ITALY. 



tion ; yet he would not use it for his own per- 

 sonal benefit, but with it would cooperate in 

 the works for the improvement of the Tiber. 



The relations of the Italian Government with 

 the papal court have continued to be marked 

 by occasional collisions, although the violence 

 of the hostility that once prevailed seems to be 

 gradually subsiding. In January ministerial 

 decrees were issued ordering the examination 

 of the management of benevolent institutions, 

 as well as of seminaries giving instruction in 

 violation of the law. The episcopal seminary 

 at Como was closed in consequence of the re- 

 fusal of its management to admit a Government 

 inspector. March 16th, the Minister of Public 

 Instruction ordered the Sapienza, or Pontifical 

 University in the Palazzo Altempo at Rome, to 

 be closed, for conferring diplomas contrary to 

 the law. A meeting of the O'Connell League 

 was held at Bologna, February 18th and 19th, 

 at which measures were discussed for securing 

 the freedom of Roman Catholic teaching. A 

 letter was read from the Pope, approving the 

 object. In August a circular was addressed 



MONT CENIS RAILWAY. 



by the Minister of the Interior to the prefects, 

 prohibiting religious processions outside of the 

 churches, with an exceptional provision, how- 

 ever, that the prefects might authorize a pro- 

 cession if a request for it was made to them, by 

 the clergy concerned in it, a fortnight before- 

 hand. These measures were opposed by the 

 clergy, and protested against by the Pope. A 

 Roman Catholic Congress met at Bologna in 



September, but received so much opposition 

 from the populace that the police, fearing that 

 disturbances might arise, closed its sitting tem- 

 porarily. In order to carry out the law for 

 closing the cloisters, the Government ordered 

 that all novices found in such institutions should 

 return to their families. In October large 

 numbers of Spanish pilgrims visited Rome. In 

 his reception of the cardinals on Christmas- 

 eve, the Pope spoke of the repressive measures 

 of the Government, which he characterized as 

 unjust, expressed a hope that the past history 

 of the Italian clergy would serve as a guide 

 for their future conduct, recommended union 

 in order to oppose the revolution which en- 

 deavored to destroy the Church, and predicted 

 the final triumph of the Church. 



Hitherto, foreigners in Italy have been en- 

 tirely exempt from direct taxation, both on 

 incomes and on buildings. It had been appre- 

 hended, however, that they would at some 

 time be called upon to pay a share of munici- 

 pal taxes. The Municipal Council in Florence, 

 in March, decided that foreigners should be 

 held free even of the town taxes (on family, 

 carriages, and servants), with the exception of 

 those who pursued a trade or profession in 

 the city, or made it their definite residence. 



The Medical Academy of Rome, at their meet- 

 ing in June, discussed the health of that city. 

 Drs. Lanzi and Terrigi read papers embody- 

 ing the results of minute analyses of air and 

 other sanitary conditions in the central and 

 suburban quarters of the city, and maintaining 

 that P.ome during spring and winter ranked 

 with the healthiest of Italinn cities, and was 

 not only innocuous, but positively beneficial 

 to invalids. The centre of the city remained 

 healthy in summer and autumn, though the 

 suburban quarters exposed to the Campagna 

 were then decidedly insalubrious. The Roman 

 climate, they said, was steadily improving, as 

 the vineyards were built over and drainage 

 was extended. 



The Marquis of Montegazza was detected in 

 February in forging the name of the King es 

 a guarantee to bills of exchange. He made a 

 full confession. Having obtained-access to the 

 King's apartments, he had, on coming thence, 

 informed a royal aide-de-camp that he had been 

 instructed to raise money for the King. He 

 produced a written guarantee bearing the King's 

 forged signature, and said that it was necessary 

 to have the signature attested. The aide-de- 

 camp, having seen the marquis coming from 

 the King's apartments, gave the required attes- 

 tation. The marquis, having been convicted 

 of the forgeries, was sentenced to an imprison- 

 ment of eighteen years. 



The capture of the Sicilian brigand Sajera, 

 June 24th, confirmed the suspicion which hr.d 

 been long entertained by the Government that 

 the brigands of this island were aided by men 

 of higher rank than themselves. Sajera, who 

 was betrayed by an informer, was seized, sit- 

 ting at a table, with wines and cigars, in a farm- 



