of a province or _circondaro_; otherwise he was
appointed from among the members of the council by the king. In the
great majority of communes the procedure was of the second type. Since
1896 the syndic has been chosen regularly in all communes by the
council, for a term of three years, together with a secretary, elected
in the first instance for two, but afterwards for periods of not less
than six, years. Despite the fact that the syndic is now elected
universally by the communal council, his position is not that
exclusively of executive head of the local community. Like the
prefect, he is a government official, who, save under very exceptional
circumstances, may be removed only with the prefect's permission. He
may not be called to account except by his superiors, or sued save (p. 386)
with the permission of the crown.[563]

[Footnote 563: For a brief account of local
government in Italy see King and Okey, Italy
To-day, Chap. 14. More extended treatment will be
found in E. del Guerra, L'Amministrazione pubblica
in Italia (Florence, 1893) and G. Greco, Il nuova
diritto amministrativo Italiano (Naples, 1896).]

CHAPTER XXI (p. 387)

STATE AND CHURCH--POLITICAL PARTIES

I. QUIRINAL AND VATICAN

Italy differs from other nations of importance in containing what is
essentially a state within a state. The capital of the kingdom is
likewise the capital of the Catholic world--the administrative seat of
a government which is not only absolutely independent of the
government of the Italian nation but is in no small degree
antagonistic to it. It need hardly be remarked that the consequences
of this anomalous situation affect profoundly the practical operations
of government, and especially the crystallization and programmes of
political parties, in the peninsula.

*426. Termination of the Temporal Power.*--One goal toward which the
founders of the kingdom directed their efforts was the realization of
the ideal of Cavour, "a free church in a free state." A thoroughgoing
application of this principle proved impracticable, but such progress
has been made toward it as to constitute, for Italy, a veritable
revolution. On the 20th of September, 1870, the armed forces of King
Victor Emmanuel crossed the bounds of the petty papal dominion about
Rome, entere