The Press.
London, England, 1857-06-27 00:00:00

lortign pr,orrtsponbenct.

FLORENCE, June 18.
In a former paper we drew attention to the Tuscan
Agricultural Exhibition, lately held in the city of
Florence, reviewing cursorily at the same time the
present state of the agricultural interest in the Grand
Duchy, and traced the depression existing to two
causes—viz.. the joint-stook system of farming, as
between landlord and tenant, a system injurious to
both parties; and the abstraction by the conscrip-
tion for the army of a vast and increasing proportion
of the thews and sinews of the land. We now
purpose to draw attention to the financial state of
the Grand Duchy, its revenue, its expenditure, and
its public debt.
It is necessary to premise that the utmost diffi-
culty exists in arriving at anything like a true state-
ment, or deducing, on these heads, a satisfactory
conclusion. The whole system of public accounts in
Tuscany is a huge deceit. Great ingenuity is dis-
played in concocting annual or quinquennial
statistical reports, which, plausible in generalities,
and apparently minutely correct in detail, impose
upon the unwary ; and to the mere casual observer
appear highly satisfactory, and most creditable, alike
to the compilers, the Government, and its employes.
Very differently, however, are they viewed by those
who know the real state of affairs, by those, few, alas,
in number, but great in moral influence, who, in-
dependent and honourable, neither trucklers to those
in power, nor ignorant disciples of faction, steer
their course true to the compass of patriotism, and
exert ail their knowledge and all their skill to save
their vessel, the land they dwell in and love so
well, from shipwreck and destruction. In these men
lies the hope of Tuscany—on them are fixed the eyes
of their les; gifted countrymen—and to one of them
are we indebted for very much of all that is valuable
in the papers we have written, or may write, on
Tuscan affairs.

In dealing with Tuscan finance, we shall always
quote the Tuscan lira, which may be regarded as
about 9d. English. The annual revenue of Tuscany
is about 38,000,000 lire, which is composed of the
customs, the land and property tax, and a poll tax
(tassa di famiglia). The custom duty levied is
very considerable, but is not onerous. The tax on
land and property is very heavy, amounting, in some
instances, to as much as thirty and thirty •five per
cent. Perhaps the average is between twentytive
and thirty. The mode of assessing and levying
this tax is very curious and very arbitrary. The
Government state that 'they require such and
such a sum, which sum must be raised on land and
househoid property, allotting certain proportions to
certain localities. The different, communes then
meet, and in their turn appoint valuers, who compute
the burden to be laid on each individual. The
property of each person is valued, but that estimated
value is not taxed, but a sum under the probable,
and in most instances easily and accurately to he
ascertained value, lit taxed at the rate, as we have
above mentioned, of twenty-five or thirty per cent.
Such a levy seems enormous ; and it doubtless is
extremely oneroto. it must; however? be under-

SATURDAY,

stood that this one tax comprises everything save
the tassa di famiglia. There is no water rate, no
paving due, no tax on horses, carriages, armorial
bearings, et hoc genus omne. The patient is not
cupped, but is lanced ; the instrument goes in deep,
and the blood flows freely ; but the vein once closed,
the operation is not again had recourse to. This
mode of taxation seems to be, and doubtless is, open
to much unfairness, partiality, and peculation.
There is nothing fixed or determined about it from
first to last. The Government demand what they
choose, or what the exigencies of the service require.
The commune, or corporations, divide the required
sum among the different towns, villages, and parishes ;
and by these again it is allotted to different indi-
viduals, according to the assumed value of the
property of eaoh ; such assessment being made by
valuers chosen year by year. It must be evident
that favouritism has here abundant scope, and that
strict impartiality is almost impossible. Naturally,
grumblers abound, and discontent is rife ; the only
satisfaction felt being, that in due course of time
the man who feels himself aggrieved and unduly
taxed may have his revenge, when, appointed valuer,
he in his turn may run a muck through his neigh-
bour's vineyard and fold, and repay with interest the
wrongs he has sustained.
The poll tax, or tassa di .famiglia, is also levied in
an extremely arbitrary manner. A general view of
a man's mode of life is taken, and he is called upon
to contribute accordingly. His financial position is
guessed at, and the levy is made in a like ratio.
Without the intervention of second-sight seers,
taxation mediums, it is difficult to imagine that
either Government or governed obtain their due.
One man is rich, avaricious, and close—another
needy, fond of show, and a spendthrift; yet the
probability is that the needy man will contribute
more than the rich one. One man has a friend in
the valuers—the other an enemy. The tax is not
individually heavy. Perhaps a man of 0001. a year
would be called on to contribute between 31. and 41.
The sum is not large, but the modes operandi is bad
and unjust. Some time since an attempt was made
to impose the tax on foreigners, and in several
instances with success. A friend of ours, however,
resisted the claim, and fought against it successfully
during three years. For each year, notwithstanding
decisions in his favour, was the demand made.

According to a law passed in 1818, no foreigners,
unless settled in Florence in trade, or pursuit°, a
profession for emolument, or naturalised, can be
called on to pay the tassa di famiglia. The pass-
port of each stranger is taken trom him on entering
the city gates, and is retained so long as he remains
in the Grand Duchy. He is compelled, under fine,
to furnish himself with a carta di soggiarno, or per-
mission to reside, and for this he pays a small sum,
such carta di soggiarno being only given for short
periods, generally three or six months, at the expira-
tion of which it must be renewed, and again paid
for. Notwithstanding this, so many attempts
were made to render foreigners amenable to the
tassa difamiglia, that a meeting of foreign represen-
tatives was held, and an agreement made that all
foreigners resident ten years in Tuscany should be
liable to the tax. How far this can be legally
enforced, so long as the law of 1818 remains unre-
pealed, is matter for debate, and may, ere long, be
called in question. As usual, foreign representatives
studied their own convenience and the wishes of the
Government to which they were accredited, rather
than the fulfilment of the duties intrusted to them
and the rights and privileges of those who pay them
the liberal salaries they enjoy.
These taxes form the main parts of the revenue.
Other small tributaries no doubt exist, but the total
afforded must be small, as the expenses of collection
are considerable. A small tax has lately been im-
posed on dogs, not with any eye to a financial result.
but in order to render less frequent the lamentable
cases of hydrophobia, and to diminish the number
of ill•fed mangy curs, which heretofore infested the
streets of Florence. A very considerable sum might
be raised by the imposition of a tax on horses,
carriages, and armorial bearings—all luxuries for the
rich, and all largely indulged in, indeed to a degree
quite in proportkon to the ostensible means of the
upper classes in Tuscany. In a subsequent paper
on the social state of the country we shall state why
we believe this mode, so legitimate, of raising a
revenue has not been resorted to. In our next we
shall treat of expenditure and public debt.
F. W.

TnE BELGIAN MAIL STEAMER Constitution, while
running up Channel for Southampton last week,
when between Beachy Head and Dungeness, came
into collision with the Genoa, bound for London
from Palermo, and did her serious damage. The
injury was not, however, sufficient to prevent the
Genoa from proceeding on her voyage. The Genoa
had previously been in collision with a brig anti got
dammed.

JUNE 27, 1857.

jortign an tOIQRiR! 3nittlignut.

FRANCE.
The elections have resulted in the general return
of the Government candidates. The Moniteur an-
nounces that out of 227 provincial returns known
there are found only four Opposition candidates—
Henon (Rhone), Gust. Cure (Gironde), Migeon
and Paul Rambourg (Alliers). In Paris, out of ten
members the Government has triumphed in five
electoral districts ; Opposition candidates are returned
for two, MM. Carnot and Goudchaux ; while three
remain to be again contested. Five deputies of the
late Chamber, who were generally on the Opposition
side —namely, M. de Montalembert, the Duke
D'Uzes, M. de Civrac, M. Charlier, and M. Desmalles
—have lost their seats. The Democratic Opposition
had, in fact, 115 candidates in 58 departments, of
whom 111 have been beaten. From the want of an
absolute majority, three new elections will have to
take place in Paris—namely, in the 3rd, 4th, and 7th
arrondissements. The Democratic candidate, M.
Gamier Pages, will not present himself at the second
trial; he will allow those who voted for him to vote
for his rival, M. 011ivier, against the Government
candidate, in the 4th arrondissement.
The Moniteurof Saturday contains the following :
The Plenipotentiaries of Austria, France, England, Prus-
sia, Russia, Sardinia, and Turkey, met yesterday at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the purpose of signing the
treaty for the frontier settlement in Bessarabia, and for
regulating the question of the Isle of Serpents and of the
delta of the Danube.

The Moniteur confirms the fact that a treaty of
commerce was signed between France and Russia on
the 14th of the present month.

The Emperor left Paris at ten o'clock on Thursday
morning for Plombieres, by way of Chalons, at which
place he arrived at 1 25 p.m. The Emperor is
accompanied to Plombieres by M. Mocquard, his pri•
vete secretary, General Fleury, aide-de•oamp, and M.
de Latour d'Auvergne. His Majesty intends to pass
forty days at that place, and as far as possible to
free himself from the care of business. His Majesty
has the intention of remaining there until the end of
July, when he will join the Empress at Biarritz. It
is then highly probable that their Majesties will
embark for Osborne-house, on a visit to the Queen
and Prince Albert. The Empress will very shortly
leave for Biarritz.

Count de Morny, who represented the Emperor
Napoleon at the coronation of the Czar at Moscow,
and who had remained ever since in St. Petersburg,
in the character of Ambassador Extraordinary, has
arrived in Berlin on his way to Paris. He will, how-
ever, probably pay his respects to the Russian Court
congregated around the Empress Dowager, at Wild-
bad, previously to returning to the French capital.

Count de Kisseleff has left Paris for Kissengen,
where he will pass some time. He is accompanied
by M. de Grote, secretary to the embassy.

AUSTRIA.
The centenary festival of the military order of
Maria Theresa was kept on the 18th of June with
great state and magnificent rejoicings—a review, a
grand banquet, and a superb display of fireworks.
Of the English officers wearing the cross, and pre.
sent in Vienna, a correspondent writes :
Lord Seaton has produced a very favourable impression
on the Austrian officers, but the free and easy manners of
the gallant admiral are not exactly to their taste. Every
officer who passed Sir Fairfax Moresby in the street saluted
him, but the unceremonious sailor either altogether
neglected to return the salute, or did so by a patronising
kind of movement of his hand. The indignant warriors
were at first inclined to take offence, but they recollected
that the admiral wore the cross of their cherished military
order, and consequently did not let him remark that they
considered him uncourteous.

"We learn tbat the Emperor Francis Joseph,"
says a letter from Vienna, in the *man Journal of
Frankfort, " will proceed to Toplitz at the com-
mencement of July, to visit the King of Prussia, with
whom he will remain two or three days. Count Buol
and Baron Manteuffel will accompany their sove-
reigns, and important political questigna„wil,l 44 all
probability be discussed." „Ti„ iiN hum ft

NEUFCHATEL.
The official journal, or Staatsanzeiger of Berlin,
publishes the text of the Neufchatel treaty, preceded
by a royal proclamation, in which " We, Frederick
William, by the grace of God• King of Prussia,
Prince of Neutchatel, Count of Valengin, Sze.," signify
that " having had occasion to convince ourselves
that the abnormal state in which our principality of
Neufchatel existed was incompatible with the welfare
of that country, and yielding to the requests of the
great powers, we have been willing to make a sacri-
fice of our personal desires for the sake of peace ; we
have renounced our sovereign rights over the prin-
cipality of Neufchatel, and we release from their
feudal obligations the tenants of the leniships of
Gorgier, Vauwareus, awl Travers,"

PRESS.

Their Imperial Majesties the Emperor and Ent-
press embarked at St. Petersburg on the 24th for
Kiel.

The Grand Duke Constantine reached St. Peters-
burg on the 15th, on his return from his tour in
Western Europe. He will assume the direction of
the Government during the absence from the capital
of the Emperor Alexander.
Prince Ferdinand of Danmark will be at Kiel to
receive their Imperial Majesties.
EGYPT, PERSIA, AND THE EAST.

In Persia, the Minister of the Shah has caused
the Affghan Prince of Herat, who had been taken
prisoner, to be decapitated. He also wished to exe-
cute the brother-in-law of the Shah, who was accused
of holding a correspondence with the English
Minister during the war ; but the French Ambassador
succeeded in obtaining a commutation of the sen-
tence, by pointing out that these condemnations
were a violation of the stipulations of the treaty.
His Imperial Majesty the Sultan set out from
Constantinople on the 21st inst., for Ismid, in the
steam-frigate Saiki-chadi. Elia Imperial Majesty
will return in the course of a couple of days. The
Grand Vizier, the Minister of Marine, and the Seras-
kier accompanied his Majesty. The Viceroy of
Egypt had also embarked at Alezand►ia for a sea
cruise,, and it was thought not improbable that the
Sultan and Viceroy would meet.
The Circassians are reported to have repulsed an
attack on the banks of the Chabacha. A thousand
Russians were killed.

SPAIN AND MEXICO.
The Epoca states that, in consequence of intelli-
gence relative to the Spanish question which had
reached Cuba. General. Concha bad ordered the
departure for Vera Cruz of part of the Spanish squa-
dron ; and accordingly two steamers, Colon and
Isabel IL, had sailed on the 13th. The hopes of a
pacific arrangement diminish every day. In Cuba,
it was feared that the United States would excite
Mexico to hostilities against Spain.
The reports at Madrid of a modification of the
Ministry are premature. The resignation of his
post at Cuba by General Concha is thought to be
not an improbable result of recent instructions
despatched to him from Madrid.
AMERICA.
The usual mails bring no political intelligence of
importance.
Colonel Cummings has received the appointment
of Governor of Utah. The territory of Utah was
perfectly quiet.
Mr. Jefferson Davis is said to be full of the acqui-
sition of Cuba. He recently arrived at Vicksburg,
and had a grand reception, and made a speech about
Cuba and the efforts made by the Pierce Adminis-
tration to get possession of that island. According
to Senator Davis, Mr. Buchanan is even more
deeply pledged to acquire Cuba than was President
Pierce.

General Walker delivered a loug speech, expla-
natory of his course in Nicaragua, to a large assembly
of citizens in New Orleans, on the evening of the
30th ult. It is stated from Washington that Gen.
Walker is expected to visit the capital and defend
his conduct in Nicaragua.

Dates from Vera Cruz to May 21 state that the
country is aroused by the Spanish invasion, and
extensive preparations are making to repel the
enemy's force : 25,000 men have been organised to
meet the Spanish troops.

AP,

HONG KONG.

DOCUMENT relating to Hong Kong

has lately been printed, which possesses consider-
able interest, as it describes the exact position and
prospects attained by the colony shortly before the
breaking out of the war. It consists of a despatch
from Sir John Bowling, inclosing a copy of the last
annual report made to him by the Colonial Secretary
on the progress of the island. It appears that the
place has benefited not only by the increase of the
Chinese trade during the past few years, but by the
effects of the rebellion in promoting emigration from
Canton. A consequent improvement was observable
in the character of the Chinese population, and many
of the natives growing in wealth had also grown in
respectability. The increasing disposition to settle
on the island was manifested especially among the
better class of traders, and the general tendency to
prosperity was further stimulated by many of the
chief commercial houses in China, both British and
American, having lately made Hong Kong their cen-
tral point of establishment. "The development of
steam navigation," it is said, " the rapid extension
of trading relations with Australia and California, the
increase of trade on the coasts of China, the open-
ing of Siam, and the security which the flag of
Great Britain offers against piratical attacks, are
among the causes which have led to these results."
The population, which in 1848 was only 23,998,
11910 i atcd pt the beginhipg of 85(:3 to 721ti07, Owing

625

to the happy fact of the absence of any Custom-
house there are no means of furnishing statistical
details of the imports and exports, but the signs of
an active and rapidly increasing trade were every-
where visible, and were corroborated by the rate of
interest being as high as thirty-six per cent. per
annum, although the latter circumstance is partly to
be attributed to the comparatively needy ccndition of
the small Chinese traders. The Government house
had just been completed at a cost of 15,318/., and
many other public improvements were in progress.
Although the existing gaol buildings are pronounced
totally inadequate, it was only because larcenies and
petty offences had increased with the influx of
population, crime of the most serious kind being rare.
The impression as to the unhealthiness of the colony
seems to be disappearing, and notwithstanding the
large increase in the number of inhabitants the
year 1855 in the town of Victoria was found very
favourable for foreigners. The Chinese consider the
place not more inimical to health than the towns on
the mainland.

THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION.
LETTERS from the camp at Mohammerah to the 9th
May state that the health of the troops still con-
tinues satisfactory, and that preparations for the
return of the forces to Busbire and India were being
rapidly carried out. The 78th Highlanders and the
Native Light Battalion, with one troop and two com-
panies of European artillery, are to be despatched
forthwith to India, and the embarkation has com-
menced already. The 23rd and 26th Native Infantry
and a company of Madras Sappprs are to go to
Bushire, whence her Maje3ty's 64th and the 2nd
Europeans will be sent—the former to I3elgaum,
and the latter to Kurrachee. Two ships of war
will be left here to maintain the occupation until
the terms of the treaty have been fulfilled. General
Jacob will be in command at Bushire, which place,
as also the island of Karrack, will remain in our
safe keeping until the Persians have evacuated
Herat, and made the stipulated apologies to the
British mission.

Sir James Outram and General Lugard had met
with one of the narrowest escapes possible from a
cruel death. They were proceeding up in the Ferose
steamer, with a troop ship in tow, from Bushire to

At about midnight of the Bth the Ferote grounded on a
sandbank to the east of the mouth of the Shatt-al-Arab,
and the Rnjah of Cochin troopship, which she had in tow,
drawing less wa►er, ran into her stern, smashing the cutter,
and coming with such force against the roundhouse that
it fell in with one tremendous crash. Sir James, General
Lugard, and the Rev. Mr. Badger were asleep inside, and
it was a miracle of Providence that all three were not
crushed to death. The furniture in the room served to
prevent the heavy roof, on which two immense hawsers
were coiled, from coming in direct contact with the deck,
and left just sufficient room to allow of the gentlemen
being extricated without receiving much damage beyond •
few bruises. Those who inspected the ruins next morning,
and saw where the heavy beams lay, expressed their
astonishment that even one escaped instantareons death.
The Ferose received more damage by this untoward
accident than by the shot of the enemy at the capture of
Mohammerah.

THE EAST INDIA COMPANY.
AT the quarterly general court, held on the 17th inst.,
the CHAIRMAN (Mr. D. R. Mangles), in reply to a
question from Dr. Beattie, said that the Indian
Government had not furnished any report as to the
cause of the recent mutiny among a portion
of the native Indian army. No doubt an investiga-
tion would be instituted and means taken to ascer-
tain the real cause of the disorganisation that had
taken place.
A discussion then took place with regard to the
opium traffic, and Mr. LEWIN moved the following
resolution

-----
That the manufacture and sale of opium by the East
India Company are in violation of the law which forbids
them, with certain specified exceptions, pursuing the
avocation of shopkeepers and petty dealers, and are it
their consequences injurious to the national character.
The motion was seconded by Mr. JONES.
Mr. MACKENZIE said the whole question in regarl
to the trade in opium would be decided by the
motion of Lord Shaftesbury, for referring th 3
matter, as to the legality or illegality of the trade, tD
the law officers of the Crown. He believed it wont'
be for the interest of India if the Company s
monopoly were abolished and the growth of opium
thrown open, and an export duty imposed.
The CHAIRMAN Said it was quite obvious that the
Indian Government could not put an end to the
trade in opium, and that if it were thrown opea,
instead of one Chest going to China 10,000 chests
would be imported into that country. The nicri
sacra fames would frustrate all Custom-house
regulations, and China would be inundated with
opium.
After some further discussion tha raotjou was Int
and negatived,

1