. Nor was it pressed at all to a conclusion in 1838. For, by a
singular coincidence, the very day (29th December, 1837) on which Mr.
Cartwright had moved to bring a bill into the House of Assembly to
revest the clergy reserve in Her Majesty, Sir George Grey penned a
despatch to Sir George Arthur, in which he disclaimed, on behalf of the
Imperial Government, any wish or intention to interfere, in the
settlement of the clergy reserve question, with the functions of the
Provincial Legislature, on the ground that--

Such interference would tend to create a not unreasonable suspicion
of the sincerity with which the Legislature have been invited to
the exercise of the power [to vary or repeal] reserved to them on
this subject by the Constitutional Act of 1791.

It is likely that the publication of this despatch prevented the House
of Assembly from proceeding any farther with Mr. Cartwright's bill, than
ordering it to a second reading on the 26th February, 1838. In this
dilemma the ruling party were evidently at a loss how to act. It
required much tact and skill to break the ranks of the chief forces
arrayed against the scheme to revest the reserves in the Crown--a scheme
distasteful to Canadians generally, and subversive of the