The Sun.
London, England, 1860-04-17 00:00:00

THE SARDINIAN PARLIAMENT.

TURIN, APRIL 12.
By way of a prelude to the debate which we are
to-day to attend at the Chamber, arising from Gari-
baldi's question on the cession of Nice, the follow-
ing particulars will be read with interest in
England:—

The Governor of Nice, Lubonis, author of the 1
famous proclamation which has shocked the very
Ministers by whom that worthy functionary was ap-
pointed, is actually terrorising the people into com-
pliance with the French Emperor's wishes. The
journal Il Nizzardo, which had ceased to appear on
the first invasion of the county by the French
troops, took courage to print a few more numbers
upon the announcement that a free appeal was to
be made to public suffrage ; Lubonis had the paper
seized and its editor threatened with imprisonment.
All the Sindaci, or Mayors, have been served with a
notice, to inform them that France will hold the
municipal authoriees accountable for the vote the
people under their jurisdiction may come to. They
(the Sindaci) are to hand over to the central autho-
rity the names of those who may show any zeal in
their opposition to French annexation. The Bishop
has issued a circular enforcing a vote for France as
a "duty." The Governor has sent agents into the
rural and mountain districts to " organize" the vote,
granting them full powers even to dissolve the Mu-
nicipal Councils who may happen to have another
mind than that of the Sardinian Governor, athirst
for a French Prefecture. Hero in Turin, and
throughout Italy, the loss of Nice is both galling
and humiliating to the national feeling. The
stanchest partisans of_Count Cavour are willing to
allow that his late transactions have sunk his popu-
larity a hundred per cent. Even the city of Pavia,
one of those so lately rescued from the Austrian
yoke, cannot freely rejoice at its own deliverance,
saddened at the thought that Nice is to be made
over to the French domination. An address from
that town to Garibaldi invites him to bear up the
courage of his townsmen, so as to induce *them to
resist to the last.

The house met soon after 1 o'clock. All the de-
puties present in Turin were in their places. Eight
of the Ministers attended. There was a crowd and
intense expectation in the galleries.
The new President, Lanza, for whom room was
made by the Senior Vice-President, Zanolini, read
himself in in a long written speech, which will ap-
pear in the official reports to-morrow. Even Italians
begin to look rather blank at the sight of a MS. in
Parliament, and they are by no means pleased to
see a bad example set by a President, who, if he is
not here called a " Speaker," neither should he be
styled a " Reader."
Count CaVour then rose, and laid on the Presi-
dent's table two bills, which he begged the house to
declare of urgent interest ; one referred to the treaty
with France, the other to the decree of annexa-
tion of the Central Italian Provinces, both of which
the Minister hoped would pass through all the stages
of discussion in both Houses 'between this and
Saturday, Sunday being the day appointed for the
King's journey to Tuscany, which will bring about
a Parliamentary recess.
Garibaldi then roso. With a firm, clear voice, he
began by reading the fifth article of the Constitu-
tion, by which no sale or barter of any part of the
State can take place without the consent of Parlia-
ment. He said—

" The vote which has now been put to the provinces of
Savoy and Nice is neither legal nor valid without the sanc-
tion of the Chambers. Nice came into the power of the
House of Savoy in 1388, and in 1391 came to a compact
with Count Amadeus VII., by virtue of which the Count
could not part with the city or any part of the territory or
people ; but, in the event of his releasing his Nizzards from
their vote of allegiance, the latter were free in their choice
of a new Sovereign, without being therefore amenable to
the charge of rebellion. The treaty of. the 24th March, by
which Nice is ceded to France, is not only an infraction of
the old charter of Nice, but also a violation of the right of
nationality. We are told that the exchange of two small
Transalpine provinces against the /Emilia and Tuscany is a
desirable bargain ; but the sale of a people is always a deplor-
able transaction, and the Italians of the Centre have but a
poor earnest of the account into which the rights and wishes
of a people are taken. If the Government reckons on the vote
of the population, why should the vote of Nice be appointed
for the 15th, while that of Savoy is to come off on the 22d. The
moral pressure now exercised upon Nice by the French
police renders an appeal to universal suffrage a mere deri-
sion.

He spoke of the intrigues of the French police, of
briberies and threats, of Lubonis's manifesto, by
which it seemed as if a connivance-existed between
the French agents and the King's Government, and
ended by moving a resolution—that the vote of the
people of Nice should be put off till Parliament had
fully deliberated on the subject.
Cavour rose to answer :
" The treaty of the 24th of March is not an isolated fact ;
it belongs to a series of great political transactions, some of
which have been accomplished ; others are now in progress.
To give the honourable general a satisfactory answer, I
should have to enter into explanations as to the whole of
our political system. This I must beg to postpone till the
treaty with France comes on for discussion before the house.
I may then lay the state of affairs before a committee of the
house, and give all satisfactory information. The house
knows I have invariably wished to have our policy freely
canvassed before the house. What I have to declare at this
moment is simply that this question of Savoy and Nice is
merely a continuation of that policy which led us to Milan,
Bologna, and Florence. Had we refused the treaty, we
might have imperilled all our most glorious results. For
the present this is not a discussion to be broUght before Par-
liament. The vote of the provinces is no unconstitutional
proceeding. Parliament cannot be bound by the vote of the
population. That vote can always be rescinded by Parlia-
ment. The sanction of the Chambers has always been one
of the foremost conditions stipulated in the treaty. A clause
of the same nature was introduced into the treaty of com-
merce lately concluded between France and Great Britain,
and the freest Parliament in the world has been satisfied
with it. Our national representatives ought not to be more
jealous of their paramount authority than the Lords and
Commons of England. The Government is not accountable
for the intrigues of the party agents. They will see that
the vote is given free from all undue pressure. The appeal
to the suffrage in those provinces is made on the same prin-
ciple adopted for the States of Central Italy. Some of the
acts of the provisional rulers in Nice are greatly to be re-
gretted. The Governor Lubonis not only exceeded but alto-
gether departed from his instructions. The man enjoyed a
good character as a fair and impartial magistrate. All his
previous conduct authorised the Government to expect a
different' behaviour on his part. He has been gravely re-
primanded for his conduct."
The Minister concluded by again begging for the
postponement of this discussion.
Laurenti Robandi said:—
"Nice cannot be sold or given in exchange without the
consent of Parliament. I accept the Minister's promise that
there will be an open discussion in the Chambers and a free
vote for the people. This is no political question, it is mat-
ter of honour and morality. While I consent to the adjourn-
ment of the question, I must beg leave to produce some
documents proving what freedom of vote is allowed to the'
Nizzards. (Ho then read Lubonis's proclamation, then the
address of the Mayor of Nice to the citizens, and other offi-
cial papers proving that a vote for France is enforced by the
King's officers almost in the King's name. He showed that
the French party settled all the proceedings of the vote, so
as to have all their own way.) Only five days were allowed
for preparation. Frenchmen:of Nizzard extraction were ad-
mitted to the suffrage, whether or not they could prove their
descent. There was a French committee taking upon them-
selves official authority. The priestsprayed Domtne &Timm
fac Napoleonem,' &c. The Bishops declared a vote foi
France to be matter of Christian duty, &c. There were
French regiments, not passing through, but actually occu-
pying and garrisoning Nice; a cavalry regiment; three
Fwnch frigates, with their sailors landing and setting up
clamours of ' Vive la France,' &c. The impression has gone
forth among the people that all is over—all is settled ; that
France expects every man to do his duty, and will reward
according to merit. There is a circular issued from the
official press to that effect.
" Cavour—By whom signed ?
" Laurenti ltobandi—This copy has no signature. I
came to it by the merest chance, as I receive no letters. I
accuse no man, but the post never has any letters for me.
The circular, however, is published by the Government
printer in Nice."
He then gave the names of some members of the
French committee--Bruni Martini, and another
Martini, a notorious swindler. Ile alluded to the
seizure of the Nizzardo newspaper, whose only crime
was, under the present circumstances, to dissuade the
people from voting. "Is this," he now exclaimed,
" freedom of vote ? Why should not the Nizzards
be treated with the same fairness as the Tuscans
or Romagnese ? Have they not shown themselves
Italians? Have they not fought for the common
cause? Have they not shed their blood ?" He then
referred to Cavour's note tto Thouvenel, purposely
garbled in the Moniteur, to the King's speech in
Parliament, to his proclamation to the people of
Savoy and Nice. He insisted that freedom of vote
had been promised to them by all that was most
solemn and sacred, and that the promise should hold
good. He asked that a vote of censure should be
pronounced on the Provisional Government of Nice,
as having violated the freedom of vote.
As Cavour's speech was received with great ap-
plause, so those of Garibaldi and Laurenti Robandi
were often interrupted by enthusiastic cheers, which
were severely rebuked by the President Lanza.
Mellana, of Casale (Extreme Left), said,—
" The Minister puts off this discussion; but he may as
well say at once that the vote of Savoy and Nice is a viola-
tion of the Constitution. A veto of this nature might be
proposed in the /Emilia and Tuscany, countries which revo-
lution has deprived of all legal government; but Piedmont
is a firmly constituted Government ; no vote can be put to
the people without the sanction of Parliament. Even with
the consent of Parliament, the proceeding would be illegal ;
for where is there any mention of universal suffrage in our
laws ? Cavour Bays the question of Nice is bound up with
that of nationality ; this i. au appeal to the principle of ex-
pediency ; I stand on honour and right. I also turn round
upon this house, crowded with deputies from the newly an-
nexed provinces, and I will tell them. In 1849 we had the
Austrians west of the Ticino ; we had them on the ram-
parts of Alessandria. Yet we were bidden to sign a treaty
derogatory to our honour ; and what answer did we then
make? Here the orator was overpowered by choking
emotion.] We are reminded of the gratitude we owe to
France, but no feeling of that nature should interfere with
what we owe to our honour.
The hon. deputy then proposed that the vote of
Parliament should precede all appeals to the popu-
lar suffrage.
Farini, Home Minister, said,—
" Parliament will not be biassed by the popular vote ; on
the contrary, the result of the appeal to universal suffrage

will enlighten Parliament as to the real views and tenden-
cies of the people of Savoy and Nice. I regret that the
provisional rulers of Nice should not have followed instruc-
tions. The French troops are not permanent in Nice ; they
go past one regiment after another, day by day. The cir-
cular of the Committee was printed by a printer who serves
the Government, but cannot strictly be called an official
person. On the voting day Nice shall be free from all sol-
diers. There will only be the Royal Carabineers. The
Government wish they might trust the National Guards :
but there are party divisions among them, and public order
would not be safe with them."
_ _

Mamiani, Minister of Public Instruction, whose
faculties seem to be impaired by age, and who was
never powerful in debate in his happiest times,
detained the house with no very efficient speech :
" This is no time," ho said, "to subtilise on points of
leg tility. The treaty is dictated by necessity ; we must be
resigned. In all sublunary matters, but especially in poli •
tics, we must all always look to the end. It is sont9times
necessary to lop off a limb to preserve a diseased body; Nice
must be amputated. The ,Nizzards hdve great sympathy
with France; that nation attracts them as a strong Ama-
zon, whose charms are irresistible. Italy has numberless
enemies. Should she part with her only ally, and follow a
policy of isolation ? Read Lamoriciere's order of the day
•Do you wish to undo all that has been done? Shall we
suffer Central Italy to fall under the Pope, the Austrians,
and Neapolitans ; fill the prisons, drench the scaffolds with
blood, rather than Nice should follow the destinies which
a great number of her population deem most propitious for
her ?"

Mamiani's speech was received with an attempt
at applause, which was immediately hushed.
The house was then addressed by Sineo, a mem-
ber of the Left; Boggio, a Ministerialist ;, Count
Cavour ; and again by Farici, Cavour, Bottero,
a Nizzard, and subsequently again by Laurenti
Robandi and Garibaldi.

Mancini, a Neapolitan, and a friend of tho Go-
vernment, stated that he could, on personal obser-
vation, assure the house that nothing could be
more evident than the strong attachment of Nice
to its Sovereign and to Italian nationality. Nothing
like a fair vote could be obtained under the present
pressure. He moved that the vote for Nice, no less
than for Savoy, should be postponed to the 22d, and
that two commissions of three deputies for each
should be sent to see that the vote should be carried
on in a fair manner.

Cavour, with great vehemence, rejected this mo
tion. He said he had enjoyed great popularity, and
saw the present crisis would deprive him of it. He
nevertheless wished all the responsibility of the
present transaction shot% rest on the Ministers
alone, and would neither screen himself behind
Parliament, nor let the responsibility weigh on it.
The different resolutions were then put to the
vote, and the house decided in favour of that moved
by the Ministerial member, Boggio, who only " re-
solved that the Ministers should see that the vote
of Savoy and Nice was given in all sincerity and
freedom."
The house adjourned at a quarter before 6. Gari-
baldi was received with thy greatest enthuiiasni by
the vast crowd assembled outside the Palace, and
actually carried away in triumph. Yet he had not
been very happy in his second Parliamentary
attempt, and I e ought to have been satisfied with
his first appearance in his new character of an orator.
He said himself, with great aptness, that" he might
perhaps better trust his powers in handling a rifle
than in addressing a house filled with some of the
greatest literary celebrities in this country."
APRIL 13.
Yesterday's sitting in the House of Deputies left
a deep, sorrowful impression, from which I really
believe not one of the thousand persons present has
yet fully recovered. The Government gained but too
easy a victory, yet a victory on which they have but
little reason to congratulate themselves. That pres-
sure which Count Cavour is obliged to exercise both
on the Parliament and on the population of Savoy
and Nice, weighs on no man so heavily as on the
Premier himself. Had he at least been free to speak
out, and to acknowledge the straits in which the
overbearing arrogance to his " magnanimous ally"
places him, he would easily have turned the oppo-
sition of his most inveterate adversaries into cordial
sympathy. Not being able to speak from his place
in the house, or even in the columns of the Gazette,
he gives vent to his own feelings, and appease the
angry feelings of his countrymen, in a short article
in the semi-official Tinione, from which I extract
a few sentences. " The discussion arising from
Garibaldi's question," he says—
" Was a prolonged outcry of grief, which broke forth
from every Deputy of Nice, and was echoed by the heart
and soul of all the representatives of the nation. Let not a
word be said about compensation, exchange, or bargain ;
let the act be described for what it is, a great, a sorrowful
sacrifice, to which the nation submits for the welfare of all.
This will account for the large majority which voted yester-
day for the Government. It was a painful but inevitable
duty that was to be fulfilled ; and let the Opposition refrain
from boasting. They might safely enough wage war to the
best of their powers; but they were too glad, as they were
certain to be in the minority."
So it is. The Government must feel bitter about
their triumph ; the Opposition would have been too
utterly undone by success. The Minister Mamiani
blurted out the truth with more than Arcadian sim-
plicity. " France is an Amazon, a terrible Amazon,
which inspires terror, even when she allures you
with her smiles." Pity Cavour attempted to coquet
with this dread virago ! Mamiani's theory about
legality and expediency no longer, one would fain
hope, belongs to our age. We are sick of the old
definition, describing a diplomatist " as a man sent
abroad to lie for the benefit of his country." In the
same manner we must protest against Mamiani's
notions of a political man. Whoever hesitates to
walk to his goal from fear of the sorrows he may
have to tread upon, may be an excellent person,
but he is not a political man. He is but a craven
who end angers life in his reluctance to submit a
diseased limb to the surgeon's scalpel. "The law
of necessity is paramount over all considerations."
Surely there is a limit to this somewhat free-and-
easy theory. Had it been in the power of Count
Cavour to foresee not only that he was to lose Savoy
and Nice, but also that the sacrifice was to be at-
tended by the violation of all the laws and statutes
of the country, by a breach of all the commonest
rules of equity, truth, and honour, he would not be
entitled to the name of man—say nothing of the
character of statesman—if he had deliberately in-
volved himself in his present difficulties. But it is
in the nature of this great and good man to play a
high game. The stake was great, the prize tempt-
ing, and he is accustomed to rely on his 99 chances
of good luck. His achievements in Lombardy and
Central Italy justified his overweening confidence,
but now he is called to the reckoning. He must not
only pay the stake, butpay it in the very coin which
the croupier calls for. He must not only give up
Savoy and. Nice, but he must bear a hand in all the
fraud and violence by which those two provinces
are made to change masters.
Would, at least, that ho was sure his present
countenance precludes future demands ! No one
could hear without a shudder Mamiani's assertion
"that Italy must choose between French alliance
and complete isolation." And Mellana asked with
good reason, " Where is there to be the end of these
French slopes ? Did they not, under the first Em-
pire, extend to all Liguria, and even to this sacred
land, from which, at least, our speech is now em-
powered to go forth freely ? Give up principles,
and then tell us where you will find resolution to
say to an encroaching neighbour 'so far and no
further P' "

Mamiani threw out a hint that Italy needed the
aid of France for the deliverance of Venice, ROMP,
and Naples. Is it quite so certain that Napoleon
111. will never at any time join Austria, the Pope,
and Bourbon to the ruin of Italy ? Time will show.
In the mere display of Parliamentary eloquence
the ever-memorable sitting of yesterday did mot
strike mere spectators as giving, evidence of any
extraordinary powers on either side. Count Cavour
spoke under restraint, and his temper never fails to
get the better of him whenever he has to contend
with difficulties which place him at a manifest dis-
advantage. Yet even in the little he had to say,
and in his peculiar frame of mind, his transcendent
logical gifts were evinced with sufficient clearness;
and he displayed enough of that ability which dis-
incline him not only to admit a rival, but even a
sharer of his power. He is an inelegant speaker,
but the closest, clearest, readiest reasoner that ever
was. Yesterday's debate fully justified his reluct-
ance to trust either his colleagues or his partisans
with, the advocacy of his principles or conduct. He
was yesterday rather feebly seconded by the Mini-
sterial Board, or the benches of the majority.
Ferm i i s a highly polished writer, a copious, and
sometimes even happy speaker. He is one of the
most upright and generous patriots in Italy, and
the page Italian history he has lately acted in
the /Emilia will read more glorious than any of the
volumes he has written ; but yesterday he would
better have consulted the interests of the Cabinet
and his own fair name had he simply held his
tongue. His very fairness and honesty, his best
feelings, were against him. The quibble " that the
French were only going through, not staying at
Nice," should have been left to the Moniteur. As
for his disapproval of Luboni's manifesto, " least
said soonest mended." Is. he not the Home Mini-
ster ? If he was disappointed in the man, why not
at least remove, or even prosecute him? Surely if
there eyer was a case of leze majeste, no less than
leze natzonalite, it was that of this magistrate, who,
in the name of impartiality, exhorts the Nizzards
to fall off from King and Country ?
The Opposition easily earned the honours of the
day; for, as I their own hearts, that of their
hearers, and even that of their opponents, were with
them. Garibaldi's brave bluntness, Laurenti Ro-
bandi's passionate tones, Meliana's tribunitian de-
clamation, Mancini's earnest truth—everything
told. But these men are, after all, only the "small
fry" of their party. The " great guns," Cabella
and Sistori, only allowed themselves a few remarks.
The still greater champions, Cattaneo and Guer-
razzi, have not yet made their appearance.
A mistake occurred in my yesterday's hurried

report. Count Cavour laid upon the table both the
treaty with France and the decrees for the annexe-

tion of Central Italy, but only the latter were pre-
sented for immediate deliberation. The discussion

of the annexation of iEtnilia and Tuscany, which
comes on to-day, will not occupy the Chamber many
minutes.

The measure came before the house in two sepa-
rate bills. Last evening these were taken into con-
sideration in the different sections of the house, and.
then by a commission consisting of members chosen
by each of the nine sections. The commission then
appointed a reporter, who was to inform the Cham-
ber as to resolutions of the different sections and of
the commission upon the bill. These are the suc-
cessive stages through which every bill must pass,
corresponding to the first, second, and third read-
ing of a bill in the English Houses of Parliamer.t.
On this occasion all these idle forms were hurled,

through at a tearing gallop. The reporter (Saraeee)
made an appropriate speech, celebrating the happy
series of events by which 12,000,000 of Italians
were brought to constitute one family ; and the
President proceeded to put to the vote the Jew
words by which the house expressed its approval of
the King's decree.
As the question was put, all the members rose at
once with a loud shout of exultation, which was
still more loudly re-echoed by the galleries, and a
loyal cheer of " Viva it Re !" again and again broke
from the hearts of all persons present. Notwith-
standing this hearty, spontaneous, and universal
acclamation, it was necessary again to put the
question to the Note by ballot. Two hours were
thus lost in this mere dull piece of formality—sum-
moning the members by the appel nominal, and
bidding them deposit their white or black balls in
the respective urns.
The results were :

For the annexation of the Xmilia—members pre-
sent, 215 ; voters, 214 ; for the bill, 214 ; against,
0. One deputy, Chenal, a Savoyard, abstained from
voting.
For the annexation of Tuscany—deputies present,
213 ; voters, 212 ; for the bill, 211 ; against, 1.
Chenal again refused to vote.
The result of the ballot was again received with
prolonged applause.
Bertani, a Lombard, wished to put a question to
the Ministers on the late events in Sicily.
Count Cavour somewhat tartly replied that he
would vouchsafe no answer to questions addressed
to him without the formal courtesy of a previous
notice. The matter before the house was of urgent
importance, and he would call upon the hon. deputy
to put off his intarpellanza till to-morrow.
Massei, a Tuscan, addressed the Ministers on the
subject of the " autonomy" or separate administra-
tion of Tuscany. He valved, he said, the 'honour
conferred upon his native province by sending a
Royal Lieutenant, a Prince of the blood, to reside
at Florence. He was glad his country was placed
under the rule of Baron Ricasoli, a man whose
wisdom and firmness had so ably steered the State
in days of great difficulty and danger Still there
were ,drawbacks to all these signal advantages.
The statute, though long since promulgated, was not
yet carried into effect. The Sardinian law on the
National Guard was not yet applied to Tuscany,
and the law of " suspects," empowering a prefect of
the police to proceed " economically "—that ill
secretly and summarily, against the citizens, inflict,-
ing even a penalty of three years' imprisonment,.
was not yet abolished. He was aware that not- a
little of the Leopoldine laws, which were the heart
of Tuscan civilisation, might with advantage be ex-
tended to the whole of the new Italian monarchy.
Still, he insisted that the present provisional con-
dition of Tuscany was injurious to her welfare,and
hoped the Ministers were earnestly thinking of, a
cessation of the evil.
Parini, the Home Minister, rose to reply. He was
under a strong impression that the statute was in
full activity in Tuscany as in the other provinces of
the realm. He thought all exceptional and- arbi-
trary measures of the Tuscan police had come to an
end. He was almost sure of it ; but he would in-
quire and ascertain. The Government was most
anxious to bring about a real fusion of the Tuscan
with the Sardinian and Lombard laws, 'and would
see that the advantages which were hitherto con-
fined to one province should become common to
all.
Garibaldi left this morning at 10 o'clock for
Nice.
A Tuscan regiment, the 36th, was received in
Turin yesterday with enthusiastic acclamation. It
was the first corps from Central Italy that has AN
yet been seen in the capital.

COUNTRY MARKETS

COLCHESTER-APRIL 14.

A tolerable supply of wheat, and for the best samples
2s advance freely obtained on last we*'s prices. Barley
comes scarce, and dearer. Beans and peas were the turn
in favour of the seller.

Wheat, white 4Bs to 54s Beans, Mazagan..32s to 36s
red 46s to 52s Middle & small 36s to 47s
Barley 36s to 50s White peas 36s to 386
Oats 2os to 238 Grey.. 32s to 386