33o 



LIFE IN MONTREAL. [Chap. VII. 



ness,' which has the largest circulation of any Provincial 

 paper ; and, on the other side, the virulent Ultramontanism of 

 the Catholic Bishop Bourget and his Jesuit followers ; there is 

 a very bitter feeling indeed. . . . Another great exasperation 

 is, that Pere Chiniqui (the ' Canadian Father Mathew J : see 

 p. 178) turned Protestant, and has settled in this city, uttering 

 violent speech. 



"In the days of the late Government, Sir G. Cartier kept 

 matters tolerably quiet. He was liberal towards Protestants, 

 and had a large tail of Catholic supporters. He moderated 

 Bishop Bourget and Co., intimating that if they attempted too 

 much they would lose all. However, they rebelled against him, 

 kicked him out, and soon after he died. Now that the Reform 

 Ministry has come in, whom the French Canadians regard as 

 Orange, etc., the Bishop's party have thrown off all disguises. 

 Everything in the State is being subordinated to them. The 

 Protestant taxes go to support Catholic institutions, and it 

 seems only a question how long we are to be tolerated in 6 this 

 Canada of theirs? I see no pluck in the Protestants here to 

 fight a battle, such as the English Dissenters worked so suc- 

 cessfully. The lay Catholics are equally without spirit, and 

 it seems to me that ultramontane Catholicism, crippled among 

 European nations, is going to establish everything here its own 

 fashion, under British protection. That is what their loyalty 

 means. They would not allow the statue of the Queen to be 

 erected in the central (commonly called the French) square of 

 this city. They are consistent." After detailing the outrages 

 on the Indians, he adds, " Of course, I boil with old English 

 indignation. But I am excessively busy, have no money to 

 spare, and have neither time nor strength to take action 

 alone. ... If British connexion means anything, let our 

 Government understand that they are bound to maintain Civil 

 and Religious Liberty in general ; and that, in particular, they 

 are bound to take the part of the Indians (who are, as it were, 

 wards of the Government) against priestly intolerance, joined 

 with the assumed seigneurial powers. Does Lord Carnarvon 

 approve of the other wards of Government — Deaf and Dumb, 



