The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-07-12

from mere Mayor lOf Florence, a futile
court dignitary, man who had never even poured
forth his wisdom in the Chamber of Deputies and
among so many confident theorists alone made nc
loud profession Of possessing panacea to heal the
gangrene that was eating away the nations vitals
the secret OF Count Digny's success lies in the fact
OF his being remarkably positive, energetic and
straightforward man-one who when he has any un
pleasant truth to tell clothes it in no euphemistiC
drapery, who has not the art OF some of his prede
cessors in conjuring up imaginative cou,e,r de rost
pictures OF security and prosperity, and who has
never disguised the ugly inevitable which must
await Italys persistence in her former lmprovident
and thrftless course. It was new thing for the
Chamber of Deputies 10 hear common sense on the
topic of finance, to be told in plain language that
State could not spend nearly twice as much as its
income without making giant strides towards bank
ruptcy From the very outset, in fact the Minister
OF Finance has held this warning in terrorem over
Parliament:-Pass my measures or do something
equivalent before June 1868 or the national finances
must become hopeessly involved. We shall have no
open TO us but to declare the State nsolveni
in the face OF Europe. Such has been the constant
burden OF the ministerial declarations.
Cato was not more relentlessly persistent i'm his
cry OF Detenda est carthage than Cambray Digny
has been III his eXhOrtations to the Italian Para-
ment to eXternlnate the national deficit The radi-
cal opposition at first affected to treat this a
manGuvre to brighten the. House into al pr oval OF
the ministerial proposals. but Count Digny's facts
and figures were too irrefragabe, too substantial to
be argued away The Minister Is certainly no orator,
as Brutus was, and is not happy when he attempts
rhetorical display. But however much he may
FOUNDER in exordum and peroration and thereby
afford pabulum for the wit OF the watchful Opposi-
ton he has equal for the force and ucldity with
which he treats the subject matter Of his DISCOURSE
Nobody fails 20 appreciate directneSs in coming to
the point ana sticking thereto and this IL another
virtue that Count Digny possesses In an eminent
degree. Gradually, therefore, his authority and con-
sideTaion in the House have increased 10 a degree
that OF his predecessors ever attained. The
Delt, which in December last formed a compact body
strong that the ministerial majority might be
counted on ones ten fingers, has had to deplore
many deiectlons during the last few months
THIS is plainly shown by the gradually increasing
Jorites obtained oy the government in their various
bills for modifying ana extending taxation. The first
blow to the homogeneity Of the left was the fOrma
ton Of what is here called the third party. This
ssts OF members OF the left and centre, principally
the former who take up an independent position.
They bind themselves TO no party, but vote for the
measures they may consider best calculated to pro-
mote the public veal; consequently IL Is generally
matter of profound uncertainty which side of the
balance they will throw their weight. Count Digny
has managed these independently very skfuy.
lie has protested respectful admiration for their pa
tr0tc abJuratlOn OF party ties and has not been
sparng IN insinuaing eulogy OF the sound practical
character OF their suggestions, however much he
may elude adopting them. BY these tactics he Sc
cured Their votes on the gris tax bill and in all the
ubSequent measures which he has carried through
the House. The Importance of tile third party is
now greatly diminished Composed individually OF
ambitious utilities, they only strong In unity at
critical mOments but the Ministry being now pretty
well secure without them, have relaxed the ardor of
their courtshp, and the "trimmers'' therefore cut
poor lgure.
The Italian Chamber Of Deputies has now voted all
the measures OF taxation declared by the Minister to
be indlspensaby necessary u provide means for eX
tingushing the deficit. The grst tax, the bills ex
tending the taxes upon registration and official docu
ments issued under the government STAN, and,
finally the bill increasing the land and property
taxes each by Onetenth have been adopted by large
maorities. These various imposts will yield to the
pfattA pafr
ing to one hundred and seventy million francs AS
the telegraph has long since Informed your readers
l6e House insisted notwithstanding the opposition
81 the Ministry in rendering all coupons of the pub
lie debt liable to the property tax. Count Digny
made hard fight to get foreign holders exempted,
but without effect. The tax is to be deducted from
the interest OF the public debt, whether held by
Italian subjects or by foreigners abroad This mea-
sure In eject reduces the Italian five per cent to four
and half per cent. The Chamber displayed aston
shing unanlmity In their resolution TO tax the
foreign creditors Left and right. conservatives
noderateS and ultra radicals formed for the nonce
one happy family. 1t pity that the same beaut-
'u oblivion OF party cannot be obtained upon some
)ther occasions when weeks Of precious time
Dles and Improbable verblage, during which
he most important public business makes
40 % re the s money markets
lgaL st this measure OF the Italian Parliament al
hough similar proceeding on the part OF Austria
ateiy elected vigorous protest from the Paris
3ourse. The italian rente experienced heavy fall
the capitals OF Europe on receipt OF the from
Florence, but has since more than recovered ITSELF
md now stands everywhere at higher point than
has reached for the last three years; but fine
weather and the prospect OF splendid crops all over
Europe, together with the lately revived hopes that
Franco Prussian may come OF after all this
year, have produced a buoyancy and confidence In
The money market which render 1t much less suscep-
tibe to such breach Of faith that just perpetrated
by Italy than would be the AT dull or threaten
ing period. Nevertheless, Italian credit must neces-
dlatiou. and when italy comes before the world
again as borrower capitalists will hold their purse
strings very tight and relax them only upon hard
conditions.
Increased taxation formed one part OF the minis
terial plan; economy In the public service another
Having been saddled with the first the country Ia
now awaiting fulfilment OF the promises made re.
gardng the latter. Nor Is Count Digny backward IN
performance The army has already been reduced
To the 10 vest possible peace footing and the govern
ment has even denied Itself the luxury OF two or
three new ronclads for the navy-a rare and praise.
worthy abnegation considering the universal ruin.
Gus rage for ornaments that now afiiicts Europe
There Is one army, rather host which Count Digny
however, will find considerable difficulty in reduc-
ing. This "a the army OF functionaries. whose ranks
are to be thinned by his bill upon administrative re-
organization. Anybody who has had any expert
ence OF cosds de Hdito knows what a deeply rooted
evll Is that or pacehuntlng. II Is too much to
say that the State maintains at least twice as many
employees "a there Is any necessity for. They are re-
movable at the caprice OF Minister or the heads OF
departments and then put on half pay to be recalled
to active service whenever required OF which there
IL little chance unless their friends again hold once
The average Italian moves heaven and earth
to get government post as the employment that will
best enable him to indulge his neradicable propensity
to do nothing or next to nothing. In attacking this
abuse the Finance Minister will therefore have to
struggle against an immense dead weight OF obstruc-
ton. Electors Will bring strong influence to bear
upon their representatives. Moving pictures will be
drawn or the destitute condition Of those who fall
under the pruning knife and every department will
demonstrate In the ceares pc ssible manner how i'm
possible retrenchment Ia in their particular case
Another measure OF urgent necessity Is an Improved
system o collecting the taxes. At present the state
IL not only greatly defrauded by the collectors and
sometimes by the collision OF collectors and tax paw
ers but certain taxes more particularly the property
tax, are distriDWed so unfairly az 70 give rise to
greet conpla ANT. Reform is urgently needed II only
by the met that The property tax IL at present
eighteen mouths 10 arrears. Finally the Ministry
propose new system OF Keeping the public accounts
The Oh pan is SIMPLY chaotic. Parliament never
gets detai ~ accounts ofthc pul'c expenditure until
some three or iour years after tue money has been
spent when OF course an audit Is perfectly futile.
should have mentioned an important reform that
comes under the head OF administrative reorganiza.
tion This Ia the reduction OF the judicial branch
OF the public service. 1t Is proposed to es-
tablsh one nnal court OF cessation for the
whole kingdom In place OF the seven now ex listing