The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-07 00:00:00

ITALY,

ROHR, Dsc. 26.
The question which chiefly interests the Romano,
at the present moment, is the new footing upon which
their municipal rights and liberties are about to be
placed by the special law on that subject, whose
tenor, although not yet published, is already pretty
well known in the city. The funds hitherto placed at
the disposition of the municipality amounted to
1100,000 dollars a year; but they are now to be re-
duced to about 80,000 dollars, and if that sum should

prove insufficient the municipal authorities will have
the power of increasing the (laded tax by one-twelfth ;
a measure, however, in itself so odious to the people,
that it will be only had recourse to reluctantly, and
the prospect of being obliged to do so will doubtless
hinder many persons from accepting the ungrateful
office of municipal counsellor. The senatorial dignity
is still shirked by the most influential Roman nobles,
and his Holiness, therefore, proposes conferring it
upon Don Vincenzo Colonna, if he can be induced to
assume it.
The Pope has got through the ecclesiastical labours
of this season without any accident, and although the
attendance of Romans at the functions in St. Peter's
was much thinner than usual, the rush of foreigners
has been as tremendous as ever. Yesterday morning,
being Christmas day, his holiness chanted mass in the
majestic Vatican basilica, and was borne aloft in his
crimson chair, under a splendid panoply, throughout
the whole length of the church, preceded by his
officers of state and the members of the sacred college,
I several of whom are showing the weight of increasing
years very evidently. Cardinal Lambruschini, cope.
cially, who came immediately before the Pope's por-
table throne, seemed much more in need of being car
tied than his holiness, as he walked with very great
difficulty, and was supported on one side by Cardinal
Castracane, and on the other by another of his
eminent brethren, whose visage I did not see,
as it was turned with marks of solicitude
towards the once powerful Lambrusebini. Pio
NOOO himself looked down with an air of
commiseration upon the tottering form of has quon-
dam rival in the conclave of 1816, whom the coalition
of parties had condemned to return into the ineiguifi•,
cance of an unemployed cardinal, instead of rising,'
se was then generally expected, to the supreme
honour of the triple crown. It was impossible, on
seeing two such different men brought into such im-
mediate contact, and in such different physical and
moral conditione, not to form a momentary conjec-
ture as to the probable result of events throughout
Europe, had the case been reversed, and Mastai been
walking on foot, whilst Lambruschini was enjoying the
almost divine homage of the sedia gestatoria.
The activity of the secret societies, in the way of
printing and dispersing political pamphlets, has be-
come so great that the attention of the government is
seriously attracted by it; the Pope himself is always
favoured with some of the very first copies circulated,
and as all the papers or letters forwarded to him by
the post are conveyed directly to the palace, where, in
company with his favourite comer iere segreto,Mont ignor
Stella, formerly his ecclesiastical secretary, he opens and
examinee at least the topics of every communication, the
setting forth of such very home truths as the secret repub-
lican performances contain, especially with respect to
the administration of the country and the dilapidated
state of its finances, cannot but be a source of irrita-

lion and mortification. Mast of the cardinals and
prelates, not excepting Monsignor de Felker, receive
these documents also, the last of which, a pamph'et
of some length, well printed and got up, has set the
police most actively to work to discover its authors
end distributors, and the ecclesiastical journalists to
wage a most active war against them in the columrs
of the st mi-official press. Counter pamphlets are put
forward by the partisans of the papacy, and the most
recent of them bears the title of the Sovereign him-
self, tt Pius the Ninth in the nineteenth Century, or
a Reply to Joseph Mazzini." There is, however, a
great difference of opinion amongst the ecclesias-
tical defenders, as to the judiciousness of re-
plying or not to the publications of their ad-
versaries. The Osserratore Ransom now and then
gives long lista of English converts to Hu-
manism, and triumphantly votes the Daily News as.
to some expected abjuration of heretical errors on the
part of English noblemen, reproving meanwhile the
said Daily News for not mentioning the names of
these new acquiaitions, and for entertaining. a linger-
ing hope that their Raman catholic propensities may
not actually lead them to abandon the church of Eng-
land. These pieces of intelligence continue to keep
up the hopes of the Court of Rome, touching the
final proselytism of all England; and with respect to
the actual storm of heretical opposition blowing over,
they are encouraged by the undecided tone of the
Queen's replies to the University address( a, and more-
over by the news brought over by one of the noble
guards sent to the French cardinal, who had an in-
terview with Cardinal Wiseman, and was assured by
him that the question of the catholic hierarchy
was most satisfactorily arranged with the British
government.
Whilst thus indulging in speculations as to the
overthrow of their religious opponents, it will not be
uninteresting for you to know that there is at the
present moment a split in the camp of the Jesuits
themselves, a echism having arisen upon the question
of the mysterious system of their religious and poli-
tical tactics being continued or abandoced. This dif-
ference of opinion has already obliged some of the
most influential members of the fraternity to renounce
the Jesuits' cloak, and return to mundane occupations,
amongst whom are two celebratedpadrassi, as they
are termed, of equal monkish merit, but of very un-
equal birth and connexions. One of these is Father
Alfieri, the oldest member of that princely house,
whose honours and titles he renounced by becoming a
disciple of Loyola. Now that he has become a
partizan of what may be termed a reform of
Jesuitical discipline and conduct, he has in-
curred the reprobation of all his former adherents,
and the blame even of his own relations, amongst
whom his brothers, the Prince and the Cardinal, ar
the first rank. The other is Father Armellini, a
brother of the republican triumvir—having now re-
signed the luxuries of the convent refectory, he is re-
duced to the necessity of giving lessons in Italian to
English visitors in the eternal city. From this it is
evident that the real old Jesuitical party has gained
the day, and an extra proof of the fact is furnished
us by the determination recently adopted to cover
with &decent veil all the sculptured nudities which
adorn the monuments in St. Peter's Church. Lovers
of art in England will scarcely credit such a piece of
Vandalism; and connoisseurs who visit the venerable
basilica in future will be horrified to find
Camera's beautiful genii, on the monument to
the Stuarts, clothed in galvano-plastio breeches,
and the torso of the reclining figure on the
Reazonico tomb veiled with a plaster cloak.
It is to be wondered that the opera and ballet are
still allowed in Rome, nor are they, in fact, without
the libretti being considerably castrated and their
titles changed. The first ballet of this season is taken
from the story of Faust, and an accident which
might have proved very serious attended its re-
hearsal at the Apollo Theatre two mornings ago :
one of the foot-lamps set fire to the curtain and com-
municated with such rapidity to the woodwork and
stage decorations that the conflagration threatened
destruction to the whole edifice, and the corps de
ballet rushed wildly into the street, to the great won-
derment of the passers-by, especially the country
folks and common people, who, but for this contra
terns, would never have had an opportunity of form-
ing acquaintance with Goethe's sylphs and demons.
The state of the provinces is not very satisfactory
with respect to the prevalence of brigandage. A
bloody conflict took place on the 18th December in
the pariah of St. Bernardino, near Lugo, between a
force of gendarmes and Austrians and a band of nine
outlaws, commanded by the notorious Passatore, who
seems as formidable and übiquitous a personage as
Robin Hood of old. The brigands appear to have had
an advantageous position, and were not dislodged
front it without considerable difficulty, effecting a safe
retreat after all. They had one man killed in the
fray ; one Austrian soldier was also killed, and one
other and a gendarme wounded. The Austrian garri-
sons have again been strengthened in the northern
provinces, and their presence is no doubt necessary to
keep down the discontent produced by the approach-
ing =tease of taxation. Deputations from the prin-
cipal cities have arrived in Rome to protest against
the system, but their remonstrances have not been at
all attended to.
A treaty appeared in the last official journal, by
which his Holiness and the Grand Duke of Tuscany,
for the purpose, as is alleged, of checking smugglin4,
agree to take a series of measures, amongst which the
most important is that of closing flee frontier custom

houses. Oar money market goes on improving, and
the exchange on London is at present 490.

GERMANY.

The Prussian Chambers were on the 4th adjourned
o the 7th inst.

correspondent Our at Dresden writre Is fnllowe :
DREsiIEN, Jr.t 3.

The meetings of the several sections, which took
place to day, and will be centime:el to-morrow, are
not yet occupied a itti the real business for which the
conterer.ces have been assembled; the preliminaries
are so extensive and troublesome, the subdivision of
the sections of the constitution a work of so much
time, that they will hardly be able to proceed with
their examination and revision for some days to oome.
It is understood also that the next full sitting of the
conferences will not take place for live or six days.
The cordiality and good understanding, moreover,
which existed at the commencement between Prince
Schwarzenberg and Herr von Manteuffel has
been considerably lessened by the insolent presump-
tion and contemptuous tore of the circular-despatch
of the Austrian premier, which was published in the
Journal des Deeds some days since. The Prussisn
court is acid to be highly indignant at what it,
with same jurice, considers a piece of perfidy. The
despatch in question communicates the sentiments
of the Austrian government on the positive relations
of the empire to the German question after the sign-
inr of the Olmutz convention. At Olmutz Prince
Schwarzenberg, thongh at first inclined to be quar-
relsome, parted from Manteuffel with expressions of
the sincerest friendship for the Prussian minister, and
of his anxious desire that this long and useless quarrel
between the two great German powers should at last
be settled in amity and peace. Respect and esteem
were terms which fell from his lips, and yet within a
very few days afterwards he writes a circul ir-despatch
to the Austrian envoys, which, by many other courts,
would be openly declared to be an insult. 1 need not
cite passages from this despatch, since it has already
appeared in your columns. It appears to have been
published by the Austrian ambassador in Paris, Baron
Hubner, and not by an unfriendly hand in the Elytee,
as was at first supposed.
I mentioned in my letter, yesterday, that a meet•
ing would shortly take place between the Emperor
of Austria and the King of Prussia, and added that
Breslau was reported to be the place of meeting. I
understand now that this city will have the honour
of witnessing the reconciliation of the two monarchs.
l'rince Lichtenstein, a marshal or general in the
Austrian service, has been despatched to Berlin, to
pave the way for the concluding scene of the
quarrel.
The monarchs of Austria and Prussia will embrace
one another about the same moment that the interven-
tion will be being enforced in Schleswig-Holstein,
which, it is understood, is to be effected by the 13th
of the month. Whatever the settlement of the Ger•
man question may prove to be, whether favourable or
humilueing to Prudent, the acts which accompany it
in Hesse Cassel and in Schleswig-Holstein are as
baneful to the influence of Prussia at home and her
reputation abroad as any governmental acts possibly
can be. Setting aside the chances which are in
favour of Austria's Customs Union plan meeting
with the support of several members of the
Zollverein, and the probable consequent reduction in
the dimensions of that body, the government of
Austria can well afford to grant to Prussia what, in

fact, is a mere formality-1 mean the parity in the
executive of the Confederation. The interests of
Austria, moreover, demand it, for, though a mere
point of etiquette, it is a vital question to the present
dynasty of Prussia, but nut to the people. The
concession by Austria of this qu-stint encircles
the Prussiau throne with a huh of power,
the substance of which it has possessed
for centuries, and which, if employed with ability and
statesmanship, must always secure to Prussia that
position in Europe which her kings and ministers
have of late endeavoured to obtain by political expedi-
ents. The prrsent King of Preside slid his government
have, from the commencement of their quarrel with
Austria, considered the parity in the executive as one
of the least of their demands; it is now their last
urorghold, and unless they obtain it, the loyalty
and affection which are yet vis;ble, aye, and
tacgible in the majority of the population,
whose minds are not affected by the apathy of
the reaction from revolution, will be undermined and
overthrown, and the inevitable struggle between
monarchy and democracy will be sooner, and with
greater strength, renewed, than can be at all advan-
tageous for the interests of Austria. The govern.
ment of Austria must be blind indeed if they cannot
see the truth of this state of things. I believe they
do, and as their desire to humiliate Prussia is put, as
Prince Schwarzenberg says. in his despatch, they will
naturally agree to such a disposition of the affairs
of Germany as shall not bring about a struggle be-
tween the Prussian throne and Prussian people. 1
have been led into these reflections by the rumour
which revives with increased force that the Union and
understandirg which bad ensued between the two
ministers have been broken off, and that there is not
the slightest possibility of its being renewed. lam
compelled to mention this rumour, though I still
place confidence in the source of my information, that
their union is complete in all the main point', and
that the only differences which yet exist between
them are on matters of detail.
I am told, but cannot vouch for the truth of the
statement, that the following is the Austrian plan for
the executive : Austria and Pi ussia to share the execu-
tive ; and, ire cases of differences, a college of three to
decide between them. In this college Bavaria to possess
one vote; Wurtemberg, Saxony, and Hanover united,
the second vote; and the Grand Duke the third. To
this scheme the minor states will refuse their consent,
as indeed they will oppose every plan which shall
confer greater power or rank on the minor kingdoms.
• They will willingly consent to the division between
Prussia and Austria, but to nothing else, unless it be
the restoration of the old Bundestag.
Prince Schwarzenberg attended a review of two or
three thousand men of the Saxon infantry and artil-
' lery yesterday. It was arranged in his honour, and
was attended by the royal princes and all the
field officers at present iu Dresden.
' The railway between Dresden and Prague is
finished, and will be opened to the public early in
spring.

Intelligence from Vienna of the let inst. states that
the regeneration of the Austrian finances had bees
entrusted to Bsron Xubek. General Schonbals and
11 general officers had been pensioned. In a late
cabinet council it was proposed to reduce the army
by 200,000 men.

" My drar Mr. Dodeworth" (eaye a correepor.dent)
entered the Roman catholic church on New Year's bey.
Mrs. Dodsworth attended Divine Service on Sunday lad,
much agitated and perturbed in spirit, especially during the
administration of the sacrament. The Bishop of London
appears to have four modes of addressing the clergy who
correspond with him, via.: " Rev. Sir," "Dear Sir," My
dear Sir," and, blandest of all, " My dear Mr. Dodsworth."
The Rev. Sir Frederick Ousetey, Bert., and Sir
' John Briricgton, Bart., both of Oxford. have, it is stated,
seceded from the established church. Sir John liarington
was Mr. Bennett's churchwarden.

The Jersey papers contain a copy of the
mandate of jutice in the cue of Miss Julia Rush against
Cardinal Wiseman. The proceeding was instituted for the
purpose of recovering a Bum of 4921. advanced by Miss Rush
to build a convent in Jersey, and as the price of the purchase
of the site on which it has been erected. For soma reasons
that do net appear in the report, Dr. Wiseman withdrew
his consent to have the convent established as originally
agreed upon, though taking the conveyance of the premised
to himself and other trustees. On the motion of his proctor
the cue was allowed to stand over until the first day of next
term, when Cardinal Wiseman and his co-trustees will have
to pay the amount claimed, unless satisfactory cause to the
contrary be shown.

JOLIN ROI3INSON'fI CASE.—In our last we reported
the trial, at the recent York Harz :e, of John Robinson,
master of the Wadsley Bridge station, on a chugs of felo-
nious assault, preferred by Miss Eliza Newton, of Foxhill.
The case had excited unusual public attention before the
trial, and it has been further increased by the circumstance
that Mr. hada Patteeon'e remarks in passing sentence,
were in direct contradiction to the finding of the jury, and
confirmatory of the defence made by the prisoner from the
moment of his apprehenaion. We understand that the
learned judge, immediately after his return to London on
Friday last, despatched a communication to Mr. Noble, the
governor of York Castle, remitting that portion of the sen-
tence which imposed hard labour on the prisoner during his
two years' confinement. This change in the sentence will
probably lead to Robinson undergoing the period of his
imprisonment in York Castle instead of the Wakefield House
of Correction. It is intended to get up a memorial to Sir
George Grey. Secretary of State, for a commutation of the
eentemee.—Slaffisid Independent.