THE TABLET.

A Weekly Newspaper and Review.

DDM VOBIS GRATULAMUR, ANIMOS KTIAM ADDIMCS UT IN INCCEPTIS VESTRIS CONSTANTER MANEAT1S.

F ro m the B r i e f o f H i s H o lin e s s P iu s I X . to T he T ablet, J u n e 4, 1870.

Vol. 84. No. 2847. L ondon, D ecem ber i , 1894. P r ic e sd. byP ost 5$£d.

[R e g is t e r ed a t t h e G e n e r a l P o st O f f ic e a s a N ew spaper

C hrontcle o f t h e W e e k : Marriage o f the Tsar— Imperial Manifesto—Capture of Port Arthur — Another Chinese Defeat— Letter

Page from Mgr. Mutel— France and Madagascar— French Ultimatum — The Duke of Devonshire on the Lords—The British South Africa sCompany— The New Territories — Effect of the American Elections — Lord Ripon and the House of Lords— Mr. Labouchere on the Government — The Speaker on E d u c a t i o n — The Troubles in Armenia — The German Navy — Death of Princess Bismarck— The German Colonial Party . . . . 837 L e a d e r s :

The New London School Board 841 Father Rossignoli’s Escape . . 842 The Cardinal Archbishop on Eng­

land’s Conversion . . . 843 Lights on the Late School Board

Election . . . . . . . . 844

C 0 N T I . Pase L eaders (Continued) :

How Greenwich was Lost . . 845 How Tower Hamlets was Lost.. 845 N o t e s .. . ........................ 846 A Divided Family .. .. . . 847 R ev iew s :

The Rules of Tyconius . . . . 848 Memoirs o f the Empress Jose­

phine . . . . .. . . 849 Lot 13 ^ . . . . . . . 850 Thoughts in Verse . . .. . . 850 The School and Home Library .. 851 Books of the Week . . . . 851 Cardinal Logue on Mr. Davitt . . 851 C orrespondence :

Rome :— (From Our Own Corre­

spondent) . . . . . . . . 853 Notes from Paris . . . . . . 854 News from Ireland .. . . . . 855 The Catholic Association .. . . 855 Franciscan Monastery, Olton . . 855 L e t t e r s t o t h e E d it or :

The Protestantism o f the London

School Board Election .. . . 856

E N T S .

L e t t e r s to t h e E d it or (Con­

Page tinued) : “ Miracles” .. . . . . . . 856 The Infinite Perfection o f God . . 856 Official Scholarship .. . . 856 N o r th -E a s t e r n Hospital fo r

Children . . .. .. . . 857 Surreptitious Communions . . 857 The Witness o f Newman.. . . 857 Bibliography o f the Rosary . . 857 The Archbishop of Dublin on Irish

Elementary Education .. . . 857 The Future of Elementary Edu­

cation.. . . . . . . . . 858 Catholic Evidence Lectures . . 859 An Italian Cardinal . . . . . . 859 Providence (Row) Night Refuge . . 860 N ew s from t h e D io cesfs :

Westminster . . . . . . 860 Southwark . . ......................... 860 Birmingham . . . . . . 860 Clifton .. . . . . . . 860 Liverpool . . .. . . . . 861 Newport and Menevia . . . . 862

D io cesan N ew s (Continued) :

Page

Nottingham........................ . . 862 Salford . . . . . . . . 863 M arriages .. ........................ 863 Social an d P o l it i c a l . . . . 864

SU PPLEM EN T . N ew s from th e S chools :

London School Board Election .. 869 Bootle School Board Election . . 870 Leeds School Board Election . . 870 W o lv e rh am p to n School Board

Election . . . . . . . . 871 The Totnes Guardians .. .. 87r The Buckfast School Contest .. 872 Our Teachers . . . . 872 Ratcliffe College . . .. . . 872 St. Francis Xavier’s Schools . . 872 London University B.A. and B.Sc.

Examinations, October, 1891 . . 873 St. John's Industrial School, Wal­

thamstow . . . . . . . . 874. Lord Bute and the ProposedLlewelyn

Memorial . . . . . . . 874

* * Rejected M S . cannot be returned unless accompanied w ith address and postage.

C H R O N I C L E O F T H E W E E K .

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A MID remarkable demonstrations of popular rejoicing the Emperor Nicholas and the Grand-Duchess Alexandra Feodorovna were married in St. Petersburg on Monday morning. The signs of public mourning had disappeared, and a dense crowd thronged the streets as the Tsar drove from the Anitchkoff Palace to the church in the Winter Palace, where the ceremony was to take place. Both his procession and that of the bride were received with enthusiastic cheering. Within the Palace the scene was exceedingly brilliant. Courtiers, diplomatists, military and naval officers, with Ambassadors and other representatives of foreign powers, awaited the arrival of the bride and bridegroom. The Imperial pair passed together through the Great Hall to the Church, and after the nuptial service drove off to the Anitchkoff Palace amid the prayers and blessings of the multitude. It has been reported that the date of the Imperial nuptials was advanced in compliance with the earnest desire of the late Tsar, reinforced, so it is said, by a sealed paper which he left to be opened shortly after his decease, containing an affectionate injunction that no time should be lost in celebrating the union. In Russia it is not traditional that the Tsar should sit alone upon his throne. The Russian people, with their Ruling House, have passed through a long and anxious epoch of sorrow, and the solace of happier hours and brighter prospects has become their due. The Prince and Princess of Wales gladly prolonged their stay in order to take part in the nuptial ceremonies, and to continue as long as possible those gentle offices of succour and sympathy, not only as affectionate kinsfolk, but as the natural representatives of the British nation. It is pleasant to know that all classes in St. Petersburg, even to the humblest, made full use of the opportunity afforded them, and marked the progress of the Emperor and his bride with an ovation that has rarely been equalled in the northern capital. The fact that the petty and irritating restrictions which have hitherto attended public ceremonies in Russia were in this case removed had, no doubt, its influence on the fervour of the public enthusiasm ; but beyond and above this unwonted sense of freedom were

New Series, Vol. LII., No. 2,156. -w the sympathy naturally attracted by the youthful couple and the general feeling that a new era had dawned in Russian history.

The Tsar has issued an Imperial Manifesto — im p e r i a l on the occasion of his marriage, announcing m a n i f e s t o , various acts of clemency. Certain remissions are granted as regards the payment of various debts to the Crown, and the repayment of the loans made by the Crown to the peasantry during the late famine. The decree also remits all arrears of taxes and fines, and lightens or shortens sentences of imprisonment in fortresses, police supervision, transportation, and hard labour. No further steps will be taken in the case of any crimes against the State which have remained undiscovered now for 15 years. As regards indulgences which may be accorded to political prisoners, the Minister of the Interior is ordered to make a report to his Majesty. Finally, all persons undergoing punishment for participation in the Polish rebellion of 1863 are permitted to reside anywhere in the Empire, with the restoration of their birthrights, but without the restoration of their property or of any service rights formerly acquired by them.

Port Arthur has fallen after what seems to c a p t u r e o f have been a rather feeble resistance. The p o r t A r t h u r , attack was commenced on Wednesday, last week, by the Japanese artillery, the fleet of torpedo boats making a simultaneous demonstration seaward. On Thursday morning the position was carried by assault, the enemy having stormed all the forts in succession. The Chinese, who were 20,000 strong, surrendered; and eighty guns, with an immense amount of ammunition and stores, have fallen into the hands of the Japanese. The engagement does not appear to have been very sanguinary, as only 200 are reported killed on the side of the invaders. With Port Arthur in their hands, the Japanese are as much masters of the military situation as if they were already in full march upon Pekin. Without a fleet powerful enough to stay the tide of invasion by sea, China is practically at the feet of her foes, and can hope to gain nothing by prolongation of the struggle. Her fleet not only lacks the necessary power to interfere effectively now, but it is for all useful purposes non-existent. I f China could buy ships completely equipped anywhere, and had the means of manning them, they would be of very little good to her without an arsenal. From Port Arthur as a base, the Japanese commander might in due season send an invading army across the hundred miles of sea to strike at China below the belt formed by her great wall, and he need have