Some Accnitnt of the late Neapolitan Revolution. [June 1, 



404 



Holy Alliance to his people. But as 

 Italy has no longer a press, we shall 

 speak for her through our o^vn. 



PROCEEDINGS of GOVERNMENT. 



(From, the Minerva NeapolUana-J 

 Tlie history of Naples for the short 

 space of the month of July 1820, is suf- 

 ficient to cancel that of previous ages. 

 Even the sixth and ninth clay of that 

 fortunate period will be more important 

 to posterity tliau all the remaining por- 

 tion of our annals. 



We have, indeed, reason to be proud 

 that the promise of liberty dawning on 

 us in these glorious days, has been so 

 richly fulfilled, that it bears more re- 

 semblance to a fabulous than a real 

 state of things. The most sanguine of 

 us were surprised. Not a drop of blood 

 disgraced the triumph of our cause; 

 the unanimous will of the people 

 achieved what the force of arms seldom 

 eft'ects without tiie loss of life. 



Surprised and agitated by these great 

 and unexpected events, our contem- 

 poraries have as yet scarcely ventured 

 upon a detailed narration of them : we 

 trust the future historian will be better 

 capable of appreciating them, when the 

 causes and circumstances which led to 

 our political redemption shall be fairly 

 discovered iind considered, and the in- 

 justice of the present age atoned for, 

 which presumed tiiat we were unequal 

 to the undertaking, and even incapable 

 of the design. Perliaps the people most 

 forward to u])braid us were those who 

 had either stained the cause of liberty 

 with blood, or most easily suffered 

 themselves to be deprived of it. 



We leave to time the task of inform- 

 ing the world whether those Avho have 

 been enabled to ruin the precious gift 

 of liberty, have courage to defend it. 

 In order to follow the plan we have laid 

 down, we shall now allude to those 

 acts of government which gave rise to 

 the new political system we have 

 adopted. We shall, however, pass 

 over the particular organic acts of the 

 constitution, and the Viceroyship of 

 the Duke of Calabria. 



One of the first and most necessary 

 acts of reform was to abolish the hateful 

 office of our police. This monstrous 

 system, whicli originated in France, 

 was established at Naples, under the 

 pretext of preventing crimes, and soon 

 became an instrument of the most base 

 and absolute oppression. The secrecy 

 with which it was conducted, its inqui- 

 sitorial and arbitrary opeiation was in 

 direct opposition to the feelings and 



opinion of the nation. It was, more- 

 over, latterly deficient in dexterity, and 

 in the power of penetrating or arresting 

 the progress of public sentiment whicli 

 was ra[)Kily preparing the great woik 

 which has since taken place. Hence 

 the name of police suggested the idea 

 only of a weak and useless establish- 

 ment. A commission of public safety, 

 decreed on the Jth of July, was re- 

 ceived with public approbation, as well 

 because it consisted of a greater number 

 of citizens as embracing a more free 

 and popular title. It remains with the 

 commission, since called ihv: council of 

 public safefi/, to shew the distinction 

 between sucli an institution and that of 

 the former police. 



The nomination of a provisory 

 junta of government, distinguished the 

 memorable 9th of July, a day in which 

 the army of the constitution, animated 

 by numbers and by courage, entered 

 triumphantly into the capital. 



The I3th was signalized by the oath 

 taken in presence of the assembly, by 

 our august monarch, by the Duke of 

 Calabria, and the Prince of Salerno, to 

 observe the New Constitution. 



liy a decree of the 14th, the excessive 

 tax upon salt was reduced one half, a 

 measure productive of no slight relief, 

 though certainly of an unconstitutional 

 tendency;asitstipulatesthat the ministry 

 should propose some plan of compensa- 

 tion to the revenue. The nation only can 

 vote in parliament for a tax upon itself; 

 and those who in the possession of office 

 give weight to this most solemn maxim 

 of our new social compact, cannot, we 

 imagine, be termed ungrateful or de- 

 serving ill of their country. 



The old question respecting the 

 enormous prices of salt, has met with 

 less attention than the subject required. 

 We propose, liowever, to discuss it in 

 another pifice, with arguments equal 

 to the importance of this antiquated 

 law, which degrades one of our finest 

 provinces into" little better than the 

 Tartary of Italy! 



The country received more pleasure 

 from the abolition of the special courts 

 and the extraordinary powers vested in 

 them. This took place on the 21st of 

 July ; this was so far well : we trust we 

 have nothing to fear from the restora- 

 tion of Justice, and that it militates in 

 nothing against the spirit of our con- 

 stitution. How much do we owe to the 

 efforts of those who delivered us from 

 the arbitrary authority of the extra- 

 ordinary courts ! 



A decree 



