The Italians appear quite determined to try very large experiments
in Parliamentary reform. Both Houses have already passed a law establishing a simple educational qualifi- cation, every adult male being entitled to vote, provided he can read and write. They have also, after great hesitations, passed another, providing that votes shall be taken by scrutin de hate, each elector voting for the whole number of Representatives allowed to each Department, which is one for every 40,000 of population. The Government appear to fear, however, that this will produce occasionally too uniform a result, and have proposed that in the most populous of the sixty-nine Depart- ments,—that is, in all which return more than five Members, a minority vote should be allowed. The details of the scheme have not reached us, but it is intended, we believe, to prevent the great cities crushing out the rural minorities outside them. The result of the experiment, which is new in Parliamentary history, will be well worth watching.
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