The Express.
London, England, 1848-02-01 00:00:00

THE•NEAPOLITAN REFORMS.

The follawing are the ordonsanota- published at
Naples on the 18tb and 18th, and which we hare referred to
abcere :

FIRES ORDONNANCIL—FIRDINAND IL—After having
prided, by our royal decree of the 13th of August, 1847,
for the welfare of our well beloved people, by the abolition
of the duty on mills, by the diminution of the duty on salt
in our royal domains on this aide of the Straits, and by other
=emptier in Sicily, we intended to introduce other ame-
liorations in the high administration ofthe state. Considering
that our laws, the civil institutions, and the guarantees granted
by our august predecessors contain every source of public pros-
perky; but, nerartheless, those civil institutions are sus-
ceptiblis of improvement, because sock is the nature of human
things. By these considerations, and by our own full and
spontaneous will, we order what follows :
Art. 1. To all the attributions granted the councils of
Naples and Sicily, by the organic law of the 14th June,
1824, we add the following :-1. To give the necessary pre-
vious opinion (parer.) on all projects of law and general re-
gulations. 2. To examine and to give respective previous
°pistons on the general budgets of the royal treasuries of the
royal domains on either side of the Straits, on the provincial
budgets and en the commercial budgets, the approbation of
which is reserved to us by law, on the imposing of commer-
cial duties, and on the tariffs of those duties. 3. Oaths ad-
ministration of the public debt and the sinking fund. 4. Oa
commercial treaties, and on the tariffs of the customs. 6. On
the desires expressed by the provincial councils according to
the terms of the article 30 of the law of the 22nd Dec., 1816.
6. With respect to the affairs above-named, the ministers
portqfeuille, cannot present to um any proposals in the
council, without having previously obtained the opinion
(parere) of the conaulta.
Art. 2. The provincial council. of Naples and Sicily, which
represent the provinces conformably to the law of the 12th
December, 1816, have long enjoyed meat precious privileges;
we are pleased to add the following : 1. The administration
of the provincial funds is entrusted toe deputation, which
the provincial councils shall name in their annual sessions,
and to which the administration of those funds shall be en-
trusted under the presidency of the intendant. 2. The acts
of the provincial councils foreseen by the article 30 of the
law of the 12th December, 1516, and their budgets, after the
approbation of the sovereign, shall be made public by the
medium of the press.
Art. 3. Willing to entrust to the communes themselves of
Naples and of Sicily the administration of their property,
as far as it is consistent with the power, always reserved to
government, for the preservation of the patrimony of the
above mentioned communes, we request the councilerneral
to present to us a project having for bases:-1. The free
election of the decurions entrusted to the electors. 2. All
deliberative attributions granted to the communal councils.
3. All executive functions entrusted to the syndics. 4. The
duration of the functions of the communal chancellors.—
Naples, Jan. 18, 1848. (Signed) FERDINAND.
SECOND ORDONNANCE.—FERDINAND Il.—According to
the taw of the Bth December, 1816, which, after the en-
gem of Vienna had acknowledged and confirmed, in the
name of all the powers, the union of the Two Sicilia
in one sole kingdom, her established fundamental laws for
the administration of our atatts:;:according to the law
of the 11th December, 1816, by which the privileges grouted
of old to the Sicilians have been made to agree with the
unity of the political institutions, which, in virtue of the
treaties of Vienna, was to constitute the political rights of the
kingdom of the Two Bicilies—according to the sovereign act
of this day, by which we have, of our own free will, granted
benevolent dispositions to our people of Naples and Sicily,
desiring, moreover, that Sicily should continue to enjoy the
advantages of an administration distinct and separate from
that of Naples—we have ordered and do order what foilowa:
Art. 1. The laws of the Bth and 11th December, 1816, are
replaced in their full vigour.
Art. 2. The decree of the 31st October, 1837, relative to
the promiscuousness of places and employments, is abrogated.
Art. 3. We confirm for err the judiciary and reciprocal
independence of our domains on either side the Straits, and
consequently the ordinary suits of the Sicilians will continue
to be tried, even in the last resort, by the Sicilian courts. In
I like manner, the supreme court of justice and the high
court of accounts in Sicily will stand on an equal footing
with three of Naples.
Art. 4. The administration of Sicily will continue to be
independent, a. heretofore, of that of our territory on this
side the Straits.
Art. 6. All offices and employments will be held hencefor-
ward in Sicily by Sicilians, and in the Neapolitan territory,
by Neapolitan& To avoid disorder in the different branches
of the administration, the promiscuous appointments which
have hitherto taken place will be modified as soon as
possible, and within • time not exceeding four month.
for civil dikes, and for ecclesiastical offices it will cease as
soon as the resent incumbents shall die or be removed.
THIRD ORDONNANCE.—FRIILINAND 11.—Considering the
organic law of the council of state of the kingdom, of the
14th of June, 1844, and desiring that the discussion of affair
brought before it should be conducted with the greatest
diligence and wisdom, we ordain as follows :
Art. 1. Councillors for extraordinary service are appointed.
Art. 2. When our residence shall be in our domains at this
side the straits, the President of the Supreme Court, the
President of the High Court of Accounts, the President of
the High Civil Court, the Directors General, the Minister of
Public Instruction, the Superintendent of Public Health,
and others whom we shall select, shall have the rank and
privilege of extraordinary councillors. When our residers
shall be on the other side of the straits, the President of the
Supreme Court of Palermo, the President of the High Court
of Accounts, the President of the High Civil Court, the
Judge of the Monarchy, the Minister of Public Instruction,
the Directors General, the Superintendent of Public Health,
and others whom we shall select, shall have the rank and
privilege of extraordinary counaillors.
Art. 3. Our Minister of State, President of the Council,
is authorised to call to the sessions of the committees of the
councils, and of the council general, the said extraordinary
councillors, who will have the same right of voting there as
ordinary councillors.
Art. 4. Every provincial council, at a close of its session,
will present to us three candidates chosen among the princi-
pal proprietors, who will be provincial councillors. We will
choose amenp them • provincial councillor for each province,
who will sit in the council of state in all discussions concern-
ing the administration of their respective provinces.
Art. 6. The secretaries of state, when they think it ne-
cessary to sit at the council, will occupy a post immediately
after the President-General of the Council.—Naples, Jan.
18, 1848. (Signed) FERDINAND.