Fifteen short months scarce passed away, The youngest of that little band, Was plucked and dashed into the deep, Five years rolled on, and all was bright Began, alas! to droop, to fade, In spite of friend's unwearied care; Nor could by any means, be stayed, The gnawing at the heart-so rare. The leaves dropped off, the blossoms fell, And death closed up the mournful scene! Ah, this was but the solemn knell, Of future sorrows yet unseen. A few more months, and sadder still, Shot forth its lightnings in a blaze, Stern nature's sad, but firm decree! The blossoms, verdure, branches, drop, A moment totters, waves its top, Then yielded to the cruel blast, And fell amid the sighs of those, Who in amazement, stood aghast, Those blooming trees are animate, No more on earth will Jacob dwell, But from the tomb his voice proclaims, O" weep not Mary, it is well," Regard, dear friends, the Saviour's claims. Monthly Record. FOREIGN ITEMS. ENGLAND THE GREAT EXHIBITION.-A Mr. Miller, of Edinburgh, estimates the number of persons who will visit the great Exhibition, at 7,000,000; and calculates that the English Railway Companies will be enriched to the extent of £42,000,000. OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.-This took place, February 4, with great pomp. The long speech of Lord John Russell, which followed the royal speech of her Majesty, produced considerable sensation, and was applauded by hearty cheers. He took strong ground against the Catholics, and proposed that "All gifts and bequests made to Catholic prelates," under the new papal arrangements," shall be null and void." That any act done by them in their official capacities, should be null and void that property so bequeathed, should at once pass to the Crown -and that all Catholic functionaries should be prohibited from assuming titles derived, not only from any Anglican diocese, but from any district or place in the United Kingdom. Parliament, after four nights of earnest debate, permitted Lord John Russell to introduce his bill of pains and penalties, by a majority of three hundred and thirty-two. It is confidently stated that the Dutchess of Kent, the Queen's mother, and the Dutchess of Sutherland, the Queen's Lady-in-Waiting, and the richest peeress in England, are on the eve of becoming members of the Catholic Church. As there is so much Catholic influence even in Parliament, and among the nobility, it is not, perhaps, strange, that there should be so much excitement, in reference to the new attitude of papal power in England. Since the Reformation, the Catholic church in that kingdom has been governed by "Vicars Apostolic," who have usually been nominal bishops, having a territorial title from some foreign country. England has seemed disposed to favor the Catholics for several years, and the Pope has ventured to establish there the usual form of Episcopal government, which exists generally in Catholic countries, and in the United States. By this new arrangement, the prelates are under the control of the canon law, which is designed to establish the supremacy of the Pope, and raise the clergy and the Catholic church above, and make them entirely independent of the temporal power. This law applies to Protestants as well as to Catho lics, and Archbishop Wiseman, who has its execution committed to him, is bound to inflict its pains and penalties, upon all throughout the kingdom, who disobey it. Even the Parliament and Queen, are considered as under its jurisdiction. The same law exists in this country, and its penalties would undoubtedly be inflicted upon Protestants, if the Catholics had sufficient power to warrant them in making the diabolical attempt. The Vicars Apostolic have no power, excepting what they receive directly from the Pope by briefs or special directions, at particular times. The church of England tends to Puseyism, and Puseyism to Popery, and there is, perhaps, really danger from the Catholic encroachments. Hence the panic throughout the kingdom. The Austrian government has officially demanded, that punishment shall be in. flicted upon those persons who assaulted Gen. Haynau in London; but the English government decline doing any thing about it. GERMANY.—By foreign papers of Feb. 1, we learn from Hamburg that the Austrians have taken occupation of that free city, and that those unwelcome guests are preparing to occupy Lubeck with a detachment of fifteen hundred troops. The new Government for Holstein has published a proclamation to the inhabitants of the Duchy. The fundamental laws of the 15th September, 1848, are abolished, and the Diet dissolved. In the attempt to settle the affairs of Germany, there is an understanding between Austria and Prussia, that the new Executive Committee shall be composed of eleven votes, of which they shall have two each. The committee of the old confederation, consisted of seventeen votes, of which Austria and Prussia had one each. AUSTRIA.-The Prague Gazette announces the complete rupture of the diplomatic relations between Austria and the United States. This is in consequence of the reception of the Austrian Minister, M. Hulseman's complaint at Washington, in respect to our kind treatment of the noble Kossuth, to which we alluded in our last. If the two powers were nearer they might have a brush. Papers of Feb. 9, from Vienna, announce that an Austrian army of observation of 40,000, was concentrating along the western frontier of Lombardy. POLAND.-The London Times states that an enormous Russian army has been concentrating for some time past, in that unfortunate country, for what purpose it is not stated. FRANCE-RESIGNATION OF THE Ministry agaiN.--January 18th, the Ministry resigned, in consequence of the following resolution having been adopted by a large majority in the National Assembly: "That the Assembly declares that it has no confidence in the ministry, and passes to the order of the day." Finding it impossible to compose a Ministry out of the parliamentary elements at his disposal, Louis Napoleon has had recourse to the formation of a Ministry from public functionaries, who are not representatives. The new Ministry, so chosen, is as follows: Gen. Randon, War; Waisse, Interior; Germiny, Finance; Magne, Public Works; Brennier, Foreign Affairs; Royer, Justice; Vaitiant, Marine; Giraud, Public Instruction; Schneider, Agriculture and Commerce. None of these are representatives. Germiny was Receiver General at Rome; Giraud the Inspector General of Universities; Schneider the manager of Iron-works at Creuzot. Several arrests of alleged conspirators have been made in Paris, and a large quantity of gunpowder has been seized. The dotation bill to relieve the finances of Louis Napoleon has been lost in the Assembly, by a majority of 102. The financial condition of the country is in a bad state, the estimated expenses, over receipts, for the present year being 155,514,000 francs. There has been a change of the ministry, three times in three weeks, and the President has so adroitly managed, that his power has, on the whole, been augmented. The French Government have vigorously remonstrated against the entrance of Austria with all her estates, into the German confederation. ITALY-The POPE-Prospect of anOTHER REVOLUTION.-A letter, published in the London Times states that the Pope, deeming another revolution inevitable, has resolved to retire to a monastery. Letters from Brest state that the French war steamers which cruised off the Italian coast, have captured a vessel belonging to Mazzini's committee, and sail ing under the Portuguese flag. Private letters from Geneva, of January 29, state that the refugees-French, Poles, Germans, Italians, &c.-who had been sent into the Canton de Vaud have all returned to that city and its neighborhood. Mazzini is still in Geneva, and for some time past, has been actively engaged in the recruiting service of the revolution. He has money in abundance. Numbers of men--the far greater part refugees-are recruited, receive pay in advance, and are regularly drafted off to England, whence a part of this new expedition will set out. A considerable sum is set apart for the purchase of arms also in England, and these calculations seem to be made as if the certainty existed of completing the preparations for again lighting the flame of civil war over the whole of the Italian peninsula. It is proposed to create three Cardinals for the United States. MADAGASCAR-PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS.-In June last eight thousand Christians at Imirena, being assembled together one evening in different places engaged in religious exercises, were all arrested and condemned to death. Eighteen of them had already been executed, when all the rest found means of escape, fled to the palace of the prince, and implored his protection. The prince took them under his care. The fact having come to the knowledge of the Queen, she ordered her grand marshal and first minister, Rainharo, to convey her orders to the prince, her son, to surrender all these Christians for execution. The grand marshal proceeded to intimate this order to the prince, who refused to obey it, declaring that the Christians were under his protection, and that if any one had the hardihood to force his palace, with a view to their seizure, he would put him instantly to death. High words then took place between the prince and the grand marshal, the latter intimating to the former that he was acting in open rebellion to the Queen, his mother. The prince becoming impatient, and having strong motives for resentment against the grand marshal, drew his sword and aimed a |