Italy. 17 July 1848
Italy.

* Turin, 7 July. The ministry has tendered its resignation to both chambers. The only strange thing is that the Finance Minister naively declared that they had already handed in their resignation a fortnight ago and that he along with Marchese Ricci had been charged with forming a new cabinet. However, after the vote of the 5th inst., they had resolved to send him, the Finance Minister, to the King with the request that another person be entrusted with the task, since they could no longer take part in a cabinet without sacrificing their dignity. Now that is what the ministers state! Could they, then, if they truly held their honour dear, make a cabinet question out of the acceptance or rejection of certain amendments, with such hypocrisy and solemnity, during the discussion of the second Union Bill? This ministry will be mourned by few. Before its demise, it at least wanted to perform a politically honourable act. It has, as the Chamber demanded in its reply address, formally recognised the French Republic.

* Peschiera, 4 July. Yesterday headquarters were transferred to Isola della Scala and will soon move on to Bovolone, since an attack on Legnago has been decided upon. It will now probably come to a pitched battle after all, for Radetzky will certainly want to protect Legnago.

* Venice, 5 July. In the Provincial Assembly of the 3rd inst., in which finally the immediate union with Piedmont was proclaimed, Tommaseo took the floor and moved for postponement. Manin exhorted his party, the Republicans, to yield to the necessity of circumstances; he remarked that everything was in any case merely provisional and that the Italian Diet would decide later.