286 



LIFE IN MONTREAL, [Chap. VII. 



quent upon it, broke up most of the District Committees : and 

 the fear of cholera having died away, the Council meetings 

 were held three times weekly, then weekly, then fortnightly, 

 and (during the winter) monthly. During the year, seventy 

 Council meetings have been held, and about twenty-five public 

 lectures given, beside the very numerous meetings of the District 

 Committees, and the house-to-house visitation. All the work has 

 been gratuitous, and has been performed principally by men 

 working hard in their regular occupations." 



The energy and zeal of the Association was a great contrast 

 to the apathy of the Committee appointed by the City Council, 

 whose proceedings were also reported. The authorities, how- 

 ever, sent out 4166 notices to cleanse, and there were 446 

 convictions for breaking the health-laws. "The tangible good 

 effected by the official and by the voluntary work was that 

 (through the mercy of Providence) cholera was warded off, 

 and the cemeteries received 470 fewer bodies of little children." 

 This was in part owing to an unusually cool spring. 



Reference has been made to "the Fenian raid." This 

 was apprehended in March : — " Fancy our surprise, at our 

 quiet church, to find the spare seats full of volunteers (mostly 

 gentlemen's sons) and to hear the clanking of swords at one's 

 side. From their point of view, the turn-out of the flower of 

 the Province to defend their country was a fine thing, and the 

 sight imposing. It happened that it was a heavy day, the 

 clouds lying on the Mount and catching the tops of the spires, 

 and a dread filling men's minds for the coming week. The 

 tolling of the bells, and the military parade, reminded me of 

 Port Royal in the time of war. . . . The Irish here know that 

 they have every possible liberty and equal rights, and steady 

 progress within every one's reach. They are about a quarter of 

 the whole population of Canada, and own at least 3,000,000 

 dollars in Montreal alone. They had the largest procession 

 here : the Temperance societies being conspicuous. . . . [On 

 St. Patrick's Day, March 17] the city was more quiet than on 

 an ordinary Sunday. Not one person was taken up for 

 drunkenness in this large city (120,000) though such a general 



