Colombia.
The Times, 1824-08-30T00:00:00

-os nougn tnie zx'uttx American Priests have not, like their brethren ' of the Per insula, exhibited an anIos;t general hostility to political improvemnent, ydt instances occasionally occur among thc former, of opposition to ttie new inistitutidns; and we are afraid those instances would be more numerous were the Iloly Alliance near enough to af- ford a more direct encouragement to the spirit of bigotry than its agency can at present give. It appears by the Colombian papers of the 23d -Df Csay, that a reverend gentiemnan, named Josse Manuel Fernandlez Saavedra, curate and vicar of thie parishi of Facatativa, thought fit to interfere withi the civil government of the district, and, I on the ground of right derived from his clerical character, to as- sume the autliority of a magistrate. Ile addressed a paper to the Alealdes of Facaraliva, in which, pretending that in virtue of a cle- Hcal visitation anti the laws on tile subject, he was authiorized to eject froml the parishl all persons of bad mnerals and conversation, he or^ dered, I-That every householder s-hould, wit!hin three days, return a list of all the persons residing in his house; 2, that this return should be made to the curate and Alcaldes; 3, that no person should be admitted into the parish except such as produced testimio- nials of their religions and nmoral- character; 4, that a penalty should be imposed for neglecting to mnake the return required by ttie first article; .i, that househlolders should dismiss their ldgers; and,that there might be no ground for pleading ivirorance of theseregu- latonis, the proclamation wils ordered to be printed and posted up in the places usually appropriated to theexhibitionof sueh publications. | In this thereseenri, at first siglt, nothingvery obiectionabie, but the object which the cura:e hiad in view was to prevent tite influx of I Frotestants; fol the religious character. or cris tiond(5ad, as it is in tie ! original, ot' whlichl proof is requirtd, obviously mearn,s the observance of the ceremonies of the Catholic church, out of the pale of' whichi its bigoted votaties ackiowledge no christianity. The aff..ir was taken up by the fiscal authority of the district, oni the grounid that the proclamtation was a scandalous publication, cormtrary to the laws of tbe Republic, anti an encroachment on the civil Jarisdietiol. A notice wass servetd un One of the Al.caldes ol' Fatcatativa, BIis Torres, requiring biin to pull down the pries;t- proclutiatioln and to sentl ile original, witi his report upon the afsr,r, to thf Intendente of Cundinamarca. The report of its Alcalde stated, " that assuredly the proclarstatiori had nut beeti -een by those who styled it scando-. Ous, and that no meatsure couldi be mtore 4ise or niure cotiformuable to law atid even commnioti sense." It also dwelt on thle itonvenienctr atnd danger whicth tiglt arise front allowing strangers to take up| their resilence in the parish. Having taken tLihis report into cotisi- leration, the littendlencv ordered the arrest of rite tru subscribing gAlcaldes, BIas Torres' anid Joaquint Santor. Fitdinug they bi.t got int_o a tdiagreeable scrape, the Alcaldes repre,ettted to the Court that thiey had signed the report because ihe curate hail told tl,em tIeCy uItUSt do so. TLt.rcA, !or tlii tiart, teelared ihart its report, the credit of aihici ev Il.ld at first taken to hili)cvl*r was a)lo ite work of t1e curate, who read the prolairiation i-oint trie pulpi'. A writ waS isbued tor the imprisonmient of the curate; but on its being presentetl fox'txicutior to the Provisor (itctinig Jur the Bishop). lie stayed it, arid lirectud tiilt rhe citrate should repair to 11he Convent of' B:,refooted( Augusines in Bogota, to reside thereih unid it shoIlMd be leterinirtetl what jurisdiction had coenizaace of ti:e aff-ir, ;rod wbe- thier the uflonce charged was one whicht detrived S:aavedra ut' clericaxl privilege. Titis proceedivg tool phite io Septetnjb.r, 1323, but irG- titing was done by the Provisoir tot.airds establihitig tite qucstion of' coxmpetency until the 2fltn of .January, when the papers in the pro- cess were referred to tl4e Superior (bOurt of the province. Thalt Curt orderetl that the Provisor should pti,ceefd With tuie cause, anrd cecide in it aecording to certait provisionrs of Att I ul ctt ie, itel tred rite I?eropiaeio" tic de nJ,idio andt report fjis decision to tie (Court. T'his arratieemnt g.tve birth to soure tedioius proceedilngs, t1i description of vwhich iwould be equally tedirlt,. In tlie tieati t;une the Pro%isor allowed S"avvrdra to lease tihe cwnvent, to return to Ihis curacv, and to pertbrnn tlie duties of ap arish priest. Aftrr every delay tIhat clerical irgenftity could invenlt had bren put it practice, the cause Was brought bcfire tie Suipretie Tribunal ot' Boe;ota, which. on t)e Il ith of' ;lftI layt, pronounceti jtudgment, te. claring the proceedings 01t'the Superior District Court troll and unjust, itasutuch av an appicltcuioi was tI ade of fast's i-iaet(quate to -lie itt andf icoillttin ni-' the tiemb1rs rti itie said Courn tbr taililW h)i their dtl tou let' nd the civil iurisdiction f ti om ecclesiats:ical atbuss,N to p!r a line of 100 dtollars e; iii hiis judgitent replacus ite cause in ithe shturutioir in which it stood on thie2btth vo Janttriry last. Nt1 hint is givsit oi' thie na ure of th, tunisirtrer,t to lie itiflitetd on Sarravedra; but, tim some passages in the doctlinent which Clnitainis rith rrounds of the presemt uidgmelit, it appears that rite irtes of'the Supreme Tribuinals decideflit, coidem;a the ii': eral spirt by v ihicr hiis coni- duict was itflucnctfd. rTe) sav-" VI ti WdS it the culsiti in Cr.- lomnbi, to rerqiirce ronu travellers prort uf' their religion W'ho tlots trot perceive tiat the iisitidiitt, desig:t ot tue protlatination was to pre- vent loreigners, who di) not profess the Catholic religion, trom bring hoslpitably received in tirecaliton or u'acatmttiva e W,'ere every curnie ti piblisbs a similar prochailatioD, ail foreigners blto are tiot Catfho- lies woril(i be exclurled Irons the tcrritory of t:e le-public, and hle prived of thie rights at;d privilsees grairtetl to tfrem by tue constini. tion, rodv by the iLaw ot'the 22d of August, 11821, whiich tirovide, that lit, toreigirer conting ko reside eithier tcirporarly or pernianently in (Celittithia, cani be niclesteil on account ot reliouts opilierns." COLO.lfR?A. A REFRACTORY PRLEST.