The Express.
London, England, 1852-10-13 00:00:00

STATE OF TUSCANY.

FLORENCE, Orr. 3, 1862.
The case of the Medias has, I see, begun to ex-
cite some attention in England. If any case can
have strong claims upon the sympathy of every
friend of civil and religious liberty, it is surely this.
The world here is turned upside down. An honest,
industrious couple, belonging to that staple of society
upon which the very existence of civilised communi-
ties depends, is lodged in prison, and the cruel and
malignant, who ought themselves to be incarcerated
as a measure of public safety, keep the dungeon keys.
Medial had been a travelling courier his wife a lady's
maid many years in the service of English fiemiles. In
the summer of 1851 they had set up, with a little
capital saved out of their wages, a boarding-house in
the Piazza Santa Maria Novella. There, from their
English connexions, being suspected of a protestant
bias, they were suddenly arrested on the charge of
heresy, and their little establishment broken up. A
bible was bound under a sofa pillow, and for pre-
suming to have read it to others, after a mock trial,
they have been condemned.
All Florence is now talking of the efforts recently
made by the Prussian minister, M. de Reumont, to
obtain their release. The Bing of Prussia wrote to
the Grand Duke, requesting the liberation of the
Madiais, as a favour to himself. M. de Reumont
waited on the Grand Duke, on his return from the
baths of Lucca, to present the letter, and added his
own personal solicitations to effect the object. The
Grand Duke felt, or affected to feel, great indignation
at the Prussian monarch's interference, and insisted
with great warmth on his right to do what he liked
with his own. M. de Reumont, in reply, is said to
have stated that it was his bounden duty, as minister
of a friendly power, anxious for the stability of the
government of the Grand Duke, to warn him against
the suicidal tendencies of the intolerant policy he
had lately adopted. The Grand Duke remainedsilent
for some time, and then changed the conversation
to—what think you P—the wonder-working powers
of the image of the Santissima Annuoziata ; upon
which M. de Iteumont, finding he could obtain no
further answer, took up his hat, and with a profound
bow left the palace. A few days later the 410e-
:twine Zeitutei brought us an article with his well-
known signature " lit.," in which the miraculous
fresco is subjected to the ordeal of a scorching criti-
cism—a criticism which the author could write with
the better grace, as he is himself a Roman catholic
known to be attached to the creed of his fathers.
You may judge from this what chances of success
await the deputation owning hither in the hope of
awakening in the mind of the Grand Duke some re-
spect for the rights of oonscienoe. 'the Grand Duke
has surrendered himself body and soul to the Jesuits,
and is now little more than a police agent to the
papal court. In fact, but a short time ago he asto-
nished his cabinet bypraposing to become the first
shirr° of his own dominions, and take the entire direc-
tion of the police into his own hands. This pro-
ject was only defeated by the Austrian minister,
wham it did not suit to part with his share of that
de=rt.
apkion of Tuscan affairs in England has
been annewhat misled by the fact of the dismissal of
the Marquis Booella. It is a mistake to suppose
that it has in the least strengthened the position of
M. Baldasseronl and the responsible ministers. The
spirit of clerical reaction remains unabated, and its
influence is the same. Cesare Bocella, as a turn-coat
in polities and a renegade in religion, was better
fitted than the common run of courtiers to act as an
iastrument of the Papal court; but he was a tool
only, and not the most important of the tools, em-
ployed. The real chief, here, of the clerical party is
Pedralli, one of the canons of the cathedral,
whose intimate friend is M. Venturi, one of
the private secretaries of the grand duke. Pe-
dralli and Venturi have obtained an almost
absolute control over the weak mind of
the nominal ruler of Tuscany, and direct nearly the
whole course of the public administration. You may
imagine, with how little friendly feeling these men
and their colleagues regard the new representative
of England at this court—Sir Henry Bulwer, whose
energetic warnings and remonstrances to the Grand
Duke have beta unceasing. It almost reminded me
of the glee of truant school-boys in the absence of
their master to see their delight when Sir Henry
Balwer left Florence the other day on a mission to
Rome. Since hie departure they have redoubled
I their efforts against the protestant schools.
, The Guerrazat trial drags its slow length along,
lis felt to be an egregious blunder. Had the
prosecution been confined to acts committed after
the flight of the Grand Duke, and the formation by
Ouerrazzi of a provisional government, a plausible
ease might have been got up, but the charge against
Osterman is, that he conspired to overthrow the
constitution, and nos. sophietry can blind the world
to the fact, that this very charse is the one to which
the Grand Duke himself is the most amenable.
Every vestige of the constitution which Leopold 11.
swore on the crucifix to maintain, has, since his
return at the head of an Austrian force, been for-
' mally abolished.
In like violation of solemn engagement, the Aus-
trian government continues to pour fresh troops into
I Tuscany ; and it is now reported that it has obtained
! from the Grand Duke the accession of Tuscany to
' the Austrian Customs League. If so, farewell to
our trade with Leghorn.
Sir Henry Bulwer on his return will have his
hands full. Nothing, however, has been wanting
on the part of his able substitute, Mr. Henry Drum-
mond Wolff, left provisionally in charge of the Le-
.
glom ; who has, in all oases, when appealed to for
• protection, vindicated the rights of his countrymen
with spirit and discretion.

In the sitting of the Royal Court on the 2nd, at
Florence, President Nervini called upon Guerrazzi
to make lay observations he might think necessary
on the motion the Public Prosecutor had made the
day before, viz., that the letters recently published
by Pigli (governor of Leghorn under the rovhdonal

Government) be admitted as documentary evidence
in the case. Goenazzi replied, that it was only upon
the original letters that he could make the requisite
observations, Pigli's book being full of erroneous
statements. The oonnsel for the defence opposed the
motion, and said that letters, which could never be
asoepted as legal proofs, ought not even to be read
in court. On this point the court reserved its deci-
sion, and proceeded with the examination of Guer-
razzi. '1 he expedition of La Cecilia to Santo Stefano
being brought forward, Guerrazzi contended that the
former had acted without any commission or autho-
rity, or that at most he might have been authorised
by the Governor of Leghorn, whom Guerrazzi always
disavows. As to the proclamation of the republic
on the 18th of February, 1848, Guerrazzi repeated
that he had refused to sanction that act, unless two
thousand armed men came forward to support it ; but
that, nevertheless, he could not prevent a circular
being despatched to the prefects, stating that in
consequence of General de Laugier having attempted
a eounter-revolution and restoration at Massa,
which had failed, the people of Florence had assem-
bled on the Piazza del Gran Dues, proclaimed Do
Laugier a traitor, and loudly called for a decree
ordering a levee en name: that every man capable
of bearing arms was accordingly summoned to join
in the defence of the country, and that the greatest
publicity should bo given to these acts. This eirea-
lar bears the signatures of Guerrazzi and Montanelli ;
and in some copies of it there is an additional sen-
tence, in Guerrami's handwriting, which is as fol-
lows :—" The government continues to be but pro-
visional, notwithstanding the popular declaration."
The President having asked a question respecting
a telegraphic despatch contained in Pigli's book, the
public prosecutor produced what was stated to be the
original in court. Upon this, Advocate Corsi rose
in the name of all his colleagues for tho defeuce,
and remarked that it was highly unfair to produce
now documents in court without proper notice, and
moved that henceforth such documents be deposited
in the Chancellor's office, to be duly examined by
the defence. The court then adjourned to the sth.

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF TILE PACIFIC.
(sr ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
(PEON 01:14 OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LIVERPOOL, WZDNESDAY MORNING.
The American mail .team-ship Pacific has just ar-
rived here direct from New York. She brings ad-
vice. to the 3rd inst. • 106 passengers, and 420,000
dollars in specie on inst.
Just before the departure of the Pacific, a tele-
graphic communication had reached New York from
New Orleans, stating that advicea from California to
Sept. 1, with two millions of dollars, were on the
way to New York. We do not learn, however, that
there was any political news of importance.
From Havannah later dates had arrived at New
York, which reported the arrest and conviction
of several persons connected with the paper called the
Voice of' the People, five of whom were to be executed,
and the remainder to be sent to Centa for eight years.
It was reported that the French Government had
intimated to the Cuban government, that in case an
invasion of Cuba was attempted by the American
people, they might calculate upon the aid of France
to repel the invaders.