ITALY. 



419 



ition. Signori Depretis and Nicotora issued 

 circulars to their local subordinates, recorn- 

 iih'M'lin^ vigorous tinnness in tlie u[>|>lication 

 of tin- laws relating to the collection of taxes. 

 On the resumption of the sittings of the Cham- 

 bers, April 25th, attention was directed to the 

 consideration of the negotiations relative to 

 tin- railroads. The ministry announced that 

 they would adhere to the principle that the 

 state must not undertake the management of 

 tlu- whole network of the Italian railways. 

 The committee chosen by the Chamber to take 

 charge of the subject showed a majority of 

 only two out of nine members in favor of the 

 plans of the Government. It was decided that 

 the plans concerning the Upper Italian roads 

 should be treated separately from those relat- 

 ing to the Roman and southern roads. A com- 

 mission, with Signor Cossenti at its head, was 

 appointed to go to Paris and Vienna and nego- 

 tiate with the house of Rothschild for a reduc- 

 tion in the price which had been agreed upon 

 at Basel for the purchase of the railways. It 



succeeded in obtaining a very largo redufion. 

 and also arranged that the Austrian southern 

 road should continue the management of the 

 Italian lines for two years longer. On the 

 17th of June the proportion which had been 

 introduced by the former ministry for the pur- 

 chase of the railways was withdrawn, and in 

 its stead was substituted a new one, combining 

 certain features of the contracts which had 

 been made at Vienna with the one which li.ul 

 been made at Paris by the Cossenti commission 

 with Baron Rothschild as the representative 

 of the Austrian southern road. This bill, hav- 

 ing been first opposed in detail, was adopted 

 as a whole in the Chamber of Deputies, by a 

 vote of 344 to 35. It was likewise adopted in 

 the Senate, June 29th, by a vote of 118 to 5. 



The next important measure discussed was 

 the one for the establishment of so-called free 

 ports, or of a system of bonded warehouses, 

 at a number of the principal ports of the 

 country. It was advocated by Signor Depretis 

 in the Senate, as involving a portion of the 



CAMPAQNA OF ROME. 



ministerial programme to such an extent that, 

 if it were rejected, the Government would 

 have to consult as to the course they should 

 pursue. In the vote in the Senate concerning 

 this bill, a very singular complication oc- 

 curred. On the first division the yeas and 

 nays were equal, and the question was pro- 

 nounced decided in the negative. An irregu- 

 larity was, however, discovered in the ballot- 

 ing, and the validity of the vote was disputed. 

 Another vote was taken, and there was again 

 a tie. On the third vote, a majority of one 

 was given for the yeas, but before the vote 

 was declared another senator came in and 

 recorded his vote in the negative, causing a tie 

 for the third time. The bill was passed, July 

 26th, by a vote of 114 to 102, and became a 

 law. 



In August some of the ministers visited their 

 parliamentary constituencies, and spoke con- 

 cerning the policy of the Government. At 

 Catania, Sismor Majorana, Minister of Agri- 

 culture, said the ministry were considering the 



way in which martial law could be soonest 

 discontinued ; the question of the tax on spir- 

 its would receive a speedy solution. Free 

 principles would be guarded in the conclusion 

 of the trade treaties. At Caserta, Signor Nico- 

 tera, Minister of the Interior, said that the 

 ministry would carry out the reforms to which 

 it was pledged, with the help of those who 

 loved their fatherland, and could stand above 

 parties. The country needed financial and ad- 

 ministrative, rather than political, reforms. 

 The election law needed a few alterations in 

 respect to the registry, but universal suffrage 

 would, in his opinion, be dangerous to free- 

 dom. In conclusion, he said: " Whoever loves 

 Italian unity must also love the monarchy ; 

 one could hardly find in history a ruler who 

 was amore steady Mend of freedom than Vic- 

 tor Emanuel." Signor Depretis spoke at a 

 banquet given to him, repelling a charge that 

 the ministry entertained a purpose to form a 

 party for themselves. He excused the changes 

 which had been made in local officers, and 



