The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-22 00:00:00

THE FINANCES oF ROME.

The following letter bag been received from
Rome :

" Rome. Oct. 9.
"You have probably read in he Roman Journal of
the 2d of this month a resume of the Buogi t of Finances,
by which there would appear a surplus of some millions
of scudi, notwithstanding the heavy remissions made to
various provinces by a special circular from Monsignor
Ferrari, Minister of Finances. Another circular from
tie same Minister boasts of the very advantageous loan
contracted with the House of Rothschild. Certainly,
if all the fibs that Monsignor Ferrari chooses to publish
were ready money it would be impossible• to deny- to
our State the merit of being a very model to the rest of
the world in regard to finances. But they are right to
draw a veil over the exchequer ; it is always on the de-
cline. It would be easy to prove that we are on the
road to ruin. The deplorable state of our finances is so
patent that I will not waste time in refuting the false-
hoods of the Minister of Finances by examining each
category of the budget ; but I give you the following
fac,, for the authenticity of which I can vouch :
"The Commons of Rome being burdened with the
expense of lodging the French troops, the Municipality
at first provided for the a Arge by an extra tax on liquids
and forage, which, from 1854 to 1856, produced 195,000
Roman crowns ; then, by another extra tax on pro-
perties, whether houses or lands, which gave in the same
years 123,000 crowns; making altogether 318,000. You
gilt allow that that was a tolerably heavy sum to pay for
barrack room, the net expenditure on which amounted
to 276,986 crowns, so that there was a surplus of 41,014
crowns, What has become of this sum No one can tell,
and the municipality itself would be very much puzzled
to account for it, because, although it is permitted to ar-
range the levying of the taxes, it is not allowed to gather
them. But that is not all. All the provinces of the
State that have not the expense of barracks to pay are
obliged to contribute half as much as Rome itself pays—
that, is to say, 138,000 crowns ; so that the Government
has a surplus at the expense of the population of Rome
and the provinces. This surplus consists of 41,019
crowns, raised from the commune of Rome, and the
138,000 crowns contributed by the provinces, amounting
to above 179,000 in the total, and that without taking
into account the late reductions made in the expenditure
for barracks for the French garrison. After all that, it
does not require a conjuror to produce a surplus of
1,429 crowns in the budget of 1858. _

"The following circular has been addressed to the gen-
darmerie by Monsignor Milelle, Apostolic Delegate at
Macerata, which shows an intention of prolonging the
state of siege in spite of the noise made about its sup-
pression not long since :
" MUNICIPAL POLICE.—NO. 181.

Sir,—Notwithstanding the convantion signed be•
tween the Pontifical and the Austrian Governments for
the cessation of the state of siege, the law on disarming id
no less in vigour, and you will comprehend, sir, all the
importance that the Government attaches to its scrupu-
lous execution. It is your duty, therefore, to renew to all
the chiefs of brigades or detachment dependent on you the
order to watch, in the most scrupulous manner, the execu-
tion of the said law. Your subordinates are authorised to
make domicilihry visits, and to employ all the means they
may judge convenient, in order that the laws have effect.
All the arms which may to) found in the houses of inhabi-
tants who cannotshqw any authority for keeping them, and
delivered by the provincial direction of police, will be se-
questrated. Arms found in the houses of persons having au-
thority to keep them for personal protection will also be se-
questrated, if it should be found that they are used for the
chase, or for any other purpose than that indicated in the
permission. The arms to be sent to the governor of the
province, to whom a❑ account of the circumstances con-
nected with the seizure will be forwarded, and a proce3
vevbal of the same will be remitted to the direction of the
police of the provinces.
" MILELLE, Apostolic Delegate.
." Macerata, Aug. 6,1857.
" ' To the Captain commanding Gendarmerie of