Sept. 2.-A Report prepared by a Special Committee of the Church of England Synod of Toronto Diocese is published and suggests such legislation as would declare the validity of marriages solemnized under such circumstances as the Hébert marriage and others attacked; as would forbid any man or woman, lay or clerical, in the Dominion to impeach such marriage, to throw aspersions on the persons who have thus entered into the state of matrimony or question the legitimacy of the offspring of such marriage; as would prevent any proceedings based on the ecclesiastical illegality or invalidity of such marriage; as would punish any one entering into a household to cause a separation because of the absence of some religious requirement. Oct. 16.-The Ecumenical Methodist Conference, meeting in Toronto, passes the following Resolution: 'This Conference assembled at Toronto and representing the interests of world-wide Methodism, enters its emphatic protest against the Ne Temere Decree recently issued by the Church of Rome. While holding that the fullest religious liberty should be accorded to men of all creeds, the Conference repudiates the idea that any Church Decree should have the power to over-ride the civil law, and especially on such a subject as that of marriage, on which the welfare of any community depends. The Conference is further of opinion that the promulgation of the Ne Temere Decree is an outrage upon the elementary rights of citizenship." Similar Resolutions were passed by the Methodist Conference of British Columbia, of the Welland, Hamilton, Guelph and London Districts, of the Winnipeg, Ottawa and Montreal (Southern and Northern) Districts, of the Charlotte County, N.B., Toronto West and South Winnipeg Districts, of the Provinces of Alberta and New Brunswick, of the City of Toronto. They were supported by the Evangelical Alliance of Toronto and St. John, by the Toronto Presbytery and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, by the Presbyterian Synod of Saskatchewan and the General Ministerial Association of Toronto, by the Congregational Union of Canada, and the Congregational Women's Board of Missions, by the Western Association of Baptist Churches, the Baptist Association of Niagara and Hamilton, the Toronto and Ottawa Baptist Associations and a public meeting of Baptists in Toronto, by the Anglican Synods of Ottawa, Huron and Toronto. The Orange Lodges were, of course, vigorous in their denunciation. Strong Resolutions were passed by the Grand Lodge of New Brunswick on Mar. 23, by that of Manitoba on Mar. 1, by that of Ontario West on March 8, by an Orange demonstration in Victoria, B.C., on July 12 and at many other points on the same day, by the Royal Black Chapter of British America on June 27, and the Grand Orange Lodge of British America on June 30, and by many other organizations in the Order. Roman Catholic feeling was not expressed in any stormy fashion nor was any public resentment shown at the fiery utterances of earnest Protestants. The matter appeared to be taken very quietly, with occasional assertion or re-assertion of the dogma itself. It was argued that the position taken was analagous to that of the Church of England in relation to marriage with a Deceased Wife's Sister and to that of other Protestant Churches in their non-recognition of Divorce laws. Archbishop Bruchesi in a sermon at Montreal (Apl. 7) claimed that "since the Church of Rome looks upon marriage as a sacrament it has the right to regulate marriages.' His Grace argued that it was perfectly logical for the Church to forbid the marriage of a Catholic before an officer of religion considered (by the Church) as incompetent to act in cases in which Catholics were involved. The trouble appeared to be that in some countries the position of the Church was maintained by Civil law, whereas in other countries it was not. "The divergence came from the Civil law, and not from the law of the Church." In an interview given to The Globe at Montreal, on Nov. 19th, the Archbishop said: "All the Protestant Churches have regulations governing whom they shall or shall not marry. I believe that the Church of England ministers are forbidden to marry divorced people. Well, the Ne Temere is a Decree made by us to govern our own people. Of course it has got into the Civil Courts but it was intended solely for our own people." Since the regulation in his Archdiocese forbidding mixed marriages, except by special dispensation, His Grace stated that the number had decreased from 170 to 2 or 3 in a year. Bishop Fallon of London was explicit, in a statement to his people there, on Mch. 26th: "It is a piece of impertinence to say that the Church cannot make marriage laws to govern her own people. She has made the law and Catholics will abide by it or get out of the Church. Matrimony is a sacrament in the eyes of the Catholic Church, and when she says, what God has joined together let no man rend asunder, she means it for the rich and for the poor, the old and the young, the lettered and the unlettered alike. There is no way to get around it." The following argument was adduced by L'Action Sociale-a paper countenanced by the Hierarchy of Quebec and Manitoba-according to a translation in the Canadian Century of April 29th: "Neither the Canon nor the Civil law authorizes a Catholic priest to validly celebrate the marriage of two Protestants nor to accord them dispensation, and never have the Catholic priests claimed the right to pronounce the marriage tie in such case. And never have they interfered in the celebration of such marriages. Why then should the Protestants claim the right to validly join together two Catholics?" Archbishop Langevin, in Winnipeg on May 28th, put the matter in these words: "The Church alone has the right to make laws concerning the validity of the sacrament of matrimony, and the State has absolutely no right to interfere. She would never think of dictating to the Church concerning the validity or non validity of the sacraments of baptism, confirmation or extreme unction. Why then should she try to dictate concerning the sacrament of marriage?" On June 17th the Catholic Truth Society of the Archdiocese of Halifax made public a statement signed by Sir M. B. Daly, President. It was claimed (1) that the Church did not regard the marriage of two Protestants, by a Protestant minister, as illegal-in fact if one or the other ever became a Catholic no new ceremony was required; (2) that since the Ne Temere promulgation the marriage of two Catholics, or one Catholic and one Protestant, by a Protestant minister or other civil authority was regarded as "invalid" and, properly so, in order to prevent hasty and ill-considered marriages; (3) that although invalid such a marriage was not illegal in the eyes of the Church except in the Province of Quebec; (4) that in the event of the Catholic party or parties, to such a union, desiring reconciliation to the Church they were only urged to have their union validated-not to abandon each other or the children. There were, of course, a few strenuous comments by Roman Catholic ecclesiastics regarding the Protestant agitation and the most notable was, perhaps, that of the Rev. L. Minehan in Toronto on Mar. 26th. He asked this question: "Is it not time for respectable non-Catholics to take active steps to put down this devil's game? Are they not aware of the harm done to Christianity in every form by these successful appeals to ignorance and hatred?" Father Minehan quoted, one by one, the various unpleasant things said about the Decree, analyzed them and offered what he deemed proofs of their absolute falsity. Only one brief extract from the sermon can be added here: "To no other religion is the home as sacred as it is to the Catholic Church. Her whole energies are devoted to keeping the home peaceful and pure and loving, with God for its centre. She realizes that the home must be the recruiting ground of Heaven or Hell. And the vital principle of the home is not the material shell which shuts out the rain and frost but the wondrous, mysterious, union of two individuals who pledge themselves to be one in order that this union should be a principle of life for others." To meet this object one faith was deemed essential. It can only be added here that no definite action was taken by Governments or Parliaments during this year though something was done in 1912; that the Ne Temere Decree was a natural though not a public influence in the General Elections wherever Orangeism happened to be strong; that this effect was, however, exaggerated and was probably no more prominent than was ecclesiastical support to Nationalism in Quebec; that politicians were more than content to consider the issue as at present a legal one-a matter for the Courts and constitutional decision as between the powers of the Dominion and Provincial authorities. Record and Clubs in 1911 The Canadian Club movement and work during this year was somewhat hampered by political activity and public absorption in a great issue which such Clubs could not discuss, or thought they could not, without getting mixed up in Party politics. Early in the year, and upon the same day, the Prime Minister (Sir W. Laurier) and the future Premier (Mr. Borden) had addressed Canadian Clubs upon non-political matters-one in Quebec and the other in Toronto. Lord Grey, as Governor-General, gave at least one address on Imperial unity and Mr. Bourassa one or two upon Nationalism before different branches of the organization. Mr. Borden, after he became Premier, addressed the Club at Halifax on Nov. 2nd and the Premier of New Zealand, Sir Joseph Ward, spoke at a number of places under Canadian Club auspices. The general work of the Clubs continued along the lines of previous years-hearing distinguished visitors or Canadians speak on important topics and organizing special lines of public activity in various localities. In Vancouver the Club presented 10,000 small flags and buttons to the school children of the City for use on Dominion Day and arranged a series of addresses to the pupils on Canadian and Imperial topics; helped Mr. F. C. Wade in his efforts to erect a Canadian Memorial of General Wolfe in England; declared in the annual address of President Ewing Buchan on Nov. 14th that the ostentatious display of foreign flags without special reason is to be deplored" and that the Club was in favour of a freer display of the Union Jack on all public buildings and elsewhere on public occasions. As to the Wolfe Memorial, at the General's grave in Gravesend, England, Mr. Wade announced in May that $8,000 had been contributed-the Vancouver Club and the Women's local Club giving $300 and the Winnipeg Club $500. The latter organization continued its efforts to promote a worthy local celebration of Empire Day and presented to each pupil of the schools a Canadian flag-button and contributed 4 University scholarships in the study of Canadian history. Loyal Coronation greetings were despatched to the King and Queen and birthday congratulations to His Majesty. Much local discussion and criticism was aroused by the address of Dr. J. G. Schurman of Cornell on Aug. 21st when Reciprocity was freely supported by the visitor. In Montreal the Club passed a Resolution (Feb. 6) expressing gratification at the appointment of H.R.H. the Duke of Connaught as Governor-General; in St. John a special entertainment was given by the local Club to the visiting Sheffield Choir on Mch. 26; in Nelson, B.C., the Canadian Club on Mch. 11 expressed deep resentment at certain offensive statements in the Spokesman-Review of Spokane, Wash., regarding King George and sent word to the Editor of that United States journal that "there existed on this side of the boundary line a chain of Canadian Clubs prepared to resent insults to the Crown" and that "the Canadian Club of this District as the nearest one to the scene, failing a retraction, is prepared to apply to the PostmasterGeneral at Ottawa to exclude the offending paper from the Canadian mails." The following were the principal speakers and addresses before these organizations during 1911: I.—CANADIAN SUBJECTS Club and Place. Date. Athabasca Landing Athabasca Land Aug. 15 Colonel G. E. Sanders, D.8.0. History of Canadian Clubs. 30 Hon. C. W. Cross, K.C..... The Future of the North. 23 Rev. L. Minehan, S.J...... National Greatness: 19 Bishop du Pencier 19 Hon. Frank Oliver, M.P.. President Forrest Humphrey Mellish, K.C.. ing Oct. Berlin Nov. Mch. 28 6 Henry Holgate, C.E. 13 John S. McLennan 27 J. S. Ewart, K.C.. 7 G. C. Creelman, LL.D.. 5 Hon. Clifford Sifton, M.P... ments and Nature. Canadian Resources. Its Ele The Mackenzie River Basin. Canada and Popular Govern ment. Canadian Independence. 5 Colonel J. M. Gibson, K.C... The Military Training of Youth. 13 Arthur Meighen, M.P. 20 Hon. Frank Oliver, M.P.... 9 H. H. Dewart, K.C.. 17 J. S. Willison, LL.D. 25 Dr. J. W. Robertson, C.M.G. 4 Hon. W. J. Hanna, K.C.... 24 Hon. A. L. Sifton, K.C.. Miss Hurlbatt Mch. 31 Mrs. Sanford Evans Nov. 6 Hon. W. R. Riddell Nov. 27 Dr. Andrew McPhail, B.A... Prince Edward Island Con Feb. 23 R. H. Alexander 8 M. B. Jackson Feb. Mch. 28 J. A. Macdonald, LL.D.. ditions. Early Days in British Columbia. II.—IMPERIAL SUBJECTS 12 J. S. Willison, LL.D....... (Canadian Policy and Imperial Relations. 12 Sir Andrew Fraser, K.C.S.I. British Rule in India. 3 Prof. W. L. Grant, M.A.... Peace: The True Imperialism. ment. 9 Rt. Hon. James Bryce, 0.M. Britain and Canada. |