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This 1893 official correspondence comprises a Vatican diplomatic document originating from the offices of the Holy See, dated 20 October, and numbered 14752. It is addressed to the Ambassador of Portugal to the Holy See by Cardinal Mariano Rampolla, then Cardinal Secretary of State. The document acknowledges receipt of a formal note from the Portuguese Ambassador transmitting a petition from the Bishop of Macao concerning two ecclesiastical matters: the approval of the liturgical calendar for the Diocese of Macao and the authorisation of a proper Mass and office in honour of the feast commemorating the translation of the body of Saint Francis Xavier. The text records that these requests were submitted to Pope Leo XIII, who referred them to the Sacred Congregation of Rites—specifically noted as having been previously examined by the Congregation for the Sacraments—for review and deliberation. The endorsement confirms diplomatic protocol through its formal address to the Portuguese Ambassador and concludes with a reaffirmation of papal esteem. The document forms part of a broader administrative and ecclesiastical exchange between the Holy See and Portuguese colonial ecclesiastical authorities in Macau, reflecting the intersection of colonial religious administration and centralised Vatican authority in late nineteenth-century Catholicism. It provides primary evidence of liturgical governance and diplomatic channels within the Roman Curia during the pontificate of Leo XIII.

Official correspondence from the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Directorate of Political and Diplomatic Affairs, First Division, dated 24 August 1903, transmitted in Lisbon and addressed to General Carneiro. The document, authored by Miguel Martins d’Almeida, forwards a petition submitted by the Superior of the College of Overseas Missions, which had already been reviewed by the Apostolic Nunciature regarding matters within its ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The letter requests that General Carneiro intercede to secure approval from the Holy See on those aspects of the petition falling under papal authority. Endorsed with administrative annotations indicating internal processing and final approval on 5 October 1903, the file includes partially illegible, damaged, and uncertain sections, reflecting limitations in textual preservation. This primary source offers insight into early 20th-century ecclesiastico-diplomatic relations between Portugal and the Vatican, particularly concerning the administration of overseas missionary activities within the context of colonial religious institutions. The document serves as evidence of formal state mediation in ecclesiastical affairs and highlights bureaucratic procedures in the governance of Catholic missions under Portuguese influence. Researchers will find this material relevant for studies on church-state relations, colonial religious policy, and diplomatic history in the late Portuguese Empire.

Carta do Consul de Cantao com tradução do Jornal Chines Ling Man Chi Bao sobre a potencial venda de Macau pelo Portugal

Official dispatch from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton, dated 24 May 1892, addressed to Dr. Demétrio Cinatti and copied to Mr. Ct. Atyras de Gonçalves All. and an unnamed British official. The document analyses three parliamentary proposals concerning a proposed 50% customs duty reduction on goods originating from Macau, intended to stimulate its economy. The first proposal, by Deputy Mota e Costa, advocates a 50% rebate on shared duties for industrially produced Macanese goods shipped directly to Portugal. The second, Bill No. 84, limits the benefit to goods transported on Portuguese vessels, effective from 1 July 1892, while the third, by Peer Coude de Castro, extends the reduction to all Macau-origin goods cleared at Canton and adjacent islands. The author critically evaluates each, warning that the third is overly liberal and risks benefiting foreign enterprises more than Portuguese interests. Emphasising Macau’s entrepôt function and limited industrial capacity, the consul argues that previous incentives, such as the 1889 25% tea bonus, yielded no tangible results. He highlights severe fiscal implications: potential annual revenue losses exceeding 1,600 contos de réis due to displaced domestic production and expanded colonial competition, particularly disadvantaging African territories. Noting that Macau’s trade is largely controlled by Chinese and foreign actors, he cautions against measures enriching foreign capital at the metropole’s expense. Instead, he proposes a moderate 10–15% tariff reduction combined with a 36 contos subsidy to secure regular shipping services, ensuring economic stimulus without disproportionate cost or loss of state revenue.

Carta do Consul para para o Ministro e Secretario do Estado dos Negocios Estrangeiros sobre situação social e financeira do consulado

Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Ministro e Secretario do Estado dos Negocios Estrangeiros, relativamente tumultos contra europeus e missões e necessidade de aumentar presença da marinha

Carta Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Vicerei de Cantao, relativamente os tumultos contra os europeus e os missionários e necessidade dos autoridades locais a proteger residentes.

Carta do Consul de Cantao sobre a tradução do jornal Chines Ling Man Chi Bao (Diario do Sul) que Portugal não va vender Macau

This 1891 diplomatic despatch, authored by Demetrio Cinatti, Consul of Portugal in Canton, constitutes a formal protest addressed to Sir Ly, Viceroy of the Two Guangs under the Qing Dynasty, concerning the destruction of Portuguese missionary properties in Hainan during civil disturbances in 1884. The document details the legal and historical grounds upon which the Portuguese mission’s claim for restitution is based, refuting Chinese provincial authorities’ assertions that the destroyed chapels were locally owned Christian structures dating from the Ming dynasty. Drawing on ecclesiastical law, treaty obligations, and empirical evidence—including financial records, prior compensation precedents, and official correspondence—the consul demonstrates that the chapels in Giang-tó (Siang-tô) and Wang-fo were constructed in 1795 by Portuguese missionaries on legally acquired land, maintained through foreign ecclesiastical funding, and remained under the exclusive ownership of the Catholic Church. The text further establishes that local officials were fully aware of these institutions, citing administrative actions from 1854 and 1880 as proof of official recognition. It condemns the Hainan authorities’ failure to protect the properties despite treaty guarantees, their fabrication of local consent, and their contradictory claims regarding the events. The despatch also invokes Portugal’s strict neutrality during the Sino-French War (1883–1885), contrasting it with the targeting of its missionaries, and appeals to the Viceroy’s sense of justice and diplomatic reciprocity in demanding full reparations.

Annexo. Traduçoes dos pasquis antirreligiosos durante as tentativas de perseguição as missões em Quangtung,

Carta Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Vicerei de Cantao, relativamente os tumultos contra os europeus e os missionários e necessidade dos autoridades locais a proteger residentes

This is a formal ecclesiastical dispatch dated 1 June 1891, issued by António, Bishop of Macau, to the Governor of Macau and Timor, in response to an official inquiry concerning the destruction of Catholic chapels in Hainan during the 1884 persecution. The document details the historical presence of Portuguese missionaries in Hainan since their initial establishment in 1630 by Father Bento de Mattos, including the founding of chapels in Kim-tchau-fu and interior settlements. It outlines the expulsion of Jesuits in 1769, the re-establishment of the mission in 1795, and subsequent French involvement until their withdrawal in 1876, after which Portuguese missionaries resumed control. The Bishop refutes claims that Chinese Christians owned or destroyed the chapels, asserting that all properties were constructed and maintained with mission funds—totaling nearly 3,000 taels by 1890—and thus belonged exclusively to the Catholic Church under canonical and treaty-based rights. He rejects the validity of forced apostasy declarations and denounces the Viceroy of the Two Quangs’ evasive responses to diplomatic inquiries, drawing parallels with prior cases involving French, British, and Spanish claims. The text includes detailed expenditures, administrative correspondence, and arguments for indemnity, emphasizing that just reparation is essential for the resumption of missionary activity. Attached documents substantiate financial outlays and diplomatic efforts, positioning the dispute within broader Sino-foreign treaty relations and colonial religious policy in late 19th-century South China.

This 1891 diplomatic dispatch, originating from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton and addressed to a high-ranking official in Lisbon, constitutes a formal report on political, administrative, and territorial tensions between Portuguese and Chinese authorities concerning Macau and its dependencies. The document details the shifting stance of local Chinese officials following communications from the Portuguese Ministry of the Navy, noting a cessation of objections to consular requests for interpreters. It highlights the influence of Viceroy Chang-chi-ting—a key anti-European figure—and his role in formulating opposition to Portuguese interests, particularly through a memorial submitted during Sino-Portuguese treaty negotiations. The text raises concerns over Chinese encroachment on Macau’s jurisdiction, citing the arrest of bailiffs on Taipa Island and the circulation of administrative notices asserting Chinese authority over local populations. Reference is made to the Green Island (Ilha Verde) dispute as precedent for covert jurisdictional claims. The author warns against potential threats to Coloane and Taipa, where Portuguese military presence remains limited amidst a significantly larger Chinese population. Administrative practices, including falsified inspection reports submitted to the Tsung-li Yamen, are presented as evidence of systematic efforts to erode Portuguese control. Additional matters include unresolved diplomatic notes on Hainan, delays in Sino-Portuguese negotiations, persecution of French Catholic missions in northern China attributed to anti-Manchu secret societies, and observations on rice trade dynamics affecting Macau. The document provides critical insight into colonial diplomacy, jurisdictional contestation, and power asymmetries in late 19th-century South China.

This 1891 diplomatic dispatch, dated 23–24 June and originating from the Portuguese Consulate in Canton, documents escalating anti-European and anti-missionary unrest in southern China amid a broader wave of hostility spreading from central regions. The Viceroy of Canton, responding to inflammatory placards and public agitation, requested foreign consulates to suspend missionary activities to prevent violence, while an attempted arson attack on a missionary residence heightened tensions. With no warships present for protection, the consular corps coordinated emergency evacuation plans, designating the British consulate as a rallying point. A separate incident involving Agostinho de Jesus, a man of uncertain origin regarded as Portuguese, aboard the steamer *Honan*—in which he allegedly attacked a Chinese passenger—sparked exaggerated rumours of murder, prompting fears of mob retaliation. The situation was defused by preventing the steamer’s landing and dismissing the individual. The document attributes the wider disturbances not to organised political resistance by the Cau-lau-hui secret society, but to bands of disbanded soldiers and brigands exploiting anti-foreign sentiment to justify plunder. Authorities in Canton responded with repression, imprisoning those criticising Europeans. The anonymous correspondent, likely a Portuguese consular official, urges reinforcement of the naval presence in Chinese waters, arguing that existing forces are inadequate to protect Portuguese interests across Shanghai, Canton, Macau, and Hainan, particularly given the fragile security climate and potential for renewed violence linked to compensation claims.

This is a collection of official Qing dynasty proclamations and imperial decrees from June to July 1891, translated by the Portuguese Consulate in Canton for diplomatic dissemination. The documents include a proclamation issued on 4 July 1891 by Mang, acting Treasurer of Kwang-tung and First-Class Mandarinate official, and Ngo, Second-Class Mandarinate official and Criminal Commissioner under the Provincial Judge of Kwang-tung, addressing the circulation of anonymous anti-foreign religious placards and pamphlets in urban and rural areas. It reaffirms state-sanctioned tolerance of foreign missionaries, warns against public unrest, and urges local populations to maintain order and avoid complicity in disturbances. Complementing this is an imperial decree dated 23 June 1891, transmitted via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which responds to the arson attacks on Christian churches at M-hu (Fu-hui), Tau-yang (Kiang-su), and M-sue’ (Hu-fei) earlier that year. The decree asserts the government’s obligation under treaty provisions to protect foreign missions, attributes the violence to a coordinated bandit conspiracy exploiting sedition for robbery, and commands provincial authorities across Hu-kwang, Kiang-su, Ku-hui, Hu-peí, and Quiangos to arrest and execute perpetrators, suppress false rumours, and safeguard missionaries. Officials are instructed to expedite unresolved mission-related legal cases and ensure protection of foreign lives and property in treaty ports, with negligence subject to imperial scrutiny. Translations and certifications were carried out by Eduardo Marques, Interpreter, and Edmundo Marques, Consul, at the Portuguese Consulate in Canton between 26 June and 5 July 1891.

Carta do Consul em Cantao para o Bispo de Macau, relativamente os relações franceses, portugueses em Hainan