Brian Condon: Letters and Documents in 19th Century Australian Catholic History
[Source: Adelaide Archdiocesan Archives copy]
Lincoln's Inn
22nd May 1818
The Revd. Mr. Slater
To the care of Mr Johnson
Collegio Scottesi [Scottish College] Roma
Dear Sir,
Soon after I received your letter, I sent a proper extract of it to Mr Canning, and he sent me an extract of Lord Bathurst's reply to him. This I now send you [A].
The news of your dignities had reached London, and was in the mouth of every one, long before I received your letter. I hope you have received two letters which I have sent you, and that a full reply to them is now on its way to me.
Mr and Mrs Stonor and Mr and Mrs Lynch send their most affectionate respects to you, and sincere congratulations on your episcopal honours.
Pray give me all the particulars respecting Damianis affair and respecting Gandolfi.
I am, dear Sir
Most sincerely yours
Charles Butler
[A]: Extract from a letter from the Right Honorable Lord Bathurst to the Honorable George Canning dated 6 May 1818:
There has been some misunderstanding with respect to the business about which Mr Slater has written, which Lord Bathurst had explained to Mr Bootle Wilbraham, who had spoken in favour of Mr Slater.
The fact is this: - Dr Poynter suggested some time ago the expediency of having a Roman Catholic Priest at the Cape, as there was none there. To this Lord Bathurst consented and desired he would recommend some person for that situation. Dr Poynter also proposed some additional Priests at the Mauritius. To which Lord Bathurst also consented, expressing however a reluctance to have a French Priest sent there, and a doubt whether an English one would be very serviceable in a Colony where the French language was almost universally spoken. All this has somehow or other grown up into a proposition for having Mr Slater as a Roman Catholic Bishop at the Cape, having the Mauritius placed under him as part of his Diocese. There is strong objection to giving such pre-eminence to the Roman Catholic religion in a colony almost exclusively Protestant, as the Cape is, for Mr Slater has been much misinformed as to the number of the Roman Catholics at the Cape. The whole white population does not exceed 15,000 - the number which he gives to the Roman Catholics alone; and as it was a Dutch Colony before it was in our possession, and as the Dutch never allowed a Roman Catholic Priest to be there, it is not likely that there should be a large portion of the Roman Catholic persuasion: indeed the number is very limited. There is no objection to having, not a Bishop, but a Priest of superior authority established at the Mauritius, where the population is generally Roman Catholic, nor of placing the Roman Catholics at the Cape under his control. But the Revenue of Mauritius is at present heavily charged, nor can any thing be had from the Cape. As for Madagascar, we have no concern there. With respect to Mr Slater individually, Lord Bathurst would be very glad to have a person who is so well recommended selected for the duty, but before he would give a formal consent it would be necessary that he should be recommended by Dr Poynter, as Lord Bathurst has made it a rule not to countenance the appointment of any Roman Catholic Priest to any Mission in the Colonies who has not his approbation.