CONSTERNATION IN TURIN

and fixed on Florence as the résidence of the court. The convention was then c^reed to and signed. The ministers were touched by the king’s sorrow ; and Visconti Venosta said to a friend : —

It is a most ungrateful office that I hâve to perform in bringing a great sorrow upon the city of Turin — had it not been for which, instead of being minister of the King of Italy, I should still be suffering under a foreign rule.

The minister had not exaggerated the effect of this change upon Turin. The wildest consternation, the most passionate grief, reigned in the city. The more ignorant part of the populace, who could not understand the State reasons for the sacrifice of Turin after ail she had done for the Italian cause, made riotous démonstrations against the government ; while the better class of citizens broke into bitter lamentations and complaints of the cruel ingratitude with which they were treated. The ministry had to resign on Septem- ' ber 24 ; . and the king sent for La Marmora. The general, who was travelling in Switzerland when he received the royal summons, hastened home, and though he had disapproved of the convention, he gencrously consented to assume the difficult and ungrateful office of premier.

The new ministry set themselves to examine the unpopular convention which had driven their predecessors out of office, but it being already signed there

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seemed no remedy. The king said, ‘ I hâve signed the convention ; I must maintain it ; / will maintain it. I believe it is for the good of Italy.’

The single-minded, chivalrous La Marmora stood loyally by the king in his trouble. ‘ The king’s signature is there — that is enough,’ he said, in the Chamber. After long and painful discussions the convention was approved by a large majority in both houses.

On New Year’s day 1865, the city députations who waited on the king were received by him with unusual warmth, and he hoped the inhabitants of his beloved native city would continue worthy of their old réputation for dévotion to their common country. The fury against the government had calmed down during the three months since the change of ministry ; but great dépréssion and melancholy prevailed, and there were not wanting démagogues to take advantage of it, to stir up the Mazzinian element to make a démonstration against the king. On the occasion of a court bail, January 31, the populace crowded round the palace, shouting, and hissing, and even throwing stones to impede the entrance of the guests. The king in deep indignation set out immediately for Florence, accompanied by La Marmora.

AU Italy cried shame on the populace of Turin, and tried to atone for the outrage by extraordinary marks of dévotion. Crowds waited at every station along the line, cheering and applauding vociferously ; but it was nothing to the réception the king met in Florence, which welcomed him with redoubled warmth because

TURIN REPENTS OF ITS WRATH. '

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he had chosen that city for his capital. AU the most distinguished men hastened to offer their bornage, and among them Gino Capponi, for whom the king had a great admiration, and on whom he bestowed the order of the SS. Annunciata.

But ail this applause could not heal the wound inflicted by the Turinese. A storm of fierce émotions was raging in his heart, and he could not long keep up the farce of smiling, bowing, and looking happy when he was misérable. He hastily left Florence and retired to the Villa San Rossore, near Pisa.

The day after the seditious démonstration above mentioned, Turin awoke to a sense of shame for the disgraceful performance. It is true that it was only the mob, and for the most part boys, who had taken part in the outrage ; but the respectable portion of the community were conscious of having encouraged a spirit of discontent, and expressed themselves bitterly on the subject of the removal of the capital — so that they now felt the whole city was involved in the di.sgrace. AU the other towns raised a cry of indignation at the disloyal démonstration, and Turin felt crushed under the displeasure of the king and the nation. The nobility and the municipality, wishing to set matters right, conceived the idea of presenting an address to the king, deploring the insult and expressing their dévotion to his person and throne. When this address was signed by many thousand names, they humbly solicited an audience, which the irate monarch, still sulking in retirement at San Rossore, disdainfully refused to grant.

The minister, Signor Lanza, and the Prince of Carîgnano, eamestly pleaded the cause of the offending city, and Victor Emmanuers fierce but short-lived anger gave way before the évidences of repentance which it display ed.

The Marquis Rozà, Syndic of Turin, read the address, which completely melted Victor’s soft heart His full pardon was given in a few frank and generous words, which he could hardly pronounce for the émotion that choked his utterance. It was noticed that after this day Victor Emmanuel was no longer gloomy and taciturn. He recovered his usual cheerful gaiety of manners. But his heart was in Turin ; he longed to be back to see the old familiar streets, palaces, and gardens, where his life had been spent, and to reçoive the affectionate greeting of the citizens. On February 23 he returned to the Subalpine capital, and was welcomed with transports of joy by ail classes, without a dissentient voice.

To meet the expenses of the change of capital and other requirements of the State, the Minister of Finance, Sella, found it necessary to resort to fresh taxation. Before laying the matter before Parliament, and asking the nation for new sacrifices, he said to the king, that it would be well that an example of disinterestedness should be given by thé highest person in the state. Whereupon the king, without a word, surrendered a fifth part (three million francs) of his civil list.

Such acts as this, carefully recorded by the Libérais, are as carefully suppressed by the Clericals. Not even