plause from the whole table. Mr. Poinsett | them to be in perfect harmony; that the then again addressed the company, ex- United States asked not, nor would they pressed his regret that the harmony of the accept, any exclusive privilege; and that evening had been interrupted by anything he would most cheerfully and cordially cowhich had fallen from him, and said that operate with the agents, subjects of H. B. M., he would avail himself of the present occa- here, toward the establishment, in this counsion to declare that he had no wish what- try, of the most liberal principles of trade, ever to injure the British interests in this politics, and religion. country, and had never taken any measures "I cannot close this communication withwith that view, though he was fully aware out stating that these occurrences were supthat such measures had been imputed to pressed in the account of the dinner pubhim; that he came here, and was here, to lished here, by Mr. Poinsett's interference, support the interests of his own country, but and at the urgent request of the Irish comthat he sincerely believed those interests mittee. I send you the Aguila containing clashed in no way with the interests of the account. This statement of the affair I Great Britain; on the contrary, he believed | vouch for, as it passed in my presence." LETTERS FROM ROME. [The series of letters which follow were written to the editors of the U. S. Catholic Miscellany, by Dr. England, during his second visit to Rome, on the affairs of his Haytian Legation, and pub. lished in that paper at intervals, from No. 9 to 21, of Vol. XIV., for 1834.] To the Editors of the U. S. Catholic Miscellany. ROME. July 1-In my last, I gave you the principal acts of the secret consistory that was held on the 23d ult. I do not recollect whether I mentioned that on the same day the holy father placed the cardinal's ring on the finger of each of the three to whom he gave their titles, viz.-Cardinals Monico, Brignole, and Grimaldi. On the afternoon of that day, when the new Cardinals Canali, Botiglia and Polidori, returned from the Vatican, where they had been to pay their respects to His Holiness, and to receive their red caps, they went to their respective homes, and immediately after dusk, fires were lighted, the illuminations displayed generally through the city, and the cardinals, the corps diplomatique, the prelates, the guard of nobles, the general staff of the army and militia, and the nobility of Rome, and foreign nobles then in the city, went to pay their respects to their eminences. Cardinal Monico was attached by the holy father to the congregations for Apostolic Ordinary Visitation, Consistorial, Residence of Bishops, and Examination of Bishops in Theology. Cardinal Brignole was attached to the congregations of the Index, of Sacred Rites, of Indulgences and Holy Relics, and of Examination of Bishops in Canon Law. Cardinal Grimaldi was attached to the congregations of the Consulta, of Loretto, of Economy, and of Good Government. Perhaps it might be well to inform your readers, that for the better despatch of business, it is in Rome, as in other places, divided into several portions, according to the various subjects; and the cardinals are divided into as many standing committees as there are subjects. A standing committee of this description is called, a congregation, and like your standing committees of the judiciary, of ways and means, &c., these congregations are named each from the nature of the business given to its examination and regulation. The chairman is called Cardinal Prefect, and each congregation has it proper secretary, who is to be found at stated hours in his office. Each cardinal belongs to several of those congregations; they meet at stated periods, discuss and decide upon the business brought before them-their decisions are then reported to the Pope by the Cardinal Prefect, or by the secretary, who, at the proper time, receives either the confirmation, the modification, or the rejection of the holy father, and transmits to the proper prelate the order for execution: or whatever other order might be necessary. Besides the cardinals, there belong to those several congregations a select number of learned divines, canonists, and other persons of prudence and experience, as consultors, assessors, &c.-Printed briefs of the business to be considered, together with the documents to be examined, are given to the members, at least a full week previous to the period of discussion, and generally each cardinal consults one or more theologians and canonists, for whose opinion he has respect, besides hearing the regular officers of the congregation. The Pope has also his own canonists and theologians whom he consults if he finds any doubt as to the propriety of confirming the decisions of the congregation. The holy father is occupied several hours daily, in the consideration of these reports. Monsignor Antonio Tosti, who has long presided with great efficiency and zeal over the great establishment of St. Michael, was appointed treasurer of the Reverenda Camera Apostolica, or state treasury. This is one of the offices from which the incumbent is, as a matter of course, promoted to the cardinalate. Monsignor Tosti does not immediately resign the charge of St. Michaels. The Archbishop of Ephesus, the Most Rev. John Soglia, succeeds Cardinal Canali as Secretary of the Congregation of Bishops and Regulars, and Monsignor Soglia is succeeded by the Most Rev. Ludovico Trevoli, Archbishop of Athens, as private almoner to the Pope. Monsignor John Charles Alessi, succeeds Cardinal Polidori as Secretary to the Congregation of the Council, and the Most Rev. Joseph Vespigniani, Archbishop of Thyana, succeeds the same Cardinal as Secretary to the Congregation for the Examination of Bishops. The Most Rev. Dominic Genovesi, Archbishop of Mytelene, succeeds to the Secretaryship of the Congregation of Indulgences and Holy Relics, vacated by the Archbishop of Athens. Several other appointments took place, but they were for mere temporal or civil administration. On Tuesday the 24th, the festival of St. John the Baptist, and a special patron of the great church of Lateran, the first in dignity in the Christian world; as it ranks before St. Peter's on the Vatican, having been given by Constantine to the Pope. His holiness went in state to this great patriarchal basilic, to assist at the Pontifical Mass, which was chanted by the venerable Cardinal Pacca, dean of the Sacred College, and archpriest of the Lateran Church. Being a Papal chapel, the cardinals, archbishops, and bishops, assisted at the throne, the principal assistant at the throne, the magisterial delegates, prelates, &c., were present. Solemn vespers were chanted in the afternoon, at which the cardinals attended. On Thursday the 26th, a public consistory was held in the ducal chamber at the Vatican, for the purpose of giving their hats to the new cardinals, viz., TIBERI, bishop of Jeoci, in the Papal states, and late Nuncio in Spain,-who was created cardinal in September 30th, 1831, and reserved in petto, his resignation published on the 2d of July, 1832, but who had arrived in Rome only within the previous week; CANALI, BOTTIGLIA, and POLIDORI. The four new cardinals went to the Sistine chapel, at the altar of which they successively were sworn in presence of the cardinal-dean, Pacca, first of the order of bishops,-Cardinal Galleffi Camerlengo of the holy Roman church, Cardinal Odescalchi, vice-chancellor, DoriaPamphilia, first cardinal-priest present, Rivarola, first cardinal-deacon present, Mattei, Cardinal Camerlengo, of the sacred college, and the most Rev. Lui Frezza, Archbishop of Chalcedon, secretary of the congregation of Consistory, and secretary of the sacred college. The Sala Regia, or royal hall, of the Vatican palace is a splendid room of vast extent, to which you ascend by the Scala Regia, or royal staircase, which is a magnificent flight of steps between the church of St. Peter and the Vatican palace; as you enter, you have on your right, at one extremity of the hall, the gate which leads into the Pauline Chapel; on turning towards the left, and advancing about fifty or sixty feet into the room, you have on your left the gate of the Sistine Chapel, and on your right that of the Sala Ducale or ducal hall. On entering this hall, which is about fifty feet wide, it was found that the consistory was assembled. At the farther extremity, about one hundred feet distant, an elevated platform, to which there was an ascent of three steps, extended across the room; at either extremity was a large and massy door, tastefully decorated, raised on the platform midway between them, under a canopy of crimson and gold, the Papal throne was elevated three steps more, having on each side the flabelli displayed. The Pope was clothed in a rich cope, wearing a plain mitre of cloth of gold, with his domestic prelates, principal officers civil and military, and the guard of nobles, occupying the platform on each side. In front, at a moderate distance, the bench for cardinals ranged at each side, and crossed nearly towards the third part of the hall, forming three sides of a parallelogram. The cardinal-dean sat at the inner extremity towards the Pope's right hand, wearing his purple cappa, with his train-bearers seated at his feet; five other cardinal-bishops sat on his right in their successive order, then the cardinalpriests according to their seniority; opposite the cardinal-dean the third senior cardinaldeacon sat, at the inner extremity of the bench, towards the left of his holiness and his junior brethren, extending outwards on his left, until the junior deacon was found near the junior priest; the two senior deacons stood on either side of the Pope. All the cardinals were similarly habited, and similarly attended. The prince Orsini, the head of the ancient Guelph family and present senator of Rome, stood as prince-assistant at the throne on the right of the first cardinal-deacon. On your right as you entered the room, a beautiful and convenient gallery, with open lattice work in front, had been erected for ladies, of whom there were several; the number that might be thus accommodated would be at least one hundred and fifty. Under these galleries, behind the cardinal-deacons and junior priests, there were accommodations for prelates and distinguished strangers. I observed in this place Captain Read of the Constellation frigate, and some of his officers. The space immediately next the cardinals' bench was occupied by the Swiss guard, drawn up in line across the hall, in their ancient costume, and having their spears. The rest of the room was filled with monks, friars, officers, civil and military, priests and laymen, of all nations and tongues. Silence was proclaimed. Some of the consistorial advocates addressed the holy father upon various subjects. in the way of motions for consistorial decisions. Amongst them was one who made the preliminary motion for proceeding to the beatification of the venerable servant of God. Maria Clotilda Xavier, of Bourbon, a queen of Sardinia. Eight cardinals then left the hallthey were the deacons and junior priests to introduce from the Sistine chapel the four cardinals who had just previously taken the oaths; when these four arrived in the hall, going successively to the throne, each kissed the Pope's right foot and right hand, after which the holy father embraced him on each cheek. They next went to their brethren of the sacred college, commencing with the cardinal-dean, and were embraced by each of them successively in like manner only on the cheek. After which each went on his knees before the holy father, who, with the proper prayer and suitable admonition, placed the red hats on their heads successively, and gave his blessing and retired. The cardinals then went to the Sistine chapel with their newly admitted brethren; here the Te Deum was chaunted in superior style, at the conclusion of which the proper prayer was said for the new cardinals, who were again embraced by their brethren, of whom only thirty-one were present. In the evening each new cardinal visited St. Peter's Church, then the cardinal-dean, and returning home, had a party of his friends, and appeared in full dress; during the assembly, the keeper of the Pope's wardrobe brought the hat in state, and delivered it with a suitable address, to which the cardinal made an appropriate answer, and the palaces of the city were illuminated. As a sort of supplement, I might add, that on the same afternoon the Pope received in the kindest manner, in his gardens, the visit of Captain Read, his lady, the chaplain (a Presbyterian clergyman), and eight or ten officers of the Constellation frigate, amongst whom there was only one Catholic, Lieutenant Francis Rall, of the marines; they were presented by Mr. Cicognani, the Consul of the United States. July 7.-The great festival of the Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, was celebrated on Sunday the 29th, with the usual solemnity. Of course, you are aware that the celebration commences at first vespers; the church, in her celebration of public offices following the ancient Judaic mode of observing the ecclesiastical day, from evening until evening. At this point, therefore, all the great festivals commence. The weather, at this time of the year, is nearly as warm as in Charleston: the thermometer generally being, at midday, about 27° of Reaumur, or 92° of Fahrenheit, without any sea breeze; there are, theretore, very few strangers in the city; hence, although I should suppose there were upwards of fifteen thousand persons at St. Peter's, it appeared almost deserted. The procession left that hall of the Vatican, which is called the robing-room, at about half past five o'clock. It was not very large. The number of extraordinary chamberlains and chaplains, together with the other ecclesiastical officers who preceded the cross, in red sutans and surplices, did not appear to be over one hundred, probably an equal number of civil officers. The sub-deacon, accompanied by his seven acolyths, followed them; behind him were the porters of the red staff. The Swiss guards, in their ordinary dress, now dotted the remainder of the procession on either side: then followed the greater prelates under the episcopal order, probably about forty, the twelve penitentiaries of St. Peter's in red chasubles. The number of assistantbishops in red copes and plain white mitres was ten, the two junior of whom were the Right Rev. Dr. Baine, Bishop of Siga, and Vicar Apostolic of the western district of England, and the Bishop of Charleston. They were followed by the cardinal-deacons, about six in number, clothed in their dalmatics and mitred, having their train- the Capitoline guards on its left, turned to bearers and other attendants. After them the right into the church. Here the regular came about thrice as many cardinal-priests, troops were drawn up in single file, facing mitred, wearing chasubles, and similarly inwards, leaving in the centre a space of attended; they were followed by five of the from sixty to eighty feet wide, for the procardinal-bishops, mitred, wearing copes, cession which now began to move slowly and similarly attended. The governor of up the centre towards the great altar under Rome, the Prince Orsini, who is senator of the dome: this mighty mass appeared to be Rome, and assistant at the throne, together of solid gold, blazing also with lights under with the deputation from the Roman magis- its massive twisted columns and great tracy, surrounded by the general staff of the canopy of Corinthian brass. The numerous military, the guard of nobles and the mace- lamps that burned round the balustrade of bearers, and a special detachment of the the confession, which shows the tomb of Swiss, carrying the large two-handed swords, the apostle several feet below, seemed, in followed. In the midst of this division came the distance, like the flowing of a stream the Pope, in a cope and mitre of plain cloth of liquid fire lambent round the base of the of gold, having on either side the two senior majestic altar. cardinal-deacons then in the city, and followed by the major-domo, the treasurer, the chamberlain, the rest of the household, and a number of others. As soon as his holiness arrived in the ducal hall, he was conducted to his chair, which was immediately raised upon their shoulders by the grooms in attendance, and was thus borne to the altar. The procession continued to advance through the royal hall, down the scala regia, until it arrived at the equestrian statue of Constantine, which is on your left as you descend, and about three-fourths of the space down to the ground-floor; then, turning to the right, it descended by a few steps into the vestibule of the great church of St. Peter. Here, the chapter of this basilic and its clerks, with the archpriest, Cardinal Galeffi, at the head, about sixty or seventy in number, received the array, allowing it to pass through two lines formed facing inward, in which the chapter and clergy stood arranged, in the centre of the vestibule itself; behind these lines, on each side, a range of military was formed in single file, and the people crowded the rear; across the middle of the vestibule, from the great centre gate of the church, towards that which opens in the porch to the front of the basilic, the respectable body of the Capitoline guards, in their fine uniform, were drawn up facing the archway which opened from the statue of Constantine. In the rear of the battalion, the military bands were stationed in front of the civic guards or militia, who were formed in line of two deep along the other wing of the vestibule leading towards the equestrian statue of Charlemagne, which, on the south side of the vestibule, corresponds with that of Constantine on the north. As soon as the head of the procession entered this vestibule, the bands commenced occasional gratulations. Arrived at the great middle gate of bronze, the procession leaving The As soon as the holy father turned into the vestibule, the bands gave their full salute— the bells redoubled their enlivening peal, and the full voices of the capitular choir repeated, in solemn chaunt, the declaration of the Saviour, made eighteen centuries ago, to the predecessor of Gregory XVI. Tu es Petrus et super hanc petram ædificabo ecclesiam meam, et porta inferi non prævalebunt adversus eam. "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall never prevail against it." holy father in meek, dignified humility, imparted the blessing as he was borne along. A rich canopy was sustained by prelates over his chair, and the flabelli waved majestically on either side. Over the vestibule, from a window that opened into the church, immediately over the great door, six trumpets announced the entrance of the holy father. The troops presented arms as the greater prelates who followed the cross advanced; but when the father of the faithful approached, with their arms still presented, they bent a knee. The masters of ceremony were from place to place along the line, and as the procession approached the chapel of the holy sacrament on the right, about four hundred feet after it had entered the church, it was arranged line within line on either side towards the gate of this chapel. The chair was let down, the holy father descended and knelt in adoration for a few moments; all knelt with him. He rose, resumed his seat, the lines began to extend forward, the procession advanced towards the choir that was enclosed beyond this great altar. Your readers ought to know that the platform and steps of this altar are not as usual in modern churches, towards the entrance, but having the back of the altar itself towards the principal gate, as was more usual in the ancient edifices. A partition covered with crimson damask and broad gold lace, was drawn across the centre aisle about one hundred and fifty feet be- | pers on June 28, and replaced upon the tomb yond the altar to its front, and, consequent- until demanded for a new prelate, who, ly, having the altar between it and the gate upon receiving it, renews his oath of fealty -against this partition, a large platform was to the Holy See, has it placed on his neck, raised, to which there was an ascent of six wears it on solemn occasions, and has it or eight steps, and upon this platform was buried with him. My paper is covered, I the papal throne, opposite the steps which shall write soon again. ascended to the corresponding platform of the altar. On the right the Prince Orsini stood, by the throne itself; in front of him, considerably towards the verge, the first cardinal-bishop sat; a cardinal-deacon sat on either side of the throne, and on the upper steps at either side the assistantbishops stood or sat; below them, on one side, was the Roman magistracy; on the other, the judges and officers of the chief civil, criminal, and ecclesiastical tribunals. Below, on either side, the cardinals were ranged on elevated benches, and on lower ones at their feet, their train-bearers satnearer to the altar, the other members of the papal chapel were variously disposed, and from the lamps of the. confession, on either side of the altar, back to the cardinals' benches, the guards of nobles in close single files filled up the space to prevent any intrusion. On benches behind the cardinals were archbishops and bishops not assistant, civil and military officers, the heads of religious orders, foreign ambassadors, &c. After the Pope was seated, the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and penitentiaries of St. Peters went successively to pay the usual homage, the first by kissing his right hand, the second by kissing his right knee, and the third by kissing his right foot. After this, the solemn intonation of the vespers was given by the holy father, and continued by the choir. The scene was sublime. The sensations were deep, solemu, and highly impressive. After vespers, the Pallia were brought up from the tomb of the apostles, upon a salver covered with rich silk, and presented to the Pope to be blessed. Perhaps your readers do not know, and would wish to be informed, that a Pallium is a sort of woollen collar with five purple crosses on it, which is worn on solemn occasions by patriarchs, archbishops, and a few privileged bishops, and is emblematic of their right of presidency in their districts. The wool is shorn from lambs blessed on the festival of St. Agnes at her church outside the city; they are shorn at a particular time, and the wool spun and wove by the nuns of a particular convent under her invocation-the collars are then laid upon the tomb, in the confession of St. Peter, to signify the connexion of the bearer with his apostolical authority. They are brought and blessed at first ves July 14th-In my last I gave a brief description of the procession and first vespers of the festival of SS. Peter and Paul on the 28th ult. Preparations had been made for illuminating the exterior of the church of St. Peter, as soon as night should fall. No description can convey to your readers an adequate idea of the spectacle which this presents. The dome is somewhat larger than the church of St. Mary of the Martyrs, which is the old Pantheon; and this is not only surmounting the roof but raised considerably above it. This Pantheon is much larger than the circular church in Meeting Street. Imagine this as only one of three domes, of which it is, indeed, far the largest, elevated considerably above the roof of a church, the facade of which is a grand pile of architecture; this dome is half surrounded by columns, and the one by which the entablature over them is crowned, closely ribbed to its summit; over this is a ball, in which I was one of eight persons standing erect, and we had room for at least four others, and this ball surmounted by a cross. From the sides of the front two wings of splendid architecture project forward upwards of eighty feet; at their extremities are lofty columns, over which run the proper entablatures crowned by pediments: from these the immense colonnades recede almost semicircularly from each wing, sweeping, with their hundreds of pillars, round the immense piazza, capable of containing probably one hundred thousand human beings upon the area within their embrace. In the centre of this is a rich Egyptian obelisk resting upon the backs of four lions, couchants upon the angles of a fine pedestal. Half way from this obelisk, at each side towards the colounade, are the two magnificent fountains, probably the most superb in the world. Each appears to be a capacious marble vase elevated upon a sufliciently strong, but gracefully delicate stem; the summit of this vase is at the elevation of about twelve feet. From its centre rises, to nearly the same height, another still more slender and delicately shaped stem, from whose summit is projected, to a considerable height, a waterspout which, gracefully bending near its summit and yielding to the direction of the |