The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

the 30th ult., that in a short time the question of
' the Duchies will enter on a phase, the French go-
vernment having officially informed our cabinet
that it has authorised its envoy at Copenhagen to
pronounce on the affair in the same sense as the
Russian note of the 1.56 Dec. The Berlin cabinet
has, besides, reasons to believe that Denmark will
make other concessions, but the moment has not
come for making them known."

Lord Stratford de Redcliffe left Vienna in the
evening of the 28th ult., for London ; but he has
been obliged to stop at Dresden on account of the
illness of one of his daughters. He hoped to be
able to resume his journey on the Ist.

The first bulletin issued by Marshal Radetzky's
physicians, dated the 30th, states 'hat he is labour-
ing under a hypostatic pulmonary inflammation.
The Archduke Maximilian, on learning the state of
the gallant veteran, immediately proceeded to the
Villa Reale to visit him.

The Mexican Congress has declared itself in per.
manence. The condition of tho provinces is de.
plorable.

"JASSY, Jan. 2.—The Divan of Moldavia, after
voting thanks to the guaranteeing Powers, has
closed its session. In its latter sittings the Divan,
taking into consideration the wishes of the peasants',
voted the abolition of forced labour, the seculariza-
tion of ecclesistical property, and the principle of
payment of the clergy by the State."

The last accounts from the frontiers of Asia state
that Abbas Mirza, brother of the Shah of Persia, to
whom Bagdad is assigned as a residence, had pro
tested in legal form against the proclamation of
Ervin Nizan as heir to the throne of Persia, and
that the British Minister at Teheran is the on!y
foreign repreSentative who has consented to receive
this protest. _ _

The reports of the Commissioners for the Danu-
bian Principalities will, it is expected, be all in
Paris by the end of this month.
. A letter from Naples announces that the Marquis
Gropello, the Sardinian Charge d'Affaires in that
city, had quitted on leave of absence. His depar-
ture was attributed to a political motive.

IMPORTANT DABATE IN THE PIED-
MONTESE CHAMBEU.

In the sitting of December 30, during a protracted
debate on the " verification of powers :"
Count CAMBCZANO maintained that the clergy
had exercised no pressure upon the elections. Every
party naturally did its utmost to exclude its adver-
saries. Thus it had been said, if you vote for the
clergy you will have civil wars, if for the Left, you
are in danger of the republic ' • if for ministers, be-
ware of schism. Complaints had been made of an
it ruption of priests into the electoral colleges. Why
not ? They were electors. But it was said further
the priests had written bulletins for electors who
could not write. Again, he would ask, what harm
was there in that ? They had threatened excom-
munication—but had not the monarchy threatened
electors with dismissal ? The deputies of the Right,
he'would assert, were there by virtue of the national
will. Their lives, after all, were devoted to God,
their King, and the law, and the blame of their
adversaries was praise. (Cheers.) Those who de-
sired to see the country flourish by its institutions
were certainly not partisans of the repeal of the
Constitution. In defending the cause of religion
he and his friends felt that with that cause was
bound up the practice of equity, respect for the laws
—that that cause was the palladium of Piedmont.
" The nation," he said in conclusion, " is at our
back, and supports us." (Cheers.)
On Count Cambuzano, who had spoken with con-
siderable warmth, resuming his seat, M. Costa de
Beauregard pressed his hand.
Count MAMIANI said 'he was convinced that no-
body desired to violate the Constitution. But to
come to facts :—A priest had threatened an elector
with excommunication.
A VOICE—Name !
Count MAerfe.Nr—lf a protest were to be held
not woi thy of attention whenever proper names
could not be given, nine out of ten must be passed
over without notice. (Oh,. oh.) It was necessary
to do justice when the country believed that one-
half of the clergy had been guilty of a breach of
duty. (Oh, oh.)
MM. Bxxro and C.A.ArntrzArro gave notice that they
would ask leave to speak.
Count MAMIANI asked for justice' because he
hoped that an inquiry would prove that the church
had not transformed itself into a political camp.
He trusted that the clergy would remember the
beautiful language of a holy bishop of Montpelier
to his parishioners, " For the love of God renounce
all party spirit ; your place is at the foot of the
cross." (Cheers.)
Count CAVOUR rose and said—This question has
taken such a serious turn, that it is indispensably
necessary for me, as the organ of the ministry, to
state our opinions upon it. It is a fact beyond
dispute, that the clergy took a most active part in
the late elections. I will not, before inquiry, go
into the question of the means they employed. It
was not an isolated, individual interference, but it
was one hierarchically organised, perfect!y
disci-
plined, and one that demonstrated a thorough know-
ledge of electioneering tactics. This fact is doubly
important when we consider what is going on
in other states of Europe, where also nowthe
clergy is
making great efforts to obtain
political influence.
In Switzerland au attempt is
making to raise the
ghost of the Sonderbund. In France the
ectloerbgynnigs
trying to abridge Gallican liberties,
and
that country back to the sixteenth century. In
Belgium the clergy
is working to re-establish mort-
main tenure for the benefit of the church, and
does its utmost in the electoral committees to
impede the regular development of civilisation. I
would not hold the clergy as a body responsible
for the violence of the catholic press, but cannot
avoid noticing the fact that no sooner I
on_er were the
electoral colleges convoked than the bishops pub-
lished pastoral letters. In some of these letters a
Christian spirit of impartialityporevails, but others
One are redolent of party spirit.
prelate even de-
scended so low as to write like a party journalist.
His virulent pen made the mostreckless attacks
upon his adversaries, and he branded the govern-
ment and the parliamentary majority as e
ene •lof
the church and children of Satan. (Laughter.)s
The parsonage houses were converted into election-
eering reudezvous. The priests left their flocks
to canvass, and after having marshalled their own
people to the poll remained on the spot as elec-
tioneering agents to influence others. All this
would not constitute moral pressure ; but it is
asserted that they went so far as to abuse the con-
fessional to this same end. I do not affirm that
they really did this, but they are accused of having
done it, and it concerns the dignity of Parliament,
and the members whose elections are tainted with
this suspicion, that the fact should be cleared up.
I hope, with all my heart, that the clergy may come
clean out of the inquiry. The intervention of the
clergy in politics has good as well as evil conse-
quences. Iu all free countries the clergy always
plays a part in political struggles—it does so in
England, in America, and in Switzerland. lam
far from wishing to exclude them from all political
influence. Living, as they do here, in a medium of
liberty, its members imbibe a tas'e for liberty.
That fact is a compensation for many inconveniences.
Many who enter parliament with clerical passions be-
come constitutional conservatives. There have been
circumstances in which I have warmly applauded
the efforts of the clergy—particularly in regard to
the revolution in Belgium—to the emancipation of
the Irish Roman Catholics—aud to the abolition of
the penalty which once existed in Switzerland
against anybody converted to Catholicism. But
when the clergy attempts to reconquer its old pri-
vileges, and when it becomes an obstacle to the
progress of civilisation, I deplore its interference
and I oppose it with all the energy that I can com-
mand. (Cheers.) So long as it uses legal means I
acknowledge its right and do not fear its retro-
grade influence, because I have faith in progress.
I would say to the liberals, if you 'would triumph
over your adversaries you have only one thing to
do, oppose organisation to organisation, discipline
to discipline, and there can be no doubt of the result
of the struggle. (Cheers.) But if the c:ergy makes
use of spiritual weapons the struggle is no longer
equal, and a physical conflict is to be apprehended.
When the defenders of liberty are represented from
the pulpit as enemies of the Church, and when they
aro threatened with Divine wrath, then the clergy
gives the Government and the majority A right to
combat its manoeuvres. The employment of
spirituel arms may lead to civil war. Since the
opinion of the immense majority of this nation is
that the clergy has resorted to illegal means, an
inquiry is indispensable. Should that inquiry
prove that the clergy is not liable to reproach the
rese7t will be immense ; but if, on the contrary, it
should appear that it has abused its influence, then
the Ministry will be bound to consider whether or
not existing legislatisn is sufficiently strong for the
repression of such at- uses, and, if it sliou'd to found
filet it is not, it will then be the duty of Ministers t
ask Parliament for additional powers to enable them
to prevent the repetition of such conduct as is now
complained of. (Cheers.) But the facts must be
ascertained beyond doubt, in the face of the nation
and of the Conservative party, and in the interest
of liberty as well as in that of the clergy. (Cheers.)
M. SOLAItO DELLA AIARGAILITA read a speech.
Lk said that the clergy had deserved well of their
country in sending Conservatives to Parliament,
and that it bad used only honest exhortations and
advice to obtain this result. If any pressure had