THE KING VISITS VENICE

and to her destinies. With this day shall disappear froni the Peninsula every vestige of foreign domination.* Italy is made, if not completed ; it now rests with the Italians to make her great and prospérons.

Gentlemen, the Iron Crown is also restored in this solemn day to Italy. But above this crown I place that which to me is dearer — the crown of my people’s love.

On November 7 Victor Emmanuel made a solemn entry into the most beautiful, and, after Rome, the most interesting city of the Italian peninsula. To tell how he was received would only be to repeat what already has been said about similar entries into the other capitals. Enough to say that ‘the Bride of the Sea’ gave him a welcome in no way inferior to that of the sister cities. While here he had the pleasure of meeting and entertaining the firm friend of Italian independence, Lord Russell. At the same dinner, which was composed of a curions conglomération of guests, was the Austrian General Moring, and the Cardinal Trevisanato, Patriarch of Venice.

After visiting several towns of Venetia the king returned to Florence on November 21.

Hot upon the seulement of the Venetian question, came the discussion of that of Rome, which after the évacuation of the French troops seemed more com-

' The French, in fulhlment of the convention of September 1864, were ev&c. ating Rome.

plicated than ever. The Catholic powers were now anxious to accommodate the quarrel between Italy and the Pope, and they offered to guarantee him his income and his independence if he would reconcile himself to the national will. But Plus IX. was immovable in his détermination to oppose it to the last.

It was proposed that the Eternal City, and the little Pontifical State around it, should be guaranteed to the Pope and protected by the Italian Government. But to this arrangement the Italians never would consent, for without Rome the unification of Italy was incomplète. As for the Romans they had a thousand reasons for opposing such an arrangement. The bare considération of the idea by their more fortunate countrymen outside the sacred limits of the Church’s State, would seem cruel ingratitude after ail they had suflfered for the national cause. In the midst of this agitation and diplomatie di.scussions on the Roman question, Parliament was opened, to receive for the first time the Venetian deputies, who took their oaths and seats in the midst of that pleasing excitement which always followed the annexation of a new province ; and King Victor spoke in that tone of congratulation which was natural to a man who, if he did not ‘swallow a province a day,’ as a Milanese soldier once said, had within the last seven years absorbed seven principalities.*

' King Victor related the following anecdote to his ministers one day : ‘ In i86i I was holding a review on the Piazza d’ Armi in Milan. Opposite me was a régiment, the soldiers of which held their eyes fixed on mine, as discipline prescribes. Two of them, without inoving their heads, held the

THE KING’S speech.

The speech from the throne is so long that we will only give the opening paragraph and that one which refers to Rome.

The K ing' s Speech, December 15, 1866.

Gentlemen Senators, — Gentlemen Deputies, — The country is free at last from every foreign domination. My soûl exults in telling it to the représentatives of 25,000,000 Italians. The nation had faith in me, I had faith in the nation, This great event crowning our common efforts, gives new vigour to the work of civilisation and renders more secure the political equilibrium of Europe.

The French Government, faithful to the obligations it assumed in the convention of September 1864, has withdrawn her military forces from Rome. On its part the Italian Government, maintaining its engagements, has respected, and will respect, the Pontifical territory.

The good understanding with the Plmperor of the French, to whom we are bound by the ties of friendship and gratitude, the modération of the Romans, the wisdom of the Pontiflf, the religions sentiment and right judgment of the Italian people, will ail contri-

following dialogue, which, though spoken in a low voice, I overheard, for, as you may hâve perceived. gentlemen, I hâve excellent hearing. “Look at our king, is he not fine and fat ? ” “That he is, but considering that he eats a province a day, what wonder that he should be fine and fat ? ” ’

bute to reconcile Catholic interests and national aspirations, which are being mixed up confusedly in the agitations at Rome.

Reverential towards the religion of our fathers, which is also the religion of the greater part of the Italians, I render homage at the same time to the principles of liberty that inform our institutions, which, applied with sincerity and breadth of judgment, will help to remove the old causes of différence between the Church and State. These our provisions, reassuring Catholic consciences, will, I hope, assist in the fulfilment of my desire, that the Suprême Pontiff should remain independent at Rome.

General Pettinengo having resigned his post as Minister of War, in the belief that the king was dissatisfied with him, Victor wrote as follows : —

Victor Emmanuel to General Pettinengo.

I am vexed to see in a letter from you, dirccted to the Count Verasis, that you imagine that I am ill-disposed towards you. If such were the case, I must very soon hâve forgotten the many services rendered by you to the State, the spécial merit of having accepted, solely to oblige me, the portfolio of War in difficult times, and finally the zeal which you showed for the army when it was put on a war footing. If some things hâve not gone as I desired, I certainly did not mean to blâme you, dear general ; I attributed it rather to an old System, which has need of modifications.

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