The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-08-20
Reform IN PietInAOnt.

Correspondence Of the London Globe
The new law presented by Siccard, has recent
ly given rise 10 singular case in the Con- dAppet
Of Casal, in Piedmont
Some of your readers, unaware Of the previous
state Of the law in that country, may have been
inclinsd to consider this act as piece Of class e
gisation, aimed at the pretended privileges &C r.,
body thinking itself already oppressed by the pub.
lie, and tyrannized over by the government.
lndetd the clergy Of Piedmont may in one seSse
be said 10 have been prescribed by common law =.
for they had an especial legislation of their own .
and were amenabie 10 no other. Priests were
judged by priests, bishops wholly irresponsi-
bic, rectors and abbots Of monastenes interpreted
and applied the law after their own fasbiea anci
bold, indeed, was the civil magistrate who ven
tured 10 nermeddlc in their concerns, were IL even
from curiosity. The cowl Of the monk forbade all
suspicion, and rendered the wsarer US immaculate
us CAESARS wife.
II a layman had quarrel with an ecclesiastc-
the long robe yielded TO the surpce, and the cause
was adjudged by an ecclesiastical tribunal.
Siccardfs law has made the priest amenable 70,
The laws which govern his fellow citizens
priest, till now unknown TO fame. named Don
Gnenaschi, (moved by cunning or madness,) emu
laiing the career OF John OF Leyden declared him
sell to be The Messiah, preached the speedy de-
srucuon of the world, ard like all imposiers
found no lack OF dscples-eome halt dozen eccle-
sastics, and among them two parish priests (more
PERHAPS IRON ignorance than evil intention y follow
ed The new prophet His principal success, how
his ardent followers and accomplices, the men.
yiebed TO the,e seductive apostles, and the result
was that the inhabitants Of WARM and the sur-
rounding country became rebels Nganst all law
and authority; and in their fansticsm refused fol-
whole year, to cultivate their fields, SOW their
seed, or pay taxes but, crossing their arms they
awaited the approaching judgment day
The new law came most opportnncly 10 the aid Of
the authorities; and the authors OF these disorders
were solemnly cited before the civil courts. and
with ell the solsmniy OF justice convicted of thu
crime Of disturbing public order and subye ring The
religious faith Of the community.
Much speculation he's arisen "a to their probah,s.
fate under the old regime. Possibly, Grignsschi
would have been burnt alve-more probably, he
would have been accommodated, suspended.
dfrins, and, in consideration Of very aggravated,
circumstances, exercised with holy waferl But
most certainly the ecclesiastical body would never
have consented 20 condemn him aud his followers
TO the punishment awarded 70 criminals of this
class by TIE laws Of civilized Europe
The secular tribunals have condemned these
pseudo proPhets-afier heightened trial and verv
curious exaininaiion-to imprisonment and hart
labor-the penalty attached TO imposition, fraud,
and agitation. The public has seen with satsfac-
non, IN this fret application Of the law. the vind-
cation OF Justice and respect for constituted su-
thories