Street). This meeting, which was a full and enthusiastic one, was held in Cot6 Street Church, with Mr. Redpath in the chair. What had been considered and decided in the private conference referred to was most cordially approved, and steps were taken to bring the matter before the Presbytery of Montreal. This being done, the Presbytery resolved with perfect unanimity to submit the proposal, in the usual way, to the Synod at its meeting in June in Cooke's Church, Toronto."

"Dr. Taylor and Mr. MacVicar were appointed to support the overture before the Synod. They did so, and were ably aided on the floor of the house by Warden King and others, who urged the necessity of immediate action being taken. After the matter was carefully considered in a large committee and in open Synod, it was finally agreed, on motion of Mr. Drummond, seconded by Mr. Chambers :—

"That the Synod sanction the formation of a Theological College, as craved by the Presbytery of Montreal, and that for this purpose, that Presbytery be authorized to prepare and obtain a charter, mutatis mutandis, similar to that of Knox College, and to report to next Synod."

"Thus the enterprise received the public imprimatur of the Supreme Court of the Church, which took it from that time forth under its care and entire control."

Mr. Redpath did not live to see the enterprise completed, which he had thus helped to launch; but the Presbyterian College will always stand as a monument both of the courage and wise churchmanship of him and his colleagues at that little meeting at Terrace Bank. His name has been since fittingly associated with the institution by the forming of the John Redpath Scholarship, and the John Redpath chair in the College, by his respected widow.

He took a deep interest in all the great public charities of the city. He was for a long time chairman of the

committee of management of the General Hospital, and finally, president of the Board of Governors. The first meeting to form the House of Industry and Refuge was held at his house, in Dalhousie Square, in 1835, and when the effort was successfully revived about 30 years afterwards, he was elected president of the institution. He was also the first president of the Mechanics' Institute, and after the death of Colonel Wilgress, he was made president of the Montreal Auxiliary Bible Society. He was a warm supporter of the French-Canadian Missionary Society from its commencement. As he was the chief mover in establishing Cote Street Church, he contributed largely to its erection; as he did, later in life, to the St. Joseph Street Church. The following is a passage taken from a sermon preached in Cote Street Church by his friend, Principal MacVicar, the Sabbath after his funeral:

"Deceased was a man of superior intellectual powers. He was a great lover of poetry, and read with enthusiasm the works of Blair, Montgomery, Cowper, aod Milton, having learned by heart many of their poems, extracts from which he often repeated, almost to the last. He was a man of strong common sense, vigorous with calm judgment, great moral courage and vast energy. The secret of his extraordinary success in business was to be sought, not in favouring circumstances, for he made the circumstances which contributed to his good fortune; but, under God's blessing, to his high aim, his firm will, and dauntless courage, and his indomitable perseverance."

Mr. Redpath had a very large family. One of his daughters married John Dougall, of the Witness,—another T. M. Taylor, an insurance agent,—a third, George A. Drummond> president of the Board of Trade,—a fourth, Professor Bovey, of the Chair of Engineering, in McGill College,—and a fifth, C. J. Fleet, advocate.

His eldest son, Peter, who has retired from business and now resides at Chiselhurst, England, has rendered distinguished service to education by handsome donations to the library of the Presbyterian College, and very specially

by the magnificent building which he erected and presented to McGill University, which bears his own name, and will hand that name, with honour, down, we hope, to distant posterity,—the "Peter Redpath Museum."

Archibald Ferguson, also left St. Gabriel Street Church at this crisis, and joined St. Paul's. He has already been referred to, as accompanying Mr. Somerville from Quebec to Montreal, in order to continue to enjoy that gentleman's scholastic superintendence. Mr. Somerville had been brought to Quebec as a teacher, mainly through Mr. Ferguson's father,—and he proved successful as an instructor, so that those who could afford it, resolved to send their children to Montreal after him.

In subsequent years, Mr. Ferguson chose Montreal as his permanent residence, becoming proprietor of the Herald in succession to the Gray family. Mr. Ferguson owned pew No. 10 in the St. Gabriel Street Church, and used to do the congregational printing. He was ordained an elder in St. Paul's Church, 13th May, 1855, and continued to fulfil the duties of the office with exemplary fidelity up to the day of his death, which occurred on October 9th, 1876.

Mr. Ferguson did not cease to take an interest in the fortunes of the old church, although he became an officebearer in St. Paul's. In his later years, he was fond of recalling his connection in early life with Mr. Somerville and Mr. Esson. And it was his lot to be specially instrumental in receiving back into the custody of the Church of Scotland, in 1865, the venerable edifice which had been for twenty years and more in possession of the Presby terian Church of Canada, or the Canada Presbyterian Church. He was one of the eleven provisional trustees named in the Act, settling the ownership of the church 27-28 Vict., chap. 161. And he was deputed by the other ten to see the terms of settlement carried out.

But it was specially as treasurer of the Widows' and Orphans' Fund, of the Presbyterian Church pf Canada in connection with the Church of Scotland, for the long period of twelve years, that he is entitled to the grateful remembrance of the church. This fund he managed gratuitously, with as much care and fidelity as if it had been his own money that was concerned; until he saw the capital mount up from $42,174 to $82,169. Mr. Ferguson was also an ardent friend of Presbyterian Union, which he lived to see happily accomplished. Professor Ferguson of Queen's University is his only son, and his daughter is the wife of William Ross, notary, one of the elders of St. Paul's Church.

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The 71st Regiment, the famous Highland Light Infantry," was stationed in Montreal in the year 1827, and attended the church. Pew No. 58 was placed at the disposal of Colonel Jones and the other officers of the Regiment.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE CLERGY RESERVES CONTROVERSY-POLICY OF THE CROWN TO ESTABLISH THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND IN CANADA - THE OXFORD MOVEMENT FAVOURED THE IDEA—Dr. Strachan's ECCLESIASTICAL CHARTS—CLAIMS Of Niagara And Queeec Congregations First Put Forward — Me. Esbon, The Great Champion Of The Church Of Scotland's Rights— J. C. Grant's Mission—Dr. LEE'S "QUERIES"-ANSWERS OBTAINED CHURCH OF SCOTLAND GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S ACTION ON THE SUBJECT— UPPER CANADA LEGISLATURE UPHOLDS PRESBYTERIAN CLAIMS-ATTEMPTS TO CONTROL EDUCATION IN LOWER CANADA BY CHURCH OF ENGLAND RESISTED BY MR. ESSON-CHURCH OF SCOTLAND'S RIGHTS GRANTED IN 1840.

The "Clergy Reserves" controversy is interesting from more than one point of view. For one thing, it is the history of the attempt made to plant Established Chnrches in the British colonies; for the same plan was intended to be followed up in Australia, if it had succeeded here.

It is also specially important, on account of its bearing upon subsequent Presbyterian consolidation. Sir George Murray, British Secretary of State for the Colonies, in a letter to the Governor of Upper Canada, Sir John Colborne, of date, 1st August, 1830, urged, that for the purposes of receiving consideration from the Government all the Presbyterians should join together. From 1826 onwards, £750 a year was given by the Imperial Government to be divided between the Church of Scotland Ministers, but Sir George Murray was disposed to extend assistance to all Presbyterian clergymen as well. He

says:—