POLITICS AND RELIGION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXI, Issue 65, 17 March 1900, Page 5 (Supplement)

POLITICS AND RELIGION.

TRIAL OF THE ASSUMPTIONIST

FATHERS

The prosecution of the Assumptionist 'Fathers was begun in the Correctional Court at Paris on Monday, January 22, the accused being 12 in number: Fathers Picard, Bailly, Allez, Saugrain, Vaujon, Jacquot, Mauban, Doumet, Chicard, Chabatid, Gerbier, and Debouge. The indictment alleged that the Assumptionists occupied themselves far more with politics than religion, and consequently the acr cused stand charged with having formed part of an association of more than "0 persons constituted with the object of concerning itself with religious, literary, and political matters without the sanction of the Government. All the fathers save Picard declared that they were only interested in religious questions. Picard stated that he was occupied with politics in a minor degree. Procureur Bulot made a .volent speech against tho Assumptionist body, especially insisting on1 the enormous sum collected in alms, part of which he alleged was kept by the fathers for their own use, so that last year three priests purchased houses worth £50,000. M. Bulot spoke of the Paris journal "La Croix," founded in 1883, since when 100 branch "Croix" had been established in the provinces, besides 30. other journals exercising a powerful political electoral influence. Father Picard and other priests afterwards maintained that the Assumptionists had done nothing illegal or that could be a cause of reproach against them. The accused desired the trial to be postponed, but the Court refused, so it was continued on Tuesday.

The Court deliberated for half an hour on Wednesday, and found that the Assumptionists constituted an illegal association. They had been already expelled by a police order, and having been allowed to freely reconstitute themselves, had perhaps reason to believe that they were administratively tolerated. Consequently, the Court imposed a fine of only 16 francs on each defendant, and ordered the dissolution of the congregation as an illegal society, and. condemned them to pay the cost of the prosecution. Whilst the trial was proceeding, a series of tumultuous scenes took place in the Chamber of Deputies arising out of incidents that had occurred during its progress. M. Charles Bernard, a Socialist deputy, declared that M. Monis, Minister of Justice,: had lied, and was censured by the House. M. Bernard afterwards denounced him as a swindler and a scamp, and an almost unanimous vote of censure was passed upon him, with temporary -expulsion. It was not, however, until a military escort was called in that M. Bernard would leave the House..