60 Our Colonies : [July, 



way of clearing and bringing into cultivation the lands so allotted is in 

 many instances insuperable, they remain fi*equently not only unproduc- 

 tive, but also lie waste in the midst of the lands of other proprietors, 

 and thus prevent the access to the surrounding estates, and occasion 

 many other inconveniences to their several neiglibourhoods. Besides this 

 the number of claimants, arising from the diversity of religious opinions, 

 occasions considerable difficulty in appropriating sucli parts of them as 

 have been made productive, or for any other reason happen to be desira- 

 ble. On the first part of the sidiject the Committee recommend the 

 government to adopt such measures as may be calculated, either by 

 selling or leasing the uncleared clergy reserves, to bring them into cul- 

 tivation ; and as to the several claimants, they recommended an adjust- 

 ment to be made in proportion to the state of the popidation in the 

 various districts. 



The same diversity of opinion on religion, induces them to suggest 

 a remodelling of the University of King'j College, at New York ; 

 the present constitution of which requires that the Chancellor, President 

 and Fellows shall, previously to their admission, sign and subscribe the 

 thirty-nine articles. They propose, instead, that two theological pro- 

 fessors should be appointed — one of the Church of England, and tlie 

 other of tlie Church of Scotland ; and that with these exceptions no 

 other rule should be followed in the selection of professors, than the 

 nomination of the most learned and discreet persons, who should be 

 required to sign a declaration that as far as it may be necessary for them 

 to advert in tlieir lectures to religious subjects, they will distinctly re- 

 cognise the truth of the Christian revelation, but will abstain altogether 

 from inculcating pc'ticalar doctrines. 



After adverting to some minor particulars to which they call the 

 attention of the government, and which the want of sufficient evidence, 

 and the lateness of the session prevented them from going into as fully 

 as into the other topics they have considered, they revert to the distinc- 

 tion they had before taken, and conclude thus: — 



" Your Committee have clearly expressed their opinion, that serious defects 

 were to be found in the system (of the laws and the coiistitution), and have 

 ventured to suggest several alterations that have appeared to them to be 

 necessary or convenient. They also fully admit that IVom tliese, as well as 

 from other circumstances, the task of government in these Colonies (and 

 especially in the Lower Province) has not been an easy one ; but they feel it 

 tneir duty to express their opinion that it is to the second of the causes alluded 

 to (the manner in which the existing system has been administered) that these 

 embarrassments and discontents are, in a great measure, to be traced. They 

 are most anxious to record their complete conviction that neither the suggestions 

 they have presumed to make, nor any other improvements in the laws and CGnstitu~ 

 tions of the Canadas, will he attended ivith the desired effect, unless an impartial, 

 conciliatory, and constitutional system of government be observed in these loyal and 

 important Colonies." 



Now, if this be a vague recommendation, founded as it is upon explicit 

 and pregnant evidence of every fact from which the conclusions are 

 drawn, Ave should be ciu-ious to know what would be a plain and distinct 

 one ; or what degree of certainty the government of England will re- 

 quire, before they think fit to act upon the suggestions of a committee 

 appointed by themselves. The mattei*, however, does not rest here. 

 Although, with the sentence last quoted, the Committee intended to close 

 their report, j'et before they could send it in, and as if to take away 



