Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/271

 1899.] Italy. — Ministerial Crisis. 263

Sardinia — the god-mother of. the royal house of Savoy. The occasion was seized upon both by the English and French Gov- ernments and fleets to pay special marks of courtesy to the Italian sovereigns.

A few days later the details of the Anglo-French arrange- ment for the delimitation of their African possessions west of the Nile provoked a warm controversy. The Crispinists were triumphant, and denounced in loud tones the carelessness of the Ministry. They pointed especially to the clause concerning Tripoli, which, by inference, recognised the pretensions of France towards its hinterland, of which the Turks were the actual holders, but of which the Italians regarded themselves as the presumptive heirs.

On the reassembling of the Senate (April 17) Sgri. Campo- reale and Vitelleschi at once brought forward resolutions on the subject, but at the request of the Government the discussion was postponed. In the Chamber, however, these tactics did not prevail, and a general discussion on the foreign policy in Africa and China was forced on (May 1), and such was the vigour of the attack that three days later (May 4) General Pelloux tendered to the King the resignation of the Ministry.

The crisis which followed was prolonged. General Pelloux was immediately requested to form a new Cabinet and accepted the task without hesitation, but he was not disposed to hasten its completion. He began by eliminating from the former Cabinet Sgri. Fortis, Nasi and Finocchiaro, who had been imposed upon him by the friends of Sgr. Crispi, and endeavoured to group round himself men of greater personal authority and offering more homogeneity.

The new Cabinet was not altogether badly received. The record of its predecessor was not without credit, for it had kept order in the streets, calmed public opinion, and improved the condition of the finances. It was admitted, however, that the Prime Minister's new colleagues were men of greater personal weight and merit. The Ministry constituted under the presi- dency of General Pelloux, who retained the portfolio of the Home Office, included the Marchese Visconti Venosta, Foreign Affairs ; Comte Bonasi, Grace, Justice and Public Worship ; and Lieut.-General Mirri, War ; all of these being senators. From the Chamber were taken Sgr. P. Carmine, Finance ; Dr. P. Boselli, Treasury ; Bear-Admiral Bettolo, Navy ; Dr. G. Baccelli, Public Instruction ; Dr. A. Salandra, Agriculture, Industry and Commerce ; Sgr. P. Lacava, Public Works ; and Sgr. G. di San Giuliano, Posts and Telegraphs. It was given out that if the name of Baron Sonnino did not appear in the list, he was not the less well disposed towards the Cabinet, and that his influence would still be dominant in Treasury and its financial policy. This influence showed itself most distinctly in the appointment of Sgr. Pietro Bertolini as Under-Secretary for the Home Department, who was known to be a man of