ITALY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7179, 3 June 1885, Page 3

ITALY.

The Italian Foreign Oflice has notified that the Prince and Princess of "Wales intend to visit Home early in May. According to a despatch dated April 29th the English Government sent a secret agent to Rome to sound the "Vatican as to the Pope's willingness to give the Prince of Wales an audience. The agent had several interviews with the prelates at the Vatican, but though his mission was warmly recommended by Cardinal Manning and other ecclesiastical dignitaries it is doubtful whether he will succeed. The object of the Prince's visit was said to be two-fold— first, to arrive at an understanding with the Vatican in regard to the Irish Bishops ; and second, to persuade Italy to form an alliance with England. The Irish Bishops assembled in the College of the Propaganda at .Rome on April 30th. Cardinal Simeoni addressed them. The Bishops expressed their determination to treat all questions submitted to them uninfluenced in any way by political bias or feeling. Vesuvius was in eruption on May 4th and presented a graad spectacle. Crowds of visitors have been present every night since. Professor Palmieri thinks there is no serious danger from the eruption. The Pope ha? decided to send a golden rose privately to the Empress of Germany, who though not a Catholic has quietly used her influence on many occasions to protect Catholic German subjects from persecution and to smooth away the difficulties dividing the Empire from the Holy See.