opinion entertained by true Protestants, good citizens, and faithful Christians. The Word of God, the revealed rule of our duty, forbids our giving any aid to idolatry. Popery is idolatry, therefore we are forbidden either by ourselves or by our representatives to sanction grants of the public money to Popery. Is it, therefore, plain that all loyal and religious men, if they walk in accordance with the rule of duty, and act consistently with Protestant principles, must refuse to vote for any candidate to represent them in Parliament, who will not give a sufficient assurance that he will resist all grants in aid of the idolatrous system of Popery?

Whatever difficulties may present themselves, duty must be done.

Duty is our's. Events are God's. With Him they may safely be left.

THE POPE, THE EMPEROR, AND THE CONGRESS. AMONGST letters which have appeared from crowned heads in consequence of the invitation from the Emperor of the French to attend a Conference in Paris, that from the Pope of Rome is one of the most remarkable. It plainly indicates the conviction of the Power from which it emanates, that the Pope is now "the Vicar of Jesus Christ "-a blasphemous assumption which some had supposed belonged rather to the dark ages, or mediæval theology, than to the nineteenth century. reiterates the bold assertion that the Catholic religion is naturally entitled to pre-eminence as the only true religion, and contends that its influence should be re-established, especially in Catholic countries."

It

A Congress meeting and deliberating in any such frame, and acting upon any such principles, would assuredly stir up a great deal of mischief in Italy, Spain, Ireland, and elsewhere. We hope Protestants at home and abroad, whether lay or ecclesiastic, in official or private life, will be fully alive to the machinations of Rome, and prepared to expose, to resist, and to avert, by the Divine blessing on their efforts, the evils which Popery would bring upon us as a Church and people.

'Imperial Majesty,

"The thought which your Majesty expresses of being able to establish without shock in Europe-would to God elsewhere alsowith the concurrence of the Sovereigns or of their representatives, a system which calms men's minds, and restores peace, tranquillity, and order to the numerous countries where, unhappily, these benefits are lost, is a design which greatly honours your Majesty, and which, with the co-operation of all, assisted by Divine grace, would produce the

best results. We co-operate, therefore, in so laudable a project in a perfectly cordial spirit, and can now earnestly assure your Majesty that all our moral support will be afforded to the Congress, in order that the principles of justice, in these days so much misunderstood and trodden under foot, may be re-established to the advantage of society in its present agitated state, so that violated rights may be admitted, in order to be asserted in favour of those who have had to suffer by their violation, and especially in order that the real preeminence which belongs naturally to the Catholic religion, as the only true one, may be re-established, especially in Catholic countries.

"Your Majesty cannot hesitate to believe that the Vicar of Jesus Christ, either from the duties of his sublime representation or from the conviction he entertains that in the Catholic faith, in conjunction with practice, is to be found the sole means proper to moralise the peoples, cannot, in the midst of congresses, even political ones, fail in his obligation to sustain with the greatest rigour the rights of our most august religion, which is one, holy, Catholic, apostolic, and Roman.

"The confidence which we express of seeing violated rights vindicated springs from the conscientious duty imposed upon us by their guardianship. In showing ourselves full of solicitude on the subject of these rights, we do not wish your Majesty ever to suppose that we could entertain any doubt with regard to those appertaining to this Holy See, since, besides the other motives which militate in its favour, we have also the assurances which your Majesty has several times given and caused to be given publicly-assurances which it would seem to us offensive to doubt, coming from so high and powerful a Sovereign.

"After this preliminary explanation, which has seemed to us all the more opportune that we better understand your Majesty's thought, we are happy to add that we applaud material progress, and desire besides that nations should be in a position to enjoy peaceably their property, as much for the profit that they derive therefrom as for the occupation which it gives them. We could not say as much in the case of our being invited to satisfy certain aspirations of some fractions of these nations-aspirations which cannot be reconciled with the principles above enunciated.

"We entertain the hope that your Majesty, with your high perspicacity, will recognise in our frank communication the character of loyalty which always accompanies the acts of the Apostolic See, and at the same time the evidence of the great esteem which we entertain towards your august person, to whom we have in no way hesitated to speak thus explicitly in a matter of so much importance.

Hereupon, with the assurance of our paternal affection, we give your Majesty, your August Consort, and the Imperial Prince our apostolic benediction.

"Given in our Palace of the Vatican, the 20th November, 1863. "PIUS P.P. IX." -Standard, Dec. 11, 1863.

ROMAN CATHOLIC MAGISTRATE.

SINCE our last number was issued, Mr. Poncia has been appointed, by the Lord Chancellor, a magistrate of the Borough of Birmingham. The unusual way in which the appointment was made (as might be expected it would) caused no little surprise. That one gentleman should be singled out from his fellow-townsmen, and thus raised to the magisterial bench without the knowledge of the Town Council, or even the magistrates themselves, is altogether an unprecedented occurrence, and justly calls forth an expression of opinion, that an enquiry into the matter must be made. The only attempted solution of the matter is, that Mr. Poncia is a member of the Romish Church, and therefore he has earned for himself a higher position over his fellow-citizens, and received more distinction than if he belonged to the Protestant faith. It appears, then, that his being a Roman Catholic has been beneficial to him in no slight degree, and that his success in public life has resulted entirely from his attachment to his own Church. It cannot be a matter of wonder that earnest and sound Protestants should object to this, neither that they should put forth their reasons for opposing his elevation to the bench of magistrates. And consequently it was nothing more than was to be expected that the Secretary of the Birmingham Protestant Association should address a letter to the public newspapers expressing dissent from what had been done. The Daily Gazette having spoken out about Mr. Poncia's appointment in an admirable manner, the Honorary Secretary, Mr. Aston, sent a letter which was at once inserted, and although a few, partly anonymous, writers have thought fit to attack the ground taken by the Association, in opposing all Romish appointments, yet the Committee are determined not to be deterred from boldly opposing at all times, and upon every occasion, whatever is contrary to the spirit and character of our Protestant Constitution. To be consistent now-a-days is to be designated "bigoted" and "intolerant." To oppose Romanism is to subject ourselves to all sorts of abuse and contumely. To be true to the good old Protestant principles for which our forefathers bled and died, is to expose ourselves to the attacks of inconsistent and indifferent professors of our own faith, as well as to receive the not unexpected attacks of Papists and Infidels. But the Committee are resolved to labour on in the good cause, not heeding the assaults of their enemies, knowing full well that their cause is the "cause of God and truth," and that He will give them the victory over all their adversaries, according to His word, "one man of you shall chase a thousand; for the Lord your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised." Joshua xxiii. 10.-The Protestant Record, Birmingham, Nov. 1, 1863.

Miscellaneous.

THE FIRST ROMISH GAOL CHARLAIN UNDER THE ACT.-"We regret to learn that, after considerable discussion and opposition, a Roman Catholic Chaplain has at length been appointed to Watton Gaol, near Liverpool, at a salary of

300l. a-year. The ground upon which the appointment was made was, that the number of Roman Catholic prisoners was so large that it necessitated the exclusive services of a Roman Catholic Priest. The majority in favour of the appointment was 13 to 3; but the Liverpool Courier complains that the proceedings were conducted by stealth, and that the magistrates present were of one political school.' The Rev. James Nugent is the gentleman who has been voted to the office. We apprehend this is the first appointment under the .provisions of the Act of last Session."-Record.

PAPAL PROPERTY IN ITALY." New measures are about to be taken against the Pope on the part of the Italian Government. The revenues of Cardinals accruing from Church property which they possess in the Italian States will be appropriated. The same thing will be done with regard to the benefices of clergymen living in Rome and following the impulsion of the Papal Government. Italian property, in a word, shall belong to Italy."

QUARTERLY MEETING.-The usual Quarterly Meeting of the members of the Birmingham Protestant Association, took place, on Monday evening, Sept. 28th. Mr. H. Pountney, Hon. Sec., was called to the chair. The subject chosen for consideration was "The Maynooth Grant." Messrs. T. H. Aston

and J. Smith, gave addresses upon this long-debated question, and a wellsustained conversation followed.

RIVAL LITURGIES.-The most singular combat that chivalry can produce was fought in the reign of Alphonso:-" Pope Urban and Alphonso wished to establish the Romish Missal. A dispute arose whether this Romish one or the Musarabic contained a form of worship most agreeable to the Deity. The Spaniards contended for the ritual of their ancestors; the Popes urged them to receive that to which they had given their infallible sanction. The nobles proposed to decide the contest by the sword. The King approved this method of decision; two knights in complete armour entered the lists. John Ruys de Matanea, the champion of the Musarabic Liturgy was victorious, but the Queen and Archbishop of Toledo, who favoured the other form, insisted on having the matter referred to another trial, and had interest enough to prevail in a request inconsistent with the laws of combat, which, being considered as an appeal to God, the decision ought to have been acquiesced in as final. A great fire was kindled, and a copy of each Liturgy was cast into the flames. It was agreed that the book which stood this proof and remained untouched should be received by all the Churches of Spain. The Musarabic Liturgy triumphed likewise in this trial, and, if we may believe Rodrigo de Toledo, remained unhurt in the fire, while the other was reduced to ashes. Yet, by the interest of the Queen and Archbishop, the Musarabic Liturgy was only used in particular churches."-Robertson's Charles V. (quoted from "Anecdotes of Heraldry," 4to., p. 122, 123).

NAPLES." A YOUNG WOMAN PURPOSELY BURIED ALIVE.-The following extraordinary story is now going the round of the Naples journals :-' A mason living in the Rue Forba was awakened a few nights back by a knocking at his door. On opening he saw two strangers, who asked him to go with them to execute a piece of work of great urgency. The man at first hesitated, but, being persuaded by the offer of a handsome reward, at length consented. He was then blindfolded, and having been led to a carriage, the vehicle drove off. After having been driven for some time, the carriage at length stopped. The man was led up several flights of stairs, and the bandage then taken from his eyes. He was then ordered to make, in the wall of the chamber in which he found himself, a hole sufficiently long and wide to contain a coffin. The mason at first refused, but, being menaced with death, he performed the work required. When he had finished, an empty coffin was brought from another room, and at the same time a young woman, handsomely dressed, was dragged in, struggling violently. She was then forced into the coffin, the

lid screwed down, and the coffin placed in the recess, which the mason, still under menaces of death, was compelled to close up, so that nothing could be seen. That done he was again blindfolded, and taken in the same carriage to the sea beach, where the two strangers, having removed the bandage from his eyes, gave him ten piastres, told him to go his way, adding that they did not impose even secrecy on him. The mason immediately gave notice to the police of the incident, but could afford no information as to the locality."— Standard, Sept. 26, 1863.

RUSSIA AND EUROPE." At the very moment I am writing, Poland is, perhaps, breathing her last. While Diplomatists are weighing the probable result of a despatch, or perhaps are congratulating themselves on having got clear of the difficulty, the Czar is reckoning the days which still divide him from the moment when his armies will be enabled to invade Europe without fear of any serious impediment. When I say this, people call me a visionary. The days of invasion are very far from us, they say; Alexander II. is not Attila or Geneseric. May it so please God! Yet how many causes of uneasiness appear on all sides. When once Poland is removed from the map of Europe, there is much which Russia is now doing underhand, to the accomplishment of which she will hasten with irresistible speed. The Danubian provinces, where, under cover of religion, she has freely established her protectorate -Greece, where schismatic interests beckon to her,-Galicia, in that policy of absorption, would meet with a fate similar to that of Poland. When Poland is no more, who then shall check Russia from going to Constantinople? Let Europe beware; she is playing a dangerous game; England herself, whose Ministers, in my opinion, are too much forgetful of lasting interests, and give all their attention to the interests of the moment, might one day regret to have sacrificed a country which has been so appropriately styled the cannon ball chained to the foot of Russia, and thereby to have allowed the latter perfect freedom to spread her dominion over Asia."-Tablet, Dec. 26, 1863.

THE CATHOLIC DIRECTORY.-1864 (Burns and Lambert). The Catholic Directory is edited by the Very Rev. Canon Morris, and that is a sufficient guarantee of its accuracy and complete fulfilment of its professions. It contains the addresses of our religious associations; the ordinances of priests during the last year (in number 56); the priests deceased during the same. period (in number 18); the statistical summary of the clergy, churches, chapels, and stations, communities of men, convents and colleges in England and Wales, and in Scotland; the population of England arranged according to dioceses; a list of the English confessors abroad; the 22 Catholic peers and the 46 Catholic baronets, in order of precedency;--the Catholic Members of the House of Commons, in number 33; the Calendar, the Feasts observed in England; the Plenary Indulgences for 1864; a list of Catholic Anniversaries; the Sacred College of Cardinals; the Apostolic Nunciatures and Internunciatures; the Cardinals deceased during the present Pontificate; the Bishops and Vicars Apostolic in England since the subversion of the Faith; the Archbishop and Bishops of Ireland, the Bishops and Vicars Apostolic in the British colonies and dependencies, the Latin titles of their sees in the British dominion, the Bishops of the province of Westminster, the stations of Catholic commissioned military chaplains at home and foreign stations, the usual lists of the clergy, churches, chapels, and religious services in the several dioceses and districts of Great Britain, colleges, schools, institutions, &c. A comparison of the statistical summaries for the years 1863 and 1864 shows that there are 1,267 bishops and priests i England against 1,242; 907 churches and chapels against 872; 56 communities of men against 55, and 173 convents against 162. There are 178 bishops and pri sts in Scotland against 175; 191 churches, chapels, and stations against 193, a. d 13 convents against 9.-Tablet, Dec. 19, 1863.