Unfortunately on the very outset of its career the composition of the brand new cabinet proved disappointing; for whereas such males as Count Guicciardini, the minister for overseas affairs, and Signor Luzzatti on the treasury commanded common approval, the selection of Signor Sacchi as minister of justice and of Signor Pantano as minister of agriculture and trade, each of them superior and militant Radicals, savoured of an unholy compact between the premier and his erstwhile bitter enemies, which boded in poor health for the success of the administration. For this unfortunate mixture Signor Sonnino himself was not altogether to blame; having misplaced many of his most faithful followers, who, weary of waiting for office, had gone over to the enemy, he had been pressured to hunt support among males who had professed hostility to the prevailing order of things and thus to secure not less than the neutrality of the Extreme Left and make the general public realize that the “reddest” of Socialists, Radicals and Republicans may be tamed and rendered harmless by the supply of cabinet appointments.
In September of that yr various religious institutions in the Near East, previously beneath the protectorate of the French government, in view of the rupture between Church and State in France, formally requested to be placed beneath Italian protection, which was granted in January 1907. The situation thus became the very reverse of what it had been in Crispi’s time, when the French authorities, even when anti-clerical, protected the Catholic Church abroad for political functions, whereas the battle between Church and State in Italy prolonged to international international locations, to the detriment of Italian political interests. One of the causes of in poor health-feeling was the university query; the Austrian authorities had persistently refused to create an Italian university for its Italian topics, fearing lest it should develop into a hotbed of “irredentism,” the Italian-speaking students being thus obliged to attend the German-Austrian universities. The Franco-Italian understanding had the impact of elevating Italy’s credit score, and the Italian rente, which had been shut out of the French bourses, resumed its place there as soon as extra, a truth which contributed to increase its value and to cut back the unfavourable price of change. In November Signor Gianturco died, and Signor Pietro Bertolini took his place as minister of public works; the latter proved maybe the ablest member of the cabinet, but the acceptance of office underneath Giolitti of a man who had been one of the most trusted and priceless lieutenants of Signor Sonnino marked an extra step within the dégringolade of that statesman’s occasion, and was attributed to the truth that Signor Bertolini resented not having had a spot in the late Sonnino ministry.
The brand new government 1905-1906. was colourless in the extreme, and the premier’s programme aroused no enthusiasm in the House, an important invoice presented being that for the purchase of the railways, which was voted in June 1905. However the ministry by no means had any real hold over the country or parliament, and the dissatisfaction brought on by the modus vivendi with Spain, which might have wrought a lot harm to the Italian wine-growers, led to demonstrations and riots, and a hostile vote in the Chamber produced a cabinet disaster (December 17, 1905); Signor Fortis, nonetheless, reconstructed the ministry, inducing the marquis di San Giuliano to just accept the portfolio of foreign affairs. The new ministry started auspiciously with the conversion of the public debt from 4% to 33/4%, to be finally decreased to 31/2%. This operation had been prepared by Signor Luzzatti under Signor Sonnino’s leadership, and although carried out by Signor Maiorano it was Luzzatti who deservedly reaped the honour and glory; the invoice was introduced, discussed and voted by both Houses on the twenty ninth of June, and by the 7th of July the conversion was accomplished most successfully, exhibiting on how sound a foundation Italian finance was now placed.
An try at compromise resulted in the establishment of an Italian regulation faculty at Innsbruck, however this aroused the violent hostility of the German students and populace, who gave proof of their superior civilization by an unprovoked assault on the Italians in October 1902. Further acts of violence have been committed by the Germans in 1903, which led to anti-Austrian demonstrations in Italy. Austria had persistently adopted a coverage of pin-pricks and aggravating police provocation towards the Italians of the Adriatic Littoral and of the Trentino, while encouraging the Slavonic aspect in the previous and the Germans in the latter. The worst tumults occurred in November 1904, when Italian college students and professors had been attacked at Innsbruck without provocation; being outnumbered by a hundred to at least one the Italians had been forced to use their revolvers in self-defence, and several other persons have been wounded on each sides. Austria’s petty persecutions of her Italian topics in the irredente provinces, her active propaganda incompatible with Italian interests within the Balkans, and the anti-Italian conflict talk of Austrian military circles, imperilled the relations of the two “allies”; it was remarked, certainly, that the article of the alliance between Austria and Italy was to stop battle between them.