The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-04 00:00:00

ITALY.

The following is a report of a remarkable speech
made in the debate of June 27:
M. Ricciardi began by expressing his opinion, that the
six months asked for by the ministry before bringing on
the discussion of the budget was too long a period. A
great deal might happen in six months. There was, amongst
other things, • talk of an Italian expedition to Mexico.
The opposition had two main duties to fulfil : to take care
that the government did not break the bounds of the statute
and the laws, and to urge it on in the path of progress. But
there was a third duty suggested to him by the consider►-
tion that when men rose in the world they were apt to be
puffed up with exaggerated ideas of their own importance.
Ministers, by having their ears continually tickled with the
appellation of "Excellence," came at last to fancy them.
selves demigod'. It was, therefore, wholesome that men
who (like himself) had been their colleagues should now and
then remind them that they were liable to err like simple
mortals, and needed to be looked after and controlled. For
his own part, he should slwaysbe an opposition man until the
discovery was made of such • thing as a perfect ministry.
He was told that there was something auspicious in the
origin of the present ministry. He knew nothing about that,
and would pass on. He had also heard it asserted that the
ministry was not homogeneous, that it had been picked out
of a majority containing as many colours as the rainbow ;
but it was, nevertheless, possible that the ministry might
be agreed in material points affecting the common weal.
Another criticism was, that the ministry was not composed
in accordance with geographical exigencies—that it repre-
sented the subalpine homogeny, which should have dis-
appeared on Nov. 7, 1860. He, however, preferred the pre.
sent ministry to the lad, and thought it better than the
next was likely to be. Believing that a ministerial crisis
would be fraught with danger to the country, he
supported the present ministry as a orionmary
Ile would proceed to inquire what it had done. Its pro-
gramme was an encyclopedia. [Hem M. Ricciardi read the
manifesto of M. Batumi on his recent advent to power, and
expressed his approval of the principal part of it.) These
promisee were worthy of immortality. But had they been
fulfilled? Looking in the Official Gazette, he found the
columns very wonderfully full of crosses, decorations, ha.,
granted to adherents. The ministry had shown itself
prodigal in swelling the budget of various branches
of the administration, and in giving such large
indemnities as it had done to the Prefect-General, La
Marmora, his guardian angel Chevalier Visone, and • third
personage. But he would pass over all these things if he
could find that the two great questions of Rome and Venice
were in the way of • solution. The fact, however, was
that Napoleon 111. was pursuing the policy of Napoleon I.
The latter was twins master of Vienna ; be might have
crushed Austria, but he purposely kept her alive because
she served his purpose as an incubus upon Germany and
Italy. Napoleon 111., at this day, had no other object in
his intervention in Italy than to substitute his own pre-
ponderance for that of Austria. Napoleon 111. did not wish
what they, the Italians, did. An enemy of liberty io his
own country, how could he be expected to support liberty
in Italy? The murderer (accisore) of the Roman
republic was incap►ble of wishing the triumph
of Italian nationality at Rome. He (M. Ricciardi)
was convinced that in keeping hie troops at Rome the deli-
berate purpose of Napoleon 111. was to foment discord in
Italy. Otherwise he would have sent Francis IL to the
right-about, and pat • stop to the organisation of brigan-
dage. The ministry ought to know these things, and know-
ing them, should recruit an army of 400,000 men, and look
to them for a solution of our difficulties. As to Rome the
right course would be to hem it in with a circle of iron.
The Pope was daily issuing fresh paper money, which Italy
would in the trod be expected to pay. He would call upon
the ministry to declare that no issues subsequent to March
27, 1861, would be recognised by Italy. He avowed himself
• warm p•rtis= of legal agitation of those societies and com-
mittees which were opposed to the present ministry,
though not to the last. Those societies exercised •
most beneficial influence upon public opinion. He would
exhort the ministry to turn them to account. Why had
the president of the Council of Naples repudiated the
young men who wanted to organise • legion? It was, fur-
thermore, most essential to inculcate the conviction in
men's minds that the Pope at Rome ought to be Pope, and
nothing else. "Rome is the cause of our divisions, let us
divide her." Every priest who deserted that city should
be hailed se a friend. The Hungarian deserters were con-
sidered as brothers, why should not the same fraternity be
extended to priests separating themselves from the doc-
trines of Rome? Let the principle.of free inquiry be sub-
stituted foe that of its blind faith. That would
be the best eetapulta with which to batter down
the gates of Rome. In so acting the most glorious tradi-
tions of Italy would be followed. For his own part, if he
were only younger, his ambition would be to become a
heresiarch and be declared an Anti-Pope. He apprehended
that the ministers were in no hurry to go to Rome, " for
fear of their successors." And yet the possession of Rome
was most essential for the tranquillity of the southern pro-
visoes. He considered the King's journey to Naples a
failure, end objected particularly to the gift to St. Janne-
riva, " perpetuating as imposture at the expense of
330,000 Evros." He concluded by an earnest appeal to
government to hold the next legislative session at Naples.