stock as will produce the sum annually paid to the lessor. The Government, too, would gain largely by such a transaction, as they would receive the market-value of such stock, and would be responsible to the present proprietors only for the interest representing the present Rents, which are based on a calculation far below that to which a variety of causes have now raised the properties.

A copy of a further letter from Dr. O'Callaghan on the subject, just received, is also inclosed, which I have also referred to Sir Augustus Paget.

I have, &c.

Sir,

Inclosure 1 in No. 106.

Dr. O'Callaghan to Mr. Jervoise.

English College, Rome, November 28, 1870.

I HAVE the honour to draw your attention to the Royal Decree of the 17th ultimo, published in the "Gazzetta Offiziale di Roma" of the 19th November, 1870.

That Decree permits the "affrancazione dei Canoni enfiteutici, livelli, censi, decime ed altre prestazioni dovute a Corpi morali."

A canone is the annual payment to the lessor ("padrone diretto or direttorio") for property leased for a term of years, for three years, for ever, &c.

Censi are the interest of moneys lent upon the income or annual value of houses or lands determinable at the will of the mortgagee ("debitore di censo "), without a right to foreclose on the part of the lender ("creditore di censo").

The English College possesses a certain amount of such property.

The law of 24th January, 1864, promulgated by the Decree of 17th November, 1870, enables the lessees ("enfiteuti") of Church property to become the absolute proprietors of their leaseholds ("enfiteusi ") upon paying over to the treasury the marketvalue of Roman or Italian consolidato corresponding at 5 per cent. to the annual charge now paid to the lessor. A further capital calculated but only in small proportion to the renewal fines ("laudemio" or "quindennio") is added to the capital represented by the annual charge ("canone"), and both are paid by the lessee to the treasury, which issues stock to the amount in favour of the lessor, whilst the fee-simple of the property passes to the lessee.

In the case of censi, by the payment to the treasury of the market-value of stock corresponding at 5 per cent. to the annual interest due to the lender, the mortgagee is freed from further obligation to the lender, who is entered on the Treasury books as proprietor of the aforesaid stock.

By the operation of the Decree of 17th November, 1870, the loss to the religious establishments connected with foreign nations would be considerable, because—

1. They lose the opportunity of recovering the property in case of the failure of the families contemplated in the grant of the lease, or of the failure of the lessee to comply with the conditions of it.

2. They lose the advantage of leasing the property anew, with the more advantageous terms and improved rent-charge which the rise taking place in the value of house and landed property would give to them.

3. They would receive stock liable to all the fluctuations in the value of such property, instead of the house or land upon which the lease or censo are now founded. Moreover, it is to be borne in mind that the stock so issued is intestato, or, in other words, inalienable; so that the proprietor has no power to sell out and re-invest the capital according to his own judgment.

In conclusion, I have to add that the English College has hitherto enjoyed exemption whenever there was a question of imposing such law.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 2 in No. 106.

H. O'CALLAGHAN, Rector.

Sir,

Dr. O'Callaghan to Mr. Jervoise.

English College, Rome, December 20, 1870.

IN my letter of November 28th ultimo I had the honour to draw your attention to the operation of the Law of January 24, 1864, promulgated by the Royal Decree

of November 17, 1870, respecting the "affrancazione dei canoni enfiteutici," &c., in so far as it affects the interests of the foreign ecclesiastical establishments in Rome.

I have now to inform you, that whereas at the date of that letter several of the lessees of house and landed property belonging to the English college had signified their intention of availing themselves of the provisions of the above-mentioned law, I have since been served by one of the lessees, Signor Avvocato Gaetano Tosi, residing at No. 66, Via delle Muratte, with a formal notice dated December 15th ultimo, intimating that if no answer be returned to the notice within thirty days from that date the law will take its course.

I am therefore induced to beg your interposition, in such manner as you may consider best, with a view to stay proceedings, and to avert the threatened loss of our property.

I have, &c.

My Lord,

No. 107.

Sir A. Paget to Earl Granville.—(Received December 26.)

Florence, December 19, 1870. WITH reference to my despatch of the 26th of October last, reporting a conversation which I had had with Signor Visconti Venosta on the subject of British ecclesiastical property in Rome, I have now the honour to report to your Lordship the further steps which I have taken in the matter.

Having received from Mr. Jervoise lists of the property belonging to British ecclesiastical establishments in the Roman provinces, which, as stated in the despatch abovementioned, Signor Visconti Venosta had requested he might be furnished with, I forwarded them to his Excellency on the 14th ultimo.

I have since then received a further despatch from Mr. Jervoise inclosing a letter which had been addressed to him by the Rector of the English College on the subject of the Royal Decrees of the 17th and 27th ultimo sanctioning the enfranchisement of Church property in the Roman provinces upon the fulfilment of certain conditions indicated therein, which will, it is said, entail serious loss to the religious corporations.

Mr. Jervoise also inclosed copy of the letter which the Rector had addressed to General La Marmora requesting that foreign ecclesiastical property should be held exempt from the operation of these Decrees, and, as his Excellency had replied that the question must be decided at Florence, I thought it my duty to forward it to Signor Visconti Venosta in the note of which I transmit herewith a copy.

I inclose also copies of Mr. Jervoise's despatch and its inclosures.

M. le Ministre,

Inclosure 1 in No. 107.

Sir A. Paget to M. Visconti Venosta.

Florence, December 7, 1870. ON the 14th ultimo I had the honour of addressing to your Excellency a note specifying the names of the various British ecclesiastical establishments in Rome, and giving a detailed list of their property.

Since then the Royal Decrees of the 17th and 27th ultimo have been published, sanctioning the enfranchisement of Church property in the Roman provinces upon the fulfilment of certain conditions indicated therein. These measures will entail a very serious loss to the religious Corporations, and it does not appear that foreign ecclesiastical establishments are protected against their operation. The Rector of the English College at Rome, which possesses property likely to be affected by these Decrees, addressed on the 29th ultimo a letter to his Excellency General La Marmora claiming that, as had been already done on a former occasion (viz., under the Republic of 1848) the property of foreigners should be held exempt from the operation of these Decrees.

I have the honour to inclose herewith a copy of this letter, and, as General La Marmora informed Mr. Jervoise, Her Majesty's Diplomatic Agent in Rome, that the question would have to be submitted to the Government here, I beg to recommend the case to your

Excellency's favourable consideration, with a view to obtaining a further declaration from His Italian Majesty's Government that the property of British ecclesiastical establishments shall be respected and exempted from the operation of a measure, the effects of which might lead the way to confiscation.

I HAVE the honour to draw your attention to the Royal Decrees of the 17th and 27th ultimo, published in the "Gazzetta Officiale di Roma" of the 19th and 28th of November, and of which copies are inclosed herewith, together with copies of the Law of the 24th January, 1864, No. 1636, and of the Royal Decree of the 31st March of the same year, No. 1725.

The object of these Decrees is to sanction the enfranchisement of Church property in the Roman provinces upon the fulfilment by the lessees or by the holders of mortgages on such property of the conditions indicated in the above Decrees.

Such a measure would entail a very serious loss to the Religious Corporations ("Corpi Morali"), and it does not appear that the foreign ecclesiastical establishments are protected against its operation.

The Rector of the English College in Rome has placed in my hands the letter of which I have the honour to inclose a duplicate, and in which are explained the provisions of these Decrees and their effects upon Church property. Dr. O'Callaghan at the same time requested that I would lay before General La Marmora the Memorial, of which a copy is also transmitted herewith. This I did on the 29th ultimo, and, at his Excellency's invitation, again waited on him yesterday in order that, before pronouncing an opinion upon it, this document might be laid before his Excellency's Councillors, and the result of their deliberations communicated to me. I was accordingly informed by General La Marmora, as well as by Signor Giacomelli, that this question would have to be submitted to the Government at Florence, as it was not within their competence to pronounce a decision upon it.

I have, therefore, taken the liberty of submitting the matter to your consideration, in case you may be disposed to make a representation to the Italian Government with a view to securing a further declaration from them that the property of our national ecclesiastical establishments shall be respected, and exempted from the operation of a measure which is in reality a modified form of confiscation.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

H. CLARKE JERVOISE.

Inclosure 3 in No. 107.

Dr. O'Callaghan to Mr. Jervoise, November 23, 1870.

[See Inclosure 1 in No. 106.]

(Translation.)

Inclosure 4 in No. 107.

Dr. O'Callaghan to General La Marmora.

HENRY O'CALLAGHAN, Rector of the English College, and a resident in Rome, having under his administration certain national property, and some rents (canoni) and mortgages (censi), of which it is proposed to enfranchise the respective lessees, in virtue of the Law of the 24th of January, 1864, promulgated by the Royal Decree of the 17th of November, 1870, now begs to represent to your Excellency that as the English College is a foreign establishment its property has always been respected, and considered exempt from the laws of enfranchisement promulgated on former occasions.

The Undersigned therefore prays your Excellency that the said property may also on this occasion be declared exempt from the action of the above-mentioned law.

(Signed)

H. O'CALLAGHAN.

Sire,

Inclosure 5 in No. 107.

Extract from the "Gazzetta Officiale di Roma" of November 19, 1870.

Relazione del Ministro di Grazia e Giustizia e dei Culti a Sua Maestà in Udienza del 17 Novembre, 1870.

TRA i bisogni più sentiti in Roma e nella provincia è certo quello dell'affrancamento della proprietà immobiliare dai vincoli che in qualunque modo ne impediscono il trasferimento e la commerciabilità, e tra cotesti vincoli può dirsi generale quello derivante da canoni enfiteutici, livelli, censi, decime, legati pii ed altre simili prestazioni annue perpetue sì redimibili che irredimibili a favore del domanio, di stabilimenti pubblici, corporazioni, istituti, comunità ed altri corpi morali di manomorta. Ond'è che si reclama come un provvedimento di urgenza la pubblicazione ed estensione a quella provincia della Legge del Regno, 24 Gennaio, 1864, No. 1636, che dispone sullo affrancamento di simili prestazioni.

I Sottoscritti quindi, sull'uniforme parere del Consiglio dei Ministri, si permettono sottomettere alla firma di Vostra Maestà lo annesso Decreto.

Il No. 6001 della Raccolta Ufficiale delle Leggi e dei Decreti del Regno contiene seguente Decreto :

"Vittorio Emanuele II, per grazia di Dio e per volontà della nazione Re d'Italia, "Visto l' Articolo 82 dello Statuto;

"Sulla proposta del nostro Guardasigilli, Ministro Segretario di Stato per gli Affari di Grazia e Giustizia e dei Culti, di concerto col nostro Ministro delle Finanze;

"Udito il Consiglio dei Ministri,

"Abbiam decretato e decretiamo:

"Art. 1. Sono pubblicati ed avranno esecuzione nella Provincia Romana la Legge del 24 Gennaio, 1864, No. 1636, sull' affrancamento dei canoni enfiteutici, livelli, censi, decime ed altre prestazioni dovute a corpi morali, ed il Regio Decreto 31 Marzo, 1864, No. 1725, contenente disposizioni regolamentarie per l'esecuzione della detta Legge.

"Art. 2, Fino a che non saranno attuate nella Provincia Romana le leggi vigenti nel Regno sul Gran Libro e sulla Cassa dei Depositi e Prestiti, gli affrancamenti potranno anche essere fatti con rendita del consolidato Romano, ed in questo caso le relative operazioni saranno tutte indistintamente eseguite dalla direzione del debito pubblico in Roma.

"Per gli affrancamenti, che si faranno in rendita de consolidato 5 per cento del Regno d'Italia, le domande dovranno, fino all'attuazione suddetta, rivolgersi alla direzione generale del debito pubblico in Firenze.

"Ordiniamo che il presente Decreto, munito del sigillo dello Stato, sia inserto nella Raccolta Ufficiale delle Leggi e dei Decreti del Regno d'Italia, mandando a chiunque spetti di osservarlo e di farlo osservare.

Statement of the Minister of Grace and Justice and of Worship to His Majesty in Audience, November 17, 1870.

Sire,

AMONGST the wants most felt in Rome and in the province is certainly that of the enfranchisement of real property from the obstructions which impede its transference and hinder it from coming into the market, and amongst those obstructions that may be said to general which arises from leasehold rents, charges, annuities, tithes, pious legacies, and other similar perpetual annual returns, whether redeemable or irredeemable, in favour of the Crown, of public establishments, corporations, institutions, communities, or other mortmain bodies. Wherefore a measure of urgent requirement is the publication and the extension to that province of the Law of the Kingdom, 24th January, 1864, No. 1636, which provides for the enfranchisement from similar burthens.

The Undersigned, therefore, on the unanimous opinion of the Council of Ministers, beg leave to submit the annexed Decree for the signature of your Majesty.

No. 6,001 of the Official Collection of the Laws and Decrees of the Kingdom contains the following Decree :

"Victor Emmanuel II, by Grace of God and by will of the nation, King of Italy;

"In consideration of Article 82 of the Constitution;

"On the proposal of our Keeper of the Seals, Minister Secretary of State for the Affairs of Grace and Justice and of Worship, in concert with our Minister of Finance; Having heard the Council of Ministers;

66

"We have decreed and do decree:

"Article 1. The Law of 24th January, 1864, No. 1,636, on the enfranchisement of leasehold rents, charges, annuities, tithes, and other returns due to corporate bodies, and the Royal Decree of 31st March, 1864, No. 1,725, containing regulations for the execution of the said Law, are published, and shall have execution in the Roman Province.

"Art. 2. Until the laws in force in the kingdom relative to the Great Book and to the Deposit and Loan Fund shall be carried out in the Roman Province, the enfranchisements may also be effected with revenue of the Roman Consolidated Fund, and in this case the necessary operations shall all be performed without distinction by the administration of the public debt in Rome.

"For the enfranchisements which shall be effected in revenue of 5 per cent. consolidated of the Kingdom of Italy, the demands are, until the carrying out of the laws above-mentioned, to be sent to the General Administration of the Public Debt in Florence.

"We command that the present Decree, furnished with the Seal of State, be inserted in the Official Collection of the Laws and the Decrees of the Kingdom of Italy, and order whomsoever it concerns to observe it, and to cause it to be observed. "Given at Florence, the 17th of November, 1870.

(Signed)

(Signed)

"M. RAELI.
"QUINTINO SELLA."

"VICTOR EMMANUEL.

Inclosure 6 in No. 107.

Extract from the "Gazzetta Ufficiale di Roma" of November 28, 1870.

IL No. 6031 della Raccolta Ufficiale delle Leggi e dei Decreti del Regno contiene il seguente Decreto :

"Vittorio Emanuele II, per grazia di Dio e per volontà della nazione Re d'Italia. "Visto il Nostro Decreto in data delli 17 volgente Novembre, No. 6001, con cui si è pubblicata nella provincia Romana la Legge 24 Gennaio, 1864, sull' affrancazione dei canoni enfiteutici ed altre prestazioni dovute ai corpi morali;

"Vista la Legge 28 Luglio, 1867, No. 3820, con cui nello estendersi alle provincie della Venezia e di Mantova la detta Legge 24 Gennaio, 1864, vi si è aggiunta una disposizione transitoria comune a tutto il Regno;

"Ritenuta la convenienza di estendere anche alla Romana provincia il beneficio di questa disposizione transitoria;

"Visto l'Articolo 82 dello Statuto;

"Sulla proposta del nostro Guardasigilli, Ministro Segretario di Stato per gli Affari di Grazia e Giustizia e dei Culti, di concerto col nostro Ministro delle Finanze; "Udito il Consiglio dei Ministri;

"Abbiamo decretato e decretiamo:

"Articolo unico. Per le affrancazioni dei canoni enfiteutici, livelli, censi, decime, ed altre prestazioni dovute ai corpi morali, che in esecuzione della Legge 24 Gennaio, 1864, No. 1636, avranno luogo nella provincia Romana a tutto l'anno 1871, il valore delle derrate e la quantità delle indeterminate prestazioni in natura, accennati nei due ultimi capoversi dell' Articolo 6 della Legge medesima, saranno desunti e stabiliti sulla base del prezzo e della quantità media di un ventennio a contare dal 1848 al 1867 inclusivamente.