ITALY. 



443 



habitants; Turin, 204,715; Milan, 196,109; 

 Palermo, 194,463; Genoa, 137,986; Florence, 

 the capital, 114,363. In the "Budget" for the 

 year 1865, the receipts were estimated at 669,- 

 438,563 lire,* and the expenditures at 873,635,- 

 600 lire. Deficit 204,197,037 lire. The public 

 debt amounted on December 31, 1864, to 4, 405,- 

 625,976 lire (nominal value of capital). The army, 

 in 1865, was 222,321 men on the peace foot- 

 ing, and 494,800 men on the war footing. The 

 number of war-vessels was, in July, 1865, 106, 

 armed with 1,468 guns. The commerce, in the 

 years 1862 and 1863, was as follows : In 1862, 

 imports, 729,922,000 lire; exports, 392,497,000 

 lire. In 1863, imports, 777,158,000 lire; ex- 

 ports, 434,196,000 lire. The movement of ship- 

 ping inclusive of coasting vessels, was as fol 

 lows: Entered, 119,604 vessels; tonnage, 8,- 

 385,381. Cleared, 120,704 vessels ; tonnage, 

 8,235,515. The merchant navy, in 1862, con- 

 sisted of 16,552 vessels, having an aggregate 

 tonnage of 682,886. 



The publication of the Papal Encyclical of 

 December 8, 1864, threatened in January, 1865, 

 to bring on a conflict between the bishops and 

 the Government ; but the latter wisely put an 

 end to the complication by issuing a decree 

 (February 13th), authorizing the circulation of 

 the Encyclical, its accompanying syllabus, and 

 Cardinal Antonelli's circular reserving, how- 

 ever, the rights of the State and crown, and 

 without admitting the propositions contained 

 in those documents which might be contrary to 

 the institutions and legislation of the country. 



The difficulty of solving the conflict be- 

 tween the Government of Italy and the na- 

 tional aspirations of the Italian people on the 

 one hand, and the inflexible claims of the 

 Papal Government and the Catholic Church 

 on the other, called forth, as in former years, 

 a considerable number of able works. None 

 of these attracted more attention than one by 

 the Duke de Persigny, the intimate friend 

 and adviser of Louis Napoleon. His book, 

 which is addressed to President Troplong, of 

 the French Senate, records the impressions 

 made on his mind by his visit to the Holy City. 

 He is angry at the obstinacy of the Pope and 

 the cardinals, but holds to the theory that it is 

 possible to reconcile the Holy See with Italy. 

 He expresses himself favorable to the consoli- 

 dation of the kingdom of Italy, scouts the idea 

 that a new kingdom of 24,000,000 of souls be- 

 yond the Alps can in any way bo dangerous 

 for France, and releases the Italian people from 

 any "gratitude" to their liberators. He thinks 

 it a French interest that the kingdom of Italy 

 should be constituted, for the sole reason that 

 the mere fact of its existence disarms Austria 

 for any aggressive purposes ; but he unhesita- 

 tingly pronounces against Romo being the capi- 

 tal of Italy. He argues that, although some 

 time ago the Italians wanted Kome, because 

 they thought it essential to prevent divisions 



* 1 Lira 19 cents. 



and jealousies between other great cities of Italy, 

 that is not the case now, and the Italians know 

 it. He insinuates that Victor Emmanuel has 

 accepted Florence as his definitive capital. He 

 fully adopts the theory that Kome belongs to 

 the Catholic world, and, acting upon this idea, 

 he threatens the Pope very considerably. He 

 narrates that in a conversation with some high 

 Papal functionaries in Rome, he told them 

 roundly, that they were quite under a delusion 

 if they thought to frighten France by making 

 the Pope run away. France, he said, would 

 scrupulously withdraw her troops at the time 

 fixed upon by the convention, and would care 

 nothing for the Pope's absenting himself. But, 

 he said, " nothing would be easier than to or- 

 ganize Rome in such a way as to reconcile the 

 interests of the Holy See with the Italian sen- 

 timents of the population. In concert with the 

 Catholic powers, and with Italy herself, France 

 would establish at Rome a Provisional Govern- 

 ment to administer the States of the Church in 

 the Pope's name, and to make all necessary 

 reforms and arrangements in his absence." 



The condition of Southern Italy continued to 

 be deplorable, the brigands carrying their oper- 

 ations on in the most impudent and unblushing 

 manner. In March, they carried desolation into 

 the provinces of Frosinone and Velletri. From 

 Mr. Ainslie Murray, and another English gen- 

 tleman, who fell into their hands, a sum equiva- 

 lent to 8,000 of English money was demanded, 

 and similar sums were exacted from other 

 wealthy prisoners. In the latter months of the 

 year the French troops, in conjunction with 

 the Italian soldiers, adopted vigorous, and, it 

 seemed, efficient measures for destroying the 

 brigands. 



The proceedings of the Parliament which was 

 in session on the opening of the year 1865, did 

 not present many points of interest. The Cham- 

 ber of Deputies, on March 13th, adopted a bill 

 abolishing the penalty of death for crimes com- 

 mitted under the common law, by 150 against 

 91 votes, but maintaining it in the military and 

 naval codes, and in the laws against brigandage. 

 The Senate, however, on April 22d, rejected 

 the bill. The bill introduced by the Govern- 

 ment for the suppression of religious corpora- 

 tions was withdrawn ; but the ministry, at tho 

 same time, announced that the concession of the 

 exequatur to ecclesiastical benefices would bo 

 suspended, and that the Government would 

 soon bring in another bill for the reform of the 

 religious bodies. 



The news of the assassination of President 

 Lincoln was received by the Italian Government 

 and Parliament with manifestations of profound 

 sympathy. The Italian Chamber of Deputies 

 was draped in black on the 27th, and would 

 continue so for the three following days in 

 mourning for Abraham Lincoln. The Minister 

 of Finance moved, and the Chamber agreed, to 

 send an address to the American Congress, ex- 

 pressing the grief of the country and the House 

 at Mr. Lincoln's assassination. 



