Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1866-10-03
nlisellalltp.
4 Queer Little Republic

SAN MARINo-lTs CUSTOMS AND GOVERNMENT.
correspondent of the London Herald
gives an interesting account of visit to the
little Republic of San Marino in August He
says
1t Is especially singular that this little ter
rItory, containing only about 5000 inhabi-
tants, should have remained intact for more
than fifteen centuries, and that now, while
all its powerful neighbors have become
merged into one great State, this tiny Repub-
lie should be the sole portion of Italian soil
pOssessing a separate autonomy. 1t was
founded by San Msrino, who was native of
Dalmatia, and came over and settled 10 Ri
mini San Marino led his little flock out
from the city, and established a Christian
colony at the sumis of the highest and mos,
rugged mountain in this part of the country,
and which was at that time probably sur
rounded by untrodden forests; and from that
1av to this the little State thus founded has
remained separate and distinct from the
neghboring countries.
Immediately got into the open coUn ry,
nv driver pointed out the mountain OF San
Marine, rising far above all the hills it's
neighborhOod, and distant from Rimin nearly
fifteen miles. The road led across an undu-
lating and very richly cultivated country.
The peasants were engaged IN picking the
grape h1rvesr, which, by the way, Is this year
one Of the worst ever known, from the e1-
treme drYness of the early part Of the season.
They were also occupied in picking the maize,
which forms important an item of the Ital-
ian farmers crop.
When about six miles f:om the mountain
We crossed little stream, and my driver told
me that we were now IN the Republic of San
Marino The circumference Of the State is
thirty-nIne miles, the mountain, or crag as it
should be rather called, rising nearly ID its
center The ground. with the exception of
the rock itself, Is everywhere very fertile and
well cultivated, and its value is considerably
more than that of similar ground in the
rounding country. from the absence of tax
a'ion. and other advantages peculiar to the
Republic, chief among which is the freedom
from military conscripton. Every male in
San Marino Is, 1t IS true, soldier, but this is
a very minor evil when soldering involves no
fighting or absence from home. Although
al liable to be called upon to serve in
case of necessity, only those under a certain
age are on ordinary occasions called out, and
me strength Of this regular army of the Re-
public is 500 men. Of these, 700 form the
NatiCna Guard, the remaining 100 the body
guard of the Pres sident. 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
anI white. The police is administered by a
chief and FIVE carbineers, whose inform is
dark blue, with white cross belts and gray
trousers. and Is very similar to that of the
carbineers of the Italian service. These five
carbineers are. of course, always on duty, and
are regularly salaried police.
In old times, aft airs were administered by a
grand council, composed of the heads of all
the families IN the State but this was found
20 large and cumbrous an assembly that IN
1917 a council was gu ubstItuted of sixty mem
bers-twenty mobiles, twenty citizens, and
twenty farmers or peasants-who were chosen
Anu fhat M
ours by death otherwise IN the council, is
filled up by new members chosen by them
selves consequently, the government Is now
rather oligarchic than democratic in its char
acter Thirty members must be present to
make the meeting legal one. The council
eecis two Presidents or, as they are called
" CapatanI Regenti,' every six months. One
presides over the upper village, the other over
the lower and surrounding country; at pres
cnt SignCr IDnocentI Bonelli is Capt Regent
of the city, as the upper village 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 Presidents is held, there
ls an interregnum of three days, syndic
being chosen by the council to manage affairs
during thet time and during this period any
at liberty to impeach the ex-Pfee iden g
for their conduct during their term of office.
The election Of the Presidents is conducted IN
the following manner Six names are chosen
Dy 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 by Let, and these two are the Presidents
for the next six months
Tg ice every year there is grand assembly
Of the heads of all the families of the Hepub-
lie, and these can then protest against any
measure adopted by the council. None o.
the officers of state are paid but the Captain
Ill fy- -f1usl fran pQ
Tor office expenses during their term of office,
and the foreign and home ministers have ar
annual allowance of two hundred AM hf ,
i:aGcs each for office expences, postage, &c
The comman der IL Chief of the army receive
NO pecunIary consideration for his Services
The highest paid officials of the republic ar
the medical men-theIe are two doctors an1
one surgeon. who receive two hundred ant
ffty scudi or thirteen hundred and htty francs
each Trere are 10 doctors bill to pay II
San MarIno ; for this munlhcent salary o
fifty four POUNDS year each, the doctor
render their services gratis to all the citizen
# the State, but if they are sent for out Q
the tso towns the patients have to proVio
conveyance.
The revenue of the State and its expenditur
alike amount to about f300 year. Thi
sum is raised By profits upon the sale OF &c
bacco and salt, both, as IN Italy, State MOI
opoiIes, and by very small tax upon To
l-nd proprie ors. There Is IN ADDITION
this, which forms the ordinary budget, tn
sam Of i8 600 francs year paid BY the Italia
Government, and which is used ter MAXIM
Eoads, assisting the POOR, giving aid I'D case
losses by fire or other mIsforiunes, and repair
ug ,he public buildings. This sum is paid b
th- Italian Government for custt m duties
OF course San Marino would have had rigt
10 have brought its goods in free of dut.
but this would have caused so much difficult
Italian custom houses tha: that Co
ernnens agreed TO pay an annual cum equ.
to the proportion OF customs dues whic
would be paid by IN equal population OF lta
Iaps. This Sum was found upon calcu'a,ic
10 ount 10 eighteen thousand francs, whit
sum accoIdInIy the Italian Government Pc.
annually TO San Marino. The Republic
repitseL,ed at all the foreign courts.