573 HISTORY 



only a first step in the contest for religious equalit}^ Other things pertaining 

 to the state church remained as before. But now that the dissenters had suc- 

 ceeded in snatching this important privilege from it, they were encouraged to 

 attempt other reforms when an opportunity offered. Although the established 

 church failed to keep pace with the dissenters in strength of numbers, no one 

 attempted, or desired, to sweep away the whole system at once. Among the 

 privileges remaining to it in 1851 was the custom according to which dissent- 

 ing ministers were denied the right to conduct funeral ceremonies in the 

 public burial-grounds. A concrete example of the results of this custom 

 brought the evil prominently to the attention of the people and aroused public 

 sentiment. At one of the public cemeteries in New Providence a disturbance, 

 almost amounting to a riot, occurred when an attempt was made to enforce the 

 observance of the custom above referred to. The dissenters decided to submit 

 to it no longer. In order to avoid further difficulties, they applied to the church 

 wardens of the several parishes on the island to remove this discrimination 

 against their ministers. The wardens of Christ Church parish laid the petition 

 before the Governor. He ignored it and the wardens refused to consider it 

 further. 



This was only a temporary check on the dissenters. Tliey were determined 

 to bring about a change. They regarded the necessity of employing Anglican 

 ministers at all funerals as a restriction on their rights of conscience. In a 

 public meeting they resolved to appeal to the legislature to remove the griev- 

 ance. They adopted resolutions declaring their position, and their leaders pre- 

 sented to the House of Assembly a petition signed by about 800 names, in which 

 they represented that the public mind was deeply agitated over the matter and 

 expressed fears, that unless a change soon occurred, the discontent -would result 

 in further disorders. On the other hand the members of the established church 

 were not inactive. They were as firmly convinced of the injustice and ille- 

 gality of the conduct of the dissenters as the latter were of the existence of the 

 same things in this invidious custom. Regretting the partisan agitation they 

 prayed that no law should be passed permitting the invasion of the long- 

 established rights of their clergy. The House of Assembly hesitated to act on 

 the matter, and referred it to a committee which was instructed to report on 

 it at its next session. 



In the interval between the meetings of the legislature the Governor re- 

 ferred the question to the bishop of Jamaica. The latter favored the views of 

 the dissenters. Not only did he approve of the removal of the restriction, but 



