Year: 1875

THE TACTICS OF TIE LEFT-GEN. GARIBALDTS


PROJECT IN DANGER


ROME July 14.-The closing days of the Roman
season ard session are socially, among the most pecu-
liar and indeed politically, among the mostnportant
features of Italian life, it exists at the present
day When all the pros and cons of the great qies-
tion Of moving the seat of the capital from Florence
to Rome were being discussed with moro of passion
md prejudice and less Of calm wisdom than could
have been wished, one of the reasons against the
change or at least one of the grounds for caution
and forethought, which was put forward by the
more thoughtful, and very much pooh poohcd by the
more enthusiastic, the notorious unhealthiness
of Rome during the hot months, and the difficulty
of holding the Legislature there that would result
from that fact. 1t is true that the sitting of the
Italian Parliament takes place mainly during the
Winter and Spring. The Chambers generally meet
in November and continue in session, with compare
lively short Interruptions at Christmas at Carnival


and at Easter, till late in June. But in the last
month Rome has already begun to be. If not an un-
healthy at least unpleasant residence; and about
the middle of tit generally begins TO become apparent
that no considerations will avail to keep honorable
members at their posts many days longer. And this
the experience Of every year moro and more shows
TO be very seTious matter. 1t ought not to be so
There is no good reason why it should necessarily
be so, it will be said Seeing that it is very well
known beforehand that the session must be brought
TO an end before the end of June at the latest see


ing that there are between seven and eight months
good between that time and the beginning OF No
velnber. and looking to the amount of business
transacted by the "OnorevOi" at Monte Cltoro In


the course of the session, there certainly seems no


good reason why it might not be all comfortably


completed by the end of May But the habits and


constitution of mind of an Italian carpenter or


tailor who tells you when You give him an order on


Monday mcrninc, that there is more than aDun-


dance of time TO have the work finished by the end


of the week-who continues to hold the same


opinion Oh Thursday morning. although satur-
day night, when it comes, finds the job un-
touched AID who holds without mistrust to the
same hopes despite the disappointments of every
previous week of his life-these same habits and
constitution Of mind govern the operations and
practice of Italian legislators Till about the last
month of the session everybody is perfectly
persuaded that there will be time enough
for everything. As soon rs the heats of that
last month begin to mako themselves felt,
it is suddenly discovered that there is no time for
ANYTHING. Measures have to be abandoned whole
sale Others are voted without discussion. Some
slip out of notice UNDECIDED Stop-gap bills for the
provisional carrying of the Administration during
the recess are hurriedly introduced, and hur-
redly passed; and sometimes, as on the most recent
occasion, the unwilling assent of the House TO a
measure which it would not have voted at an earlier
period of the session. is wrung from II by the dread
of Ministerial crisis if it were thrown out, which
might have the effect of OBTAINING honorable gentle
men in Rome during July. Such are the circum-
stances under which a session in Rome generally
ends; and / am afraid that there are good grounds
for suspecting that such a state of things, and of
honorable members minds, is occasionally specu-
lated by his Majesty's Ministers, as chance for
pushing through measures which they could not
otherwise hope 10 carry, for abandoning trouble
some matters which nevertheless the interests OF
the country can i'll suffer to remain neglected 1t is
curious, and not a little amusing sometimes to OBJ
serve how such Ministerial calculations, if pushed to
a little too fine point, may, as the poet says of
"vaulting ambition" o'ereap themselves and fall
into ditch on the other side. There are two or
three bills probably that must be passed. But
the "CuOrum" of the Italian Parliament Is
large one-an absurdy large one foreigners are
apt to think. No business can be legally trans
acted unless half the entire number of the members
of the Chamber, plus one, is present, Now, the
Chamber consists of sos members. 1t is true that
in counting the number required those who are sb
sent by leave regularly asked and obtained are de-
Quoted. Bat these are generally not above twenty
or thirty at the outside Now, three or four eXcep-
tionaiy lot days about the 10th or 18th of June
NAV make it extremely doubtful whether the neces-
sary number of deputies for the passing of bill can
be kent in Rome or got together. Urgent letters
sent in all directions to those nearest at hand, i'm
olorng them to come up by rail for just long
enough to give their votes, and hurry away again
without pas ing a night in the capital Little scenes
more amusing perhaps than edifying may be wit
messed by those who know where to look out for
them The other day, for instance, Cabinet Minis
Ter might have been on the platform OF the rail-
way station at the hour of the principal departure OF
the "a hours on the lookout for skedadding" depu-
ties He caught several in the act OF getting INTO
the carriages. Some, carpet-bag IN hand he sue
coded in carving back with him into the town to
give one moro vote Others were deaf to his
entreaties and had to be relinquishcd! All this
rushing backward and forward by the members OF
the Chamber is facilitated it will be understood by
the orivege accorded to deputies of Unlimited free
travelling by all the railways They have no elnoiu-
ment in any other shape; and there is therefore, no
nossibility Of Inucting absenees by stopping their
.o,arv Altogether this difficulty of making
house for the transaction of business, especially at
che imnoraut moment of the close Of the session, IS
n very serious one, and is gradually leading many
.boughtfu men here to the conviction that 1t VIII DE
necessary TO modify the rule which requires the
nrescpce of so large number of deputies TO make
.ouoruu." The characteristic jealousy aud nistruSt
of the Italian character, however, make any reform
in this direction difficult. Each party would tell
YOU that if the quorum" were made SMALL IN any
thing like the proportions of the English regulation
there would De 10 knowing what those 1eliows Vhe
other side) who are utterly unscrupulous and capa-
ble Of ANYTHING, would be up 10. We should have
all sorts of denominations carried through the house
by trickery ard surprised" OF course, however, the
advantages and disadvantages of the thing would
be equal to either party, and the result would be
that large portion of the business OF the country
wond be transacted by those whose social posi-