The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-15
most reliable In Franco. no attention need
q wak IA raid IN tina danial.

a. yet be paid TO tho donial-
AbbS Moineau, WIG ~instigAted an under
takar and a barber 20 make a declaration
yesterday for the Church Of st. Blaiso dc
harronne, and who was 40 outspoken TO
0arding his attitude. sllegedly sayings 1 am
a Frenchman and a Republican first, ana a
priest under the authority OF the Pope
afterward," has been disciplined. He was
summoned before Canon Adam. chief OK
the disciplinary council, this afternoon.
he refuses to say what occurred, but he now
asserts that he never said what the news
papers attributed TO him.
About a dozen lay declarations were
made to-day. TIL signatories belonged to
every GLASS of society. A Senator signs
on behalf Of the Noyon Cathedral, and a
Journalist on behalf Of a Paris church.
The signatories generally say that they are
acting without consulting the clergy.
Another day has passed with practically
the same history az that Of yesterday, both
as regards church ceremonies and the
procedure Of the Government agents.
As was recorded yesterday, the priests
have said mass in Paris and elsewhere'
II not summonsed for It they have been
entered upon the books OF the pohce as
guilty OF a violation Of the law, except
IN those CnlrCneS WUlCu W pANNocSON "
declarations or where the services have
been declared private.
II has been explained to-day that this
scrlpulous care Of the Government to
secure records Of masses performed In
violation of the law il not primarily Tor the
purpose OF furnishing the offenders. but to
show clearly what offence was
and where, chiefly with a view to aiding
l., ehn rnDQHQflnn nT
supplementary legislation.
These preliminary SIX Finishes, il they
NAV be 40 called without levity OF dis
respect. have been 40 far executed on
both sides with care not to precipitats
real trouble excepting in some provincial
centres. but even the reports from those
places are 80 diverse and inexact that it
is difficult to declare with confidence that
there has been any serious dispute.
Masses have been said and reports have
been made. No priest against whom a
process rerbaI has been issued has yet been
examined in court, AMI to-day's information
is that none will he until next week,
the Governments programme will be
matured and made known. Journals Of all
shades Of opinion, taken collectively. in
dictate an earnest desire on the part of the
Government To find a way to permit the
continued exercise Of religion without
s~tultifying itself and at the same time with
out ~wounding Catholic opinion.
In fact it is little less than extraordinary
the way the journals have awning around
10 this attitude in a few days. The only
executions are some of the smaller and
more rabid papers, which on one side shout
that the Catholics have 5000 soldiers in
France who ought to be disarmed. On the
other side they plead that advantage ought
10 be taken of the Governments apparent
vacillation, which is taken as a sign Of weak
ness, 10 pust the Church's policy OF passive
resistance TO the limit of what might he
called passive. Some OF the clergy also
sustain this attitude, but in the press its
supporters are, without exception, the
smaller organs
Most of the conservative papers urge
the Government in the way it apparently
desires to go. The Council Of Ministers met
In the morning. President Fallieres pre-
siding, at the Elysee, the Under Secretaries
of State being present, to study and con-
slider several projects for assuring the suit
able execution Of the separation law.
After some discussion the Ministers de-
cided to reassemble tomorrow morning,
announcing that they would then decide
definitely on the measures and formula on
of the projects, the nature OF which has
already been published.
Although the Cabinet Council has thus
postponed outlining its intentions for
another day at least there were two meet
ings of Parliamentary groups to-day, both
of which promised the Government support
in what il expected TO be It's attitude. The
Radical Left at it's meeting declared itself
ready to suppo the Government efforts
70 defend the sovereignty of the law OF the
land and liberty of religious worship ano
70 execute the will of the country in secur-
ing the separation Of Church and State.
When NJ. Lockroy expressed himself as
opposed to the Governments intention 70
deprive refractory priests of their French
nationality a majority Of the meeting wal
with him, although IT was decided not e
vote on this point.
The Democratic Union also met and de-
cided to support the Government in effort'
calculated to protect the rights OF civil
society without compromising religious
peace. 1t also pronounced in favor Of NJ
Flandin's proposed law as previously cabIet
70 The sun. A committee was appointed
10 notify the Government OF the actor
taken.
The Commission des Cultes also held
meeting and decided to report favorabl!
M. Neunier's proposal to give the Stat
and communes immediate possession o
the property of the b%ishoprics and sem
inaries. 1t decided also to favor turning
over to benevolent institutions the effect
of Church organizations, but decided u
await what the Government had to propos
regarding the churches themselves.
The rabid anti-church people PRESUMABLY
remain TO be heard from, as do the militan
members Of the Church, except in isolate'
instances.
Sundays opportunities for disagree
ments or the Governments announcemen
of its programme tomorrow or Monda
may turn the quasi-peace into new turmoil
but this is not indicated at present.
Violent wind storms are general through
out France and have caused the Govern
ment to issue a notification that tele graph
communication with many centres is IN
terrupted. Hence there is little news from