THE TABLET.
A Weekly Newspaper and Review.
DUM VOBIS GRATULAMUS, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS OT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEAT.S.
From, the B r ie f of H is Holiness P iu s IX . to T h e T a b l e t , June 4, l i f o .
Vol. 93. No. 3064.
L ondon, January 28, 1899.
P rige 5d., by Post 5$$d.
[R eg i st e r e d a t t h e G e n e r a l P ost O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper.
C hronicle of th e W eek : Page
ThePeaci Proposals of the Tsar —The Future of the Soudan— Sir Edward Grey and Irish University Education — The Welsh Colony in Patagonia— The Tsar’s Rescript: Suggestion by the Marquis of Ripon—The Bishop of Manchester on Empty Churches — England and France — Speech by M. Delcassd— Prospective Educational Legislation— The London County Council and Sunday Observance—The Changes of a Lifetime—Venezuelan Arbitration — Post Your Letters at Home— •Capture of a Gang of Criminals.. 117 L e a d e r s :
Mr. Balfour’s Letter . . . . 121 The Powers and Samoa . . . . 122
CONTENTS
L eaders (Continued):
Page
Protestant v. Catholic Nations .. 123 Mr. George Blount . . . . 124 Dr. Horton’s Reply . . . . 125 N otes — — _ _ „ 1 2 6 R eview s :
Phases of My Life ^ . . . . 127 The Triumph of Failure . . . . 128 A Mayfair Marriage . . . . 129 The Stanzas of Omar Khayydm 129 Persecution of Catholics Under . Charles II. . . . . . . 129
Ben Jonson his Volpone . . . . 130 Life of St. Juliana Falconieri . . 130 Suggestive Lives and Thoughts 130 Lessons in Old Testament His
tory . . ......................... 130 Theologia Moralis .. _ . . . . 130 The Catholic Social Union. . . . 130 Christianity in Cochin-China . . 131
C orrespondence :
Rome (From Our Own Corre
Page spondent) . . — _ — 133 News from Ireland — — 134 News from France.. •• •• 134 L e t t e r s to t h e E d it or !
Industrial War and Compulsory
Arbitration ......................... 135 “ Art in Churches” . . . . 135 Dr. Horton and Mr. Britten . . 136 Mansi’s “ Concilia” . . 1 3 6 The Irish University Question . . 137 The Ritual Controversy . . . . 141 The Roman Question . . . . 142 Books of the Week . . . . . . 144 Funeral of Mr. George Blount . . 144 O b it u a r y . . . . — — 144 Social a n d P o l it ic a l . . 144
Page
SUPPLEMENT. N ew s from t h e S chools :
Irish Intermediate Education A Leaving Certificate .. A “ Faculty ” of Commerce St. Patrick’s College, Wellington 150 St. Ignatius’ College, Stamford
149 149 150
Hill ....
. . . . 150
From Stonyhurst to Sandhurst . . 150 The Arundel School Question University Intelligence . . . N ew s from t h e D io ceses :
Westminster . . Portsm outh.......................................15* Salford . . . . ». . . 152 Shrewsbury 152 Newport .......................................152 Glasgow . . ... •• . . 152 A Will C a s e .......................................153 The Roger Bacon Society . . . . 155
150 151 « 152
Rejected MS. cannot be returned unless accompanied with address and postage.
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
THE TEACE PROPOSALS OFTHE
TSAR.
T'H E text o f Count Muravieff’s despatch to the representatives in St, Petersburg o f the Great Powers has now been published, and approximates very closely to the published forecasts o f it. The object of the proposed Conference is declared to be to p lace a check upon the growth o f armaments. But after noting the general approval with which the T sar’s humanitarian ideas have been received in all countries, the C ircular strikes a note o f caution in these w o rd s : “ Notwithstanding the strong •current o f opinion which set in in favour o f the ideas of general pacification, the political horizon has undergone a sensible change in this last respect. Several Powers have undertaken fresh armaments, striving to further increase their military forces, and in the presence o f this uncertain situation it might be asked whether the Powers considered the present moment opportune for the international discuss ion.” These words are the more curious because it is notorious that Russia herself has been foremost in her efforts to add tothe strength o f bothherland and sea forces, white she is at the same tim e spending unprecedented sums in hurrying on the developm ent o f purely strategical railways, designed to enable her to use her armies with the most crushing effect upon her neighbours. However, the Circular expresses a hope that “ the elements o f trouble agitating the political spheres ” may be only temporary, and that a prelim inary exchange o f views may be useful. T h e subject matter o f the proposed discussion divides itself naturally into two parts— one relating to the growth of armaments, and the other to the use of arbitration as a substitute for war. It is suggested that an understanding might be arrived at not to allow any increase in either the existing armaments or the war budgets. W e fear that at the outset the advisers o f the Tsar will be met by a serious difficulty, and that so long as all nations are convinced o f the necessity o f warlike preparations on a large scale it will be impossible to discover any method o f securing a general and loyal observance of the limitations which it is sought to impose. For instance,
.l “ e case o f war budgets the Powers are obviously not able to give assurances of anything like equal value. In the
N e w S e r ie s . V o l . I.XI., No. 2,373.
case o f Great Britain where all expenditure is public, and necessarily subject to the inspection o f all the world, abundant guarantees for good faith are forthcom ing ; but such guarantees could have no counterpart, say, in the case o f Russia herself. T h e great military Powers, i f they were so minded, would be able to apply to preparations for war funds o f which their neighbours could have little knowledge and no control. It is also suggested that no new k ind o f firearms or more powerful explosives than those now in use shall be allowed. There are two proposals in the C ircular which are likely to cause some heart-burning across the Channel. T h e T sar considers that submarine torpedo-boats should be prohibited, and that no more vessels should be built with rams. But o f deeper significance is the declaration that all questions concerning the political relations o f States shall be absolutely excluded from the deliberations o f the Conference.
the future jast
A n important document was published foy the Egyptian official journal
'
the soudan announcing, as the result o f a convention
' between the British and Egyptian Governments, the regulations for the future administration o f the Soudan. I t is first stated that the provinces in question have been reconquered by the jo in t m 'litary and financial efforts o f the two Governments, and that it is necessary to give effect to the claims which have accrued to the British Government by right o f conquest to share in the settlement and future working o f the Soudan, which is said to mean the territories south o f the twenty-second parallel of latitude conquered, or to be conquered, by the two Governments acting in concert. W ady Haifa and Suakim are also to be administered in conjunction with the reconquered provinces, over which the British and Egyptian flags are to float side by side, except at Suakim. _ T h e supreme military and civil authority is to be vested in the hands o f a Governor-General appointed by Khedivial decree with our consent and irremoveable without it. H is powers are so ample that he will practically be able to legislate for the whole or part o f the Soudan by proclamation. Lord K itchener’s appointment to this post has since been gazetted. T h e provinces are to be outside the application o f Egyptian laws and decrees, though import duties will be the same as in Egypt except on goods com ing from Egypt, which are to be free. N o Europeans are to have any special privileges and no foreign Consuls are to reside in the Soudan except with the consent o f the British Government. T h e jurisdiction o f the M ixed Tribunals ends, we are glad to see, at the frontiers, the Soudan being
