408 



ITALY. 



ANCIENT AND MODERN BOMB AND ITS VICINITY. 



aided the Gazzetta from public funds. On Jan- 

 uary 24th, the Chamber of Deputies adopted a 

 law imposing severe penalties on priests abus- 

 ing their powers to attack the Government and 

 the laws. During the debate, the Minister of 

 Worship and Justice declared that the law con- 

 cerning the Papal guarantees was a solemn and 

 unassailable pledge given to the Catholic world 

 of the Pope's complete independence in the ex- 

 ercise of his spiritual power. Italy ought to re- 

 gard the maintenance of this law as a question 

 of honor and of loyalty toward Europe. He 

 was determined to respect the law, and would 

 not allow the political friends of the ministry 

 to entertain any illusions in this respect. On 

 March 3d, a law was passed by a large majority, 

 prohibiting certain officersjjf^the Government 

 from becoming members of tKs Chamber of 

 Deputies. On March 27th, Signor Depretis, 

 the Minister of Finance, made his financial 

 statement in the Chamber of Deputies. The 



budget for 1877 shows a surplus of about 

 12,000,000 lire, and the minister said the expen- 

 diture must remain within the limits prescribed 

 by that result. "With regard to the construc- 

 tion of new lines of railways, Signor Depretis 

 maintained that the funds required must be 

 provided either through guarantees upon the 

 earnings, or an appropriation of rente, the 

 amount of which, however, should not exceed 

 50,000,000 or 60,000,000 lire annually. In ref- 

 erence to the Basle Kailway Convention, the 

 Government was engaged in liquidating the 

 accounts with the company. Signor Depretis 

 hoped to bring in a bill this session relative to 

 the management of the^ railways. He alluded 

 to the improvement effected in the state of the 

 budget, and said the Government intended in- 

 troducing administrative reforms without dis- 

 turbing the equilibrium which had been at- 

 tained. He announced the presentation of bills 

 for the gradual extinction of the forced paper 



