As you were pleased to declare, the Convention of September had no longer any raison d'être in the new situation of Europe. The men who form the Government of France are too well known for their striking assertion of the rights of nations to be able to give rise to any doubt in our mind on that account.

We wished, however, in order to spare legitimate susceptibilities, to be assured beforehand that our views were shared by the French Government. We are glad to see in your letter the confirmation of the verbal declarations which his Excellency M. Jules Favre, Minister for Foreign Affairs, was pleased to make to the Minister of the King at Paris. It is worthy of the present Government of France to ally itself spontaneously to a policy which, by throwing down the last remnants of the Temporal Power, will proclaim, even at Rome, the separation of Church and State.

France was the first in Europe to lay down the principles which are the basis of all civil and religious liberty. Every nation which succeeds in applying these principles at home, and in giving them all the development of which they admit, even by so doing renders homage to France and to the greatness of its mission in the world.

Accept, &c.

(Signed)

VISCONTI VENOSTA.

No. 79.

Sir,

The Secretary to the Admiralty to Mr. Hammond.-(Received November 4.)

Admiralty, November 3, 870. WITH reference to your letter of the 3rd ultimo, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to request you will inform the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that the Captain of Her Majesty's ship "Defence" has reported, under date Civita Vecchia, 24th October, that it was his "intention to proceed to Naples in a day or two, the weather at this time of the year rendering this a most undesirable and even unsafe anchorage."

I am, &c.

(Signed)

THOS. WOLLEY.

No. 80.

Earl Granville to Mr. Jervoise.

Sir,

Foreign Office, November 7, 1870.

I HAVE received your despatch of the 25th ultimo, and I approve of the advice which you have given to the heads of the British religious establishments in Rome, and of your communications with General La Marmora, with the object of securing from molestation or confiscation their colleges, churches, and other property in that city.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

GRANVILLE,

No. 81.

Sir,

Mr. Hammond to Sir G. Bowyer, M.P.

Foreign Office, November 7, 1870.

WITH reference to my letter of the 17th ultimo, I am directed by Earl Granville to inform you that Sir Augustus Paget has reported that in consequence of a communication from Mr. Jervoise, from which it appeared that other British ecclesiastics at the head of religious establishments having property in Rome entertained fears similar to those expressed by Mr. Crane in his letter to you, Sir A. Paget had taken an opportunity of speaking to M. Visconti Venosta upon the subject, and had received from his Excellency the most emphatic assurance that all property belonging to British subjects would be respected by the Italian Government.

On the receipt, however, of Mr. Crane's letter to you, Sir A. Paget again mentioned the matter to M. Visconti Venosta, reading to him an extract of the letter, when his Excellency repeated his previous declaration.

I am to add that further steps are being taken with a view to furnish the Italian Government with a list of religious establishments at Rome belonging to British subjects, with an account of the property attached to them, the Italian Government having expressed a desire to be supplied with information.

(Signed)

I am, &c.

E. HAMMOND,

My Lord,

No. 82.

Sir A. Paget to Earl Granville.--(Received November 10.)

Florence, November 6, 1870.

I HAVE the honour to inclose herewith a translation, from the "Indépendance Italienne" of this day, of two addresses which have been presented to the King's Lieutenant in Rome, by the Municipal Giunta of that City and the Cavour Club, begging his Excellency to order the expulsion of the Jesuits, or at any rate of those of them who are attached to the College of Rome, and to hand over that building to the Ministry of Public Instruction for educational purposes.

Both addresses state that it is the desire of the Roman population that the Jesuits should be entirely suppressed at Rome, as is the case in other parts of Italy.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

A. PAGET.

Excellence,

Inclosure in No. 82.

Addresses presented to General La Marmora.

LES citoyens Romains, après le plébiscite splendide par lequel ils ont déclaré vouloir faire partie de la Monarchie Constitutionnelle qui régissait déjà les autres provinces Italiennes, ont cru que les lois politiques et économiques qui sont étendues à toute l'Italie, et parmi lesquelles se trouve la loi très importante sur la suppression des ordres religieux, devaient être promulguées à Rome; ils espèrent que le délai que l'on met à l'accomplissement de leur vœux ne sera pas de longue durée.

En attendant, il se produit un fait très grave qui froisse leurs principes les plus chers, et menace de troubler l'ordre admirable qui a régné jusqu'à présent dans cette ville. Une association publique, qui se dit religieuse, ennemie ouverte de l'Italie et de la dynastie, a été sagement exclue du royaume, il y a vingt-deux ans.

Le magnanime Charles Albert proclamait le Statut, et comprenait qu'une secte hostile à tout ordre civil, et condamnée depuis plus d'un siècle par l'Eglise de Rome même, ne pouvait être compatible avec la liberté sociale et politique.

On accorde maintenant à cette secte, ennemie éternelle de notre patrie, la direction de divers colléges ecclésiastiques et laïques, et on lui permet même de rouvrir dans le Collége Romain, transformé pour l'instruction de la jeunesse Romaine, des écoles d'obscurantisme, et de pervertir et démoraliser notre jeunesse.

Une municipalité civilisée ne peut tolérer de pareils faits, qui seraient une grave insulte à la conscience publique, qui réclame pour tous indistinctement une instruction saine, patriotique, et morale.

Au nom donc de la morale et de la civilisation outragées, les Soussignés s'adressent à votre Excellence, pour qu'elle obvie par voie d'urgence à de graves désordres, et, qu'étendant à Rome la loi de 1848, elle décrète l'éloignement immédiat des pères de la Compagnie de Jésus.

Des salles du Cercle Cavour, Rome, 2 Novembre, 1870.

Excellence,

La Junte Municipale de Rome se croit en devoir de faire connaître à votre Excellence que la population de cette ville est vivement impressionnée par la nouvelle que les pères de la Compagnie de Jésus continuent à occuper une partie du Collége Romain, et se disposent à y ouvrir leurs écoles.

L'agitation produite par une semblable nouvelle, menace d'augmenter de plus en plus, et à vrai dire la cause qui la produit, est certainement de nature à donner lieu à une juste plainte de la part de notre population, qui connaît bien, par l'expérience, les dommages funestes que de pareilles institutions ont causé ou causeraient, non-seulement au développement de l'instruction publique, basée sur les principes de la sage liberté qui vient d'être reconquise par ce peuple, mais à la cause même de la civilisation.

Si justes que soient les raisons qui induisent notre Gouvernement à user de modération et de longanimité, la Junte Communale fait observer à votre Excellence que ce serait vraiment une honte pour Rome de tolérer plus longtemps que les Pères Jésuites, non contents d'exister comme corporation religieuse, y établissent aussi des écoles voisines de

celles du Gouvernement; cela pourrait produire une collision entre les élèves des deux écoles, et des discordes daus les familles.

La Junte, secondant les vœux de notre ville, a la confiance que votre Excellence, pénétrée de la gravité de cet incident voudra y remédier par l'expulsion des pères susdits, ou tout au moins de ceux qui font partie du Collége Romain, et céder cet édifice à l'administration, qui a un besoin indispensable de locaux pour l'instruction publique. Une pareille mesure satisferait, au moins en partie, les désirs de la population, qui voudrait voir la Compagnie de Jésus totalement supprimée à Rome, comme elle l'est déjà dans les autres provinces de l'Italie.

THE citizens of Rome, after the glorious plebiscite in which they have declared their willingness to form part of the Constitutional Monarchy which already governed the other provinces of Italy, have thought that the political and economic laws which are extended to the whole of Italy, and among which is the very important law upon the suppression of religious orders, should be promulgated at Rome; they hope the delay which is placed on the fulfilment of their wishes will be of no long duration.

Meanwhile, there is a very serious fact which clashes with their dearest principles, and threatens to disturb the admirable order which has hitherto reigned in this town.

A public society, calling itself religious, and openly inimical to Italy and the dynasty, was twenty-two years since wisely banished from the kingdom.

The high-minded Charles Albert proclaimed the Statute, and saw that a sect which was hostile to all civil order, and which had been for more than a century condemned even by the Church of Rome, could not be compatible with social and political liberty.

To this sect, the eternal foe of our country, is now granted the direction of different ecclesiastical and lay colleges, and it is even allowed to reopen in the Roman College, transformed for the instruction of the Roman youth, schools of "obscurantism," to pervert and demoralise our youth.

A civilized municipality cannot tolerate facts of this nature, which would be a serious insult to the public conscience, which demands for all, without distinction, healthy, patriotic, and moral instruction.

In the name, then, of outraged morality and civilization, the Undersigned address themselves to your Excellency, that you may prevent, by urgent measures, grave disorders, and that by the extension to Rome of the Law of 1848 you may decree the immediate withdrawal of the Fathers of the Company of Jesus.

Cercle Cavour, Rome, November 2, 1870.

Excellency,

The Municipal Giunta of Rome begs to acquaint your Excellency that the population of this town is deeply impressed by the news that the Fathers of the Company of Jesus continue to occupy a portion of the Roman College, and purpose opening their schools in it.

The agitation produced by such news threatens to increase more and more, and, to speak plainly, the cause which produces it is certainly of a nature to give rise to a just complaint on the part of our population, which is thoroughly conversant, from experience, with the fatal injuries which such institutions have caused or would cause, not only to the development of public instruction, based on the principles of the wise liberty which has just been regained by this people, but even to the cause of civilization.

However just the reasons may be which induce our Government to act with moderation and forbearance, the Communal Giunta would observe to your Excellency that it would indeed be a shame for Rome to permit any longer that the Jesuit Fathers,

not content with existing as a religious corporation, should establish there as well schools by the side of those of the Government; this might produce a collision between the scholars of the two schools, and dissensions in families.

The Giunta, while supporting the wishes of our town, is confident that your Excellency, sensible of the seriousness of this incident, will be willing to remedy it by the expulsion of the above-mentioned Fathers; or, at the very least, of those who form part of the Roman College, and to give up this building to the Administration, which is in great need of sites for public instruction.

Such a measure would satisfy, at least partially, the wishes of the population, who would like to see the Company of Jesus totally suppressed at Rome, as it already is in the other provinces of Italy.

Rome, November 2, 1870.

We have, &c.

(Signed)

PALLAVICINI.

P. DE ANGELIS.

V. TITTONI.

COUNT GUIDO DI CARPEGNA

F. DEL DRAGO.

A. BOMPIANI.

F. GRISPIGNI.

AUGUSTO RUSPOLI.

My Lord,

No. 83.

Lord Granard to Earl Granville.-(Received November 10.)

Johnstown Castle, November 7, 1870.

I HAVE the honour to transmit to you herewith a letter which has been addressed to Messrs. D'Arcy and Power, the members for the county of Wexford, and to myself, by the Provincial of the Franciscan Order in Ireland, in which he expresses a hope, which is shared by Messrs. D'Arcy and Power (who have authorized me to write in their name), and myself, that Her Majesty's Government will afford to the members of that order as British subjects, adequate protection for the preservation of their property, and religious and educational foundations in Rome, now threatened with confiscation by the Italian Government.

I need scarcely state to your Lordship that the greatest anxiety is felt by every Catholic in Ireland, not only as to the future fate of the property of the Irish Franciscans, but as to that of the other religious and educational establishments in Rome, such as the Irish College, the Monastery of San Clemente, and other institutions, which, for time immemorial, have been in the possession of Irish ecclesiastics, and have conferred the greatest benefits on the Catholic body in Ireland.

Under these circumstances I trust that your Lordship will kindly issue such instructions to Her Majesty's Diplomatic Agents at Rome and at Florence as will relieve Her Majesty's Catholic subjects in Ireland from the apprehension which, owing to the mode of dealing with similar ecclesiastical property adopted by the Italian Government, they have naturally felt as to the probable spoliation which may ensue in their case, the good offices of Her Majesty's Government not be exerted in their behalf.

I have, &c. (Signed)

should

GRANARD.

Inclosure in No. 83.

To the Most Noble the Earl of Granard, and to the Honourable Members of Parliament for the County of Wexford and the Boroughs of Wexford and New Ross.

and

THE Undersigned takes the liberty of calling the kind attention of the Most Noble the Earl of Granard and the Honourable Members of Parliament for the county borough of Wexford and the borough of New Ross, to the great danger to which the Irish religious communities and colleges in Rome are exposed, and he especially requests their kind attention to the Irish Franciscan Colleges of St. Isidore, in Rome, and of St. Mary, in Capranica, with the firm hope and confidence that they will use their best

influence with the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Great Britain, to protect Britich subjects and British property in Rome, and particularly the Franciscan colleges above named. Originally instituted for the purpose of educating and training priests for the Irish Franciscan Mission, these colleges have, during two centuries and a-half, supplied to the Catholics of Ireland a vast number of priests, many of whom have left behind names illustrious in the religious and literary history of our country. We therefore naturally feel a profound interest in the preservation of those institutions for the purpose for which they were founded, and we are convinced that our feelings will be shared in by every Irish Catholic.

Signed on behalf of the Irish Franciscans in Chapter assembled. Dublin, 1st November, 1870. PHILIP DOMINIC KEHOE, O.S.F., Provincial.

(Signed)

No. 84.

My Lord,

Mr. Jervoise to Earl Granville.-(Received November 11.)

Rome, October 31, 1870. I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith, for your Lordship's information, a copy of a Royal Decree commanding the application in Rome and the Roman Provinces of the laws in force in the rest of the kingdom of Italy for controlling the Press.

I beg to call your Lordship's especial attention to Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10, of which I inclose a translation, and which have been framed with the special object of securing respect for the person and the sacred office of the Pontiff, and for the persons of envoys accredited to the Holy See to treat on ecclesiastical matters.

I have, &c.

(Translation)

Inclosure in No. 84.

Extract from the Royal Decree dated Turin, October 19, 1870.

Art. 4. THE disposition in Article 14 of the above Royal Decree shall extend to provocation to attempt the life of the Pontiff.

Art. 5. The disposition in Article 15 is applicable to the employment of any of the means indicated in Article 1 to attack the inviolability of the person of the Pope.

Art. 6. Article 16 of the same edict is modified as follows:-"Whoever, by any of the means indicated in Article 1, either offends the religion of the State or excites contempt for it, will be punished, according to the circumstances, by arrest or imprisonment up to a term of one year, or by fine up to 2,000 lire.

Art. 7. The penalty defined in Article 19 shall apply also to offences against the person of the Pontiff.

Art. 8. The dispositions in Article 26 are extended to the Envoys of Foreign Powers accredited to the Holy See for Ecclesiastical Affairs.

Art. 10. The introduction, sale, or distribution in Rome is forbidden of journals or other publications printed in the other Italian Provinces or abroad, containing the offences provided for in Articles 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, of the present Decree.

The exposers, sellers, or distributors of these publications will receive the same punishment as the authors themselves.

No. 85.

Sir A. Paget to Earl Granville.-(Received November 11.)

My Lord, Florence, November 1, 1870. THOUGH I presume your Lordship is already in possession of the Circular of the 22nd October, in which M. Visconti Venosta addressed to the Representatives of Italy at Foreign Courts in explanation of the policy of the Italian Government towards Rome, and of their intentions with regard to the future position of the Pope, I think it well to forward to your Lordship a further copy of this document as published in the "Italie" of last evening.

I have, &c. (Signed) A. PAGET.