GENERAL SUMMARY.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 228, 27 December 1859, Page 3

GENERAL SUMMARY.

(From the Home News, October 18.) ON his return Iroin liiarruz to Paris, the Emperor of the French stopped at Bordeaux. Upon his arrival, all the Itaius in the city were put, under arrest, in consequence of certain suspicious circumstances concerning passports which had re-aclied the ears of the [police authorities. The dunger, if there were; any, being ihus removed, his Imperial Majesty [tn-aeeeded. with his inflexible calmness, to pe;rfurm the State ceremonies n-uul on such occasions. He Tereived an address from the Cardinal-Ar<h-bishop, in which the high-priest reminded his Mftj sty of what ho owed to t i\e Chuirch, conchMiiig wi h the hope that his M»j ;sty would still c>miune failhfnl to his C-ristia.n policy

the meaning nf whio't is that his M;ijj«sty wouldinterpose to shy.v the Pope. The position was a difficult one f<ir L >vis N ipo'e^n. The pvies's firm a ni<»e powerful body a!I over Ku<man Cahdic E.urope than tie standing ai-mies, and it has never been f'tind |>.a=*i,io »l»le to.govern. France without, ih-ir " sweet voices." 'Wlv.it was he to to this appeal to his interests, as '* tVie eldest of the Cnurch." the titl« by 'which the Ciirdinal-Aichhishop greeted him? The Emperor proved to be raore subtle than the piest; and with all the terrors of the Va tican, un«l its multi udinous representatives, rising up before him. he gave a>» answer to this insolent address which ha* struck the key-note of an alarm that 13 rapidly spreading into every nook ami cranny of the. earth wheie R »man Catholicism breathes. We refer our readers to a subsequent clunin, where they will find both the address and a-»swer; a>id will here confine ourselves to indicating the two salient points that directly tou-'h the future of Popedora. The one is the clear and emphatic enunciation of the enlightened p-dicy which, in the Emperor's opinion, his Holiness ought to pursue; and the other is the all-important announcement'that the protection of French troops will shortly be withdrawn from Rome. When this protection shall have been withdrawn, what is to ensue ? " Anan-hy, terror, or pi-ace ?". demands the Emperor. The solution is in the hands of the Pope and his advisers. The Emperor is careful to make the Cardinal-Arch-bishop understand that France will interfere no farther, and that t!ie Pope must take upon himself the consequents of his own acts. " The government," observes the Emperor, with a dryness <>f expression that must have chilled the ecclesiastic to his ore, -'the government wtiich replaced ihe H»ly Father on his throne can only give him council inspired by a respectlul and sincere devotion to his interests." That is to say—We have protected you, Holy Father, for 10 years ayainst your own subjects ; we have earnestly advised you to adapt your government to the advancing spirit of the age; Europe will not consent to indefinite occupation t.f Rome by foreign troops; we must call home our soldiers; and all we can do for you, Hoy Father, in this extremiiy, is to give you the best advice in our power,.,. ; . This interview between the Sovereign and the Bishop has raised np a new question which overshadows all others; or rather it has swelled the Papal corner of the Italian question to gigantic proportions, in which all Christendom is concerned. Never before was tempoial Papacy in such imminent peril; not even, when the seat of G-vernment was transferred to Avignon, or when the-Pope was shut up in prison. In France. Belgium, and Ireland the priesthood have taken up the ctuse of the heleagmr^d Father, and the j«urn;i!s ring with prayers and anathemas Tne publications 0' the fmi .us Paston s of the Fretudi Bishops has been interdicted in France, and they fly for refuge to the oj en columns of the 'Belgian journals, where meuaces against the Emperor nmy be uttered with e<>mp;naiveimpunity. In Ire and. Dr. Cullen off. r? lart»e indulgences to tVe faithful who Will say five uVi'y " Hail Ma>ys!" for 'he s«fe>'y of the head of the ehur<J!; and Dr. M'Hile ' pl.ii.rily threatens Jjoril Paltneis'.iin with h mysterious retrihuU'>n, ft,^!d*!oe l^»fe»!!a.tV d ■*hf1-i(tfrii U M jPop.'' s !wifal'"plwer,!!wl,ir!h' i)(e l ii| l or i .l pov^er. "Hill, • ■iinV-oi.tr..| cd.'He C^'h »li«-s of Irelaijd, according io Dr M'll.ale, c-n-ider to be essential to the free exercise of the S;)iritual au- .; tlitttity. ■~ . f . v...:;v..:-...;: '"/-W \ '

In1 the midst of this rnnmqnN'Uvncrirement, A* Pdwi jjaij Wft Rome^-Wheti to return, up m ' ' '; ♦

tul may be inferred from what to>>k fined imniae* diately after his departure. The residence1 ol the Sardinian minister, who lias just received his passport, was besiieged with visitors. The demonstration of public feeling was UhiiiistaJkeable. Upwards of 10,000 cards are said to buve been left at the Saidinian embassy. The next day, when the minister took his departure, ihe streets were crowded' with people;-'all along his line of route, which was marked out by lines of French and Papal troops. Not a word Was spoken as he passed through that avenue of bayonets; but the silence was a hutjdredfo'd more ominous than the must indijinsxrit clamour. The marvellous thing h that the Pope and his advisers cannot "see what all the rest of the world sees so plainly. Or is it that they believe a tyrannical government iudispensable to the maintenance of spiritual influence? It is rumoured, at; the eleventh liour, that the Pope and Cardinal Antonelli are meditating concessions. They come too lafc-e. The States of ihe Legation are beyond recovery—unless it be by foreign force, which is now hardly possible. It is confidently asserted that the French troops will be withdrawn from Rome on the 3lst of December; so that the Holy Father must begin the New Year single handed.

Central Italy has every wh«re adopted the j arms and the fliig of Sardinia. A deputation from Bologna offering the crown to Victor Emmanuel has been received with due honours; and the reply o£»,the,Jung, enc uraging th.« the people to seek* their independence, promises the sympathy and support of the sovereign, who, at present, cannot take a more direct, course towards the attainment of the o'ject they both desire in common. In conseq uenc<» of this answer, the Pope has directed that the passports of the Sardinian ambassador at Rome should be returned to him. All diplomatic ties are thus snapped between Piedmont and Rome, which must hasten the dissolution of the Roman States rather than avert it. In the midst of these hopeful circumstances,. & solitary shadow falls upon the Italian cause. In Parma a murder has been comr flitted — the only crime that has stained the annals of the si niggle. Its occurrence w deeply to be lamented; but it was the work of a fearful impulse of national feeling, wrought upon by great provocation. The Count Anvitii, a man who, under the late government, bad rendered himself odious to the people, was passing through Parma on his way to- organise a plot against the existing authorities, wbem he was recognised at the railway station, and decapitated in the open streets by the populace before the military had time, to interfere. The example is a terrible admonition to the enemies of freedom in the present temper of the Italians But it was one of those incidents which are almost inevitable in great revolutions, and which could neither be foreseen nor prevented. All was done within a quarter of an hour—the victim was drugged from the barracks, where a handful of carbineers had endeavoured to save him, and his head cut off, and put upon the top of a statue. When the National Guard arrived on the spot, the crowd was dispersed. Who was to blame fur this? The infuriated mob, wreaking vengeance for many bloody tleeds, or the bad man who had made them what they are? "He contributed," obseives the Examiner with great truth, " more than tiny man to educate the passions in the tempest of which he perished."

The incident is to be deplored, as furnishing an excuse to vbe enemies of freedom to withhold their sympathy from Italy. Bur., instead of be.'ng regarded as an evidence of the lawlessness of the Italians, it only serves to render more con^picious their general forbearance. Wonderful must be the patience and good B*nse of a people who after so long a term of despotism, feeling themselves released at last, liave committed but one deed of violence against their oppressors. And even in this instance law and justice will be ultimately vindicated. The Dictator Fariui has issued a proclamation that ivflects the highest honour on the firmness and wisdom of the government. Several arrest have been made, and the muvder of Auvlti will be fully dealt with as a crime, not mere'y against order, but against I'a!y. The people of Parma are nobly seconding the efforts of the executive.

The Conference at Zurich has not yet, termina'ed its desultory labours. The stumblingblock has been the debt of Lunbardy, a certain portion of which Austria has hitherto insisted upon saddling Sardinia wth, in tiie face of a firm protest on the pare of the Utter Power. It is now stated, however, that France has succeeded in bringing Austria to terms, that the treaty is to be signed at once (if. not signed already), and that a great European Congress is to be held immediately for the settlement of all other debateable matters arising qfout the Italian campaign. We gave this statement as it reaches us but cannot undertake to answer for its authenticity. The contemplated Congress is said to embrace no less than eleven European Powers—Austria, Russia, France, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Sardinia, Naples, Rome, and England. We cannot speak with certainty of the participation in such a C» ngress of any Power except England; and the conditions of her asaent are known. Lord John Russell's declaration, that the preliminary condition must, be the complete recognition of the jiglit of the Italians to choose ther own government, is final so Lt ;>as England is concerned. We have not yet heard that this condition has been conceded; but we have heard that the French cabinet has been endeavouring to obtain a modification of our views on that vital point. Under all the circumstances, we do not see how a Congress in which England can take part is possible. We confess we are not sanguine as to the result. There are too many conflicting interests engaged to justify us in locking for an agreement upon a basis drawn from the policy of the constitutional minority.

war betwe<-u Spain and Morocco seems to be imminent, although the Madrid papers speak hopefully of a pacific issue. It appears that Spa^u demanded an indemnity, and that the Moorish government have offerred terms without referring to the indemnity. In consequence of this unsatisfactory reply, the consul at Tantriers bits been instructed, to withdraw, and liostiiiies are "hourly expected. The next U'lys&rtm,."hnwf-yer, ni'ay \\Jhoi!y alter the face '«.if'thiim|. ' In tile meanwhiia* we "have, a large squ'idroM iv! tbe' Straits, and the French are looking on vyiih interest, having it in content phition to make a raid upon tlie Mooiish, province «f Oub'hda, with a viev^ (q i^'anyexa.t^n to'Algeria',' ' "' '; ""-.. '*'. '.■., ~ ' '

A di^rei)o?,'whiol)'^n fiwdly. be cajled 9 v- -■, "\ '■' :) . .

beginning, lias arisen between the British and American Governments, as', to1 the right of sovereignty over the small Island of San Joan tying in the channel between the main land and Vancouver's Islaud. Both governments are disposed to negotiate tho " difficulty " in a friendly spirit, and there is little doubt that it will be peaceably settled. But a warning comes out of it which ought uot to be lost sight of hereafter. The dispute acquires a color of justification on both Bides from the exceedingly careless manner in which the former boundary treaty whs drawn up. The ground could never have been surveyed by the commissioner!*, American, or English, or they would have seen the necessity of tracing the line wiih more precision. The only excuse that can be offered for the negligence of the English commirsioners is, that they took the cession of San Juan for granted as contingent upon, ami inseparable from, the possession of Vancouver's Ibiand; and that this was the sense in which we have all along understood the treaty is clearly shown by the fact that in all our maps San Juan is laid down as English territory. '

Captain M'Clintock lias returned from his searching expedition, bringing conclusive intelligence respecting Franklin and bis companions. It appears, from the information he lias collected, that tlja/'Erebus and Terror were abandoned on the 22i»d ofApiil, 1848,.in the ice, five leagues*to the N.N.-.AV., of King William Island, and that Captain Franklin had died on the llth of June, 1847, thus escaping the more terrible fate of the survivors, who, endeavoring to push their way to the great Fish River, appear to have perished literally fr<>m the severity of-the■ climate. Numerous, relics of the unfortunate explorers have been brought home, and still mure, which there were no means of conveying a« ay, wore discovered imongst the inhabitants of an .Esquimaux snow village. This last voyage, which, l>y a singular coincidence, was undertaken at the sole c<ist of Lady Franklin, against the opinion, and almost the protest of the Government and a large section of the public, removes the mystery which has so long hung over the great Arctic Expedition, and sets at rest all uncertainty on the subject. Nor has it been unproductive of important results in another direction. It has finally determined the geographical problem of that implement region, and linked the termini of former expeditions by traversing the entire of the hitherto unexplored intervals. The whole line of coast is now known, and we have happily no farther occasion for investigation in that disastrous aud unprofitable quarter of the globe. -

The Social Science Conference has concluded its sittings at Bradford. The surface of inquiry skimmed rather than surveyed in the nnmerous papers read and addresses delivered in the multifarious chambers of this active body, is very vast, and the results, if they lead to no practical action, supply at least ample material for reflection. One' of the novelties introduced on this occasion was the appearance of ladies amongst the debaters. This, iv itself, may be considered as a step towards social amelioration ; but as English society is at present constituted it is a step in a wrong direction.

The strike in the building trade has become chronic. Three months have elapsed sine« the workmen at Messrs. Throllope's struck, and the masters resorted to the retaliation of a general resistance to trade combinations. Both sides have maintained, without modification up to the present hour the attitude they assumed at first. Within the lust fortnight ne gotiations were entered into which it was hoped would would lead to a satisfactory issue; but they have terminated by closing the door against all further proposal. The evil is spreading instead of narrowing. How far it is a sign of weakness on the part of the operalives, that the number of men coming in to work under the declaration demanded by the masters has gone on increasing gradually, week after week, cannot be determined yet. We must learn how far the indusui il disaffection is likely to make head in the provinces, after the last failure of the London negotiations before we can form any speculations upon the future.