"From the Capitol, December 11th, 1848. "The present condition of anxiety and suspense in the City gives ground to fear, from hour to hour, that public tranquillity may be seriously disturbed. In this state of things the undersigned Senator of Rome thinks it his duty to apply to your Excellency to take measures, in your official capacity, for averting those mischiefs which might result from disturbances, especially to the metropolis. Your Excellency's known zeal and tried ability give the writer a guarantee, that such wise resolutions will be adopted as will prevent any untoward occurrence. In the meantime he avails himself of the opportunity to assure you of his high

consideration.

"Prince CORSINI, Senator."

After President Sturbinetti had read this letter, and Mamiani had urged the assembled Council to make provision for the necessaries of the State, Fusconi began to speak, in the following terms:

"At the Sitting of the 8th current, you instructed us to submit to you, in concert with the Ministry, and within the shortest possible period, the most eligible expedients for meeting the difficulties that flow from the absence of one of the three Legislative organs.

"In order to fulfil this obligation, we met on the same evening, first alone, and then with the Ministers. We settled, that before busying ourselves about the choice of a plan to propose to you, we would industriously collect all the information which might assist us towards the better discharge of our commission; and we found that the persons, named in the instrument dated at Gaeta, on the 27th of November, might without any great difficulty have put into operation that third organ, which is required in order to complete the constitutional machinery. We likewise found, that the Pontiff was subsequently asked for full and unrestricted

powers, but no answer in regard to them has been brought to our knowledge, although we are aware of its having been. explained to the Pope that the state of the country was such as not to admit of any delays.

"On each of the following days, the 9th and 10th, your Committee assembled twice in conjunction with the Ministry, in order to devise and discuss the measures most suited to give effect to your instructions, should the aforesaid free and unrestricted powers, which have been asked for, not be forthcoming. The result of our reflections and discussions was the draft of decree, which we now submit for your adoption.

"Project of Decree.

Considering that the Roman States have a Representative Government, and enjoy the rights and guarantees of a Constitution fixed by Statute;

"That the said Statute has for its basis the distinction and also the connection of the three powers, and that in default of any one of them the constitutional government is incomplete and cannot fulfil its purposes;

"That, in the night of the 24th of last November, the Pope withdrew from Rome and left no one to fill his place; "That the document, dated at Gaeta, on the 27th of November, in which a Commission of Government is named, is wanting in the forms required by the Constitution, which forms likewise constitute the guarantee for the inviolability of the Sovereign;

"That the Commission of Government, named in the aforesaid instrument, has not given notice of its acceptance, and has in no manner, and in no part, exercised its office, nor has even proceeded to constitute itself;

"That the two Legislative Councils, in concert with the Ministry and with the Municipality, have striven to repair this great derangement by sending envoys to the Sovereign, with an urgent request to him to return and administer the affairs of the State;

"That these envoys not only failed to gain personal admission into the Neapolitan dominions, but endeavoured in vain to obtain recognition from the Sovereign; also that other more recent communications, and other efforts made about him, have proved wholly fruitless; and that, during his residence in territory not his own, which no deputation dispatched to him is permitted by the supreme authority to enter, the Deputies are debarred from a right declared in the Constitutional Statute, and it is left doubtful whether he is in a condition to enjoy full freedom and spontaneity in his acts, and to avail himself of impartial and conciliatory counsels;

"And inasmuch as no country or city can remain without a complete government, nor the properties and rights of its inhabitants without protection;

"And because it is right, in every manner and by every expedient, to avert the impending danger of anarchy and civil discord, and to maintain public order;

"And likewise to uphold in their integrity the Fundamental Statute, the Throne, and its constitutional prerogatives:

"The two deliberative Councils, alive to their duties, and likewise yielding to the absolute necessity of making provision in some regular manner for the extreme urgency of the circumstances, by a vote which they have severally adopted at their respective sittings, decree as follows:

"1. A Supreme Giunta of State is provisionally appointed. "2. It is composed of three persons, not belonging to the

Council of Deputies, nominated by a simple majority of votes in that Council, and subject to approval by the High Council.

"3. The Giunta shall discharge all the functions appertaining to the Head of the Executive Power, in the name of the Sovereign, and by a majority of voices, under the terms of the Statute, and according to the maxims and principles of constitutional law.

"4. The functions of the Giunta shall at once determine

upon the return of the Pontiff, or upon his deputing a person, by an instrument having the character of perfect legality, to fill his place and discharge its duties, when such person shall actually assume the exercise of the said functions."

The Prince of Canino spoke repeatedly in opposition to the preamble of this Decree. Ninchi and Fiorenzi (Francesco) held that the Deputies had no power by the Statute to nominate a substitute for the Sovereign, and declared that, as a choice of evils, it was more correct to appeal to the people. Sterbini and Armellini argued in favour of the motion for a giunta, which, at the close, was carried. Afterwards, the Senators of Rome and Bologna, with the Mayor of Ancona, were elected to form it. Corsini, as has been seen, was Senator of Rome; Zucchini was Senator of Bologna; and Count Filippo Camerata Mayor of Ancona. The Deputies present were fiftysix. The Decree was immediately made known to the High Council, which was sitting. Only seventeen members of it were in attendance, for from day to day some one either withdrew from Rome, or resigned his seat; and Corsini called attention to this fact, in order that the want of a quorum for voting might be noticed. Those present, however, did vote; they unanimously approved the Decree of the Deputies, and on the following day, with only fourteen present, they likewise approved the choice of persons for the supreme Giunta. The Council of Ministers then announced to the people the decisions taken, in order that they might be put into full execution.

CHAP. IV.

REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY THE PONTIFF ΤΟ THE EUROPEAN UNDER THE BRIEF OF

COURTS. -THE COMMISSION APPOINTED

NOV. 27. BEVILACQUA AND ZUCCHI. BARBERINI AND RICCI.

PROJECTS AND COMMUNICATIONS.

LETTER AND

MEMORAN

DUM SENT BY BEVILACQUA AND RICCI TO CARDINAL ANTONELLI. PROTESTS AGAINST THE APPOINTMENT OF THE GIUNTA. GIUNTA REPUDIATED ALSO BY THE REPUBLICANS.—THEIR MACHINATIONS. THE DEPUTATIONS FROM THE CLUBS. -RELATIONS OF MAMIANI AND STERBINI. DISORDERS. -CONDUCT OF THE CIVIC GUARD.-THE GIUNTA PROCLAIMS THE CONSTITUENT.— MAMIANI.— NOTICE OF

THE PROCLAMATION. RESIGNATION OF

THE ACTS OF THE MINISTRY OF NOV. 16.—GALLETTI APPOINTED TO THE GIUNTA. — NEW ADMINISTRATION.

THE Pontiff had informed the European Governments of the causes which had driven him into exile, and had given them to understand that he looked for their aid, by way both of advice and of action. Meantime he had empowered the Commission, nominated by the Brief of the 27th of November, to constitute itself for business, even if no more than three members should attend, and to sit in any city of his States which might be deemed more safe than the capital. Now, as three of its members, namely, Castracane, Roberti, and Barberini, had undoubtedly accepted the charge, and were in Rome, it is manifest that if they never acted as a Government, it was for lack not of instructions and authority, but of inclination, or of courage. Bevilacqua and Zucchi, after they had got