Deposition of the Most Reverend Patrick William Riordan, archbishop of San Francisco.
United States of America,
State of California, City and County of San Francisco, ss:
Be it remembered that on the 24th day of July, 1902, before me, John P. Cashin, a notary public in and for the said city and county of San Francisco, in the State of California, United States of America, personally appeared Patrick William Riordan, Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, who, being by me first duly sworn, according to the laws of the State of California, deposed and said as follows:
My name is Patrick William Riordan; I was born in New Brunswick, Canada; my age is nearly sixty-one years; my residence is in the city of San Francisco, California, of which archdiocese I am the Roman Catholic archbishop.
I have no personal interest in the claim in support of which my testimony is taken; but I am the actual incumbent as the corporation sole which will doubtless be one of the recipients, for the purpose of administration, of any sum collected in this case.
Joseph S. Alemany was my predecessor as archbishop of San Francisco aforesaid, and remained such down to the 28th day of December, 1884, when he resigned this archbishopric, and was afterwards translated to the diocese of Pelusium.
I had been his coadjutor with the right of succession from the 16th of September, 1883, and on his resignation succeeded to” the office.
He went to Spain and remained there until his death.
I have been charged with the administration of the affairs of the archdiocese of San Francisco since the 28th day of December, 1884.
Before that date I assisted Archbishop Alemany in such administration.
I know from my own knowledge that since I became connected with the administration of this archdiocese and from my intimate acquaintance with the archives of the said archdiocese antecedent to that time that no money whatever has been received from the Government of Mexico on Account of the interest of the Pious Fund of the Californias accrued since the year 1868.
[Page 399]The moneys due by Mexico for interest on said Pious Fund under the award of the mixed commission created by the convention of July 4, 1868, had been paid to the extent of several installments prior to my connection with the archdiocese, and the practice had been adopted after the payment of expenses to apportion or distribute the same to the various dioceses and apostolic vicariates within the territory understood to be included in the term Upper California as used when the Crown of Spain held sovereignty over the country, having regard to the population, number of missions, churches, and missionaries in each.
Concerning the statistics of the Catholic Church in America.
There is a publication called the Catholic Directory published annually.
It is accepted as authentic, and is, I believe, correct, saving casual trifling errors incident to all publications.
I present a copy of the issue of it for the year 1902, which the notary marks “Exhibit Number One,” and I have identified by my signature.
Its statistical information is undoubtedly correct.
In the event that the bishop is absent from his diocese, the vicar-general fills his place.
Archbishop of San Francisco
And therefore I, John P. Cashin, a notary public in and for the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, hereby certify that the foregoing deposition made by Patrick William Riordan, Roman Catholic archbishop of San Francisco, was reduced to writing by me personally, and was thereafter carefully read by me to the said deponent, and was signed by him in my presence.
I further certify that I am not the attorney for either of the parties in the above-entitled suit, and have no interest in the claim before the court, nor am I the attorney for any person having any such interest.
[seal.]
Notary Public in and for the City and County of
San Francisco, State of California.