are ordered to be held in the town churches, must also be held in their oratories, and the collected monies must be faithfully delivered to the authority. 11. All marriage proclamations, without exception, must take place in the town churches in the bride's parish, or when one party to be married is in a foreign country, it must take place in the parish of the other party present. In the meantime, it remains at the option of the catholics as well as the reformed, likewise to proclaim themselves in their oratories. The marriage and consecration by a priests, when one party of the betrothed is of the Luthe ran religion, must be done by a Lutheran priests of the church wherein the proclamation is made; but if both parties are of another religion, then they may be married by their clergyman. But in all cases the usual permission notes must be called for at the wedde) on paying the usual fees. 12. With respect to the acts of baptism, it is entirely left to the choice of the parents to let their children be baptized by a Lutheran priests of the parish wherein they dwell, or to take the clergyman of their religion; and they shall be at all events at liberty, for the stronger proof of future legitimations which might afterwards be required, to have their children, whether baptized by a catholic or reformed clergyman, registered in the church book of the parish wherein they live, in the same manner as is stipuIated amongst other matters in the new decree of 1782, with regard to the construction of the church book. 13. What regards the fee of one daller current, payable jura stolae, besides the usual proclamation fee, it is stipulated, that for the act of copulation or baptism, whether executed by the evangelic Lutheran parsons, or 1) A Collegium composed of four Senatores, and which take care of the public morality, and of the tranquillity of the commonwealth. Remark of the translator. by the clergyman of the foreign religion relations, a specie dollar isto be paid for every copulation act, and for every act of baptism, one mark current to the evangelic Lutheran parsons, and if dene by the foreign religion clergyman, the payment must be made before the act is executed; and in the manner that for marriage, the money is to be sent to the parson of the parish; and for that of baptisms, to the deacons for their further distribution. (Wealthy persons will, as is reasonable and usual, not refuse to send somewhat more.) To this effect, the edelst and intendant of every oratory are obliged to deliver to the deputation in matters of the church for foreign religion relations, quarterly, an accurate list of the baptized and marriages. 14. Every congregation has the full liberty to choose out of the midst, intendants and eldest for the inspection of the oratory, and also for the keeping and distribution of the collected alms and ordinary collection monier; and further, for the superintendence of their common property, capitals, and what further belongs thereto, and to appoint others in the stead of those resigned; of which choice they have to give notice of to the deputation in matters of the church for foreign religion relations, and shall these persons in their officiis be by us protected in every manner. But they dare not assume any other authority, and especially none which relates to the rights of our ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which is solely reserved to us. 15. As we, for the rest, at the sametime doherewith cancel and annul totally all former ordinances, usances, and connections which may in some way stand in opposition of this concession, we on other hand expect that all the foreign religion relations for the present, as well as for the future, content themselves with the therein-contained privileges, that they will not assume any further rights as which are here spontaneously accorded to them; that they will not undertake to encroach on the rights of the evan gelical Lutheran church, to which the public exercise of religion is solely reserved, nor even less seek to intermeddle in the town governments and burgerly officia, but in general to behave like quiet and peaceable burghers and inhabitants. In arising of disobedience we should, though reluctantly, see us in the necessity not only to sharpen the punishment for those that acted against our expectation, but also to revoke and cancel this our concession, ding to circumstances. Given in our Assembly of the Senate etc. etc. accor NÓ XII. Official Papers relating to the Roman Catholic Religion in Canada. Ordered, by the House of Commons, to be printed, an the 25th of May 1815. §. 1. Extract of a Letter from the Earl of Egremont to Governor Murray; dated Whitehall, 13th August 1763. Though the king has, in the 4th article of the definitive treaty, agreed to grant the « liberty of the catholic religion to the inhabitants of Canada; » and though his majesty is far from entertaining the most distant thoughts of restraining << his new Roman catholic subjects from professing the worship of thair religion according to the rites of the Romish church;» yet the condition expressed in the same article must always be remembered, viz: « as far as the laws of Great Britain permit; » which laws prohibit absolutely all Popish hierarchy in any of the dominions belonging to the crown of Great Britain, and can only admit of a toleration of the exercise of that religion. This matter was clearly understood in the negociation of the definitive treaty. The French ministers proposed to insert the words comme ci-devant, in order that the Romish religion should continue to be exercised in the same manner as under their government; and they did not give up the point till they were planly told that it would be deceiving them to admit those words, for the king had not the power to tolerate that religion in any other manner than « as far as the laws of Great Britain permit. » These laws must be your guide in any disputes that may arise on this subject; but at the same time that I point out to you the necessity of adhering to them, and of attending with the utmost vigilance to the behaviour of the priests, the king relies on your acting with all proper caution and prudence, in regard to a matter of so delicate a nature as this of religion; and that you will, as far as you can consistently with your duty in the execution of the laws and with the safety of the country, avoid every thing that can give the least unnecessary alarm or disgust to his majesty's new subjects. §. 2. Extract of a Letter from Lord Shelburne to Lieutenant Governor Carlton; dated Whitehall, 14 Nov. 1767. It has been represented to His Majesty that the jesuits of Canada make large remittances to Italy, and that they imperceptibly diminish their effects for that purpose: you will therefore enquire into the truth of this report, and keep a watchful eye over them for the future. If the accounts we have received of their affairs be just, their annual rent amounts to near 4,000 l. and their effects and moveables are consequently estimated at more than 70,000 1. This account may be exaggerated; nevertheless, it is sufficient to prove that too much care cannot be taken that they do not embezzle an estate of which they enjoy only the lise-rent, and which must become, on their demise, a very considerable resource to the province, in case His Majesty should be pleased to cede it for that purpose. As Pere Roucaud asserts the above state of the jesuits: affairs to be just, nay, to be moderately estimated, you may find him useful in investigating the truth of it. As this man is in the utmost want, and complains that he has received no allowance from the jesuits since his being sent over here by General Murray, it is His Majestys commands that you require these fathers to allow him a reasonable annuity from their funds, and pay him up the arrears; and you will afterwards judge wheter it is fit that he should be retained in the province, or have leave to retire. His character is very dubious here; some representing him as a werthless, and others as an honest man. He is no doubt better known in the province of Quebec than here, and therefore you will judge what reception or degree of credits he merits. However, as he has abilities, has been employed both by General Murray and Lord Halifax, and has been found useful, he ought to receive some reward, and not be allowed to perish from indigence, S §. 5. Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant Governor Cramahe to the Earl of Dartmouth; dated Quebec 22d June 1773. It has ever been my opinion, J own, that the only sure and effectual method of gaining the affections of His Majesty's Canadian subjects to His royal person and government, was, to grant them all possible freedam and indulgence in the exercise of their religion, to which they are exceedingly attached; and that any restraint laid upon them in regard to this, would only retard, instead of advancing a change of their ideas respecting, religious matters. By degrees the old priests drop off, and a few years will furnish the province with a clergy entirely Canadian. This could not be effected without some person here exercising episcopal functions; and the allowance of a Coadjutor will prevent the bishop being obliged to cross the seas for consecration, and holding personal communication with those who may not |