A CLERICAL FACTOTUM.

UPPER CANADA—CHURCH REVENUES—THE ARCHDEACONRY OF TORE— RECIPE FOR SEDITION, AN ARMY OF PRIESTS—THE DOCTOR PAID FOR MS PRESCRIPTION—AN OLD GAOL SEIZED TO Pimp THE ESTABLISHAIENT- A GENUINE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHER—A MILLION OF DOLLARS ILL APPLIED—DOWNING STREET PARSONS.

" \That, crop the close I the Pierson's. too For this can less than death be dime?

When thorns and thistles grow so plenty,

Could nothing. but the Glebe content ye ? From such a stn but death can purge ye—

Death without benefit of clergy." Fables from La runtaise.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.

SIR—The period having at length arrived, in which the claim of the Church of England to the enjoyment of innnense wealth and temporal power is about to undergo a strict investigation I trust you will not be unwilling to give pub- licity to the following sketch Of that branch of the Hierarchy which has been fostered and upheld by successive Governments, and by none more than the present, in the province of Upper Canada. The Colonial Department appears to be exerting itself to the utmost, to se- cure for the priesthood of the Establishment in America " a double portion" of thesproperty of the Colonists ; and by the papers printed by the Legislature during its last sitting, it would appear that Government have no intention of withdrawing from the Bishops of Quebec and Nova Scotia, and the Arch- deacons, Rectors, and Evening Lecturers at Quebec and elsewhere' the immense salaries they receive for services their congregations (where they have any) do not choose to remunerate.

In Upper Canada, it is a positive truth, that although not one person in ten— some say not one in twenty--of the population belong to the Church of Eng- land, about one acre out. of four through the whole province has been granted to the priesthood of that church, in the form of glebes, gifts, clergy-reserves, col- lege lands, school lands, &c. &c. for its maintenance. This large and immensely valuable apportionment, and the annual donations which P.ritish folly has added out of the taxes levied in England on English in- dustry, have been far from satisfying the desires of these priests. Like their head, Doctor STRACHAN, they are everywhere—interfering in every thing, clerical and laical—seeking to gain by all contingencies ; and while preaching indifference about the things of this world, they in general conduct themselves as if they really believed in the existence of none other. I perceive by the Canada Papers, and am also informed by private letters from that country, that this clergy, corporation are about to delegate to England the Solicitor-General Of the Colony, as the advocate of their claims to be conti- nued at free quarters upon the unfortunate people of the province (who have, oftener than once, collectively and individually, petitioned, King, Lords, and Commons, to abolish all church establishments, as being contrary to the true spirit of Christianity), and am therefore the more anxious to obtain the atten- tion of the British public to the following facts. The most active and persevering of ihese Churchmen is a. convert from the Kirk of Scotlaial ; a philosopher possessing no mean claims to distinction, and whose equal has never crossed the Atlantic since the days of the hero of Sara- toga, who greatly astonished the natives by issuing forth a "Proclamation—by John Burgoyne, 'Esquire; Lieutenant-General of his Majesty's Armies in Ame- rica; Colonel of the Queen's Regiment of Light Dragoons; Governor of Fort William, in North Britain ; one of the Representatives of the Commons of Great Britain ; and commanding an Army and Fleet on an Expedition from Canada," &c. &c.

This General Bombastes, who knocked under to a "Kitt Wood" (the name- sake and connexion of the present President of the Montreal Bank), who had no titles at all, was but a type of "the Honourable and Venerable Archdeacon

STRACHAN."

HE IS, in the first place, Perpetual President of the Board of Education, at the cost of the householders of England, being paid from an obnoxious inland tax upon the timber trade' which Lord GODERICH refuses to reduce. 2. El E is a Legislative Councillor, and one of the most active politicians in America. 3. Ils is Rector and Parish Priest of the Church of England, at York (Upper Canada), and draws a large income from leased property bestowed by Downing Street on its favourite ministers. A few years ago, a new gaol was built in the capital of the colony; and as the old one stood in a handsome and extensive square, the inhabitants were desirous that it should be thrown open as a public promenade. Dr. STRACHAN, however, petitioned Downing Street, and ob- tained gaol, square and all, as an addition to his globe! He immediately filled the area with leasehold houses, and pockets the rents as a perquisite of the rectory. 4. HE IS an active member of the Executive Council or Provincial Cabinet of the Colony, receiving a salary as such. 5. HE is a Missionary of the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge; and in this capacity receives 270/. a year, by vote of the Imperial Parliament, omit of the earnings of the patient and long-suffering people of England. 6. HE is one of the principal stockholders of the Bank of Upper Canada, holding several hundred shares in that institution ; by means of which .the Government and its officers contrive to regulate the Currency so as to obtain about :30,000/. per annum from the industry of the farmers--contraeting or di- minishing their discounts at pleasure. In conjunction with his other offices; he used to sit at the board as a Director of the Bank, regulating the discounts! 7. HE is a member of the Clergy orporation for regulating the proceeds. of a seventh of all the lands of Upper Canada; hitherto applied to the use of " Esta- blished priests." 8. Hs Is a Justice of the Peace, empowered to act as such in every county ma the province--and paid by fees. 9. HE is President for life (appointed by Ministers) of the University of King's College, better known as" Little Oxford ;" one of the most intolerant scholastic institutions ever contrived to crush the rising spirit of liberty in any country; Three successive Provincial Parliaments have addressed his Majesty against this College, almost unanimously ; the Canada Committee (of wlich Lord Howtex Was ,a Liberal -member) reprobated it ; -agent after agent has been sent to 'England loaded With .petitions,'praying that its unjust; -• unsocial charter may be recalled. Sir GEORGE MURRAY and his successor hearken to all that is said against their bantling,' but take especial care to keep the babe at its old nurse. What the Doctor's emoluments are as President, is a secret. 10. HE IS a member of the CollegeCouncil. - • jr. HE is a menther of the Colonial Land Council. •" 12. HE is senior Member of ELEVEN. Boards of Education, situated in each district of the Colony ; and on these Boards a Liberal settler is seldom, if ever

placed. • '

13. HE is a member of the Commission for Settling Titles to Estates, under the Heir and Devisees Act; and, as such, paid by fees. 14. HE as Archdeacon. of York, in the bishopric of Quebec, and diocese of Canterbury ; receiving therefor 300/. a year, but from what fund I am unable to Say.. Of course h i

e s a D.D.

15. HE 10 a Trustee of the Royal Institution, and holds many situations in- consistent with his clerical character as a Christian Missionary. He was ori- ginally a Presbyterian schoolmaster, but saw the error of his ways, and conformed to the Established Church.

16. HE is a first-rate land-jobber and speculator, annually clearing many thousand dollars in this way. Your readers will remember, that in 1828 he came home here ; and, as a member of the Government of Canada, advised Ministers to send out a regi- ment of priests to keep the people loyal, and put down seditious Methodists, and ignorant Baptists, Presbyterians, and other Dissenting clergymen ; and that the .country and Its local Legislature addressed the King, exhibiting him as a danger- ous person, whose injudicious conduct and false statements were calculated to in- jure the interests of this country in America.

But Sir Gronon MURRAY and Lord GODERICH turned a deaf ear to every remonstrance; and Dr. STRACHAN is to this dal, the real Governor of Upper Canada ; and doing more to alienate the people's minds from English government than all the fortifications are effecting in strengthening it. People do not like to be priest-tidden when they get to America—they have had enough of that in Europe. .

For the valuable information he gave to Viscount Conipticir, I find that his

Grace of WELLINGTON ordered him to be presented with two thousand acres of the most choice and fertile lands in British -Arneric'a, a few miles front York. This present was at least equal in value to 3,000/. sterling ; and although the Doctor remained here as a sort of legal adviser to the Ministry for nearly two years, be took the .pay for all his offices in America, the same as if he had been there doing the duty.- • ••

I find that the Whigs have lately ordered him to receive 1,000/. Sterlin7,, out

of the public money, without any vote of Parliament, to assist him hi building a splendid. " Established Church' ' although the province is over head and ears in debt, and the present Church of York only fourteen years old, and never full of a Sunday. I find that the, Whigs continue to pay 'him 1,0001.. Sterling a rear out of the monies they get from the Canada Company, for his College ; al- though the British Government was solemnly pledged to apply that money to the payment of the sufferers by the late war, whose claims they have acItoow- ledg,ed even while they have allowed many of them to go down to the grave in- volved in debtipoverty, misery, and ruin,—a beacon to warn others in all future contests. Even the generous subscriptions of the Nova Scotians and New- Brunswickers to aid these sufferers, were . applied by Dr. STRACHAN and his associates to the erection of an Hospital to add to their own patronage, instead of fulfilling the intention Of the donors—thonsands ofportids were thus laid out. Nor is this all. What DM STILACHAN did for the :300/. I see set down as a payment to him by Government from the funds obtained from the Canada Company, I have not found out. Was he the Company's Chaplain, or in which of his manifold characters did he appear at the reference ? 2. In the Parliamentary document No. 2:3:3, vear.1831, I perceive three items of 3307., 4,47:3/. and 1,380/. stated ashiving been paid to Colonel Cocxnuits.

The Ministers di ' d not vouchsafe to give Parliament a more full detail. If the Colonel did not pocket these sums, who did? Will the paw of the Priest appear there also? The philosophic ease with Which . the venerable Divine bears the burden of

Church and State—banks and Indian missions—education and speculation— trudging along like a steamer propelled by a high pressure engine, with his divinity and money-bas,' schemes and projects of legislation and judicial jug- gling, s truly. marvellous; and proves his title as first of a class of American philosophers, from the dogmas of which our Anglo-Canadian brethren appear very much inclined to shake themselves free. I think it will be found,- on examination, that about a million of dollars of the preduce of the taxes levied in England upon the industry of the people, have been shipped to the Canadas of late years to pay a college of Priests and Bishops and 'venerable Archdeacons, of whom Dr. STRACIIAN is the head,—busy, meddling politicians,but arrayed in the garb of the meek and lowly Jesus, and assuming the titles of humble niissionitnes, sent to propagate the everlasting gospel-truths of Christianity. They are all selected in Downing. Street, some- thing after the fashionin use by those Deans and Chapters who always choose by inspiration the divine for Bishop whom the "Defender of the Faith" thinks most worthy.

The secrecy which has been observed with regard to the receipt and expendi- ture of the revenues of the Northern Colonies, with the consent of Parliament, has been the fruitful•source of many abuses. I trust they will be exposed next winter, and 'a remedy applied. I am, Sir, your most obedient servant,

TIMOTHY.