[
Ger/225-5/63.
Cemetery was never consecrated in accordance with the 425
decision contained in the Duke of Newcastle's Despatch of
the 5th. of April, 1863; and in consequence of that
decision the burial ground has been used as a Colonial
burial ground and a certain number of Non-Christians have
been buried in it. The large majority, however, of the
persons buried there have been of the Protestant Religion,
owing to the fact that grants of land have from time to
time been made for burial grounds for members of the
Roman Catholic Church and Churches of other denominations
in the Colony, The Cemetery thus came, for some time, to be
called the Protestant Cemetery.
3.
No difficulty arose in connection
with its use, until recently, when owing to the increasing
number of Japanese buried in the Cemetery exception was
taken to the burning of Joss Sticks over the graves of the
has
latter. A strong feeling as a consequence now arisen that
the Colonial Cemetery should be reserved for Christians -
a feeling to which expression was given by the Sanitary
Board, which has control of this burial ground, in a Bye-
-law prohibiting the burning of Joss Sticks and firing of
Crackers in the Cemetery.
4.