NEWS OF THE WEEK.
ROME Will sanction no compromise in Ireland, but resolutely takes her stand against England on. the field of the Queen's Colleges. 'The Synod of Thurles has resulted in a publication of its decree, Which proclaims that the Pope has finally decided, "without ap- peal," against the connexion of any Roman Catholic priest with the said Colleges, and that a fund will be raised for the establish- ment of a Roman Catholic University in Ireland; the Roman Ca- tholics meanwhile being referred for study to the seminaries at St. Jarlath's and Rome itself. The refusal of the Prelates to accept _any connexion with the Godless Colleges was mentioned before.- In fact, they have taken a very determined stand against all such. abominations; as their Primate, Dr. Cullen, has recently edited, if not written, in Rome an astronomical paper in which is uph,e/d. the doctrine that the Earth is as big as all the liepvenly bodies put together, and is the fixed centre of the universe—else how can man be the lord of the creation? Such is Dr. Cullen's argument: he withstands the heresies of Paxsonstown as well as those of Trin- ity or Queen's College. " Eppiir si muove " : the conclusion of the Roman priesthood in Ireland, to place themselves in resistance to lord Clarendon and Lord Rosso, against landowner, farmer, and labourer—for to resist science is to resist all improvement—is a resolution to lie down before a railway train : some day a "dreadful accident" will sweep away a part of the Romith Church in Ire- land ; soon after, a piece more ; and so on till it be all gone.
Meanwhile, however, the Government seems to be rather dis- raayed at the prospect of a contest with the Roman Catholic au- thorities ; and the Dublin Whig journal puts forth, with an official ostentation, a "memorandum" declaring that the publication of a Synodical decree is unusual, and that the decree is not valid until it receive the counter-signature of the Pope ; a hint that it is not yet binding on Roman Catholics, and that the oounter-signature may possibly be averted by representations to Rome. But if the Romish Prelates of Ireland will take up a position of pitched bat- tle with the Government, so as to ally the Government with the advance of science and of material prosperity in that country, we .do not see why Ministers should flinch from so honourable and easy a contest.
