4:22 



ITALY. 



ment disapproves and deplores the publication 

 of these documents, especially as it furnished 

 a pretext for making against a friendly power 

 accusations which can only be based on a mis- 

 understanding, inasmuch as they fall to the 

 ground when tested by the evidence of results. 

 We speak in these terms, because they are the 

 only terms consistent with truth, with the ami- 

 cable relations subsisting between our Govern- 

 ment and that of Germany, and with the soli- 

 darity of our mutual interests in the face of 

 a party which is agitating the public mind 

 throughout Europe, and whose conduct is es- 

 pecially caused and directed by its hostility 

 toward Italy." Signor Visconti-Venosta fur- 

 ther said he believed the published documents, 

 though drawn up in a confidential form, must 

 be regarded as being of a public character. 

 The Italian laws did not contain sufficient pro- 

 visions relative to the publication of official 

 documents, but the Government at the fitting 

 time would propose legislative measures regu- 

 lating the subject. This statement was re- 

 ceived with loud cheers. Signor Ohiaves, who 

 was a member of the Delia Marmora ministry, 

 then addressed some observations to the House, 

 but was met by Signor Visconti-Venosta, who 

 urged that discussions of a retrospective nature 

 were useless, considering the grand results ob- 

 tained both by Germany and Italy. 



In February the liberal educational bill, 

 which had been introduced by the Minghetti 

 ministry, was defeated by 140 against 107 

 votes. The bill was of the most elaborate 

 kind, and comprised nearly fifty clauses, pro- 

 viding for primary education in every parish, 

 to be introduced at once, with compulsory at- 

 tendance, and no school-fees, proper payment 

 of the staff of teachers, means for separate re- 

 ligious instruction, and complete inspection. 

 Fourteen days of the sittings of the House of 

 Deputies were employed chiefly in discussing 

 the proposal and the various amendments sug- 

 gested, which were very numerous. But the 

 conviction seems gradually to have come on 

 the members that the scheme was altogether 

 too thoroughgoing and finished for the present 

 means of Italy, especially as regards the pecu- 

 niary payments required locally, which could 

 not possibly be exacted from the poorer and 

 ruder parts of the peninsula. 



On March 23d, the twenty -fifth anviversary 

 of Victor Emmanuel's accession to the throne 

 was celebrated with the greatest demonstra- 

 tions of national joy and enthusiasm. The 

 King received at Rome, in the Quirinal Palace, 

 deputations of the Senate and the Chamber of 

 Deputies, of the army, of the universities and 

 schools of science and art, and of the several 

 provinces. The King replied to each of the 

 addresses, and specially emphasized that he 

 found a chief reason for the successful comple- 

 tion of national unity in the fact that Italy, 

 while 'aspiring to the establishment of her own 

 independence, had never forgotten to respect 

 the independence of other nations. The rep- 



resentatives of Germany, Russia, Austria, Eng- 

 land, and France, presented letters of gratula- 

 tion from their sovereigns, and the embassador 

 of the United States read a telegram from 

 President Grant. 



On November 8th the general election for a 

 new Italian Parliament took place. Notwith- 

 standing the endeavors made by the ministry, 

 the interest of the people in the elections was 

 small, not more than fifty per cent, of the en- 

 rolled electors casting their votes. The Pope 

 had addressed a circular letter to the bishops, 

 in which he insisted that the clergy and the 

 Catholics should not only abstain from voting 

 at the forthcoming Italian elections, but also 

 from exerting their personal influence on be- 

 half of any of the candidates. The result was 

 as follows: elections carried by the Right, 

 281 ; by the Left, 217 ; total, 498. There were 

 132 new deputies, who formed more than one- 

 quarter of the Assembly. The nobility is rep- 

 resented in the new Parliament by eight princes, 

 four dukes, ten marquises, fifty-three counts, 

 and fourteen barons ; that is, eighty-nine mem- 

 bers, without counting the untitled gentry. 

 In the opposition there are two princes, three 

 dukes, and three marquises. Counts and bar- 

 ons are mostly supporters of Government. There 

 are 125 lawyers, and only ten bankers. Among 

 the financial men, some are simple theorists, 

 like M. Sella. The army is represented by 

 twenty-two generals, or superior officers, and 

 the navy by five only There is also a certain 

 number of retired officers. The Garibaldian 

 army is represented by sixteen of its officers, 

 who sit on the benches of the Left. Among 

 the elected are seventeen journalists and twen- 

 ty-four professors. Only six of the deputies are 

 declared republicans, without counting Gen- 

 eral Garibaldi, who at a supplementary elec- 

 tion was chosen in two electoral districts of 

 Rome. 



The opening of the Twelfth Italian Parlia- 

 ment by the King took place on November 

 21st. Victor Emmanuel was received, both in 

 his passage through the streets from the Quiri- 

 nal and in the Chamber, with applause even 

 more enthusiastic than usual. His Majesty, in 

 delivering the speech from the throne, after 

 cordial words of greeting, referred first to 

 the projected new penal code. He said: "I 

 trust that your discussions will produce a code 

 worthy of the science and the name of Italy. 

 The law of commercial juries will be im- 

 proved in the sense of restricting Government 

 action. The Government will propose certain 

 measures for the restoring of public security 

 in those provinces where it has been gravely 

 disturbed. In receiving them you will follow 

 the example of the nations most advanced in 

 civilization, and of the Parliaments most jeal- 

 ous of the public liberties, which fall into dis- 

 . credit with the people if they do not guarantee 

 security for person and property." The other 

 important subjects which would engage the at- 

 tention of the Parliament were thus referred 



