BISHOP GEDDES ILL AT ABERDEEN—CONTRIBUTES TO THE ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA—DR. GLEIG—MR. JAMES SHARPE AT SCALAN—PROPAGANDA ON RELIEF BILL—SCOTCH MISSION HIGHLY CONSIDERED AT ROME—DEATH OF MUNSHES—PRIESTS NOT REMOVED—MISS RIDDELL’S BEQUEST—MGR. ERSKINE’S INFLUENCE IN FAVOUR OF THE MISSION—BISHOP GEDDES ABLE TO DO LITERARY WORK—REPORT TO ROME—POPULAR PREJUDICE MUCH DIMIN­ISHED—NUMBER OF CATHOLICS—EMIGRATION TO AMERICA—RESOURCES OF THE MISSION—INEFFICIENCY OF THE SCOTCH MONASTERIES IN GERMANY— THE CATHOLICS APPLY FOR INFORMATION REGARDING THEIR NEWLY ACQUIRED LIBERTIES—BANNS IN “PARISH CHURCH”—WHETHER THE KIRK’S CENSURES WERE TO BE SUBMITTED TO—LIBERTY IN REGARD TO BAPTISM— DUES PAYABLE TO SESSION CLERK AND BEADLE.

Bishop Geddes’ illness increasing with redoubled severity, and, winter approaching, it was thought that he would be less uncomfortable at Aberdeen. The priest there, Mr. Gordon, was his nephew, and kindly invited him to his house. He removed, accordingly, with as little fatigue as possible, to the northern city, the climate of which was considered favourable to invalids, and which, indeed, had proved so in the case of Bishop Grant. It was a cause of great distress to Bishop Geddes that he was no longer able to apply to the literary labour that was necessary for completing his history of the Scotch mission.

The invalid Bishop had bestowed his services in connection with the Encyclopedia Britannica, of which Dr. George Gleig, Episcopalian minister of Stirling, was the editor. His first contribu­tion to this publication was on the subject of the Pope. Dr. Gleig wrote a friendly letter, free of all pedantry and affectation, addressing Right Revd. Mr. Geddes, Aberdeen, to thank the Bishop and compliment him on the candour of his paper, and on its interesting information, especially about the election of the Pope. He asked him, moreover, for a reference to one or two standard Catholic works on the Papal supremacy for insertion at the end of the article. He also suggested difficulties regarding the deposing power, not, he said, for captiousness, but, to remove plau­sible objections to what the contemplated article on that subject would advance. He much regretted the state of the Bishop’s health, which he feared, the dreadful news from France would tend to aggravate. Dr. Gleig concluded by desiring that the Bishop would send him any sugges­tions about the Encyclopedia, which might divert his mind from his sufferings, and which would be thank fully received by the editor.

It was now appointed that Mr. Alexander Paterson should receive into his house of Cean-na-Coille beside his chapel, Charles Gordon and James Paterson, two of the students who had escaped from Douai and were studying their courses of philosophy. Mr. James Sharp was destined to supersede Mr. Carruthers at Scalan. There was some difficulty, however, in getting the latter to leave the Seminary. He still indulged in the same lofty tone of equality when discussing matters with his superiors. Peace and unity, however, required that he should no longer hold office at the Seminary. Mr. Paterson appears to have got tired of him very soon; for we find that he proposed to exchange Mr. Carruthers for the Bishop’s boarder, Andrew Scott, a youth who would be more easily satisfied with his clothing, and would, also, be no less useful than Mr. Carruthers in every way. Mr. Paterson was allowed £40 yearly on account of his three boarders.

The new agent at Rome communicated to the Scotch Bishops the congratulations of Propaganda on the repeal of the penal laws. They thanked and praised the excellent Sovereign of Great Britain, and extolled the Bishop’s pastoral letter, as it was designed to express the gratitude of the Scotch Catholics and to encourage them in piety and religion. The Cardinal, however, held out no hopes of a national president for the Scotch College. The agent, although a young man, wisely advised the more prudent policy of not pressing for a change at that time, especially as the discipline of the College happened to be tolerably good. Cardinal Antonelli bore high testi­mony to the excellent state of the Scotch mission. This was some compensation to the Bishops for the rejection of their plans. “There was no mission,” he said, “connected with Propaganda that gave the congregation so much pleasure as the Scotch.” Mr. McPherson, it appears, had better success with Albani than with the Cardinal Prefect of Propaganda. He was allowed a certain charge of the students in the Scotch College. This was welcome news to Bishop Hay, who looked upon the concession as providential, and indicative of still better things to come. There was no longer any difficulty about sending boys to Rome. It would now be an easy matter to fill the College if only some provision could be made for travelling expenses.

Mr. Maxwell, of Munshes, to whose efforts the Catholics were, in great measure, indebted for the Relief Bill, did not long survive to enjoy the benefit of his successful exertions. He was thrown from his horse in September, and died unconscious, the third day after the accident. As he was a benefactor of the mission Bishop Hay called on all the clergy to celebrate thrice for the repose of his soul. Having died without making a will, his sister Mrs. Maxwell of Terraughty, inherited all his fortune. Her husband, although a Protestant, permitted Mr. Robertson and two emigrant French priests to remain undisturbed at Munshes.

There died this year, also, to the great regret of many friends, another friend of the mission, Miss Dorothy Riddell, aunt to the Laird of Kirkconnell. This benefactress bequeathed to the mission £1,000.

Monseigneur Erskine on arriving at Edinburgh, paid a visit to Bishop Hay. He had the interests of the Scotch College at Rome much at heart. He had great influence with Cardinals Albani and Talada as well as the Holy Father himself; and he promised to use it in favour of the mission. He also took into consideration the proposal to induce the British Government to move in the affair of national superiors. He had charge, on occasion of visiting his relations in Great Britain, to testify when opportunity occurred the grateful sense which his masters entertained of the favours lately bestowed on Catholics in Britain and of the deliverance of the Italian States from the dangers which lately threatened them. Monseigneur Erskine was graciously received by some of the higher people in London. He promised on his return from visiting his relations in Fifeshire to pay another visit to Bishop Hay.

It affords pleasure to find that Bishop Geddes, notwithstanding his great sufferings, was still able to apply to literary work. In compliance with the request of the Roman Prelate, Bishop Hay begged of him to dictate to Mr. Gordon a rough sketch of the principal subjects which he thought should be alluded to in the intended account of mission affairs. Bishop Geddes remarked that nothing would occur to him that his friend would not also think of. His idea was that the account of mission affairs should be drawn up in the form of a letter to the Prelate, beginning with an appropriate acknowledgment of their confidence in him. They might assure him and beg him to assure others, that none could be more sincerely attached to the Holy See than they were, both from a sense of duty and also out of the warmest gratitude for its paternal care. They might add their resolution always to instil similar sentiments into the people under their charge; and always to live so as to do honour to religion and to prove themselves not unworthy of the favour and protection of the established Government. It might also be said that the only exception to the perfect unanimity of the Catholic clergy was the unhappy dispute with Principal Gordon, of which it might be well to give Mgr. Erskine a short outline. The report might, likewise, allude to the fact that public prejudice against them had greatly subsided, and that an ample field of usefulness had been thrown open to them by the late Act of Parliament, but one which they must occupy with great caution and prudence, in the face of latent bigotry without, and of a latitudinarian spirit within their own body. They might then proceed to inform Mgr. Erskine of the number, the position and the circumstances of the Catholic body. Their number might be stated at 25,000; but of that Bishop Hay was the best judge. They might mention the emigrants to America and the departure of three or four missionaries to Canada. The report might lay before the Roman Prelate a statement of the resources on which the clergy depended for their maintenance; which, although lately augmented by a few legacies, had, on the whole, been considerably diminished by the French Revolution. An attempt had been made to induce their people to contribute something towards the support of the clergy, and not alto­gether in vain. But in some parts of the country living was dear, and their people very poor. The number of missionaries, already too small for the demands made on their services, was likely to be further diminished by the recent loss of their French seminaries at Paris and Douai; although it was to be hoped that this loss would only be temporary. At that time the whole dependence of the mission rested on the Scotch Colleges at Rome and Valladolid. An application made by the Roman Prelate to the Spanish Ministry might he of service to the Seminary at Valladolid; and his interference on behalf of the Roman College would confer on the mission a still more signal benefit. He might be made to understand that the Scotch Bishops desired above everything to see that College placed under the charge of Scotch Superiors, who would naturally know best what was best to be taught in preparation for a missionary life in Scotland, and would most natu­rally take a deeper interest than foreigners could in the success of the College. The Bishops could not desire a better Superior for it than their present agent in Rome. It was much to be wished, also, that Mgr. Erskine could obtain for the College the means of supporting twelve students. His attention, moreover, should be called to the inefficient state of the Scotch Monas­teries in Germany, with a view to his concurring with the Bishops in their endeavours to effect an alteration in their Constitutions if the Monks could be brought to acquiesce. Lastly, the subject would be exhausted if a significant hint accompanied the description of the home semi­naries and their present state, that, in the preceding century, Propaganda had, for some years, maintained two schoolmasters in the Highlands.

On occasion of sending the above suggestions to Bishop Hay, Bishop Geddes requested that the Bishop would send to Dr. Gleig, a copy of “The Papist Misrepresented and Represented.” He stated, also, that his health was pretty much the same; only that he was getting more accustomed to his weakness and felt it less in consequence. As it was the last day of the year he concluded by wishing his friends many happy returns.

The missionaries and principal Catholics of Scotland had by this time pretty generally taken the Oath of Allegiance; and it was announced in the newspapers that they had done so. Notwith­standing the late partial repeal of the penal laws, the spirit of intolerance was far from being laid; and in several parts of the country attempts were still made to curtail. the measure of liberty permitted by the law. The Catholics, therefore, in a body, applied to the law officers of the Crown in Scotland for information as to the precise limits of their liberty on certain disputed points. (January 16, 1794.) Three of these related to the celebration of Mar. 1st.—Was it neces­sary for them to proclaim their banns of marriage in the Parish Church, or would not proclama­tion in their own chapel suffice? 2nd.—Must they be married by the Minister of the parish or submit to a fine? 3rd.—And if one of the parties were a Protestant, and was willing to be married by the Priest, was that Protestant party exposed to Church censures and a fine? The Lord Advo­cate and the Solicitor-General, in a joint paper, informed the Memorialists that the law on these points had not been changed. It was still necessary that banns of marriage should be proclaimed in the Parish Church; and no one but a minister of the establishment was permitted to celebrate a marriage with the sole exception, made in the reign of Queen Ann, in favour of the Episcopal Clergy. An infringement of these conditions still rendered the parties liable to all the serious penalties attached to clandestine marriages. To a query relating to the registration of Catholic infants in the books of the parish, it was answered that no obligation lay on any one whether Catholic or Protestant, to register his child in the parish books; but the utility of the practice ought to recommend it to every one. Was it imperative on a Catholic who had given public scandal to submit to public censures in the established Church? The Memorialists were informed that a refusal to submit to such a censure involved no civil penalties, entailing nothing more than excommunication or exclusion from the spiritual privileges of the establishment, a penalty which plainly could have no force in the case of persons who were already separated from that communion. No law existed to prevent a Catholic Priest from baptising any child if the parents desired it, even the illegitimate children of Protestant parents regarding whom the inquiry had been made. Nevertheless in parishes where the session clerk and the beadle had uniformly and immemorially claimed their dues for Baptism, Catholics, like all other persons residing in those parishes, were legally bound to pay them even in the case where neither session clerk nor beadle were asked to officiate.