The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-17 00:00:00

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THE SUN, LONDON, T_H UESD AY EVENING, JANUA Y 17, 1867.

AFTER, Covent-garden Theatre—EVANS' to
suP.
After Drury-lane Theatre EVANS' to SUP.
After Lyceum Theatre IeVANS' to SUP,
Atter Adelphi Thehtre EVANS' to SUP.
After Olympic l'heatre EVANS' to SUP.
After Strand Theatre.
After New it oytVty Theatre EVANS' to SUP.
After St. James's Theatre EVANS' to SUP.
After Prince of Wales' Theatre... EVANS' to SUP.
London Singing and Supper Club, E 'AN3', Covent-garden.
Vocal Entertainment at Eight.

account for the fact that in so fertile and rich, in so
compact and densely peopled a district as the plain
of North Italy, across the richest lands of Piedmont
and Lombardy, lines establishing the communications
between such cities as Milan and Turin, Genoa and
Bologna, to say nothing of the hundred minor ones
with which that region is studded, at 10 or 12 miles'
distance—lines, too, which have already been open
from 10 to 15 years.—should hardly come up to the
standard of those traversing some of the least
favoured tracts to the North of the Alps. Aud
it must be observed that as the Italian Govern-
ment attached the most vital importance to the
promotion of these public works, and could put
no reliance on the private speculation or the
public spirit of the Italian people, it became
necessary to have recourse to foreign companies,
who dictated their own terms, so that the State
what with original grants, and additional subven-
tions, and guaranteed interests,and purchase and re-
purchase of the lines and rolling-stock of defaulters,
ended by paying twice and thrice over the value re-
ceived. And the necessity to which the rulers of
the emancipated people bowed from the outset
presses upon them more strongly than ever at the
present moment ; for in roads and railroads, at what-
ever cost they may be procured, lies the cure of the
worst evils with which the wildest Neapolitan
Sicilian, and Sardinian provinces are still afflicted.
The most direet cause of the failure of Italian rail-
ways is by the Opinione justly attributed to the
scanty traffic both of passengers and goods—a scar-
city not to be counteracted by the extremely low
fares on every line. The Italians neither travel nor
trade. The slackness in the internal movement of
the kingdom is commensurate with the sluggishness
of its commercial relations with foreign countries.
We already noticed in a former article how, although
considerable increase in the imports of the kingdom
has been perceptible of late years, the exports have
been almost altogether stationary. The whole trade
of Italy with foreign nations in 1864, amounted to
1,301,000,000 f. ; while that of France during the
same year was 5,452,000,000 f. ; and that of
Belgium, a state barely numbering a population of
5,000,000, rose to 1,285,000,000 f.—that is, very
nearly equal that of Italy with her 21,00),000 souls.
And it must be added, that while the exports in
Italy were only of 405,000,000 f.—that is, less than
one-third of the whole trade,—those of Belgium ex-
ceeded 597,000,000 f., or nearly come up to the im-
ports. Little, indeed, like life and work has been
developed in Italy in the course of these last few
years of her emancipation. The anxiety with which
both the people and their rulers looked forward to
the struggle out of which they had just come with
success may doubtless account for much. Still the
fact remains that the Italians have fallen terribly in
the rear of other nations, and that they require the
utmost exertions to make up for lost time.

Roman Catholic Reunion at. Birmingham.

The 13th annual reunion of the Roman Catholics
of Birmingham and the district, in aid of the poor
schools, was held on Tuesday night. The assembly
was presided over by Dr. Manning, Archbishop of
Westminster ; there were also present Bishop Ulla-
thorne, Bishop Amherst, and a large number of the
Roman Catholic clergy and influential laity.
The ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER said,—An
hour or two ago I heard the Lord Bishop of this
diocess lay down a very inconvenient law, which it
is my deliberate purpose to break. (Laughter.) He
laid down in my hearing that of ter the octave of the
Epiphany no one can wish another a happy new
year. (Laughter.) Nov I came here to-night for
the deliberate purpose of 'wishing the Bishop of
Birmingham and his flock assembled in this hall on
this night many happy new years like the present.
(Cheers.) And it gives me very great happiness to
come and accept the welcome so kindly given me,
and to assure you that there is nothing which is more
cheering to the heart of the Catholic pastor than to
see a Catholic bishop in the midst of his people,
loved and venerated as the bishop of this diocess is.
(Cheers.) And I may add that I see in this a proof
of the present strength and future extension of the
Catholic Church in England. (Hear, hear.) The
Catholic Church in this land comes not in union
with Royalty, though it is loyally submissive to the
Crown. (Applause.) It comes not by statute of
Parliament, nor by favour of aristocracy, nor by the
influence of wealth, but in poverty, united with the
people. (Applause.) It is the Church of the poor
all the world over. (Applause.) It is the Church
of the poor eminently in Ireland—(" hear, hear,"
and cheers)—and it is the Church of the poor in
all the great towns of England ; and the whole
.Catholic flock in England, without distinction of
rank, or class, or wealth, is united together with such
a perfect fusion and equality, under the spiritual
care of its pastors, that there is no unity to be found
throughout the Catholic world more perfect or more
compact. (Applause.) lam sure that in no part
of the Catholic world can there be found an episco-
pate united in more perfect brotherly love together,
nor an episcopate that has the happiness of ruling
over a body of clergy who with a more filial attach-
ment and a more perfect docility obey their spiritual
guidance, and a flock more closely united to their
pastors. (Applause.) What I see before me to-
night is a sample of what I have seen in the great
towns of England of many years that are past, and
most especially in the last 12 months, and this gives
me a confidence that so long as the Catholic Church
is united, pastors and people together, there is no
power on earth that can hinder its continual expan-
sion. (Much applause.) Now, my lord, lam most
glad to meet you and your flock to-night, and upon
such an occasion as this, knowing as I do that it
owes its origin to an effort to extend education
among the children of the poor—a work most dear
to the heart of every Catholic ; and I may say lam
glad to speak of this work in Birmingham, because
I think the people of this town have a very special
prerogative of respect and of regard among the
Catholics of England. (Applause.) I think Liver-
pool, Manchester, and Birmingham have set three
bright examples which I trust the whole of England
will follow. In Liverpool the Catholic population
is mixed with the population of that city with a
perfect equality of public and private respect, and
the Catholics of that city are treated with the
greatest consideration by the municipal authorities.
(" Hear, hear," and applause.) I would point to the
borough gaol of Liverpool as a luminous example of
what the justice and the wisdom of Liverpool have
done. (Applause.) In like manner I will say of
Manchester, it has taken a lead in the matter of
education with an equity and a justice and a pru-
dence, for which every Catholic ought to bear his
tribute. I will say the same of Birmingham, know-
ing as I do that in a time when England was swept
by a tempest Birmingham seemed to be the only spot
where tranquillity reigned, like the centre of a whirl-
wind, always still, and that it was the influence of this
great town, wise in industry, wise in its social pru-
dence, which began to diffuse a calm when other men
had lost the' tranquillity of their spirits. (Ap-
plause.) I know, too, that the Catholic population
of Birmingham is treated with respect, justice, and
equity, both in public and in private—(hear)—and
I believe that the Catholics of Birmingham bear
very true and sincere attachment to their town, and
to the friends who inhabit this town. (Applause.)
And now, I believe, we are living in a period of the
history of England which will be marked hereafter
by one signal characteristic. Before her gracious
Majesty ascended the throne great changes in the
law and constitution of England were carried by the
the Legislature
statute-book—it
tatute-
b; butok tis
is one thing
another to to
effect. Since the accession of her gracious Majesty
carrythe laws
them
o
i n in t
the changes which took place in the 10 preceding
years have been perpetually realising themselves in
the public and in the private life of England. I will
alter
not refer to that earlier period when the condition
of Catholics in this country was one which history
would be glad to forget. We, lam happy to say,
have entered into another period, in the light of the
sun and the free air of heaven, and at this day, a so-
cial, political, and religious equality among all the
subjects of her gracious Majesty is extending itself
throughout the whole of our order and our system,
so that I trust, before she closes her happy reign,
there will not remain among us the smalleet remnant
of the past. (Much cheering.) I know with what

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