Jesuits' Estates Act

Passed by the Mercier government in Quebec,

1888. Following the suppression of the Society of Jesus by the pope, in

1773, the property of the order in Canada became vested in the crown,

and was set apart for purposes of education in the province of Quebec.

By the British North America Act, it was vested in the provincial

government. The Mercier Act authorized payment of $400,000 as

compensation to the Jesuits for the l nds confiscated by the crown. An

agitation in Ontario for disallowance of the Act, was followed by a

formal motion in the Dominion House, by Colonel O'Brien, but only

thirteen members voted for disallowance. =Index=: (Sir John A Macdonald era) Origin, 286;

claimed by Society of Jesus, 286; Act passed by Quebec Legislature

authorizing payment for lands Jesuits held before the conquest, 286,

287; motion favouring federal disallowance, proposed, 288, 289; motion

defeated, 289; agitation ends by formation of Equal Rights Association

and later by the Protestant Protective Association, 289. (Lord Dorchester era) Proposal

to apply revenues of, to educational purposes, 230; General Amherst's

claim to, 230. (Baldwin / La Fontaine / Hincks era) Revenue from, 18. (General Brock era) Appropriation of property a

grievance with French-Canadians, 77. =Bib.=: Willison, Sir Wilfrid

Laurier and the Liberal Party; Grant and Hamilton, Principal Grant;

Pope, Memoirs of Sir John A. Macdonald.