The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-25 00:00:00

ITALY.

NAPLES, Nov. 18.
For several months p.st travellers have made the
journey from Rome to Naples in great fear, in con-
sequence of repeated attacks of brigands. No less
than four or five times has the diligence been stopped
, on the Roman side of the frontier, but by the activity
and promptitude of the French cavalry these fellows,
it would appear, have been driven from the Papal
states, and it was hoped that all danger had dis-
appeared. On Monday, however, news arrived in
Naples that the diligence had again been stopped,
but this time on the Neapolitan side of the frontier.
The particulars are as follows:—The passengers had
all dismounted, and were walking up the Hill of Stri,
• spot well known in bandit history, when the car-
riage wu surrounded by a party of armed men,
and plundered of everything portable, the conduttori
being robbed to the amount of 150 piastres. The
passengers were the next objects of attack, if
attack that can be called where there was no
assault or resistance, they were required to give up
everything they had, and on complying were left
unmolested. All these banditti are strongly armed,
and are supposed to be deserters from the army of
the Faithful, lately formed fur the defence of the
Pope and the holy apostolic and catholic religion.
To this may be added another and a tragic report of
• fact that took place near Caput a short time since
during the day. A man presented himself to a
woman in a lone house, and demanded 1,000 ducats,
which she denied having. The man persisting in
his assertions that she had such a sum, and menacing
violence unless she gave it up, the poor woman
feigned compliance and left the room, saying that
she would return with it directly. On leaving,
however, she turned the lock, and thus shut the
bandit in, and immediately calling for assistance, had
him arrested. During the night, however, he was
rescued by • strongly armed party, and • short time
after the woman was found murdered. Though I have
spoken of the deserters from the papal army as having
probably formed themselves into banditti parties,
tt most not be forgotten that another element of
disorder undoubtedly consists in the galley slaves,
who were liberated on the occasion of the opening of
the dry dock. Degraded beyond the hope of re-
demption by the horrid system of punishment to
which they have been subjected, and without charac-
ter or the means of subsistence, these men have been
turned loose upon society to plunder that they may
live. You will say that lam sending you a whole
list of horrors when I add the murder of the contai-
ner of his Royal Highness Prince Luigi by his (the
confeesor's) own brother. It appears that the man,
who was in the household of the Prince, had
been ejected at the suggestion of his brother ; and
that in order to avenge himself he shot the confessor
in his bed.

Within the last few days a remarkable incident
connected with the police .hu occurred, which has
excited immense sensation in the city, and which
may be productive of serious consequences. There
are many versions of the story, and, as usual, there
is much high colouring ; but, as nearly as I can get
at the truth, the following appear to be the facts :
There is a very proper law in Naples that every
carriage shall bear its number upon ; and it hap-
pened that some few days since a poor wight was
wending his way up the Chiaja with an unnumbered
cart, when the polies waylaid him, and finished up
by giving him a sound thrashing. The Prince Fond',
who was passing at the time, rode up and remon-
strated, uselessly as it appears, for he was received
with insults, on which his Eccellenza beat and
knocked them both down, and then rode off, leaving
his name. No time was lost by the policemen in
laying the complaints before the Prefect of Police,
who was disposed to hush the matter up, as thinking
perhaps that some wrong attached to all parties.
Our new Director of the Police, Mazza, the moat
worthy, descendant of Peecheneida, " di felled me-
' moriu,' thought, however, differently, and sent Gomel
of hie officers the same night to the Palazzo Fondi,l
to arrest the Prince. Information of the fact was'
immediately sent by Fondi to his friend Prince Luigi, li
the brother of tho King, and his Royal Highness
immediately sent an order, or a request, so the story'
goes in well-informed quarters, that Fondi should
be released, or that within ten minutes ho would
himself come to the Prefettura and carry him off.
The request not being attended to, the menace was
put into execution, and Prii.ce Luigi carried off his
friend. The Director of Police, full of wrath at this
usurpation of his office, had an interview with the
Prince the next day, and whether on his own autho-
rity, or at the express command of his Majesty, who
was at the time absent, it is difficult to say, caused
him to be arrested again, and he is now, I understand,
1 for greater security plaoed in the Castello.
I Pave pm. Cents., 1091; Exchange on London, 668.

TUSCANY.
The Grand Duke of Tuscany has i+-.reed a dem%
!dated Floreuce, 16th inst., which re-establishes the
punishment of death by the guillotine for crimes against religion, of public violence against the go.
vernment, of premeditated homicide, and robbery
accompanied with acts of vMletiee. Sentence of
'death may be pronounced even when the judges, are
not unanimous on the point. The crime of wound-
' ing with sharp weapons or firearms, with preme-
ditation and intention to kill, is to he punished
with thirty years' hard Isbour. If wi•li premetli.
tation, but without intention to kill, the punishment
listo be from 7 to 15 years' hard lab ter, if (Linger
if life or limb have ensued; if hot. hum three to
seven years' imprisonment with Ldtartir at Volterra.
The maximum of the above punishments is to be
applied in every cue in which tho wanted has been
inflicted by a sharp weapon of. an illegal length
(that is, under three-fourths of a Faaeentine breech),
or about a foot and a hull), or else by tirt-arrns of any
kind. All criminal canes contemplated by this
decree are to be henceforward tried wale ail possible
speed, and in preference to all oth, rs. Giving Ease
testimony in favour of the accused is to he punished
with from three to seven yew.' imprisonment
with labour at Volterra. To this (.1-erce is added
second, by which new powers are eit'rusted to the
police department for the discovery of crimes Among the provisions of this decree we find
that the delegates of police may rout. •t. eight days'
imprisonment even when transgra ss:ons of polies
orders are not proved ; that sub-pieta-chi may, in
cases of the competency of the police, inflict one
month's imprisonment, and that itn-feets may, it
similar cases, condemn to three months imprison.
ment. Councils of prefecture ins} decree a forced
change of domicile, imprisonment in the house of
detention, and confinement in a furtra 111 for a period
not exceeding three years. Delcgata syf police, se
well as prefects and sub-prefects, lay. order any
search to be made upon sufficient huvicton.
fendants may appeal egainst the decisions of the
delegates, sub-prefects, and prefects in ei•rtuin eases
specified, and the last appeal is to the Minister of
the Interior.

PIEDMONT.
The Piedmontese Chamber of 1/entities not haring
sat on the 20th, fur want of a sutliiient number a
members present, the president niiit i:retaries have
decided that they would represent the Chamber at
the funeral of Gioberti.

AUSTRIAN ITALY.
The Brealaw Gazette quotes letters 40111 the fron-
tiers of Italy of the Pith, stating that numeruai or-
rests are being made by the Austrian um twit ict.,on the
frontiers of Switzerland of perwats suspected
of propagating revolutionaryparnplo,s, and that io
the duchy of Parma carrier-pigeons are etuployed to
carry such writings over the frontier.