The Times reports that the Pope in a recent - Cot:16story created
no less than thirty cardinals, whose names are to be kept secret until he expires, but who are known to the Conclave, and would be summoned to any new election. The report is scarcely credible. Great pressure has, it is understood, been put upon the Pope by the Catholic Powers, and he himself may feel that the excessive majority of Italians may injure, though it would not vitiate, the next election ; but so immense a creation would break up all plans, disturb all cal- culations, and render the intrigues of years entirely nugatory. It is conceivable, of course, that he has struck such a stroke ; but it is much more probable that a small addition to the College, say three, has been exaggerated, because it was secret, into thirty. The Tablet, we notice, does not deny the rumour.
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