The Press.
London, England, 1856-11-01 00:00:00

NOVEMBER 1, 1856.

attachment. M. Verhaegen, the deputy of Brussels,
in giving the toast, "A Union of the Liberal Pro-
vinces," pointed out the imminent danger of this
contumacious movement cf the clergy against the
Constitution. lie observed—

That to be a Liberal in the true signification of the word
was to be a Conservative ; and that the first duty of loyalty
was to preserve the integrity of the Constitution against
any inroad, be it republican, or be it clerical and absolu-
tist. On the 14th of June, 1846, a congress of Liberals
was held in the Hotel de Ville at Brussels. M. de Facqz,
the president of the assembly, in a speech even now well re-
membered, made clear the necessity of organising an op-
position to the encroachments of the clergy (il demontra
la necessity dune forte organisation afin de mettre un
terme aux empietements du clergy ). The Liberal asso-
ciations of that day, opened and determined, and insti-
tuted for the preservation of the Constitution, bravely
triumphed. Those provincial committees have never
been formally dissolved; they exist still, and only re-
quire to be again put into active operation for the same
cause and with the same success. The time of concession
is past. As ill 1817 the Liberal party must be up and
doing. It was then that the cause of the King and Con-
stitution was saved by Flanders, and Flanders will a second
time raise its voice and defend the country. Inaccessible
to fear, confident in the righteousness of their cause, and
resolute of purpose, the Flemish patriots well know who
ere their foes and how they must be treated. The policy
of conciliation and moderation must be abandoned, since
it has been preache 1 by the clergy only to dupe the loyal
and unsuspecting. That is a game never played twice.
(On ne trausige pas deux fois sur le metne sniat.) We
will now exact the most rigid obedience to the letter of
the law and the Constitution. " Je hots, messieurs, aux
Flandres, et a l'unioo. des liberaux dans toutes lea
provinces."
In obedience to this advice the old associations are
again brought into play, and are being actively or-
ganised throughout the provinces to oppose the
clerical pretensions put forth in the pastoral of the
Bishop of Bruges. The Bien Public and other
ultramontane journals, not being able to deny the
importance of the Ghent manifestation in honour of
M. 11Ianilius, content themselves with criticising the
modesty of the fare, in comparison with the more
artistic displays of their sacerdotal partisans. Such
a " facilis descensus " is rather more than question-
able in taste. One less discreet than the rest brings
back to the recollection of the priestly wassailers the
sumptuous feast given by the Bishop of Ghent in
celebration of the Immaculate Conception of the
Virgin Mary. The first post-prandial toast was rro
posed by the Bishop of Ghent himself, " a bocce
plena," in terms that amounted in religions, not to
say decent, ears to a direct blasphemy. A " carte" of
this bacchanalian revel in honour of the Immaculate
Conception has been furnished by one of the guests,
and it may thereby be seen how the elect of Rome—
haughty prelates and mendicant friars—having sworn
obedience to the observances of charity, poverty, and
chastity, secretly disport themselves when free from
restraint and the uncongenial austerities of the con-
fessional
:
TO THE EDITOR OF " THE MESSAGER."

Sir,—A fortunate chance has placed in my hands the
"menu " or bill of fare of the famous dinner given by the
Bishop of Ghent in honour of the Immaculate Conception.
On the back of the " carte," a precise copy of which I
inclose—observing that the original bears a profusion of
bacchanalian stains—is a raised border, and in the centre,
within a chaplet of flowers, appears the name of the invited
guest. Above the name is a goblet between two baccha•
nalian thy rses, "Hunc est bibenditm." I trust, sir, that
you will not fail to make a few edifying remarks on this
list of thirty and more dishes gorged by these roystering sons
of the Church in honour of the Immaculate Conception.
—Yours, &c.
11 nitres Glaces a la vanille

Putage a la Reine Glaces a la frambuises
Ilouchees aux ecrivisses Ananas

Relevees. Oranges
Turbot—sauce Hollandaise Fruits, confita, Jtc.

Filets de bceuf it la Alonglas
Nudes vilifies

ViM.

Enlries. Poullar (41)
Gratins de pluviers ala Pa• Chateau I,eoville
risienne Chateau 3largaux
Suprimue de volailles a la Sauterne

Richelieu Haut Barsac
Caisses de filets de lievre u Grave
rimperiale Chambertin
Ris de veau a la duchesse Pommard
Aspic de foie gras Chablis
Legumes. Champagn e
Asperges au beurre Fleurs de Sillery
Petits pois Fleurs de Banzy
Rolia. Rudescheimer
Gigot de Clievreuil Asmanhauser
Poulardes de Mans Steinberger

Beessies Braumberger
Fuisans de Boheme argentes Pisporter
Plats Froids. Nadere
Buisson de Homards Vid ,nia

Jambons decores Frontignan
Potisseries. Liqw urs.
Meringue Pavillon Venitien Curscoa
Gelee en Macedoine de fruits Absinthe Suisse

.._ .....
Croquant aim roches Creme de Meulle
Giteau de Dinant Marssquin
Gelee en Msra4gnin Cognac
Gitean an punch Kirchenwamen
Scheidam