MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 51, 23 November 1907, Page 5

MISUSE OF PUBLIC FUNDS.

■'■-..SOS ITALIAN SENSATION' '' • NASI'S ADVOCATES THROW UP THEIR BRIEF. BY TELEGRAPH—rRESS ASSOCIATION-COriRIOHT. Rome, November 21. Signor Nasi, who was Minister for Public Instruction in Italy in 1903, was recontly tried on a chargo of. malversation of public funds. He then admitted having charged to his "travelling'"expenses" account a considerable portion of the sum which was voted from time to timo under the heading' of "secret expenditure for political purposes." His advocates tried to secure an examination 'of the Budgets of all Ministries, with a view to rebutting the charge that Nasi had exaggerated' the amount of' his personal expenditure. After a stormy scene, the advocates relinquished their brief as a protest against what thoy described as the unjudicial attitude of the Senate.

Writing on July 27, the Romo correspondent of the "Tablet" remarks:—"The arrest of Nunzio Nasi, ox-Minister of Public Instruction in

Italy, is the sensation of the hour. There is a growing feeling that the" arrest was unconstitutional, and,it has certainly caused such an outburst of public.feeling all over Sicily that tho Sena to very probably wishes it'had never been led to make it. Trapani, Nasi's electoral college; which has elected Nasi time and time again by a practically unanimous vote, has been kept quiot by measures of an, extraordinary nature The town has been literally deluged with police and soldiery, and' a number of war vessels are anchored just outside the harbour, ready at a moment's notice to disembark large forces of marines. Scenes of rioting and disorder continue to disturb the life of Palermo and more than once the cry of 'Viva la Repubblica' has been heard in tho streets. As a result of all this, the Sennto is to meet on Tuesday to decide whether tho arrest is to bo maintained or not."