Italy. September 10, 1848.
Supplement.
Italy.

Under the title “Italy and Austria,” the Turin journal *La Concordia* shows that the august House of Austria, by its rule over the Lombardo-Venetian Kingdom, gratified not only its pride but also another passion – avarice, an insatiable thirst for gold. Regarding Lombardy-Venice as a conquered land, it laid upon these provinces a heavier yoke than upon any of the others ... Lombardy paid annually, after deduction of the collection costs, 60 million, and Venetia about 30 million Austrian lire in taxes; consequently, for both provinces annually some 100 million. If one deducts the 50 million required for the administration, just as many millions remain, which were sent off to Vienna every year. Adding up these sums taken in cash out of the country since 1815, we get about 1,650 millions, which have been swallowed up by the most gracious Austrian emperors and their partisans at the expense of Lombardy-Venice. Under the present circumstances, one must also not overlook the state of the Austrian national debt in 1815 and in 1847. In 1815 the national debt amounted, in round figures, to 298,820,000 gulden (interest = 5,381,000 florins), and in 1847 the national debt had risen to 1,060½ million florins, on which the interest amounted to 33½ million annually. In 22 years of peace, the national debt had therefore grown by 767 million, the interest on it by about 27 million florins. Since the sources of taxation have everywhere already been strained to the utmost, indeed exhausted, the bankruptcy of Austria is inevitable; and were it not to fall apart for political reasons, the edifice of this monarchy would have to collapse from financial causes. Least of all, however, is Lombardy-Venice inclined to prop up this edifice afresh by assuming several hundred million

Italy. September 10, 1848
of this debt. The Italians are convinced that they have already paid dearly enough for the Metternich tyranny with its censorship, its spies and sbirri, its high taxes and vexations of every kind, and that, if there could be any question of indemnification, it would be Austria that would have to pay it to Italy.

* The Roman Chambers were indeed suddenly adjourned on August 26, adjourned until November 15. The surprise was great. The Fabbri ministry has played a very false, and for that very reason a very hazardous, game. It has duped the deputies, but it will very soon be so duped by the extreme party of reaction that its eyes will be opened – while the people will open theirs to the fact that it is being replaced by a ministry à la Bozzelli, but at the same time that it will be hanged from the lamp-post together with that ministry, unless the Roman people lets mercy take the place of justice and houses the whole reactionary brood for a few months in the Engelsburg and later in a pleasant region of Abyssinia or some such place. The ministry has had to employ a great deal of hypocrisy, much cunning and many intrigues to attain its goal; it has achieved its first goal – the adjournment of the Chambers; but by all appearances it has thereby itself reached its end.

* On the unexpected adjournment of the Roman Chambers, the *Contemporaneo* says: “The Chamber of Deputies was now considerably in the way; it had to be sent home for a time. Disclosures could easily have proceeded from its midst about matters which it is desired to keep concealed; laws and votes could have taken place in it which would not have been in keeping with the policy now intended. That is precisely why the court intrigue was spun. But an enormous responsibility weighs upon the future ministers, and they are either fools or impudent in the highest degree if they believe they can defy public opinion at these decisive moments.”

The Austrians have at least now withdrawn from Bondeno. In Florence, violent interpellations in the Chamber of Deputies concerning Livorno. Guerrazzi demands the revocation of the dictatorial power granted to the ministers on the basis of mendacious reports. In vain. Instead, on August 30, all political clubs in Florence were closed. Numerous patrols traversed the streets throughout the night. The Livorno deputation returned home on August 30 and made known the result of its mission by public notice. All the demands of the Livornese have thereupon been granted, and the government has made still other promises. In return, it demands the surrender of the rifles that were carried off from the arsenal and the fort.