C R O A T I A-S L A V O N I A
291
and Cardinal Pecci (afterwards Leo XIII.), persuaded the discovered only that Crispi, on assuming office in 1893, had Sacred College to hold the Conclave in Rome, and pro- found the Secret Service coffers empty, and had borrowed rogued the Chamber lest any untoward manifestation should from a State bank the sum of £12,000 for Secret Service, mar the solemnity of the event. The statesmanlike repaying it with the monthly instalments granted in qualities displayed on this occasion were unavailing to regular course by the Treasury. The Commission, conavert the storm of indignation conjured up by Crispi’s sidering this proceeding irregular, proposed, and the opponents in connexion with a charge of bigamy incap- Chamber adopted, a vote of censure, but refused to able of legal proof. Crispi was compelled to resign office, authorize a prosecution. Crispi resigned his seat in although the judicial authorities upheld the invalidity of Parliament, but was re-elected by an overwhelming his early marriage, contracted at Malta in 1853, and majority in April 1898 by his Palermo constituents. ratified his subsequent union with Signora Barbagallo. For some time he took little part in active politics, chiefly For nine years Crispi remained politically under a cloud, on account of his growing blindness. A successful operabut in 1887 returned to office as Minister of the Interior tion for cataract restored his eyesight in June 1900, and in the Depretis Cabinet, succeeding to the Premiership upon notwithstanding his 81 years he resumed to some extent his former political activity. Soon afterwards, however, the death of Depretis (July 29, 1887). One of his first acts as Premier was a visit to Bismarck, his health began to give way permanently, and he died at whom he desired to consult upon the working of the Triple Naples on the 12 th of August 1901. Alliance. Basing his foreign policy upon the alliance, as The importance of Crispi in Italian public life depended supplemented by the naval less upon the many reforms entente with Great Britain accomplished under his adnegotiated by his predecessor, ministrations than upon his Count Robilant, Crispi asintense patriotism, remarkable sumed a resolute attitude fibre, and capacity for admintowards France, breaking off istering to his fellow-countrythe prolonged and unfruitful men the political tonic of negotiations for a new Francowhich they stood in constant Italian commercial treaty, and need. In regard to foreign refusing the French invitation politics he greatly contributed to organize an Italian section to raise Italian prestige and at the Paris Exhibition of to dispel the reputation for 1889. At home Crispi secured untrustworthiness and vacillathe adoption of the Sanitary tion acquired by many of his and Commercial Codes, and predecessors. (h. w. s.) reformed the administration of justice. Forsaken by his Croatia-Slavonia Radical friends, Crispi (Horvat - Szlavonorszag), an governed with the help of the autonomous province (BorderRight, until, on January 31, land) of Hungary. Area, 1891, an intemperate allusion 16,417 square miles, with to the former policy of the 2,416,304 inhabitants in Conservative party led to his 1900. At the head of overthrow. In December the Government stands the 1893 the impotence of the Banus, appointed by the king, Giolitti Cabinet to restore with counter-signature of the public order, then menaced Hungarian Prime Minister. by disturbances in Sicily and The provincial Diet (Croatiain Lunigiana, gave rise to a FRANCESCO CRISPI. Slavonian-Dalmatian National {From a Photograph by Giacomo Brogi, Florence.) general demand that Crispi Assembly) consists (a) of should return to power. Upon elected deputies, (6) of resuming office he vigorously suppressed the disorders, personal voters, whose number, however, cannot exceed and lent sturdy support to the energetic remedies half of that of the elected deputies. The National adopted by Sonnino, Minister of Finance, to save Italian Assembly delegates out of its midst 40 deputies to credit, which had been severely shaken by the bank and the House of Commons and 3 deputies to the House financial crises of 1892-1893. Crispi’s uncompromis- of Magnates of the Hungarian Parliament, wffio ing suppression of disorder, and his refusal to abandon participate in the discussion of the affairs which either the Triple Alliance or the Eritrean Colony, or to are common to Hungary and Croatia-Slavonia. The forsake his colleague Sonnino, caused a breach between him Croatian Minister, without portfolio, is a member of the and the Radical leader Cavallotti. Cavallotti then began Hungarian Government, who countersigns every act of against him a pitiless campaign of defamation. An unsuc- importance of the provincial Government of Croatiacessful attempt upon Crispi’s life by the anarchist Lega Slavonia. In the eastern part of the land, especially on brought a momentary truce, but Cavallotti’s attacks were the plain extending between the Danube, Drava, and soon renewed more fiercely than ever. They produced so Szava, agriculture is largely carried on. The chief prolittle effect that the general election of 1895 gave Crispi a ducts of 1900 were 3'0 millions metric centners of wheat, huge majority, but, a year later, the defeat of the Italian 3‘6 mill. metr. cent, of potatoes, and 4'7 mill. metr. cent, of army at Adowa in Abyssinia brought about his resigna- maize. The mountainous portion of the country is wooded, tion. The ensuing Rudini Cabinet lent itself to Caval- and on the plains are extensive forests. Above one-third lotti’s campaign, and at the end of 1897 the judicial (1,511,779 hectares = 35‘74 per cent.) of the cultivable authorities applied to the Chamber for permission to territory is covered by forests, whereof the public treasury prosecute Crispi for embezzlement. A parliamentary Com- possesses 300’280 hectares, of a value of 58’9 million crowns. mission, appointed to inquire into the charges against him, Of the grain produced, wheat, potatoes, and maize are
