The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-24
PUBLIC SEES
 BODY OILED Lies in State in St.
 Peters. THE HEAT IS FEARFUL Evidence of Decomposition
 Already at Hand. The Funeral May Occur Today, In- stead of Tomorrow, as Was the First Intended-The Will of
 the Pontif is Opened.
THE HEAT IS FEARFUL

Rome. July 23-From sunrise until sum Set today thousands passed before the body of Leo XIII. lying in state in the basilica of St. Peters.
 It was originally intended that this op- portunity publicly to view the remains should extend through three days, but tonight the Associated Press correspond ent learns that the time Is likely to be curtailed and that the funeral may occur Friday, instead of Saturday night, owing to the evidences that decomposition Is setting in. This is due to today's severe heat from which no embalming. how ever perfect, could completely protect the body.
 The will of the dead Pope was opened at today's meeting of the congregation of cardinals. It consists of thirty-six pages in the handwriting of Leo XIII. and leaves all the property of which he died possessed to his successor for the use of the church. To each member of his fam lily he leaves a present to be chosen from the valuable objects in his apartments. Similar presents are bequeathed to his physicians. The total amount of the property which he left IS not yet known.
 Typical of Death.
 The prevailing impression of those who today passed berore the iron gates of the chapel of the sacrament to view the
 
 bined with certain sense of horror. The body was tilted up on the catafalque in order that all might see the terribly shrunken face. An ordinary skull in a frame of gold. lying in a mass of red roses could scarcely have been more typ teal of death.
 Except at sunrise, when the crush threatened a panic, all those who wished it had an opportunity of entering St. Pe ter's. During the day many of those who passed in stopped before the catafalque to say a hurried prayer Hundreds of the women and even some of the men car ried children in their arms:-s,
 An important political factor was in- troduced into the ceremony by the ent- rance into St.. Peters of Italian soldiers who remained there throughout the day to preserve order. Their presence there, in such capacity, unprecedented in the history of modern Italy. is important, as an indication of better relations between the Government and the Vatican, as 1t was by the consent if not by the desire of the Vatican authorities that they today employed the troops of the Quirinal in papal territory.
 Quirinal and Vaticnn.
 Another feature which Is causing com ment along the same lines is the fact that Cardinal Oreglia. in receiving a group of the city fathers of Rome. who represent the Clerical Party. charged them to thank also their Liberal col leagues for the manifestation of sympa- thy which they showed during the illness of the Pope. The Cardinal, continuing his conversation. indicated special satis- faction over similar manifestations com ing from several constituted bodies of the Kingdom of Italy, such as communal councils and provincial deputations. in- cluding that of Rome. which is presided over by Prince Felice Borghese,
 iS the Cardinal, which no one would have imagined twenty-five years ago."
 In this connection additional interest attaches to to-day's meeting of the con- gregation of cardinals. which appointed Mgr Pifferi as confessor of the conclave a committee to undertake the arrange ments of the conclave, and selected other officials. such as the physicians who at tend them during their seclusion.
 The most important matter before the meeting. however, was a proposal pre- scented by Cardinal Oreglia to send a note to the diplomatic body accredited to the Holy See. for the purpose of represent ing to the powers the condition of the papacy since the loss of It's temporal power, and the transfer of the capital of the Italian government to Rome.
 From what leaks out. 1t appears that the proposal provoked considerable dis cussion, and that Cardinals Steinhuber.
 
 despatch of a most energetic note con- cerning the question of retaining the papal rights. Cardinals Agliardi and Serafno VannutelH, on the contrary, ad- vocated a milder wording of the docu- ment, which they contend, should main tain the historical pretensions of the Holy See but in temperate language.
 A Middle Course.
 The majority of the congregation de- cided to pursue a middle course. and en- trusted Cardinal Merry del Val with the duty of drawing up the document for sub mission to another meeting of the con gregatiOn.
 sented to the diplomatic body. signed by Cardinals Oreglia. Macchi and Netto. deans of the three orders into which the sacred college Is divided.
 After the will of Leo XIII had been opened it was the intention of the cardi- nals to maintain the strictest secrecy concerning it's contents but it is learned that it comprises thrty-siX sheets in the handwriting of the late Pope, except ad- ditons, evidently made in his later years. when the Pope found considerable diff ficulty in writing. owing to the trembling of his hand, which was so pronounced be- fore his death that he was obliged to hold his right hand with his left when he made his signature. The earlier portions of the testament include the recommen- dation which the testatOr addressed to his executors Cardinals Rampolla. Mo ceuni and Cretoni, on the best way to continue the religious impulse given to the Church. as well as the policy follow ed by the Holy See during later years.
 All to the Church.
 The document then enumerates all the property which Leo possessed and pro vides that it shall all go to his successor for the benefit of the Church, including oven the presents which might perhaps be considered personal rather than gifts to the Pontlff as such. The money which the Pope left is in a closed sn
 bed room. the keys having been given to different persons mentioned in the will To the members of his family the Pope left a present for each to be chosen from the valuable objects in his apartment and aamIlar gifts were bequeathed to his doc