615
Missionaries had, in all probability, induced many Portuguese to settle in this Colony; that the funds of the Mission were not sufficient to enable them to maintain Roman Catholic Clergy and Officers to attend Government and many other British subjects, without a suitable remuneration, and that the Roman Catholics should be placed on equality with their fellow subjects and taxpayers of the Anglican communion. This letter was forwarded with my predecessor (Sir John Hennessy's) despatch No. 56 of 1880, wherein it was pointed out that, while the Roman Catholics, representing the majority of the Christian residents, received the smallest share of the Public money voted for religious purposes, the Chinese, who contributed the largest share of the taxation of the Colony, received no direct benefit whatever from such money.
It will be seen, however, from the remarks of Bishop Burdon, the Anglican Bishop, forwarded with my despatch No. 2014 of 1885, that the Chinese Temples in Hong Kong received indirectly aid from the State.
FO 17203/ A3, G464 (1880)