PROGRESS BY LAND, 1818-I910 187 



In 1839 the first Anglican bishop of Newfoundland was 

 appointed; a Roman Catholic bishop became resident in 

 St. John's in 1796, a second in Harbour Grace in 1856, and 

 a third at Sandy Point, St. George Bay, in 1892; and the 

 Wesleyans were only a little less omnipresent than the Angli- 

 cans. In 1854 the two Protestant bodies only just 

 outnumbered the Roman Catholics, although they out- 

 numbered them in 1869 by four to three, and in 1901 by 

 thirteen to seven. Grants were made during the whole of 

 this period to religious bodies for purposes of education ; 

 accordingly each of the three leading religious bodies 

 divided the land into local religious districts, which now 

 aggregate 180 in number, and amongst which it distributed 

 its educational receipts ; and it would seem almost as though 

 in Newfoundland, as in England, the ecclesiastical preceded 

 the civil parish as an administrative unit. But in Newfound- 

 land there are three principal Churches — Roman Catholic, 

 Anglican, and Wesleyan — not one Church as in ancient 

 English history. Scotch Presbyterians exist, but hardly any 

 Scotchmen came to Newfoundland until last century, so that 

 they are still very scarce. Indeed, Protestants who are not 

 Anglicans or Wesleyans barely exceed 10,000. In spite of 

 the dearth of local institutions, the people have shown an 

 instinctive capacity to live together in peace without law or 

 order, but these very instincts have at times led to breaches of 

 the peace unlike those that have occurred in any other colony. 



Perfect religious tolerance has prevailed in Newfoundland Religioii 

 during this century, but the population was largely of Irish -^X'JX'/' 

 origin, and political parlies for a time ran on religious lines o{ politics and 

 cleavage. In 1832 the Roman Catholic bishop of St. John's ^ '"'^ ''''^^•^• 

 advocated the candidature of his relative John Kent for a seat 

 in the Assembly. His action was natural, though indiscreet; 

 an outcry was raised, and Henry Winton, the editor of the 

 Public Ledger, became conspicuous by his denunciation of 

 the priest in politics. In May, 1835, as Winton was riding 



