86] 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S14. 



The final termination of the an- 

 cient republic of Venice, so long 

 the mistress of the Adriatic, in a 

 maritime dependency of Austria, 

 may be concluded from the Em- 

 peror's reply to an address pre- 

 sented by a Venetian deputation, 

 as published in the Court Gazette 

 of Vienna, August 27th. " When 

 Venice (says his imperial Ma- 

 jesty) in consequence of the po- 

 litical events which shook Europe, 

 was united to my empire, this 

 state preserved, under my govern- 

 ment, the same spirit of order 

 which, in former times, had been 

 the basis of its republican con- 

 stitution. The unhappy situation 

 of the world at that epoch neces- 

 sarily impeded the measures and 

 the activity of all governments. 

 These disastrous times are passed. 

 I now find you such as I left you, 

 and no obstacle can interpose to 

 prevent the execution of the plans 

 I have formed for your happiness. 

 Your provinces will always be one 

 of the brightest gems in my 

 crown. They shall recover their 

 ancient prosperity : commerce, re- 

 suming its rights, shall be restored 

 to its former channels : the in- 

 dustry of a good people shall be 

 supported and encouraged by mild 

 and protecting laws : Venice shall 

 regain her rank among the first 

 cities in the world." How far this 

 last prediction can be verified 

 under an arbitrary monarchy, fu- 

 turity must determine. The last 

 accounts from Venice certainly 

 afford little hope of such a fa- 

 vourable change. They assert that 

 the commerce of the city is al- 

 most annihilated, scarcely any 

 vessels now clearing from its port 

 or from those on the coast of the 

 Adriatic. But this may in part 



be attributed to the present un- 

 settled state of Europe. 



Near the close of the year a 

 measure was adopted by the Aus- 

 trian government in Italy, which 

 may be understood as clearly de- 

 noting suspicions prevalent with 

 respect to the attachment of the 

 natives. " The decision (says an 

 article from Milan) which has 

 been long expected, and which 

 endeavours were made to avert by 

 very humble representations, has 

 at length appeared. The Italian 

 regiments, in consequence of an 

 order from the Emperor of Aus- 

 tria, must quit their country, and 

 march to do duty in tlie Austrian 

 provinces. This news was no 

 sooner known to be authentic, 

 than it struck families with alarm, 

 and increased desertion still more." 

 The article concludes with a pro- 

 clamation from Baron Suden, the 

 military governor of Brescia, in- 

 forming all the corps of his brigade 

 of the Emperor's determination 

 to quarter them in Gei-many, and 

 calling upon the men to observe 

 strict discipline, and to " detest 

 that shameful desertion of which 

 too many of their comrades have 

 been guilty." The places of the 

 Italian regiments sent beyond the 

 Alps were supplied by Austrian 

 troops, which were continually ar- 

 riving in the provinces of Italy held 

 by the emperor. 



Of all the present sharers in the 

 dominion of Italy, the king of 

 Naples, Joachim, is apparently 

 placed in the most critical and 

 uneasy situation. A mere soldier 

 of fortune, with no other title than 

 his sword, he cannot but be re- 

 garded by the regular and heredi- 

 tary sovereigns of Europe as au 

 intruder into their dignity, and a 



