Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-29 00:00:00

THE EARL OFTFINGALL" AND THE PAPAL

QUESTION. .

The followinz letter, addressed by the Earl of
Fit!gall to the Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath, ex-
plains itself :

• • " Killeen Castle, Tara, Dec. 23, 1859.
• " My DEAR Lonn,—l received yesterday from the
secretaries a printed copy' of the resolutions proposed to
be moved at the general meeting of the Catholics of this
county on the 29th inst. While yielding to none in the
deep-felt sympathy with which every Catholic must re-
gard the unmerited sufferings of the illustribus head of our '
holy religion, and fully impressed with the import-
ance of securing the political independence of the
Holy See, it is with deep regret that I feel myself
compelled to express my dissent from any portion of
the resolutions which have received the sanction of
your lordship's approval. As one of those who
signed the requisition, on the assurance that the "sole"
object of the meeting was to express sympathy with the
Pope in his present affliction, I cannot but disapprove
of the severity of the language of the earlier resolutions,
which appears to me to go beyond the legitimate object
for which the meeting was originally convened. It is,
however, to the line of policy laid down in the fourth
and fifth resolutions that I feel obliged, however reluc- -
tautly, to offer an unqualified dissent. The object, as I
conceive, of these resolutions, is to pledge the meeting,
and more especially the county members, to oppose
every administration which may consent to recognise
the separate independence of any portion of the Roman
states. Deeply as I should regret such a solution of the
present difficulty, I find it impossible' to concur in a
course of action which I consider would be fraught with
evil to the best interests of the Catholics of the United
Kingdom. Throughout my public , life I have always
been opposed on principle to the imposition of pledges
on members of parliament, and being myself a member
of the legislature,- must decline to be bodnil by a
resolution which would fetter my own judgment, and
have the effect of imposing on others the necessity of
doing what I myself should not be prepared to do.
Under these circumstances, your lordship will perceive
that I cannot approve of the course proposed to be
taken, and must, therefore, however painful to me,
decline attending a meeting with the main object of
which I cordially concur. In> order to prevent mis-
apprehension with regard to my motives in the course I
feel it incumbent on me to-take, and as the day fixed
for the meeting is so near, it will be necessary that this
letter should.be published with the least possible delay.
—Believe me, my dear lord, very faithfully yours,
• "FINGALL.
" To the Most Rev. Dr. Cantwell, Bishop of Meath."

AN ABSCONDING PARTNER.MT. Manassah Cohen,
late render at the Jewish Synagogue, in this town, has
reported to the police authorities that, on the 10th inst.,
Abraham Aaron, his partner, left home taking £350
worth of gold and silver .watches, gold clains, and
articl, of jewellery, the property of the firm. A letter
was received from him on Saturday, stating that he was
bound for San Francike, and directing any communica-
tion for him to be addressed to that town. He is about
twenty-two years of age, and a Prussian by birth. Mr.
Cohen offers a reward of £5O for his apprehension. He
is further charged with stealing a gold watch, value
£s' 10s., and a warrant has been taken out against him
on this charge.—Wolverhampton Chronicle.
TTIE FRESCOES IN LINCOLN'S INN HALL.—A very
fine fresco, 50 feet by 31 feet, painted by Mr. G. F.
Watts, has , just been placed at the north end of Lin-
coln's Inn Hall. It represents an imaginary assemblage
of the great early lawgivers, from Moses down to the
King who has been called the English Yustinian—
Edward the First. The figures are of colossal
dimensions, and 30 in number. The design occupies
the whole end of the hall, above the high table, from
the upper edge of the panelling to the apex of the roof.
This fresco is conspicuouSly distinguished from all the
mural decorations hitherto executed in this country by
its architectural characiter. The frescoes in the poets'.
landing-place and in the corridors of the Houses of .
Parliament are like clever water colour 'drawings on a
life-size scale hung upon the walls, but 'not forming
part of the building.' They do not harmonise with or
enhance the architecture by the disposition of their
masses or the tone of their colour. Mr. Watts's fresco
seems so fit into and fbrm part of the hall it adorns.
A LAWYER'S ORATION.—We remember once, when:a
Young man, living in Hampshire, they dedicated a new
bridge, and invited a young lawyer to deliver an ora-
tion. The lawyer bad never yet, after a fortnight's
practice, had the honour of being retained, and the
opportunity of establishing a reputation was admira-
ble. The day came, and with it to the bridge came
the multitude and the orator. He had made no written
proparation, that being, he had been told, unlawyer-
like—a lawyer being supposed to be capable of speaking
without note or notice, any number of hours, on any
subject, in a style-of thrilling eloquence. So our orator
trusted to the occasion. He stood out upon the plat-
form, and amid the profound attention of his audience,
commenced :—"Fellow-citizens, —Five-and-forty-years
ago, this bridge, built by your enterprise, was part and
parcel of the- howling wilderness !" He paused- a
moment. " Yes, fellow-citizens, only five-and-forty
years ago, this bridge, where we now stand, was part
and parcel of the howling wilderness." Again, he
paused. (Cries of " Good, go on.") Here was the
"rub." " I feel it hardly necessary to repeat, that this
bridge, fellow-citizens, only five-and-forty years ago,
was part and parcel of the howling wilderness ; and I
will conclude by saying that I wish—l wish it was part
and pared of it now."--Brighton Examiner.