CO129-358 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1909 [10-11] — Page 428

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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.