Newspaper of The New York Herald, February 18, 1855, Page 2

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION. letters apostolic or DUB MOST HOLY LORD PIUS IX., tr VtTtm Providence Pope, Concerning the Dog* made Definition of the Immaculate Concep Ooo of the Virgin Mother of God. f-jVfl, B18B0F, SKBVANT OP THI 6ERVANT3 OF 60D. HIK TBI PKKFKTUAL KEMICMBkAMCK OF TUT THING. Tte lntffable God, whose ways we mercy and trail), whose will i? omnipotence, and whoee wisdom reaches powerfully from end to end. and sweetly disposes everything, when he foresaw from all eter nity the moat sorrowful ruin of the entire hum in r* ( to follow from the transgression of Adam, and is & mystery hidden from ages determined to com plete, through the Incarnation of the Word in a mere hidden sacrament, the first work of his good ness. so that mas, led into sin by the craft of dia bolical iniquity, should not perish contrary to his Biercifol design, and that what was aboa* to be'al in the ?rst Adam, should be restored more happily In tbe second; from the beginning and before ages those and ordained a mother for his oaly-begoften Hon of whom made flesh, he should be bora m tbe blessed plenitude of time, and followed her with so great love before all creatures, that in her atone be pleased himself with a most benign complacen cy. Wherefore, far before all the angelic spirits and all the saints, fie so wonderfhlly endowed her with the Abundaose of all heavenly gifts drawn from the treasure of divinity, that she might be ever free from every stain of sin, and all fair and perfect, would bear before her that plenitude of innocence and ho liness thin which, under God, none greater is under stood, and which, except God, no one can wash even is thought And indeed it was moat besoming that she wtuld shine always adorned with the splen dor of the most perfect botiness, and free even from li* etain of original ain, would gain a most com p ets triumph over the ancient serpent, she, the mo ther so vererab'e, to whom God the Father, dispo sed to give his only son, whom begotten an 1 equal M himself, from bis heart he loved an himself , in such a manner that he would be by nature one and tbe same common son of God the Father, and of the virgin, and whom the son himself chose to make snbrfintially bis mother, and rrom whom the Holy tilKst willed and operated that he would bo con* te'ved and born from whom he himself prooe9ds. Which original innocenoe of the august Virgin agreeing completely with her admirable holiness, ud with tbe most excellent dignity of the Motasr of God, tte Catholic Church, which, ever taught by the Holy Spirit, is the pillar and ground of truth, ah potsfssincr a doctrine divinely received, and com prehended in tbe deposit of heavenly revelation, has ?aver ceased to lay down, to cherish, and to illus trate continually by numerous proofs, anl more and more daily by splendid facts. For this doctrine, flo wishing from the most ancient times, and im plaited in the minds of the faithful, and by tbe care ard z*al of the holy pontiff* wonderfully propaga ted , the Church herself has most clearly pointed out, wotn she did not hesitate to propose the conception ef the same Virgin for the public devotion and ve Delation of tbe faithful. By whi ii illustrious a3t tbe pointed out the conception of the Virgin as sin gular, wonderful, and very far removed from the ?ripms of the rest of mankind, and to be venerated as entirely holy since tbe Church celebrates festival ?*ys only of tbe saints. And, therefore, the very wo.-cn in which the tiacred Bciotures speak of un created Wisdom, and represent His eternal origins, ate has been acoustome.u to use not only in the of fices of the church, but also in the holy liturgy, and i to transfer to tbe origin of that Virgin, which was I it retrained by one and tbe same decree wit a tbe incarnation ot Divine Wisdom. Bo". all those things everywaere justy re* wed inoLgst the f&i'.h'ul show with t* hat ztil tie lv> man Church, the mother and mistress of all chureies, bsv inpported 'he doctrine of the Immiculate Coa seption of tbe Virgin, yet the illustrious acts of unis cburcb are evidently worthy tnaT. they should be re vived by name; since so great is the dignity anl authority of the same church, so maco is due to her who is toe centre cf Catholic trufi and uu*y , in whom alone religion has been inviolably guarded, and from whom it it right tha'. all the cour.hes should receive tbe tradition of faith. Thus tae I same Roman C lurch had nothing more at heart v) assert., to proteot, to promote and to viudi 1 cate in the most eloquent manner the Itmtaculite I Con eption of the Virgin, its devwrn and docirine, ! which 'act so many illustrious ac b of the Rrnvi Pontiffs, out predecessors, most cviient.y acl fully teotify aod declare, to whom in the person of the Prince of the Apostles was divinely committed by Christ cur Lord tbe supreme care and pover oi Seeding iambs and sheep, of confirming toe brethren tndtf rallig and governing tbe universal church. indeed, onr predecessors vehemently gioried to 'istiiute in tbe Romin Ctinrch bv their own apos tolic authority the Feast of the Conception, and to tngment, ennoble and promote with all their power the devotion tbu? instituted, by a proper Offio; and b proper Mass, by which toe Drerogative of immu iiiy from hereditary stain was mist mauilestl? as '?rted; to increase it either by indulgences granted, er by leave given to states, provinces and king doms, that they might choose as their patron the Mother of Goa, uader the title of the Immasulite Conception, or by approved s dairies, congrega tions and religions families instituted to the hooor of tte Immaculate Conception; or by praises given to the piety of tbose who have erected monasteries, locpiitii ox churcbct, nndir tbe title of tbe ltnuar calate Conception, or who have bound themselves by a religious vow to defend strenuously the Imma culate Conception of the Mother of G>d. Above ?11, tbey were bapoy te ordiin tba' the Feast of tbe Coroeption should be celebrated tnrougo the whole Cburoh ss that of tbe Nativity; and, in fine, thfrt H should be celebrated wit a an Octave in the universal church as it was placed in the rank of the festivals which are commanded to be kept holy; nlflo, a Pontifical service in onr PatriArchal Li berian Basilica should be performed yearly on the dav sacred to the conception of the Virgin; and de siring to cberisn dally more and more in the minis of the faithful this doctrine of tbe immaculate con ception of the Mother of God, and to excite their piety to worahipping and venerating the V ixgin con ceived without original sin, they have rejoiced most treaty to give leave that in the Litany of LoreMo, and in the preface or the mass itself, the immaculate conception of the same Virgin should be proclaimed, and thus the rule of faith would b* estab.isbed by the rule itself of supplication. We ourselves treading in tbe footsteps of so many predecessors, have not only received and approved what has been most wisely and pioualy appointed by them, but mindtol of tbe institution of Slxtus I V., we h ive appointed by our authority a proper office for the immaculate conception, and with a most joyful mind have granted tbe nse of it to the universal ctnrch. Bat since tta >s? things which pertain to woraiip evidently bound by an intimate chord to ita object, and cannot remain fixed and determined, if it be doubUnl, acd placed in uncertainty, therefore, oar predootseora, tine Roman Pontiff*, increasing with nil their care the devotion of the Conception, etodied moat especially to declare and inculcate it* ?bjeotand do,-trine; (or they taught clearly and ?p?ly that the fee 1 val was celebrated for the Co i eeption oi toe Virgin, and they praecribed aa faae and moet foreign to the intention of tbe Charc'o the epinknof thoee who considered and affirmed that it ww not tbe conception iiatlf, bit tie aauettthithn, to wbih devotion was paw by tie Caurch. Nor did they think of treating more indul<4ttly thosa ?i?, in order to weaken me doctrine of the Icnaii cuiete (Jenceptlun, drawing a aiatWtion b:t*een tbe flrat and second ins ant and moment of toe Con ception, .meet ted thai the Conception wai indeed celebrated, bbt not for tie first inetnt aad raiment ; for onr predecessors tnem-teivea ttiongnt It thei ' rioty to protect and defend with all zeai both tie festi. of tbe Conception of the M ?i Bemed Virgin, and the Conception from the flra: ins an. a i tne ob jtct of devotion. Hem* the word', evidently av netive, It which Alexander VII. decUred tie troe invention of tbe church. H?yiog, "Certainly, it is tbe ancient piety of the tkithtul of Christ tovWs kis moat blessed mother, the Virgin Mary, believing hat ber ajul. in tni ftr<tt instance of creation, and ?i infusion int? the body, was by a special grac j and ariv.legeof God, in vir?ue of the merits of Jesi* Christ her Son, the Redeemerof mankind, p*e?ervad | tier from the sta-n of original ain, and in th a ?en* they keep and celebraV- with eolemn rit? the feiti vaJ of her Conoeption." And to tbe mrne onr predece*aora, thle also eaa Bus*. eepecially a duty to preserve from coitsn'.ion tte docti ire of tne Immaculate conception of tie mother of Cod. guarded and protected <?i;h all care Md seal. For not only have they n?ver eufferel that tbm doctrine should ever be ceneared or tre noteo in any way or by aay one, bot tiey have g on a Buct fartner, and In clear declaration* on repe?;ed vocations tbey have proctaimej that the dwtriue la which wecmt>*s the IramacculataCon eption of the Viginis, and by ita own m-rit, 1? held evidently consistent with ejr.ieeinstical wofshlp. that it ia an- 1 ?teat aad newly universal, and of the same sort aa | tha: which toe Roman church hae undertaken to cherish and pcotect, and. above all, worthy to be placed il it# sacred liturgy and its aolemn orayera. Not content with thia, in order tkst the dos'.rin* of tne laaacolate Conception of the Vigtn ahoold re ?all lavieiate. they have moat severely prthibitei ? the eptatoa adverse to this do:trine, to be defended either Inwbttc or in private, aad they have wished to crush ft, an it were, bv repeated blowmTTo which rv Iterated tad most clear declaration., lMttaey Bight appear empty, tbey added a sanction; a>I I wh/eh thing* onr llhstriooe predecessor, Alexaofcr h, sjl i>ivM ia wot4?. - l Considering that the holy Roman chuica solemnly celebrates the tmkUL of the conception of the iauancolate ud cver-bloused Virgin, and baa ap pointed for thia a special sad proper office accord ing to the pious, devout, and laudable institution which emanated from oar predeoeaaor Sixtua IV., and wishing, after the example of the Roman pontiflk oar predeceeaora, to favor thia laudable piety, devotion and festival, and the revere nee shown towards It never changed In the Roman Church since the institution of the worship itaelf; alao in order to protect the piety and devotion of venerating and oeiebrating the Moat Blessed Virgin, preserved from original sin by the preventing graoe of the Holy Ghost, and desiring to preserve in the flock of Christ unity of spirit in the bind of peace, removing offences, and brawls, and scandals, at the instance and prajers of the said bishops, with the chapters of their churches, and of King Philip and his kingdoms. We renew the constitutions and decrees Issued by the Roman pontiff*, our predeces sors, and espeoially by Sixtus IV., Paul V., and Oregorv X>V.,in favor of asserting the opinion that the soul of (the Blessed Virgin, in its creation and infusion into the body, was endowed with the grace of the Holy Ghost, and preserved from original sin; likewise, also, in favor ef the festival of the same Virgin Mother of ftod, celebrated according to that pionB belief which is recited above; and we com mand that it shall be observed, under the censures and punishments contained in the same constitu tiona. And against all and each of thoee wh# try to in terpret tne aforesaid co?rtitationB or decrees ao that they may frustrate the fhvor shown through these to the said belief, and to the festival or wor ship celebrated according to it, or who try to recall into dispute the same belief, festival or worship, or against these In any manner, either directly or in directly, and on any pretext, even that of examin ing the grounds of defining it, or of explaining or Interpreting the eared Scriptures or the noly fathers or doctors? in fine, who ah >uld date, under any pretext or on any occasion whatsoever, to say either in writing or in speech to preach, to treat, to dispute, by determining or asserting anythiog against these, or by bringing arguments against them and leaving these arguments unanswered, or by express ing dissent in any other posiible manner; besides the punishments and censures contained in the con stitutions of Sixtus IV., to which we desire to ado, and by these presents do add, those:? We will that they soou'd be deprived ipso facto, and without other declaration, of the faculty of preaching, of reading in public, or of teaching and Interpreting, and also of their voice, whether active or passive in eiecuous; from which censures they cannot be absolved, nor obtain dispensation, unless from ui or our success ors, the Roman Pontiff*; likewise we wish to sub ijet, and we hereby do subject, the same persons to otber i ens! iies to be inflicted at our will, and at that of the same Roman Pontiffs, our successors, r* sewing the constitutions cr decrees of Paul IV. and Gregoty XV., above referred to. And we prohibit, under tie penalties and censures contained in the Index ot Proaibited B joks, ana we will and declare that they Bhould be esteemed pro hibited i>*o facto, and without other declaration, books in which the aforesaid belief and the festival or devotion celebrated according to it is recalled Into dispute, or in which anything whatever is writ r tea cr read against these, or lectures, sermons, treatises and disputations against the same, pub lished after the dectee above eubgieea of Paul v., cr to be published at any fature time. . . All are aware with how much zeal this doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of the Hither ot uod has been handed down, asserted and propagrted t,y the most distingu shed religious orders, the moat celebrated theologic.l academies, and the nns. emi nent doctors of tbe science of d'vinity. All Know, likewise, bow anxious have been tie B.shoos openly and pnblicly to p o'es9, even m tae ec cleatasUca) asw mb:ie6 ibem^eives, that the Most Ho y Mother of God, the Virg.n Miry, by virtue of fie men's or Christ our Lord, tbe Saviour of omkiud, never lay under original sin, but w-s preserved i ee irom the stain of origin, aad t'iua wai redeemed In a mo-e sablime manner. To which, lastly, is added this fact, mist grave and, in an especial manner, mr.st important of all, that the Council ot Tren. itself, when it promulgated the dogma'.ic decree concern ing original sin, in wi,ich. according : to the t^ - monies ot tne Sa ?; ed 'Scriptures, of the H ;ly I a th-rs, ard of tbe most approved councils, it da ter mined and defiued thfct M miukind are boftt unaer original tia; solemnly declared, J1** ever, tha'. it was not its intention toinoludem tbe decree itself, and io the amplitude of us deb at* tion, the Blessed and Immaculate Virgin tta-y, Mother of God. Indeed, by this d^claraton, the Tridentine Fathns have assented, according to tne tunes and tbe circumstances of ati airs, that tne I Blessed Virgin Mary was free from the original stain , and thus c early signified tbat nothing coud b? justly sdi'.nced iroin the sacred writ ngs, nor from tneuuthorry uf the fathers, whijh would in any wav aaiiisjy so grea'. a prerogative o? im Virgio. And, in rea! truth, illustrious monuments of a venerated attioaity of tie ea?teru andot the west ern church incut powerfolly testify that this doctrine of the Imroacula-e Conception of tbe moa . Blessed Virgin, every day more snd more so splendidly explained &nd confirmed of tne bigheit ftQ* thori'y, teaching, zral, science, and wisdom or the cburch, arc! so wonderfully propagated amongst a.i the nations and peoples o*' the Catholic world, aw.ys existed in the church as re*ived by our snoesto's, and stamped wi'.h tne character of a i divine revelation. For f t? Church cf Cnnat? fnl guardian and defender of ttie dog cn m c epoet ted with her, changes nothing in thsm, dlmialaaM nothirg, adds nothing, bar, with all industry, ny lai -kiully and wisely treating anclsnt things, If they are handed down from antiquity, so etndiee to eliminate, to clear them up, thai these ancient dog mas of heavenly faith may receive evidence, light, distinction, but still may retain their f nine js, integ rity, proprit ty, and may increase only in their own kind -that is, in the same dogma, the same sense, and tbe sam* belief. , . , Toe fathers and writers of the church, taught by the heavenly wiitlngs, had nothing more at heart, in tbe books written to exolaia the Hiripturwi, to vindi ate the dogmas, and to msiructthe faithtul, than cmulonsly to declare and exhibit in many and wonderful ways the Vireln's ms; high sanctity, dignity, and freedom from all staii of original sin, and her renowned victory over the most foul enemy ot the human race. W ne ? efore , t sue iting the words in whioh, at the beginning of the world, the A. mighty, announcing the remedies of his mercy, pre pared 'or regenerating mankind, crushed the au dacity of the lying serpent, and wonderfully raised up the hope of onr rase, saying: " l will place en mity between tbee and the woman, thy seed aid here,'' tbey taught that In this divine oracle was ck arly and openly pointed out the merciful redeemer of toe hnma j race? the only begotten son of t? d, Christ Jesus, and that his moet oleaaed mother, tbe Virgin Mary, was designated, and at the same time I that tbe enmity of both against tie serpent was sig nally expressed. Wherefore, as Ciiist, the med'ator ol t lod at.d men , having assnmed human nature, blot 1 ting out the handwriting of tbe decree which stood 1 againtt us, fastened it triumphantly to the croes, so 1 tie most, holy Virgin, bound by a most close and in dissoluble chain with him exercising with him, and ' through him eternal enmity sgainst the malignant I serpent, and triumphing most amply over the same, hss crushed his head with her immaculate foot, j Tats illustrious snd singular triumph ot the \ irgia, and her most exalted miiocenoe, purity, and holi ness, her freedom Irom all stain of sin, and ineffib e abundance snd greatness of all heavenly ! virtues and privileges, the same Fathers beheld in that ark of Noah, which, div nelyapjointad, eecaoed safe and s? nud trcm toe common shipwre.ik ol tne whole world; also in that ladder which Jacob beheld to reach m earth to heaven, by woo* steps the snsels of iW asctnded aud dsacend-d, on whose top leaned >d bimsslf; also in that bish which, in tlie holy place, Mjbss beheW blaze on every side, and amidst the cra? kl'ijg flaues neither to be con sumed nor u. suffer the lea?t injury, bn'togroir uteen and to blossom lairly; a! jo in that to ec unas aailab'.e io the face ??f an ei emy, fr.im which defend h tliousaud bu.nlers and an tke armor of tbe brave; also m tiat garden, fenced round about, which can not be violated n ?r corru?te<l by aay sciemea o" Traud; al?i> in tbat brtlliait city of ?5od, wo ' ? fonn dauons are in tbe holy m nnts; also 1a that most august temp'e of G id, wh.ch, .niaine w.th divine splendor, is niled with the gl;?ry of Cod: likewise, in iuMiy otber this as of th's kind whloMtke FatBers have banded down, that the cxi'.ted dignity the Mother of ?!xi and h#r siK)tlfsa inn?c?nce, and her b liness, obooxmus tonobemisb. bate been sig nally pie announced. . . To nescribe the s?me totality, as It were, of d vine gifts, snd the original integrity of tbe > lrg,a of wncm .I'sua wtH iiore. the same F a'b-rt, usiug tie clc<|uence of the pioj.oets, celebra'e tf?e august Vngin ss tbe sjot'ess dove, the holy Jerusalem, ths exal'.cd throne of liou, the ark aud house of saocuQ cation, whi b Eternal Wisd >m ballt for Itself; and as that Q"een who, kbonnding in delights and leaning on her beloved, r\ me fnr^h entirely perfect from the mouth of the Mnst Hlab, fair and roost dea? k> God, atid never stained with the least snit. Buf when the sasne Fatbera and writers ot the (church revolved in their hearts and mindi tha* the mos* Bleased Vir gin, In tie name and by the order of God himself, wa* proclaimed f .ill of gra.ebv the Angel (Jabrisl, I when announcing ner most sublime dignity of the Mother of God, they Uorht tha'. by this singular and solemn salutation, never neard on any otoer oo chsiob. is shown tha. tbe Mother of (iotl la the sea*. of all divine graces, and adorned with all the gifts of the Holy Ghoet - yea, toe Infinite st jreb-w and In (xbanatiMe abyaa of the sere gifts; so that, nevst obnoxKKM M an evil word, aad alsos with her Hon Mr-aker of perpetual benedictum, abe aeeecvsd to hear from Eli/ abetb. inspired by the Hol j G loet: - ' Bussed art thou amongst women, aud blessed ia '^lenceJt ^the^clear an! noanimoris the same that abe most glorkwe Viriria, fsr whoa He wlo ie power! uj Im ^ ahone with nch ? bnEUncj of *n heavenly gifts, rack (talBMi if irrace, and such inneoenoe. that she has been aa tnetUble miracle of Ute Almijrhty, yes. the crown of all miracles, and wortoy Mother of God; that she approaches aa nearly to God aa created nature can do, and in mora exalted toan all tinman and angelic encomium*. And, therefore, to vindicate the original innocence and justice of the Mother of God, they not only compared her to Ere, ae yet virgin, aa yet inno o?nt, aejet inoorrupted, and not yet deceived by the moat deadly mares of the moet treacherous serpent, bnt the* have preferred her with a wonder fnl variety of thought and expression. For Eve, miserably obeying the serpent, fell from original innocene, ana became bis slave, bat the most blessed Virgin, ever increasing her original gift, not only never leant an ear to the serpent, be it by a vir tue divinely received, utterly broke his power. Wherefore they have never ceased to call the mother of God tne lily amongst the thorns, earth entirely untouched, virgin, unde tiled, immaculate, em blessed, and free from all contagion of sin, from which waa formed the new Adam, ? reproazh lese, most sweet paraaiae of inocence, immortality, and delights planted by God himself, and fentea from all snares of the malignant serpent, incor ruptible branch that the worm of sin has never injured; fountain ever clear, and marked by the virtue of the Holy Ghost, a most divine temple, or treasure of immortality, or the sole and only daughter not of death, but of life, the seed not of ennlty, but of grace, which by the singular provi dence of God has always fl mrished, reviving from a corrupt and imperfect root, contrary to the set tled and oommon laws. Bnt if these encomiums, though most solendid, were not sufficient, they pro claimed in proper and defined opinions that wnen tin should be treated or, no question should be entertained concerning the Holy Virgin Mary, to whom an abundance of grace waa given to conquer sin completely. They also de clared that the most glorious virgin was the reparatrix of her parents, the vivifiar of posterity, chosen from the ages, prepared for hlmaelf by toe Most High, predicted by God when he aald to the seipent, " 1 will place enmity between thee and the woman," who undoubtedly has crushed the poison ous head of the same serpent ; and therefore they affirm that the same Blessed Virgin was through grace perfectly free from tvery stain of sin, &ad from all contagion of body and soul, and mind, and always conversant with God, and united wita him in an eternal covenant, never waa in darkness, but always injigbt, and therefore was plainly a dt habit ation for Christ, not on account of her bodily state, but on account of her original grace. To these things are added the noble words in which, sp<aking ot the conception of the Virgin, they have testified that nature yielded to grace and stood trembling, not being able to proceed farther; for it was to be that the Virgin Mother of God shonld not be esnoeived by Anna before grace should bear fruit. For she ought thus to be con ceived as the first born, from wnom snoald be con ceived the first born ot every creature. They have testified that the flesh of the Virgin, taken fr jm Adam, did not admit ike stains of Adam, and on this account that the Most Blessed Virgin was the tabernacle created by God himself, formed by the Holy Spirit, truly enriched with purple which that new Btseleel maue, adorned and woven with gold; and tbat this same Virgin is, and deservedly is, cele brated as she who was the first aid the peculiar work or God, escaped from the fiery wessons of evil, and tair by nature, and entirely free from all stain, came into the world all shining like the morn in her Immaculate Con:eption; nor, truly, vas it r ght tbat this vessel of ele won should he assaUed by common injuries, since, diffiriag very maun from ethers, she had community with them only in their nittire not in thuir fault. Far more, it was ngat tiro, ai the Only B'gotten bad a Father in heaven, whom toe 8?raohim extol threa times holy, so be should b tve a Mottier on the earth, who never tbculd want the splendor of holi ness. And thin doct'ine, indeed, bo filled the mmds ard souls of oar forete'JMifl that a marvellous and MDguinr term cf spee h prevailed with tbero, in which they very frequently called the mother of God immaculate and entirely immacolite, innocent and must inm cent, spotless, boly, and most distant from every stain of sin, all'pure, all perfect, tbe type and modet of parity end innocence, more beautital tnan beauty, more gracious than prac?, more holy than holiness, and alone boly, and most pan in sonl ard body, woobas surpassed all perfeoutade and all virginity, and has become tbe dwelling place of all tin- giaces ot tbe most holy spirit, and who, God alone excepted, is superior to all, and by nature fairer, mrre beautiful, and mere holy than the che rnbim aid se.&phim ; xhe whom all thetoogossof heaven and eartb do not suffice t > ex .ol. No one is ignorant that these torm? of speech have passed, as it were, spontaneously into tne monnmuits of tbe most holy liturgy, and the offices of the church , and that they o .cur often in tbem and abound amply: and since the mottier of Go-! is ravoksd and n&rosd in them as a spotless dove of beau y, as a rose ever blooming and perfectly pure, and ever spoUeas aid tver blew d, and i? ceit-bra^d as innocenoe which was never wounded, and a second Eve who, brought lortfc Emmanuel. It is eo wonder, then, if the pastors of the Church and tbe faithful people have daily more and more gloried to profess with so mach piety aud i feivor, this d:ctrine of tbe Immaculate Conception > 01 tbe Virgin Mother of God, punted out in the | Hatred scripture*, ac ording to the judgment of tbe I fathers, haided down in so miny mighty testim> ' nies of the same, expressed and celebra'-ed in no many illustrious monuments of a revered antiquity, and prcposed, ana with great piety cinfhmed, by tbe greatest and highest judgment of tbe Cnurch; so tbat nothing wcuid be more dear, more pleasing to the same than everywhere to worship, venerea, invoke, and proclaim the Virgin Mother of Sod conceived without original stain. Wherefore fron the ancient times the princes of the Church, eccle siastics, and even emperors and kings themselves, have eariestly entreated ot this Apostolic See that tbe Immacu'ate Conception of the Most Holy Mother of God ahould be defined as a dogma of Catholic faitb. Which entreaties were renewed also in these our times, and especially were ad dteised to Gregory XVI., our predecessor of happy memory, and to ourselves, not only by bishops, out by tie secular clergy, religious orders, and the greatest princes atd laithful peoples. Tbeielore, with singular jiy of mind, well know ing all ties* toings, and seriously considering them, scarcely bsd we, though unwortoy, been raised by a mysterious dispensation ef Divine Providence to tbe exalted cbairof Peter, and underttken tbe go vernment of toe whole Church, than, following tne veneration, tbe piety and love we had entertained for the Blessed Virgin from our tender years, we had nothing a . heart more than to acc >mpilsh all these things which as yet were am ongst the ardent wishes of tbe Cbnrch, that tbe honor of tKe most Bleesed Virgin should be increased and h'r prerogatives shruld shine with a fuller light. Hot wishing to bring to this foil maturity we app >inted a spec'al congregation of tbe V.V.K.F. X.V.s.RE. Cardinals, illustrious by their piety, their wis Join and their knowledge of the sacred sciences, and we also se lected eccltsiaaths, both secular aud regular, well trained in theological discipline, tbat tbey should most ca-efully weign all those thiegs wblch re late to the Immaculate Conception of tbe Vir gin, and report to us their opinion. And, slthough from the cntreuiee lately received by us for at length defining the Immacu late Conception of the Virgin, the opinions of most of the Bisb ops of tbe churca were uudere ooii ; bow ever we sent Eocyclic Letters, dated at Gaeta, tbe 2d day o> February in year 1M9, to all our vensr able brethren tbe bishops of all the Cafiol.c word, in order tbat having cfT red prayers to Godth-y ) would signify t-j vs. in writing, what was tbe piety aad devotion of toeir flocks towards the Immaculate Conception of tbe Mother of 'iod, and especially | wha*. the B sbops themselves thougut about prouiul cntiBg tbe definition, or what they desired 11 ordar I that, we might p-" inonncs our supreme judgment as solemnly ns psttibie. Certainly we were tilled wit!) no slight consola tion ween the teplies of our vereratue brethren came to us. For, wti an tncradiote joyfa loess, Bladn?M, and z.ea', tiey not only confirmed 'heir own sinsular p:ety, and thu of t ,eir der^y aud j taith'nl people, ?: wards the Immacu.ate Conception of the Must Biessed Vlrgie, bo, tbey even emrea-ed ol us, witb a common voioe, thai the Imxicu'ate ' Conception of tbe Virgin should be rfnrtned by our supwme judgment and authority. Nor. in i?ed. weie w? dlled with leas jjy wb?n tbe V. V. P. F. I N. N. S. R. E. < ardinals ot tbe Special Co igregation afotesaid, ard tbe consoling tbsologiaos cho?n by i as. after a diligent examination demanded from us, with equal alacrity and zeal, this definition of tbe 1 Immaculate Conception of tbi Mother cf Cod. At terwa'ds walking in the Illustrious fooutens or : our predecessors, and desiring to proceed duly and properly, we proclaimed and h :'d a consistiry, in which we addressed onr brethren, the Cardinals ol | tbe boly Roman Chord, and with the greatest con lolation of mind, we heard them entrust of us thtt we should promulgate the doptuat c iletialtion of the Immaculate Conception of toe Virgin U >tr.er of G(d. Therefore, having full trust in tbe Lord tbat the opportnne time had come for defining the Immv:u late Conception of the Virgin Mary. fiotheT of Gad, which the divine words, venerable tradition , the perpetual opinion of the Couch, tbe singular agree ment of Catholic prelates and fatth'ul, and the signal acta and constitutions of our predecessors, wordtrtnily Illustrate and proclaim; having moit ritlligentlv weighed all things, and poareri forth u> 1 Cod a'stdkms and ferveat prayers, we reeelved tbat we shonld no Forger delay to asoctlon and de tine, by onr supreme anthorirj, tbe immvmlsie con ttption of the virgin, aad thnsto satisfy tbe m ?t pious dealiea of tbe catholic world, and cur own pet y towards the mod boly virgin, and, at the wsme t.me, to koaor more and more tbe osly-begotten mb, iasas Christ ecr lord, since whatever boner ftfid praise is gi vta to t oe nutter tea .cbu* to the sob Wherefore, after we had unceaiiBgly, in humili ty and fasting, ottered oar own prayere and the public prayers of tbe church to God the Father, through his ion, that he would deign to direct aid confirm our mind by the power of the Holy Gboet, and implored the aid of the entire heavenly hurt, and invoked the paraclete with sighs, and he thus inspiring, to the honor of the holy and undivided trinity, to the glory and ornament of the virgin mother of God, to the exaltation of the Catholic faith, and the increase of tbe Catholic religion, by tto authority of Jeans Christ our lord, ot the blew d apostles, Peter and Paul , we declare, pro nounce and define, that the doctrine which holds that tbe blessed virgin Mary, at the One instant of her < onoeptiun, by a singular privilege and grace of the Omnipotent God, in virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, the Saviour of mankind, was preserved immaculate from all stain of original sin, has been revealed by God, and, therefore, ah raid firmly and constantly be believed by all the faithful, where fore, if any shall dare? which God avert? to think otherwise than as it has been defined by us, tiey should know and understand that they are con demned by their own judgment, that thsy have suffered shipwreck of the faith, and have revolted irom the unity of the ohnroh; and besides, by their own act, they subject themselves to the penalties justly established, if what they think they should dare to signify by word, writing, or any other out ward means. Our month is filled with joy and onr tongue with exultation, and we return, and shall ever return, the most hnmble and the greateet thanks to Jesus Christ < ur Lord, because through his singular bene ficence He has granted to ns, though un worth v, to offer ana decree this honot , glory and praise, to bis Most Holy Hother; but we rely with most certain hope and confidence that this Most Blessed Virgin, who, ail fair and immaculate, has braised tbo pois onous head of the most malignant serpent, and brought (salvation to the world, who is the praise of the Prophets and the Apostles, the honor of the Mai tyre, and tbe crown and joy ot all the Saints? wfo is the safest refnge and most faithful helper of aJl who are in danger, and the most powerful me diatrix and conciuatiix with the only-begotten Son of the whole world, and the most iiustrious glory and ornament, and most firm guardian of the Holy Church, who has destroyed all heresies, and snatch ed from the greatest calamities of all kinds toe faithful peoples and nations, and delivered us from so many threatening dangers, will effect by her most powerful patronage that, all difficulties baing re moved and all errors dissipated, onr Holy Mother the Catholie Ceurch may flourish daily more and more throughout all nations and countries, and may reign from sea to sea to the ends of the earth, and may enjoy all peace, tranquillity and liberty; that the snner may obtain pardon, the nick healing, tbe weak strength of heart, the afflicted consolation, and that all who are in error, their spiritual blind ness being dissipated, may return to the path ef truth and justice, and may become one flo ;k and one shepherd. Let all tbe children of the Catholic church most dear to ns, hear these onr words, and, with a more ardent zeal of piety, religion and love, prooeed to worship, invoke, and pray to the most blessed Vir gin Maty, mother of God, conceived without origi nal sin, and let them fly with entire confidence to this most sweet mother of mercy and gme in all dangers, difficulties, douots, and fears. For nothing is to be feared, and nothing is to.be despaired of, nndtr her guidance, under her auspi jes, under her favor, under her protection, who, bearing towards ne a maternal affection, and taking up the business of our salvation, is solicitous fur the wnole human rare, and appointed by God the queen of heaven and earth, and exalted above all the cbiirs of an gels, and orders of saints, standing at the right naiid of the only begottoa Bon, Jesus Cnrist our Lord, intercedes most powerfully, and obtains what she a>ks, and cannot be frustrated. Finally, in order that this our definition of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Bieened Virgin Mary may be brought to the knowledge of the uni versal cnurcb, we will these letters apostolic to stand for a perpetual remembrance of the thing , commanding that to t>anacripts or printed oopies, subscribed by tbe hand of some notary pnbh:, and authenticated by the seal of a person ot eoclenaitical rank, appointed for the purpose, tbe same fait a shall be paid which would be paid to thooe presents if they ? ere exhibited or shown. Let no k man interfere with this our declaration, pronunciation and definition, or oppose and contra dict it with presumptuous rashness. if any should presume to at sail it, let him know tbat be will in cur the indignation of the Omniootent God and of bis blessed apostles, Peter and Panl. Given at Rome, at Ht. Peter's, in the year of tbe Incarnation of our Lord, 1854, the sixth of tbe Ides of December, in the ninth year of our Pontitl -.ate. i Pics IX, Pope. Later from Haytl. OCR I'OHT AV rRIKt E OOKKKSTOKOKNCJE. Port au Prince, Jan. 21, 1835. Exptcttd Arrival of a U. S. Man of iVar?Nt entity for a Vtttti Ntno and Then. Tbe U. 8. sloop of war Portsmouth is expected here soon. It is really to be regretted that oo - go. vernment does not ottener send ont a man ot war, it being now fully a year since the last, the Foiton, left. It would make the people hsre more carefu bow tbey treat the representatives of otuer nations. An example ought to be set, to show that tie American government and the people are always ready and willing to protect its citizens abroad, and to avenge outrages. P. Affair* in Venezuela. Ol'R MAKACAIBO CORKESrONDKNC*. MiRACAino, Jan. 19, 1855. A New Term of the Monagas Goeem:nenl? Inau guration of General Tadeo Monagas ? Rtview of the Rule oj Gregorio Manama*? His Friends and Finances? Pros/xcts of the Pitez Party ? Crops and Sales? Steamboat Successes, fyc. Though there is 10 particular Lews stirring in these provinces at the present time, still a few re marks regarding the condition ef this republic at this junctnie, may not be uninteresting to those of jour readers who h.?ve bosiness conn e:ti obi with Venezuela. Tomorrow will commence a new Preside atia1 term, Gen. Joee Gregorio Monagas' term expiring at midnight. Gen. Jose Tadeo Monagas commences to morrow % constitutional term of fonr years, and great hopes are entertained that his administration will prove a good one for the oountry. Dnriig the fonr years ef Jose Gregorio's adminis t rat ion, Venezuela has gone beck in the scale of nations, and not a year has parsed thU we have not had a revolutionary movement. These movements have sot been mace by the Pats party so much as by the ).aitizans of all kitda? as truly the sufferings of tbe people have been gTeat. Jose Gregorio is a well-meaning bat stnpid individual, who has allowed himself to be governed by intriguing, selfish pirti zans; and what with the excessive and barefaced robberies committed by them oo the public reve nues, and the desperate schemes resorted to to raise lunds at any price, tie fiscal condition of Venesae la hts been plunged into irret ievable confusion. Tt.e abortive attempt of Parz's friends at raising revolutions, and tbe continual state of doubt in whica tbe people have been maintained ai to his rail de signs of invasion or nu, have also powerfully contributed to keep everything unsettled. Tbe fact is, everything has been brought into a state of m >st sdmired collusion and disotder, and how the coun try is to be got straight sgain remains to b* seen. Meantime the importations contitne lively, though ?ales sre effected with much difli :nlty and a. ex traordinarily long credit*? ?av twelve and eighteen | months. Tbe crops this year pioasited to be Rood, bat in consequeoce ol scarcity ot laborers to ptck, and some very tnopportuie prol ng?d rains this m >ntn. a * rent new o' the coff e wtl! be lo?r? Our neighbor, New Uranada, is picified, tbe gov srnrr.ent troops having suxeeJsd in driving ' t,e rebellious Meio and b.a troops unti-1 Bigot*, H4eb himself having xen t*k?n criao&er. Tbe ex I'resi dent Obanlo. is a'so prisoner. ; Tbe steamboat enterprise, on this lake and the I rivers adjoining, is being crowned with smews. Mr. F. C. Gillett, the undertaker of this labori)ns j Ian, has given a specimen of want Aogto- American entei prise and energy aw capabie, as he has per w xaiij carried out the clearings of the rivers un der olicumsi?u,es which wcnld have diiheartooed almost any one. flis lab >ra wili no douot be ra il arded amply, as they fully deserve to be. Tbe bar at the entrance to ttae lake prevents ves sels of large tonnage from ooming here. Still. we have several very handsome specimens of Nee York ship building regular traders ha>e. The vessel by which this letter gees is tbe bark F. S. Casanova, named after a wealLyand moai estimable na'.ive merehant of this plaoe. She is commands 1 by Caot. ( barks M. Webber, a gentleman whose courteous manners and nprigrt dealing* have made him a g?eat favorke with uaall here. Hit passengers all speek in the highest terms of t>*o him ud his ves*:. With out anjtb.ng tuttber to communicate at present, E. I ons or an Elki-baht? Capt. McKay, of ship VR> <jod?erd, which armed at tbis port this storm ng from Cahntta. bad onboard ? noble efephaat when be left port, bat toon after getting to sea the aaimai betake very aiak. his nudrnafi Midi apparently proport.aoed to his site. Be also eiprMBcad much inconvenience from cold weatbex, altboogL ba was well clothed in (ea sels asd Baallv I e died. The irlu* of tbe anis^l >s tbls'rouatry would lave less aUi^t tt-O.M Presentation afm Gold Watch to Captain Leo* Bard, of the Second Police District? Enter tainment at Ikdrrtnf House. ?boat four o'clock on Thursday afternoon, over one hundred of the fnenda of Captain Leonard, confuting of citisens and police of the Second ward, assembled in the Irving Houm, to witness the presentation of a superb gold wateh ana chain to that worthy, efficient and much respected officer. The watch ii of most exquisite workmanship, and I* attached to a matnire chain in tended to be worn round the neck. The teal is of gold and agate, and represent* a cameleopard led by an Ara bian. On the agate are the initials of Chptain Leonard's name, "J. L.," and the eyes of the giraffe are formed of diamonds. The following is the ineeription on the ineide of the watch case ? oooocooopcoooooooooooooosoo o l'KESENTED TO JAMES LEONARD, o ? Captaui of thm SMCo.vrt Pouce Dwtbict, o O BY CITOICtB Or THB 8RC0KD WARD. O 0 O cooooocooooooooooooooooooso while on the slices is a similar inscription and the arms of the city. Before the presentation the company sat down to an eicellent entertainment, and after the cloth was re moved the P resident, Mr. A. J. Williamson, called upon Mr. Win. E. Burton, in a few felicitous remarks, toast as spokesman on behalf of the friends of Captain Leonard, by whom he had been requested to present the gift. Mr. Burton spoke aa follows: ? Mr. Chairman and Gkntlzmxm? Whan I came into thia room I had not the alighteat idea of meeting auch a nu meroua company aa I aee assembled around me; I ima gined that I was to meet some half dotenof the friends of Obtain Leonard, in a small room, In a friendly way . Aa it ia, unprepared aa I am tor the occasion, you mast take the will lor the deed. I could hare wished that some one more eloquent were selected from among those present to do justice to the merits of our friend; but a more enthusiastic friend of Captain Leonard, even in the ranks of those by whom be is surrounded, there is not. Happy and unhappy as I am in my present position, it is my agreeable duty to present to you, on belialf of your friends, this valuable testimonial of their high respect and eateem for your character as a man and an officer. I will not insult yea with fnlsome adula tion, or talk to you of yonr godly virtues, your piety, your good moral character, or by a reference to your domestic felicity? such nonsense would be ridiculous to you and to every man of common sense. (Laugh ter and applauae.) We are not here to discuss whether you go to church four times a Sun day, or wnether you kick your wife out of bed in ordsr to get a larger share of the blanket for yoursell; but I will apeak to you as an honest man, as one re spected by all who have the pleasure of your acquaint ance. (Applause.) If you had not done your duty nobly as an officer, this meeting would not have taken plact. This is a hard fact ? a substantial solid fact ? that no detraction can gainsay. You aee before you, Captain Leonard, a very fair deputation from the police of this city, your fellow oflicers, who have added their mite towarda a testimonial to their fellow laborer in the good cause of protecting the live* and property of the peo ple. You see also before you a deputation from the citizens of the Second ward, and of, y our own sincere per sonal friends, all testifying by their presence the high admiration and warm friendship which they entertain for you. (Applause.) Some years ago you were selected, with other worthy and respected gentlemen, to pro ce?d to England to represent the police of this country at the World's Fair in London, and by your conduct there you left an impression on the minds of the British creditable to the character of the American police, and not only to yourself, as a man, but as a good looking representative of the American people. It is my pleasure to present to you this msgnidcent tes timonial l'rom your tellow oflicers and the citizens of the ward in which } ou live ? a testimonial that will remind you that the time past has not been misspent, and that the future is full of promise. Adopt as your motto the word " Excelsior," and there is no knowing where an honest ambition and well directed endeavors may lead you at last. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, be kind enough to assist me in filling up a bumper to Captain Leonard, a zealous officer, an honest citizen, and a kind friend. Btra Mr. Barton filled c bumper, the company fol lowed his example by filling several bumpers, and having drank *.0 the ivast, Captain Leonard responded as fol lows: ? .ujr? I hardly know what to say in reply to tbe kind and generous remarks made by my friend, Mr. Burton but I suppose I must impute them more to his friend ; ehip than to any merit of mine. In receiving this beauti ful, this magnilicentgiftat your hands, 1 feel proud, and justly so? proud that it was gotup in tbe8econd ward, where 1 have served so many years as an officer, and where I have lived man? more aa a citizsn. I am preud,also, for another reason? I see aronnd me nearly every member of say command, and I believe, with a very few exceptions, every member who has contributed to this testimonial. The occasion is, therefore, to me one of honest pride. I commenced nearly ten years ago, ?ith the organization of the present pol ce system, aa a private, with the determination to do all that was in my power? to do all that any man could in the same po sition ? to elevate the department, and myself with the department, and 1 can now say that I have never done anything to degrade it My purpose baa been alwaya 10 aim at the highest? to da my best for the pablic, and to perform my duty to them and lb my superiors. 1 banc al waya endeavoied to do so, and although 1 am conscious of having committed errors ? and wbohMnot? ? they bave been mit- of the head, and not of the heart. (Ap plause.) 'Ihe first four or five years of my official career were bard, but 1 had formed the determination to suc ceed? to stop at nothing that would load to any ad vancement I have beeu advanced, and as a proot that 1 bave made many friends. I bave enly to look around me, (Applause.) I am, gentlemen, prouder of this than Mr Masm could be, who has been appoints! Minister to the court of Louis Napoleon. (laugh .sr snd applanss.) I am proud of thts gift for many rea sons, acd I "hall try to act In future in such a manner that no gentleman can say he regretted ever havingaub scribed to it. It will be the aim of ray life to try to de serve it by every act of mine; it will lead to more un ceasing efforts to ssrve the public and also my many warm Iriends. I can assure you that any one who knows me will tell j ou that where I try to serve a friend I do it with my whole heart and soul, and where I hate an enemy I will follow him as far aa I can. Allow me to return you my most grateful thanks for the splendid lift which you hsve this day presented to me. At the conclusion of Captain Leonard'a reply, the press, the police department, Captain Hopkins, Mr. Bur ton and other gentlemen were toasted, and speeches were made by Mr. Burton. Captain Hopkins, Mr Mc Kellar snd others, after wnich the company separated, evidently well pleased with the manner in which they had spent their time. Aid from ITen Orleans. EIL1EP FOR TBI POOR OP N*W YORK PROM TBI HOWARD ASSOCIATION OP NRW ORLEANS. Annexed will be found ths report of the distribution of tbe fundi rent to Co). CbM. I. Front, of this city, by the Howard Association of New Orleans, tor the beneSt of the v<Hir of New York. It ia due to Col. Front to state that the Howard Asso ciation of New Orleans waa fortunate in the aelectton of their agent for the disbursement of their charitable do nation among the poor. He devoted himaelf personally and diligently to Reeking out the poor and Buffering, with out (topping to aak whether the recipient* of the relief were of this or or that Met, nation or kindred, Jew or Gentile. It war enough for him to know that gaunt want ami starvation had invade*) the garret, shanty, or cellar ol the wretched poor, to indute him to enter tbelr abode*, and 'requently amid** .o&tag.ous diseases, anJ bestow the aid required. In thii ?ay he actually visited and relieved at least two hundre ! and thirty un? fami lies. ile met with many heat ?- <ling and distressing Incidents In his rounds. Id one case, he found n poor o woman ;prostrute on a 1y d of atraw, destitute ol eveijr ? omfort, ani bedridden lor days. The only frod he fo>iu. in tier miserable room wit a iiiore of ct*'.t:?h, ? small 1st of beans, and a pieje of stale 'treml, supplied by a religious charitable eocie ty. rh?*?e thn old woman could not eat, and wai Un> sinking. Hx ordered her some mutton, and bad soaie generous so ip made for her, and Kome coals to warm the apartment On a subsequent visit, the old woman had quite revived, and wfth tears streaming from tier eyea thanked Mm for his kindness. In another > a-*, he found a woman In bed who bad beer n nficed, and was uuable to leave her bed, an her irotner was forced to pawn her clothes to get bread. He redeemed her clotbea, paid a petty sum tor rent, and supplied her with tickets for breau, meat, grojerie- and coal In another .-.ase he found a woman with t-?o children in a -old garret, who had nut tasted meat for two or three weeks. p Among otbern relieved, was a poor widow with seven small t hUdren, who lived in the u pper part of a miserable shanty, which let in tb? wind through cracks in i'a sides, and rain in planes through the roof. The roum did not contain a s nit ip chair. In the bed three of the .till drer. lay covered up to keep them warm. The youngest, a beautiful boy , called "Waddy," wat only two or three years old. All the others sere under twelve years, ex cept one la?;, who w?? nut of work. Two of the ' hihlien had had th' scarlet fever, and were s'ill quite feeble. A stoie not ss large as a bat, in themddleof the room, sicund which the other poor and thinlv clad children were roucbed. all< rded the only mean < of warmth; with the theimemetei dnwn to *eru and below ? and, the won ter letaeJ to he why the whole bad not froien to death. The family oiig Dally ame from Kng'and? tbe man ?n a tailor, got out ol work, grew gloomy, and one night fuCdeniy disappeared, and it waa believed committed lluick* On enqirry among the poor neighbors near by, <he womat. was found to bear a good character for in dustry and ?..brief j, and was much att^hed to her chil dren, for whom she straggled to the utmost, and sent the old's' of them to a Sunday school. Tbis <a?e wae (I such a chnra ter as t ? cause Colonel}* r*at to give btr 110 worn, of tickets for brand, meat, groceries, and coal, which the poor woman th inked him for, with tears in her eyes while her children were clinging to her with mute astonishment. A gieat msny other cases eonld be g.ven upon whom tbe i-bsrity of tbe New Orleans Howard Association tell like dew from heaven. The form of bis tickets was aa follows occceecceeeceoooocecoeooao? ? " o How > tiii A?mm urron o? S*w Otitic. o o Good for Ooe Dellar in Meat. o 0 CHAS I? FROST, o e Te Coiokki I'rvo*, o ? Jefferson Market o ? o cceececcooceceeeoceoecoooeo Similar lit kets were mad* out repaiately for on* dol lar in breao. one m groceriea, and ooe ia con!, and di tected to resn'f'bW and reeoertable parti** e iga?ed in th* linee of business to which they referred. E* rae"ore?t a great many petty yet ne easary articles a? poor Tamil es from th* | awnbrokere, and paid small arrears !or text, t? pre v*xt th?i Urng cast ato the streets by heartless landlord!, daring the extreme cold weather. In leaking hi* final distribution of the fundi, he hopes that thote eocietiee nod associations to whom be has u xigned portion* of the funds, will beatow it on the poor in the same liberal spirit whieh animated its noble donor*, and tru*t* that they will *eek out the poor with out regard to *eet, creed, or nationality, and dispense relief to them by uilng ticket*, *ach a* he ha* used, a? that the recipient* may know that the a d they receive ba* been derived from that noble aaaoaiation, which ha* 10 long faced death and diaeaae in every form in New OTiean*, and given their aid to all, irrespective of creed, nation, kindred or tongne. Those benevolent loeietlea of New York, to whom a diviaion of the funds ha* been assigned, are made thw almoner* for it* faithful distribution, and should, by seeking out the poor, employ it to the best advantage. Amidst all that liat been done for the poor of New York, we doubt if any other two thouaand dollar* waa ever better applied than that sent to Ool. Frost by the How ard Association of New York. the fund lent to Col. Charle* L. Pro*t by the Howard Association of New Orleani, for the benefit of the poor of New York ha* been appropriated as follow*:? Widow*' Relief Association WOO 00 Children's AidFoclety 100 00 Female Assistant Society 100 00 Nursery at St. Marks place 100 00 Women's Prison Association and Home. 100 00 Female Employment Society of'Brooklyn 60 00 St. David Benevolent Society of New York and Brooklyn MOO 8t. Patrick Benevolent Society of Now York 60 00 St. Andrew's do 60 00 St. George's do 60 00 German Benevolent Society do 60 00 Distributed to 169 families meat, bread and gro cery tickets 477 00 Do. coal to 72 families 104 44 Paid for clothing, rents, medicine tni pawn ticket* 103 64 Bread tickets to be distributed by Wm. Miller, Fifteenth ward, and Mr*. Weeden, Seventeenth ward 108 00 Total $2,000 00 The societie* mentioned above who have not received the appropriation can have the same upon application ot the Treasurer, to Messrs. Frost it Forrest, 140 Pearl street. The Unemployed WorkJngmen. workwomen's review or THE retort op the FINANCE COMMITTEE OF TOT BOARD OP COUNCIL MEN ON THE SUBJECT OP THE MEMORIAL AND PETITIONS OF THE UNEMPLOYED. To tot Honorahlk tub Board or Cocxcfimki op Tat Citt op Nkw York: Grxtuoun? The report of your Finance Committee, to whom was referred the memorial and petitiona of the un employed workingmen of New York, has at length been made public, and is now before us. It is, of course, ad verse to granting the prayer of your memorialists and petitioners. They ask for an appropriation of Ave hun dred thousand dollars, to be applied to the erection, on the lands and lot* belonging to New York, of bnildings suitable for the occupancy of the tenantry of the eity. Your committee pronounce the measure unconstitution al, inexpedient, unwiae and unjuit. Further than this, while they graciously condescend to agree with the work ingmen that much of the distress now ? lining i* due to an "overstocked market," tliey advise them to concentrate all tbeir power in an appeal to the United State* Con gress to prohibit the immigration of foreign laborers into this country, in order to diminish the competition ol workmen with one another in the labor market. They offer this advice, too, at the same time -.hey denounce the motives which have influenced the workingmen a* the natural growth aud offshoot of foreign socialistic re volutionary principle*. And this report lia* been referred to the committee of tlie whole Board of Councilmen for futare action. Now. gentlemen, a* native* of the cfcited States, citi rens of New York, and your memorialist* and petitioners, we approach you in ttii* way through the public press, since jou have decided not to hear your constituent* in person, to take an appeal from the report of your com mittee, and to **k you to overrule it. Your committee are mistaken in s.ippo-ng that you have no power under the charter of tbe city to grant onrpTayer. You have, if you but will it. You can divide five hundred thouaand dollar* into two thouiand equal part* of two hundred and tiftv dollar* each, and ilireut that they be successively applied to the pur posts required on live hundred of the Ave thousand building lot* belonging to the city, without contract, and in th?s way afford employment to many hundreds of the working men now vainly seeking it at the hand* of prl vate capitalists. And why ihould you not do this'' Is the reason given by your committee, that it would be nnjust to these capitalist* lor the city to compete with them in thi* good work, sufficient to justify you in set ting aside the ju*t claim* of labor at your hands? Was the city government instituted to protect capital only? If so. it i* high time that the people knew it, and per mit us to add, for you, in the r behali', to do your ut most to charge the character of the government. If that be indeed the purpose for which it was originated, It is that purpose which is unconstitutional, and it is your duty to ignore it. Your committee say, that if the Corporation should built* houses for the tenantry of the city, this same tenantry might as well 'claim to be sup plied with coal, flour, sc., trom the rame source But, gentlemen, they knew, and you know, thai trere iea wide citlereuoe between buying and rentiug. The gnat evil the tenantry complain oil*, that certain men are permit ted by law to live without any labor upon the products of the labor of others, in the shape of rent. They think the money they pay for rent ought to go to purchase the house* they hire. They ars right. But the money is cot so applied. There is no limit te the amount of rent the landlords may require of tbem, *o long an the demand for bouses ex c enh lb* supply. Indeed, the more not they pay, tbe Itss likely are they to become the owners of tbe houses tliey pay for, and which, perhape, their own lianas have erected. Ibey do, therefore, eon ceive that it ia the duty of government to compete with landlord* in web a way that, by limiting the per centage required to be paid a* rent, tbe tenantry may be enabled U> lave something wherewith to bay at laat tbe dwellings tbey inhabit. Tbe argument of your committee, that tbe performance of this duty by the government would "tend to depress and smother the spirit of enterprise which to remarkably distinguishes landlords, adorning tbe city with architectural and palatial uplendor," Ac , instead of affording any good reason for its ooo- perform ance, really furnishes the very best reason which could be given for attending to it forthwith. It there are pa laces on tbe Fifth avenue, there are bo vela, cellars, attieii, at tbe Five Points, almost unfit for pigs to inha bit, but which are nevertheless rented to human being* at a per centage increasing in proportion to tbeir unfit ness for human habitations. Gentlemen, it baa often been said that, although almost every thing else were subjects of monopoly, tbe air of heaven was at least free from its balefnl influence. This proud boast, we are sorry to say, is by no means true. Here, in tbese cellars, attics, and miserable hovels, the atmosphere ia, in fact, marketable? tli ose whom unfortunate circumstanoee compel to breathe it, being constrained to pay for the privilege most in proportion to its vitiating and health - destroying Influences.. Let us, therefore, beg you to disregard the obaervations of your committee ia refer ence to the enterprise of that Urge portion of tbeir fellow citiaens "especially engaged in real estate op-ra tions." The tenantry of New York were fetter without them; for although tbey have undoubtedly a legal rlgbt to pursue their busneee unmo lested, the said tenantry are under no obliga te ns to prefer them to the Corporation, with which thty may contract more a<l van tag eon sly, as tbe several members thereof being tbe represen tatives of the people, and teeeiving salaries there from, are presumed to consult the best intereet* of their constituency and the common weal more '.ban tbe cor - : tainty of their own individual gains. (ientlemen. your committee do, indeed. say, that be 1 cause tbe workingmen demand relief '? not as -harity, ' ' 1 but " as a right," and because the ''Common Council ' simply act as 1 1 unlets to disburse the public funds con - I tributrd to tbe treasury by all nlas-os of fellow-clti i >i os," tbey, tbe workingmen, your memr riahsta, hare i no rtfht to demacd that any portion of ths said funds ' shall be expended for their especial bom lit. But it ia I the fact tbat all city taxes are paid by that class of fel low-eltiMns who pay rent, for the taxes assessed upon ' landlords are paid by tneir tenants, and no persons know this fact better than your committee. If, then, tbe persons who psy tsxes for any particular purposes, i bare a right to direct tbat the manner in which said ' tsxes shall be disbursed shall inurs to the.r benefit, the t? nun try of New York hare this right. Tt ey do. tnere fote, appeal to you, their repreeentativee, to expend tbe ' city taxes in their behalf. Tbey ground tbeir appeal I upon their inherent right to the appropriation tbey ask, lot It is, after all, but tbeir own money that tbey require I the use of. Tbe recommondation of your committee to the work nRBM n, to unite in an appeal to tbe national go v e, onieat , to prohibit the " importation o! pauper laborers t rem Europe in order to be relieved from their competi tion In tbe labor market, tbey, the workingmen, look upon *? an insult. In tbel^udgmerit, tbe l'nlte<! -'tatee govern inf nt might as well prohibit by Isw the birth nf satire boi u Americans, to sccempliaii the same end. Compe tition is an evil onlv because labor ft a mirfce table eom modity, or because labor Is dependent upon capital in the bands of other persons I bsn tbe laborers, whether of loreign or native origin, its etlects are precisely the same, and, in this case the competltiou 'ha*, working men have most reason to fear, is that of r.*tive growth. | Hu- greatest distress Is felt aiming the icaoufa tunng and mechanical portion of tbe poj ulation, which ia almost exclusively nstive horn American, in con<e ,,uence of tbe Inability of farmer* in tbe interior or the ' r on* try, owning more Land in proportion than they do | of i ther capital, thirs is a constant, un> eas ng migration t? tals tnd alt other Commercial and m?nu'acturing j cities and towns, and it is to tbe competition thus crested tbat tbe existing distress i* mainiv attributable. ! 1 he statistics of the Commissioners of Emigration, and of I t he United ctaU-s centos conclusively show that more than nice tenths of the foreign immigrants leave this city for tbe far West, upon tbe rolling pra rios o( wh?cL they tnuat. ' a nd make tbeir home, thereby becoming tbeir own employ* ?It. There in no means of relieving tbe overstocked I msrket, except by tsk ng labor out of the market alto K-ther. Your memorialists and petitioners have, accor i oingly, united in a meisonal to the United Sutea govern ment, sn<l to the State legislature, to i.mit the quantity of land tbat any person may acquire, and to prohibit any person from obtaining land but those who will settle upon and cultivate It for tbenselvee, and to supply such persons (rum as over flowing treasury with the means or effecUng su n settle mint snd cultivation. On their farm", in tbeir own : ??? ps, workmen may < ompete with one ano'her without | da i iter Equally possesatd of the means of earning a I livelihood, they would be content so to dc. witbout mutu ally striving to acquire fortunes at tbe expens?of each ethers' life bleod. Equally protected by law, tbe will of s'l, if never before, would tben be guaraate*>l by tb? fowsr of all, and the |#ople would become in fact, a* well as in cssae. the artificers of their own destiny, "sovereign over all " WllLJAM WKBT. WILLIAM .vRBCTHMOT. PKSJ. PRICE. WILLIAM X'Jlt. Nrt T?i. M if, Iffl