Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-09-09
REMARKS OF Mr.. JOHN 4. DIX,
OF NEW YORK,
ON THE MISSION TO ROIE.
In SENATE, MARCH 81, 1915.

IN SENATE, MARCH 2lJ lsle
The motion to strike from the appropriation bill the item
for mission to the Papa States being unde in
the Senate
Mr.. DIX said II voted yesterday against 1.-The amendment
OF the Senator from Indiana (Mr. HASSEGAk,) proposing
Resident Minister to the Papa States dH So because it
was brought forward in opposition to the PROPOSITION Of the
Senator from Missouri, Mr. BESroS, to sehi Minis
ter Plenpoenia If this motion to strike o fails, and the
Senator from Indiana moves his amendment again. shall
for IT. and IN stating my reasons, proposed do now,
without waiting for his motion, hope il will nit be consid-
cred out OF place present statistical details in relation
to the condition Of the Papal States.
desire, IN the first place, say that do nd regard this
political mission, unless the political b understood
in its largest Much less do consider lila religious
mission, as the honorable Senator from North Cona (Alr
BADGER) would have regard it. consider tie Pope
all ntents, as temporal sovereign He has been for the
last eleven hundred years believe the first territorial pos
session OF the Pope conferred upon him by Fepn the
father and predecessor Of Charemagne the eghthc
1t consisted Of the Duchy Of Rome, or, that Tine more
properly called the Exachate Of Ravenna and waswresed
by the King OF France from the LombGrd who had pverrun
Northern and Central Italy, 1t extended from the present
frontier OF Naples the Mediterranean, to the mouth Of the
Tiber including the Southern Canpagna and the fonne
Marshes and running back to the Sabine and Volsca hills
In the twelfth century, the Countess Matilda Of Tucany,
bequeahed her possessions the Pope They the
pamony OF ST. Peter the Mediterranean extending from
the mouth OF the ber to the present frontier of Tu4 any
and the march Of Ancona the Adratc, with the adjoining
district Of Spoeo Large accessons subsequently made
by conquesUmbra, Romagna Pefugia, Orveto, Cfta di
CASTILLO Bologna, Ravenna, and other cities and districts of
country In the seventeenth century, the Duke of Ubno
abdcaed IN favor Of the Pope; and still later PERIOD
further additions made by Thus, the territorial
possessions OF the Pope held like those of other soveegns,
by successon donation and conquest consider the
toa possessions of the church much the domnons of the
Pope the territorial possessions of Spain the domnions
of her Most Catholic Majesys and
decline diplomatic relations in the first than in the last
unless there is in other respects poprety in doing
is uue there is peculiarly in the form of the Papa
Government from the fact that the temporal head Of the State
is ais, the spiritual head of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Senator from North Carolina very justly remarked that
his chief ministers eccesascs. As is well known, the
important political body in the Roman States is the Sa-
cred College of the Cardinals who the princes of the
church They seventy in number, the in 1umber
the disciples sent by the Great Founder of the Christian
faith to preach the gospel 10 the world. Six cardinal
bsho fifty cardinal priests and fourteen cardinal deacons.
believe the number has been nvarabe for two hundred and
fifty years, though is always full All vacancies are
filed the Pope, who chosen by the cardinals em their
body The Government is therefore, unlimited cleo
tive monarchy, you please, hierarchy, of which the
Pope is the head.
The Government is administered under the direction Of the
Pope, by the Secretary of State, who is cardinal lie is
aided by several departments bureaus boards the chief OF
which the Camera Apostoca, corresponding with ea-
suy Department. II is under the charge Of the Chamberlain,
who assisted by number OF cardinals aud subordnaes OF
different grades. There is also the Buon Goveno charged
with the municipal police of the States the Ssca Consua
which is entrusted the civil and political administration Of
the provinces and the Sacra Ruoa the great Of appeals
in judicial proceedings There are several more of these
boards Of which do not remember the the lnc,
tons but they all under the direction Of cardinals The
Chamberlain Is the only OF these executive officers who is
appointed for life, and the for the distinction is that
he administers the Government the death Of the Pope for
nine days, when election takes place. and during that
period he has the privilege of coming money his
The Secretary of State who is the Prime Minister and the
confidential adviser Of the Pope, besides having the general
direction of the administrative functions Of the Government
pesdes especially the Sacra Consua the department
for the provinces, to give suited to its functions.
There is another class Of official dignitacs of high rank,
under the Papa Govenmenhe prelaies They always
of noble birth, but not always holy orders There
three hundred of these dgnaes employed in various
departments Of the Government, civil ecclesiastical The
post Of preae often opens the way higher peemen and
is in importance membership of the Sacred College.
These are the grea, officers of the Government
Mr.. BADGER. Will the Senator allow me to ask him
for my recollection is very accurate, and taking
great deal Of interest in what he is saying and listening
him with much peasure-whether understand him correctly
saying that these pelates not always in holy orders
Are they either holy orders else undergoing ecce
sasca apprenticeship which involves the design to take holy
orders
Mr. DIX said they were not always in holy orders and
believe not mistaken. They usually, il not uniformly,
occupy posts under the Government Some Of them gov
Of PROVINCES, under the denomination Of delegates and
OF tnem IN
Some Of them become cardinals but should not consider
say Of them body that they undergoing
an ecclesiastical apprenticeship.
Let me now turn the political divisions Of the Papa
States
The Papa domnions are divided into twenty provinces
The first is the Comarca of Rome The other nineteen
divided into legations and delegations The former six
in NUMBER and have each cardinal preside them
The latter thirteen in number, with prelates their pre-
siding officers Each province divided into communes with
pecularites Of local government.
In the Provinces the legations and delegations have
Gill; (Consrgszione d Goveno consisting Of the Gonfalo
Mere, mayor, Of the chief town, and from two five
cillors According the magnitude and Importance Of the
province They named by the Pope and hold heiroce
for five years The councillors have voe but when they
differ in opinion from the presiding officer Of the province,
then reduced to writing and sent to the Secretary
of State.
Some Of the delegations divided into districts with go
subordinate to the delegate. Each district again
divided into ommune with their ancient magistrates and
councils These councils close corporations, the members
Of which are eected subject 10 the veto Of the delegate,
and retain their seats for life A Gonfaonere, mayor,
elected from their body by themselves presdes oye them
OF these communes there eight nine hundd if
remember accurately with similar forms Of administration.
Thus il will be seen that the whole Government Gar
removed possible from popular influence y from the
TO the exremes founded and administered upon the
principles close corporation, and this is its chief pecul
ariiy
The administration Of justice paakes Of the nature Of the
political organization Il is founded the basis Of the
pus js cirs and the corpus ais cdnonicthe civil and
law. All criminal proceedings conducted with
closed dos and the testimony taken in writing Ine ac-
cused Is entitled the aid Of advocate called the AFRO
cato de o,rio (hc advocate Of the poor who appointed