THE TABLET

A W eekly Newspaper and Review

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

From the B r ie f o f Ffis Holiness Pius IX . to T he T ablet, June 4, 1870.

Voi. 517. No. 1992. L o n d o n , J u n e 1 5 , 1 8 7 8 .

p « « 5d. by p 0s t Sh <i

[R eg i st e r e d a t t h e G en e r a l P o st O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper.

C h ronicle of t h e W e e k :—

Page

Pope Leo X I I I .— The Congress. — The German Emperor and the Crown Prince.— The Dissolution o f the Reichstag.— The Sultan and his Ministers.— The Indian Troops at Malta.— Mr. Otway on Russia and the Late Governm ent.— Bishop Fraser on the Cotton Strike. — Great Colliery Explosions.— The Electoral Scandals in America.—The Canadian Fisheries Award. — The Kaffir War.— Famine in China.— Death o f the King of Hanover.— The Empress of Russia. — International Congress o f Agriculture.— The “ Albion ” Insurance Frauds. — Duke and Shepherd . . . . \

CONTENTS.

L e a d e r s :

Page

The Situation . . . . . . 741 The German Imperial Govern­

ment and the Reichstag . . 741 Report on Irish National Schools

— 1877 .....................................742 Education in Church Music.— II .. 743 R ev iew s :

George Moore . . . . . . 745 The Nineteenth Century.. . . 745 The Ruddy Harper . . . . 746 The “ Month ” for June . . . . 746 S hort N otices :

Cyclopaedia of Costume . . . . 747 Life of St. Mary Frances.. .. 747 An Introduction to the Latin

Language.................................... 747

S hort N otices (continued) :

Industrial A r t . .

C hurch M u s ic : C o r r e s p o n d e n c e :

Page . . 748 . . 748

The Famine in China .. .. 748 The Reform o f Church Music . . 748 The Title of “ Father ” .. . . 749 SS. Anselm and Cecilia’s Young

Men's Association Lincoln’sinn-fields . . . . . . 750 Corpus Christi Church, Maiden-

lane, Southampton-street, Strand 750 St. Alban's . . . . . . . . 750 A Distressing Case.. . . . . 75t P a r l ia m e n t a r y Summary . . 751 R ome : — Letter from our own

C o rrespondent......................... 753

Page

D io c e sa n N ews Westminster.......................................755

Hexham and Newcastle . . . . 756 Salford . . . . . . 756 S cotland :—

Argyll and the Isles . . . . 737 I r e lan d

Letter from our own Corre­

spondent ........................ «. 757 F oreign N ews

G e r m a n y ....................................... 758 M em oranda

R e l i g i o u s ......................... . . 7 5 8 Annual Meeting of the ?Catholic

Union o f Great Britain ». 758 G en er a l N ew s ...............................758

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

TOTE LEO XIIL W

rE are glad to see that the cor­

respondent of the Times in Rome takes upon himself emphatically to contradict the unfavourable reports which have obtained currency respecting the Holy Father’s health. “ I am,” he says, “ in a position to assert that the many reports o f the Pope’s failing health, which have appeared in some London papers during the past month, are absolutely unfounded.” And he adds, with unquestionable truth, that “ the report o f his intended abdication is too absurd to merit contradiction.” We should have liked to see at the same time a contradiction of the other ridiculous statements about the pressure alleged to be brought to bear on his Holiness b y an imaginary “ Camarilla,” “ in transigenti Cardinals,” and “ Jesuits.” The present Holy Father is about the last person to allow himself to be turned by such influences from any course o f action on which he had definitely resolved, and we are convinced that nothing of the kind has even been attempted. The opposition and intrigue which has been alleged to have so gravely affected the Pope’s health must be relegated to that realm of fiction which has been so prolific of absurd stories about “ the Vatican.” The truth seems to be that there is a serious obstacle in the way o f the Pape’s passing the summer season at Castel Gandolfo — the only country residence which is absolutely at his own disposal— namely, that the villa has been cut up into habitations for several dispossessed Religious communities, and that it would take a long time to prepare it for his reception. It is probable therefore that the Holy Father will remain at the Vatican, and though there is, we believe, nothing whatever the matter with his Holiness, it is only natural that one who is not very particularly robust, and has been accustomed to the more bracing air of Perugia, should find the climate of Rome in summer rather trying and oppi essive.

THE CONGRESS.

There is o f course as yet nothing to say about the doings of the Congress, except that it has assembled. Lord Beaconsfield, with his attendant Secretaries, arrived at Berlin on Tuesday evening, having been entertained on his way at a State banquet by the K ing of the Belgians, and took up his quarters at the Hotel Kaiserhof, preferring its greater quiet and seclusion to the Embassy. As soon as he had dined he paid a visit of an hour and a half to Prince Bismarck. Lord Salisbury and his suite arrived the next day, and put up at the English Embassy. Wednesday was occupied by a ceremonial exchange of visits, and it was remarked as amusing that Count Schouvaloff and Count Andrassy called on Lord Beaconsfield at the same time. Prince Gortchakoff arrived

New Series, Vol. XIX. No. 501.

on Wednesday, and Count Corti and his attendants at midnight. Caratheodori Pasha and Mehemet A li are on their way, and until their arrival Turkey will be represented by its ordinary Ambassador. Prince Hohenlohe comes from Paris to be the third Plenipotentiary for Germany, Count von Bulow, the Foreign Minister, being the second. Prince Bismarck will, o f course, preside, and it is believed that Count Radowitz and M. de Mouy, French Secretary of Embassy, will be Protocolists.

THE GERMAN EMPEROR AND THE CROWN

PRINCE.

The Emperor William seems to be steadily recovering from his wounds, has already left his bed for several hours at a time, and is regaining strength and appetite. H e received on Tuesday a visit from the two betrothed couples, Prince Henry o f the Netherlands and

Princess Marie, and the Duke o f Connaught and Princess Louise. Should no unexpected complication arise he may be now considered out o f danger. The conduct o f public affairs has been intrusted by “ Imperial Order ” to the Crown Prince, not, however, as Regent, but as representative (stellverlreler) of the Emperor. The Emperor’s assent to the order, which he was unable to sign, was attested by the Chiefs of his Civil and Military Cabinets, countersigned by all the Ministers, and then transmitted by the Crown Prince, with a decree from himself, to the Chancellor and to the State Ministry for publication. In this decree the Crown Prince declares that it is his firm intention “ to carry on the representation intrusted to me by the Emperor and K in g ’s Majesty and accepted by me, with a conscientious observance o f the Constitution and the laws, according to the principles of his Majesty, my Imperial father and lord, which are known to me.” The assassin Nobiling remains in a comatose state, owing to the pressure o f the unextracted bullet on the brain, but some hopes are entertained that he may recover sufficiently to make some further revelations. The Government has by no means abandoned its belief that the crime was the result of a Socialist conspiracy; and the Crown Prince in receiving an address from the Berlin Town Council congratulating him on the Emperor’s escape, while he affirmed his conviction that the immense majority of Prussians and Germans were loyal, said that “ an insufficiently educated part of the population had been led astray, and that it devolved upon individual citizens to open the eyes' of the misguided people to the terrible consequences o f the Socialist doctrine, and to bring them back to the recognition o f duty, right, and morality.” The Social Democratic papers protest, and try to prove that Nobiling was not a Socialist because he took in an Anti-Socialist Bohemian paper, but the Government is keenly alive to the danger, and is evidently resolved to put down with a strong hand all propagation o f anarchical doctrines.