OUR ROMAN LETTER.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume VIII, Issue 415, 25 March 1881, Page 15

OUR ROMAN LETTER.

(From our own Correspondent.) 29th January. The King Humbert, the Queen, the young Prince of Naples, and Prince Amadeus have been touring it in Sicily, aud havo everywhere, according to the ministerial journals, been received with an enthusiasm described as phrenetic and approaching to madness. Inueecl at one place the people, when they saw the Queen issuing from a churcb. were struck as by a vision aud seemed inclined to adore her Majesty as an apparition from heaven. At Syracuse, or Catania (I forget which place), the royal train stopped when the passengers bv & au earlier train, were still on the platform, and these loyal folks insisted on carrying their majesties from the train to their carriages. During this operation, somewhat irregular it must be confessed, the younnprince became separated from his mother, and the Queen began to scream. The demonstrations of the people were of course spontaneous, but at the same time the printed and published manifestoes of the several Corporations contained notices to the effect that tbe inhabitants of houses along the route of the royal procession were to be supplied gratuitously with flags, banners, means of illumination, torches, and bundles of flowers to be tossed iuto the royal carriages. Tne manifestations of loyalty were, therefore, to some extent official. A manufacturer of snuff boxes threw a specimen of his handiwork at the King, but the fragrant missile missed its aim and struck Cairoli on the nose. A shomemaker insisted on presenting their Majesties with a pair of shoes, and doubtless was rewarded by an appointment as bootmaker in ordinary to the King. The university students in Cantania met some days before the royal visit, and decided to take no part whatever in tlie civic demonstrations or rejoirings. In Cantania the students are Republican, in imitation of their* rector, who is a poet and atheist of repute. However, means were taken to rescind the first resolution of the students, and they actually fought for the honour of first place in the public procession. They fought with knives, bludgeon^ ami razor*, aud several of them, were bcvcrcly

wounded, the eon of the Questor, or chief of police, being found armed with a Tazor, with wtrich he distinguished himself as a loader in the fray. The local and other independent journals contain great complaints of the cruelty of patting the almo&t bankrupt Corporations of Sicily to the cost of entertaining their Majesties. During the absence of the royal family from Rome, the anniversary functions for commemoration of the decease of Victor Emmanuel were performed in the churches of the Sudario and the Pantheon The principal chaplain to the court, Canon A.nzino, said the Masses in both churches. In the Pantheon, the decorations were the same as last year, and the Mass was attended by nearly the same official personages, and most of th« Protestant strangers in Home. It was noticed that few knelt, even at the elevation of the host. The Pope is now quite restored in health, and is able to undergo much fatigue. Last week he admitted to audience over 400 persons, and to every one of them said a few words. TLe Chevalier O'Clery, late M.P. for County Wexford and formerly a Papal Zouave, had a private audience on the presentation of General Eanzler, the former Commander in Chief of the Pontifical Army. Leo XIII. praised highly the valour aud fidelity of the Irish Zouaves, but did not touch on matters of Irish politics in this interview. The Russian Grand Dukes Paul and Serge were received at the Vatican by their own special desire, and were closeted with the Pope for nearly an hour. The relations between Russia and the Vatican are now on a friendly footing. Already the Czar has permitted many of the Polish exiles to return to their native land, and has restored many Catholic priests to the free exercise of their ministrations. The Russian Grand Dukes visited Cardinal Jacobini, Secretary of State, and His Eminence returned the visit the following day, and was received with great cordiality, at tbe villa Sciarra. on the Janiculum, by their Imperial Highnesses. The Italian Government was defeated in the election of a Deputy for the 2nd College of Rome on the 16th, for the opposition candidate, Agosta Ruspoli, was returned by the exertions of the moderates by 872 votes against 667. The radical organs ascribe th s defeat to the influence of the Catholic Associations, which, however, took no part in the contest. On the same day, the 45th anniversary of the birth I of Francis 11., King of the two Sicilies, three Catholic newspapers in Naples, the Discussione. Ittili-a Reale, and Crociata, were sequestrated by the police for articles concerning the dethroned sovereign. In -Naples thirty-five of the persons arrested and imprisoned on the eve of the arrival, of King Humbert are to be tried for treason. Italy is supposed to be preeminently the land of freedom, but there is little real liberty of the subject. Individuals innocent of crime may be arrested and detained by tbe police with impunity. Last week the Marquis Quartaro left Naples- by train for Caserta, his only object in travelling so far on the way to Rome being to take leave of a dear friend who was en route to that city. When the train reached Caserta the Marquis got out on the platform, and his friend went on to Rome, The Marquis, while waiting for the next train to take him back to Naples, smoked a cigar and walked up and down, and attracted the attention of a too-clever policeman, who suspected the Marquis was an agent of the international, and probably an intending Passanante. Being asked to give an account of himself, the Marquis presented his visiting cards and told his etory. But tbe police did not believe it, and the Marquis was arrested and detained that night and the following day, until the authorities in Naples sent orders to release him.