The New York herald., 1869-12-16

that the grand ecclesiastical assem- oy IN 10 my W.
TO the first question We, who are on the spot reply
that the session will be short ana Tor several fen-
| sons. The seeds OF opposition, which may be sus-
! peeted TO exist sinong the oongregated bishops,
would acquire yegetatng force In time If such wero
| allowed them This must be avoided by rapid and
consecutive passing Of the questions to be proposed
| The expenses 10 be sustained by She Pope Tor the
| maintenance OF nearly haf the bishops expected,
| who coming from Italian, oriental or missionary
sees have but scanty means OF their Own, would bo
! lnsupportable much prolonged Those preates
who nave ample means Will not wish for an opporu-
nisy Of spending more than their revenue now, be-
4 cause most OF them were summoned to Rome for
/ analogous circumstances In 1854, 1862 and 1867.
| II every possible preparation Beforehand can
abbreyiats tho COUNCIL the coming one win not be
unreasonaby long, The secret printing press at the
Quirina Palace is occupied with the production
or 1000 copies OF pamphlet in the form OF an Official
catalogue Of propositions, entitled syllabus Caa0al
PfOD9nsad0lRln Sacrosancto ConcAto. In this cata-
logue each proposition is accompanied by an eapla-
| nation nom the Directing Council OF Cardinals aud
the opinions (uotG Tor against 1t pronounced by
the ccnsutors or the preparatory commissions This
syllabus Will be distributed the Sth December TO
the assembled bishops, 10 take cognizance OF and
/ study with their respective theoogiaas. To give
/ their votes WI not take u,ucn tme the way beng
! 50 clearly pointed out.
| The Pope evidently expects the Council not TO last
over six months. HIS Intendant the Commentators
/ Spagna, has only taken houses Tor the 'indgent'
bishops np to the 3iss OF Mag. 4he 1st or May Is
liked Tor the closing Of the international exhibition
/ OF objects OF Catholic art and industry. The monu-
| melt on the Janiculum commemorative OF the
Council IS 70 be finished about the same tune, ana 1t
Is known that the Pope desires its inauguration 10
lake place before Tie fathers uf the COuncll depart
nom the eternal City,
lie resolutions taken at che Vatican VIII have
ther due lniuence on the proceedings oi the Council
and 4 s consequently the opinion OF those preates,
VINO get an occasional peep oeRnd the curtain In The
POntlcal Palace, tnat all the soplcs to De discussed
WIN be disposed OF in the course OF a lew mouths.
Even the secretary o. the Council, the Austrian
BISHOP, Fesler, mas demonstrated IN his recently
published pamphlet SuntHla Coltctttol1eAt bJeUtS-
Smtd, that IL Is not necessary for an Ecumenica
Council 10 last very long IL order 10 proaace great
results. Modern law documents appear TO be OF
most unweidiy length IN comparison WIN me con-
c.se pArcnlneItts OF The middle ages, although some
Of the latter, IKE The magma charta established the
freedom aud privileges OF nations. In the same
manner the following summary VIII snow tnat ~
carrier ages OF tue Church ecnmenical councils
despatched business pretty quickly. The first
council or Nee lasted three months; the irsI ol
Constantnople, two months; thai Of Ephesas, TWO
months aad nine days. tnat OF Cnalcedon, three
weeks, tne second " UOnstanrlnople one month;
the thIid, len months; the second oil Nice ten
months; The lourtn OF Gonstantiaople I've months;
the first 0f the Latefan. nineteen days; the second,
seveuteen days Tue third Nineteen dal stne fourth,
swenty days; the Inst oi Lyons, twenty days; the
second w months hhu Zen AeSs; tilaL OF Nlenne,
seven months; that oi Constance Llree years and
a hair tnat OF Florence, nine nontls but some OF
the fathers remained III session TO regulate matters
o. IulnUr lmpoftaace IAe Lftn or tue Lateran, ave
years, ana nnaiiy the CouaGh Of Irans lasted
eighteen years, although the work III wnicn the
united aGuers Co-operateu only took up three years.
Inc apparently unnecessary prolongalion or TINS
council 70 be attributed 10 the cOuLlnued inter-
ruutons il nad 10 encounter bat as no interrnp-
CONS hndranceS ale % be apprenended in the
prcseu5 Instance, me Vatican Council VIII hardly
eAiend beYend the time pGeafranged by the Pope.
hn nar.nF nRItT. napN -
maze opposition the Council, ana
even tnat Of italy has shown us peace
able intentions IN the royal speech recently
delivered by proxy On the opening OF the Parliament.
Tie renewal OF lue GdfiDalulan aggrcsslonS at
tempted IN 1867 - dreamt Of al present. ana the
nora attack proposed by MS party ia The anticoan
Gil 10 bo neld OF Naples appears likely 10 be aban-
dopea irom the anticipation OF a Total nasco.
War, pestlleDce anu sndden deaJn are the three
infections nom wnlcn all denominations oil Chris
iians pray 70 be delivered. Lltner of these would
certainly interfere terrply with The Council. But OF
the nTst have seen there IS no fcar ut present:
there OF the second, II being now the wnoie
some period or the Roman climate. unless some OF
the Eastern bishops or their followers bring the
seeds OF injection with tnen from The Levant,
IA 10 sudden death tnat OF the supreme
Pontn alone would check the proceedings OF
tue assembled fathers, ana In that case wncn for
tuuately seems very improbable from the Pope's
personal appeiraHce, their DISCUSSIONS might assume
a verg unexpected lorm During the hlgl council OF
the Lateran JuIus H. was taken III, and Tearing that
ms aeath might anord an opportunity Tor Inc INTRO
oucton bY the bishops OF nIodrilcatons III the sys-
ing under penalty OF The severest anatbemas. any
such notifications it Is reported that the reigning
Pontn has taken i similar pfeoaution, and has his
bull al ready FOR publication should sickness over
take him during the session OF the Council lt Is not
10 be expected either thar the duration OF the Cou
Gil VIII be prolonged by the connlcling opinions OF
It's members The vast majority OF them VIII justify
the reputation Tor unanInity 10 be expected from
the sklnl organization OF the hiefarchicai body.
Tne manifesto OF the bishops OF Fuida has
been Interpreted uy the CtcRtd Catfoitcu
in sense not unfayorable TO Rome, but
"a
the direction, and the same journal, Official
oae on this SUBJECT has informed Monseigneur Ma
ret that ms doctrine ~ antenaDe and VIII find no
followers. Monseigneor Doupanloup's pastorlh let
ter against the personal infaDhlty OF tue Poye Is
certainly powerful stumbling block for the ultra
montaues, but the Archbishop or Naiues and the
bishops or Potiers and Mines aie equally enthusiast
tic the ranks os the latter, whose numbers Will
far outweigh the liberal Catholics. give no weight
to the writings Of laymen IN behalf OF Tree Catholic,
German or oatlcan principles as they VIII have no
influence whatever ia the council or serve 10 pro-
long lts duration.
Having thus replied TO the first question which
heads THIS letter / come to the second regarding
the number ot bishops expected at tie Council
Here, also, propose TO compare the pronaple at
tendance at the Vatican Couneit with those regis
tered in earlier ages OF the Church.
At tee nineteen General Councils, held at different
per1ods Including tnat OF Constance which was
approved oy Pooe Martin ". the following number
or fathers were present:-At the Council oi Nice
there were JlS bishops; FIRST q Conataatnople 100;
Eyhesns, 200; Chalcedon go: second OF 1onstan
tnopie 165, Ihird OF CoBstantinope 2S9, second OF
Nice 367; Fourth OF Constantlnople, loz; First
L1kefdD 3IO, SccOLu ltpVs iHlth I-aJeldH,
$40; Fourta Lateran, 49,; First Lyons, lao; Second
Lyons 500. Flenne, 800; Constance, 207 Florence
lsf; Fiitn Lateran, 2DJ; Trent, 2IS Discrepancies
are observable, however IN the accounts furnished
by different historians on tnls subject some reckon
ing only tAe bishops, without counting patriarcns
aud archb snops Nnlie others INCLUDE all who were
present Tnns Aoayei gives 20 the Firss Late
ren Couucil--tne hr3b held IN the west--no fewer
than 900 bishops; to tile Fourth Latefan, 2oJ, anu
20 tie Fifth Latefan, sixteen cardinals three patrl-
sarcns Ia bishops ana regular pieates. Some CON
fusion Is also inevitable nom tie alternate coming
iongcd council. Wnle II ID stated by writer's
that 225 bishops three pattlarchs anu thirty
two arclblshops took part In the Council OF
Trent those who signed IN the last session
were only three patraIchs, twenty-five 9rchbisn0pJ
and lbs Bishops SO much for The attendance at
ecutaenca councils ia preceding centuries II VIII
be more interesting 10 your readers, perhaps to