General News.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VI, Issue 292, 6 December 1878, Page 16

General News.

At the present clay very many even of those called Christians do HDt believe that a miracle ever was peiformcd, and of those who are Willing to believe that the miracles recorded in the Holy Scriptures ■were actually performed, very may insist that since the time of the Apostles no miracles have ever taken place, and ridicule as ignorant, credulous and superstitious those who, believing the evidence of their own senses, declare that they have witnessed miracles. When it cannot be denied that a sudden and remarkable cure has been effected, as in the case of the daughter of Alderman Hughes of Toronto, persons of this class resort to all sorts of scientific and quasi-scientific theories to account for what they cannot deny. t . Oxe of the objects of greatest interest at the Paris Exposition is a magnificent statue of Pius IX by the sculptor Pagliacetto. This great work, whica was completed shortly before the death of the Holy Pontiff, represents him seated on bis throne, with arms extended as if to welcome a band of pilgrims. The amiable smile so well known is admirably expressed, and the bright, intelligent eyes seem only to want the spark of life. The Gazette Artistique says this statue is a real work of art. " The true character of Pius IX. is represented in in all its dignity and Majesty : the calm frank, intelligent visage, with the benevolent expression which was its characteristic trait, is finely displayed." The Vicar-General of Orleans has just published a remarkable work on the social peril of the Church in France. This is the great falling off in the number of priestly -vocations, which, according to him. is a very serious matter indeed. It is very certain that few among tbe nobility, or even the middle-classes, now take to the priesthood, which to a large extent is recruited from peasants' sons or small farmers. The French nobility is now called itpon to show a good example. It is not enough for their honour to send their sons to serve in the army ; some at least ought to be found self-devoted and holy men williug to serve at the altars of the Church. It is a disgrace for France that when rich prebends and good livings were plentiful ecclesiastical vocations should abound, but now when the Church has become poor and the work hard, we may look in vain in the ranks of the French priesthood for a descendant of the ancient nobility. — Westim nstrr Gazette. The French Minister of Public Works is an able man : he proposes to undertake great and enterprising operations throughout France, and is about to spend no less a sum than two hundred millions sterling, spread over ten years, or twenty millions annually, on public^ works, a sum equal in the gross to the Bismarkian ransom. How Prince Bismarck must be confounded to sec bis late enemy, whom he thought to weigh down for an indefinite number of years by overwhelming public debt, now willing and able to raise a similar sum for the development of peaceful works, after having carefully provided for military defence. France is certainly a wonderful country. Were its religious, social, and political state as promising as its military and commercial, France would be by far the most powerful of continental nations. — Westminster Gazette. Already there exist large negro Catholic congregations in Washington, Baltimore, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louisville and other American cities, East, North and West. The necroes, naturally of a religious temperament, are readily impressed with the truth of the Catholic Church, and are attracted by the holy spirit of charity which animates her members They see the precepts taught by the' priests enforced by their exara j)l c. They feel that within the "Catholic Church they are indeed on an equality with other men, and that there all human souls are equally precious, no distinct ions being made between rich or poor white or black. The Church may be said to be the most truly democratic institution on earth, within whose fold the poor, oppressed, mis-used black man feels at last that he too was created for eternal happiness, and that for him too is reserved the priceless heritage of God's infinite lore.— Cat hoi ie Advocate. The immense burden entailed on Germany by an army of upwards of 400.000 men kept under aims for tbe greater part of three years— "both as regards the actual cost in hard cash, and the loss of reproductive labour, is severely felt in Germany, and is not borne with anything like the patience their French neighbours exhibit. But the soldier is always popular in France, as was shown in tbe late manoeuvres when tho troops billetc.l on the inhabitants were every-

where received with open arms, and were treated to the best in the"" house, far more than they were entitled to claim by their billets. The feeling is very different in Germany, where the people grumble and do no moTe than they are obliged. Excessive military burdens in a poor country like Germany are only supported with difficulty and universal complaint ; while in France one hardly hears any one complain with any bitterness, or look upon them otherwise than as • necessary \l or the honour and glory of France. — Westminster Gazette. What the Anglican Establishment is coming to — Catholicity or Infidelity. No mistake about it. We have examples of this in Darwinism and the like, which, on account of the indiscriminate reading of the Scriptures without a teacher, advocated by Prot&t-, antism (notwithstanding the admonition of the Apostle that they contain many things hard to understand, and which the unlearneA and unstable wrest to their oivn destruction), have obtained a number of followers. On the other hand, those who still have the gift of Faith seek entrance into the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church, the Church of Christ. As an instance of how they come in, we would cite that of the congregation of the new church at Middlesborough, England, which was opened by Cardinal Manning a few weeks ago. This congregation numbers, we are told by the Liverpool Catholic Times, over tivo hundred converts to the Faith. Three of these converts contributed 25,000 dols. towards the erection, of the church, being about three-fourths of its total cost. — Ace Maria. In France Radicalism is inarching on ahead. The election at Lyons ended in the return of Dr. Chavanne, a member of the Extreme Left. It is a significant fact that out of 28,711 electors at Lyons only 14,440 voted; of these votes M. Chavanne obtained only 8,757. M. Chavanne then, the Eadical, represents a constituency of 28,711 electors, 14,270 of whom have shown by their abstention that they will have nothing to do with him ; and 5,174 have given their votes to more extreme Radicals than himself. A significant, fact of the same character is that the Radical majority elected in October last, and which boasts that it represents the " whole nation," received hardly four millions of votes out of eleven millions. Three millions of votes were given to the Conservatives. There were four millions of electors then who abstained from voting altogether ; partly out of apathy., partly because fhey wished to show their dissatisfaction with the existing form of Government. When France ia thoroughly .aroused to the dangers of a Radical Republic, she will have an immense reserve force of electors to draw upon to right herself again. — Westminster Gazette. The will of Mr. Browne, lately a resident of Castle Roberts, Limerick, is all the talk of that locality, so curious are the terms of his last will and testament. After disposing of his assets among his family of sons and daughters and other relatives, he ordered that a sum of £60 should be expended on his interment. The funeral was to be conducted as follows : — Sixteen married men were to be provided to carry his remains to the place of interment. They were to be dressed out in all the habiliments of woe, and to be entirely fed and otherwise supplied at his expense from the time they were engaged. He expressed the desire that these sixteen men should carry his remains on the bier to the bridge at the village of Castle Roberts, where he held a small farm ; and then return to his home again and place the coffin in a hearse, to be provided, to the final resting place, near the village of Croom. When the cortege arrived within two miles of the latter place of interment, the coffin was again to betaken out of the hearse and borne on the shoulders of the sixteen men to the graveyard. The terms of the will having been circulated in the neighbourhood, there was an immense assembly at the funeral ; but they were much disappointed in finding that the order of burial would not be sanctioned by the parish clergyman, and it was with considerable difficulty that the friends of the deceased were dissuaded from carrying out the entire programme of the funeral proceedings. This Biarritz is a very beautiful and healthy place. I am much improved since I came here. The late Emperor's magnificent palace is a damns deserta, a warning to every one to be true to the Pope or bear the consequences. France is still Catholic, thank God. Fifty thousand priests must save it from infidelity. The schools are excellent, as far as I can see. Both priests and people are in favour of the restoration of the Pope to his temporal dominion. I hope the robber-king in Rome will soon leave there. I wish he saw the Emperor's palace here ;' his conscience, if he has any, might reproach him for his injustice and sacrilege." — Ace Maria. A horrible event occurred during the late Medical Congress at Pisa. Just as Professor Morselli had finished his discourse Jupon suicide, he and his listeners were startled by the report of a pistol, -fl It was found to proceed from the study cf Parrini, the professor of surgery in the university. The unfortunate man. had chosen that moment for the act of self-destruction. All who read of this dreadful business will be only too ready to hope that the wretched Parrini committed this act when in a state of non-responsibility. Still we may not shut our eyes to the fact that since the young men in Italy took to denying God and believing in the infidel of Caprera, selfslaughter has advanced with fearful strides. All who are familiar with " The Jew of Verona" and its sequel, " Lionello" (works founded on fact), will be ready with an explanation of the increase of this horrible crime, far different from that which "modern progress" does its best to make the public accept. Sister Anthony, the Superior of the Good Samaritan Hospital at Cincinnati, Ohio, lately gave a beautiful example of true Christian charity. A Jewish family, consisting of a Mr. Haskel, his wife and children, arrived lately in that city from Mempis, Term. Both parents soon died of the yellow fever, leaving their children entirely helpless. An application for their admission into the Jewish Hospital was refused. Sister Anthony, however, took the children under her care, and was for this publicly praised by the Hebrew Southern Relief Board. In recognition of Sister Anthony's self -sacrificing charity, a committee of promincut citizens, composed of Jews, Protestants, and Catholics, have resolved to give a grand concert at Lookout House for the benefit of the Good Samaritan Hospital. It promises to be a magnificent affair, thanks to the energy of the members of the com* mittee.