The Express.
London, England, 1862-03-24 00:00:00

ST. Jas.

Tuts Eviatlllo. Wei —IrittENDS OR VOWS.
MOWS. a. Vining, Dowse, CtisrMet Stephens , &assure. Ilat,bews.
Mesdames Herbert awl Nattliews.—And THE PRACTICAL
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ISITANNIA.

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Mrs. 4. Lew real In. Oesatotd.—lad ROBINSON Cltl.Boll.
—Commosoos Si.

111011 WATIII AT LONDON BALLOON.
TNN DAY—Yanlm Bh. Memos, NA 55m.
TO-11411110W —Marais, 95. Afternoon, I.

LONDON, MONDAY, MARCH 24.

Tue story of the latter days of the Temporal
Power is fertile in episodical scandals and surprises.
The latest is the publication at Turin, through the
instrumentality, it is said, of two distinguished
ecclesiastics, and with the assent, if not at the
ang&stion, of Baron II ii•Asou, of a aeries of most
private and confidential despatches, from which it
appears that "all or nothing" was not always, or
even so recently as a twelvemonth since, the last
word of the responsible advisers of the Court of Rome
to all proposals for a compromise with the Kingdom
of Italy. In January and February, 1861, Count
CAVuti, and Cardinal Awroneku were busily,

though not directly, engaged in coming to tonne
upon that Roman question which still so unser
eountably perplexes the counsels and the con-
science of the Emperor NAPOLEON. Strange,
but true I for it is impossible, except indeed
an the principle that tent nutvrais cas est
niob'e, for the Court of Rome to cast a
doubt upon the perfect genuineness and authen-
ticity of the confidential transactions now
suddenly, and, as some may think, unseasonably
brought to light. It may be observed, however,
that secret negotiations between open adversaries
are nothing more than diplomacy in the cater-
pillar stage. They belong to history, though
seldom to contemporary history. At what moment

to divulge thew is a question of expediency, of
prudence, of propriety, of opportunity. It is
characteristic of an epoch of universal and instan-
taneous publicity, when over and under the streets
of populous cities, across continents and below
seas, men's thoughts are interpreted and men's
works chronicled in lightning—that political
secrets, which half a century ago might have re-
sembled the first sap of a protracted siege, are
now more like mined passages sprung under the
very walls.
The publication of these
_papers is hardly calcu-
lated to prose toe straightforwardness and since-
rity of the Emperor of the Firemen in his double
personation of disinterested benefactor to Italy
and devoted protector of the Pure. No man,
whether in public or in private affairs, can be ineen-
....—

sable to the advantage of being believed. Will these
_ .

secret papers confirm the credibility of tho French
Government or enlighten the credulity of Europe ?
That is a question which we would rather leave to
the documents themselves to answer. But
it should be noted that only the week
before last M. Ilittartr, the Minister without
Portfolio, was bestowing his somewhat gaudy
rhetoric upon the patient magnanimity with which
the ENITAILOR had waited althea, many years, and
was waiting still, for the Court of Rome to consent
to a compromise. M. be OKAAIONT had advised,
and requested, and warned in vain; M. Ds La-
% %T.crrz had suffered a moral repulse. The Court
of Rome remained inexorable, and, on the other
hand, the pretensions of the people of Italy were
exorbitant. The French Government dill waited
—on Providence. We can recommend as • trial
of skill the task of reconciling M. Biu.at•LT'a ele-
gaiit phrases with the fact that in February,
I $o; I, Count CAv"ut'it and Cardinal ANTI,NELLL had
actually agreed to the terms of a Convention for
the final and complete settlement of the Roman
question ; and that it was the intervention of
French Oovernment at the last moment that
cut abort the negotiations and nipped the Conven-
tion in the bud. To put the case in the fewest
words, but for the French Government the Roman
question was solved a year ago. Let the French
Government dispute or disprove this fact if it can;
the Monitrotr, no doubt, will be content to deny it.
It was in January, 1861, that Count Cavout
requested an intimate personal friend and country
neighbour, who happened to be going to Rome on
private affairs, to feel his ground in that city, and to
ascertain the possibility of treating confidentially
with Cardinal ANTONALLI. Accordingly, upon his
arrival in Rome, M. BoziNo set about his delicate
and difficult task with a zeal that never outran
discretion. He put himself in communication with
M. ACIVOLIA, formerly secretary to Father VEN-
irr..a, and an intimate personal friend though not
a political associate of Cardinal Aarosr.o.f. Thu
Abbil lama, at that time secretary to Cardinal
o' A:: DILEA, was it seems a party to these traneactiona
M. Rosin° soon perceived thatthe CANDINALSECILW
var.r was entirely free from illusions as to the pro-
bable duration of the Temporal Power, and was
perfectly ready and willing to treat, provided only
he could count on the strictest and most scrupu-
lous secrecy. On receipt of advice' to this effect
Count CATOCIt sent by private hand to M. BOZIYO
a draft of the negotiations he proposed to pursue,
and ultimately to fix in a Convention. According
to the terms of this instrument the Pore should
recognise and crown the King of IT...LT.
His HOLINDA should retain the high suzerainty
over the patrimony of St. Peter ; which should
be governed by the King of ITALY and his succes-
sors as a perpetual Vicariate. The Cardinals should
receive an annual indemnity of sixty thousand
francs each, with seats officio in the Senate of
Italy. An ample civil list should be guaranteed
to the Sovereign Pontiff, secured on the patrimony
of St. Peter. The Convention should be em-
bodied in • contract approved by a special
law, and its perpetual execution guaranteed by
the most solemn engagements. These terms were
accepted without reluctance or hesitation by the
C.ittnimu. Sai.arraav, on the sole condition that
the Italian Government should be able to satisfy
the Court of Rome as to the permanent security foe
the payment of the civil list to the Purr, and the
annual pension' to the Cardinals. To this Count