The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-06 00:00:00

AFFAIRS AT NAPLB&

vi TItS DMIT Me.)
NAPLES, JAI:. 24.
To say that I write in order to keep aweeurasst
with what is going en in Naples a @beset ridi-
culous when all that ill ping on may be suesiord up
in a few words descriptive of religiose/Wu sad 131 w
cessions. In fact, the great spiritual triad the day
is being turned to atamat in every MOD way—to
sanctify royalty, to (warm the of the
priesthood, sad to divert sail dam leffiumes.e
des poplar
mead. The " Macelata." as war sapient Males
call the dogma and the fife of the Immaenthea•
ception, hes turned all heads in Italy, and bids
Naples, under the auspices of our "ass
as the journal now delights to cell the 110faiAp.1
teething else seems to be thoeght oL I bails AM*
mat you a brief deer riptioa of the mama in which
the amides of the FealMf was received is this capital,
e/ the prommises, aid the illoideatioas, of the torch'
=and weeping. sad pedestriu feats of hiejselp
the imaged the Madonna in the streets. AS
this was bat the beginning of the beghaing : the Hart
impales of that religious spirit w was to vile
=tthe entire kingdom. Since then En
am been the scene of continued dues-I
shillois In houour of the Mscolata, and days
at apart in every bishopric for the celebra-
tion of the honours due on so great an occasion.
Next —Sunday great fetes are advertised froM
the pulpit to take place throughout the bishopric
of Sorrento. I should sot have alluded to this ex-
Ctof religious feeling bat for the prominent
r it assumes, the all-absorbing influence it
exereime, and but for its evident object and tendency,
which, I repeat, is to deify royalty, to exalt the
tense h, and to debase
i the people. Acting, however,
se sash principles, there s much worldly wisdom in
=religions displays, wherein the -Majesty of
is associated with the Majesty of Heaven.
Thu, on the occasion of a recent illumination, the
of the King and Queen were intermingled
with of the Virgin ; and the people am repre-
sented by the Giornak dells Due Sicilia as express-
leg with " wonderful unanimity the double sentiment
of devotion towards the Great Mother of God and
love to their august master." The same journal
informs us that" the most pious majesty of our lord the
King" has placed the entire army under the especial
protection of the Virgin* Immaoolata.
How far may this fact effect the character of the
arm y ! What influence may it exercise on the poll-
dal destinies of Europe! One fears to ester on such
speculations, but at present the soldiers look so very
nice and clean, and stand sentinel so magnanimously
by the side of a saint, that it is to be hoped they
will confine their military feats to religious proces-
sions and still continue in the same heavenly road.
In the midst, however, of this spiritual intoxication
the Neapolitans have been unable to restrain their
wit, and already have they christened the recent
grand procession, that of the pemiques' on account
of the number of wigs in demand on that day. Even
the shops and the store-rooms of the theatres, say the
wags, were emptied on that day.
The birthday of the heir apparent, on the 16th,
went off very well: be is a great favourite hers.
The neeption was at Courts, where the Queen
will NM= until after her confinement. In-
deed, whether for her or by her, it has been de-
clared that after 1848 she never was to give birth to
another child in Naples. The Panels of Syracuse
made his appearance at the levee, from which we
may infer that he is much better. At the beginning
of the month the Countees of Trapani gave birth to
a daughter. Their Majesties acted as sponsors and
the infant was baptised by the names of Maria Teresa.
Perdioanda Immenolata Coneezione (a brief and en-
dearing name for a child) Sabazia Luciana Filomena.
Us weather for a fortnight or three weeks has bees
superb—warm suns and clear skies—followed, how-
ever, later by intense cold for this climate, though in
the coldest situation within doors I have not observed
the thermometer lower than 41 degrees. Snow
apps led on the top of Vesuvius and on the
range of distant mountains behind Naples. A
few hours suffice to melt it entirely. Vesuvius
has not yet vomited forth his threatened
fire, much to the disappointment of visitors, and, I
may say, of natives, too—as the ashes form a fins
manure and promise a good harvest. I find, how-
ever, that there ought to have been an eruption, as
letters of condolence have arrived from Nies, the
scene of the recent shock of an earthquake, on the
supposition that Naples and Rome, St. Peter's and
King Bombes pekoe, are all nearly destroyed.
Travellers are rare this winter, and altogether it is
a very badmen. Milberg was to give a 00000 rt for
the orphans of the cholera. I am sorry to fay that
the exchange on London has again fallen, from 640 to
634. The Five per Cents. are at 1041.

C7llOlll Irla

AUSTRIA.

(mot Tau

or THU DAILY PRIM.)

VIINNS. JAN. St.•
The very brilliant soirée last night at the residence
of Count Boot was attended, to the great astonish-
ment of the company, by Prince Gortchakoff, Prince
Demidoit General Count Btakelberg, and all the
attachés of the Bassists embassy.
Baron von Brack's arrival from Constantinople is
expected to-morrow; and his successor as Internun-
do, Baron von Koller, late Austrian envoy at Kano-
re., and whose sudden recall has caused so much
veoulation, will start for his new post the same day.
Baron Bruck will instal himself immediately as
Finance Minister.

-I;lWestmarslaad and Baron de Bourqueney
have both received instructions from their respective
courts not to hold any official communication with
Prince fiortchakoff till the ministerial crisis in
London is over and the new cabinet formed.
It is not true, as stated in several papers, that the
works for blasting the rocks in the bed of the Danube,
at the narrow part known as the Iron Gate, have
already commenced. A commission of engineer officers
has been down to examine the spot and make tangible
meanie for deepening the channeL They have
just completed their work, and presented their report
to the government. They recommend the channel
to be made on the side nearest the right bank. It
will be 1,200 yards long, 40 feet wide, and 6 feet
deep. This will give plenty of additional depth for
the steamers and other loaded vessels. The number
of workmen to be employed on this gigantic under-
taking is 2,000, and the work will extend over a
period of six years, at a cost of two millions of florins.
Th. Prince *Morelli sent an officer to Old Orsova to
assure the commission of his readiness to grant the
Austrians every facility on his part in the execution
of this important improvement of the navigation of
the Danube. As soon as the plan receives the impe-
rial sanction preparations will be made for the com-
mencement of the undertaking as early in the spring,
is the weather will permit.