General News.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3757, 12 January 1881, Page 2

General News.

"The Italian Parliament," a despatch from Home tells us, " has decided to tax titles and decorations on the following scale:—(a) for title of prince, 30,030 lire Italian; (b) duke, 25,000; (c) marquis, 20,000; (d) count, 15,000; (c) baron, 10,00u ; (f) for any other title, 5C0O; for crests, 700; for permission to wear foreign decorations, 90 lire Italian." (The Italian, lire, it may be said, is worth about 20 cents.) The despatch adds, somewhat superfluously, that "it is supposed'that more than one-half of the owners of the above titles will be unable or unwilling to, pay this tax," but the pecunious survivors should be sufficient in number to clear off the Italian national debt and leave the treasury full.

The Italian Government looks with jealousy on the small immigration of expelled Jesuits from France. Signor Villa has put forth a circular recalling the suppression of theSooiety in Italy, and forbidding the formation of fresh establishments, and, in virtue of this, the French Jesuits, who have taken a private villa near LorelLo, are threatened with expulsion. It is a relief to turn from all these encroachments on personal liberty to the freedom which we still enjoy in this country, where everybody has a right to live where he likes and with whom he likes so long as he injures nobody else. At Hales-place, near Canterbury, the exiled Jesuits are about to open a French College, while, one of the French Provinces of the Society establishes its " house of studies " at .". St Germanus's House," Brynoch, near Mold —the disused county prison of Flintshire.—Tablet, 9th October.

A new " Catholic Dictionary," comprising information on numerous points of ecclesiastical interest such as is not now to be obtained from any one work in the English language, is in course of preparation. It is founded (without permission) on the theological dictionary of Wetzer and Welte, but will contain many original articles, " especially on the questions of more or less difficulty to which -the position t)f Catholicity in England since the Reformation has given rise." It is t9 hp explanatory rather than conversational, and is being brought out under the editor-ship-of the Rev. W. E. Eddis and M.tT. Arnold.

In-the first century of our era, the Chvistiaa population was 500,000, during the second it was 2,000,003, increasing by 5.0CD.0C0 to 20,000,000 each century, thus rising through the ages until, in the eighteenth century, it had reached 200,030,000.

Tidings hare been receivedof the doings of Stanley, the African explorer. A Portugese steamer has brought news from Loandei* that Senor Lino, Captain of the steamer Andrade, had steamed up the Congo River, as far as Noki, two hoars' sail from'Ribi, where Stanley and his_ followers have established their haad;'^ quarters. During an interview with Ceji^G tain Liao, Mr Stanley said that the end he had in view was not commerce, but that he merely wished to open up a path for future traders, and that his object in ordering goods to be brought out from Europe and America was to prevent his being obliged to pay exorbitant prices to the merchants of the Zaire. This is the first time that a Portugese steamer has ventured so far up the Congo.

Tke capital of the Panama Canal Company will be 300,000,000fr; dirided into * 600,0CQ shares of sOOfr each, 10,000 shares . being reserved by statute for the original Company, the concession contributed by that company. M. De Lesseps states that the contractors have sent in their estimates, according to which the cocstao? tion of the canal will not cost 500,000,000fr. It is provided by a memo. signed on July 7th that a special American committee, sitting in New. York, shall represent the interests of the Company in the United States. All that relates to the observance of the neutrality of the canal is settled by the law of concession of the Republic of Colombia. Where is " parts unknown " asked a correspondent of the Danbury News P To which was the answer," where they don't advertise." And though the Danbury News did say it, it is no joke. An old maid, speaking of marriage, says it's like any other disease—while there is life there is hope,