Sessional_Paper_1884-1885 — Page 167

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Enclosure 2.

Bishop Raimondi to Governor Sir G. F. Bowen, G.C.M.G.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MISSION HOUSE,

MAY IT PLEASE YOUR EXCELLENCY,

HONGKONG, 27th February, 1884.

1 trust your Excellency will excuse me for the liberty I take in laying the following statements before your Excellency's kind consideration,

That the Roman Catholic Mission in the name of the Sacred Congregation de Propagandâ Fide in Rome, has possessed the Lot No. 50 in this Colony for nearly 40 years. The Lease does not mention any particular object for which the ground should be used, but it is constructed in the same terms used in common leases, and for nearly forty years we paid the Crown rent of $280.20 yearly, making a total of nearly $12,000. With our own money, added to that which has been given from our friends out of Hongkong, the residents of Hongkong having only contributed to less than $10,000, we improved the lot by building a College, a residence, and a Church for the benefit of our Catholic Community, the Colonial Government having contributed nothing towards the erection of the above mentioned buildings.

From the beginning of our coming into the possession of the Lot till a few days ago we have always been in the persuasion that we could mortgage or dispose of the property at our own pleasure. Several transactions of other properties than this which were in the same conditions as the present one have taken place and no obstacle of any kind has been put in the way, therefore three years ago, on conside- ration of the Church becoming too small for the ever increasing Catholic population in Hongkong, which was not more than 1,000 when the Church was built and now reaches 5,000, likewise of the roof of the Church being in bad condition, the repairs of which will entail very large expenses, and of the neighbourhood having changed for the worst and of the danger of fire to which our present Church is exposed at present on account of the former surrounding European houses having been con- verted into Chinese ones, we determined to buy another property in Glenealy, which we did and where we have already built a fine College, and levelled the ground and laid down the foundation of the new Cathedral at our own cost. When we made those transactions, we naturally contemplated the sale of the Lot No. 50 and to transfer its profit to Glenealy to finish our constructions. But a few days ago we have been informed by our legal adviser that, according to what Sir GEORGE PHILLIPPO said lately from the Bench, we cannot dispose of Lot 50 without the authority of the Legislature. Seeing that we could not sell, we managed to have a loan, and a Company in Hongkong was ready to favour us with, on a mortgage to be placed on Lot 50, but Mr. JOHNSON, the Crown Solicitor, having been consulted said that he could not advise them to do it on account of what the Chief Justice said lately from the Bench. Our position at present is a most awkward one. We must proceed with building the new Cathedral, a contract having been signed, and we are rendered unable to have any means either by selling or by mortgaging. The more we regret it, as we are working not for our own benefit but for the benefit of the Colony, and our whole community is compromised as it.is really an urgent matter to transfer the Church and our residence in a better position than it is at present.