Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/270

 262] FOEEIGN HI8TOEY. [1899.

presence of Admiral Canevaro, who attended as representative of the Italian Government, was studiously ignored by the car- dinal, and it was only after considerable negotiation that M. Barrere, the French Ambassador, was commissioned to express to the admiral the regrets of the cardinal.

The discussion of the five bills bearing upon the law of public safety, brought forward by the Government, occupied the attention of the Chamber during the month of February. The exceptional laws voted in 1898 after the Milanese riots would expire with the month of May. General Pelloux in their place asked for fuller powers to place fresh difficulties in the way of free meetings, of free association, and freedom of the press ; two other bills dealt with the protection of public officials and the supervision of convicted persons. For instance the publica- tion or reproduction of news that was false or of a nature to disturb the public peace was punishable with one to six months imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 lire. The debates in the the Chamber (Feb. 16) were by no means favourable to the Ministry, although General Pelloux made (Feb. 25) a powerful speech in defence of the proposals. He made it clear that if the preceding year had closed more pacifically than it had opened this was expressly due to the salutary restraints which the dictatorial powers accorded to the Cabinet had allowed them to impose upon their adversaries. He was, however, obliged to express his readiness to accept amendments, and it needed such a promise to obtain from the disquieted Chamber the closure of the debate by 166 to 89 votes. It was moreover arranged that the numerous orders of the day put forward should be dealt with individually before the second reading of the bills, which was taken up early in the ensuing month, and eventually referred to a special commission for report.

For the moment, however, the China question took the first place in public attention. Italy had requested China to grant her a lease of Sammun Bay, in the province of Tche- kiang, on terms similar to those on which the other great Powers had obtained concessions. The Tsung-li-Yam&n after the shufflings habitual to Chinese diplomacy, had finally refused the Italian demand. The news of this diplomatic check did not render the position of the Ministry any firmer. The election of two Socialist deputies, Turati for Milan and Deandreis for Ravenna, whom the Chamber had declared ineligible, were again confirmed by their respective constituents. Happily the Easter recess came to cut short the interminable discussion arising out of this dispute.

The events of the recess were not without importance. The Italian Minister at Pekin having been superseded for excess of zeal the Marchese Salvago Raggi was sent as special envoy to China to smooth away the misunderstandings which had arisen between the two courts. The King and Queen also took the opportunity of paying a visit to the long-neglected island of

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