THE TABLET A Weekly Newspaper and Review

D um VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMUS UT IN INCŒPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEAÏIS.

Fro 17 1 the B r ie f o f H is Holiness Pius I X . to T he T a blet, June 4, 187a,

Voi. 54. No. 2033. L o n don, M a rch 29, 1879.

p r ic e sd.bv p o s t5k

TReg is t e r ed a t th e G en e r a l P ost Offic e a s a N ew spaper.

C hronicle of th e W e e k

Page

Lord Chelmsford’s Despatch.— Debate on the Zulu War in the Lords.—The Zulu Debate in the •Commons.—Return of the French Legislature to Paris —The Irish Convention Act.—Irish Unions and Pauper Children.—Dr. Newman.—The Representation of County Longford.—Agricultural Holdings.—Cvprus.—The Warn­

ing to the Khedive.—Cremation.— Assassinations in Russia.—The French Episcopate and the Government Bills . . . . ■

P e t e r s Pesce

CONTENTS.

L e a d e r s :

Lord Chelmsford and Sir Bartle

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Frere .. . . . . . . 389 The True “ Dangerous Classes” 390 The French Legislature and the

Unrecognised” Congregations 390 State Grants to Irish Training

Schools . . . . .. .. 391 Leo X I I I . and the Scholastic

Philosophy.—III. . . . . 393 C hurch M usic ............................ 394 R ev iew s :

The Sermon on the Mount .. 395 Among the Zulus . . .. .. 396 Early Drawings and Illuminations 397 S hort N otices ;

What is Home Rule? .. .. 397 Copyright, National and Inter­

national .. ...........................397

S hort N otices (Continued):

Commercial Depression . . . . 397 Prayers for the Jubilee . . . . 397 C o rrespo n d en c e :

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The Testimonial to Dr. Newman 398 An Eirenicon of the Eighteenth

Century .. .. .. . . 398 The Abbey of St. Gall . . .. 398 English Liberalism .. . . 399 “ The Jesuit Style of Church

Architecture ” . . . . . . 399 The Jubilee . . . . . . . . 399 R o m e : — Letter from our own

Correspondent . . . . . . 401 D io cesan N ews

Westminster.. . . . . . . 403 Southwark . . . . . . . . 403 Birmingham.. . . . . . . 403

D iocesan N ews (continued)

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Clifton .. .. . . , . 404 Hexham and Newcastle . . 404 Liverpool . . . . . . . . 404 P ly m o u t h .......................... . . 405 Salford . . . . . . 405 S cotland :

Glasgow . . . . . . , , 405 I r e land :—

Letter from our own Corre­

spondent ........................... _ 405 F oreign N ew s ;—

United States ............................. 406 G e rm a n y ..........................................406 Montenegro . . . . . . . . 407 M emoranda :

Educational.. .. . . .. 407 R e l i g i o u s ..........................................407 G en e r a l N ews : ............................... 408

CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.

COMMAND. T

LORD CHELMSFORD’S

'H E rather noisy demands of some of the papers for the removal of Lord Chelmsford from the chief command in South Africa have been revived by a despatch from that General, published in a Blue Book presented to Parliament on Friday. In this letter, dated Durban, February 9, Lord Chelmsford tells the Secretary for War that in his opinion “ it is very desirable that an officer of the rank of MajorGeneral should be sent out to South Africa without delay,” and he mentions that Sir Bartle Frere concurs in this recommendation, and had pointed out to him that the officer ■ selected should be fitted to succeed him in his position of High Commissioner.” The obvious meaning of this last point in the recommendation is, that, as the military Commander-in-Chief already holds a commission to succeed to the post of Governor and High Commissioner, should that post become suddenly vacant, any one who is sent out as a possible successor to the Commander-in-Chief ought to be also a possible successor to the High Commissioner. And Lord Chelmsford assigns as a reason for his present recommendation that he feels “ the strain of prolonged anxiety and exertion, physical and mental,” telling upon him. He mentioned this fact, he says, privately to the Duke of Cambridge in June last, and he feels it “ still more now.” tie foresees, in fact, that his health may break down, and wishes to have some one at hand to take his place, but it is his “ earnest desire to carry on his duties for her Majesty’s service up to the fullest extent of his powers.” This is certainly not imploring to be relieved of his command, as one of the papers has put it, but a very reasonable recommendation that a second in command should be sent out so as to be ready to take his place in case of his death or his becoming incapacitated for service. This view of his meaning is entirely confirmed by a letter which he wrote the next day (10th February) to the Duke of Cambridge:— ■“ I trust your Royal Highness will be able to send me out a second in command. I do not anticipate breaking down, but I feel that the strain is great on me in every way, and such an event may occur suddenly.” Lord Chelmsford’s request had been anticipated, as we all know, by the despatch to South Africa of four Major-Generals. But there is one curious feature about the affair, and that is that the Duke of Cambridge has no recollection of Lord Chelmsford having written to him in June last, or down to the present time, anything about the state of his health, nor can any of the officers in the Commander-in-Chiefs department find any trace of such a letter. The Duke of Cambridge does not mean to say that such a letter was never written— it may have miscarried—but he has never received it, and if he had received such a letter he would have felt it his duty to lay it before the Government. To a question as to who

New S ek je s , "'Vol. XXI. No. 542.

would be Lord Chelmsford’s successor, in case of a vacancy, Colonel Stanley has replied that it would be the senior officer, according to the usual rule of the service. The senior officer would be Major General the Hon. H, Clifford, V.C., C.B., who has gone out as Chief of the Staff.

DEBATE ON THE ZULU WAR IN THE

LORDS.

The clause added by Lord Lansdowne to his original notice of motion expressing regret that an ultimatum should have been presented to Cetewayo calculated to produce immediate war—to the effect that the House further regretted that, after the censure passed upon the High Commissioner by the Government, the conduct of affairs in South Africa should still be retained in his hands—converted the motion into one of censure upon the Government, who accordingly met it with a direct negative. Lord Lansdowne said his original object in placing his motion upon the paper was to afford an opportunity to Parliament to express an opinion with regard to the circumstances under which we have become involved in war with the Zulus, and to elicit from the Government an expression of opinion with regard to these circumstances. He had, however, been induced to alter its terms by the publication of the despatch of the 19th of March, which he contended would be regarded, both in this country and in the colonies, as the withdrawal of the confidence of the Government from Sir Bartle Frere. He then reviewed at some length the history of our relations with the Zulus, arguing that up to the time of the annexation of the Transvaal they had not been of an unfriendly character, and that the policy of the Government should have been one to defer as long as possible, instead of precipitating, a collision with Cetewayo. He did not question the high abilities and great services of Sir Bartle Frere, but asserted that he had shown himself indifferent to discipline and superior to Constitutional authority. Her Majesty’s Government had trusted him but scantily before, and could not trust him at all in future. The ground of defence taken by the Government against the proposed censure was then very clearly explained by Lord Cranbrook. They did regret that the ultimatum had been presented without the authority of the responsible advisers of the Crown, and foi that act have censured Sir Bartle Frere, but they did n u upon that account think it necessary to deprive the countr) of the services of a man of such ability, and to send out ano ther of inferior knowledge and experience who would have to begin the work over again at a manifest disadvantage. Lorn Cranbrook emphatically denied that the Government wenactuated by any desire to acquire territory, and their endeavour would be to bring about a peaceful state of affairs 11. South Africa. The late Secretary for the Colonies contn buted to the debate a speech, to which his official kno"ledge of South African affairs gave special weight. He asserted that Cetewayo had undoubtedly broken all hi pledges and become a standing menace to the Ca)-