BERNARDO TANUCCI.

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priests and officiating monks was limited by law to five forevery thousand adult inhabitants. No family already hav-ing one priest amongst its members was allowed to bring upanother to the trade, and no priest could be ordained with-out proving that he already possessed the means of subsist-ence. No Papal bull, relating to things ecclesiastical in thekingdom of Naples, had any legality until confirmed by theroyal assent. No bishop or priest could apply to the Popein any case without the royal permission. Matrimony wasdeclared to be, in the eye of the law, a civil contract, andall disputed cases concerning it to be in the competency ofthe civil tribunals alone. Bishops were disqualified fromany interference in the public colleges and schools.* Thenefarious and abhorred tribunal of the Inquisition had neverbeen established at Naples ; but still further to tranquillisethe people on that head it was declared treasonable to pro-mote its introduction ; four officers chosen by the peopleand called “ Eletti, ” were established to watch and guardagainst its positive or virtual introduction. True it is, thatTanucci had the rare fortune to be seconded in his good| works by a number of illustrious men, many of whom occu-; pied posts in the administration, the judicature, or the bar.Palmieri, Caracciolo, di Gennaro, Galliani, Filangeri,Pagano, Galanti, Conforti, See., were of this number. Thisdigression has already reached to an inconvenient length ;

; but I have conveyed only a very faint idea of the extent and■, importance of Tanucci’s ameliorations.

I must now add to the list of benefits, the expulsion of thejesuits, and their convent converted into a college. Public

* Mark all these things, ye British Reformers of the church andstate. For your edification I have made this long digression, and thatyou may learn that the Italians are far from being like the bigottedsuperstitious men who, in England, prate so much about “ church andstate,” and sacred institutions, vested rights, &c., &c., &c.