New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-02-03
ITALIAN TOPICS.
G.. W. s..

LETTER FROM T. ADOLPHUS TROLLOPE.
DEATH OF THE EX-QUEEN OF sPAIN-CAUsES OF
THE LIBERAL VICTORY AT THE RECENT KLEC-
TIoNs-THE KINGS SPEECH PAVoEABLY RE-
CEIvED.
| fFROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE rDBuSE.l
ROME, Dec. 10.--Your readers Will have heard
of course of the death of the Duchess of Aosa, the
wife of the Kings second son. on the sth ult at San
Reno on the Riviera. She was only 20, and her death
| has been n very sad one. No human being has any
word to say other save in praise Her husband
dey6tedly attached to her, and the strictly domestic
life which he has led with her and his children since
his return from that unhappy and brief kingship in
Spain is proof that no other motive save sense
of duty prompted his acceptance OF that thankosS
and miserable position. And now his "reminiscences
of that country and Of his connection with it are
completed by the consciousness that to II he owes
the death of his deariy-bcOvcd wife. For there IS
no doubt believe, that but for the terrible hard
ships endured and the ntolerable treatment suffered
at the hands of that chivalrous" + l. whom she
was STRIVING by every means in her pv"er to serve
and benefit, she might now have been alive and
making the happiness of her husband and children.
And now what shall say to you of our general
elecions7 OF course you know all about the general
result of them But you are much better informed
q
the European press has shown itself on this side,
if You have rightly apprehended the significance OF
the immense majority which the party called for
want of a better name the Liberals" have OBJ
tancd. OF course they are no more Liberals than
their opponents, the "Moderates," the only non
liberal party in Italy being the Clerical party. And
indeed the party now power have latterly taken
to calling themselves "PrOgressists" According to
the returns claimed by the supporters OF Slgn0r
Depretis and his Cabinet, they have in round num-
bers about 400 votes out of the 00S OF which the
house consists. The late Chamber gave till
short time before its close good working majority
to the Moderatcs and the late Ministry Certainly,
therefore so very marked change in the sentiment
of the country is startling aud demands some ex-
PLANTATION. A greater portion of the European press
has found this explanation III suppOsing suddenly
developed desire ia the country for an enlarged
electoral suffrage. And some countenance is given
to the idea by the fact that Italy has population
of over 27 900 600 and only half million Of reg
istered electors Nevertheless you may rest assured
that there is no widespread desire i'll the nation for
an enlarged electoral suffrage and that such
cause has had Anything TO do with the largeness
of the Progressist majority. OF the half million
who NAV 90 to the polls if they will, nothing can
induce above a quarter of n million to do so!
And the talk which got up among Liberal
politicians at the time of the change of Ministry
was a mere party cry, TO which the country made
so little response that although the new Ministers
long before the commencement OF the election
threw overheard all precnse of having any intention
of mcddliug with the suffrage for the next fonr
wears the abandonment of that which was supposed
TO have been the principal plank in the new Liberal
platform had not the smallest effect of lessening
the Progrcssis majority in any single electoral col
E.. h. ,l,
nartics or persons who could in the present cOndi
ton of things in Italy, obtain any advantage from
any great increase in the number Of electors would
be the Red Radicals in a very few of the great Cities
and to very far more important degree the priests
throughout the whole of the rural districts and
more esuecally in the South. Italy is far from ripe
for any advantageous enlargement of tho electoral
franchise The present Ministry are as well aware
of that fact as their predecessors. There is no real
demand for il in the country. The postpOnement of
the measure to the Greek Kalends has caused not the
smallest complaint ordissatisfactiOn In any quarters
and the question had nothing whatever to do with
the present. enormous ministerial majority. What
then has caused that phenomenon Very briefly
in the first place, the discomfort caused by tho Sc
verify of the taxation. rendered necessary by the
st,,gcle for the attainment of balance between
the revenues and the expenditure of the State,
which let the present men and their organs say
what thcy will. mad been attained by Sign0rMin-
chett the late Minister OF Finance. in the second
MAGE. a most reckless, INSCRIPTIONS abuse OF the
mower of the Executive in manipulating the con-
st;tcncics carried to far greater extent than had
ever been seen before and thirdly, that general
i-hu!nor with government that has held power
for very long time and has bad to bear all the I'M
popularity entalcd by the exercise OF power which
is surc to fall Oh the members OF IL.
The Kings speech drawn mp as it is understood by
the celebrated lawyer Signor Mancn, the Minister
of Justice, the only man of really marked talent in
the Cabinet, was very well received. Its only
fault is that it promises too much and very GER
tainly more than the Ministry will be able to per-
form. Many of the measures Of reform promised by
if are excellent and most important more especially
that for making all the officers of the Executive re-
sponsible before the tribunals for their acts. The
passage however, which elected the most enthus-
astic applause was that in which His Majesty said
that the large liberties granted by the State in Italy
10 the Catholic Church must not be SO used as to be-
come an offense to the State or means of hamper
ing her action in her own legitimate sphere.
4. A. TROLLOPE.
A negro was put on the stand as witness,