National Republican., 1884-04-08
The Pronnrnndn PropertY.

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tho pope while the proceedings for tho
soquestration Of the propaganda property
were in progress has been furnished by cable,
upon the authority of the Rome CORE
spondent Of tho London Times. This gentle
man, who pretends TO have penetrated tho
secrets of state, says, that whom the question of
the conversion OF the propaganda property was
raised Queen Marguerite intimated to the pope
that il the vatican would refrain from attack
! ing the king, he would use his influence to pro-
cure favorable decision from the appellate
court. With this understanding the pope
made no active opposition, and WHOM the
adverse decision Of the court was rendered
he was greatly surprised and declared that
he had been tti1od with.
If this story bo true, IL is not entirely credit
able to any Of the parties concerned. King
Humbert ought not to undertake to control
the decision of one of his courts, and proper
regard for the proprieties of her position
ought to have prevented tho queen from
entering into any such stipulation. As
3
have entertained a proposition which the
| queen had no right to make. If it were pos.
sible to transfer Mr.. Springer's investigating
committee to Rome, its inquiring me mbors
might find out something worthy of their
keen scent for government scandals Many
devout Catholics in this country are not
satisfied with the manner in which his holi.
ness managed the propaganda matter, or
rather failed to manage it at all, and if it be
true that he was cajoled by Queen Marguerite
his position becomes more embarrassing.
AS has previously been announced, the
property of the American college will not be
interfered with. This concession was made,
however, not at the suggestion of the pope,
but on account Of representations made to the
Italian government by Secretary Frelng-
huysen through Minister Astor. 1t is singu-
lar that a favor which tho supreme ecclesias.
tical power could not command should be SO
easily procured by diplomacy. There has
government at Rome within the past thirty
years. In view of his heplessness it is not
surprising that the pope should sometimes
think of leaving Rome
Rev. Robert J. Nevin, rector of st. Pauls
American church at Rome, in letter to the
New York Tribune, gives some facts with
regard to the conversion of the propaganda
property which do not appear in the pastoral
letter of Archbishop Gibbons. The Italian
parliament passed an act July 4, 1866, and
another act Aug. 10, 1867, which were intended
to cure the evils caused by the accumulation Of
landed property in the hands of ecclesiastical
institutions. limitation was placed upon
the amount of land that could be held by
these institutions, and such of them as held
in excess of this amount were required to
sell the surplus and invest tho proceeds in
government bonds or mortgage securities
Mr. Nevin says these laws were necessary,
proper, and just. They were passed before
the Roman province was admitted into the
kingdom of Italy.
In 1878, three years after its admission
into the kingdom, the Italian parliament
declared that these laws should be applied to
the religious and charitable institutions of
the province of Rome. Some exceptions and
exemptions were made in favor of institutions
in which foreign nations were interested, but
the propaganda was not included in these
exemptions. In 1874 the propaganda appealed
to the Italian courts for a stay of proceedings.
, The case was finally decided by the Italian
court of appeals last January in favor of the
government. The immensely valuable build
ings actually used by the propaganda were
} exempted from the operation Of the decree,
and the American college has since been
exempted by order of the government.
Mr.. Nevin makes these points in favor
of tho action of the Italian government
/. Tho proposed sale of the landed prop.
erty is not the result of new legislation
but of final decision Of the supreme court
of Italy in cause which has been pend
ing ten years g 1t is not a cOnfScdtiOr
Of property, but a conversion, an enforced
change of Investment merely, by which the
Italian government gains nothing financially.
3. This conversion may be carried out by the
propaganda ITSELF if it acts in good faith, and
will be relieved of the ordinary taxes on the
sale of land. 4. The value of landed property
in Rome has been many times increased since
tho Italian government was established thore
and the lands of the propaganda would now
sell for at least FIVE times as much as they
|, would have brought Ia 1867. 8. A similar
conversion has been already effected of the
landed property of ST. Peters and tho other
great basilcas of Rome, and they have in nc
wise been impoverished.
The municipal election in Cincinnati yes