The King of Italy opened Parliament in Rome on the
27th No- vember, —a great event in Italian history. He declared thatItaly was restored to herself and to Rome, and intended to seek the secret of reconciliation between Church and State. "Rome, the capital of Italy, would continue to be the peaceful seat of the Pontificate." The Bills for the regulation of ecclesiastical corporations would be Liberal, but would leave untouched those institutious—the central monasteries of the great Orders—which "have a share in the government of the Universal Church," and are therefore international property. The next task of the country is to attend to her finances, in order to strengthen her mili- tary organization, for although the King earnestly desires peace, still "the renewal of the national armaments and the defence of the national territory require long and serious study." In other words, the King distrusts the continuance of peace, and insists that if money is wanted for the Army, money must be found. He is not altogether -wrong, provided no money is wasted already, which is far from certain.
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