Entelligence.

ROMANISTS AND DESERTED CHILDREN.-At the weekly meeting of the Guardians of the South Dublin Union, Mr. Bryne moved a Resolution to the effect that all deserted children whose parents were unknown should be registered as being in the religion of the State. It was made with a view to put a stop to the interference of third parties, such as occurred in a recent case that came before the Board, where a child was brought to the priest and baptized before it was brought into the workhouse-a proceeding which the Poor-law Commissioners sanctioned. An Amendment was proposed to the effect that the Poor-law Commissioners be requested to take the opinion of Counsel on the matter, and carried by a majority of two. The present practice of registering the child as Protestant is to be continued, pending the reference.-Record, Nov. 17.

ROMISH PROSELYTIZING.-Miss Aylward, of kidnapping repute, recently read the Annual Report of St. Bridget's Orphanage, Dublin, at a Meeting of the friends of that Institution. The character of Miss Aylward's Report may be judged of from the following extract :-"Many in the Orphanage had been inmates of such Institutions as the Protestant Orphan Society, the Protestant Orphan Union, the Birds' Nest, &c. In these places they were growing up not merely Protestants, but the bitterest hatred of the religion of their fathers was instilled into their tender minds. One poor girl, named Eliza Conolly, when taken out of the Birds' Nest, absolutely refused to go to Mass, and shuddered at the sight of a priest, for she said that she was taught that priests were devils. Again, many of these 384 orphans are the children of mixed marriages. Their parents were poor and Catholic; and in many cases, both parents having died, there was nothing before them but loss of faith. They would have been either registered Protestants in the workhouse, or placed in heretical institutions such as the Hibernian Marine School, or reared by their Protestant friends. Some, too, have had both parents Catholic. The father having died, extreme poverty drove the widow to send her little children to such day-schools as that of Rath-row. The next step would have been their transmission to some Protestant situation, if they were of age, or to some heretical institution, if they were very young."-Record.

FRENCH DYNASTIES AND THE PAPACY.-Prince Napoleon has caused to be published a collection of documents on the temporal power of the Papacy, which show that by every dynasty which has reigned in France it has been regarded with dislike, and despair of its being amended-as a thing to be as soon as possible reformed quite off the face of the earth. The old Monarchy, the First Empire, the Princes of the Restoration, and such statesmen as Chateaubriand and Lamartine, have alike denounced the incurable vices of the temporal sovereignty of the Bishop-Kings of Rome. The most remarkable letter is that which was written to Gregory XVI. by Napoleon Louis Buonaparte, not him who is now Emperor, but an elder brother. Together they fought against the Pope for Italian liberty, and one of them died for it at Forli. How must the surviving brother feel, as he reads, in a pamphlet given to the world, these words?" I can assure you that I have heard almost all the young men, even those the least moderate, say, that if Gregory XVI. renounces the temporal power, they will adore him, and would themselves become the firm supports of a religion purified by a great Pope, and which has for its basis the most liberal book that exists-the Holy Gospel."-Record.

ANOTHER PERVERT.-Mr. Arnold, if we mistake not, a son of the great Head Master of Rugby, and historian of Rome, and late Professor of English Literature in the "Catholic University of Ireland," is a convert to the Roman Catholic faith.-Saturday Review.

PROTESTANT MAGAZINE.

FEBRUARY 2, 1863.

PROPOSED ROMAN CATHOLIC CHAPEL IN THE CEMETERY AT BIRMINGHAM.

AN effort is being made to appropriate a sum of 1,2007. for the above purpose. We trust it will be defeated. A public burial ground, it seems, is about to be opened for the borough of Birmingham. One chapel has been built for the Established Church, and another for the Nonconformists, at the public expense. This is, in the estimation of most men, sufficient. Now, the Roman Catholics, as we are informed, claim to have a chapel built for their special use, in a portion of the ground set apart for them, and to be consecrated by their Bishop for their own exclusive use. Thus there will be three chapels in one buryingground, on account of the sad differences amongst Christians. Why can they not use the chapel open in common for all Nonconforming bodies?

A correspondent of the "Birmingham Daily Gazette" of the 22d of January, 1863, thus writes:

"Sir,-In your impression of Tuesday, January 6th, appeared a copy of the business paper of the forthcoming Town Council Meeting. Among the Resolutions to be brought forward was one by the newlyelected Mr. Poncia, which could not be read without surprise by every true Protestant inhabitant of Birmingham. Only to think that a Roman Catholic gentleman, who has not been in the Town Council more than three months, should have the boldness to ask for so large an outlay for the express purpose of benefiting his own Church. I confess I am somewhat amazed that the Protestant community of this town should be so quiet, when an indignant protest to so unreasonable a request is so imperatively demanded.

"As perhaps some of your readers may be ignorant of the exact nature of the Motion, I will give it as it appears in your paper of the date mentioned above. Mr. Councillor Poncia has given notice that he intends to present a Memorial from the Catholics of Birmingham, praying the Council to cause a chapel to be erected at the Borough Cemetery, for the use of Roman Catholics, on the piece of land appropriated to their community, and thereupon to move, "That the said Memorial be received, and that the prayer thereof be complied with, and that the Burial Board Committee be authorized and instructed to obtain and submit to the Council for approval plans and estimates for the erection of a Roman Catholic chapel at the Borough Cemetery, the cost of such chapel not to exceed 1,2007.”

VOL. XXV.

C

New Series, No. 268.

"Such, then, is the not very modest request. Here we are asked to give nothing less than a pre-eminence to one particular denomination over every other Nonconformist community, at a cost of the large sum stated. Surely the Protestants of Birmingham will not allow this. Most certainly a strong expression of feeling from all Protestant citizens is really to be expected. I trust that the men of Birmingham who are lovers of fairness and impartiality, will at once speak out in opposition to so unreasonable, unfair, and unnecessary a procedure. "The objections to this request of the Catholic community are many. With your permission, Mr. Editor, I will very briefly mention

one or two.

"First, there appears to be no necessity for such a chapel, inasmuch as the Dissenters' Chapel is at their disposal, to be used by them, as much as it is at the disposal of other Nonconformist bodies. If at the workhouse they are content to use the same chapel as the one used by the Dissenters, it can be no great harm for them to do so at the Borough Cemetery.

"Secondly, we object to the chapel at the Borough Cemetery on the ground of the expense to the town in what is quite an unnecessary outlay, inasmuch as it can very well be done without.

"And, thirdly (only to mention one other objection), we do most solemnly protest against the erection of a Roman Catholic chapel, for this reason that, as the members of a Roman Catholic Church are an integral part of the Nonconformist body in this country, it is unadvisable, and would be unfair to the several denominations of Nonconformists to build a chapel exclusively for one in particular, and might lead to a similar claim on the part of other denominations.

"These, to my own mind, form a strong reason for raising an objection to the Motion of Mr. Councillor Poncia. Let the Protestants of Birmingham speak out, and I do not doubt the Motion will fall to the ground. It is time we protested strongly against the unreasonableness of the request, when the members of the Town Council appear to be so quiet about the matter.

"I have only one word more to say before I close, and that is, that we may be quite sure, should this be granted, that it would be but the beginning of a long series of demands from the members of the Roman Catholic Church. Once let them get a precedent for a preeminence over the rest of the Nonconformists in this town, and no one can tell where their demands will end.

"Trusting you will favour me with the insertion of this letter upon so important a matter, I enclose my card, and remain, "Yours truly,

"Jan. 21st, 1863."

T. H. A.

Nor is the matter likely so to be dropped. If the Roman Catholics persist in their efforts, we trust the Protestants will be equally persevering, and far more successful; and we are glad to see that they are moving.

A Memorial has been prepared against such appropriation of the public money, and the opposition promises to be a vigorous

one. The parties from whom the Memorial emanates state that "sheets may be had upon application, by all persons willing to assist in the canvass of the ratepayers and others."

The following is a copy of the Memorial:

"TO THE MAYOR, ALDERMEN, AND COUNCILLORS OF THE BOROUGH

OF BIRMINGHAM,

"We, the undersigned ratepayers and other inhabitants of Birmingham, having heard with regret that Mr. Poncia has given notice to present a memorial to the Town Council from the Roman Catholics of Birmingham, praying for the erection of a chapel for their own exclusive use, and that he intends to ask the Council to grant the same, at a cost of 1,2007., do most respectfully protest against the appropriation of the public money for any such purpose, and do hereby request the members of the Town Council to reject the Motion of Mr. Poncia.

"Your memorialists do so for the following reasons:

"First,―That there appears to be no necessity for the erection of a Roman Catholic chapel, inasmuch as the Roman Catholics can use the chapel built for the Nonconformist community, at certain times to be appropriated for them, in the same way as they now use the chapel at the workhouse for religious services.

"Secondly,―That as the Roman Catholics are an integral part of the Nonconformist body in this country, it is undesirable, and would be most unfair to the several other denominations of Nonconformists, to build a chapel exclusively for one in particular, and might lead to a similar claim on the part of other denominations; and,

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'Thirdly,―That your memorialists also object on the ground of the expense to the town in what is neither necessary nor equitable.

"Your memorialists, in conclusion, would express their conviction, that this request, if granted, would be but the beginning of further demands from the Roman Catholic community, and they therefore ask that the members of the Town Council will at once reject Mr. Poncia's Motion.

"And your Memorialists will ever pray, &c."

ROMAN CATHOLICS IN NEW YORK.

WE have very frequently pointed out to our readers some of the various efforts made by Popery to regain its long lost power in this country, and to become again "the dominant Church." Its efforts elsewhere to gain, to retain, or to extend, its iron dominion over the souls and bodies of mankind; over nations no less than over churches-are very remarkable, and in but too many cases successful. They are to be seen in European kingdoms; they are to be seen in almost all parts of

the world.

In America, Romanists being at once numerous and well organized, and there being no established religion to oppose their encroachments, have turned these efforts very successfully to acquire political as well as ecclesiastical power.

A correspondent of the "Standard" gives the following account of the position of the city of New York and the Roman Catholics :

"It is curious how our city is governed. A majority of both Boards are Catholic Irishmen. The sheriff is a Catholic IrishmanLynch; the corporation attorney, is a ditto-Develin; the comptroller is a ditto-Brennan; and the chamberlain is a ditto-Devlin. The two candidates for United States' Senator are Wood and Peter B. Sweeny. The latter is a Catholic Irishman. Mr. Sweeny will be elected, unless he gives way to Wood voluntarily. This city is ruled by the Irish."-Standard, January 20, 1863.

EARL RUSSELL AND THE POPE.

THE following startling correspondence has appeared in the public journals:

THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ΤΟ THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE AT ROME.

"Paris, December 20.—I have heard, in an indirect manner, that Mr. Odo Russell, on being received by the Pope, gave to his Holiness, in the name of Earl Russell, the advice to quit Italy, adding that, in such a case, Her Britannic Majesty's Government would willingly offer to him the island of Malta as a place of residence; that English vessels would be at his disposal, and that the Pope might rely upon the eagerness of England to give him in the asylum that he might accept all the conditions of an establishment worthy of him. These propositions were made in an official form, adopted for the first time in the intercourse which Mr. Odo Russell has held with the Holy See. Monsignor Chigi having come to see me, I told him, in alluding to the above, that I had learned that we had new auxiliaries and competitors in the protection which we give to the Holy See. The Nuncio having confirmed the information which had been given me, I added, while avoiding to take the matter more seriously than was necessary, that we hoped very much that if the Pope-which God forbid were compelled to quit Italy, he would grant us the preference over England, and that we should ask it of him.

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"DROUYN DE LHUYS."

THE AMBASSADOR OF FRANCE AT ROME TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

"Rome, December 27.-M. le Ministre,-I hasten to send you the information which I have received, and which I have reason to