CO882-(4-5) — Page 178

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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C.O. 882

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It is well known that Anglicans and others who do not acknowledge themselves to be in the communion of the Roman branch of the church, especially of late years, claim and use the title "Catholic." Item (2) is therefore erroneously placed in totality on the Roman Catholic side. Independent Catholics (though few) and Christians not distinguished" do not and cannot belong to the Church of the Infallibility, and should not be counted under that head. The assignment, therefore, of all these extraneous and foreign categories to the Church of Rome is manifestly arbitrary, most inexact in principle, and is practically injurious to the non-Rornan sidė, as stated above.

All Catholics " are not "Roman Catholics." But all Protestants "without distinction of sect are non-Roman Catholics. All who are not distinctively Roman Catholics (of the Roman obedience) are Protestants; and in common fairness should be classed under that head.

The classification quoted in the papers under review is misleading and erroneous, and I cannot perceive on what evidence or authority it is based.

Considering errors and omissions made in the census, I am inclined to think that it is not improbable that as many as 3,000 of the "Catholics" and "Christians not distinguished" may be "Protestants," and to transfer that number to one side is, in any case a less assumption than that under comment. The Roman Catholics are about 53,000; and an equal number of Catholics," &c. have been summarily assumed to be Roman Catholics. There are 6,560 “Protestants" (80 called) and nearly 8,000 in all mentioned; and my assumption assumes about 2,000 of the 53,000 not distinguished Catholics to belong to the non-Roman side. Clearly items three and four (about 800) belong to us and not to the Church of Rome. It is possible that I am well within the mark.

Further, it will be seen herein-after that our statistics of attendance corroborate the figures resulting.

Both of the computations hitherto mentioned are conjectural; but mine is, I submit, far less so than the one I oppose.

At all events, it is evident that some very material reduction has to be made on the Roman Catholic side in our favour.

The figures I gather from the census return to be nearer the truth than those forwarded to me may therefore be something of this kind:

Roman Catholics Protestants

105,000

(say) 11,000 (in round

numbers.)

116,000

On such a computation as is excluded by the recent Despatch, the head-rate would be the same; but the Protestant share, on this (it is believed) more approximate calculation, would be very materially increased, viz., by three-eighths (3/8ths).

We are entitled to the benefit of this correction, or of some approach thereto, even in connexion with the estimated factor of numbers, however relatively less important it may be, and, under the circumstances, justly is.

For the whole question must and surely will be judged on a broader and more liberal basis, as on more substantial grounds.

Again, I am sorry to be unable to assent to the (as it is believed) unsupported assumption in Report No. 1895 of an equality of numbers between the Anglican and Scotch churches, and deeply regret that this subdivision of Protestants has been alluded to.

Every one knows why the Scotch Church is lightly subventioned, viz., because the Independents have but recently joined its previously innumerous ranks; and, before the junction-as Independents-were not in a position to take State aid. part, I should thankfully welcome some augmentation of their resources, proportional to For my own their work and responsibilities; but not to the prejudice of our far greater ones; and I think all our church are of my (personal) opinion. As the comparison has been invoked in connexion with grants, I must say that instead of being one half of the Protestants, it seems probable they are between a third and a fourth. reinforcement of their ranks from the general population. There is room for us to work should rejoice to see a large side by side with them in the noble enterprise of which the Rev. J. Lebrun of the

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Congregationalist Church was the hero long ago; and to which we in part succeeded in the times of Langrish Banks, Bishop Ryan, and J. G. R. de Joux.

Only 4,000 adherents are, however, assigned to the Church of England by the assump- tion I am dealing with. Now we have upwards of 3,000 Indians alone; and rather fewer than the Presbyterians, perhaps, of the so-called general population. Our communicants are not fewer than 1,500, our churches and chapels number 20, theirs 7 or 8. Our ministers in the Island are 17; they bave 3. Our services number over 70 per Sunday,

The Government grant to the Church of England includes Rs. 2,000 per annum for sailors' work (5,000 per annum may pass through the port) say, add 300 average for these.

Even amongst those who may have had some original attachment to a non-episcopalian body, many, we are thankful to say, avail themselves regularly of our services, clergy, churches, and general ministrations. In considering the numerical justification of grants: so far as an argument on such low ground can be accepted at all: these must evidently be carried to our credit. Whilst Church of England persons attending their places of worship as is the case, but from obvious reasons, in far less numbers: must be counted to them. These considerations show that the insignificant figure (4,000 only) credited to us is altogether inadmissible.

Now the Blue Book average attendance for 1888 shows for the Church of England 2,262 per Sunday, and for the Church of Scotland 690.

The Presbyterian cannot be much fewer than 3,000 or 3,500; which is the result of the usual multiplying_factor in such cases (5 or sometimes. 4) vizt., in the case of the reformed churches. The Auditor General figures them at 4,000.

Even the lower of these factors gives to us 9,000 or thereabouts, a result exceeding the figure conjecturally arrived at under head 2, for it would give 12,000 at least, instead of the 11,000 there claimed.

These figures, therefore, are not altogether conjectural, as those of Report 1895 seem to be, but are based on a double and accordant computation. They may be taken as : (say)

Church of England Church of Scotland Church of Rome

(the balance)

8,000 to 9,000

3,000 to 105,000

to

4,000 103,000

116,000

116,000

Our Bishop has always considered the census returns as erroneous, and as incorrectly distributed, and I am inclined to think that just made to be a fair approximation, at all events a much closer one than that, not indeed given by the actual census returns, but unfortunately deduced in the way of a well-meant, but I fear arbitrary, classification and subdivision. It is only the call of an imperative duty that reconciles me to this unpleasant task of numbering and checking the roll call of the people.

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4. But the Right Honourable the Secretary of State, we are thankful to find, as indeed we were sure would be the case, has decided that other considerations than the calculation of a bare capitation rate enter into a just estimation of ecclesiastical grants.

I may be permitted to submit that the Church of England has, for many years, been doing a varied, useful, and costly work here. Not less than about Rs. 50,000 every year are expended from her own resources in pastoral and charitable labours, in education, and in general influence for good. The very presence of the church of the mother-country is a benefit to the inhabitants, and even to the Roman Catholic religion itself in Mauritius, and this is said in no boastful or invidious spirit; we believe it

the general feeling.

It is right that the national church should be represented adequately, and I am sure, the Colony will never descend so far as to offer her an insufficient pittance, much less a mere capitation grant.

Again, the capital of the Colony is very largely British. Two-thirds of its population are British Indians. The commerce of Mauritius, whence the revenue largely drawn, chiefly lies in the hands of British and Indo-British merchants.