The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-12-07 00:00:00

THE INUNDATIONS IN ITALY.

On Friday an influential deputation, headed by Baron
Heath, the Italian Consul-General in London, and
cin Gnosed i
of many Italian gentlemen of position n the
metropolis, and others, had an interview by appoint- !
ment with the Lord Mayor of London, at the Man-
sion-house, with a view to organize a public subactip-
ti m towards the relief of the sufferers by the iecsnt
disastrous inundations in Italy.
Some previous correspondence on the subject had
passed, in which the Lord Mayor had expressed his
readiness to place himself at the head of the move-
ment, and to use any influence he might possess in his
! official capacity to promote it. The Queen has, through
Lord Granville, contrihuted 4.30 u, by way of a begin-
ning, towards the fund, with many expressions
of Her Majesty's sympathy with the sufferers, and
before the interview of Friday had concluded up-
wards of £2,000, including the donation of Her Ma-
jesty, had been subscribed.
The Italian Minister (Cnevalier Cadonia), under
date of the 28th inst., had written to the Lord Mayor
expressing his warmest thanks personally, and those of
his fellov-countrynaen, to his Lordship for having
consented to head the movement in the city of
London.
Baron Heath read a despatch from Signor Visconti
Velentta, the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs,
dated Rome, the 16th of November. His Excellency
stated :
" "

" [ presume you have been informed through the news-
papers and the Italian correspondence of the disasters canted
by the late Inundations in Italy, and from such information
you may have formed an approximate idea of the calamity.
the territory of various parishes and districts entirely flooded,
a considerable tract of the most fertile country deserted, the
hope of harvesting crushed entirely fora long time to come,
hundreds of houses overthrown by the fury of the water and
thousands of the villagers deprived in art instant of bread,
shelter, and employment—this is a picture of the disaster.
The magnitude of the calamity requires succour of a corres-
pondingly large character, and the Government has done
everything within the limits of its means. The national
subscription has not been started in vain, for in every part
of the kingdom the people have commenced funds for the
substantial relief of their unfortunate brethren. I pray you
to make known the appeal of oar poor and unhappy people."
From telegrams received it appeared that at present
about 80,000 people had been driven from houre and
' home, and, in addition to the loss of their present
means of livelihood, 400 square miles of their very best
land were submerged. To make the calamity worse, the
whole tff the crops which had been already sown were
destroyed, and, the land being covered with sand and
all manner of &lois, the people would be deprived of
all hopes of subsidence for a considerable time after
the wicers had subsided.
The Lord Mayor entered cheerfully into the matter,
and expressed his warmest interest in the work of the
propoiied committee, to whim he promised his heartiest
support. He should be moat happy, he raid. to receive
subrci iptions in all of the fund at the Mansiomhouse,
and to give the committee every possible assistance.
'Ehe gentlemen present then adopted a resolution to
the effect that the recent disastrous inundations in
Italy, by which 400 square miles of country had been
submerged, and which had occasioned ,o much disr.rens
among a large and industrious pobnlation, 80,000 of
whom were now homeless and destitute, and had lost'
all their prospective means of livelihood, called for the
warm sympathy of their fellow-conntrymen in Eng-
land, and for the well-knovni benevolence of the Frith&

pubic.
A committee was then appointed to receive and
disburse the subscriptions. Baron Heath WIIB chosen
aa honorary secretary, and Messrs. Roberts, Lubbock
and Co.. of Lomnard•street, as bankers of the fund,
and it was announced that donations in aid of the
movement would be received by die Lord Mayor at

tbe Mansion Howie, by the holism Consul-General,
31, Old Jewry, and by Messrs. Roberts, Lubbock and
Co., the Continental Bank, and the London and
County Bank, and their branches.
Th. sums received will be remitted as speedily as
poasible to the Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs at
Rome, to be by him distributed over all the suffering
districts. . _ _

The committee, in the course of the proceedings, ex-
pressed in grateful terms their deep sense of the
thoughtful and splendid munificence of Her Majesty
in the matter.

The proceedings ended with a vote of thanks to the
Lord Mayor for presiding and giving his official and
personal support to the movement, and a strong belief
was evinced that under his Lordship's auspices the
enterprise wonld thrive awl prosper.