The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1866-11-12
ITALY.
THE oiirRcr AND THE People.

According TO The published statistics,
there are 81 religiJu orders in the kinsl
dom of Italy. OF these 80 are possesseA
Of property and A are composed of mendi-
cant frairs or of nuns. The 80 orders
are spread over 1,724 religious houses,
valued atforty millions francs, and the
remaining 4 occupy Cos buildings. The
nronastcries number 1,506, and contain
Is, ,404 clerical and 4,466 lay members
IA total of 10, 060 the converts, S7S
In number contain 700 occupants, of
whom about $4,000 are profcssed and
the remainder lay sisters. Of tile total
of d., 800 iriars and nuns there are about
90 600 mendicants, who beg for their
subsistence. The income of the orders
possessing property amounts, according
to the official returns-whicb, doubtless,
fall far short of the actual sum---to more
that sixteen millions of francs, of which
seven millions are from lands, two mil.
lions from houses, five and half millions
from land mortgages, seven hundred
thousand from the public funds, &c.
Italy, which for administrative pur-
poses is divided into SO provinces, con-
tains 239 ecclesiastical diocescs, of which !
4 are for archbishops and 1S5 for bish-
ops. These districts represent an ah-
nual income of 7,737,274 francs, as
shown by the mortmain roll, consisting
of over five millions from rural property,
nearly two millions from mortgages, and
the remainder from public funds. The
chapters collegiate, churches, bencfices
and chapelrics produce an annual income
of 3G,912712 francs, of which nearly
22,000, 900 are from rural property.
The charities and other ecclesiastical
foundations produce yearly Is, 400, l4S
francs. Consequently, the Church in
Italy possesses the immense annual income
of over rs, 600, 600 francs, and it is sup.
posed that an exact return has not been
rendered TO the government by several
millions. This sum, if capitalized at the
rate of four per cent, gives the enormous
total ], ,006, $50, 400 francs as the value
of the possessions, real and personal, held
by this al-powerful body.
TIE MESDICAST FRIARs.
The foregoing statistics do not include
the yearly collections of the religious men
dicants, amounting to thirty thousand
francs, as | have heard from good autbori-
ty, the official figures GO, 000) must be ac.
ceptCd for the present But who knows,
Or who can ascertain with any degree of
certainty, the vast amounts of money and
provisions gathered day after day by this
host of bcggars, who swarm in the town
AMI tie country. There are no official
data; but, from this source we may safe
ly add several millions to the vast total
already given as the church's income. 1t
seems almost incredible that there arc
twenty thousand professional drones, &C.
cupying seven hundred cdihccs, many of
them palatial, whose whole lives are de-
voted TO begging and austcritics The in
jurlous resul of II system that paralyzcs
industry and poisons morals can scarcely
be realized, and it is grand step in ad.
vance that the nation has resolved to rid
itself of this incubus.
|. SUPPRESSION OF TIE MoNAsTERIES
The law abolishing religious ncorpora-
ions was passed in June last, but from
the war and other causes little has yet been
done, except to collect statistic and make
inventories of the property. 1t is said
that instructions have been seht from
Rome TO the different orders, advising
them to strive to remain obe1ient to their
supcriors-to continue faithful to their
vows-to buy the converts and monas-
teries if possible, and if not, to procure
other buildings TO reside in.
BRIGANDAGE.
All southern Italy, as well as Sicily, is
still in n very unsettled state from the
excessos of the brigands, who are too Of
ten melted TO their atrocious deeds by the
priests and the Bourbons. Almost every
journal contains an account of the appear
ancc of these cut-throats at some point or
other. Their savage acts, their cutting
off noses and ears, and eating the flesh of
their victims, are too wcll-known to bo
repeated. l have just been to Salerno,
thirty miles southeast of Naples, and
there in sight of that city are the temples
of Postum. but they cannot bc visited
it is not safe, on account of the brigands.
Such state of society is disgraccful 10
the nation and the age. The government
has done much since 1860 to suppress
this evil, hut the punishment of the Of
tenders is too lenicnt. If shooting or
hanging were rcsorted to instead of mere
Imprisonment, more favorable results might
cnsue. 1t is difficult, however, to rid ma
tols rs well as individuals of chronic dis
eases, and hrisandage belongs to this class.
TIE rorE,
The Roman question "hangs fire."
One says the Pope is going TO Malta,
another 10 England and third to Spain.
lie will probably not go TO either country.
lie will abide in the Eternal City, AMI
enter into an accord with Italy, if any
compromise is effected at all.
A PRosrEIoUs PARrsIL-At recent
meeting of the ratcpayers of the parish