SARDINIAN STATES, the dominions of the House of Savoy, constitute a monarchy, the head of which derives his title of king from the island of Sardinia. These states consist of—I, the duchy of SAVOY; 2, the principality of PrEnsioirr ; 3, the duchy of GENOA; 4, the county of Naze; 5, the island of SARDEONA. The continental territories have an area of 19,775 square miles. The population in 1848 amounted to 4,368,972. The total area of the kingdom, including the island of Sardinia, is 29,075 square miles (about one-seventh of the area of France), and the total population in 1848 amounted to 4,916,084 (less than one-seventh of the population of France at the census of 1851). The continental territories are divided into 11 administrative divisions and 39 provinces ; the area and population of which are given in the following table :— An account of these divisions and their chief towns is given uuder their respective heads.
Each province is administered by a governor called Inteudente, appointed by the king. The province is an aggregate of communes; each commune has a sindaco, or mayor, who is subordinate to the inteudente. For judicial purposes each province has a court, called Tribunale di Prefettura, which sits in the chief town. The provinces are divided into districts called Maudamenti, in each of which there ie a justice of the peace, who has a secretary. There are in all 412 of these mandameuti. There are four supreme courts, which are also courts of appeal. The supreme court of Turin has jurisdiction over all the provinces on the Italian side of the Alps and uurth of the Liturian Apennines. The jurisdiction of the High Court of Genoa eitends to all the provinces of the duchy of Genoa, with the exception of San Remo. The High Court of Nizza has jurisdiction over the provinces of Nizza, Oneglin, and San Remo. The High Court of Savoy, which site at Cheri:lb4ry, decides all suits within the limits of the duchy of Savoy. Each court has two chambers, one for civil and the other fur criminal matters. The judges are irremovable. There is an Admiralty Court which sits at Genoa; and tribunals of com merce are established in all the leading towns. The tribunals of com
merce of Nice, Genoa, Chisvari, Serena, Novi, and San Remo, Turin, ChambEry, and Nice are called Consolati. The towns and other com munes have a communal council composed of notables of the place, at the head of which is the syndic. The council superintends the local and economical administration of the commune, but its acts are subject to the sanction of the Intendente of the province.
The government uutil lately was an absolute monarchy. The late king, Carlo Alberto, published a constitution for his subjects, dated February 8, 1843, which has been since faithfully acted upon. It declares the Catholic religion to be the dominant religion, but gives perfect freedom of conscienco to dissenters. The executive is vested in the king, who Sete by responsible ministers; the command of the army, the right to make peace or war, to make appointments to office, to sanction laws, also rest in the king. The legislative power la exer cised by the kiog and two chambers—a Senate and Chamber of Deputies—which roust be convoked every year by the king ; or if diasolved, the king must convoke a new chamber within four months. All financial laws must first be introduced into the second chamber. The freedom of the press and of the person is guaranteed. The judges are irremovable.
The army is recruited yearly by means of a conscription. Every conscript, unless he provides a substitute, is bound to serve eight years in the regular army, after which he is enrolled for eight years more In the provincial battalion of his respective district In time of war the provincial battalion. are called into active service, and the army becomes thereby increased to about 150,000 men. The regular army in 1854 numbered 47,521 men and 7602 horses. The corps of combiners'', in number about 4000 (of whom 885 are in the island of Sardinia, which is free from the conscription), are charged with the police of the °pantry, being scattered in detachment. over the various provinces. In 1855 the army was increased In consequence of the king sending 15,000 man to aid the French and English against Ronda in the Crimea.