There is no news of the Council. Rumours of French
inter- ference are plentiful. Count Daru, it is said, has declared that by certain acts the (Ecumenical Council "would run the risk of raising a bad feeling in the French Chamber of Deputies," and has therefore recommended the Court of Rome to be prudent, and to adjourn the Council, in order to give time for calm views to prevail. Again, it is said that the Emperor himself has written to Rome to protest against the assertion of infallibility, because the effect of proclaiming that dogma would be to exempt the Bishops of France from the obligation of obeying the laws of their country. But these are but rumours, and if true, we doubt whether such demonstrations would do more than stimulate Pio Nino to defy them. In a recent brief to Monseigneur de Segur, quoted by the Vatican of this week, the Pope says of his oppo- nents, "They seek to create divisions" amongst his friends, so as "to keep matters in suspense, and thus to retard as long as pos- sible the fatal blow which they know they cannot escape." It is obvious that the old Pontiff has put 'his foot down' on bringing the issue to a decision, and as his friends are at least 4 to 1 in the Council, we suppose that decision can hardly be doubtful.
