Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/273

 1899.] Italy. — Proceedings in Parliament. 265

a parliamentary defect. The victory, however, seemed to con- solidate the Opposition, which ranged itself under the joint leadership of ZanardeUi, Giolitti, Coppino and Villa to organise the campaign against the Cabinet.

Sgr. Chinaglia on taking possession of the presidential chair (May 31) made a formal speech, and immediately afterwards the Minister of Foreign Affairs was interpellated on the state of the Chinese question. On the part of the Government he resisted the motion, but gave a solemn engagement that when the matter came to be debated the House would find itself in a position which would ensure complete liberty of action. This assurance was practically embodied in Sgr. Pascolato's order of the day, which was carried by 238 votes to 139 and eight absten- tions. This Ministerial success was followed by another (June 3) in the election of Sgr. Gianturco as Vice-President of the Chamber; and emboldened by the disposition of the deputies, ministers proceeded to bring forward their bills. Sgr. Sonnino, however, intervened with a motion dealing with the existing rules of debate, and giving the President full power to put the closure to the vote, when he should have considered that a bill or resolution had been fully discussed. The reply to this attempt to "gag the Opposition" was promptly made outside the pre- cincts of Monte Citorio. The Socialists, notwithstanding the heavy hand of the police, were able to make demonstrations in the northern provinces, whilst at Eome the students were able to organise a procession to acclaim the deputy Ferri, and to protest against the cowardice of the parliamentary majority ; and the municipal elections at Milan, Turin, Parma and Genoa showed that the majority was prepared to support the Radicals and even the Socialists.

It was in vain also that the Government appealed to the success of its financial policy for the confidence of Parliament. In the Senate Sgr. Boselli was able to announce (June 8) that the service of the year 1898-9 would show on June 30 a surplus of 3,000,000 lire, thus pointing to a general revival of trade. This prospect, however, failed to moderate the obstruction of the Opposition in the Lower Chamber, which reached such a point that President Chinaglia was obliged to intervene, and to request the members of the extreme Left to adopt some other means of expressing their dissent. After a fortnight's discussion, General Pelloux recognised that not a single clause of any of the Minis- terial bills had been passed, and that the order book was being daily crowded with fresh amendments. To meet this state of affairs he gave notice of his intention of applying for a provi- sional vote for six months' expenditure, which, after a call of the House, was carried by 272 to 52 votes.

The gravity of the situation was patent to everybody. The Ministry was now in a position to dispense with Parliament until the end of the year, and it would be a comparatively easy matter to have recourse to government by decree, and to apply