Office of the Historian

No. 287.
Mr. Marsh to Mr. Evarts.

Legation of the United States,
Rome, December 29, 1877. (Received January 17.)
No. 722.]

Sir: Mr. Depretis has formed a new cabinet, the members of which are all taken from the administration party, and are as follows:

  • Agostino Depretis, president of the council and minister of foreign affairs.
  • Francesco Crispi (now president of the chamber of deputies), minister of the interior.
  • Pasquale S. Mancini, minister of peace and justice and public worship.
  • Michele Coppino, minister of public instruction.
  • Luigi Mezzacapo, minister of war.
  • Benedetto Brin, minister of the marine.
  • Agostino Magliani, minister of finance.
  • Francesco Paolo Perez, minister of public works.
  • Angelo Bargoni, minister of the treasury.

The ministry of agriculture, industry, and commerce, which has heretofore formed a part of the cabinet, is suppressed, and the ministry of the treasury is newly created. With the exception of the last three above named, all these gentlemen were members of the late cabinet, and [Page 467] they have all been conspicuous in Italian politics. Mr. Bargoni was a member of the ministry several years ago. Mr. Magliani and Mr. Perez are now for the first time called into the cabinet.

So far as can be judged at present, the ministry is not accepted with general satisfaction by the Italian public, and its strength will be exposed to a very severe test in the discussion on the question of the working of the state railways under the late convention for the purchase of those of Northern Italy by the government. The point, briefly stated, is, shall those railways be administered by officials and agents of the central government, or shall they be leased to and worked by corporate associations of a more or less local character, and of course with more special reference to local interests? The question excites much feeling, and the final defeat of the ministry in parliamentary action upon it is confidently predicted.

I will send, as soon as the translation can be prepared, copies of the royal decrees for the organization of the ministries and the definition of their respective jurisdictions.

I have, &c.,

GEORGE P. MARSH.