ALS. The writer apologizes for his Latin, not as good as it was in Valladolid 38 years before, and acknowledges the addressee's letter of 18 December [1824], received on 15 [recte 10] March [1825], and the bp. of Rhesaina [A. McDonell]'s letter dated from Rome, 8 May [1825], received the day before [30 August 1825]. He hopes that the Holy See takes advantage of the favourable attitude of government, colonial ministers and governors (most of those in North America are Scots), and recalls his good relationship with Kempt (Nova Scotia), [H.] Douglas (New Brunswick), and Dalhousie (Canada [i.e., British North America).
Regrettably, the bulls [appointing the writer bp. of Charlottetown; the appointment was then made in the CG of 13 July 1829; see Acta 187] were not handed to McDonell prior to his departure from Rome [in May or June 1825], otherwise the government's pension would have started immediately. In fact, although the government supports the bp.s for political reasons, it only allows those who are considered really necessary. The writer describes the coast of Cape Breton [Island], Iles-de-la-Madeleine, a good portion of [Prince Edward] Island, the estern and northeastern coasts of New Brunswick (the latter mostly in French Acadian hands) as Catholic; New Brunswick as mostly populated by French Acadian, the remainder as thriving (bread, roads) and mostly by Highland Scots, for whom Providence has reserved these lands.
As for the education of new priests and their scarcity, the writer recalls that a youngster cost $120 to be educated in Québec (there are currently none there), that French-speaking priests are not forthcoming from Québec, that Fraser (were he to be appointed coadjutor [of the writer]) would be able to establish small seminaries, and that he could buy land in Cape Breton for Vincent [de Paul] and another Trappist priest [François-Xavier] arrived there to settle [soon after 25 June 1825]. As for the abp. of Québec [Plessis], some months before [on 13 July 1825?] he answered the writer's letter, stating that he should not count on Paisley, a missionary from northern Britain, who would instead have been very useful, being English the prevalent language in the mission.
PF notes (United States, letter of state of bp. [illegible]). Re [Della Somaglia's] letter to Poynter of 28 January 1826 [see Lettere 215].
![[ALS. The writer apologizes for his Latin, not as good ...]](/images/folder-80.png){kind=small}