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Leader (1850-1860), 14th April 1860, Edition 1 of 2, Page 360

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    • ftEOOllT) OF THE WEEK. iiojrE axd colonial,.
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      whatever of Papal displays of this kind ; and we might carry our list of names to an almost indefinite extent . It is , however , of importance to notice the prejudices which were formerly entertained , incited chiefly by the decretals of the Roman . pontiffs and the new doctrines of the canonists . Effects were ascribed to the excommunications such as the canons themselves would not venture to attribute to themj so that the secular magistrates often had a greater share in the excommunication than the ecclesiastical judges who uttered them ; and , to the great disorder and prejudice , not only of the sovereiga rights of the-. prince , but of the civil rights of the people , frequently rendered . these fuliniuaiions more formidable than they were in themselves . They contended that magistrates , advocates , or other public men who . ' were ¦ unjustly excommunicated for judicial causes must , if they wished to continue in the exercise of their functions and-. privileges , obtain letters of permission , called dispensationsor licenses , from the ' collateral council . This practice was introduced to quiet the consciences of the weak arid ignorant , as a protest against the injustice , and a declaration of the nullity of such excommunications , in order that the scrupulous might not fear to communicate with those under censure , even when not absolutely obliged to do so . Catholic authorities , including- the most celebrated theologians and canonists , have been found to defend such resistance to Papal pretensions . Giajnxoke , the well-known writer on civil law , says : " Princes are the rightful arbitrators of the policy of their states , ; and it has been demonstrated that it is within their pi'ovince to augment the penalties of excommunication , or nullify them at their pleasure . When they see that Papal excoiiimunications are ' Launched ' , not for religious . purposes , but . 'for temporal and profane ends ; let them give thein no support , and they will . fall of themselves— -be rendered hull and void , and be incapable of exciting fean When magistrates continue to exercise their functions and do tleir duty without heeding them ;—when the excommunicated are not prohibited . from availing themselves of the legal tribunals , aud are permitted to make contracts , to marry and bequeath property;—when their fellow-subjects are commanded to maintain the same relations with the excommunicated as if such excommunication had 3 iot taken place ; - —when , in short , those rights are , guaranteed to all which appertain to them by the enactments of the Legislature , by the laws of their sovereign , by custom , and their civil position without any change whatever , then all fear will cease in reference to Papal excommunications . Experience shows that it is very frequently not the prelates , but the magistrates who , for want of doing their duty , or even we ourselves who , from abject timidity , have excomjnunicated ourselves . The arms of the clerical power would remain pointless and without effect did we not ourselves lend them sharpness and vigour , arid treat shadows as substance . " The present excommunication is so manifestly unconnected with spiritual considerations— -so utterly secular in its origin and aim—that it may fairly be classed among those which a prince is empowered to consider null and void . ' ' . ' . The growing independence of Rome , manifested both in spiritual and temporal affairs by Piedmont of late years , is the more worthy of remark and admiration , in that no Catholic power was ever so devoted to the Church as the House of Savoy during a succession of generations . The devotion shown on the one side was repaid by protection and privileges on the other , although it will be well understood by all who have observed the conduct of Home towards those whom she most favours , that the lion ' s share of the mutual benefit was reaped by the Church . Many of the ( Savoyard princes renounced the splendours of temporal sovereignty to take orders and dedicate themselves entirely to the service of the Church . Aihoxe , the second sou of Humbert , became bishop of Lyons in 1040 . Amapeus tm . laid down his sceptre to retire into ascetic life , consented to qiiit his cell to occupy the chair of St . Peteb , and voluntarily and spontaneously resigned the . Pontificate when he saw that his renunciation might conduce to restoring" peace to the Church , and aid in healing the schism with which it was lacerated . The earliest acts to which the names of the Savoyard' princes are found appended are donations to churches and llnonnsteries , some of which gifts seom really excessive if the times and condition of the country be considered . All the persecutions of their subjects by the Savoyard and Piedmonteso monarqhs , all the cruel and dishonourable acts of their history , » iay , with scarcely an exception , bo truced to the influence of the Church over these princes . It was duo to the incitement of the Court of Rome and the priests that Emmanuel Pjeuwbebt dishonoured his sword , that both the VjIctokq A } ia » eus engaged in the most cruel and senseless cruaado recorded iu history —r-thut against the quiet and unoffending Waldensmns ; though the Jast had the opportunity of redeeming his reputation by recalling this poor persecuted people , nnd granting 1 thorn full religious liberty in their own valleys . Urged by the surne influence , Cjucahles Emmanuel I . rnnde his faithless and shameful attempt upon Geneva , where li | . s bosl ; officers ingloriously Jo « t their lives , nnd ho Jua reputation nnd honour . To plouao the pontifical powers , the laws of hospitality were infamously violated in the case of illustrious and unfortunuto exiles , who sought an asylum in Savoy and Piedmont , and wore betrayed to jloine , in dofiunce of right aud humanity . From time to fcimo tho Princes of Savoy , in spite of t-hoir piety , endeavoured to shako off the yoke ; but , unfortunately , thoy sought to do eo by moans of negotiations , which Holdoin sneooed with the Court of Rome . This Power is nu adept in the art of prolonging questions indoHnitoly , in cavilling 1 , subtilizing , nnd throwing spiritual dust into tho oyos of ainb » saador $ . Thus the princes ftiilcd to obtain thoir desires , and in soino cubqs only aggravated tho evils qf winch thoy complained . Such whs tho . caso , Cur oxnwplo , in 1050 ,

      matic opposition to liberty and the spread of intelligence . . Hie sacerdotal ranks are becoming aware of the degraded and fake position in which they have hitherto been held . Several recent addresses of the clergy to the king clearly attest that they arc no longer disposed to support the papacy in its pretensions and struggles against Italy , and the employment of spiritual arms for the defence of its temporal interests , but are willing and anxious to co-operate in the work of political ; regeneration . Every thing , then , seems to show that if Piedmont will only remain true to herself and the principles which she has adopted , she need fear nothing from the worst attaeks of Rome .

      But the advancing light of the eighteenth century was not to be resisted- Philosophy , erudition , and criticism rendered sight to the blind , and illuminedmen ' s inner faculties ; and the ancient edifice of Roman superstition and ignorance threatened to crumble to dust . Piedmont began to assert her independence of " Rome , and from that time hostilities more or less deadly have been carried on between the two Powers . Since 1847 political discord has been unceasing , arising from causes too well known to the political and general reader to require mention , here . Home has fairly worn out the patience , not only of the people , but even of the clergy , by her

      systewhen Pope Pitts IV ., in response to some grievance , sent the first ordinary nuncio to Turin to reside at the : Court under pretence of doing it -honour , but hi fact to act the spy , and keep the Pontiff informed of all that went forward : The honour was spun felt to be dearly bought ; but , in spite of all remonstrances , one nuncio was replaced by another for more than a century and a half . Piedmont was involved in the Roman meshes after nearty all the other Catholic Powers had freed themselves to a considerable extent . ¦ G-erinaiiy ,- , France , and even big-oted Spain itself , were becomingindependent ; and the reforms , of Makia Theresa and Joseph II . in Loin bardy ; Peter Leopold in Tuscany , the minister Takucci in Naples , and Dentixlotiii Parma and Piacenza , will show how far Piedmont lagtred behind in the race of laical independence .

      Untitled Article

      360 The Leader and Saturday \ Analysi . [ April 14 , I 860 .

      Untitled Article

      Saturd ay , April 7 , being the birthday of his Royal Highness Prince Leopold , Her Royal Hiirhuess the Duchess of Kent , and the Princess of Leiiiingen , paid Her Majesty an early congratulatory visit . ¦ . . ' . . . . ' . .. ¦' ¦' . ; ¦ ' . ¦ The British and North American Royal . Mail steamship America took her departure on Saturday morning for Halifax and Boston , taking : about 90 passengers , a full cargo , and the mails for the United States and Canada , Heenan , the American pugilist , has given the mn . srist . rates at Derby his own recognizance of £ 50 , a"d two sureties of £ 25 each to keep the peace . . Qn Monday night the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress tcavc the customary Easter dinner in the Egyptian Hall of the Mansionhouse . There were -upwards of 300 guests present . On Monday last William Diekenson , an elderly man , was brought before Mr . Self charged with having wilfully disturbed the Rev . Brvan King , the Minister of St . GeorgeViri-the-East , on Sunday evening . He was fined £ 1 6 s . 8 d ., which was collected by subscriptio n among 1 the people in and about the court . On the same clay an alarming fire occurred in the premises known by the sign of tlie Coach and Horses Tavern in Aldersgate-Street . The inmates were rescued by tlie courageous conductors of the Royal Society ' s escapes stationed in that street and ttt Cheapside , and the fire wits got under . Much property was destroyed . On Tiie . sdav evening Her Majesty's Theatre , under the management of Mr . * E . T . Smith , and the Royal Italian Opera , uiulur that of Mr . F . Gye , commenced their operatic season . A Vestry meeting of the inhabitants of St . Paul ' s and Sd . B « rnab as was ' held on Tuesday afternoon in the New Schoolroom , Wilton Place , Kuightsbridge , for tho election of churchwardens lor tho ensuing year . Mr . West or ton , an opponent of RoiniiniHing tendoncies , was electqd . ' J . C , Symons , Esq ., Her Majesty ' s Inspector of Schouls , died on Saturday ' last , of rapid consumption , lit Mulveru Hoiist-, Grwifc Malvern . . , * i On Tjicsday evening tho subscribers and exhibitors oMJio Aroli } - tectural Society held ai conversazione ab their luryo rooms , Conduit Street , Regent Street , on tho occiinion of their pocond unnivornury . On tho same dny Mr . Bonamy Dobree whs electnd Governor . unU Mr . Alfred Lutbum Deputy Governor of the Bunk of JUiiyhtnd for tho ensuing 1 year . ¦ in The Coininissioijers for tho Red not ion of the Natioiial Debt held a quarterly ineuting on Tuesday nfc tho olliciul rositlont'O of the Chancellor of tho Exchequer in Downing 1 Street . The number of patients volioved nb tho Royal Free Hospital , Grny ' tf Jim Roud , during tho week ending 7 th April , wiih 5 J ,. "> 1 . 0 , whicli 5 S 5 woi'O now enwos . Mary Ann Hodges nnd Elltsn Norton , two very yuung gins , wc-ro chnrffod on Tueatlny bbl ' uro Mr . Munsdohl , at AVor « lii |) Slvout , wit » ntLtiinptiiig ^ to commit suicjdo , tiio ouq fro in . joalounv of Ik-i « 'l' ' niother , the aiUuv from four that who would bupuniahua for aliening out lute at nig'ht . A grand review of the entire force of tho Cluitliuni giirrirfon , numbering about 5 , 000 men of nil ranks , took pluco on ( Jluitham Linos on Tuesday afternoon , by his Royal Highness thu Dul <« «' Cumbridgo . , On Saturday , April 7 , the priHonqi-s Ctino nnd Bli « H wore com '

      Fteoollt) Of The Week. Iiojre Axd Colonial,.

      HEOOHD OF THE WEEK . HO 3 IE AXD COLONIAL ,.

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), April 14, 1860, page 360, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2342/page/20/