ALS. The writer acknowledges the addressee's letter, encloses one for Caprano [of 8 Kuly 1824; see Acta 127], and wonders whether the addressee has received his many letters and Fontana his maps. In Nova Scotia Highland Catholics are numerous, and three or four priests are necessary. In Cape Breton Island (known for cod-fishing, coal, cattle, grain, and potatoes) the numerous Highland Catholics are served by two priests [A. MacDonell 1782-1841, Fraser], but two Gaelic- and one English-speaking priests would also be necessary. From Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island four boys were sent to Québec at the cost of at least $1,700 each, but two shortly returned home for health reasons, and two were expelled in January [1824] for lack of money, one still on his way home. Most of the Catholics of New Brunswick (known for its timber) are of French descent, with some Irish and Scots in the Miramichi region, Saint John and Fredericton.
As for Prince Edward Island (where commerce is insignificant), the bp.s of Québec are accused of not making any effort to raise priests for Highland Catholics who began to arrive in 1771, of having sent no Canadian priests from 1760 to [the time of Plessis's visitation in] 1812, and of sending "straggling priests" in the Maritimes and Upper Canada. Yet "Canada abounds in riches", the abp. [Plessis] receives £1,500 a year from the government, and provides his coadjutor [Panet] with $800 yearly. On his own private money, the writer sent two boys to Canada 12 years before, one of whom left at the end of his studies [Ronald Macdonald], the other [B.D. Macdonald] is now a priest in the Island (his education cost $1,860). His death [in 1820] stopped [E.] Burke's project of a seminary on the shore opposite to Prince Edward Island, which could have supplied the Highland Catholics with priests.
The writer praises his good relationship with the government, the fact that free exercise of religion is never questioned, and the personal support of the [Lieutenant-]Governor of Nova Scotia, Kempt, who this year granted him extensive land property (Eastern Arm, Bras d'Or Lake mentioned). The writer is against the abp. of Québec's request that Nova Scotia be re-united with Québec, suggests that the Pope [Leo XII] made Fraser independently responsible for Nova Scotia (this would facilitate "our establishing ... together some schools for raising youth for ourselves, independent of the feeble hope we can entertain from Canada"), reports on the dispute between the bp. of Telmissus [Lartigue] and the Montréal Seminary, and suggests also that Montréal be made into a vicariate apostolic (to prevent the "volatile Canadians ... to tear these peaceable portions of God's church to pieces").
Letters for the writer should be sent to Poynter, 4 Castle Street, in London, who will forward them to Halifax.
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