The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-07-26
From The N o. Picay,uae.
FURTHER FROM MEXICO,
NATIoNAL1zArIoN OF THE CHURCH PRoPEl

mexican government, by winch the church proper
ty OF the republic has been ''natonalized" 1t is
preceded by preamble which declares that this
property, the great bone of contention among all
parties, has been the principal cause of the proon-
gation as it was the origin of the civil war; that by
means of it the clergy have been able to maintain
themselves independent of and in antagonism to the
civil authority; and, finally, that the manner in
which it has been administered has been detrimen-
tai not only to the peace of the republic but to the
cause of true religion.
The decree, it will be seen, is radical one do
ing away at once with the whole national church
establishment and placing all religious sects on the
same footing throughout the republic. 1t consists
of twenty-five articles, as follows
l. All the property which the secular and regu-
lar clergy have been administering under divers
titles whether it be real personal, or whatever
Its name and application, is henceforth the property
| of the nation.
! 2. A special law shall determine the form and
manner in which the property spoken of in the pre-
ceding article shall be brought into the national
| treasury
! 3. There shall be perfect independence between
the affairs the State and those purely ecclesiasti
cal. The government will limit itself to the pro-
lection, with its authority, of the public worship
| OF the Catholic religion, as well as of every
other. -
4. The ministers of religion may receive, for the
administration of the sacrament and other functions
OF their office, such offerings may be made them
| and freely contract with those who employ them
for the compensation of their services. But neither
offerings not compensation shall be converted into
landed property.
5. Religious orders throughout the republic are
suppressed, whateevr be their name or the obectt
with which they founded, as well as all frater-
mites, archfraternities, or brotherhoods attached
to religious communities, cathedrals parishes OF
what church soever.
g. The foundation or erection of new converts
traternities or religious brotherhOods of whatever
form or denomination, is henceforth prohibited.
Also the use of the habits or garbs of the orders
suppressed
he Of
pressed being reduced by this law to secular clergy
they shall be subject like these last to their respec-
tive ecclesiastical authorities, in all that concerns
the exercise of their ministry.
8. To each of the regular ecclesiastics of the
orders suppressed, provided he does not stand op-
posed to this law, shall be given by the government
the sum of ST 500. The same ecclesiastics who by
intrmity or advanced age, are physically incapaci-
aed for the exercise of the ministry, shall receive
besides the 81, 800, permanent capital of So 900
for their support. And both sums shall se at their
free disposal, as their own property.
8. The members of the orders suppressed may
remove thence to their houses whatever ar
tcle of furniture they may have for their personal
use in the convent.
TO- The images, ornaments and sacred vessels OF
the churches of the orders suppressed, shall be
given up, alter formal inventory, to the Bishop of
the Diocese.
II. The governors of the States and district. at
the request of the bishops and archbishops, shall
designate the churches of the orders suppressed
carefully examining into their use and necessity in
each case.
H. All books and prints, manuscripts, paintings
antiquities and other objects belonging to the
munities suppressed, shall be deposited in the mu-
seums, lyceums, libraries and other public estab-
lishments.
l3. The regular ecclesiastics of the orders sup
pressed, who, fifteen days after the publication of
this law shall continue using the habit of the same
or living in communities, shall lose their right to
the provision made in article s; and whoever after
this specified time, shall assemble in whatever place,
for the purpose of living in community. shall be
Immediately expelled the republic
a. The female converts, actually in existence,
shall continue to exist, under the management of
their chapters. Those of the subject to the spiritual
jurisdiction of any one of the orders suppressed.
shall be under the direct authority of their respec
tive bishops.
l5 Every ex-coistered re1igieuse shall receive
back the sum deposited in the convent as dowry,
whether it be her own personal property, or wheth-
er it be the proceeds of private donations or of
some pious foundation. The religieuses of the
mendicant orders, who have never entered the
monastery, shall nevertheless receive the sum of
Sl,50O, on leaving the cloister. Both dowry and
pension shall be at the free disposal of each indi-
vidual as her own property.
lG. The political and judicial authorities of the
place shall render every assistance in their power
to the eXcloisered in the recovery of their dowry
as also III the payment OF the pension mentioned
above.
II Each religieuse shall retain the capital with
which in quality of endowment she entered the con-
vent. This capital shall be invested either in city
country property, by formal instrument in her
favor.
Is. There shall be left to each convent a capital
sufficient for the maintenance of the fGbricos and
meeting the expenses of the festivities of their re
spective patrons of the Nativity, Holy Week Cor
pus, Resurrection and All Saints, as well at other
expenses of the community. The superiors of the
respective converts shall make out the estimates eff
these expenditures which shall be presented, with
in fifteen days after the publication of this law to
the respective governors of the State and districts
for their revision and approval. .
10. All the remaining property of the aforesaid
converts shall enter into the general treasury of
the nation comfortably to the provision in Arti-
Gle l.
20. The religieuses who remain in the coiste,,
may dispose of their respective endowments by
free will according to the form prescribed by the
laws. In case they do not dispose of it by will, or
teat they have relative capable of inherting db
imtestato, the endowment shall go into the public
treasury. ....-
q. all female convent novitiates are henceforth
perpetuallv closed. Actual nOvices are also dis
missed and, leaving, the novitiate shall receive
back that with which she entered the convent.
%. All alienation of the property, mentioned in
this law is null and void whether it be by anv in
dividual of the clergy or what other person soever
who has not the express authorization of the Con-
stitutonal government. The purchaser, whether
citizen foreigner, renders himself thereby liable
to return the property purchased or its equivalent
and to fine of 5 per cent. its value besides.
The notary who shall draw up the contract shall
be removed from office, and forever incapactated
from its public exercise; and the witnesses to the
same shall suffer from to four years imprison-
ment. "
49, All those who directly or Indirectly oppose,
or in anv way interfere with the execution of this
law, SHALL according as the government shall de-
eide be expelled the republic given over to the
judicial authorities. In this latter they shall
be Judged and punished conspirators. And for
the culprits against whom the competent tribunals
shall pronounce, there shall be no pardon.
"a. All the pains and penalties which this law
imposes shall be imposed by the judicial authori-
ties of the nation the political authorities of the
States these last being obligated to report immed
ately to the general government. .-.-...g..
25. The governors of the States and district
shall, on their part, take counsel of the general
government as to the means which may be necessa
ry for the full execution of this law.
This decree, dated the 18th inst. and published
the 18TH is signed only by the President Jua ez
but by all the members of his Cabinet: Ocampo
Minister of Foreign Relations, War and Marine;
Ruiz Minister of Justice and LeIdo de Tejada
Minister of Finance 1t is likewise accompanied
by appropriate circulars, issued from each of these
departments, as also by general address to the
people of the republic setting forth in full the
ture and bearings of the new law. #a
THE RED RIVER CoUNTRy--ANNExATIoN AGIrATED
"A correspondent of the Toronto Globe gives an
interesting sketch of the Red river country, now
thrown open by the facilities of travel, and says:
"0ur great draw back has always been this
that we are far inland and have no means of easy
and speedy communication with the civilized
world. This is the real secret of the slow progress
which the Red River Colony has made. Some at
tribute it to the influence of the Hudson Bay Com
pany's monopoly, others to the soil and climate
others to the downright Incidence of the people;
but believe the great underlying cause has been
the want of good route into and out of the
try This would have hell ped immigration, helped
the exporting of produce, and elped the importing
of supplies. A second remark wish to make is
this: this steamboat enterprise has done more to
Amer icanize than anything that has yet taken
place. Several circumstances have turned our sy m
pathies towards Minnesota, but this most of any.
on it must be through connection with the United
| States. . r.. ... 1913
The route by Hudsons Bay, in its present cond-
ton, is perfectly unendurable that Fort William
and Rainy Lake, though a very natural and desira-
! BILE route cannot be seryiceable except at a con-
siderable outlay. We are, therefore, driven from
| sheer necessity to seek outlet by the Red River
| and Mississippi. have no sympathies with Amer
can institutions per se at least in far as they are
! distinctively American but, if by so joining the
| States we can best advance our own country, YOU
| can easily see how strong the temptation is.
don't say, nor do suppose, that our joining the
States depends upon our own wishes. Still, il
should be the desire of the Imperial government tc
receive willing obedience and allegiance rather
than compulsory one. Apart from the spontane
Gus feeling which is springing up in favor of the
| United States, you must take into account the in
dizement occurs to the minds of some in the Yves
as well in the South of the Union, and, if tht
Oregon boundary dispute assume any magnitude, i
NAV nrove tn he mart of a wider scheme % ., -