Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-10-11
A QUEER LITTLE REsPURLIC. &c
San Marlno-Itr customs and Govern

ment. ~
A correspondent Of the London Herald
gives an interesting account OF a visit to the
little republic of San Marino in August.
| He says: ra ma. .a..... .5,.....y
.It is especiallGI sfggular that this little
territory, containing only about b,0OO IN
habitants, should have remained intact for
more than fifteen centuries, and that now,
while all its powerful neighbors have be-
come merged into one great State, this tiny
republic should be the portion ofltalian soil
possessing separate autonomy, 1t was
founded by San Marino, who was native
of Dalmatia, and came over and settled IN
Rimini. Soon after the persecution of the
Christians by the Emperor Diocletian COM
menced, and finding that it was impossible
to. remain in Rimini, San Marino Led his
little flock out from the city, and estab-
lished a Christian colony at the summit OF
the highest and most rugged mountain IN
this part OF the country, and which was at
that time probably surrounded by untrod-
den FORESTS; aud from that day to this the
little State thus founded has remained sep
arate and distinct from the neighboIing
countries. ...' ...... ....... ..,.. .,|
Immediately we got into the open coun-
! try, my driver pointed out the mountain OF
San Marino, rising far above all the hills in
its neighborhood, and distanC from Rimini
nearly fifteen miles. The road led across
an undulating and very richly cultivated
country. The peasants were engaged in
picking the grape harvest which, by che
way, is this year one of the worst ever
known, from the extreme drrp"Ss of the
early part of the season. They were also
occupied in picking the maize, which forms
so important an item of the Italian farmers
| crop. ..... ID. 'u-l ID
When about six miles from the noun
tain, we crossed little stream, and my
driver told me that we were now in the
Republic of San MarinO. The circumfer-
ence of the State is thirty-nine miles, the
mountain, or crag as it should be rather
called, rising nearly in its center. The
ground, with the exception of the rock it
SELF is everywhere fertile and well culti-
waited, and its value is considerably more
than that of similar ground In the sur
rounding country, from the absence of tax
alton, and other advantages peculiar to the
Republic, chief among which is the free
dom from military conscription. Every
man in San MarinO is, it is true, a soldier,
hut this Is a very minor evil when soldier
ing involves no fighting or absence from
home. Although all are liable to be
called upon to serve in case of neces-
sity, only those under a certain aye
are on ordinary occasions called
out, and the strength of this regular
army of the Republic is eight hundred
men. Of these, seven hundred form the
National Guard, the remaining, one hun
drcd the body guard of the President. The
uniform of all is blue. The facings of the
National Guard are red, those of the body
guard yellow, and of the band, white. The
national flag is blue and white. The police
, is administered by chief and five carbi-
neers, whose uniform is dark blue, with
white cross belts and grey trowsers, and is
very similar to that of the carbineers of the
Italian service. These five carbineers are,
of course, always on duty, and are regular
ly salaried police. -....
In old times, affairs were administered by
grand council, composed of the heads of
all the families in the State, but this was
found SO large and cumbrous an assembly
that in 1S47a council was substituted of
sixty ENTHUSIASTICALLY mobiles, twenty cit
liens, and twenty farmers or peasants-whO
were chosen by the old assembly. ANY
vacancy that occurs by death or otherwise
in the council, is filled up by new members
chosen by themselves; consequently, the
Government is now rather oligarchic than
democratic its character. Thirty mem
bers must be present to make the meeting
a legalaone. The council elects two Presi,
dents. or as they are called, "Capitani Re-
|
over the upper village, the other over the
lower and the surrounding country. At
present, SignOr InnOrenti Borelli is Cap
tain Regent of the city, as the upper vii.
lage is called, and Amicale Vita Is Captain
Regent of the burgO At the end of the
six months and before the election of the
new President is held, there is an, utter
regnum of three days, syndic being
chosen by the council to manage affairs
during that time; and during this period
any one is at liberty to impeach the ex-
Presidents for their conduct during their
, term of office. The election of the Presi-
dents is conducted in the following man.
ner: Six names are chosen by the council !;
the names are written upon papers, and the
Council then proceed to the church, where,
after mass is celebrated and special prayers
offered up, two names are drawn bylot, and
these two are the Presidents for the next
! six months. f' s'f molI s-
Twice every year there is agrand assem-
bly, of the heads of all the families in the
Republic, and these can then protest
J against any measure adopSed by the coun-
; Gil. None of the officers of State are paid,
: but the Captain Regents are allowed 20
, francs. each for office expenses, during their
: term OF office, and the foreign and home
ministers have an annual allowance of one
hundred and fifty francs each for office ex-
penses, postage, etc. The Commander-inI
Chief of the army receives no pecuniary
! consideration for his services. The highest
| paid officials of the Republics are the med
ical men-there are two doctors and one
surgeon, who receive two hundred and ff-
ty scudi, or thirteen hundred and fifty
francs year each; the doctors renderthei
] services gratis to all the citizens of the
: State, but il they are sent for out of the
two towns, the patients have to provide con.
: veyance. 500 30 .|'' fnt H.iT hns
; The revenue of the State and its expendi-
: lures alike amount to about $1,000 a year.
This sum is raised by profits upon the sale
of tobacco and salt, both, as In Italy, State
: monopolies, and by a very small tax upon
! the land proprietOrs. There Is in addition.
J to this, which forms the ordinary budget,
the sum of $4,000 francs year paid by the
Italian Government and which is used for
making roads, assisting the poor, giving aid
in case of losses by fire or other misfor-
! tunes, and repairing public buildings
This sum is paid by the Italian Govern
ment for customs duties. OF course, San
T Marino would have had right to have
brought its goods in free of duty, but this
would have caused $50 much difficulty at
: the Italian custom houses that that Gov
) ernment agreed TO pay instead nvannual
! sum equal to the proportion of customs
. dues which would be paid by an equalpro-
9 portion of Italians. This sum, was found
. upon calculation to amount to eighteen
4 thousand francs, which sum accordingly
D the Italian Government pays annually to
8 San Marino. The Republic Is Represented
: at all the, fOreipn cOurtsL, AT london and