T

H

E

T A B L E T

A W e e k l y N e w s p a p e r a n d R e v i e w .

DUM VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATIS,

From the Brief of H is Holiness to T he T a b l e t , Junt 4, 1870.

Vol. 51. No. 1970. L o n d o n , J a n u a r y 1 2 , 1878.

priceSd.Bypost

[R eg i st e r e d a t th e G e n e r a l P o st O f f i c e a s a N ew spaper

C h ro n ic le o f t h e W e e k :—

Pa^c

Death o f King Victor Emmanuel. —An Armistice.— The Terms of the Armistice and the Conditions ©f Peace.— Muzzled Watch-Dogs. ■—Mr. Forster at Bradford.— Mr. •Gladstone and the Leadership.— The Meeting of Parliament—England and Egypt.—The Crossing of -the Balkans.— The Turkish Gene.rals, Ministers, and Deputies.— Occupation of Sofia.— Captnre of the Army in the Shipka Pass.— The Fenian Prisoners.— Queen

Isabel II.— Mr. Forster on Dis- _ •establishment. — Roman “ Canards.”— The Scottish Hierarchy. — The Indian Famine. . . . . 33

L e a d e r s :

CONTENTS.

Page

S hort N o t ic e s (continued) :

Pago

The Death of King Victor Em­

manuel . . . . •. •• 37 The Famine in South Wales . . 37 Five Years of Persecution.. . . 38 The Policy of Concession to Ire­

land . . .... •• 39 An Appeal from Armenia.. . . 40 R ev iew s :

Nyassa . . . . .. ..40 Companion for the Devout Life . . 41 Field Paths and Green Lanes . . 42 The Reign of Rosas . . .. 42 The “ Month ” for January . . 42

Magazines for January . . . . 43 C o r r e s p o n d e n c e : Catholic Liberal Education . . . . 44

Mr. Petre’s Projects . . . . 45 The Problem of Liberal Catholic

Education and fWhat is Still Wanting to its Complete Solution . . . . .. . . 46 Irish Intermediate Education . . 47 Frassinetti’s “ Consolation o f the

Devout Soul.” . . .. .. 47 St. Michael’s Home, Pont yPridd 47 Relics of St.Thomas ofCanterbury 47 “ Ad Quern Diu Suspiravi.” . . 47

S hort N o t ic e :

Cradle Songs

43 R ome :— Letter from our own Correspondent . . . . . . 49

D io ce san N ews

Southwark . . . . . . . . 5r Beverley . . , , . . ..St Birmingham.. . . . . ..St Salford . . .. . . ..St Death of Bishop Etheridge.. . . 52 I r e l a n d :—

Letter from our own Corre­

spondent . . . . . . « 52 F oreign N ews

Germany . . . . . . . • 53 G en er a l N ews ............................. 54

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

DEATH OF •XING VICTOR o

N Wednesday, the 9th inst., at about a quarter to three p.m., King Victor Emmanuel II. breathed his last in the Palace of the Quirinal, and King

Humbert IV. succeeded to the throne of Italy. Whatever effect this event may have upon the interests of the Holy See and the Church— and in a country governed as Italy is this need not of necessity be very great— the change is not likely to be an advantageous one. It has been very sudden— this blow the news of which has been transmitted by those same special correspondents who were sent to Rome ¡to chronicle the last moments of the aged Pontiff, whom •nobody expected to survive the King. Only last Thursday his Majesty entertained guests at dinner. On Sunday he svas attacked by pleurisy, which was soon complicated by inflammation and congestion of the right lung, and severe neuralgic pains. On Tuesday night miliary fever— which is such a terrible scourge in Italy— supervened, and all hope was at an end. His Majesty, who had never lost his faith, then turned his attention to preparation for death. During the forenoon of Wednesday— whether at the request o f the King we are not yet informed— his Holiness sent Mgr. Marinelli, Bishop of Porphyrium, and Sacristan of the Apostolic Palaces— and as such exercising the functions of parish priest within the Quirinal as well as theVatican— to the ■ dying Monarch. Whether it was to this prelate, as one account states, or to his own chaplain that the King made his confession is not yet clear; at all events the censures were removed, and Mgr. Cenni, Domestic Prelate, was sent by his Holiness with the Pontifical benediction in articulo mortis. The King then received the Sacraments of the Viaticum and Extreme Unction from the hands of his chaplain, the Abate Anzini, and retaining his consciousness to the last took an affectionate farewell of Prince Humbert and Princess Margarita. Then having summoned his household, he spoke a few words to all, soon after which he three times saluted those present by bowing his head, and expired, just as the Russian Ambassador entered the room with a telegram from the Tsar. It is worthy of remark that this event took place precisely on the fifth anniversary o f the death of Napoleon III., and that this week has also seen the demise of General La Marmora, the companion in arms and valued Minister of Victor Emmanuel, and the first Military Governor of Rome after its forcible annexation by the Italian Kingdom.

The week has been rich in important a n armistice, events. Despatches from our Government have been received at St. Petersburg and at

Constantinople. To Russia Lord Derby has expressed the

N ew Series, V ol. X IX . No. 479.

acquiescence of England in the plan of a preliminary armistice, admitting that for “ technical reasons ” it may be desirable that it should be negotiated between the commanders of the belligerent forces. Distinguishing, however, the terms of the armistice from the conditions of peace, the Foreign Secretary strenuously re-affirms the right of England to have a voice in the settlement of the latter. To the Porte Lord Derby has communicated the Russian reply to the overture transmitted through England, and he is said to have added a strong recommendation that the Turkish Government should apply, through the Russian Commander-in-Chief, to the Emperor Alexander for information as to the terms on which an armistice would be conceded. On Tuesday the Council of Ministers assembled at Constantinople to deliberate upon this communication, and they agreed upon conditions to which they would consent, submitted them to the Sultan, and obtained his ratification of them. But Server Pasha made a last attempt to obtain the mediation of England with respect to the terms of the armistice. He telegraphed to Musurus Pasha, instructing him to request Lord Derby to arrange the terms with Russia. But the Foreign Secretary informed the Ambassador that Russia would not entertain any such proposal from a neutral, and he counselled direct negotiations between the belligerents. The matter was then decided, and Reouf Pasha, the Minister for War, ordered the Turkish commanders in the field to open negotiations with the Russian generals. At the same time Server Pasha attended a sitting of the Chamber of Deputies, which was held with closed doors, and informed them that the Government had made every effort to interest Europe in the Turkish cause, but that unfortunately its endeavours had been fruitless. Turkey was completely isolated, and had no hope of European alliances. An armistice with a view to peace was therefore being negotiated, and when concluded would be submitted to the Chamber for its approval. After this we hope that we shall hear no more of the attitude of the English Government leading Turkey to expect material aid. Mr. Layard, according to a telegram of Monday’s date, declares that there is absolutely no foundation for the assertion that he had ever, even in private conversation with high functionaries at the Porte, held out any hope of Turkey obtaining assistance from England ; and the Agence Russe of Wednesday speaks of the probability that by that tiijie th§ Porte would have received from all the Power« without exception the advice to treat qhectly with Russia, and not to expect material aid from any quarter. What may be the terms which Russia will exact as conditions of an armistice is not as yet known with any certainty, but it is apprehended that, in addition to the military status quo, the surrender of at least one or two of the Danubian fortresses will be demanded»