The History of Cuba, vol. 2Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 2
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
"ALBEMARLE."
The Bishop replied that the story about the admission of the discredited
Englishman into the Jesuit seminary was altogether untrue, since the
authorities of that college could not admit anybody, this being a
special privilege of the Provincial residing in Mexico. A somewhat
amusing incident of these disputes between the British authorities and
the Spanish clergy of Havana is recorded in the following letter of the
Bishop dated October twenty-second. It reads:
"Your Excellency:
"Yesterday between 4 and 5 o'clock in the afternoon, there called on me
on your part a person whose name and nationality I do not know. All I
know is that he speaks Spanish, though with a foreign accent and wears
golden earrings as is customary with women. He addressed me with
'Usted.' I informed him in the conversation that in speaking to me he
had to use a more dignified title. He replied that he would always use
'Usted.' It then occurred to me that this obstinacy might be justified
by his higher rank. I asked him and he said that he had no other rank
but that of a bomb-thrower in his Majesty's name. He continued in his
way of speaking to me with a loud voice, and since in all his conduct he
was wanting of the respect due to my dignity, I deem it fair that it
should be corrected and that your excellency give me satisfaction."
Lord Albemarle seems to have paid no attention to this letter. But on
the same day the Bishop received another urgent order in which Lord
Albemarle, as Governor and Captain-General of the island, insisted in
his demand to receive a list of all ecclesiastical orders and benefices,
in order to know and be the "competent judge" of the persons appointed
by the Bishop and be able to consent to their appointment. The Bishop in
his reply referred to his previous letter, stating that the Governor
could neither before nor after the appointment be a competent judge of
the appointees, since ecclesiastics, according to all rights, were
exempt of protests by the laity, and their privileges were inviolate.
According to the historian Blanchet, Bishop Morrell was at the end
exiled to Florida for having refused to obey certain orders given by the
British authorities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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