your Lordship, i felt embarrassed and unable to come to a conclusion
concerning the position of the Church in this Colony, and also concern-
ing the proceedings which have taken place in the Provincial Synods,
and whether these proceedings were legal and valid, and binding on
those who took part in them. In order to satisfy my own mind for the
guidance of the Synod of my diocese, I submitted all the documents
together with the Synod law, the Royal Patent, &c., to A. Crooks, Esq.,
Q.a., and Edward Blake, Esq., of Toronto, and requested them to furnish
an opinion as to the validity or invalidity of our proceedings heretofore,
and to advise as to how it would be necessary for us to proceed in time
to come, if we desired to have a General Assembly under the Synod law.
" These gentlemen furnished me with the opinion, a printed copy of
which I enclose. From this it is evident that all the labour and expense
incurred by the Provincial Synoda which have taken place, have been in
vain, and that it is now necessary to begin de novo.
" My Synod meets on Tnuesday, when all these matters will come before
it."
The legal opinion referred to by the Bishop, was to the follow-
ing effect:
Legal Opiniwo with Reference to the General Assembly,
or Provincial Synod.
We have considered the papers and statementa laid before us by the
Bishop of Huron, from which it appears, amongst other things, that the
Bishop of Montreal, as Metropolitan, and by virtue of Her Majesty's
Patent in that behalf, convoked and presided over the meetings of the
Provincial Synode, or General Assemblies, which have taken place in
Canada, and that the action of the Assembly, and of the several Dioceses
which participated therein, proceeded upon the assumption that this
Patent was legal and valid, and that this assumption materially influ-
enced the action of the Diocese of Huron in the matter.
It appears, also, that under judicial decisions arrived at, and legal
opinions taken subsequently to the last meeting of the Assembly, the
Patent is invalid and illegal in all its material parts, including that which
assumes to give the Bishop of Montreal, as Metropolitan, power to con-
voke and preside over the Aseembly.
We are of opinion as follows:
1.-The Meetings and organization of the Assembly were not, nor are
they, under the circumstances, legal or binding on any Dioeese.
2.-In order to the proper and legal organization of the General Assem-
bly, it is necessary that all the Diomese in Canada should coneur in.
a new organization thereof.