New-York tribune., 1876-03-25
THE ITALIAN FORGERY.

LETTER FROM T. ADOLPHUS TROLLOPE.
THE STORY OF THE MARQUIS MANTEGAZzhs GUILT
THE KINGS EMBARRAssMENTs TURNED TO
ACCOUNT-ADRoIT CONDUCT OF THE MARQUIS
TO AVERT EXPOSURE AN ANGLo-AMERICAN
HOUSE THE VICTIMS VIOLENT CONDUCT OF
THE FLORENCE PoLICE-THE GRAVE or THE
POET KEATS.
lFRoM A REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUSE.l
ROME, March IL have nothing to tell you about
the Carnival, firstly because one Carnival sjust like
another and the thing has been described over and
over again, till readers must be almost sick OF the
subject most of the actors in it of the thing
itself: and secondly because have seen nothing OF
il, having run away tn SOrrento-beautifui, qulet,
peaceful Sorrento the Bay Of Napes-eXpressly
TO get ont Of the way of it, But must give yon the
history of a matter which has been causing scandal
Of no ordinary dimensions and intensity, and has
been making the last few days anything but car
nival time to some OF the personagos who hgIe III
the drama.
That King Victor Emanuel has for many years
past found his civil list" (which is the courtly express
sion for the allowance paid him by the nation) in
adequate To his expenses has long been no secret to
anybody That His Majesty has, In order to meet
his necessities had recourse TO the cxpedient OF
raising money by negotiating bills of exchange at
short dates, has also been well known to a much
wider circle than that Of his own immediate enodge.
Rnlnor spoke very vaguely as tO the amount OF the
bills thus IN circulation and it is cnriosly lllustra-
tive of the state of social and political feeling IN
Italy. that those who named the largest amounts
were invariably persons whose political connections
and sympatlies were with "thc Left' or opposition
side Of the Legislative Chamber and those who put
the sum at a more moderate figure rs invariably be-
longod to the circles of the Right or ministerial
side of the house. Tie former talked of seventy
millions of fraucs IA the entire amount, while the
latter declared that twenty millions az the outside
would bc nearer the marx. There may be reason
perhaps 20 bore that these latter knew most OF what
they were talking about. Now all this. as say was
an cid story far too old a 10 cause anything OF
the nature of the "5canda" that has made the sab
jcct Of the talk Of m the qaidnnncs for the last
week past Nevertheless tie matter, ~ | have above
stated it, is not pleasant onr aud il has lons been
matter of partisan disputes aIi rocriminations be-
tween Right" aud Left" phase az th" matter
to which shall retlr pre- emily when siali nave
explained the nature of tine facts which have 50
startled Us all.
Toward the ht.or end Of Carnival it was G-st inys-
,criorsiy whi.pared, t'iea mora loudly chattercd,
and then maie the subject Of GOre or less outspo<rn
paragraphs in the newspapers, that certain bis OF
exchange for large sans were in existence bearing
Naicsfy's hand. Ihn one morning came suddenly
the urws-no rTuor this time hnt tidnes OF the
certain fact-thlt q certain Marches MantogoZza
bad been arrested at N.i4n on the charge ot circu
la,ing forged bills Of c.clarg, pnrporing TO he
si,ncI by the King. Suniry Other prfs rs were
also arrested IN tue aeon, Iion of having Seen con-
rcrIicd i'm the same fraud bui, q, they have since
been liberated. apparently IN consequence OF their
innocence having cn r'c0ynIei, 1t u not netes-
s,r, 10 refer 10 chem more particularly.
Now a, the evening Of Wrlr>lay. the 23d, the
nes of th..r accusations and arf",t' reached Nr.
M.ouav the s"nirr partner Of III" oll-o''ahIIshcd
AID ,ycll-uown banking firm, lIqGay, " ok"r y
Co. a. F..rl.". The .cn IN, hous' ~ Florence,
where Nr. Naqgpy usually rr-ii"7, and . house at
Rome, where Air ilIoArr generally lives. Tie
former /, an En,lsh subject the latter ~ American
ciiizpp. Now the Flor,nce hons" of this firm had
discounted au aoocr'..4ce of the Kim FOR 10000
francs. which Eal ben brought 10 the bank hy the
Marche-e Mantcc.1,a. - tIai. "a mty Do readily
understood lie new. referred - no, 'ncr" in
dH.-cnt matter oi issio To- Mr.. Nlllly. Of course
4 variety of versions uf these facts and of those
which followed have Ell CUR Int IA p'opi.'S $ tax
AID in ucwspsn'r with ~ gr,a'er degree ot cor
rcynr,, than /, usually the case on siniir "'ra-
>ious. l. is Ho' therefore needless to STAT that tie
circumstances haye related and th">" which am
about 10 relate may D. relied on - entirely accurate
The bill discounted by 'lessI.. Ma1usy y Co. was
a, three months fll ing due on the ItH Of January,
wi. ;ha understanding it should. # needed. be re-
ucyvcd for "a ,tcond trr of three mnntlS. lhc con-
dit;ons of discount the prevailing mercantiis
ter,rs-8 pr cent. with per cen, BANKERS connis-
sion. Now, il is important 20 point ont that very
.,erial prldrncc aad caution uSci b. the bank
ia the transaction of Oh. blSI"S4 In the first place.
il ,yas wei, known thai the MJrcla.r tltrla IN -
a per.on who has been repeatedly and largely ein-
ployrl bv The kim his q rent for the arrangement
Of similar transactions. The Mtrcie'e himself, 1t
,5onld h. observed i lmln whose credit STOOD hlgh,
,bo l. on. ~ the directors Of In, Moi,na anl Man
f,a Railway, and Of wIon AL who knew him would
have sail that IL quite ont of the question That
hc should bc guilty oi forgery That he should be
seek ng disc dInt for bill of the Kings was an
entirely likely crcuniSi ancr in uowiSe calculated Ia
arouse any suspicion for the reason above stated
that IA, had often been similarly employed before.
Nevertheless Mr. Maduay Thought IT his duty t0 ask
for further and more sp'rif: information. There
u,ou letter from ic King in his own band. to the
M.rchcse authorizing hiGl to raise money on bills
srgncd by the King for Ills Majcs'y's use, shown
to the banker, and a reference was male to Signor
Giacomo Rattazzi, a manager Of the Banca di
Cre.iito ItalianO" who was known 10 have perfect
ACQUAINTANCE with the Kings handwriting and that
gentleman gave NJ. Maquay the most formal as
surance that the signature IN question WA, without
any possibility of doubt that of the King. There
upon the bill was taken and the money paid.
The bill fell due as has been said, on the 5th OF
January. But before that time the Marchese Man
trgazza presented himself at the bank aud proposed
that it should he exchanged for another bull to fall
due on the 2Jth of February stating that 1t might
siit His tiaicsty's convenience to y the bll at an
earlier date than the termination OF the second three