appointment of Catholic Bishops took place in Russia. Were names submitted to the Pope for selection or confirmation, or did the initiative appertain to the Holy See?

Prince Gortschakoff replied that it was usual to inform the Papal Government that a certain candidate was designated (not appointed) by the Imperial Government for a vacant See. Unless there were any cogent reasons against his confirmation, he was "preconisé "or proclaimed by the Pope. On the present occasion the five candidates had been accepted by the Pope without hesitation, and the interests of all parties had been mutually served by this judicious and conciliatory course.

His Highness stated that the Roman Catholic Bishops in Russia were not free to communicate with. the See of Rome without reference to the Government, and that no bull or Papal edict could be published without the previous consent of the Imperial Govern

ment.

Prince Gortschakoff also related to me the negotiations which had taken place with the See of Rome on the subject of appointing a Nuncio to reside at St. Petersburg. These negotiations were finally broken off, in consequence of the Papal Government claiming rights and privileges which were not enjoyed by the representatives of the Pope in France or other Catholic countries.

The appointment of the five Roman Catholic Bishops, more especially of those in Poland, and the

renewal of diplomatic relations with the Court of Rome, were events of importance, as tending to promote the tranquillity and contentment of the Polish population.

The Queen, accompanied by the Prince and Princess of Wales and the Royal Family, attended, on the 27th of February, a divine service of public thanksgiving at St. Paul's for the recovery of the Prince of Wales. It was a solemn occasion, when the nation heartily joined the Sovereign in offering its heartfelt thanks to the Almighty Ruler of events for His merciful preservation of a life so dear to all Her Majesty's subjects. The Queen was received by millions of her subjects, on her progress to St. Paul's Cathedral, with intense enthusiasm, thus attesting to the love and affection of a loyal and devoted people. In evidence of the deep impression it made on the Queen, the following are the fervent terms in which Her Majesty conveyed her thanks to the nation :

The Queen is anxious, as on a previous occasion, to express publicly her own personal very deep sense of the reception she and her dear children met with on Tuesday, February 27th, from millions of her subjects, on her way to and from St. Paul's.

Words are too weak for the Queen to say how very deeply touched she has been by the immense enthusiasm and affection exhibited towards her dear son and herself, from the highest down to the lowest, on the long progress through the capital, and she would earnestly wish to convey her warmest and most heartfelt thanks to the whole nation for this great demonstration of loyalty.

The Queen, as well as her son and daughter-in-law, felt that the whole nation joined with them in thanking God for sparing the beloved Prince of Wales's life.

Two days after this magnificent demonstration of loyalty and love to the Queen an untoward incident occurred, but, happily, with no serious consequences. On the Queen returning from her drive, during which she had been enthusiastically received, a young man of eighteen or nineteen followed the carriage, and when it drew up at the door presented himself first at one side and then at the other, and pointed a pistol at Her Majesty. He was immediately seized. The pistol had not been fired. He had a document for the Queen to sign for releasing certain Fenian prisoners then under confinement. It was the act of a maniac, and he was sentenced to be kept in confinement, and was subsequently sent to the colonies. His name was

Arthur O'Connor.

Her Majesty, with that strong-minded self-possession. and courage which so distinguish her, evinced no agitation, and, happily, suffered no ill-consequences from an attack which might have shaken the strongest

nerves.

I communicated to Prince Gortschakoff a despatch. from Lord Granville, instructing me to express to the Emperor the Queen's great satisfaction at receiving the gratifying assurance of His Imperial Majesty's sympathy on this occasion. Prince Gortschakoff said that he would undertake to convey to the Emperor the gracious message of the Queen, as the Emperor was much preoccupied with the illness of the Empress, and was unable to grant audiences.

Some differences arose between the Bulgarian

Church and the Patriarch of the Greek Church at Constantinople. These differences had been existing for some years without any solution. The grievances of the Bulgarian Church were fully recognised by the Russian Synod and other Churches of the Greek confession; and had they been timely listened to by the Patriarch of Constantinople, and had the concessions, justly required, been acceded to by the Patriarch, they would not have assumed their present importance.

The Bulgarian Church specially claimed two concessions-first, that they should be allowed to elect their own bishops; and, secondly, that the services of their Church should be performed in Bulgarian, and not in Greek, which to them was an unknown. tongue.*

Hitherto the appointments of the Bulgarian Bishops were vested in the Patriarch at Constantinople, and had been exercised in an irregular and corrupt manner. The candidates who offered the highest recompense to the Patriarch at Constantinople were the favoured ones, the result being that they were obliged to recoup themselves for this corrupt expenditure at the expense of their flock by the levy of exorbitant dues upon them.

These grievances had been rife for many years, and still remained unredressed. On the persistence of the Patriarch of Constantinople not to yield to

*I may observe that the High Mass of the "Orthodox Greek Church" (the Russian) is performed in the Slavonic and not the Russian language.

the remonstrances of the Bulgarians the Porte resolved to sanction the election of an Exarch for Bulgaria. The action of the Porte in this matter gave a striking proof of the tolerance and impartiality of the Turkish Government, whilst the squabbles and contentions between members of the same Christian faith presented no edifying example of Christian charity to the Mussulman rulers.

An occasion of further discord between these Christian Churches soon occurred, when the Porte was obliged to maintain the law. Certain Bulgarian delegates were sent to Constantinople to treat with the Patriarch on these matters. They were induced to preach without the previous sanction of the Patriarch. For this illegal act they were excommunicated by the Patriarch. The Turkish Government, when applied to by the Patriarch to maintain obedience to the law, was obliged to interfere, and, on the members of the deputation refusing to express contrition, they were sentenced to banishment.

The Porte, however, then said to the Patriarch: "We have upheld the law; we have inflicted punishment on these priests; we now call on you to put an end to these differences with the Bulgarian Church, by making necessary concessions to it, in order to restore harmony, and to terminate a state of discord. which may lead to disorder and bloodshed."

After three days of deliberation granted to the Patriarch, and on his refusal to make any concessions to the Bulgarian Church, the Porte sanctioned the