The Express.
London, England, 1852-12-30 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Letters from Lisbon, dated 20th, report that a
royal decree has been published, reducing all the
debts of Portugal to a Debt of Three per Cent. after
the Ist January, 1853.

THE MEDITERRANEAN.

MALTA, Dec. 24.
The matter of the deepest interest in this island,
since my last, is the revival of the old discussion in
the council of government as to whether the word
" dominant " should be applied to the Boman catho-
lic church in the revision of the criminal code. The
motion was lost, notwithstanding the greatest efforts
were employed by the Bishop of Mauricastro (Caso-
lani), the Canon Amato, and their tail.
The Roman catholic Bishop of Malta, before the
question was discussed, addressed a letter to the
governor, in which, as might have been supposed, he
loudly lamented the infringement of an assumed
right, and expressed his astonishment that it was
contemplated by the government to efface the word
from the code, and, in his own language, "to vote
other amendments injurious to his religion."
The letter was published in the Ordine,
a violent anti - protestant journal, generally
understood to be the organ of the Jesuits. Not so
the answer of the governor, which was, however,
firm, yet mild,--too much so, perhaps, to have any
effect, for, notwithstanding the amendment was lost,
the bishop purposes petitioning her Majesty in council
for its restoration.
During the period of Sir Thomas Maitland's rule,
shortly after Malta had become a British possession,
when the privileges of the ltomish church were pro-
mised by the British government to be respected and
preserved inviolate, that gentleman, in a despatch he
wrote to Rome, not only employed the word " do-
minant" as respects the church, but defended the
then bishop as its spiritual head, in the capacity of
dominant. This gave a pretext to the Canon Amato,
in his argument, to assume that the church had been
then acknowledged as dominant, had so continued.
and would ever be,-7-an argument he pushed with ad-
mirable subtlety, to the very extentof his oratory ; but
all was in vain. The Chief Secretary, Mr. Lushington,
in his opening address, had pointed out all its incon-
veniences in a manner so entirely beyond refutation
as to defy every attempt of the opposing party to
•
overturn it.
A subsequent attempt to make other worshippers
confine their ceremonies within their own churches
failed, as did also an attempt to punish with two
years' imprisonment those who menaced a priest in
the execution of his functions (undefined), whilst, if
he menaced a magistrate or a judge, one year was
the maximum that could be awarded:

The following is the correspondence alluded to in
the foregoing letter:
Valletta, Archbishop's Palace, Dee. 7, 1862.
Euelleney,—lt I. with the greatest surprise and the
deepest displeasure that I have heard it affirmed with
certainty, that in the neat discussion on the Criminal
Code in the Council of Government, it is intended
to expunge the title of dominant, as applied to the
catholic church of Malta ; and other consequent
ansendaiente, very injurious to the Na., are also to
be voted. Bow muck this is in open contradiction to the
royal and repeated premiss of the sovereign, after having
been possessed and ealeyni by the same church, under the
British goverment its more than fifty years, your excel-
lency will well endemtemi ; you will therefore oosaprebend
bow ohiliorgy sad indimonsable is the duty ineembent en
me. to *Mil by all leW somas the yeesegettot of the
dew* iseresteg to a.. ithes, however, liavieg resseme
to any ether proper mad.. I rimier It right to fairest
per mosellency steengly in the aildr in ilmetter, beessalt-
fag yon with ur grist pod sense and with right
sumo of natural Jutish on which, with pod reayourson, 1
cal the Maltese eitialiss, ay dioceses., repose • well
posehanded senhlonsos thetior will effectually inter-
to mom re a prejudice to this m-
issal oaths& dam& la taking this course, your on-
*lbw will be Moshe the example of the governors,
par preimmeon, sad fly of Sir Thomas Maitland,
who asks*, as dominant the embolic churoh
in Main. Nom semperation of your excellency,
I OM ballad to bop Ike he best result, which if by mi.-
dram elemid net be illaimalla beg to make knows to you
that la h ea latioatiom la esoihretion with ay otergy end my
look to log Whim the Mews our maim soveselt ear
eareast rememelsonsse. year onssilensy
of as SWIM he ray galonee,-- nave the beams to be year
moollseofs mist bumble and devoted germ an,
P. M. Archbishop Bias, of Malta.
To Issallosie, Sir William id &C IL Governorts
aad Climmonder.ia-Chief of the b
leed of Malta sad I
De
Vagtlency replied an follows :
Palace, Malta, Dec. 10, 1862.
My Lord Archbishop,-1 have had the honour to receive
your grace's loner, dated the 7th Dosembar, referring to
certain matters, but particularly on the eaprimion " domi-
nant" iatrodueed into the Ctiesl Cede sow under the
esesideratioa of the council of
Tbe ozprosnon " dominant" =tared objection-
alio. se ordmair -
it will pussies the went of the
germ ; but I trust sasher exprossion may be found which
willeeser• the righter** Rama embells religion in Malta,
mid& I Is the emenst airs of lir Mshaty's government
sempubreely to =Anal& Permit ter to my that lave
h
always regretted the imps:ribs of that expression Into the
Criminal Code, as being misphold and therefore unwise.
For this reason alone, Ma/i. hr more than • year, has
been deprived of an iregc qsi mit of laws, to the
_pest
Misr, of the gamest iamb af them Wands. But if
emesthelms you Aeon it distort at this moment to pan-
ties as throw, it will be my duty to forward your porde=
M the tharetery at State.—l have the bosom to be, say
Lord Archbishop, your most obedient humble must,
WILLIAIt RBID, °oversee.
The Right Raw. the Archbishop Bishop of Malta.
The following is the answer of the home govern.
ment to Sir W. Raid's despatch on the subject :

Domilmentreet, Aulut-2, 1862.
have to acknowlwo year dimMeli No. 28, of
February 9111 lost, to an prodoottasor drafts
km the amendment el eseleht portios of the criminal
eeM; end I have to amen to you way regret that the
prereara of busbiw dining the late melon has prevented
heehr government hem coming to an earlier de-
subject. They sannot advise her Mqesty to
sanction the portion of the code in question (book 11,
title 1) while the Roman catholic church be designated on
it as " dominant."
Nor do they consider that the paragraph suggested, in
order to explain it ccomparieg the appellation to that of the
established church en Englund) suomestidly removes the
objection to that word.
They are at the mme time very willing, in 031110011/200
with the suggestion of the Bishop of Naurleastro and Dr.
Ding% to take into consideration any other term which
may be suggiteled, ezpresidee of the fact that the Roman oa-
th religion is Mat of which the rights sr, guaranteed by
the fandemental law of Malta ; but not conveying the no-
tion of domination or supremacy.
I have the honour, &e.,
Governor nir W. Reid, H.C.B JOHN 8. PAIINOTOX.