GENERAL NEWS.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 173, 21 July 1876, Page 14

GENERAL NEWS.

The arrival of Don Carlos iin London has not excited much popular interest, but it has considerably fanned the antagonisms between the champions of right and of might. One party argues that Don Carlos is "legitimate;" that he had the sympathies of all good Spanish Catholics ; that he was the representative of the Catholic principle; and that he would have succeeded had France only befriended him. The other party objects that even the most distinguished Spanish jurists are at issue on the question of legitimacy; that the sixteen millions of Spaniards who did not join°the Prince's standard are as good Catholics as those who fought for him (though this, by the way, cannot be soundly- asserted ; for those sixteen millions never enjoyed the opportunity of expressiMtr their real views upon the subject); that the Catholic principW should not be tied to any dynasty, as though the promises of a " pretender" could be trusted; and finally, that the Holy See has recognised King Alphonso, and has not encouraged the campaign of Don Carlos. Whichever party may have the best of the argument, it is much to be regretted that our reception of Don Carlos has been rude and even coarse in the extreme. He was loudly hissed on arriving at Folkestone, and must have thought our " vse victis" disgraceful. Being still only twenty-seven years of age, he will feel a lively contempt for such meanness, and will be confident of a future success of a personal if not political kind. His appearance is soldierly and brave, with a dash of the chieftain of mountaineers. He is certainly of an opposite type to his " little cousin." —Correspondent 'N. T. Tablet/ The Coolies of this Camp have been celebrating their " Christmas" in a, manner no doubt gratifying to themselves, though to ordinary individuals of a lighter complexion their daily and nightly demonstrations are anything but pleasing. The sound of the everlasting tom-toms may appear very romantic to the young man just arrived in India, as reclining on some soft couch, he listens to the monotonous sounds borne on the night air, but to the prosaic diamond-digger or merchant, or even to the editor of a Diamond, Field newspaper they are anything but charming. Then the fantastically painted idiots who get their bodies into all postures as they march through the streets, always to the accompaniment of the never-ending tom-tom, may afford material for an essay on the folly of human nature, to a philosopher, or spcrt for children and nurse-girls, but to ordinary Englishmen these displays are so many intolerable nuisances. Why the very small minority should subject the very large majority to all sorts of annoyance is inconceivable ; still it is done, and the weary Britisher is kept out of his just sleep by the antics .^of^a parcel of unclean Orientals. — • Diamond News.' Madame Bonaparte (Mrs. Elizabeth Patterson), of Baltimore, is seriously ill. She is upwards of ninety years of age. The history of this remarkable lady is familiar to the country. It ia understood she has prepared an autobiography, to be published after death. Dean Swift has found an imitator. An Advocate of Colmar has left one hundred thousand francs to the local madhouse. " I got this money," says the candid lawyer in his will, " out of those who pass their lives in litigation ; in bequeathing it for the use of lunatics I only make a restitution." Bse culture is spreading rapidly in' California. The Los Angelos ' Herald ' says that, at the present rate, in four years there will be 1,000,000 stands of bees in that and the two adjoining counties producing annually 100,000,000 pounds of honey, which are more valuable than the sugar and molasses crop of Louisiana, Texas, and Florida combined. Monsignor Yussuff and his Vicar- General have expressed their thanks to the readers of the ' Eosier de Marie/ who have enabled them to build and support a splendid seminary on Mount Lebanon ia Syria. We are happy to hear that every'facility continues to be afforded at the Vatican to the Public Records Office, which, through the generous interposition of Cardinal Manning, obtained, as we mentioned some time ago, permission to examine the documents relating to English History preserved in the Papal Archives. Tie agent employed by the Records Office has forwarded to London copies of some most valuable documents. Some hopes have been entertained that this year we should have seen the commencement of the new wing of the Records Office, which is to run southwards, in a line nearly parallel with Fetter-lane. The Treasurer, however, finding the estimates for 1876-77 attaining such large figures, has deferred the matter for another twelvemonth. — ' Athenseum.' Our latest differences with the Kohat Afridis appears to have arisen from a praiseworthy attempt of the local Government to turn the energies of those wild Pathans to some useful purpose. The Kohat Pass, which the Afridis have hitherto kepi open for us on payment of a yearly blackmail, lately fell into disrepair. There was sorno talk of mending it, and fair payment was offered the Afridis if they would undertake the work themselves. This they would have done, it seems, had not certain fanatical molldhs gone about among the tribes saying that the English only wanted to annex the country and turn the tribesmen into Government rayats. When they waxed insolent, our authorities took the most effective way of bringing them to their senses. "If you would rather not have us use the pass," they said, "your pay shall be stopped, and all trade between you and us shall be stopped likewise.' Travellers from Peshawur to Kohat had to go round by way of Attok, and the Afridis were cut off from all communication with British territory. This quieb but powerful pressure soon began to tell. We learn from a Lahore paper that Colonel Sir J. Pollock, Commissioner of Peshawur, was about to leave for Kohat, that he might effect a settlement with the recusant tribes. It is also reported that a metalled road may yet be laid down through the pass. The conditions for that end are not more unfavourable in Khelat than

in the Peshawur district ; and the commercial, let alone the military, advantages of such a road are undoubted. — ' Mien's Indian Mail.' A correspondent of the ' Derry Journal/ writes to that paper that a number of evictions have lately taken place on the Donegal property of Lord Leitrim. On Sunday, March sth, at Bunlin, near Milfred, a respectable widow woman named Mrs. Algoe, with her cix young chil-lren, and three cottier families were evicted, the offenceß being, it is said, that the woman cut some trees contrary to the order or arrangement of the landlord. On Wednesday a second batch of tenants, six in number, were, the correspondent says, turned out at the Peninsula of Melmore. Report, he adds, has it that their offence arose from gathering seaweed or cutting turf in their own land in opposition to some order or agreement with the landlord. A force of 2uvailiffs and 20 police attended the eviction of the tenants and the levelling of the dwellings. There were [present at this sad scene a great number of people, but though deeply stirred, they did not in any way interefere with the authorities. The 'New York Herald' has the following: — "As every church in this city puts forth its best efforts to surpass its neighbor in the beauty of its temporary altar for Maundy-Thursday, it may be easily conjectured how lavishly beautiful were all these repositories. Flowers and lights, gold and silver cloth, laces, gauzes, costly articles of vertu appropriate to the altar, all commingle in the formation of one of these little sanctuaries. At night time, when the darkness has set in, the sight was especially inviting, and thousands of persons in the city were traversing the streets from one church to another in carrying out the old custom [o£ making short visits to the churches on Holy Thursday. Monarchy in Italy is in doubtless a very shaky condition and several of the leading papers are already speaking of a transition from it to republicanism. Alberto Mario whose wife is that celebrated Jessie White, an English female communist of no inconsiderable ability, has recently written a letter to the ' Liberta ' of Borne in which he advocates a republic in the most open manner and calls the actual government a " mere bridge," or stepping-stone to one. This letter appearing in such a well-known and quasi-official paper as the ' Liberta/ has created no little stir in Italy. The fact is the republican party in Italy is just now very active and many fear that what with the rapid spread of socialistic ideas amongst the lower orders and the present change of ministry which is decidedly anti-monarchical in its tendencies, troubles of a serious nature may be expected. This being the case, the alarm of the King and his immediate followers is said to be increasing and every effort is being used by them to stay the tide of events. It seems certain that before long serious troubles may be anticipated, the end of which it is impossible at present to foresee. On March 25, feast of the Annunciation of Oar Lady, the public schools of Borne were kept open. This festival has hitherto always been considered a holiday of obligation. The anti-Christian government of Italy, however, is determined to do its best to suppress every feast of the Church, but the Catholics are equally determined to do their best to defeat the iniquitous object and on Annunciation Day, although the schools were open the scholars were few in number. On the following day an attempt was made to punish those children who had remained at home, and they were ordered to learn extra 'lessons. This brought out their parents in full force, and the teachers were finally obliged to confess their weakness by leaving the little ones alone. It is really quite shocking to notice how the government which already totters to its fall, is laboring to destroy every vestige of Catholicity and to weaken its influence. It is too blind to see that the Church alone can keep the people in restraint and induce them to obey the laws of God and man. — ' Catholic Beview.' Trinity College is seeking to raise the rents on its estate 10 per cent., though ten years since the rents were raised by 20 per cent., making a total addition of thirty per cent, since 1865. Most of these lands out of which it is sought to drag increased rents are the proceeds of the old plunder and confiscation of Irish Catholics. — ' Cork Examiner.' New Cathoijc Chttbch. — Some time ago it waa stated that it was the intention of the Catholics of Wagga to erect a new church upon the land partly occupied by the Convent. This intention has assumed a definite shape ; but the building, we learn, is to be erected at a cost of a single member of the congregation. On Sunday last Dr. Bermingham stated from the altar that a gentleman — Mr. John Cox, of Mangoplah — had expressed his intention of undertaking the work, and we understand that the sum to be devoted to the object by the munificent donor, is the princely one of itfOOO'— * Wagga Wagga Express.'