shall never have to complain that we do not sustain them
by our apostolical authority; and we shall always be
happy to second their demands in all which appears
calculated to promote the glory of God and the good of
souls. In decreeing this restoration of the ordinary
hierarchy of bishops in England, and the enjoyment of
the common law of the church, we have had principally
in view the prosperity and increase of the Catholic
religion in the kingdom of England; but we have also
desired to gratify the desires of so many of our reverend
brethren governing in England under the style of vicars
apostolic, and also of a great number of our dear children
of the Catholic clergy and people. Many of their
ancestors presented the same prayer to our predecessors,
who had begun to send vicars apostolic to England,
where no Catholic bishop could exercise the common
ecclesiastical law in his own church, and who afterwards
multiplied the number of vicars apostolic, and of districts,
not because religion was submitted in this country to an
exceptionable rule, but rather because they would
prepare the foundation for the future rebuilding of the
ordinary hierarchy.

"This is why we, to whom it has been given by the
grace of God to accomplish this great work, declare here
that it is not in any manner in our thoughts or intentions
that the Bishops of England, provided with the name
and rights of ordinary Bishops, should be destitute of
any advantages, of whatever nature they may be, which
they formerly enjoyed under the title of Vicars Apostolic.
It would be contrary to reason to allow any acts of ours
performed at the earnest prayer of the English Catholics,
and for the benefit of religion, to turn to their damage.
Rather we cherish the firm hope that our dear children
in Christ, whose arms and largesses have never been
wanting to sustain in England religion and the prelates
who govern there as Vicars, will exercise a still larger
liberality to the Bishops who are now attached by
permanent bonds to the English Church, in order that
they may not be deprived of temporal aid, which they
will require, to ornament their temples and adorn the
divine service, to support the clergy and the poor, and
for other ecclesiastical services. Finally, lifting the eyes
to the Almighty and gracious God, from whom comes
our help, we supplicate him with all instance, obsecration,
and action of grace, to confirm by Divine grace all that
we have decreed for the good of the Church; and to give
of His grace to those whose it is to execute these decrees,
that they may feed the flock of God committed to their
care, and that their zeal may be applied to spread the
glory of His name. And, in order to obtain the most
abundant succour of celestial grace, we finally invoke as
intercessors with God, the holy Mother of God, the
blessed Apostles St. Peter and St. Paul, with the blessed
patrons of England, and especially St. Gregory the Great,
in order that the solicitude we have displayed, notwithstanding
the insufficiency of our merit, to restore the
episcopal sees of England, which he founded in his days
with so much advantage to the Church, may likewise
redound to the good of the Catholic Church. We decree
that this Apostolic letter shall never be taxed with
subreptice or obreptice, nor be protested for default
either of intention or any defect whatever, but always be
valid and firm, and hold good to all intents and purposes,
notwithstanding the general Apostolic edicts which have
emanated from Synodal, Provincial, or Universal Councils,
the special sanctions, as well as the rights of former sees
in England, missions apostolic, vicarages constituted in
the progress of time, notwithstanding—in one word, all
things contrary whatsoever. We likewise decree, that
all which may be done to the contrary by any one,
whoever he may be, knowing or ignorant, in the name
of any authority whatever, shall be without force. We
decree that copies of this letter, signed by a notary public,
and sealed with the seal of an ecclesiastic, shall be
everywhere received as the expression of our will.

"Given at St. Peter's, at Rome, under the seal of the
Fisherman, the 24th of September, 1850, and in the fifth
year of our pontificate.
                               "A. CARDINAL LAMBRUSCHINI."

The Queen gave audiences on the 10th to deputations
from the Corporation of London, the City Lieutenancy,
and the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and
received the addresses adopted by them in reference to
the Papal measures for establishing a Romish hierarchy
in this country. The deputation from Oxford was
headed by the Duke of Wellington; that from
Cambridge by Prince Albert. The following was her
Majesty's reply to the Corporation of London;—"I
sincerely thank you for your renewed assurances of
unaltered attachment to my person and throne, and to the
constitution of this country. Your tried and consistent
advocacy of the equal enjoyment of civil rights by all
classes of your fellow-subjects entitles the expression of
your sentiments on the present occasion to peculiar
consideration. You may be assured of my earnest desire
and firm determination, under God's blessing, to maintain
unimpaired the religious liberty which is justly
prized by the people of this country, and to uphold, as
its surest safeguard, the pure and Scriptural worship of
the Protestant faith, which has long been happily
established in this land." To the University of Oxford
her Majesty replied:—"I accept with much satisfaction
the renewed proof afforded by your address of your
attachment and loyalty to my person and government,
and of your steadfast adherence to the principles of the
constitution. It has ever been, and ever will continue
to be, my endeavour to promote the efficiency and
maintain the purity of our Reformed Church, the supreme
government of which, under God, is by law confided to
me; and it is highly gratifying to me to be assured of
your faithful adherence to its principles, doctrine, and
discipline. While I cordially concur in the wish that
all classes of my subjects should enjoy the free exercise
of their religion, you may rely on my determination to
uphold alike the rights of my crown and the independence
of my people against all aggressions and encroachments
of any foreign power. Your earnest endeavour,
in the discharge of your important duties, to train up
the youth intrusted to your care in faithful attachment
to the truths of holy Scripture, cannot fail, under God's
blessing, to have a powerful effect in strengthening the
defences of our Protestant faith, and in preserving
inviolate the privileges which are justly dear to the
people of this country."

The Commission of the Church of Scotland have
adopted strong resolutions, moved by Mr. Hill, upon the
Romish invasion; and the Commission of the Free
Church have taken a similar step. The resolutions
were moved by Dr. Candlish, who referred with
contempt to the opposition of Tractarians, as meant to
beguile the public; but confessed that he has great
apprehensions of a large outbreak of Popery in a circle of
individuals of the highest and most cultivated minds in
Scotland.

An address from the Archbishops of Canterbury and
York and the whole of the suffragan bishops (with the
exception of the bishops of Exeter and St. David's,) on
the subject of the papal aggression, has been presented
to the Queen. The omission of the bishop of Exeter's
name is explained in a correspondence which appeared
in the newspapers. A copy of the address as originally
drawn up having been transmitted to him by the
Archbishop of Canterbury's secretary, he returned it, refusing
to give his name, and objecting to several passages,
particularly the phrases "insult to your majesty's prerogative,"
"inconsistency with the constitutional laws of the
country," and "defiance of the principles of the constitution;"
phrases which concerned the relations between
the queen and her subjects, of which a foreign potentate
could not be supposed to be cognisant; and further,
among other things, demurring to the designation of Her
Majesty as "the earthly head of the church in the kingdom."
The address was revised, and again sent to the
bishop with some alterations; but he again declared it
unsatisfactory, and refused to sign it. He drew up a
separate petition from himself, and transmitted it for
presentation, but it was returned to him by the Secretary
of State, as being informal.

"The Rev. Mr. Bennett has Resigned his perpetual
curacy of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and his ministration
at St. Barnabas, Pimlico. This step followed a long
correspondence with the Bishop of London, which has been
published. It appears from this correspondence that, as far
back as the beginning of 1847, the bishop's attention was
drawn to the peculiar observances or "excessive ritualism"
of Mr. Bennett, and these deviations were pointed