65
1
IV.
14
CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE COLONIAL DEPARTMENT
HONG KONG. lain are an inadequate provision for the spiritual instruction of the British population.
The military station of Checkchoo, on the opposite side of the island, with some hundreds of British soldiers, is entirely destitute of the services of a chaplain resident among them.
On my arrival at Chusan, also, it was no common trial to find that during a period of five years, since its first occupation by the British, a body of 600 European soldiers and their families had been without the advantage of a resident Chaplain, and that it was reserved for myself, as the first clergyman of the Church of England, to hold a regular service on Sundays among the military. These 600 men, the sad relics of war, disease and climate, were assembled in the Buddhist temple, converted for a season to the purposes of Christian worship. Numbers had sunk into a premature grave, without the solaces of religion in their dying hour. The French ambassador, during his visit to that island, drew an invidious contrast in my hearing between the total absence for five years of the means of regular religious instruction for the British in Chusan, and the conduct of his own Government, who, in addition to other priests on board the frigate, allowed a private Chaplain for himself among his own suite.
The specific measure which I beg to recommend to your Lordship is the appointment of at least three additional Chaplains. One is required at the military post of Checkchoo, in the island of Hong Kong, at present without any religious instruction, except the occasional visit of the Military Chaplain from Victoria, at a distance of eight miles, with bad roads, over a mountainous line of country, which in that climate separates the two localities at the ordinary distance of 20 miles in England. Two Consulate Chaplains might be stationed with advantage at the two free ports of Canton and Shanghai, at each of which cities the British community is considerable, and where there are many sailors of the small sloops of war, and the numerous merchant vessels which frequent these ports.
4. The last topic to which I beg your Lordship's permission to advert partakes of a more general character, but is in a no less degree identified with the duties and the interest of the British Government. I allude to the affording of reasonable facilities, by the Consular authorities in the five free ports, to British missionaries in the prosecution of their work.
During my exploratory visit and residence at each of the five ports of China, I have enjoyed ample opportunities of intercourse with the natives, and of fully testing the groundlessness of any fears as to the Chinese viewing with alarm or jealousy the efforts of missionaries.
As a proof of the growing liberality of the Chinese Government, I may recall your Lordship's recollection to the Imperial Edict of universal religious toleration propounded two years ago by Ke-Ying, the Imperial Commissioner, and confirmed by successive supplementary edicts.
But I can adduce more positive proofs of the more tolerant spirit of the Chinese Government, as seen in the liberal disposition of the local mandarins. In the city of Amoy, I had constant access, with the other Protestant missionaries, to the highest local authorities, without any other official introduction than that of belonging to the missionary body. The five high mandarins of the city and district (two of whom belonged to the dominant race of Manchoo Tartars) gave jointly an invitation to a special entertainment to the missionary body, seven in number, including myself. The highest seats of honour were assigned to us; and on that and various other occasions a full acquiescence was expressed in the benevolence of the missionary work.
I venture to submit this topic to your Lordship's consideration, from the knowledge that in some of the cities in China missionaries have gained a considerable and a rapidly increasing moral influence. I need not point out to your Lordship how important this influence with the intelligent portion of the Chinese may prove to British interests at this important crisis of national intercourse, and therefore how expedient it is that the most cordial relation should exist between the Consular authorities and the missionaries.
The Right Hon. the Earl Grey,
&c.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c.
(signed) George Smith.
F
ON COLONIAL CHURCH LEGISLATION, &c.
15
Enclosure 2, in No. 1.
Sir,
Downing-street, 19 March 1847. I AM directed by Earl Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th January,* in which you bring under his Lordship's notice certain statements and suggestions on the subject of the religious and social affairs of the British settlement at Hong Kong,
Lord Grey directs me to express to you his regret that so much delay should have occurred in answering your letter. It has been occasioned by the necessity under which his Lordship has been placed, of collecting some further information explanatory of the real state of the case to which you refer.
I am now to state, that until the receipt of your letter, Lord Grey had not been aware of the existence at Hong Kong, of the regulation that any Chinese is liable to be detained in custody for moving abroad in the streets or public roads after a certain hour in the evening without bearing a lantern, and a written note from his European employer. His Lordship, however, finds that your statement is confirmed by others possessing great means of information on the subject, and he therefore proposes immediately to call on the Governor for an explanation.
Lord Grey has attentively considered your suggestions for the establishment of an institution for the education of Chinese, and for making "adequate provision for the spiritual wants of British subjects in China, military, civil, and mercantile." His Lordship directs me to inform you, that looking to the already heavy expense of the public establishments at Hong Kong, he is not prepared to consent to any increase of that expense for those objects, howsoever desirable they may be.
Respecting the condition of the Church of England at Hong Kong, you state that while places of worship raised by the Roman-catholic, and by different Christian sects from Europe and America, and even a Mahomedan Mosque, built by the contributions of the poor Indian Sepoys and camp followers, have risen up with wonderful rapidity; at the period of your leaving China in May last, only a temporary building, almost the meanest edifice in the town, existed as a place for Divine worship, according to the ritual of the Church of England." From this statement, Lord Grey cannot but draw the conclusion, that the members of the Established Church have already been taught to depend too much upon assistance from the public, and too little on their own spontaneous exertions, and that to this cause must be ascribed the mortifying contrast which you describe between the efforts which they have made for the advancement of religious worship and instruction, and those of the members of other religious bodies.
I have, &c. The Rev. G. Smith.
(signed) B. Hawes.
No. 2.
Copy of a LETTER from his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury to Earl Grey.
My Lord,
Addington, Croydon, 14 December 1848.
I TAKE the liberty of addressing your Lordship, at the instance of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, on the subject of a Bishop for China.
I understand that Her Majesty has been pleased to grant her consent to the establishment of a Bishop for the China Seas, to be styled, probably, Bishop of Victoria, as the capital of Hong Kong.
I am now desired to state, that an adequate fund for the endowment of this bishopric, is in the hands of the Society, and to petition your Lordship, that the necessary steps be taken with the view to the early accomplishment of this object, by the creation of the intended see.
I have, &c.
(signed)
J. B. Cantuar.
IV. HONG KONG. Encl. 2, in No. 1.
* Page 1
No. 2. Archbishop of Canterbury to
Earl Grey
14 Dec. 1848.
355---4-
B 4
No. 3.
F
G
R
65
1
IV.
14
CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE COLONIAL DEPARTMENT
HONG KONG. lain are an inadequate provision for the spiritual instruction of the British
population.
The military station of Checkchoo, on the opposite side of the island, with some hundreds of British soldiers, is entirely destitute of the services of a chaplain resident among them.
On my arrival at Chusan, also, it was no common trial to find that during a period of five years, since its first occupation by the British, a body of 600 European soldiers and their families had been without the advantage of a resident Chaplain, and that it was reserved for myself, as the first clergyman of the Church of England, to hold a regular service on Sundays among the military. These 600 men, the sad relics of war, disease and climate, were assembled in the Buddhist temple, converted for a season to the purposes of Christian worship. Numbers had sunk into a premature grave, without the solaces of religion in their dying bour. The French ambassador, during his visit to that island, drew an invidious contrast in my hearing between the total absence for five years of the means of regular religious instruction for the British in Chusan, and the conduct of his own Government, who, in addition to other priests on board the frigate, allowed a pri- vate Chaplain for himself among his own suite.
The specific measure which I beg to recommend to your Lordship is the appoint- ment of at least three additional Chaplains. One is required at the military post of Checkchoo, in the island of Hong Kong, at present without any religious instruction, except the occasional visit of the Military Chaplain from Victoria, at a distance of eight miles, with bad roads, over a mountainous line of country, which in that climate separates the two localities at the ordinary distance of 20 miles in England. Two Consulate Chaplains might be stationed with advantage at the two free ports of Canton and Shanghai, at each of which cities the British community is considerable, and where there are many sailors of the small sloops of war, and the numerous merchant vessels which frequent these ports.
4. The last topic to which I beg your Lordship's permission to advert partakes of a more general character, but is in a no less degree identified withthe duties and the interest of the British Government. I allude to the affording of reasonable facilities, by the Consular authorities in the five free ports, to British missionaries in the prosecution of their work.
During my exploratory visit and residence at each of the five ports of China, I have enjoyed ample opportunities of intercourse with the natives, and of fully testing the groundlessness of any fears as to the Chinese viewing with alarm or jealousy the efforts of missionaries.
As a proof of the growing liberality of the Chinese Government, I may recall your Lordship's recollection to the Imperial Edict of universal religious toleration propounded two years ago by Ke-Ying, the Imperial Commissioner, and confirmed by successive supplementary edicts.
But I can adduce more positive proofs of the more tolerant spirit of the Chinese Government, as seen in the liberal disposition of the local mandarins. In the city of Amoy, I had constant access, with the other Protestant missionaries, to the highest local authorities, without any other official introduction than that of belonging to the missionary body. The five high mandarins of the city and district (two of whom belonged to the dominant race of Manchoo Tartars) gave jointly an invita- tion to a special entertainment to the missionary body, seven in number, including myself. The highest seats of honour were assigned to us; and on that and various other occasions a full acquiescence was expressed in the benevolence of the missionary work.
I venture to submit this topic to your Lordship's consideration, from the know- ledge that in some of the cities in China missionaries have gained a considerable and a rapidly increasing moral influence. I need not point out to your Lordship how important this influence with the intelligent portion of the Chinese may prove to British interests at this important crisis of national intercourse, and therefore how expedient it is that the most cordial relation should exist between the Consular authorities and the missionarics.
The Right Hon. the Earl Grey,
&e.
&c.
&c.
I have, &c.
(signed) George Smith.
F
ON COLONIAL CHURCH LEGISLATION, &c.
15
Enclosure 2, in No. 1.
Sir,
Downing-street, 19 March 1847. I AM directed by Earl Grey to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 16th January,* in which you bring under his Lordship's notice certain statements 'and suggestions on the subject of the religious and social affairs of the British settlement at. Hong Kong,
Lord Grey directs me to express to you his regret that so much delay should have occurred in answering your letter. It has been occasioned by the necessity under which his Lordship has been placed, of collecting some further information explanatory of the real state of the case to which you refer.
I am now to state, that until the receipt of your letter, Lord Grey had not been aware of the existence at Hong Kong, of the regulation that any Chinese is liable to be detained in custody for moving abroad in the streets or public roads after a certain hour in the evening without bearing a lantern, and a written note from his European employer. His Lordship, however, finds that your statement is confirmed by others possessing great means of information on the subject, and he therefore proposes immediately to call on the Governor for an explanation.
Lord Grey has attentively considered your suggestions for the establishment of an institution for the education of Chinese, and for making " adequate pro- vision for the spiritual wants of British subjects in China, military, civil, and mercantile." His Lordship directs me to inform you, that looking to the already heavy expense of the public establishments at Hong Kong, he is not prepared to consent to any increase of that expense for those objects, howsoever desirable they
may be.
Respecting the condition of the Church of England at Hong Kong, you state that while places of worship raised by the Roman-catholic, and by different Christian sects from Europe and America, and even a Mahomedan Mosque, built by the contributions of the poor Indian Sepoys and camp followers, have risen up with wonderful rapidity; at the period of your leaving China in May last, only a temporary building, almost the meanest edifice in the town, existed as a place for Divine worship, according to the ritual of the Church of England." From this statement, Lord Grey cannot but draw the conclusion, that the members of of the Established Church have already been taught to depend too much upon assistance from the puble, and too little on their own spontaneous exertions, and that to this cause must be ascribed the mortifying contrast which you describe between the efforts which they have made for the advancement of religious worship and instruction, and those of the members of other religious bodies.
I have, &c. The Rev. G. Smith.
(signed) B. Hawes.
No. 2.
Copy of a LETTER from his Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury to Earl Grey.
My Lord,
Addington, Croydou, 14 December 1848.
I TAKE the liberty of addressing your Lordship, at the instance of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, on the subject of a Bishop for China.
I understand that Her Majesty has been pleased to grant her consent to the establishment of a Bishop for the China Seas, to be styled, probably, Bishop of Victoria, as the capital of Hong Kong.
I am now desired to state, that an adequate fund for the endowment of this bishopric, is in the hands of the Society, and to petition your Lordship, that the necessary steps be taken with the view to the early accomplishment of this object, by the creation of the intended see.
I have, &c.
(signed)
J. B. Cantuar.
IV. HONG KONG. Encl. 2, in No. 1.
* Page 1
No. 2. Archbishop of Cauterbury to
Earl Grey
14 Dec. 1848.
355---4-
B 4
No. 3.
F
G
R
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