The Express.
London, England, 1864-09-28 00:00:00

ITALY AND THE NEW CONVENTION.

Our latest advioee from Turin contain the intern- I
gonna that no fresh disturbances have Occurred .
in that city. The change of ministry seems to have
completely tranquillised public feeling, though it
may not have rendered the 'Purina* more favour-
able than before to the proposed transfer of the
capital to Florence. On this point a statement
made by the Turin correspondent of the Paris Sietk
merits attention. He says It has been the
fashion during the last few days to blame
the Turinese. Permit me to say that
those who treat this excellent population with so
much levity have not witnessed, as I have, all the
incidents of the moving drama which has just been
acted here. Despite the despatch addressed to you
and the other Paeis journals, it is not true that
these demonstrations took place amid cries of
' Turin for the capital.' There was no other cry (and
upon this the papers of all shades are unanimous)
than that of Turin or Rome.' The entire city
made common cause with its municipality, its de-
partmental council, and its council-general, all of
which have deliberated upon the means of legally
maintaining the Italian pact which must be defini-
tively cemented at Rome. In Turin there weir
but one party—one alone, united, compact,
indivisible—that which has inscribed upon
its banner Rome or Turin.' Perhaps the
ruin of a flourishing city and of so many
citizens caused too much excitement ; perhaps com-
promised and displaced interests cried out a little
too quickly. But whose fault is that 1 The go-
vernment journals announced by order that Florence
as the capital was a sad sacrifice imposed by France.
They added that the transfer of the capital would
take place aboutthe end of next December. This was
enough, I think, to excite a population as calm and
serioub as that of Turin."

In connexion with this subject it may be noted
that several Italian journals propose that all the
municipalities of the kingdom should vote an ad-
dress to the city of Turin, declaring, " that it has
deserved well of the Italian nation, and that it has
a right to universal gratitude for the great and last
sacrifice the sacred principle of Italian unity claims
from it." On the other hand the Milan Gazette says
that the King has apparently been induced to dismiss
his ministers owing to the pressure of the population
of Turin, and that if this is the case the city has
placed itself above all Italy, which ought, accord-
ingly, to "rise against this violence done to its
rights, its liberties, and its existence." "We can-
not believe," it adds, "that for the sake of calming
the momentary excitement of a city, the risk
would be run of seeing all Italy rise, and of com-
promising the destinies of the country." Accord-
ing to other journals, however, the change of
ministry•, while intended to appease pubic feeling
in Turin, will also facilitate the execution of the
convention, and afford satisfaction, it is believed, to
all Italy. The Piedmontese composition of the
new administration is thought likely, under the
circumstances, to give general gratification.
That the convention will be acted upon, and
speedily, seems to be taken for granted.
A private letter from Turin declares that
the Ministry of War will be transferred to the
new capital next mouth; that the elections will
take place the mouth after ; that King Victor Em-
manuel will take up his residence in Florence in
December, and that the parliament will meet in
January. It has also been pointed out that the par-
liament has really no authority to oppose the execu-
tion of the treaty, and the sth article of the con-
stitution is cited in support of this view. The
following are the terms of that article :
To the king belongs the executive power. He is the su-
preme chief of the state ; be commands all the land and
siva forces ; declares war, makes treaties of peace, of alli-
ance, of commerce, sod others, snaking then known to the
chambers es soon as the interests and the safety of the state
permit, sod acaompanying them with opportune communi-
cations. Treaties which entail a chug, upon the finance,'
or a change of state territory will have no effect until they
have obtained the assent of the chambers.

It is argued accordingly by the Stankpa, amongst
others, that as the convention between France and
Italy entails no charge upon the treasury and no
change of territory, it need merely be communi-
cated to parliament.