THE OUTBREAK  OF THE REVOLUTION.    41
with a" protest against the indulgence and es-
tablishment of popery all along their interior
confines ; " this being called forth by what was
known as the " Quebec Bill," whereby the
British Parliament had recently granted extraor-
dinary powers and privileges to the Canadian
clergy, with the obvious purpose of conciliating
that powerful priesthood, and thereby convert-
ing — as was actually done — the recently con-
quered French of the St. Lawrence valley into
efficient allies of the British government against
the old Protestant colonies.
This eighth article was ridiculous, and was
especially objected to by Morris. In one of his
vigorous, deliciously fresh, and humorous letters,
dated June 30, 1775, and addressed to John
Jay, then in the Continental Congress, he
writes : —
The foolish religious business I opposed until I was
weary ; it was carried by a very small majority, and
my dissent entered. . . . The article about religion
is most arrant nonsense, and would do as well in a
high Dutch Bible as the place it now stands in.
I drew a long report for our committee, to which
they could make no objections excepting that none of
them could understand it. ... I was pleased at the
rejection, because, as I observed to you before, I think
the question ought to be simplified.
I address this letter to you, but I shall be glad [if]