A Cyclopaedia of Canadian Biography: Being Chiefly Men of the Time by Rose
1841. About the time of Dr. Strachan’s appointment as councillor, began
1051 words | Chapter 79
the politico-ecclesiastical conflict which was only brought to a close
within the memory of the existing generation. By the Imperial Act of
1774, which conceded to the Gallican clergy the right to collect tithes,
provision was made for the support of “a Protestant clergy;” and in
1791, one-seventh of the lands was set apart for that purpose in Upper
Canada under the name of Clergy Reserves. In 1819, the Presbyterians of
Niagara petitioned the lieutenant-governor, Sir Peregrine Maitland, for
a grant of £100 for the support of a Scottish Church minister, and
boldly hinted that the grant should come from the funds arising from the
Clergy Reserves. This memorial was forwarded in due course to Earl
Bathurst, the colonial secretary, who replied that the reserves were
intended for the established churches of England and Scotland, and not
for “denominations” referred to by the governor. This despatch at once
aroused Dr. Strachan, who in 1823 forwarded a memorial protesting
against the attempt to distribute funds intended for the Anglican
church. His somewhat narrow creed, political no less than
ecclesiastical, to be rightly understood, must be viewed from his own
standpoint, and it may be readily condoned when one contemplates his
vigor and patriotic impulse. The law officers of the Crown decided that
the Clergy Reserves were not intended exclusively for the Anglican
church. As there were two established churches, each equipped with “a
Protestant clergy,” they were of opinion that the Church of Scotland had
an equal right with the sister communion to a share in the land
endowment. They went still further and vindicated the claims of other
Protestant denominations. No sooner was this conceded by parliament than
the entire ground was cut from beneath the feet of those who advocated a
monopoly in state support for religion. Before the Union of 1841, no
less than sixteen measures which had passed the Legislative Assembly for
the secularization of the Reserves were rejected by the Legislative
Council. It was only after a bitter struggle, lasting over more than
thirty years, it was finally set at rest by the Act of 1854. During the
whole period Dr. Strachan was faithful to his principles, and could
brook no compromise. In 1836 he resigned his place as executive
councillor, and in 1839 became the first bishop of Toronto. The
following year he ceased to be a member of the Legislative Council, and
abstained thenceforth from taking any part in public affairs, save in
that department which may be termed church politics. The other subject
of intense interest with him was the Provincial University. Twenty-eight
years elapsed before any attempt was made to carry out the project of
Lieutenant-Governor Simcoe. In 1827 a Royal charter was granted in favor
of King’s College. It was to be essentially an Anglican university. In
the four faculties, all the professors were to be “members of the
Established United Church of England and Ireland,” and were required “to
severally sign and subscribe the Thirty-nine articles.” The only liberal
provision in it was an exemption from any religious test on the part of
students and graduates in faculties other than that of divinity. King’s
College was not opened until 1843, and in 1850 all that made it valuable
in the bishop’s eyes were eliminated. All that was distinctly Anglican
disappeared. The faculty of divinity was abolished and, as far as
education was concerned, “all semblance of connection between church and
state,” proclaimed afterwards in the preamble to the Clergy Reserve Act,
was done away. The venerable bishop was equal to the emergency, and
started on a mission to Britain to raise funds, and in little more than
six months he returned with the first fruits,—some sixteen thousand
pounds sterling. In the spring of 1857 the corner stone of Trinity
College was laid, and in the beginning of the following year the
building was so far completed as to be fit for occupation. The Royal
charter was secured in 1853. Thus, by the inextinguishable ardor and
energy of one zealous prelate was the purpose of his life at last
secured. In other directions, the memorable prelate certainly effected
work of unquestionable value. So soon as the severance between church
and state had been formally proclaimed, his administrative and
legislative tact was employed in placing the Anglican church upon a
sound governmental basis. To him the laity of that communion owe it that
they are represented in the synods of the church as substantially as
with the Presbyterians. The bishop’s later years were spent in efforts
to extend the usefulness of the church to which he was so ardently
attached, and during the evening of his long and eventful life he was
universally respected by men of all creeds and political parties. He had
lived in the province and been a conspicuous actor in its affairs from
the days of Governor Simcoe to the opening year of confederation, and
died on the 2nd of November, 1867, in the eighty-ninth year of his age,
manful, energetic and courageous to the last. The last tribute of
respect was paid to Bishop Strachan by the attendance at his funeral of
the two universities, with whose early fortunes his name was
indissolubly associated. The national societies, the clergy of all
churches, Protestant and Catholic, all the civic dignitaries and
institutions, were fully represented on the occasion, and it was not
without significance that the troops, regular and other, lined the
streets, and that the strains of martial music were heard at the burial
of one who was first a churchman of the military type, and next a
patriotic citizen.
* * * * *
=Wallbridge, Hon. Lewis=, Chief Justice of Manitoba, born in Belleville,
Ontario, 27th November, 1816, and died at Winnipeg, on the 20th October,
1887, was a grandson of Elijah Wallbridge, a United Empire loyalist, who
settled in Canada shortly after the American war of independence. His
father was a lumber merchant of Belleville. The family emigrated from
Dorsetshire, England, on account of having taken part in the Duke of
Monmouth’s rebellion against King James. Mr. Wallbridge received his
education under the late Dr. Benjamin Workman in Montreal, and at Upper
Canada College, Toronto. He studied law in Robert Baldwin’s office,
Toronto; was called to the bar in 1839, and created a Queen’s counsel in
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