PM. Ponenza [prepared for the CG of 1 March 1830] on the Sulpician Seminary of Montréal, in 59 paragraphs. Paragraph 59 contains three queries to be answered by PF. They are followed by a Sommario. The writer makes reference to the GC of 19 February 1827 [see Acta 168], to [Cappellari's] letter to the Nuncio in Paris [Lambruschini, of 14 April 1827; see Lettere 280], to the Nuncio's letters [to Cappellari and PF] of 4 [and 18] June, 28 November and 12 October [recte December] 1827 [see SOCG 537 539-540 542], to the Nuncio's letter [of 4 June 1827] to the minister [of Foreign Affairs], Baron de Damas [Maxence; see SOCG 538].
Although the Nuncio (who had secret instructions to see that the Montréal Seminary receive adequate compensation in the case of a negative outcome) was confident that Bathurst would soon be transferred to another department, the British government maintains that the Seminary belongs to the Crown and that the Sulpicians have no legal existence. The letter written by the Earl of Dudley [Ward], Secretary of State for External Affairs, to the French chargé d'affaires in London [Roth, recte first secretary, of 21 September 1827; see SOCG 541] reveals that London believes that the end of feudal rights is necessary to better exploit the land, but that a compromise is sought with large compensation given to the Sulpicians (see Sommario, nos. 1-5). The four articles discussed between Roux and the British government, on the matter of the cession of all feudal rights on the parts of the Sulpician Seminary, are listed.
They had been communicated by the French Ambassador, the Duc de Montmorency-Laval [see A.-A.-P. de Montmorency], to the Secretary of State [Della Somaglia, on 4 January 1825; see SOCG 545], by the latter to the PF Prefect [Cappellari] on 9 January 1828 [see SOCG 544], and by Roux to the PF Prefect in his letter of 20 January [1828; see SOCG 546]. Also mentioned are a letter that Huskisson, Secretary of State [for War and the Colonies], wrote to Dalhousie, Lieutenant General for [War and] the Colonies [of 8 December 1827; see SOCG 546], and [PF] letter to Roux (Sommario, nos. 6-8).
The matter seemed to be resolved to everybody's satisfaction, when PF was informed of the opposition to the deal of the bp. of Telmissus (Lartigue), the abp. of Québec [Panet] and the bp. of Fussala [Signay], who maintained that the Sulpicians, being only the administrators of the goods of the Seminary, could not give them away without the abp.'s consent, that the pecuniary compensation they would receive would make them heavily dependent on and therefore loyal to British government's subsidies, and that at any rate in future their pensions could be stopped by a less friendly government that could decide to pursue the same policy with other Montréal establishments.
Reference is made to the sending of Roux's articles to the abp. on 8 August 1828, to Lartigue's letter of 15 August 1828 [see SOCG 547], to the abp. of Québec's letter of 31 January 1829 [see SOCG 548], and to PF [i.e., Castracane degli Antelminelli]'s letter to Lartigue [of 14 February 1829; see Lettere 306] (see Sommario, nos. 9-12). The viewpoint of those opposing the deal has been fully explained by Tabeau and Maguire, who in December [1829] arrived in Rome and met with the PF Prefect. Reference is made to the 1641 donation of the island of Montréal, to the 1763 Capitulation [Treaty of Paris, 10 February 1763], to the Paris Sulpicians' abdication to their Canadian rights of 29 April 1764 (act signed by Cousturier, Beaupoil, Bourachot, Legrand, Moiroud, Montgolfier), to Plessis's letter to the Secretary of State for [War and] the Colonies [Bathurst, of 20 August 1819;
see SOCG 551], to the abp. of Québec [Panet] letter to the Sulpician Seminary [i.e., Le Saulnier, of 28 January 1828; see SOCG 554]. Tabeau and Maguire also pointed out that in the likely occurrence of Lower Canada becoming part of the United States, the new government would not recognize former titles and rights. Furthermore, according to Tabeau and Maguire, the law makes it impossible for the British government to simply take possession of the Seminary without any compensation at all, on account of [almost] 70 years (from 1763 onwards) without change in its relationship with the Sulpicians. Moreover, as shown by Dalhousie's letters to Comte of 30 January and [8 February] 1827 [see SOCG 555 559], the Government knows too well how much the clergy's influence over the people is necessary to keep Lower Canada, in the event of a likely new war with the United States (see Sommario, nos. 13-19).
The writer recalls how co-operation has not prevented the British government from trying to impose Protestantism upon its Catholic subjects, especially in recent years, mentions the difficulties encountered in the sub-division of the immense diocese of Québec, and the fact that the Protestant bishop [of Québec, C.J. Stewart] still prevents the [a]bp. of Québec from using his full title, fears that the Montréal Seminary be made into a Protestant school. The queries are, [1] whether to consider the Sulpicians simple administrators and to oppose Roux's deal; [2] what would be the consequences of the said deal; [3] whether to order the Sulpicians to drop their deal.
The Sommario contains, [1] PF [Cappellari] to Lambruschini, 14 April 1827; [2] [Lambruschini] to [PF], 4 June 1827 [see SOCG 537], enclosing [Lambruschini] to [Damas, 4 June 1827; see SOCG 538]; [3] [Lambruschini] to [Cappellari], 18 June 1827 [see SOCG 539]; [4] [Lambruschini] to [Cappellari], 28 November 1827 [see SOCG 540], attaching Dudley to Roth, 21 September 1827 [see SOCG 541]; [5] [Lambruschini] to [Cappellari], 12 December 1827 [see SOCG 542]; [6] Della Somaglia to [Cappellari], 9 January 1828 [see SOCG 544]; [7] Roux to [Cappellari], 20 January 1828 [see SOCG 546]; [8] PF to Roux, 19 January 1828 [missing, but see Lettere 291]; [9] Excerpts from Lartigue to [Cappellari], 15 August 1828 [see SOCG 547]; [10] PF to Lartigue, 14 February 1829; [11] Excerpts from abp. of Québec [Panet] to [Cappellari], 31 January 1829 [see SOCG 548];
[12] Maguire and Tabeau to PF Prefect [Cappellari], [December 1829] [see SOCG 549]; [13] Maguire and Tabeau to PF, 9 February 1830 [see SOCG 550]; [14] Plessis to Bathurst, 20 August 1819 [see SOCG 551]; [15] Montréal clergy to George IV, December 1828 [see SOCG 552]; [16] Sulpician Seminary's instructions to Roux, 20 February 1827 [see SOCG 553]; [17] Panet to Le Saulnier, 28 January 1828 [see SOCG 554]; [18] Dalhousie to Comte, [30 January 1827] [see SOCG 555]; [19] Dalhousie to Comte, 8 February 1827 [see SOCG 559]. B: fol. 72v.
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