The Express.
London, England, 1855-02-17 00:00:00

ITALY.

(111011 Tan CipABIP0111)1XT OP TEN /Alla wawa.)
ROME, FEB. 10.
The national debt of the Roman States amounts
in round numbers to 73,000,000 seudi (15,000,0001.),
almost entirely contracted since the reign of Pius
VII., periodical loans having been a favourite re-
source of the late Pope's administration, as they
have become a chronic disease with that of the pre-
sent pontiff. As this annual and growing necessity
for pecuniary. supplies, beyond what are afforded
by the state income, must have a limit somewhere,
the holders of government securities oast an occa-
sional and calculating glance towards the church
property, which they consider as a sort of moral gua-
rantee for the payment of such perpetually recurring
loans—am, if the ecclesiastical government intends to
continue in power, it must maintain its monetary
engagements, which will be arithmetically impos-
sible for it to do at its present rate of expenditure,
without selling or mortgaging a portion of the
church lands ere very long. The value
of this property, according to the census
taken some years ago, at a very low
estimation, would be 80,000,000 Bondi, about
sufficient to cover the national debt, and forming a
resource which certainly few other indebted Euro-
pean states can boast of ; but the real value cannot
be less than double that snip, so that capitalists ap-
parently consider themselvel safe in advancing a few
more millions to support the decorum of St. Peter's
chair ; and the never-failing Rothschild is again in
treaty for 3,000,000 scudi, to be supplied forthwith.
It is rumoured that Rothschild and Torlonia are
going to establish a discount bank, which will be a
mortal blow to the privileged bank of the state,
already sufficiently ruined by Count Philip Auto-
.
:idles disastrous administration. A strong effort is
, about to be made by the shareholders of the latter
establishment, at the general meeting in March, to
oust the obnoxious governor Antonelli, who at pre-
sent clings to his seat as tenaciously as the Old Man
, of the Sea did to Sindbacl's shoulders. It will then be
decided whether the bank resumes its operations, or
liquidates and disaolves.
Some scandal has been produced in the commer-
: dal world by the protestation of a bill for 70,000
seudi, signed by the Minister of Finance ; but ember-
regiment' which would ruin all the bankers in Lom-
bard4treet are looked on with sovereign indifference
by this insouciant government..
1 Volunteers for the British foreign levies continue to
present themselves at the British consulate, and
frequently come from places at some distance, on the
erroneous supposition that they will be immediately
enlisted. Great is their disappointment on disco-
' Tering that the consul has no instructions to
that effect. The French have hitherto profited by
the military aspirations of such as have been willing
to serve in their foreign legion, and letters
have been received from some Romans in
' that corps who have taken part in the ac-
tioos in the Crimea; but, owing to a lingering re-
membrance of the French invasion in 1849, the dis-
banded soldiers, who then crossed bayonets with
Oudinot's troops, have still too much antipathy to'
the banners of France to wish to serve under them,
and would infinitely prefer those of England. Six
more French hospital surgeons are on the point of
leaving Home, their services being more required
now in the Easti than by the diminished garrison
here. _ _

The Swiss colonel of Artillery, Ellger, has been
appointed, with the rank of brigadier-general, to the
command of the second military diviston of the Ito•
man army, with head-quarters at Ancona.
The Carnival has commenced this afternoon with
the naval senatorial procession down the Corso. It