The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-02 00:00:00

SKETCH FROM 711 E ITALIAN PA.RLIARENT

Punctuality is not apparently one of the virtues for which
the deputies aspire to be celebrated, and when the President
opens the sitting, he has not many to feel his authority,
but gradually and mysteriously the fresh arrivals swell up
into what we should call a full house. After a few preli-
minaries, the long process of callii g over hundreds of names
commences, and the stranger is perhaps the only person
present who is not, at least for the first time, bored
with it, for it stems to refresh his memory about
the historical character of those famous men of
the era who have done so much to enable the Chamber
at Turin to receive " Italian" representatives at all—Gari-
baldi, Cialdini, Bixio, Crispi, Gallenga. &c., are names easily
caught, and remembered with crowding association of ideas.
In time the debate opens, and though the building is as per-
fect, accoustically, as it is possible for anything of its size to
be, one must suppose the English visitor in the gallery to be
rather looking on than,wit.h his limited knowledge of Italian,
understanding the speeches as they are delivered. With a
wi h to be present at a variety of declamation rather than
any discussion of solid importance, he is slily gratified to find
that the orators are, likely fiery steeds, too impetuous to last
out long. In the end, after enjoy ir g many fresh tones of
voice and divers kind of gesticulation, he observes that the
addresses are, on the average, v.:ry short, unless some un-
lucky minister is kept on his legs by the gravity of the
(•ccasion or the number of interpolations. He hears signs
of approbation or the reverse expressed in a way to denote
earnest attention to the proceedings on the part of the whale
house, but not beyond the c ntrol of the tinkling bell of the
President, who. if he be but a gentle but firm one like Tor-
rearsa, has no insuperable trouble in keeping order. Any-
wise the listener conceives the impression that the Italian
language, grandly adapted as it is for the slow utterance of a
Capuchin preacher, loses much of its charm when submitted
to the rapid volubility if Deputy-eloquence. If our
stranger happens to be present when a division takes place.be
will notice that, besides the resemblance to the old Roman
theatre in the house itself, the mode of voting is p •rtially
renewal of that of the " Comitia Majora" of the Republican
times. Perhaps with an eye to again passing 1-iwsin or near
the Campus Martins of history, the Italians have their
"Pons" to pass over, and their black and white baits sup-
plied to them by " yellow plush" diribitor es at the side
from which they start. On their left hand are two urns,
one at each end of the " Pons," from the pro or con balls
respectively, and the ballot seems to involve the putting the
hand into each to conceal what is done for either, with a
sly peep now and then into the depths:of the receptacle to
see how the favoured cause is prospering. Once a Week.

BANK OF ENGLAND.

An Account, pursuant to t
cap. 32, for the week ending
of April, 18622:

the Act 7th and Bth Victoria,
on Wednesday, the 30th day

IS Fl TIE DET
otes issued ......X30,891,680

ARTIVIENT.

Government Debt x11i.15,0)0
Other Securities .. 3.(114..,0n
Gold Coin & Bullion 16,241,680
Silver Bullion ....

£30.891,(80

£30,8 1,630

BANKING D
Proprietors' Capi-
tal .............. £14.553,000
Rest . . ............ 3,0;52,142
Public DeposEitxsche (in-
cluding -
nuer, Saving's'
Banks, Commis-
missioners of Na-
tional Debt, and
Dividend Ac-
_

:PARTMENT.
Government Secu-
rities (including
Dead Weight A-
nnuity) £ll 2,0 755
Other Securities 17.8.5E P2O
Notes
Gold and Silver 8A7,766
Coin

counts) 6,867.375
Other Deposits 11,357.007
Seven Day and
other Bills

£39,540,831
M. MARSHALL, Chief Cashier.

439,546,831

May 1,1802.