Bardaxi de Azara, ancient audtior of the Rota; and one Portuguese cardinal, Charles de Cunha, patriarch of Lisbon. There were also thirteen cardinals reserved in petto by the late pope, and it does not appear that he declared any of them before his death. Thus the fifty-three cardinals who compose the sacred college, forty-five are Italians, and seven only are foreigners. Among the whole number there are but two religious, cardinals Castelli, and Zurla. It cannot be ascertained how many cardinals will assist at the conclave, as several of the foreign cardinals will not have it in their power to attend, and probably some of the Italians will be absent from illness or infirmity; for there are six cardinals who are upwards of eighty years of age; thirteen who are turned of seventynine; twenty-three who are between sixty and sixty-nine; eight from fiftythree to fifty-nine; and only three who have not yet reached their fortyfifth year. At the last cnclave there were thirty-five cardinals assembled, all Italians with the exception of three. Ten cardinals were absent. 'It continued three months. The shortest conclave held during the preceeding century was that of 1721, at which Innocent the thirteenth was elected; it was concluded at the expiration of forty days: and the longest was that of 1740, at which Benedict the 15th was elected; for this conclave was assembled during six entire months, in which time five cardinals died. Of the long succession of popes, fourteen have been Frenchmen, five Germans, three Spaniards, and Portuguese, one was an Englishman, two have been Africans, eight Thrasians, Goths, and Dalmitians, and the rest have all been Italians. Immediately after the decease of his holiness, cardinal Pacca, the chamberlain assumed the principal authority in Rome, and he will continue to govern during the vacancy, and concert with the three cardinals, who are chiefs of the orders. Telegraphic dispatches and couriers were sent off, to announce to the different courts of Europe an event which so nearly concerns the Catholic world, and as soon as the news has been officially received, the bishops of the different diocesses have issued pastorals, directing their clergy to offer up the holy sacrifice of the mass for the repose of the soul of the late holy father, and to supplicate the Almighty that a worthy and apostolic successor may be placed in the chair of St. Peter. In this country, the venerable vicars apostolic, seconded by their clergy, and by the laity, have displayed a loyal zeal in rendering due respect to the memory of the deceased pontiff. In the different chapels of the me. tropolis, and the neighbourhood, mass was celebrated on the same day, and at several a solemn dirge was performed. The chapel of St. Thomas the apostle was hung in black during three days. The chapel of Hampstead was also hung with black, and the dirge performed with awful solemnity. It was on Tuesday the 23d of September, that the right Rev. Dr. Poynter, the beloved and venerated vicar apostolic of the London district, assisted by his coadjutor, and nearly all, of his clergy residing in London and its vicinity, with some who had come from a distance, celebrated a pontifical high mass, and delivered an affecting and impressive discourse in his metropolitan chapel of St. Mary, Moorfields, where a solemn dirge was performed, which exceeded any thing of its kind attempted in this kingdom since the days of the reformation, if we except the dirge which took place in St. Patrick's chapel, Sutton-street, after the death of pope Pius the sixth: the expenses of which were defrayed, according to report, by a branch of the royal family, RITES OF SEPULTURE. There has been a good deal of talk in Dublin about the refusal of a sex ton to allow a Roman Catholic clergyman to read the burial service in the church-yard of the parish of St. Kevin, at the grave of a Mr. d'Arcy. The sexton is said to have intimated, that he acted under the injunctions of the archbishop of Dublin. The following opinion of Mr. O'Connell, on the subject, has been published in the Irish papers : "There is no statute law preventing a Catholic priest from praying for a deceased Catholic in a church yard. The mistake on this subject originates in a misapprehension (frequently a wilful one), of the statute of the 21st and 22d of the late king, cap. 24, sec. 1. But that section contains no prohibition. It is not in itself any enactment of a positive or affirmative nature. It operates merely by way of exception, and it simply deprives such Catholic priest as may officiate at a funeral in a church or church-yard,' of the benefits conferred by that act. "Now, no Catholic priest at present want the benefit of that act at all. It is, in truth, now a dead letter remaining with much similar lumber on the Statute Book, creating no rights, constituting no privations, useless in its enactments, nugatory in its exceptions. "The next question asked me is whether the praying for the dead by a Catholic priest at a funeral or in a church yard is prohibited by the common law? My answer is, that it is not. The Catholic religion had preexistence in the common law; it was adopted into the common law as part and parcel of that law. So the law continued until what was called the reformation, in the reign of Henry VIII. The Catholic religion being thus part and parcel of the common law, it follows, necessarily, that praying FOR the dead could not be prohibited either at funerals, in churchyards, or elsewhere. On the contrary, it was at common law part of the duty of the priest, and he was bound to pray for the dead at funerals or in church-yards. And it was reciprocally one of the rights of the king's subjects at common law to have prayers said for the dead by Catholic priests at funerals and in Church-yards. Thus, such prayers not being prohibited, but, on the contrary, being enjoined at common law, and there being no statute to forbid such praying, it follows, as a matter of course, that no Catholic priest can be legally prevented from praying for a deceased Catholic at a funeral in a church-yard. "The next question turns upon the mode of redress, should a Catholic priest be prevented from thus officiating. As to that, I am of opinion (but with some doubts) that an action would lie at the suit of the executors of the deceased against any person who prevented a Catholic priest from. praying in the church-yard over the body of their testator. But, as I am unwilling to advise litigation where it may be avoided, I think the best remedy would be found in the peaceful but determined assertion of the right. Let the friends of the deceased peaceably surround the priest and the body during the service. Let any violence which may arise come from the preventing parties, and then the individuals to whom that violence may be used will have a distinct right of action, or may proceed by indictment against the persons who use force. In many counties there may be the natural and usual apprehension that the magistrates tinged (to speak moderately) with Orange, may not do strict justice to the Catholics on an occation of this sort, in every such case the indictment, as soon as found should be removed by certiorari into the King's Bench, where every body is sure of meeting impartial justice.If grand juries, acting on a similar bad feeling, throw out the bills of indictment, the Court of King's Bench, upon making out, by affidavit, a proper case for that purpose will grant a criminal information. "Thus it will be found that there are abundant means for the Catholics to maintain this their undoubted right. I am decidedly of opinion that it ought to be asserted. The Catholics may as well at once abandon the tombs of their fathers and relatives, as submit to the petty and tyrannical bigotry which now seeks, unjustly and illegally, to deprive them at moments of the greatest and most bitter sorrow, of the awful but melancholy consolations of their holy religion. "I therefore repeat my decided opinion, that the Catholics have a right to these prayers, and that such right should be exerted with determination, but peaceably and without any illegal violence whatever. "DANIEL O'CONNELL." OPENING OF THE NEW CATHOLIC CHAPEL IN ULVERSTONE. ; On Tuesday, the 9th inst. this beautiful little chapel was opened for divine service a grand high mass was sung by the Rev. John Morris, assisted by the Rev. Mr. Albot, as deacon; the Rev. Mr. Fairclough, as sub-deacon the Rev. Mr. M'Hugh (pastor of the congregation) as inaster of the ceremonies, and attended by six other reverend gentlemen. The choir was admirably conducted by Mr. Gillows Mr. Kay, from Liverpool, a gentleman of superior science, generously conferred his assistance on the organMessrs. Kenshall and Cann, and Mr. and Mrs. Gillow, were the chief vocal performers, all from Liverpool, whose powers in sacred music are known, and which were exerted with great judgment and admirable effect on this occasion. After the gospel a controversial discourse was delivered by the Rev. J. Bird, in the course of which he demonstrated the necessity of an infallible authority in matters of religion, congratulated the Catholics on the progress of their religion in every part of the kingdom-he exhorted them to a constant and regular attendance in that chapel, which had been raised with so much care and industry by their worthy pastor, and where they and their children may be fed with the bread of life, and instructed in the true faith without the least error. exorted persons of other communions also to attend and hear the real ténets and precepts of the Catholic church, which had been so shamefully misrepresented he powerfully exhorted them seriously to enter upon the investigation, in order that they be no longer unhappily tossed to and fro,, and carried away with every wind of doctrine. After the prayer for the King, the "Domine salvum fac regem" was sung in excellent style. In the afternoon vespers and complin were chanted alternately by the clergy and choir with the happiest effect-after He At Kensington, in consequence of the rupture of a blood vessel, the Rev. Gilles Vielle, aged 65 years. This worthy clergyman, who was a native of France, had for many years past officiated as pastor to the Catholic congregation at Kensington. At Rome, on the 22d of July, aged 43 years, William Money, esq. late of Norfolk. Drowned, while bathing off Brighton, on the 12th of September, Mr. Joseph Edward Tucker, aged 21 years, late of South Molton-street, London. On the 18th inst. the hon. Mrs. Butler, aged 82, at Twickenham. The Rev. Peter Alexis Massot, aged 71 years. He was many years chaplain at the chapel, Spanish place, but infirmities and the loss of his sight had obliged him to retire for some time past-his amiable manners and exemplary piety endeared him to all who knew him. Found dead in his bed, on the 19th of September, the Rev. Francis Joseph Cheorollais, late missionary at Stratford, in Essex. This gentleman was an ancient Lazarist. and inherited all the spirit of his great patron saint Vincent de Paul-he was indefatigable as a missionary, and a zealous protector and efficient supporter of the schools which he himself had established for the gratuitous education of the children of his congregation, which, perhaps, is the most indigent of any in the neighbourhood of Londou. Ambrose Cuddon, Printer, 2, Carthusian-street, Aldersgate-street. THE pure and spotless life of this holy man, after he had entered the religious state, was long a subject of admiration and edification, among the Franciscan brethren; and has formed the groundwork of a poem which appeared soon after his death. It commences thus: An English translation of his life written by a French author was published at Doway in 1623, and it is principally from this work that we have selected the following details. He was born at Canfield, in Essex, of parents possessing considerable property; and was the second of three brothers, the eldest of whom inherited his father's landed property, and the third son married a rich widow, advanced himself in life, and received the order of knighthood. William from his very childhood was so attached to books and to learning, that even while pursuing the sports of the chase he usually carried a book in his pocket, that should an opportunity offer, he might be en abled to steal a few minutes, for what had always constituted his chief delight-the cultivation of literature. After he had made a considerable proficiency in learning, he was sent by his father to study in Gray's-inn, London, where he made a rapid progress in acquiring a knowledge of the law; and as he was the favourite child of his parents, he received every pecuniary assistance and attention which it was in the power of his father to bestow. Although he was addicted to no flagrant vice, he nevertheless gave in to all the follies and frivolous amusements which are generally followed by young men of his own age. He had no fixed religious ideas; however he called himself a Protestant, and frequented the Protestant churches. It happened that while he was spending a few days in the country, at the house of a friend, he accidentally took up a small book, which he had previously heard highly extolled; it treated of a resolution to live well, and he acknowledges in the following words the effect produced on him by the perusal of this little tract: "After I had read some little thereoff, I began to see the end whereat hee aimed, which was a present and speedie reformation of the life of the reader; whereupon I was desirous to see what arguments hee used to persuade thereto, and if peradventure, I liked them well, I would put them in practise. But in reading I began to have a remorse of conscience, and therefore I left the book for the present, with a purpose to reade more thereof the next day, the which was Sunday.""But on Tuesday I took the book again into my hands, and I read therein many pages, during which time I laboured to favour myselfe, as though torments which were threatened to sinners were not touching me, although my conscience reproved me therein. But the more I read the more my conscience accused mee, soe that I began to assigne and limitt a time wherein I would amende my life." By a providential coincidence of circumstances, it so occurred that a Catholic gentleman, for whom he entertained the greatest degree of friendship, was also upon a visit at the same house. To this friend he unbosomed himself; and described to him the unsettled state of his mind; his religious scruples; and the perplexity in which he found himself involved, how to |