The Express.
London, England, 1853-10-14 00:00:00

ITALY.

NAPLES, Ocr. 4.
The despotism of the Neapolitan government is as
stupid as it is cruel. Corn is dear, and the poor are
crying out for food. What is to be done ? Arrest
the corn dealers, say the King's advisers! Where-
upon a few days since the corn merchants found
themselves one morning suddenly called away from
the exchange to be locked up in the police office.
The corn trade in Italy is like thecorn trade all over
the world when you close the ports and make the
population of a country depend for its food on half a
dozen banking houses and a few rich speculators. To
remedy this evil in Naples, the government has
decreed free trade in grain, bat at a time when all
the markets of Europe are quoting advanced prices.
The result is very little corn comes to Naples, or any
other Italian ports, which enables dealers to hold
oat, for which they are arrested. But as this pro-
ceeding failed, they were all let out again, and bread
still continues to grow dearer. There is only one
means left for supplying the poor with cheaper food,
and that is by the government becoming buyers in
foreign markets, and bearing the loos of underselling
at home ; such a measure is now in contem-
plation. I hear from all parts of despotic Italy that
the coming winter will see much distress and even
famine in some places. In Tuscany, Rome, and the
Two Siciliea, the resources of the country are eaten
up by the large standing armies which support the
corrupt governments. Trade is dull, and there never
were so few English ships in the Italian ports as at
the present moment.
I have before referred to the increasing steam
trade of the Mediterranean, which is rapidly super-
seding sailing vessels. The Peninsular and Oriental
Company has just put on two steamers between Mar-
seilles and Malta, which are sure to succeed if the
extravagantly high port dues do Aot interfere with
the desire on the part of the company to cheapen the
most expensive bit of steam travelling in the world.
The Neapolitan Board of Health has published the
new quarantine arrangements. England and Hol-
land are to observe ten days ; passengers performing
that period in the lazzaretto. Vessels coming from
France are placed under seven days' " observation."
These arrangements will very much affect trade
and travelling. Those who propose visiting Southern
Italy this winter had better do so by land. All the
Italian ports will have imposed quarantine before
this letter reaches England.
No one in Italy waited for the meeting of the Em-
perors of Russia and Austria to learn that their policy
was one and the same. But new projects have
grown out of that event. When Russia has played
out her game in the East, and Lord Aberdeen has

completed the degradation of England, Austria is to
attach Tuscany to her empire, so says the despotic
party here. No doubt we shall " protest," and may
be send a fleet to Leghorn ; but as all the world be-
lieves we are afraid to fight, our navy has no more
effect on our enemies than the painted monsters of
Chinese invention have on civilised man.

Neapolitan Fives, 109!; exchange on London, 532.
PIEDMONT.

The Opinion* of Turin, of the 9th, has a long
article on the arrests of refugees lately made in Pied-
mont. A plan had been concocted at Sarzana, under
the inspiration, the Opiniune says, of Mazzini, for
the invasion of the neighbouring states, and this plan
the Piedmontese government discovered in time to
prevent its execution. The papers seized during the
late arrests are said to furnish ample proof of an in-
tended attempt upon Piedmont.