The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-02-12

| crossed the Island from one SIDE to the
| other.
MONKS AS USURPERs.
| Question-What is the relation of the
church today to land titles, TO the people
and to the government?
Answer There are four orders of monks,
the Augostipos or Ausustinian frars, the
| Dominican friars, the Recolletto friacs
and the Franciscan friars. These are tho
monks who are alleged TO have usurped
the ineumbencies, and are Wears of par
shes. In addition to them. are tho Jesuiis,
who. for some years past, have had moth
ing whatever to do but to take care OF the
education of the people. There is not any
| thing like the same amnesty against them
that there is TO the others, and am in
clIned to think that the people look upon
| them very we'll. They do not interfere with
| the personal liberty Of the people.
Questionable morality OF the Jesuits is
better also, is 1t not?
Answer--Yes, cir. il Is very good. There
| is nothing TO be said against them nov.
| The head of the church is the archbishop.
The archbishop is usually, but 1t is not
absolutely necessary that he should be an
individual OF one oil thesr orders. The i'm
mediate chief OF each OF these orders Is
called provincial. The provincial is the
business man of the order, and the pfo-
yincials are not very much subjected-they
are nominaly but not very much really
to the archbishop. In fact they sometimes.
Il is we'll known, have shown insolence ana
! characterization TO the archbishop. inc
| present archbishop seems TO have very 1T
| tie hold upon them what the provinclals
wanted 10 do they did. The case against
J the friars Is this. and 1t showed itself IN
a little outbreak. called the rebellion OF
Cayite, in 1872. The secular clergy--these
+ monks are the regular ordained clergy
claimed, under the condition of the council
OF Trent, that these monks,as missionaries
were not entitled to hold the incumpencics;
that by papal bull, which settled this
matter when II was raised, these monks
/ were allowed to be only missionaries, and
could only open and establish missions. but
that when these missions became parish Is
and when the people around them adopt the
Catholic faith, they a 1uld then retire from
these parishes and the incumbcncy should
be taken by the secular clergy.
Question-What do you n'ear by IN
cumbency? a.
parish priest--the incumhency OF the par
ish. .,,.
Ouestion-The titles TO lands are usually
in tho hands of these montsg
-Answer-Yes sir: they hold large tracts
ouestion-How did they get these lands!
Answer-Usually they simply took pos
aesstOn-apprOprfaten IT, Ant1 nasc ~
their orders what are called brothers.
There are Fathers OF the orders and
.tbe brothers." Brothers" are simply
persons who have taken certain vows, but
Who are not allowed to celebrate mass
simply workmen-and they put these
in charge to take possession OF the land.
Ouestion--They took possession. DID
they have no decree from the Spanish gov.
erpment. or the governor general author.
iziug them 10 take possession OF the land
= Answer--Not at frst. Subsequently theJ
Revived DEGREES. but never could get
title deeds, owing TO the opposition OF the
natives
ouestion--How did 1t work, or,was II OPP
Grated?
CORPORATION METHODS.
Answer-They let the land out In parcels
for rent, called canons. The man TO whom
they were rented held them generally fol
three years--that Is, usually. thlnk--ove'
All these estates three years holdings. M
gusranty OF any kind passed. At the end 0.
three years all improvements made by thu
man In possession. the tenant were cap.
tailed by the corporation. and they "a,