Year: 1873

A few days ago the anomalous spectacle was
presented in Italy of Parliament resolved to
force upon the Ministry the power 20 expend
a large sum of money, while the Ministry in
sisted upon retiring from Office In preference
TO accepting the trust The emergency was
one which showed the political sagacIty of the
Ministers and the rashness of the Deputies,
who might even be said to have betrayed the
confidence Of their constituents. One of the
unfortunate results of years of misgovenment
in the kingdom has been an almost constantly
increasing financial deficit. In the year 1870,
when Italian unity was cOnsummated, the eK-
penses of the Government exceeded the re-
ceipts by $35,OOO,OOO; in the following year the
deficit had hardly been diminished, and In
1872 it amounted to more than S54,OO0O0O.


In such State as Italy, where the receipts
for 1872 were only about five times the
amount of the deficit, the problems which i'm
peratively demanded solution were both nu-
merous and difficult. The ministers saw the
Great Powers maintaining large armies and
navies and rendering them more efficient by
the expenditure of immense sums Of money.
The Government not only conceived it essen
tial to the interest of the country to reOrgan-
ize the army and construct new tortlhcauons
as we'll as improve the old ones, but this
course was earnestly advocated by the people
and the Deputies. For these purposes, how
ever, money was required, and any p1oposi-
ton to increase the burden of taxation would
render the Ministry so odiOus that 1t could not
retain its position. Much against Its Will, the
Ministry was obliged to oppose the motion IN
the Chamber of Deputies for large appro-
priation for the construction OF an arsenal at
Taranto. II had no alternative, and the Cab
met crisis which followed was necessary
result of the vote of the Chamber. This
trouble arose from the present state OF the
country, which might be termed one of con-
struction The Government has now to deal
with problem of much greater importance,
a solution of which is required by the polltl-
cal condition of the country.


The occupation of Rome by the Italian Gov
ernment left two sets of authorities claiming
to be sovereign in the city and demanding
the obedience of the inhabitants. a very
large part of the population Is composed OF
persons belonging to religious orders, who
recognize the Pope as the only authority to
whom they owe allegiance, who are actively
hostile to the Government OF Victor Emanuel,
and who employ the religious corporations to
promote their inmical designs. If the gov
ernment of the King is to be sovereign IN
Rome, it has no alternative but TO depriy
the religious corporations of their power
to undermine his civil authority. For
many months the Ministry of Signor
LAMA has been engaged upon plan
for destroying the injurious power of the
Clerical Orders. This has been submitted to
Parliament, and debate on the measure has
already begun.


In regard to the scheme itself we will only say
that it appears reasonable and just 1t is pro-
posed to substitute for the real property Of these
corporations its value in Italian bonds; within
two years after the passage of the act. scheme,
which shall conform with the modern require
ments of the country, must be chosen by the
authorities of these Institutions, with the assist
ance of Government commissioner; the
authority over the corporations shall then be
transferred to new governing bodies, IN the
selection of which the old ones have certain
privileges. A further indication of the enhght-
ened policy of the Government is given IN the
speech of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to
which reference is made in a telegram pub
lished this morning. SignOr Visconti-Venosta
explained that Italy, in aboishing the temporal
power of the Pope, had contributed to the
progress of the century; but she must refrain
from attacking the spiritual power. There
fore, while the Government disregarded the
claim of an inaienable right on the part of
the corporations to their real property, it
would not interfere with the generals of
religious orders In their spiritual offices.
The Government of Victor Emanuel thus
proposes measure of such moderation
that, in the effort to vindicate its sovereign
right, the right of religious belief is in no way
affected. ~