New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-07-22

|
| privileges Of Internationally
The principal clauses relating to the Church are
| as follows:
Article 137.-Any eccesiastic who. in the ex
efcse OF MS sacred calling publicly crlticses OF
the Government will be liable to one years i'm
prlsonment and fine OF 1000 lire
Article 174.-Any ecclesiastic who avallng
himself Of the moral influence conferred by his
calling, seeks to bring the laws of the country the
acts of the Government, the central or local au-
thorties in fact. any of the recognized lnstl-
buttons OF the land, into contempt or who encour-
ages in the slightest degree either directly or ndl,
rcctly, the avoidance of each citizens duty TO the
State, renders himself liable to three years i'm
priscnment and to fine of 5000 lire
Article 17o.-Any person who takes any step
or measure, either direct indirect. TO render
the country or any portion thereof subject to
rule which is not that of the Kings Government,
or who makes the slightest move. either direct
or otherwise. toward the nfraction of Italian unity
| will be punished with Imprisonment for life.
II will be seen, therefore, that under the above
laws, it becomes criminal offence even to moot
what has hitherto been known as the Roman ques-
ton. And lest there should he any msappre.
hension about the matter Signor Zanardelli, the
Minister of Justice in the course of a most re-
markable Grafton in the Chamber of Deputies,
distinctly explained that all agitation, movement.
publication or act Of any kind having in view
the restoration of the temporal power of the Pope,
!
of any portion thereof to the Pontif, would be
regarded and punished as crime. In fact
he declared, we are determined once and for all
to put an end to this everlasting so-called Roman
question: which is nothing else than rebellion
| and treason
1t becomes clear. therefore. that by the new
code all those who have signed the monster petit
| Cion to which reference has been made above,
ana all those who have either directly indirectly
participated in its circulation have rendered them
selves liable to indictment. The protests Of the
parish priests from every pulpit throughout the
country against the abolition of tithes, against
civil marriages and funerals, and against the
teaching of certain matters in the National schools
have become all so many henous crimes, pun
lshabe by Imprisonment for life. Even the Pom
tiff himself by his public allocutions and speeches
In favor of the independence of the Holy See,
and by his continual protests against almost every
act OF the Government, renders himself liable to
criminal prosecution, and theoretically, at least
to incarceration. In short, both the Pope and his
adherents are deprived Of all liberty, not only of
action but even Of utterance, and in view of the
fact that the principle of the extraterritorality
Of the Vatican stipulated by the Papal Guarantees
Treaty Of 1870 has been grossly infringed by the
new CODE and the sacred person of the Supreme
Head of the Catholic Church is directly menaced
by Imprisonment and other indignities. at the
mercy, in fact. of any irresponsible Ministry that
comes into power-Leo XIII is acting judiciousy
in making preparations for an early departure
from Rome.
In response to the unofficial observations adj
dressed by some of the foreign Governments to the
Italian Cabinet the subject Of the latter's
attitude toward the Vatican, Sinor Crispi and
his colleagues urge with show of justice,
that the whole of the parish clergy throughout
the kingdom, together with the bishops and arch
bishops of Italian dioceses derive their stipends
and their salaries from the National Treasury, and
thus in the pay of King Humbert's Gov
ernment, they cannot be allowed to devote their
whole time and energies to the overthrow of
State from the Golfers Of which they draw an
nual sum of $4,000, 900. This. it must be adj
mitted, sounds logical enough How active and
widespread is this war by the clergy against their
paymasters the following duly authenticated docu-
ment submitted by the Minister of Justice to Par
lament during the course Of one Of his recent
speeches, will show. 1t is a petition addressed
to the Bishop of the diocese by the Mayor Of the
town Of T. which until 1876 formed part
of the Papal States 1t reads thus: " l make
supplcation herewith for the repeal Of the canoni
cal censure and penalties of the Church which l
have incurred by taking the forbidden oath of
office that of allegiance, obedience and fidelity
to King Humbert and his Government on my
appointment Mayor Of the city, and hereby
recant the aforesaid oath of office and regard it
annulled."
The other features Of the new code also deserve
q brief mention. In the first place, capital
punishment is abolished and replaced by incarcera
ton for life, the first ten years to be spent in
solitary confinement. Penal servitude and prison
work are done away with and the gangs of cOnvicts
formerly to be seen mendng the roads around
Genoa Civita Vecchia, Palermo etc, have be- |
come things of the past. Adultery is punished by |
the Imprisonment of the two offending parties |
for terms ranging from six to thirty months The |
husband and his mistress, the wife and her lover
are one and all equally subject to this penalty |
Duelng is prohibited and punishable by an i'm |
prsonment of six months, and by term of five |
years in case of the death Of one of the parties
from the wounds The seconds suffer half the
punishment of the principal One of the first |
and most important results attained by the anti |
clerical clauses of the new code that the
adherents of the Vatican absented themselves al |
most entirely from the municipal elections which |
took place here on June ! 8 last In doubt as to |
whether the fact Of casting vote in favor OF
their candidate against the put forward by |
the Government might not be interpreted under |
the new laws a criminal offence involving fines
and imprisonment, they preferred TO remain at
home The consequence was that for the first !
time since 1870 the partisans Of the Vatican
are in a minority on the Municipal Council, and
that they are outnumbered by the friends of the
Government DR.. BaccelH. the former Minister
of Public Instruction, was elected MS Mayor. In
the evening Of the day which the elections took
place bands of Socialists. bearing red flags, and
republican societies. were allowed to parade the
streets, bowling insulting epithets addressed to
the Pontiff and cheering the Prime Minister who
bowed to them and thanked them from the bal
cony of his house
In short the Italian Kulturkampf has been in
augurated by Prime Minister Crisp. VIII he be
more successful in the matter than Prince BIS
marck? Or will he too in the end be forced TO
Weld to the power Of the Church?