GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume II, Issue 73, 19 September 1874, Page 10

GENERAL NEWS.

The act of Mr James Lick, of Son Francisco in making over by deed the whole of his property to the public, has excited much comment in that city. He gives 700,000d0l to the construction of the largest and best telescope in the world, for the observatory at Lake O.ahoe; 420,f100d0l for public monuments; 150,000d0l for public baths ; lOO.OOOdoI for the Old Ladies' Home ; 10O,000dol to the {society for the protection of animals ; 25,G00d0l to the Ladies' Protection Relief Society ; 10,000dol to the Mechanic's Library ; 25,000d0l to the Protestant Orphan Asylum ; 25,000d0l the City of San Jose for an orphan asylum ; 150,000d0l for the erection of a bronze monument 2n nnnT T°/, tbe 1' Star SPS P a "g le * Banner," in Golden Gate Park; 300,000d0l for the endowment of a school of mechanical arts in Oali-iorn-a; and the residue, in excess of 1,780,000d0l to the Pioneers' Society. Me makes ample provision for his relatives, and reserves a homestead and 20,000d0l per annum for himself. The Italian estimates for the year 1875, for public instruction, amounts to a, little over 20 millions of lire, or £805,000. But the estimate for expenses of public security or police amounts to nearly rouble, lhe estimates for police and prisons exceed 37 millions ot lire or, in Knglwh money, £1,502,261. Yet with this enormous expenditure lor repression of crime, the public peace is not preserved in various provinces; murders and robberies prevail to a friditful extent. While M. Loyson, between whom, by-the-by, and his still more unbelieving State supporters, there is a menaced split, upholds the absolute abolition of clerical celibacy in Switzerland ; J3ishop Reinkens iv Germany has been exacting from a sub deacon whom he has ordained an undertaking that he will not marry until the " Synod " ius decided the point. There can belittle doubt what the' eventual decision will be. But the status of the new sect in Austria has received a fresh blow in a judgment of the Supreme Court mentioned oy a Vienna correspondent, the effect of which v to lay down the principle that a priest of the " Old Catholic " sf ct is not a prisst in the intention n{ tbe laws, aud that marriages celebrated by such a person are invalid. j v The decision of the Bavarian Parliament in the case' of Count -bugger has given lively offence to the Berlin press. It will be remembered that Count, Fugeer is a Jesuit, and had protested against the application to him of the law of internment or banishment, on the ground of certain Constitutional privileges possessed by, the famous lumily to which he belongs. The Bavarian Assembly has' decided the point, though by a small majority, iv Ms favor, and the ' Spenersche Zeitung turns upon it, and declares that " the situation of Bavaria is inconceivable ; that its Parliament is traitorous to the f itherland, its Government incapable, and its Sovereign continually oscillating from ore side to the other ; and that all this is the consequence of the particularism of the small States ; adding, that Bavaria must be purely and simply incorporated into the German Empire." Nor is Bavaria the only State on which the Berlin newspapers are casting a covetous eye. bevcral of them express great astonishment and displeasure that poi traits of the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh should be so extensively circulated among the inhabitants of the Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Gotlia. They declare that it is a monstrous thing that an JinglisJi Prince should be allowed to succeed to a German Duchy, and insinuate, that if the reigning Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Brunswick enould die without direct issue, advantage should be taken of the circumstance lo convert both these Duchies into Reichslander, or immediate dependencies of the Empire. The question of the canonisation of the English martyrs, which Jias been ior some years before the Holy See, is moving on another step. Father Morris, S. J., has been appointed Postulator for the cause in England by the Archbishop of Westminister 5 aud some of the Oratonan Fathers in London have been nominated to examine the evidence. The traditions of devotion to various of the martyrs which exist m different parts of England are being carefully collected together, and proofs must be adduced— and they are forthcoming— that the cause for which those, whose canonization is looked forward -to, suffei od was not political but purely religious. Wo are well aware, ! of course, how the world, when it persecutes, loves to lay its justification upon political grounds. Our Lord was put to death because, they said, he stirred up sedition. The Jews to this day deny that He vas crucified for purely religious motives. In all ages, iv England throe hundred years ago as in Germany to-day, the State assigns political reasons for persecuting Christians. It is not difficult, however, for the Church to distinguidi between motives. It will be a great consolation to English Catholics to" be able to'hon'or in the liturgy the memory of their ancestors in the- Faith. It i 3i 3 not likely, however, that the cauouization, if it be decreed, will take place for some years. The withdrawal of Monsignor Augusto Negroni from the Papal Court, in order to become a member of the Society ot Jesus, hsis caused burpiuse to many, lie was formerly Auditor of the Rot.i, and was also for some time Minister of the Homo Office under Pius IX. Ho ranked lnyh among the domestic prelates, being one of the Prelati Referendarii, mid was supposed a likely person to receive u( the next creation tbe dignity of Cardinal. Yet, with sucli prospects of advancement before him, .Mgr. Negroni Inn chosen to -enter the lowly Society of the Jesuits, who are iiow persecuted and condemned in every part of Europe by the pretended advocates of civilization and progress. His .holiness, when Mgr. Negroni asked permission to retire from the Court of tlie Vatican, enquired whether bo had well weighed the step he was solicitous to take, and convinced himself thut it would be in conformity to the Divino Will. Finding Mgr. Negroni's desire to be fixed and well-grounded. His Holiness gave him. affectionately and solemnly the Apostolical Benediction. Mgr. Nogroni has gone to Amiens for his novitiate. In S-witzerhiud t la-re is a law, it is said, which compels every inarrkd couple to plant six trees immediately ufter the ceremony, and two on the birth of every child. They are planted on commons and 3iear the roads, and being mostly fruit trees, are both useful and xnamental. lhe number planted ainouuts to 10,000 annually.