56
7. That the present distribution between the Church of England and the Church of Rome is not in proper proportion and requires some re-adjustment is not now felt for the first time. The contest is an old one, and as far back as 1872, the Earl of Kimberley entertained that opinion, and I see no reason to depart from the decision upon this question conveyed in my Despatch to which I have before referred.
8. But, bearing in mind the main object of the grants in aid which I have above stated, the re-adjustment agreed to by the majority of the Executive Council, and Council of Government, by taking away about one-half of the present grant to the Church of England, is calculated in my opinion to hamper too materially the work of that church, and is unreasonable.
9. The scheme proposed appears to me to have been practically based upon numbers alone, without reference to other considerations; and this is the more unsatis- factory, as there is great doubt whether the figures of the last census can be safely relied upon. To me there appears to be much force in the remarks made by the Archdeacon of Mauritius as to the incorrect distribution of members between the churches in the census returns.
*
10. I must observe further that while I strongly deprecate the language used in some of the paragraphs of the memorial of the Mauritius Diocesan Church Council, transmitted with your Despatch, No. 15, of the 8th of January, which only tends to obscure the merits of the case, and to embitter the controversy, I cannot but feel that the considera- tion of this important and difficult question has been unduly, and without sufficient notice, pressed forward upon the Council of Government, and that it was, to say the least of it, unfortunate that it was brought under consideration at a time when, unless I am misinformed, three of the members who belonged to the Church of England were absent, and were temporarily replaced by three members belonging to the Church of Rome.
1. Several alternative plans of re-adjustment have been brought under my notice. By one of them, viz., No. 2 of the concluding recommendations of the Diocesan Church Council, it is proposed that an addition of Rs. 11,250 should be made to the grants in aid, that is, as I understand it, to the vote for establishments. To the details and pro- posed distribution under this plan, as shown in Schedules A. and B. of the memorial, I see no present objection, but although I do not withdraw it from the consideration of the Council I must observe that I should be reluctant to give my assent to it. As at present advised, and in the absence of any strong reason for increasing the grants in aid, I am disposed to concur in the strong opinions expressed by my predecessors against any such increase.
12. I do not propose now to discuss the alternative schemes which have been sub- mitted and which will, I doubt not, receive full consideration. I may, however, add that the inclination of my opinion is in favour of the scheme by which the fixed establish- ments would remain as at present, but the whole of the grant under Ordinance, No. 34, of 1844, viz., Rs. 18,000 would be applied for the salaries of Roman Catholic priests, and the missionary grant of Rs. 10,000 would be divided equally, say Rs. 3,333 to each of the three churches.
This would give the Roman Catholic Church Rs. 87,033, the Church of England Rs. 34,533, and the Church of Scotland Rs. 6,583. With reference to the latter church, I must observe that though the controversy had been chiefly directed to the distribution between the two former churches, I am of opinion that the interests of the Church of Scotland in any scheme of redistribution should not be overlooked.
13. I do not, however, desire in any way to press this particular scheme upon the Council, and it may well be that one of the other proposals may upon further examina- tion prove more acceptable, and equally just to the three churches.
14. I enclose a copy of a letter,† which I have received from the Bishop, with whom I communicated on this subject.
15. I request that you will lay this Despatch before your Executive Council and the Council of Government, and invite them to reconsider the question, and I should wish it also to be considered whether the mode of applying the ecclesiastical grants, which was proposed by Lord Kimberley in 1872, and which has been adopted in Trinidad, viz., the assignment of the aggregate grant for each church to a church body represent- ing that church or, in the case of the Church of Rome, to the Bishop, would not be prefer-
57
able to the existing system of placing the individual clergy on the establishment of the Colony.
Sir C. C. Lees.
3554.
(No. 73.)
No. 28.
I have, &c. (Signed)
KNUTSFORD.
LORD KNUTSFORD to SIR C. C. LEES.
0
SIR,
Downing Street, February 26, 1890. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Despatch, No. 43, of the 20th of January,* forwarding a letter from Archdeacon Mathews, offering certain observations on the memorial of the Rev. S. Walshe forwarded in your Despatch, No. 19, of the 9th of January,t the receipt of which I have already acknowledged in my Despatch, No. 72, of the 25th inst.†
I have to request that Archdeacon Mathews may be informed, with reference to his letter, that I have not thought it necessary to trouble Bishop Royston on the subject of Mr. Walshe's letter, inasmuch as a great part of it related to matters which were not relevant to the question now at issue regarding the ecclesiastical grants, while the educa- tion of the children of the Indian population, although a question the importance of which I have repeatedly urged in Despatches, appeared to me to be one which must be dealt with separately from that of the ecclesiastical grants.
Sir C. Lees.
2501.
RIGHT REV. SIR,
No. 29.
I have, &c. (Signed)
COLONIAL OFFICE to BISHOP ROYSTON.
KNUTSFORD.
Downing Street, March 1, 1890. WITH reference to your letter of the 6th of February, and to the interview which you had with Lord Knutsford on the subject of the Mauritius ecclesiastical grants, I am directed by his Lordship to transmit to you, for your information, the accompanying copy of the Despatch,|| which has been addressed by Lord Knutsford to the Governor of Mauritius, conveying his decision upon the questions at issue.
The Right Rev. Bishop Royston.
5574.
I am, &c.
(Signed) EDWARD WINGFIELD.
No. 30.
THE COLONIAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND to COLONIAL OFFICE.
MY LORD,
G. A. Colonial Mission, 22, Queen Street, Edinburgh,
March 24, 1890.
I HAVE been requested by the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland to put myself in communication with your Lordship, and to call attention to the petition forwarded to you by the Rev. James McIrvine, of the Church of Scotland, Mauritius, in reference to the proposed alteration of the grants to the Presbyterian Church there.
The Colonial Committee, feeling that the change suggested by Sir J. Pope Hennessy would be unjust to the Presbyterian Church, earnestly beg that your Lordship will
• No. 21.
↑ No. 24.
• No. 26.
† No. 28.
↑ No. 27.
§ No. 24.
No, 27.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
EPEPEC.O. 882
5
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
58
withhold your consent thereto, and agree to the scheme proposed in a Minute * forwarded to the Colonial Office by the Rev. Mr. McIrvine (representing the Church of Scotland) by mail 27th January last.
I remain, &c.
Convener.
(Signed) ALEXANDER WILLIAMSON, The Right Hon. Lord Knutsford, Her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Colonies.
5574.
No. 31.
COLONIAL OFFICE to THE COLONIAL COMMITTEE OF THE CHURCH
OF SCOTLAND.
Downing Street, April 5, 1890.
SIB,
I AM directed by Lord Knutsford to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 24th of March,t on the subject of the distribution of the ecclesiastical grants in Mauritius; and in requesting you to convey to the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland his Lordship's assurance that their views will be carefully considered, I am at the same time to transmit to you, for the information of the Committee, a copy of the Despatch which has recently been addressed by Lord Knutsford to the Governor of Mauritius upon this question.
The Convener of the Colonial Committee of the Church of Scotland.
I
am, &c.
(Signed)
JOHN BRAMSTON,
• Enclosure in No. 22.
No. 30.
‡ No. 27.