p. 93 | Untitled article

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Third-day, January 21, 1868

News and Miscellany.

Can ye not discern the Signs of the Times? Matt. xvi, 3.

—The receipts of the New York theaters for the last year far exceed those of London or Paris. Twenty-two establishments in New York and its suburb, Brooklyn, return over three million dollars as their receipts. Niblo’s seems to have made, from a single spectacle, double the amount of money of any of the other theaters—a striking comment on the state of the drama at the present day. Wallack’s and the Olympic come next in order of receipts, and the circus follows close on their totals. The fall and winter season, despite the stagnation of business, exhibits an increase of patronage in the majority of the theaters.

The Condition of Italy.—Italy, for the present, has abandoned the notion of going to Rome. It has answered the “Never” of the French Minister by a renewal of the solemn declaration that Rome is her natural capital, and has wisely acknowledged the necessity of the situation by supporting a Ministry whose principle seems to be patience and good government now, and hope for the future. The nation could hardly be more rudely awakened from its dream than by the budget laid before the Italian Chambers for 1868. The contents of this important paper, of which the cable gives a summary, are uncongenial facts for a nation of artists. The people of Italy are called upon to consider the very serious question of national bankruptcy. They are informed that to meet the liabilities and expenditures of the ensuing year, it will be necessary to impose new taxes to the amount of 190,000,000 liras (about $38,000,000) and to authorize a new loan of 400,000,000 liras, $80,000,000. The Italian deficit for the current year is thus more than a hundred million dollars, and the amount of indebtedness for the past six years amounts to 390 millions of dollars.

Italy Recognizes the Mexican Republic.—FLORENCE, January 14. Italy is the first of the European powers to recognize the restoration of the Mexican republic by diplomatic appointment. Senor Sosa Vasso, now Colonel General at Belgrade, has been appointed Minister to the Republic of Mexico, and will leave at an early day for the Mexican capital.

New Treaty.—VIENNA, January 14. The Dabatta, a journal of a semi-official character, asserts that negotiations between France and Italy for a new treaty in regard to Rome, to displace the September convention, have been rapidly progressing and are now nearly concluded.

France and Italy.—The complications in the relations of Italy and France, in regard to the Roman question, seem to be rapidly approaching a crisis. The Italian Ministry has been defeated in the popular branch of the Legislature, by a much smaller majority, it is true, than we had expected to see—only two votes; but the cabinet has thereupon resigned, and it is believed that Ratazzi will again be called to the head of the ministry, which he will organize on a basis of hostility to France. We expressed the belief, a few days since, that in case the contingency which has now occurred should arise—the resignation of the present Italian cabinet—it would be difficult to preserve the peaceful relations between France and Italy. The Italian Parliament is unmistakably controlled by the party of action, and has already refused to fulfill the national agreement to pay the interest upon the debt of the provinces formerly belonging to the States of the Church, which Italy had assumed when she annexed these provinces. It is evident that the Italian people are resolved not to be longer bound by the provisions of the September Convention, and that the Parliament, in obedience to the popular demand, is even determined to risk a war with France in the attempt to regain the possession of Rome.

It is asserted, with what truth remains to be seen, that the Emperor Napoleon and King Victor Emanuel have already commenced negotiations for the abrogation of the September treaty. It will be well if this can be peacefully accomplished, for Victor Emanuel is plainly powerless to maintain his portion of the obligation. Unless this peaceful settlement can be arrived at, the Convention will, no doubt, be washed out in war. The other European powers, to whom it is proposed to submit the matter for final approval, will not be likely to cavil at any basis of settlement which shall be agreed upon by these parties most interested, for Italy will be content with nothing short of the repossession of Rome, which is rightfully the capital of Italy, and the suppression of the Pope’s temporal sovereignty. We do not see how any agreement can be made between France and Italy which does not involve this result as the final conclusion of the controversy. Less than this will not satisfy the Italian people, and Napoleon can afford to concede so much. In the meantime, matters in the peninsula are assuming a decidedly bellicose appearance; and the Pope’s allocution, congratulating his adherents upon the defeat of Garibaldi, and the preservation of the Holy See from great danger, may be, after all, premature.—Chicago Republican.