Year: 1878

Mr.. Waterman, told me that Scott said ht
sent me $1,000, but only received $4,000
have never seen Governor Scott since.


HOW A POPE IS CHOSEN.


THE MOST SECRET VOTE IN THE WORLD.


Regarding the successor of Pope Plus TX
interesting questions now arise, such as who he
may be, who elect him, and when and how
does the election take place?


To the first two of these it may be answered
that the cardinals, by two.thirds vote, elect
one of their own number, though this limita
ton is matter of custom, not of law, vote,
having been given for men who were moi
members of the Sacred College. The cardi
nails are seventy in number, but there are now
some vacancies in their ranks, and all will
not be able to reach Rome within the nine
days which must elapse before the assembling
of the conclave, but such is the preponder
ance of Italians, that three.quarters or more
of the whole may be expected to be in atten'
dance. There is nothing to prevent the cleo
ton of Cardinal McClosky, of New York, OF
Cardinal Manning, of London, but it is in
every way probable that an Italian will be
the recipient of the honor. Among those
who have been prominently named are Car.
dinal Bilio, one Of the three who have had
the greatest influence with Plus TX, and VINO
has furnished much of the inspiration for the
latter part of the deceased Pontif''s career
and Cardinal Monaco La Valietta. Others
have ambition, but it is as impossible to pre-.
dict the result of Papal election now, as it
was in 1S46, when Mastai Ferretti, now dead
was chosen, to his own surprise and that OF
the whole world. There is one Limitation on
the power of the conclave-the veto power
possessed by France, Austria and Spain. This
power is supposed to be absolute, and has &C.
tually been used to defeat candidate in this
century. But it must be exercised before the
election takes place, and it is curious fact
that only the suddenness with which the late
Pope was agreed upon, saved him from being
defeated by the interposition of Austria. But
it is noteworthy that, in spite of the formal.
ty which surrounds all the proceedings Of the
-canclape, the system contains a vast amour:
of elasticity, as an English writer has ob'
served, and it is doubtful if the protest of q
Republican Government of France would be
regarded as weighty enough to defeat choice
upon which the cardinals were agreed.


This elasticity is illustrated in the time Of
the election. 1t has often been limited that a
bull may have been provided, not to be dis
closed until after the Pope's death, which
would absolve the cardinals from the prelimi.
nary observances and regular FORMS This he
could have done, as has been done before, and
as is said to have been done by Gregory XVI.
But when the ordinary routine is followed, a
general meeting Of the cardinals is held on
the day following the Pope's death. The fu.
neral ceremonies occupy three days, and the
six which follow are devoted to preparation
for the conclave. The whole Of the first floor
of the Vatican, it may be presumed, will be
set apart for its purposes. In the vast halls
of this palace will be erected wooden booths,
technically called cells, one for each cardinal,
and similar accommodations for their conf
Dental attendants, of whom each cardinal
may have two. There are physicians, bar
bers, carpenters, sweepers, in fact every prep
aration is made for meeting the wants of the
cardinals during their Imprisonment, for
from the time they enter the conclave until
they agree upon Pope, they are practically
prisoners, being isolated from the world, and
forbidden communication with it. In the
Pauline chapel are erected additional altars,
so that each may say his accustomed daily
mass in the Sistine the voting takes place,
and one large hall has always been used as a
sort of exchange or place of general resort.
It should be noted that the elections since
1913 have been held in the Quirinal, which
affords superior facilities but since Plus TX
made the Vatican his dwelling place it is gen.
orally supposed to have been his wish that
there, as of old, the choice of his successor
should be made. All these efforts for secrecy,
it may be noted, often prove unavailing.
Like cabinet council, or an executive ses.
sion of the Senate, the conclave rarely sue
ceeds in keeping its doings to itself. On the
ninth day after the Popes death, after attend
ing mass together and hearing sermon, the
cardinals enter the conclave, and by evening
strangers withdraw, and every door but one
is walled up, and communication with the
world is supposed to cease until the work in
hand is accomplished. The election is by
ballot. The votes are sealed, and the voters
name written within, only to be looked at
under the peculiar circumstance of an elec-
ton by vote of exactly two thirds, in which
case an examination is made to render it GER
tain that the successful candidate did not vote
for himself. Notices are written on the out
side by which each vote may be identified.
Every morning ballot must take place, &C.
companied by the greatest formalities. Eve
~ afternoon second ballot takes place, which
is a sort of revision of the first, as no one
votes except to transfer his mornings ballot
to some other candidate than the one he then
named. AS soon as the balloting has fur
nished a return with ma jority of two'thirds
the conclave is declared at an end, the doors
are thrown open to the world, the new Pope
receives the homage of the cardinals, and his
name is proclaimed to the waiting populace
These are the outlines of the proceedings only
but they will serve to give an idea OF them


Thrty-tvo years ago, when the last cleo
ton took place, Italy had neither railroads
nor telegraphs. The loss of the temporal
power will change many of the outward Incl
dents of the event; the speed with which for
eign cardinals can reach Rome will give them
more influence than they could have had be-
fore; the influence which the great power.
were wont to exert will probably be confined
to remonstrances and intriguing, since the
three nations which possess the veto are moi
likely to exercise it, and the German empire
which feels the greatest interest, has no friends
at court That the young King of Italy
should interfere seems improbable, so, what
ever precautions may have been taken by
Plus TX, to secure the freedom of the college
or whatever action the cardinals themselves
might feel justified in taking in an emergen
cy, We look for a quiet election, which will