398 



ITALY. 



Saracco, a senator, but they were not more 

 successful in forming a ministry than himself. 

 The Chamber adjourned during the crisis, and 

 when it assembled again on March 10 the situa- 

 tion was unchanged, and Signer Depretis an- 

 nounced that, in view of the difficulties of 

 forming a new administration, the King had 

 not accepted the resignation of himself and his 

 colleagues, and that if the Chamber supported 

 them they expected a formal motion of ap- 

 proval. Signor Crispi moved a vote of cen- 

 sure, which was discussed in an animated de- 

 bate on the following day, and was finally 

 rejected by 214 votes to 194. The session was 

 closed by prorogation on the same day in order 

 to allow time for the settlement of the Cabinet 

 question, which was the more serious on ac- 

 count of the illness of the Prime Minister. A 

 ministry was finally constituted, and was ga- 

 zetted on April 4. It was composed of the 

 following members: Prime Minister and Min- 

 ister of Foreign Affairs, Depretis ; Minister of 

 the Interior, Crispi; Minister of Justice, Za- 

 nardelli; Minister of War, Gen. Bertole Viale; 

 Minister of Finance, Magliani; Minister of 

 Marine, Admiral Brin; Minister of Agricult- 

 ure, Grimaldi ; Minister of Public Works, Sa- 

 racco ; Minister of Public Instruction, Coppino. 

 Legislation. Parliament came together again 

 on April 18. Signor Depretis, while affirming 

 that Italy would follow the policy best con- 

 forming to her mission, which aimed above all 

 to the maintenance of peace, announced that, 

 since all governments were endeavoring to in- 

 crease their military power, the Cabinet would 

 apply for fresh credits to augment the coun- 

 try's means of defense. He said that the mas- 

 sacre at Dogali would be avenged, but only 

 after mature deliberation and at the proper 

 moment. The Chamber approved a bill call- 

 ing to the colors a part of the reserves, num- 

 bering about 17,000 men, in order to replace 

 troops sent to Massowah. On May 2 Gen. Ber- 

 tole Viale introduced the bill for the reorgani- 

 zation of the army, by virtue of which Ihe 

 number of regiments of field artillery was in- 

 creased from twelve to twenty-four, one regi- 

 ment being mounted; the mountain artillery 

 was increased to five regiments ; and two com- 

 panies were added to the engineers. The num- 

 ber of infantry officers was increased by 33 

 colonels, 87 majors, and 100 captains, and two 

 brigade commands were added. The Minister 

 of War asked, moreover, for the establishment 

 of a school at Caserta for the instruction of 

 non-commissioned officers who wished to re- 

 ceive commissions, and for an artillery-school 

 in connection with the existing school of mus- 

 ketry. The Government applied for a credit 

 of 12,000,000 lire for the pay and clothing of 

 the men, and 2,600,000 lire with which to pur- 

 chase horses. On May 30 the Chamber au- 

 thorized the expenditure of 85,000,000 lire in 

 the next ten years on the navy, 37,000,000 lire 

 being devoted to the construction of seven 

 second-class ironclads, 25,000,000 lire for tor- 



pedoes and machine-guns, and 19,000,000 for 

 fortifications at Spezia, Taranto, and Venice. 

 The budget provided for the expenditure of 

 7,000,000 lire for the troops in Africa. On 

 June 30 a special credit of 20,000,000 lire for 

 military operations, to be carried on as soon as 

 the season should permit, was voted by a large 

 majority. Signor Crispi had previously ex- 

 plained that the Cabinet simply intended to 

 strengthen Italy's position at Massowah, and 

 had not dreamed of carrying on a war of con- 

 quest against Abyssinia. The Government 

 brought in a bill to increase to three lire the 

 duty on grain for the protection of Italian agri- 

 culture, since the imports levied by other gov- 

 ernments would cause exporting countries to 

 send their cereals to Italy. The reform of the 

 Senate was discussed in that body, and the 

 Government appointed a commission, consist- 

 ing mainly of senators, to study measures for 

 strengthening the upper Chamber, and pro- 

 moting the execution of its functions without 

 the sacrifice of its independence. 



The Crispi Ministry. After the death of Signor 

 Depretis, the Cabinet was reconstituted, with 

 Signor Crispi, his old antagonist and recent col- 

 league, at its head. The new ministry, formed 

 on August 7, 1887, is composed as follows : 

 President of the Council of Ministers, Minister 

 of the Interior, and Minister of Foreign Affairs 

 ad interim, J. Crispi ; Minister of Public In- 

 struction, M. Coppino; Minister of Finance 

 and the Treasury, A. Magliani ; Minister of 

 War, E. Bertole Viale; Minister of Marine, 

 B. Brin ; Minister of Grace, Justice, and Wor- 

 ship, G. Zanardelli ; Minister of Public Works, 

 J. Saracco ; Minister of Agriculture, Industry, 

 and Commerce, B. Grimaldi. 



Parliament was opened by the King on No- 

 vember 15. In his speech he said : 



My heart rejoices that Italy is strong in arms, sure 

 of her alliances, and friendly with all Governments, 

 and that our country continues its forward march in 

 the family of the great powers. Italy is now in the 

 front rank with the leading states, and no longer fears 

 having to recede. Parliament may therefore without 

 anxiety give its careful and prompt attention to inter- 

 nal affairs. There are urgent reforms awaited with 

 impatience by the country. Bills will be submitted 

 to you for the reorganization of the ministerial depart- 

 rnentSj the reform of the communal and provincial 

 administrations, the establishment of a uniform penal 

 code for the whole of Italy, the radical reform of the 

 prison system, the institution of a sole Court of Cas- 

 sation, the improvement of the education of youth, 

 the establishment of a sanitary code, and measures 

 for insuring the spontaneity of emigration, _and, with- 

 in possible limits, for supervising emigration, which 

 at present appears to us excessive. Other measures 

 \vill be brought forward for encouraging thrift among 

 the working and agricultural classes, and in order that 

 credit by the reorganization of the banks of issue and 

 of the paper currency may anticipate the fortune of the 

 future without endangering the present. 



A fresh transitory increase in expenditure 

 for the army and railroads is promised in the 

 budget, while for the following year no ex- 

 traordinary military expenditure is expected 

 to be necessary. Measures for meeting the 

 fresh charges and re-establishing the elasticity 



