New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-04-02
THE AMERICAN COLLEGE IN ROME.
ACTION OF THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT.

CONVERSION NOT CONBISCATfON-A LETTER FRON
THE RECTOR OF PAUL's CHURCH IN ROME.
To the Edttor OF tho Tribune.
SIR: I have read with great and real regret
the pastoral letter which the Roman Catholic Archbishop
OF Baltimore addressed TO his peoTle the Feast OF st.
Benedict 1884, the subject OF the American College
and other property OF the Propaganda In the City of
Rome; and this because 1t designed 10 stir mp In our
country feelings OF hostility toward foreign nation
which has always shown itself singllarly friendly
toward United sates and secondly because fear
that it will compromise In Italy and inure rather than
help there the interests OF the great missionary society
whose IL processes 10 serve and more particularly
that department OF the same which IL known as the
American College. one has right, think, TO look Tor
great exactDe,s in regard to facts great temperance IN
statement and great charity In spirit In the official utter
Of ecccsiastic holding the very high position OK
Primate OF the great Roman communion In the Uni'ed
States of AMERICA. How far these qualities are 70 %"
found in the pastoral Of Archbishop Gibbons may
be judged from the following statement OF iacts' which
have veried with the greatest care
BY acts dated respectively July T. 1886 and August d.
1867 the Italian nation, which had suffered untold eVis
from the monsrOus accumulation Of s landed property
in the hands ecclesiastical institutions Sought 70 euro
its existing Ills and provide against their recurrence Dy
careful limitation of the quantity OF real estate thot
might be acquired or held by such institutions Among
other provisions decreed that new lands might nos
be acquired by any religious or chdTftabfe INSTITUTION
without formal permission be granted In each case ny
special Royal decree; and that In the case OF hSUuo'
already in possession Of landed property they should 10
required to sell much OF IL not needed for their
bona dde uses and invest the proceeds In either Govern
ment bonds or mortgage securities Credo FOuchlar@
In case any institution refused or neglected 10 carry
out this provision OF the act then the sale was 10 Do
effected by Government commission, and the proceeds
invested to the credit OF the particular institution To
which tho property had belonged These laws were not
intended to prevent the foundation OF new charitable IN
stituons much to break up really useful ones
already They simply prevented the hold
ing 81 land in unreasonable quantities under the ded1
hand and intended to relieve the country from tho
great curse which such holding OF her best lands bad
brought upon her. They land laws pure and simple
and were far more needed I'm Italy than the reform
of the land which all good men must desire TO see
effected I'm the case of Ireland
This law was perfected three years before the date
when the Roman province sought admission-by an
almost unanimous popular vote-intO tho Kingdom OF
italy Three years still. in 1873. the italian Par
Lament dccreed that this law should be applied 10 e
newly admitted Province Of Rome, WITH however M
portant notifications and exemptions, when were l@
tended particularly to the interests of those genera
institutions Rome in which foreign nations might DO
supposed have rights The Propaganda was noe
included in this list Of exceptions In 1874 the Propa-
ganda appealed 10 the Italian courts Tor stay vi pu
ceedngs in the Of its property This waS granted
until the cause should be fully heard IN lSSO this cause
was carried in final appeal 10 the Supreme Court OF Italy,
Propaganda had no Just claim to be exempted from tho
ordinary workings of thelaw. Certainly in allowing TINS
cause to be pr0tracted term OF ten years 'he
Italian Courts have shown no unfilehly dl'postoh
toward the Propaganda IN applying this law, 1t was not
ordered that all real estate OF the congregation OF
the ProDaqanda as Archbishop Gibbons says should DO
sold but 10 was specially decrecd that the enormous ana
exceedingly valuable mass of buildings actually used by
the Propaganda proper should be exempted from sac
and permanently secured to Il, and have no dOuDt
whatever that on proper application Royal Decree
wouldbe granted securing in the same way to It's egt-
mate uses the property known ~ the American College
These DEGREES always readily granted where sought
in good faith. for useful purposes.
In considering this whole it is to be noted that's
Ftyst-The proposed sale this time OF the landed
property of the Propaganda Is the result not Of any new
LEGISLATION but Of the decision OF the Supreme Court
of Italy in cause which has been allowed to overs
period of ten years.
Second-Tt IS not confscaG0A Of property, rs Arch
bishop Gibbons says. but q c0nrerSion-ln enforced
change Of investment merely,-by which the Italian
GOVERNMENT is in way financially gamer.
Thrd-This conversion may be carried out by thu
Propaganda itself II viii act in good faith and VIII ia
relieved Of the ordinary taxes on the sale of land
Fouyth-The value of landed property in Rome has
been many times increased since tho Italian Govern
mont was established there Tho lands Of the Propa-
eauda would sell for certainly five tunes rs much rs
they would have brought in 1869. Their conversion
now will bring in that institution an income much
arger than it enjoyed from them under the Papal
Government. ,,-.s...,
IN the case Of the landed property Of ST. Peters and the
other great basc. of Rome, by which they have been
Aganst an enforced sale at this time it might be urged
that few Years hence these lands under the present
Goyecpment will have a still greatly Increased valuei
while the other. hand restoration OF Ine aapat
Government atlRomel would throw them down again 70
their former almost nominal value Inc real point wnere
the shoe punches in this case Is noJ the Oh s
property. which in itself msht not &c ulsauitago,
but the conversion into litlh National securities l9r
this so to speak puts the Roman Church under bonds
FOR good behavior III ltaly-an arrangement Wnch the
Italian people. although themselves Roman CATHOLICS
seem 10 think necessary precauton; -, -
10 is manifest that this matter tho Italian Govern.
ment has the law clearly and entirely on ~ SIDE anu
couid Interfere with shadow OF legal right The italian
Government would rightly resent any oiclall criticism
supreme Court of Italy with as certain pronpness rs
we should use toward Bisinarek TOT ns n; t rre mo
Court United states in the interests say OF natural
@ comes % fhe eea aspect Of the case that the
can" Colegc.i0es belong TO Americans nj ALL but to
a single American is to be found. The moneys with
which 1t may have been bought have passed away from
sums that arr drained every year from America TO Rome
Peters Pence stl there is moral right IN the case
which desire in every way TO see RECOGNIZED ana pro-
But this protection there Is no legal ground
good feeling and sense or equity Oh he iIan t =,
ment, and such appeal am sure VIII be listened 70 TX
danger of Archbishop Gibbons's PASTORAL that 1t is
full Of msstaement and so largely suppesses the true
faCtS IN tle case tnab IL Will poNoho
ing in Italy against the American College and make it
difficult for the italian Government to grant tho
concessions that desired His calling the Italians
hard names and his effort 10 stir up In America Ill fee-
ing AGAINST the Italian Government can do only harm.
anu no good for Italy will brook Interference In her
internal afarsand Land act Is purely internal affair
by no foreign Goyernmentand least OF all would SHE
people OF whom The Roman Church claims more than
ninety ninel per cent-allow this IN question touching
the ahalrs OF her Ghurch-from Protestant Power
Ike the United states OF America.
am sure the other hand that ON unofficial requess
for the preservation OF the buildings OF the American
College at Rome il properly presented would be favor
ably answered by tho Government OF Italy, and most
sincerely that the steps In this direction, which II Is
understood have been wisely taken by His Eminenco the
Cardinal Archbishop OF Newlor. may not he thwarted
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