The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-02-21
Sardinia.

TURIN, January ii, 1913.
Prudential Conduct Of King Charles Alberta
Magma Charta gusn by Him to the People,
filling "A columns of Newspaper Ac-
count Of its Provisions.
Piedmont has recently been the theatre of
bloodless revolution, in which changes have
been peacefully effected by the wisely directed
will of the sovereign, and the grateful accep-
tation of the people, which are without paral
lei in the annals of any country, except the
neighboring States of the Church and the Grand
Duchy of Tuscany. King Charles Albert has
begun, by steadily asserting the supremacy of
the law, and by showing that, to mere popular
tumult, nothing would be conceded.
Having repressed disorders, and demonstrated
that the rens of government were held by
firm hand, he called around him wise and libe-
raj counselors and, with ther aid, organized
a system of public administration in which the
foundations OF a constitutional government are
laid: This magma charta OF Piedmont appeared
in the official gazette, of which it occupied ~
columns, few days since. BY this ordinance,
the entire State IS recognised on plan, in
many respects, similar to that of France The
entire territory is resolved, primarily, into pro-
vinces, which correspond to the French de-
partments. These provinces are again resolved
into divisions, which correspond to the French
ACCOMPLISHMENTS and these divisions are again,
as in France, resolved into communes, or town
ships The provinces are governed by Projects,
and the divisions by SUB Protects, and the COM
munes by Mayors and municipal councils. The
latter bodies are elective, and form the link be-
tween the sovereign and his subjects. The tests
of electors are either that of property or intel
lectual requirements. The property. tests are
thus regulated: Lists of the population are
made out in the order of the amount they
contribute to the public revenue. Of the first
class, consisting of limited number of those
who pay the largest amount OF taxes, one tenth
is invested with the elective franchise of the
next class, one twentieth, and so on in dimln-
ishlng proportion as the classes augment in num-
bers, and decrease in the amount OF their con-
tributions The intellectual qualification is
regulated on the most liberal principle, inclu-
ding all professions and calllngs of an inteectu-
al nature. Thus the elective privilege is granted
the liberal professions, all persons engaged n4he
public service, military, naval or civil all call
ings partaklng of an Intellectual character, such
as surveyors, engineers, public teachers, Sc;
and In fine, all merchants and traders who are
in condition to prove that they MAINTAIN their
families by the profits of their buslness.A Every
one conversant with the history and constitution
of countries, will see in this organization the
germs of future representative system. The
municipal councils will be in Sardinia, as they
have been elsewhere, the nurseries of future
statesmen and senator's. Time, however, must
be given for the people to complete their politi-
cal education. The first great step, meanwhile,
has been made, and having enanated from wise
and patriotic sovereign, and having been effected
by the common consent OF prince and people,
no doubt can be entertained that In due time II
will be followed up by measures OF correspond
ing wisdom and lberality.