the duties of President until a successor to Mgr. Baines should have been appointed. The choice of Leo XIII fell upon the Very Rev. William Hilton, then Provost of the Chapter of the Diocese of Shrewsbury who entered upon the duties of his office on September 6, 1883. In the June of the following year intimation having been conveyed to him by the Nuncio that His Holiness would be pleased if he paid a visit to Rome, he proceeded thither and was kindly received by the Pope and raised to the dignity of Domestic Prelate, returning to Lisbon on January 11, 1885. Ever since his appointment he has had to contend with difficulties arising from the diminished resources of the College. The conversion of their Public Debt by many of the countries in whose Securities the funds of the Establishment had been invested, has greatly diminished its revenue, and necessitated an economy of expenditure much to be regretted. In 1896 it was discovered that very serious and expensive repairs could no longer be delayed, as the roof both of the house and church had become so far deteriorated, that mere partial repairs were absolutely impracticable. A complete reroofing of the Establishment was accordingly decided upon, and it is pleasing to record, as indicating the affection of her sons for Alma Mater, that many Lisbon priests on the Mission willingly came forward with subscriptions to the object, and have thus very materially aided in the completion of the work, which has been carried out in the most thorough and satisfactory manner.
The redecoration of the interior of the College Church which in the straitened state of the finances it had been impossible to attempt was, in 1898, provided for by the Right Rev. Monsignor James Lennon, Notary Apostolic, an alumnus of the College, who whilst on a visit generously gave for this purpose the munificent donation of £1000. On the same occasion an additional burse for the education of one student was established by the Very Rev. William Canon Croft of Lincoln, who also is an alumnus of the College.
