412 



ITALY. 



version of their property, should be applied to 

 the province and city of Rome. It, however, 

 maintained the houses of the directors of those 

 corporations that had a director or deputy-di- 

 rector in the city. The original property of 

 such houses might be retained, but could not 

 be increased, and they would not enjoy civil 

 rights. The property of the suppressed cor- 

 porations would continue to be applied to the 

 charitable purposes for which they were origi- 

 nally established. The edifices appertaining to 

 the religious establishments in* Rome would 

 remain at their disposal until such time as the 

 pensions to be granted should have been de- 

 cided upon, which decision must be arrived at 

 within twelve months. The property of the 

 religious corporations in the city would, be 

 converted into inalienable public rentes. The 

 minister, in the course of his speech, added 

 that the total net revenue of the corporations 

 amounts to T, 192, 000 francs. The bill pro- 

 vided for the pensioning of the members of the 

 suppressed convents at rates varying from 150 

 lire to 600 lire per annum. The foreign reli- 

 gious bodies which were included in the ex- 

 propriation bill might, during two years, con- 

 stitute foundations in conformity with their in- 

 stitutions from the profits of the churches be- 

 longing to them. When the two years' term 

 had expired, the Government would no longer 

 recognize their civil individuality, but would 

 treat with the foreign governments whose 

 subjects they were, to determine what was to 

 be done with their property. Their immov- 

 able property would be sold and the proceeds 

 formed into a treasury for the payment of the 

 pensions, under the control of the ministry. 

 The special committee on this bill, on Decem- 

 ber 13th, all but unanimously adopted the first 

 section. With regard to section 2, which 

 deals with the heads of houses of religious 

 corporations, several deputies of the Left op- 

 posed this preservation of the establishments 

 assigned to the generals of orders, and pro- 

 posed amendments, which, with the consent 

 of the keeper of the seals, were referred back 

 to the committee, which ultimately passed the 

 section by 15 votes against 9. On December 

 15th the committee adopted a resolution de- 

 claring that the suppression of the Society of 

 Jesus, including the chief establishment of the 

 Order in Rome, was imperatively demanded 

 by the interests of the nation. The announce- 

 ment of this action was received by the Lib- 

 eral deputies with enthusiastic applause. 



In March the Radical party of Italy lost, by 

 the death of Mazzini, its recognized leader. 

 Great demonstrations took place in his hon- 

 or throughout the peninsula. At his funeral, 

 at Pisa, about 12,000 persons were present, 

 among whom were many shidents, some depu- 

 tations from the provinces and the communes, 

 and from working-men's societies and freema- 

 sons. In Rome an immense procession, in- 

 cluding all the working-men's societies, with 

 banners, flags, and bands of music, carried the 



bust of the deceased patriot through the prin- 

 cipal streets to the capitol, where it was depos- 

 ited with imposing ceremonies and eulogistic 

 speeches. By the side of the bust, there was 

 placed, on the car, a colossal statue of Italy, 

 with one hand holding a crown of laurel over 

 the image of the dead patriot, and with the 

 other pointing to him as to one whose exam- 

 ple should be followed. There were two ac- 

 companying bands of music, and the American 

 flag was borne immediately in front of the car 

 by a young American visitor, walking with 

 Mr. T. Buchanan Read, the painter and poet. 

 The bust, on arrival at the capitol, was re- 

 ceived by a deputation of the municipality, 

 and a short speech was delivered during the 

 ceremonial of the reception. In the Italian 

 Parliament, eulogies on the efforts of Mazzini 

 in behalf of Italian unity were delivered by 

 men of all parties. A committee was formed 

 to erect a national monument in his honor, at 

 the head of which was Garibaldi. During the 

 remainder of the year, the Radical party made 

 but few political demonstrations. On Novem- 

 ber 24th it proposed to hold, in Rome, a large 

 meeting in favor of universal suffrage, but the 

 Government prohibited it, and occupied the 

 principal points of the city with troops am 

 national guards, and arrested a number of pei 

 sons connected with the movement. On N< 

 vember 25th Signer Kicotera, in the Chamber 

 of Deputies, censured the Government for 

 what he designated as the unnecessary and 

 excessive display of military force in connec- 

 tion with the projected meeting in favor of 

 universal suffrage. Signor Lanza, the presi- 

 dent of the ministry, replied it was notorious 

 that the delegates of the democratic societies 

 intended disregarding the decision of the Gov- 

 ernment in prohibiting the meeting. It was 

 therefore prudent to take measures against a 

 surprise, so as to avoid a violation of the law, 

 and prevent disorder. He believed the Gov- 

 ernment did its duty in this matter. Signor 

 Lanza declared himself not satisfied with an 

 order of the day, proposed by Signor Nicotera, 

 deploring that the Government had not righth 

 understood the interests of public order am 

 of the dignity of the state. He proposed thi 

 the debate on the subject should be adjourm 

 At the close of the sitting, Signor Nicoter 

 withdrew his motion, believing that a debate 

 upon it might unfavorably affect the persons 

 arrested. 



The municipal elections which were held in 

 Italy derived a particular interest from the 

 fact that, in the former States of the Church, 

 and in several other of the annexed provinces, 

 the Catholic party, for the first time, took 

 active part in them. In most of the lai 

 towns, the Liberal party gained great suc- 

 cesses, but, in some places, the Catholics had 

 a majority, and, in many others, they exhib- 

 ited a strength unexpected by their opponents. 



In the latter part of April the grandest 

 eruption of Mount Vesuvius since the year 





