420 



ITALY. 



mentioned as objects to be considered at the 

 next session of the Parliament the regulation 

 of the financial laws, judicial bills, railroad en- 

 terprises, and the trade conventions. 



The Chamber of Deputies was dissolved Oc- 

 tober 7th. The members of both parties en- 

 tered actively into the canvass for the new 

 elections which were appointed to be held 

 early in November. The ministerial members 

 repeated the declarations of the principles 

 which had been announced by the ministry in 

 their official record and their addresses. Si- 

 gner Sella, late Minister of Finance, and leader 

 of the Conservative Opposition, in a speech 

 which he made at a banquet at Cossato, dwelt 

 upon the services which had been rendered to 

 the country by his party, and described the 

 progress which had been made by Italy during 

 recent years. Since September 20, 1870, he 

 believed there had been no longer any danger 

 in the Left attaining to power, and he pointed 

 out that since that party had come into office 

 it had greatly moderated its iine of conduct. 

 He considered that the Moderate party ought 

 to remain in opposition, watchful over the 

 preservation of the great results that had been 

 achieved. If, at the approaching general elec- 

 tion, he should be again returned to Parlia- 

 ment, he would support all real reforms, with- 

 out being influenced by the spirit of party, 

 but would at the same time oppose any change 

 which he regarded as dangerous to the institu- 

 tions of the country. He coincided with the 

 views of Signer Depretis respecting the re- 

 newal of the treaties of commerce, and the 

 avoidance of protectionist principles. In the 

 matter of the papal guarantees, he was op- 

 posed to the Government abandoning the right 

 of exequatur and the appointment to bene- 

 fices. He urged that the construction of new 

 railways should be made dependent upon the 

 balancing of the budget, and spoke in favor of 

 measures for educating and improving the con- 

 dition of the masses. Signor Minghetti, late 

 Minister-President, also assured his hearers at 

 Legnano that he would support the reforms 

 of the present Government. The elections re- 

 sulted in a grand victory for the Progressive 

 or Ministerial party, who returned 421 depu- 

 ties, to 87 returned for the Conservatives, and 

 found themselves in possession of the largest 

 working majority ever known. The new Par- 

 liament was opened November 20th, with a 

 speech from the King. The address began 

 with a reference to the improved financial 

 condition of the country, and the now visible 

 prospect of reaching a state of financial equi- 

 librium. The desirability of modifying and 

 more equitably distributing the imports was 

 spoken of, as well as the necessity of keeping 

 up the strength of the army and navy, and 

 continuing the railroad enterprises which had 

 been undertaken. The perfectly amicable re- 

 lations maintained with all foreign states jus- 

 tified the hint that those counsels of modera- 

 tion would prevail in which the Government 



had given most efficacious concurrence. Fur- 

 ther, the King said : " Faithful to all the un- 

 dertakings she has assumed, Italy will never 

 forget that in taking her place among the great 

 powers she has accepted a mission of progress 

 and civilization." Penal and commercial codes 

 were spoken of as to be presented, which 

 would " crown the great work of legislative 

 unification." One problem was to be faced, 

 hitherto unattempted. " The liberty conceded 

 to the Church in our kingdom," said the King, 

 " is far greater than it enjoys in any other 

 Catholic country ; but it cannot be applied in 

 a manner to offend against public liberty, or 

 to infringe on national sovereignty." .The Gov- 

 ernment would present for examination pro- 

 visions which were necessary to give efficacy to 

 the reservations and the conditions indicated 

 in the law which sanctioned the ecclesiastical 

 franchises. Other subjects mentioned in the 

 speech, on which propositions would be pre- 

 sented, were the revision of the commercial 

 treaties, the working of the railways, mari- 

 time postal communications, the restoration 

 of the navy, the completion of the organization 

 of the army, the construction of defensive 

 works, the extension of the electoral franchise, 

 the completed organization of public schools, 

 and the maintenance of the obligation of mili- 

 tary education. The ministry soon after the 

 opening of Parliament presented several bills, 

 among which were the provisional budget for 

 1877, a new penal code, new regulations con- 

 cerning the responsibilities of officers, and prop- 

 ositions relating to the privileges of curates 

 in the exercise of their office. On the 19th 

 of December the House of Deputies approved 

 the estimates for the War Department for 1877, 

 which called for the amount of 212,500,000 

 lire. The committee charged with the revi- 

 sion of the penal code unanimously voted in 

 favor of the abolition of capital punishment. 

 December 22d the Chamber was prorogued 

 till the 21st of January. 



The Italian Government participated in all 

 the conferences held by the great powers 

 during the year on the Eastern question. Its 

 policy has been steadily and moderately anti- 

 Turkish. It was one of the first among the 

 great powers to give its support to the so- 

 called Andrassy note. In the latter part of 

 August the Government withdrew the greater 

 part of its fleet from the Eastern Mediter- 

 ranean, leaving only a few station-ships in 

 those waters. Shortly after this the public 

 interest in the condition of the Christian sub- 

 jects of Turkey rose to a high pitch, and in- 

 dignation over the outrages alleged to have 

 been committed by the Turks found expression 

 in large and enthusiastic public meetings. At 

 one of these meetings held at Naples, about 

 the middle of September, the following dispatch 

 was adopted, to be sent to Mr. Gladstone, 

 of England : " The citizens of Naples, assem- 

 bled to manifest their sentiments in favor of 

 the Christian populations of Turkey, remember 



