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PUBLI

RECORD

OFFICE

Reference

C.O. 882

3

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

such moderate form as not to cause anxiety in our minds of the Catholic doctrine being openly opposed.

We always prefer speaking of things believed in common than to hope in those in which we disagree.

But if the present Ordinance be couched in terms which attack Roman Catholic doctrine, it may be considered as enticing members of our fold to give up their religious service, in which consists solely, according to our belief, the sacrament of matrimony.

You can easily understand, right honourable Sir, that we cannot allow our flock to remain in doubt about that which is, or is not, to be believed, according to the In that it was that we stated in our letter, that as soon teaching of our Church. as the Marriage Ordinance would be enforced here, it would be our duty to condemn civil marriage. We have always exhorted our Catholic children to be obedient to their Government in things lawful, and this we have done, too, even when ill-treated. We meant to denou ice civil marriage by proclaiming the belief of our Church regarding it.

Your Lordship expresses a hope that we will co-operate with the Government in making the proposed system of registration as complete as possible. This has ever been our wish, and we expressed the same in our communication of April, pro- vided the regulations of the system did not interfere with the free exercise of the Catholic religion, and only in this sense Cardinal Cullen said the Irish bishops had spoken of registration of marriages. We have worked in union with Government for the past eighteen years to forward the interests of the Colony, which is still our most earnest wish to do, even for the registration of marriages. But to do so it is necessary that Government should confide in the Head of the Catholic community, for whom mostly the new Ordinance has been proposed, that his remarks should be respected, the fruit of long experience, and the religious principles and feelings of a large community consulted.

With great wisdom your Lordship, in your despatch, said that with regard to the marriages, "relations should adhere, as far as practicable, to the system of marriage law which prevails in the mother-country." Colonies are not England, people in the East are different from people in the West; and what is practicable in Europe is not always practicable in China, A proof of it we have in this, that out of 120,000 people living in Hong Kong, the new Ordinance only binds 3,000 or 4,000, leaving the others, who are more in need of law, without any. And we have seen in Ceylon, where a similar law was in force for ten years, that a petition has been sent home lately, strongly recommended by the Governor, to the effect of having it abolished, because it was not practicable. As a friend of Government, we frankly told the Colonial Government, from the first announcement of an Ordinance, that We would deceive the Government were we such would not be practicable here. to say the contrary. In the letter of the Administrator it is supposed that the Catholics of Hong Kong are French and Italian. We pointed out, with emphasis, in our letter of February, "that the greatest portion of Roman Catholics are from Maçao, a Portuguese Settlement, where the regulations for marriage are on pure Catholic principles, according to Portuguese law, which regulations have been always observed in Hong Kong." There are cases, right honourable Sir, in which it is absolutely impossible to comply with the contents of the Ordinance, even modified as it has been lately.

In the mean time the Catholic community feel aggrieved. They ask what necessity was there for such an Ordinance? Registration could be secured after the religious ceremony had been performed, and in this way it would be more prac- ticable. They cannot understand having their religious feelings interfered with, whilst those of Jew and Pagan have been respected, or what wrong have they done that the Government should deal so hard with them?

We hope that you, right honourable Sir, will not be offended for expressing once more our firm conviction in the matter, and for having once again recom- mended it to your kind consideration.

I have, &c.

(Signed) JOHN TIMOLEON RAIMONDI, Bishop of Acanto,

and Vicar Apostolic of Hong Kong.

Administrator J. Gardiner Austin, &c.

&c.

&c.

No. 10.

Administrator Austin to the Earl of Carnarvon.-(Received November 2.)

(No. 121.) My Lord,

Government House, Hong Kong, September 10, 1875. IN accordance with the instructions contained in your Lordship's despatch No. 61 of 4th July, I laid before the Legislative Council an Ordinance to provide a General Register of Marriages, which had been amended in those details which seemed to your Lordship open to objection in the original measure.

I have now the honour to transmit copies of the Ordinance which was passed (No. 14 of 1875), together with the Attorney-General's Report thereon, and 1 trust that your Lordship will see fit to lay it before the Queen for Her Majesty's Gracious confirmation and allowance.

J. GARDINER AUSTIN,

I have, &c. (Signed)

J. GARDINER AUSTIN.

Inclosure 1 in No. 10.

Administrator and Commander-in-chief.

No. 14 of 1875.

An Ordinance enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice of the Legislative Title. Council thereof, to provide a General Register of Marriages celebrated in Hong Kong.

September 7, 1875. WHEREAS it is expedient that marriages celebrated in the Colony of Hong Prommable. Kong should be systematically recorded in one general register; Be it enacted by the Governor of Hong Kong, with the advice of the Legislative Council thereof, as follows:-

I. This Ordinance may be cited for all purposes as The Marriage Ordinance, Short title.

1875."

C

II. Every minister of religion or other person who has in bis custody any Existing registers or register or other official record of marriages heretofore celebrated in the Colony copies thereof to be may, within three months after this Ordinance takes effect, deliver to the Registrar- Registrar-General, General the said register or official record, or a copy thereof, omitting, if desired,

any matters of a private or confidential nature.

delivered to the

III. Every person delivering a copy shall append thereto a certificate in the Copies to be certified. following form :—

do certify that the above written

1, A.B., &c., pages are a true copy (excepting only matters of a private or confidential nature) of the register [or official record] of marriages heretofore celebrated in St. John's Cathedral Church [or as the case may be], and that the original is in my custody.;

Dated the

187..

day of

(Signed) A. B.

IV. The Governor may defray, from the public revenue of the Colony, all, Erpenes may be proper expenses connected with the delivery of the said registers or official records, defrayed from public or of making and delivering copies thereof.

TEVERDS.

and depatics.

V. The Registrar-General shall be Registrar of Marriages, and, to assist him. Registrar of marriagen the Governor may appoint one or more Deputy Registrars, and such Deputies may celebrate marriages, and may exercise all the other powers, and perform all the duties conferred upon the Registrar-General by this Ordinance, and all acts done by a Deputy shall be as valid as if done by the Registrar-General.

The Govermer may

license places of worship.

VI. The Governor may license any place of public worship to be a place for the celebration of marriages, and may at any time cancel any such licence.

VII. Whenever the Governor grants or cancels any such licence, the Registrar- Lissness to be General shall give public notice thereof in the Government “Gazette."

guneliad.

(131)

• No. 8.

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