122 TRANSACTIONS OF TIIK CANADIAN INSTITUTE. [VoL. I. 



caused by this subject is forgotten we may quote without risk of wound- 

 ing any one the words of the petition to Sir J no. Colborne, showing 

 the national characteristics of this people, a stern determination to have 

 their constitutional rights and to gain them not by violence but by 

 strictly constitutional means. The petition goes on to state that " they 

 feel aggrieved by an act of the Lieutenant Governor, establishing a 

 rectory by which their rights are infringed and which is incompatible 

 with privileges granted by Treaty of Union between England and 

 Scotland, privileges belonging inalienably in a British colony to subjects 

 of Scotland as well as subjects of England." The institution of the 

 rectory it is said " recognizes the incumbent as sole spiritual instructor 

 of all residing within its bounds and places them in same relation to 

 the Establishment as Dissenters of England are to church established 

 there." To this are signed 128 names, of those the only ones now known 

 to be living are A. C. Currie, Wm. Barr, Jas. McFarland. 



Annual meeting 6th February, 1838, we have a glimpse of the Re- 

 bellion, " as meeting was unavoidably deferred on account of disturbed 

 state of country from late insurrectionary movement, and piratical in- 

 vasion from frontiers of U.S., the members being engaged in military 

 duty." In 1838 comes appointment of Jno. Rogers as Treasurer, which 

 position he held till his death in 1883, almost 46 years. It may be 

 noticed that while there have been only three incumbents in St. Mark's, 

 and in St. Andrew's, so many changes, the latter church had the advan- 

 tage of three faithful officers whose term of office reaches almost to a 

 century. 



In 1839, in acknowledgment of sacrifice made by Rev. R. McGill 

 remaining in Niagara instead of accepting a call to Glasgow, a sub- 

 scription to raise the sum of ^300 as a New Year's gift from his congre- 

 gation. In 1840, reference to school kept by Jas. Webster in school 

 room under control of church, in 1842 called St. Andrew's Church 

 School, and to avail themselves of Act passed in Parliament in regard to 

 common schools. A paper bearing on the subject of Clergy Reserves 

 came into my hands some years ago which I copied. Singularly enough 

 it is not found in this book, as a parchment copy was kept. It is a 

 petition to the Queen in 1842, that, " in consequence of mistakes made in 

 census of 1839, members of Presbyterian Church were underrated in 

 settlement of Clergy Reserves in 1840, and that relief be granted for this 

 wrong." It is signed only by heads of families, 142 names, giving num- 

 ber in each family, making 628 altogether. This was in the palmy days 

 of Niagara, when the church was crowded above and below: in 1844 

 only one seat and two half seats were not taken, during ship-building at 



