1890-91. J LIEUT.-GOVERNOR SIMCOe's ADMINISTRATION. ' 297 



shadow of opposition to any government measure. The rapid increase of 

 population by immigration from the United States already rendered it 

 necessary to pass a bill defining the qualifications of members of the 

 Assembly. A petition was presented from the Presbyterians and other 

 Nonconformists praying for the repeal of certain clauses in the Marriage 

 Act and Judicature Bill which prevented their clergymen from performing 

 the marriage ceremony. Means were taken to shelve the petition for 

 the moment but Simcoe gloomily predicted that the matter would be 

 seriously agitated. A Presbyterian minister had lately arrived from 

 Scotland and dissenters of all ^denominations united to build a church 

 for him at Niagara, while Mr. Addison, the clergyman of the Church of 

 England remained without a church and almost without a congregation. 

 Dissenters were also numerous in other parts and everywhere they 

 were naturally inclined to protest against the unfairness of the law. 



The public business had frequently been delayed by the absence of 

 members of the Executive Council of whom no less than three lived at 

 Detroit, and the Governor warmly complained that the salaries of all 

 government officials were so small that none of them were able to live 

 within their incomes. 



In November, 1795, Lord Dorchester in his capacity of commander 

 of the forces formally announced his intention of withdrawing the whole 

 of the regular troops from Upper Canada with the exception of the four 

 companies of Queen's Rangers and a small party of artillery-men which 

 would be left to garrison two block-houses which he ordered to be built 

 at Amherstburg and Niagara. This resolution, Simcoe regarded as 

 dealing a death-blow to all his projects for the benefit of the province 

 and strongly protested against it. The removal of the troops, he 

 asserted, would destroy all confidence in British power among the 

 Indians beyond the boundary, and render them presumptuous and trouble- 

 some neighbors to the new settlements. Already four whites had been 

 killed by them near Detroit and serious commotions had occurred among 

 the Grand River tribes arising through a determined attempt to assass- 

 inate Joseph Brant, made by one of his own sons, in which the young 

 man lost his life. 



For some years the wily Mohawk chieftain had been suspected of 

 double-dealing and the Governor had just been informed that he was 

 then on his way to consult secretly with the American Superintendent 

 of Indian Affairs. 



In his despatch to the Duke of Portland remonstrating against the 

 withdrawal of the troops, Simcoe bluntly declared that he was unable to 



