Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/1074

 718 ITALY

various other classes of functionaries high in office, may be elected, but their number must never be more than forty, not in- cludincf the ministers and the under-secretaries of State. Neither senators nor deputies receive any salary or other indemnity, but are allowed to travel free throughout Italy by rail or steamer.

The duration of Parliaments is five years ; but the King has the power to dissolve the lower House at any time, being bound only to order new elections, and convoke a new meeting within four months. It is incumbent upon the executive to call the Parliament together annually. Each of the Chambers has the right of introducing new bills, the same as the Government ; but all money bills must originate in the House of Deputies, The ministers have the right to attend the debates of both the upper and the lower House ; but they have no vote unless they are members. The sittings of both Chambers are public ; and no sitting is valid unless an absolute majority of the members are present.

The executive power is exercised, under the King, by a ministry divided into 11 departments. The ministry, constituted June 29, 1898, is as follows : —

1. President of the Council and Minister of Interior. — General Luigi Pelloux, senator.

2. Minister of Foreign Affairs.— k^raixdl Felice Napoleoue Canevaro, senator.

3. Minister of the Treasury. — Pietro Vacchelli, senator.

4. Minister of Finance. — Paolo Carcano, deputy.

5. Minister of Justice and of Ecclesiastical Affairs.— CsuwiWo Finocchiaro Aprile, deputy.

6. Minister of War. — General Alessandro Asinari di San Marzano, senator.

7. Minister of Marine. — Admiral Giuseppe Palumho, deputy.

8. Minister of Commerce, Industry ^ and Agriculture. — Alessandro i^oriis, deputy.

9. Minister of Puhlic Instruction. — Professor Guido ^«cc<?ZZi, deputy.

10. Minister of Public Works. — Pietro Zac«m, deputy.

11. Minister of Posts and Telegraphs. — Nunzio Nasi, deputy.

Local Government.

The two principal elective local administrative bodies are the communal councils and the provincial councils. According to the law of February 10, 1889, each commune has a communal council, a municipal council, and a syndic. Both the communal councils and the municipal councils vary accord- ing to population, the members of tlie latter being selected by the former from among themselves. The syndic is the head of the communal adminis- tration, and is a Government official ; he is elected by the comnninal council from among its own members, by secret vote, in all the chief communes of provinces and districts, and in other communes having more than 10,000 inhabitants. In other communes the syndic is appointed by the King froin among the communal councillors. Each province has a provincial council and a provincial commission, the numbers vaiying according to population. The council elects its president and other officials. The provincial commission is elected by the council from its own members. It conducts the business of