THE TABLET

A Weekly Newspaper a n d Review.

D um VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS.

from the Brief of H is Holiness to T he T ablet, June 4, 1870.

Vol. 50. No. 1955. London, September 29, 1877.

P r ice sd. By P ost 5 % d

[R eg is tered a t t h e G en e r a l P o st O f f i c e a s a N ew spaper

Page

C h ro n ic le o f t h e W e e k :—

The Engagement at Tcherkovna. — Other Operations.— Relief of Plevna.— Suleiman Pasha.—The French Elections.— Republican Manifestoes.— Prosecution of M. •Gambetta.— M. Gambetta before •the Court.— The Manifesto of M. Thiers.— The English Press and the French Conservatives. - Royalist Manifesto, — Incontinence of Oratory. — Lord R. Churchill on Legislation for Ireland.— The Detective Force. ** Cleopatra’s Needle.” — Dr. Friedrichs on the Vatican Council.— The Penge Murder.— Correspondents and Conclaves.— The Italian Army . . . . . . 385

CONTENTS.

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L ea d e r s :

Mediation Rumours and War

Prospects .. . . •• • • 389 The Last Words of M. Thiers . . 389 The School Question in Prussia 390 The New Mancini Bill . •• 391 A Remarkable Speech on Ireland 392 Strikes in Ireland . . # • 393 The Apostolic Nuncio in Galicia 394 The';Apostolic Delegate in Canada 394 Mgr. Dupanloup on the Coming

Elections . . . . . . •• 394 R ev iew :

Intermediate] Education in Ire­

land .................................... 397 S hort N otices :

Beside the Western Sea . . . . 397 Rest on the Cross^.........................397 From Sunrise to Sunset : . . 397

S hort N otices (continued)

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The Comprehensive Geography.. 397 National Portrait Gallery .. 397 The Crown of Heaven . . . . 397 The Voice of Jesus Suffering . . 397 C orrespondence :

“ Kappa” on “ Literary In­

tolerance.” . . . . . . 398 Catholic Controversialists.. . . 398 Confraternities ........................... 398 “ Save the Boy.” . . . . . . 399 The Home for Consumptive

Patients, Bournemouth,. . . 399 Distress in Roumelia . . . . 399 R ome :— Letter from our own Cor­

respondent ........................... 401 D io c e sa n N ews

Westminster.......................................403

D io cesan N ews (continued) ,

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S o u th w a rk .................................... 403 Beverley . . . . . . 403 Birmingham.. . . 404 Hexham and Newcastle . . . . 404 Newport and Menevia . . . . 404 I r e l a n d :

Letter from our Dublin Corre­

spondent . . . . M ... 404 F oreign N ew s

Germany . . ... . . , , 406 M em oranda :—

S c i e n t i f i c .................................... 407 G en er a l N ews

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

In the Shipka Pass Suleiman Pasha has re-

opERATioNS commenced his bombardment o f Fort St.

Nicholas, from which there is not much reason

TH E telegrams which on Saturday and

Sunday brought news of a decisive t c h e r k o v n a . victory of Mehemet A li over the Cesarevich turned out to be false, and we can now form a distinct idea of what really took place. The engagement of Friday the 21st is described by a correspondent from the Turkish camp as a reconnaissance, but it seems to have been really an attack which failed. A road from Mehemet A li’s head-quarters at Kopace crosses the upper waters of the Banicka Lorn, near the burnt village of Tcherkovna, which lies to the north of the stream. On its left, or south-western bank, a little lower down, is a ridge running north and south, on which the Russians under GeneralTatischeffwere intrenched, and beyond this ridge to the west is the village of Verbatcha, or Verboka. The Turks began to advance about noon, and opened fire from their batteries at one p.m. The first attack was on the Russian right. One battalion of the Turkish left wing was engaged by a body of Russian infantry, but stood its ground till a reinforcement of two battalions came up and drove back the Russians to a favourable position in their rear. A further reinforcement o f nine Egyptian battalions arrived subsequently, but these did not go into action, and the Turks consequently gained no ground in this direction. Then came an attack from the Turkish centre and right wing, which is described as “ a furious infantry “ battle, which grew in intensity, until at about six o’clock “ it reached its highest pitch.” The centre advanced on the Russian centre posted on the heights in front of Verbatcha, and the right on the wood further to the north o f that village. The centre column drove in the Russian centre, andadvanced as far as Verbatcha, but after it had been four times ordered in vain to retire, the general commanding the division went after it and led it back in person. For it was apparently not the intention of Mehemet A li to break through in the direction o f Verbatcha, but rather to turn the left o f the position and obtain command o f the road to Biela, which lies about fifteen miles to the north east. But it was on their left that the Russians were in strongest force, and the attack there delivered by the Turkish right, though gallantly maintained, was in the end unsuccessful, and was terminated by nightfall, the Russians retaining their •positions. Russian accounts represent the loss on their side as trifling, and assert that o f the Turks to be much greater. The Ottoman army is in possession o f the line o f the Banicka Lom, and its right, under Ahmed Eyoub, has advanced some way beyond it, and occupy Tchernika.

to expect any very decisive results, and at Plevna the combatants are recovering their breath for a fresh struggle. We learnt by a telegram from Shevket Pasha that Ahmed Hafzi Pasha, with the supplies and reinforcements for Osman Pasha, had arrived within two hours o f Plevna, and had repulsed with his artillery an attempt made by fifteen Russian battalions to stop the convoy. This engagement took place on Saturday at Dubnik.

A subsequent telegram from Shevket Pasha,

r e l i e f o f from Orkhanie, states that Hafzi Pasha effected p l e v n a . his entrance into Plevna on Sunday, after re­

pulsing on that day a second attack of the

Russians. The despatch states that the reinforcement brought amounts to twenty battalions of infantry, a regiment of cavalry, and two batteries of artillery, and that the supplies consist o f 1,200 bullock waggon loads of provisions and war material. Osman Pasha is now fully provided with all he wants, and Plevna may be considered safe.

Though Suleiman Pasha is still breaking his s u l e im a n head against the Shipka fort, it is not for want p a s h a . of repeated requests sent by Mehemet A li to the Porte that he should be ordered to cross the Balkans by the more easterly passes, and march on Osman Bazar. I f he had already done so the position of the army of the Cesarewitch would be far more critical than it is, but either Suleiman Pasha is jealous o f the other Generals— as he is accused of being— and will not obey orders, or some one at Constantinople— people say it is Mahmoud Damad— frustrates the plans of Mehemet Ali, and sends counter orders to Suleiman. Should evil result from this want o f harmonious action there will be a terrible account to render to the Ottoman nation and to history.

On Saturday the official decrees were pub-

t h e f r e n c h n s h e d fixing the date of the general elections e l e c t i o n s , throughout France. The elections are to take place on the day already mentioned as probable, the 14th o f October ; the second ballots, where necessary, are to be held on the 28th o f October, and the Senate and the new Chamber are to assemble on the 7th of November. Consequently the legal “ electoral period,” as it is called, during which public meetings and the placarding o f electioneering addresses are permitted, began on Monday. With a view to this the Minister of Justice has issued a circular to the Procureurs-Généraux, in which he directs their attention to the principal regulations on the subject, and reminds them that a judicial or administrative official who may be present at an

N ew Se r i e s , VoL.ijXVIII. No. 464.