T U D HP A D T O HP X r l JcL Î l A i j JL JL X• Weekly Newspaper and Review.
DÜM VCBIS GRATUL AM UR, ANIMOS ETIAM ADDIMÜS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEATiS.
Prom the B r ie f o f H is H o lin ess P iu s IX . to T h e T a b l e t , June 4, 1870.
V ol. 84. No. 2840. London, October 13, 1894. p R.cE 5d. by post 5jid .
[Registered a t th e General Post O ffice as a N ewspaper
C hronicle of th e W e ek :
Page f
The Religious Question in Hungary— The Hungarian Budget— The Austrian Spirit Tax—China and Japan—The Chino-Japanese War—The Movements of the Two Fleets—Mr. Redmond Demands a Dissolution— Mr. Shaw-Lefevre .Agrees with Mr. Redmond—Sir John Astley — A Deputation of Queens— France and Egypt—Earl Spencer and Training Ships — Coaling the Navy in the English Channel—France and Madagascar —Russia and Turkey .. . . 557 L eaders :
Some Notes on the Political Out
look in Belgium ....................... 5Ó1 Rome and San Marino .. .. 561 Oliver Wendell Holmes . .. 563 Leaves from a Ramblers Note-
Book .................................... 563
CONTENTS .
Aspects of Anglicanism .. .. 564 Catholic Missions in Corea and
Page
Japan.................................................. 565 N otes . . — — •• . . 566 R eviews :
Philosophy and Development of
Religion .. .. .. .. 568 An Explanation of the Mass .. 569 A Catechist’s Commentary on
Holy Scripture _ ............................570 The Bible and Science . . .. 571 Léon Dupont ........................... 571 Books of the Week . . . . 571 Correspondence :
Rome :—(From Our Own Corre
spondent) ....................................... 573 News from Ireland . . . . . . 574 L etters to th e E ditor :
Necessary Existence and Infinite
Perfection.. .. .. .. 576
L etters to th e E ditor (Co-
Page tinued): “ Half Communion ” . . .. 576 St. Thomas a Becket . . .. 577 St. Winefride’s Well . . .. 577 School Books ......................... 577 The Catholic Church and the Saloon 577 Anglicans and Baptism .. .. 578 St. Cuthbert’s Mission .. .. 579 God's Existence and Perfections .. 579 Anglican Orders .. .. . . 580 A Miraculous Statue of Our Lady 583 Meeting of the Archbishops and
Bishops of Ireland.. .. .. 583 Sydney Nursing Sisters .. .. 583 A New Order of Episcopal Monks 584 O b ituary .................................... 584 Syrian Catholics in Sydney.. .. 584 The Will of the Late Mrs. Lyne
Stephens . . .. . . .. 584 Social and Political . . . . 584
SUPPLEMENT. N ews from th e Schools:
Page
Liverpool Training College .. 5S9 Lively Meeting of Barry School
Board .. .........................589 Cardiff Guardians .. .. .. 5S9 N ews from th e D ioceses :
Westminster ............................590 Southwark .. ......................... 590 Hexham and Newcastle .. . . 5 ,0 Leeds ....................................... 591 Liverpool .. .. .. .. 591 Newport and Menevia .. .. 59c Northampton ............................592 Portsmouth . . . . ..5 9 2 Salford .. .. .. .. 592 St. Andrews and Edinburgh . . 592 Christian Doctrine in its Relation to
Agnosticism .. .. .. . . 592 . The Reported Miracle at Holywell 594 ' Catholic Marriage .. . . .. 594
* » Rejected MS. cannot be returned unless accompanied with address and postage.
CHRONICLE OF THE WEEK.
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I N the Hungarian House of Magnates the Jewish Question was discussed nunujiivii on Monday, and until the very last moment it was generally expected that the B ill would be passed by a substantial majority— instead ot which it was rejected by six votes, jt was rejected in io to, so that no special debate has to follow. The excitement which followed the publication o f the result was so great that the sitting had to be suspended for some time. The Catholic clergy and nobility objected to the clause which admits the possibility of Christians becom ing Jews. The Minister o f Public instruction contended that the B ill had nothing to do with religious feeling, "but sought to be just to all, and that the paragraph in question was merely reciprocity, since Jews may become Christians if they like. Count Anton Szeezen was specially indignant over this paragraph. The next measure o f Church reform, the Bill removing the existing restrictions -with regard to the religion o f children of mixed marriages, was read a second time, the whole Clerical Party voting in favour of it, together with the adherents o f the Government. D r . Wekerle has proposed to adjourn, after the introduction o f the Budget o f 1895, until the message arrives from the Upper House with regard to the rejected Bills ; and then to have a sitting for the consideration of all these measures by the full House, instead o f by Standing Committees, as is usual with new bills. The Premier spoke very despondently and with such solemnity that the rumour o f the resignation -of the Cabinet being imminent finds credence in the Hungarian capital. Certainly if the Bills are again thrown out by the Upper House the Ministry will resign in a body, but it is not thought that the crisis will assume an acute form before the end of November.
THE HUNGARIAN
BUDGET. Dr. Wekerle read the Budget for 1895 on Tuesday, and produced an excellent impression by the brilliant results o f the ' past year. The receipts o f 1893 exceeded the expenditure by 34,000,000 florins, and were 41,000,000 higher than had been expected. The Budget for 1895 is planned on the same cautious principles, and only counts upon a surplus
New Series. Vol. LII., No. 2,149
of 18,000 florins; but it is made absolutely without the optimism peculiar to most Finance Ministers. Important reforms were announced for the year 1895, viz., a spirit monopoly, the abolition o f the lottery, a loan for the completion o f the works at the Iron Gate on the Danube, and a Gold Rente Loan for purchasing working material for railways. The total expenditure o f Hungary during 1895 is estimated at 467,792,748 florins; the receipts at 467,811,057 florins.
A scheme for the introduction o f the State the Austrian monopoly of spirits was announced on Wed spirit tax. nesday by the Hungarian Minister of Finance.
Austria and Hungary are large exporters o f raw and refined spirits, and, in the taxes of this commodity, this fact had to be taken into account. The Excise duty on raw spirits, both in Austria and Hungary, is thirty-five florins per one hundred hectolitres up to the quantity which is estimated to cover the home consumption. Beyond that quantity it is forty-five florins per hundred hectolitres. On exported spirits the duty is refunded, but that also is restricted to certain limits, in order to check over-production. The yield to the Exchequer is even now very considerable, but it is intended to nearly double it by the following arrangement. The production of raw spirits will be left to private enterprise, but the producers in this country will only be allowed to sell to the State. A similar arrangement has long been in force with regard to tobacco. No limit will be placed on the exportation o f the surplus production of raw spirits to other countries. The State managers o f the monopoly will refine the raw spirits in Government factories, principally with a view to prevent any but pure spirits reaching the home consumer. The sale of these refined spirits, which the Government will supply at fixed prices, will be left to the retail trader, as in Switzerland. The profits hitherto made by middlemen between the original producer and the retailer will thus find their way to the coffers of the State. The addition which the new arrangement will make to the present yield from the spirit duties will, it is estimated, eventually amount to between seventy and eighty million florins a year, taking the two parts o f the Empire together. The finances o f the Dual Monarchy will, by this new indirect taxation, be placed upon a basis o f almost absolute solidity. Experience has proved that an advance in the price of “ Branntwein,” the liquid food o f the peasantry in Galicia, Bukovina, and Northern Hungary, and of the majority of the working classes in all the large towns, does not materially diminish the consumption. Whether a similar State monopoly is
