CO885-(10-11) — Page 127

263.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

61

C.O.

Reference:-

885

10 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO

No. 98.

(CANADA.)

QUEEN'S ADVOCATE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

Doctors' Commons, January 7, 1862. MY LORD DUKE,

I AM honoured with your Grace's commands, signified in Mr. Fortescue's letter of the 27th December ultimo, stating that your Grace has had under your considera- tion the draft of the Letters Patent for appointing a metropolitan of Canada, as proposed to be altered by the provincial synod, with the recommedation of the Bishop of Montreal; that that draft having been returned to your Grace with the letter of the 26th November last,* expressing the opinion of the Law Officers that there was no objection to the alterations so proposed, your Grace has also considered in connexion with that draft the proposed drafts of Letters Patent which were transmitted to your Grace in the letter from the Law Officers of the 18th November last:† (1st) for altering the boundaries of the diocese of Toronto by separating therefrom the counties intended to be included in the new diocese of Ontario, and (2nd) for erecting the new see of Ontario and appointing the Rev. J. Travers Lewis the first bishop thereof.

Mr. Fortescue was also pleased to state that he was directed to point out to me that it is intended that the Letters Patent for creating the bishopric of Ontario should bear a date subsequent to that appointing the Bishop of Montreal metropolitan of Canada, and to return to me these Draft Patents, and to request that I would make such alterations in them as may be necessary so as to render the bishops of Ontario suffragans to the Bishop of Montreal.

Mr. Fortescue was also pleased to transmit the previous papers on which our reports were founded and to request my early attention to these papers as the erection of the Ontario diocese has from various circumstances been very long delayed.

In obedience to your Grace's commands I have taken these papers into consideration, and have the honour to

Report

That I have introduced into the Draft Patent for the erection of the bishopric of Ontario such alterations, in accordance with precedents, as will be necessary in order to render the bishops of Ontario suffragans to the Bishop of Montreal.

Having regard to the peculiar circumstances connected with the ecclesiastical con- atitution of the Province of Canada, with which your Grace is acquainted; to the Canada Church Synod (Colonial) Act being in full operation; to the alterations lately introduced into the Draft Patent appointing the Bishop of Montreal to be metro. politan; and to the fact that this is the first instance in which any Canadian bishop has been appointed suffragan to the metropolitan, I would respectfully suggest the expediency of this Patent being submitted in draft to the metropolitan and bishop designate, for their observations, before it passes the Great Seal.

I have, &c. (Signed) J. D. HARDING.

The Right Hon. the Duke of Newcastle,

&c.

&c.

&c.

P.S.-I observe in the printed copy of the Montreal Patent (herewith) the words in italics therein being recommended by the synod for insertion, that five separate Canadian sees are stated to exist, and that Ontario is throughout inserted in italics as a diocese duly erected; but seeing that it is now intended that the "Ontario " Patent should bear a date subsequent to that of Montreal, it is obvious that the Montreal Patent will require alteration in this respect by the substitution of "four' for "five" sees and the omission of "Ontario."

J. D. H.

⚫ No. 94.

(Initialed)

† No. 92.

31

o 16978.-27.

15.-9/66.