It is now eight days since Richard announced his great hopes that the plans for the construction of the Church would be carried out. The beautiful and magnificent projects of which he spoke in his last letter have aroused a great opposition which though badly organized is yet very strong, arising from prejudices, diverse passions, rivalries, blind obstinacy and even revenge. The opposition is formed of persons of all parties, many separated for a long time but reunited by this opposition. To clarify the matter for Flaget he relates what has happened since April 26 last. The Supervisor of roads and streets announced that day that the Council of the city had ordered him to open the streets and that he was going to run a plow through the old cemetery to smooth out the unevenness, and invited Richard to take proper means the following Monday, April 29 to obtain compensation for the land of St. Anne, and to arrange for removal of the bodies. A general assembly of the parish was held after the high Mass. It was necessary first of all to revive the Corporation of the Church of St. Anne which had been allowed to perish by the failure to elect trustees to carry on the functions each year. The corporation should be composed of 4 trustees or marguilliers and the cure, who by custom is president. The governor's order was quite positive and the assembly met in the house in front of the chapel of Cote du Nord Est, three miles from the town. Richard had suggested that there be two trustees from Cote du Nord Est and two from the rest. Those from the Cote du Nord Est refused lest this be taken as an act of union and a surrendering of their claim to have a separate parish, and that cote du Nord Est be the Church of Saint Anne, although their building is too small and to far from the city. On this refusal the rest of the assembly chose four trustees with the consent of those present of both parties who were to see to the alienation of the land for the street and to see to the removal of the bodies. On Monday April 29 Richard went with the 4 trustees to the home of the Governor, where they found these men who constitute the Bureau of Commissioners with whom they had to make the arrangements. It was agreed and confirmed by the governor that in place of the land taken over by the street 165' by 88' 1. there would be added to the remaining 131' by 35' a plot 165' by 132' making the church property 131' by 200' with the exception of two lots 60' by 44' near the middle, one of which already had been bought with the money of the Church and the other belonging to an heir who has not yet come of age. 2. the new cemetery of which they have had simple possession since 1799 will be conformed and augmented by 4 lots equivalent to 200 feet, but changed to accord with the new plan of the city for 4 lots near the cemetery and these are to be given by the legislature of the territory. 3. A cemetery of 2 acres by one will be given likewise in perpetuity to the Society of the Church of St. Anne at a distance of about 10 arpents from the cemetery. 4. A right angled triangle of 400 feet at the base by 200 feet will be offered along side the cemetery of condition that the corporation decide to build a church there within three months, before July 29. The whole consists of about 5 arpents and a half. There exists an advantage for the corporation if they accept the resolution. The governor and the Bureau of Commissioners have since added 4 other lots facing the great door of the church provided that it is built on the triangle proposed. The corporation resolved to accept the Governor's offer with the advice of Bishop Flaget as the theologian. The corporation has given notice that it will sell on July 11, at auction, the lots which they have been given near the site of the church comprising the remnant of 131' by 35'. These lots, seven in number, will in prudent estimate produce three or four thousand dollars. One person has offered $1,000 for one, 60' by 43'. They wish to profit by an occasion which might not last long. Two of the lots have corners in the old cemetery from which the bodies must be moved before someone takes possession since next autumn all the other bones must be moved. It is 17 years since they were buried and Flaget has told him that he would permit the removal after 14 years, when the cemetery was to be returned to profane uses. Having the consent of the government and the bishop they did not expect any violent storm. But they had scarcely gone to the land when a lawyer and 30 or 40 French Canadians, chiefly from the Cote du Nord Est, presented a petition signed by 175 names against the sale of the lots. They claimed that the land had been given by the French Government to the Society of the Church of St. Anne and that all the members must be called on to give their consent, lacking which, the sale, would be null. They referred to the remainder of 131' by 35' and a small lot 60' by 40' on which the beadle lived. They contested the election of the 4 trustees on the ground that they were chosen by only a small number. Richard points out that according to the law under which the corporation was formed, the trustees are granted the power to alienate or acquire without any special authorization up to 2,000 acres of land. Thus the parish cannot be bound by any other rules except these and those of the ritual of Quebec and certain other adopted in a general assembly in 1805. In one of these the consent of the bishop is required, but since the bishop of Quebec has disapproved and insisted that he should have the consent of Flaget, he has decided to ask Flaget's approval and to await it. He has also asked the opinion of two judges, one a capable lawyer who agrees that the corporation acted legally. However the Governor and the Commission have extended the time for accepting the agreement. Interest in the deceased is only pretended since the old cemetery has been exposed without protection for 11 years. It would be more respectful to transfer the bones. The real reason is their fear that the new church will be rebuilt in the city which is the case with blank, who will not omit to write to Flaget that he has promised to build a church and that he began one 6 years ago, contrary to all the rules of the church. The work was begun on land not yet purchased and when Richard would not come and bless it, the blessing took place in wine and whiskey. The same man who signed the protest on the grounds that the bodies cannot be disinterred without the assent of the Vicar General himself removed more than 20 graves last Oct. 11 from an adjoining lot. This lot was sold already 5 times without removing the bodies. Today they want to refuse permission to sell a small strip of land despite the agreement about removing the bodies to a permanent cemetery with the consent of the Vicar General. The members of the corporation of the Cote Nord Est will unite if this man be allowed to continue his church. They do this merely to hinder what has been authorized legitimately. Richard thinks that he will announce on the feast of St. Anne the decision of Flaget's letter of February 1815 and fix the location of the church in the triangle near the cemetery which he has delayed doing because of reasons of prudence. He will probably also refuse to conduct services any longer on the Cote du Nord Est, although they have the permission of Flaget on condition that they contribute to the rebuilding of St. Anne's. He asks Flaget to confirm this decision in a letter both as regards the location of the church and the sale of the lots. The sale of the lots is approved by the rules of the Archbishop of Quebec provided that the bodies are removed and the buyers do not take possession until they have been removed. If there are any further developments he will inform Flaget by the following courier and he will also send him a little plan of Detroit and of the lots which cause the division. Last page hardly legible. :: III-2-f Copy A.L. French 5pp. 4to., 2