The Sun.
London, England, 1870-01-08 00:00:00

FOREIGN NOTES.
THE CECIT3IR ;ICIL COUSCIL.

anys, Tor pigs ton clays aro allowed,- anCiror builoi4R's
eighteen or twenty. The expense of the plant is in-
considerable, and in England the cost of preserving
amounts to two or three pence for a sheep and to
about a shilling for a bullock.

Our correspondent at Rome, writing on the 2nd, refers
to the long debate in the Aula four days previously. The
subjects of discussion were not known, but it was under-
stood that they related to the Commission of Dogma and
the discussion was a very warm one. Mgr. Strassmayer,
Bishop of Bosnia, is said to have made a powerful address
on the Ultramontane side, of which he is one of the great
lights. At the last moment the architects contrived a
sort of awning over the Aula which gave much better
vibrations, and the congregation consequently still con-
tinue to be held in St. Peter's, much to the satisfaction
of the Pope, and of everyone concerned, as the
Sala dei Sacrizzori was both cold and inconvenient.
The German bishops are by degrees ranging themselves
amongst the definitors; and the whole of the Swiss epis-
copate has also declared itself on the same side. The
public session of the Sixth Epiphany is looked forward to
with the greatest anxiety, but it is difficult to believe that
the business of the oJuncil can have far enough advanced
to admit of a definition of the Papal infallibility being
promulgated so soon. It is a question of time only, it
is true, for the overwhelming majority of the bishops
is in its favour. We cannot, however, pronounce
with any precision as to the date, as no one save the
persons sitting in the Council itself are acquainted with the
stages of proceeding, and it is singular how completely the
secret is kept even from those who are on ordinary ecclesias-
tical matters the best informed. What Rome does she
generally does thoroughly, and on this occasion she has
fully compassed her end of excluding outsiders. Even the
malcontent bishops have fully respected this engagement
to secrecy, and the Embassies themselves are in
the dark as much as the " profanus vulgus."
It is said that a few of the bishops, three from France,
three from Germany, and three from America, agreed to
meet privately at the lodging of the Archbishop of Paris,
who was, of course, one of the number, Mgr. Dupanloup
being another. However, they recaived, after their meeting,
an intimation from the Court that no such meetings would
be allowed in Rome, as the Council afforded ample oppor-
tunities for discussion, and all discussion must be there!
The mode of electing the Oriental bishops is to` be
changed. They are not in future to be elected as hitherto,
but nominated by the Pope. Always the Pope.

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 8, 1870.

permit." By the same Act the period for enlistments was
changed from three to five years, but at that date all the
enlisted men of infantry were in for three years, begin-
ning mostly in 1866 and 1867. The Secretary of War, Gen.
Schofield, with whom by law the discretion rested, saw
at once that were he to wait for the number of officers to
diminish to the standard of 25 regiments by the slow
process of death and resignation, all the enlisted men
would be discharged by the expiration of their term of
service, and we would be compelled to abandon many of
the forts in the Indian country. He, therefore, very wisely
resolved to make the consolidation at once, so that new
enlistments could be made to replace the men discharged
by expiration of their terms of enlistment. His orders,
prescribing the mode and manner of consolidation, were
made on the 10th of March, and have been cairied into
effect as fast as possible considering the scattered condi-
tion of the troops. The colonels and field officers were
chosen here, and announced in general orders from these
headquarters. The captains and lieutenants were selected
by the commanding general of the departments in which
the new regiments were to serve. As a general rule, all
other things being equal, the senior of each grade was re-
tained, provided he was deemed qualified, and was actually
present for duty. The recruiting service was resumed on
the 28th of April, and has supplied about a thousand re-
cruits per month, barely enough to replace the dischare.,es
in the nine exposed garrisons of the Indian country. The
consolidation has thus been effected at as little cost as
possible, and on principles as fair and just as the case
admitted.

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