EFFECT OF THE FALCK LAWS ON PROTESTANTISM.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 113, 26 June 1875, Page 14

EFFECT OF THE FALCK LAWS ON PROTESTANTISM.

The ( Morning Post ' has given a very interesting article on the demoralising effect of the laws on the Protestant population of Germany. Quoting the Proteßtant and Liberal organs, which hare no object in exaggerating such facts, and which for the most part are favourable to Prince Bismarck, the ' Morning Post ' records that it is the general conviction that Protestantism must crumble to pieces in Germany if the present laws are to continue, - The President of the Evangelical Consistory of Brandenburgh has not hesitated to publish, the fact that, since the coming into force, in October last, of the " invalidating" Church Laws of Prussia, baptisms have become quite infrequent, marriages have been frightfully secularized, and burials have grown to be pagan. Then the number of baptisms has diminished by 55 per cent., and some districts by 72 and 90 per cent. In regard of visitations of the sick, " in Frankfort-on-the-Oder, Christian ministers were called in only in the cases of 14 persons in 100 deceased ;in Potsdam, only in 12 cases in 100 ; while in Berlin burials were attended by clergymen in only a single case in 100 — 'Bei Beerdigungen in Berlin nur in einem Falle unter 100 Geistliche zugezogen werden.' " Marriages have been less affected by the laws, in conse* quence perhaps of the natural delicacy of -women, which is averse from Becular marriages. Still, in Frankfort and Potsdam, the number of marriages by the clergymen subsequent to the civil registration were only about 75 per cent.; while in Berlin only 19 marriages in 100 affected any kind of religious ceremony. ', The civil interment of French Atheists," says the 'Morning Post,' " has come to be the rule of what were the Christian populations of Protestant Germany. The separation between people and clergy has certainly been, dexterously widened in order to produce such results."

The two most conspicuous families in the Koman'patriciate are the Dorias and the Borghese. Prince Filippo Doria, when the Italians first entered Borne, allowed himself to be carried away by the false representations of some of his friends, and paid his court to King Victor. A short time afterwards he began to reflect, and one by one renounced the various honours conferred upon him by his majesty. He has recently yielded up the last which remained to him, that of senator, and has openly returned to the cause of the Pope, who has expressed his satisfaction at the return of the prodigal son. The conduct of Prince Torlonia, who has returned the visit of Garibaldi is still the topic of conversation here, but it is difficult as yet to determine the true reason which has induced this prince to act as he has done. His letter to the ' Opinine* explains nothing, and we must wait the turn of events before we decide as to whether he intends remaining faithful to the Pope or not. The ' Express ' states that Mr. Simpson, butcher, Bacchus Harsh, has now on view a pig weighing 6601 b. It has more the appearance of a rhinoceros than ol a pig.