344 IN THE DIPLOMATIC SERVICE-XXIV 



sundry Austrians and Belgians, who depend on clerical 

 support for their political existence, and, in some 

 cases, for their daily bread; and the result is that M. 

 Descamps, one of the most eminent international lawyers 

 in Europe, who has rendered great services during the 

 conference, but who holds a professorship at the Univer 

 sity of Louvain, and can hold it not one moment longer 

 than the Jesuits allow him, is making a great display of 

 feeling on the subject. Italy, of course, continues to take 

 the strongest ground against the proposal to admit his 

 Holiness as an Italian sovereign. 



Our position is, as was well stated in the great com 

 mittee by Mr. Low, that the contracting parties must all 

 consent before a new party can come in; and this under 

 one of the simplest principles of law. We ought also 

 to add that any power thus admitted shall not only con 

 sent to arbitrate on others, but to be arbitrated upon. 

 This, of course, the Vatican monsignori will never do. 

 They would see all Europe deluged in blood before they 

 would submit the pettiest question between the kingdom of 

 Italy and themselves to arbitration by lay powers. All 

 other things are held by them utterly subordinate to the 

 restoration of the Pope s temporal power, though they 

 must know that if it were restored to him to-morrow he 

 could not hold it. He would be overthrown by a revolu 

 tion within a month, even with all the troops which 

 France or Austria could send to support him ; and then 

 we should have the old miserable state of things again 

 in Italy, with bloodshed, oppression, and exactions such 

 as took place throughout the first half of this century, 

 and, indeed, while I was in Italy, under the old papal 

 authority, in 1856. 



In the afternoon to the &quot; House in the Wood&quot; to go 

 over documents preliminary to signing the &quot; Final Act.&quot; 



July 28. 



In the afternoon in plenary session of the conference, 

 hearing the final reports as to forms of signing, etc. 



