The New York herald., 1877-12-24
COUNTESS LAMBERTInL.
The Court Concludes It's
Sitting.
ARGUMENTS OF COUNSEL.
No Tangible Proof OF AntonelS
lis Paternity.
From the London Times.1

FROM Inc Lonuou i1meE
ROME Doc Z, 1871
This long expected aud repeatedly adjourned car-sy
eebre yesterday brought before tho Civil Tribu-
nal, presided over by Signor Pic Tcodorani. former
member ofthe Italian government and attended by
Two judges, Antonio Spazlan aud Luigl Ottavi
The plaintiff, Countess Loretta Lambertini, rep.
resented by Diego Tajani, Deputy, and the ablest
advocate in Naples Tho counsel or the defendants-
Counts Gregorio, Angelo aud Luigi Antoneli and tho
Countesscs Rosaa Antonelii- -Sangugni and Innocen-
tina Bertazzo Borgnana, cohers or the late Cardi-
nal-was Adrano Mari, Deputy and former President
ofhe Chamber and former Minister Of Grace and JUS
tice, Florentno OF tho highest reputation.
assisted by Antonio Bacche;toni, Roman advocate.
Alter iew words by tho paint's solicitor Carlo Ga-
hni, Sgnor 1ujan opened the case by describing the
public and private and character OF the Cardi-
nal Glacomo Antonolii the statements to the point
being that the prcae had known for variety OF
amorous nr.gues and died In possession OF enormous
wealth. Tho bulk OF this wealth was by him be-
qloathed TO the dcfendnntshrec OF his brothers
sister and nicce-no provision being mado for his
natural daughter, tho plaintiff.
TRYING AVOID TRIAL.
The plaintiff, wishing to avoid the scandal likely to
arise from a trial. highly detrimental 10 her father's
memory, well TO the Court at tho Vatican, had.
the 10Th OF November OF last year, and only
tw wcnty-three days alter tie Cardinals death ad-
dressed letter tho defendants expressing her do
slro TO come with them 10 compromise, which, by
admitting her just claims, should relieve her from
tho necessity oil woundng tho feelings OF the friends
OF the deceased, and especially OF tho Pontin who
highly valued his Services. AS her application re.
maiued unanswered tho plainun, In consideration OF
her own rights and oi the Interest OF her children.
who would b. reduced 10 starvation, was compelled
TO bring action against the defendants the Both
OF last June Tho plea was that the plaintiff was u
natural daughter Of Cardinal Antonolli by foreign
lady. whose name and person were not mentioned or
mentionablc, aud tho proof OF this paternity was "a
be established on tho testimony OF witnesses whose
dispositions had already been brought before Tho
Court Il futura meaaoria, and OF other witnesses
in attendance. The counsel Tor the defence object
that this testimony ID not admissible, and the Court
had to-day TO deal with this preliminary question.
ARGUMENT OF COUNSEL.
The plaintiffs counsel based his argument on thu
fact that tho Cardinals natural daughter was born IN
1885, and that matters relating 10 her birth must bo
settled according to the laws then IN visot- e. 70
old Roman aud canon law and tho Regotdmenfo or
code based on both, and published ia the Pontincaa
OF Gregory XVI Those laws, says laani admit tha
testimony In cases OF this nature, con-
tradctlon to the present Italian law, which forbids all
inquiry To the paternity oil children born IN wod-
lock- the Countess Lanbertin was On the old prn-
cple "Iater eel is QUEEN auptir deauncian." Signor
Tajan argued nat, although the plaintiff was baptized
as daughter OF Angelo Marconi by his lawful wiic,
Autonu Bllierni and lived with hcr mother as her
daughter ,il The duy OF her mothers death, aud
mate daughter OF the Marconis, and bore otner
nanc she was always known TO 10 n natural daughter
OF Cardinal Antonel and her mother, as II would be
proved was not AntoDia Marconi but n foreign lady,
whose child was secretly intrustcd To tho o tue
SAID Marconi, 10 be brought up as her own child.
"A sAcRILE0IoUs ClIILD.'
The plaintiffs counsel, therefore, removed FROM his
clients case such objections as might rise against II
account OF ner being an auutcfous child, Tor sho
was the daughter not Of the Marconi, married
woman, Of the foreign lady, who was described as
unmarried. lie next compateu the objection raised
against her 'slcriiegious child"-l as dausb-
ter OF a cardinal deacon IN holy orders. lie argued
birth the old papa laws DO applied, ana
cording TO those laws the painim might DO con-
sidcred "a sacregious child,' she could not DC so
considered under tho present Italian law, which
Ignored molly orders and admitto1 even cx.prests
to tho benefit OF tho civil marriage; the learned
counsel insisting tnat, although tho birth WAS
amenable tho old fapai law, tho question Of tho
succession, opened In 1876. e., aiicr tho Italian
occupation Of Rome and tho promulgnton Of tho
Italian Code hcrc-was 10 be settled In accordance 20
were even the title OF s'sacrelious cndn applicable
the case IL could hardly deprive his chcn OF
claim to nn honorable Subsistence, considering that
the number OF children Ia her condition had always
been extremely numerous In Rome, and that
sacriIegious children OF many prelacs and Ponuns
had been not only wei provldcd Tor but also invested
with ncis and sovereguucs; and he quoted tho In
Plus H., Eueas syivius Piccoionini, one of
the greatest Popcs the htccalh century, VINO. IN
letter friend printed IN his cpstoary,
recommends that should be taken oil daughter,
the offspring OF his upclericai indscrct.on. iaJani
wound up by appeal To tho Court, from whom IN
n great cause great justice was expected"
A BRILLIANT FORENSIC EFFoGT
Mari followed quito "a Iujani, startling
the by the thunders oil his earnest delivery now
edyng 1t by the extent oil his professional crudiiion,
now beyuiling by the variety OF his forensic SUBJ
tiety, but moro often amusing by sahcs OF genuine
w.t. and OF less allowable Florcntine droiicry.
or his Ncapolilan adversary. Mari established tho
principle that man has right TO pass from e.
that tho Countess Lambertini was born Of lawfully
welded parcntsi that she was baptized
Marconi; that lno yJeelc III Jaiieamo was At
tho of birth the only pubic register, aud that
her name was always Iven IN ina. eapaey ~Ien ,n'
applied her mother Tor the names OF tho members
OF her family and Of the inmates oil her house Under
that snc wus married, aud sho has even nov no
j other maidcn name sue Is Countess Marconi Lam.
bcrtini or SHE is nothing.
/ OF POSITIVE EVIDENCE
To this Na declared, the law objects on pr,1ciplc,
because pleas admitted, there would bc no
end 10 the claimants who, Tor sordd objects and WIN
view To .bcrer lhouseives, would repudatc their
| well known parents and ''iathcr themselves" upon
| wealthy anu nopIc persons. Upon that ground tho
learned counsel thought tho Court should not proceed
TO tho examination OF the piantiils Witnesses fhcro
,onni 4, no means 10 prove that the plaintiff was not
tho daughter OF Anonia snrcon, or that she could not
be the lighter OF Angelo Mnrcoh no means oil esiab-
IIshing the absence or impotence o the latter Much
DO practicable trace the maternity tho
foreign lady WHO was aud would always remain,
mere myth or to provo tho substitution Of her chlli
us that OF The MarconL The evidence alluded TO by
the plaintiffs lawyers was utterly Worthless. and so
1 much that the plaintiffs advocate Signor IsJant
hiinsct had no hand IN drawing u up anu had not
deemed u cNpcdent TO Insist upon H. sgnor mari %
course, advered to tho contradiction inyo.ycd IN tho
argument OF his Adversary who would, according as
II suited purpose, abide now by tho old Papa now
by tie present Iiainn law; but Signor Mari thought
both laws were against the Claimant, ior nchcr ad-
mitted the evidence OF Witnesses toward the cstnb-
Ilshmcnt OF the ilcgitmacy OF legitimate
! child, nothing being moro dihlcut nothing
/ more delicate nothing moro liable 10 dccep-
llon aud abuse. Signor Mari set aside tho
nrgument that the Countess Lambeftini was called
Y Loretta because THIS was the name OF the Cardinals
mother Lcrcta, lie proved was equally the name OF
Autonia MarconfS mother Tho wealth iavished Dy
the Cardinal the plaintiffs mother proved nothings
or at tho utmost II only showed that he might havo
been brought believe iacts which could never havo
poen substantiated even his own tul sat3inction
Patcrnuy, except as established by law 10 leg'maio
wedlock was always a mater OF doubt What could
easily based proofs was tho maternity, .or mater
enper est, but the mother could not DC ptodncci
| Belurc the law tho Countess Lambertni was either
/ Antona Marconi's daughter or sho was nobodyS
1 chtld
JUDGMENT RESERVED.
Tho Court reserved Judgment but tho cause Is ap-
parcnty at an end ior the impression mndc on very
large aud attentive audience, among whom the law
y yers were numerous that In point OF law tno
| pIa,ntin had causc and such must needs be tho
conclusion Of The Court, 5ignor TaJan indeed, cx-
prassca his determination 10 bring tho foreign lady
into IL her was necessary and no ono
c.uld say to what extent no present aspect oi mo