The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-04 00:00:00

ITALY.

The Milan Gazette of the 28th ult. officially con-
fi:ths the news of the Emperor of Austria having de-
clared Venice a free port immediately on his arrival
in that city.
The Statuto of Florence of the 26th ult. states that
twenty-five students have
been excluded from the
University of Pisa, for having
been present at the
funeral service which was celebrated on the 23d ult.
in commemoration of the battle of Novara.
The Armonia of Palermo gives an account of a
most violent storm, followed by an inundation, which
occurred there on the 11th and 12th ult. The
waters from the adjacent mountains pene-
trated into the town by torrents, after
overthrowing all the dams. The corps of pio-
neers was immediately called out to open an egress
to this sudden flood, which, however, was not effected
until the 13:h. Tile director of the Astronomical
Observatory of Palermo has announced that on the
12th and 13th ult., there fell five inches and a half
of rain, being about the fourth part of the rain of one
whole year.

PRINTERS' PENSION SOCIETY.
The twenty-fourth anniversary of this society was
held on Wednesday, at the London Tavern, Mr. William
E wart, M.P., in the chair. The musical arrargements
were under the direction of Mr. Hodson, jun. Grace
having been sung on the removal of the cloth, the usual
loyal toasts were drunk with every demonstration of
enthusiasm; after which the Chairman Lgave—" The
Stationers' Company; the steady supporters of this
Society since its commencement."
The CHAIRMAN, hi proposing the toast of the even-
ing—" Success to the Printers' Pension Society," said
they had now come to a toast which came home to the
hearts and feelings of all whotnek an interest in societies
such as this. He recollected that a year and a half ago
this celebrated Guizot sail that nothing struck him so
much in this country as the number of institutions
which were supported by volcr.tery subscriptions ;
sad he understood the prosperity of this institution was
bind much on the contributions of the workmen them-
selves. So much the better he would say.—(Hear.)
Because unless those societies were self-supporting,
they lost the foundation on which they must depend
for permanent stability.—(Hear, hear.) He be-
lieved that these convivial meetings were not
quite so well attended as they formerly were ;
whether this arose from an alteration in men's habits
he could not say; bu: of this he was sure, that charity
wauld find the place of habit, and supply the place of
thosO who did not feel it compatible with their feelings
to attend them. He considered the printer as a man to
whom society was peculiarly indebted.—(Cheers.) He
knew that no body cf men acted so much as the medium
to enlighten mankind. . The Hon. Gentleman concluded
an eloquent speech by a warm appeal on behalf of the
charity.
Mr. PARSON proposed," The health of the Chairman,"
which was drank vtith great cordiality.
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, and assured the so-
ciety that he was ready at all times to support the cause
of the institution.

Song by Mr. Young—" Sweet Mary of the Vale."
" The Bank of England, the liberal Contributors to
this Charity," was next given.
The CHAIRMAN, in a very elaborate speech, gave,
" The Fountain of all Knowledge, the Bulwark of Free-
dom, and the Founder of Free States—the Press."

Tire CH AIRMAN next gave, " The Master Printers,
and may they speedily become subscribers to the Printers'
Pension Society."
Mr. THOMPSON responded to the toast, and expressed
his unfeigned regret that he should be the only master
printer present who was a subscriber.
The subscriptions amounted to nearly 2001.

FATHER GAVAZZI'S LECTURES.
The su'Dject of Father Gavazzi's lecture, at Willis's
Rconns, on W‘clue.day, was "The Temporal Power of
the rope." The room was densely crowded with a
fashionable audience.

The Reverend Speaker commenced his discourse
by denouncing as false and unfounded the asser-
tions made by Cardinal Wiseman, in the sermon
preached by him on the 12th of May, 1850, that
the successor of St. Peter had been restored to
the seat of his temporal jurisdiction out of respect
to and for the sake of his spiritual power. He main-
tained, on the contrary, that every fact and every do-
cument connected with the restoration of the Pope
proved irrefragably that both France and Austria had
been actuated throughout the whole of that transac-
tion solely by political motives, and that they looked
upon the Pope merely tie a temporal prince. The
Runtish bishops and priests who preached and printed
the contrary in London, in order that it might be
believed by the Catholics in England and Ire-
land, did so from the most selfish motives, and as they
must be well aware of the falsehood of the statements
they were making he could not but designate them as
impostors upon Christianity, and defrauders of those be-
neath their influence. It was for his temporal power
alone the Pope had been brought back to Rome, and as
he should show the possession of that power by the
Popes had bean fatal to the church from the
first • moment it was acquired down to the
oay when Pio IX. was forced back upcn an
unwilling people nt the point of French bayonets,
and. by 'the weight of Austrian artillery, He main-
tained that, the Church being in its origin a purely
spiritual institution, the entirely worldly form which it
had bhen made to assume, by the assumption of temporal
power, was utterly in opposition to the intentions of its
Divine Founder. That it was unnecessary was proved
by the fact that the Church had grown and flourished
for eight centuries afi.er its foundation without any
admixture of the laical principle, and it would, there-
fore, be absard and insulting to Christianity to assert
that at the present day it had need of the support of
that principle to enable it to continue in existence.
What 'were the words of Christ?—" kingdom is not
of this world!" How had the Popes followed his exa-
ample when he fled from the Jews wishing to make him
their Ring! So long as
r
the Popes were without tempo-
al power they were free, but
as soon as they accepted
the fatal gift they became the dependants of all the
monarchs of the earth, a dependence through which
the beat interests of religion have toooften been
sacrificed to the political designs of
scismatic
princes. He then proved by references to the history
I of
various Popes, among other, Marcellinus, Clementn-
nocent, Pontian, Pius VII., and Pius IX., that the true
independence of the Pope coneists in his spiritual strength,
and not in his temporal power; and the lives of those
popes showed that, even in captivity or exile, they may
bo wholly independent of the exercise of their ministry.
Where the ministry is purely spiritual, it depends on no
lay authority, and stands in need of neither throne nor
sceptre to insure obedience and respect. The temporal
power of the Popes has never served any other purpose
than to gratify the ambition of some or to support the riot
and extravagauca of others, and in all ages it has been
the fruitful source of disorders and abuses, by which the
Church had been outraged and scandalized in the conduct
of its members. The Church of Rome, at the present day,
is one huge sink of vice, luxury, simony, and perfidy, with
its cabal and intrigues, pervading every rank and class of
society, from the College of Cardinals down to the pettiest
priest who hung about the Vatican. What could be more
humiliating and degrading to the Church than the shame-
loss corruption and trickery which marked the conclaves for
the election of Popes, which almost invariably resulted
in imposing on the Christian world Pontiffs who cast dis-
honour .upon their Church by their crimes and debauch-
eries. What had been said by one of themselves? That
ever since temporal
power had fallen upon the Roman
Pontiffs their lives had been by open disregard
•
of the doctnne example of their Divine aiaster, and
e andmarked .
thatetla6y had seemed rather to serve Lucifer than
.
Christ.'; After, an eloquent description of the
luxury
I
and ' magnificence of the . ecclesiastics residing
in Rome, so contrary to the austerity
which marked the lives of the a, and simplicity
the Church, the reverend orator concludedPßoman hierarchybiyn referring
to and fathers of
to the recent inroad of agrland.
He characterised that proceeding of the Court
as an aggression on the liberties, civil and religious,
of Rome_
the people of England. originating.with of
Russia and
Austria; in order to force' upon them the ignorance
peretition, and slavery which everywhere followed ' "-
the
establishment of Papal domination.

UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE.
. . CFIANCELLOIt'S MEDALISTS.
CA4IiRIDGE, ArnsL two gold medals given
anrue4lly by flit Chancellor c.f. the University to two coin-
:lie:icing ilichelors cf Arts; who, having obtained senior
opt:lnes at least, show tlikuselves the best proßcien•'.s in
classiciti learn ;.g, hest) bctil adjtirlged
• as fo!lowc:--
1. Ds. Lightfoot, Trinity College.
'2. Ds. Buff:, T, laity College.
THE ADAMS PRIZE.
The University having plccepted a fond raised by
s,veral members of 5 t. John's College for the purpose of
founding a priz,s to be called the Adam 3 Prize, for the
best essay on some subject of pure mathematics, Astro-
tomy, or other branch of natural philosophy, the prize
to be given once in two years, and to be open to the com-
petition of all persons who have at any time been ad-
mitted to a degree in this University:—
The following is the subject for the prize in 1852:
" An Investigation of the Perturbations of the BIQA

in Latitude produced by the Action of Venus, and par-
ticularly of the Secular Movement, and the Inequalities
of Long Period in the Movement of the Moon's Node."
The essays must be sent in to the Vica•Chanceilor on
or before July 1, 1852, privately; each is to have some
motto prefixed, and to he accompanied by a paper
sealed up, with the same motto on the outside; which
piper is to enclose another, folded up, having the can•
did-ite's name and college written within.
The papers containing the names of those candidates
who may not cuccced will be destroyed unopened.
Any candidate is at liberty to send in his essay
printed or lithographed.
The successful candidate will receive about 1201. 110
is required to print the essay at his own expense, and
to present a copy to the University Library, to the
library of St. John's College, and to each of the four
examiners. _ .

G. E. CoRRIE, Vice-Chancellor; G. B. AIRY,
J. CHALLIS, W. H. MILLER.
DISNEY PROFESSORSHIP OF ARCHIELOGY.
John Disney, Esq., to whose munificence the Univer-
sity is indebted for the eollection of ancient marbles
lately deposited in the Fitzwilliam Museum, and known
by the name of " The Museum Disneianum," offers to
transfer to the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars of the
University of Cambridge, 1,0001. Three per Centum
per Annum Consolidated Bank Annuities, for the pur-
pose of founding and endowing a Professorship of Clas-
sical Antiquities, to be called " The Disney Professor-
ship of Archeology," subject to the following condi-
tions, viz.:—
That the professor be a member of the University of
Cambridge, and of the degree of Master of Arts, or some
higher degree.
That the professor be required to deliver six lectures
at least during each academical year on subjects of An-
tiquarian Research and the Fine Arts.
That the appointment to the professorship remain with
Mr. Disney during his lifetime, and that after Mr.
Disney's decease the appointment be vested in the Vice-
Chancellor and Heads of Colleges, or their locum tenens.
That the professorship be tenable for five years; and
that the professor be capable of being re-elected.
A grace, to authorise the acceptance of Mr. Disney's
proposal, will be offered to the Senate on Friday next,
April 4, when a draft of the proposed endowment deed
will be laid upon the registry's table.