THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT TRANSFERRED TO FLORENCE. A.D

The Roman question, daily increasing the embarrassments and dangers of the State, still dragged on ; and Victor Emmanuel, who had his eye on Venice ail the time, having a fixed impression that if it could be recovered he would find less difficulty in getting rid of the foreign occupation in Rome, now adopted energetic measures to bring about a settlement of this Venetian question, ui^ing the English Government to use its influence with Austria to induce her to accept some compromise and surrender the Italian province peaceably. The Archduke Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, favoured the idea of Italian unity, and wished the matter to be arranged amicably between his relations and the King of Italy.

Meantime the Italian Government continued to invite the French to withdraw their forces from the Roman States, and leave the Pope face to face with his own subjects without the aid of foreign bayonets. This the emperor, fearing to offend the papal party, could

PKOPOSED REMOVAL OF CAPITAL TO FLORENCK 97

not make up his mind to do. But to make the road to Rome casier for the Italians, he proposed a transfer of the capital from Turin to some more Southern town, Florence or Naples — he did not care which. The French minister, M. Drouyn de Lhuys, said : —

Of course in the end you will go to Rome. But it is important that between our évacuation and your going there, such an interval of time and such a sériés of events should elapse as to prevent people establishing any connection between the two facts ; • France must not hâve any responsibility.

The suggestion was adopted by the Italian ministr>-. When Signor Minghetti first broke to the king the subject of changing the seat of government, and making Florence or Naples a stepping-stone to Rome, he was quite overwhelmed, and pleaded, even with tears, for his native city to be spared such a cruel sacrifice as long as the Roman question remained unsettled.

You know I am a true Turinese [he said], and no one can understand what a wrench it is to my heart to think I must one day abandon this city where I hâve so many affections, where there is such a feeling of fidelity to my family, where the bones of my fathers and ail my dear ones repose. However (he added), if we cannot do otherwise, I will make even this sacrifice for Italy.

This idea preyed on Victor Emmanuel’s mind and