The Express.
London, England, 1847-12-29 00:00:00

to our consul and Mr. Erskine (secretary to Lord
Minto), which sets forth the opinion of the committee
on war affairs of the Vatican parliament, in which
the executive fully joined, making service imperative.
The document will be transmitted to-day to Lord
Palmerston, and will be a nut for his skilful diplomacy
to crack.
The attempt to introduce cotton and woollen spin-
ning frames occasioned this week serious fears of a
riot in the Trastevere, these primitive Romans having
sworn never to allow machinery of any sort to sup-
plant manual labour. A strong muster of the civic
guard, with a display of artillery, was necessary to
keep order in the conveyance and erection of the new
auxiliaries to productive industry. The fact speaks
volumes on the ignorance of the population in matters
which all Europe has long since understood.
Those employed in the manufacture and sale of
cigars in Rome-500 men—have had the money to
purchase their regimentals and arms advanced by the
great monopolist, under the arrangement of paying
back in instalments of a dollar a month. There is
need of cultivating popularity just now—l mean with
reference to the trial for libel about a charge of rob-
bing the papal tr usury.
The great composer Pacini presided over a monster
concert in the Capitol op Wednesday, which produced
500 dollar@ for the guards' accoutrement. AU these
details would please your iron duke, if such alacrity
in providing for the national defences were exhibited
by people in England, who seem determined, after
the fashion of their fathers, "to live at home at ease;'
and trust to the fickle blast that scattered the Armada.
Lord Cloncurry has just commissioned our great
Irish sculptor here to erect a fitting and classic memo-
rial in the national church of St. Isidore, over the
grave of the daughter of John Philpot Curran. It is
no secret that about the year 1798 the Hon. M. Law-
less was an unsuccessful suitor for her hand, and his
lordship's present directions are alike creditable to the
veteran's patriotism, and the love that age has not
extinguished.
- -

His ma:tem secumuleta duels et fungus amaris
Maness i

From a glance at the journals of Florence, I gather
that some earnest men there are laying their shoul-
ders to the wheel for the purpose of eradicating one
of the most vicious institutions of Italy, and one of
the most demoralising curses of the late system of mis-
rule prevalent throughout the whole peninsula. I allude
to the penny lotteries by which these miserable govern-
ments used to keep the popular mind in a state of
pernicious excitement to wean them from more serious
thoughts on the utterly hopeless condition to which the
stagnancy of the social system reduced them. The
time, and calculations, and pious devotions, and charms,
and spells, and dreams, and money, which were wasted
on this pursuit, would have founded an empire ; and
the worst is, that the initiative to its removal has been
taken by no statesman yet. It requires an intimate 1
and long intercourse with the Italians to appreciate
in every clams the working of this petty spirit of
gambling, and how it operates on every mind more
or less, from the princess to the washerwoman and
beggar. It is an old evil ; the very word (lotto) was
a gift of Italy. to every other language, and your word
raffle is a derivative from our " as your " ton-
, tines" were the invention of Abbate Tontini. May
the men in Florence carry out their noble crusade
' against the whole system !
The Pope held a secret consistory yesterday at the
Quirinal, and at last filled all Me vacant Spanish
bishoprics. The names will be officially gazetted this
evening. Thus has he given his full adhesion to the
present state of things in that quarter of Europe, and
flung the whole weight of his influence into the scale
of the present ministry.
1. Patriarch of the Indies (West), Antonio Posed& Rubin
de Celia; 2. Metropolitan of Saragossa, Emanuel Gomez de
las Rivas; 3. Metropolitan of Leopoli (Leon), Winces's°
' Wacklawizeh ; 4. Bishopric of Girona, Florenzo Chorente;
6. Bishopric of Badajoz, Rodrigues Obregon ; 8. Bishopric
of Majorca, Raffselle Macao; 7. Bishopric of Zamora,
Michele Yirroyen ; 8. Bishopric of Almeria, Anacleto Moore;
9. Bishopric of Avila, Emanuel Santisesban ; 10. Bishopric
of Jaen, Giuseppe Escolano ; 11. Bishopric of Grease, Pietro '
Zarandia ; 12. Bishopric of Cuenca, Ruis de Cachupin;
13. Bishopric of Teruel, Antonio Lao of Cadiz ; 14. Bish-
opric of Goma, Gregoriu Sanchrz ; 15. Bishopric of Lerida,
Domenico Costa y Borras ; 16. Bishopric of Carthagena in
Murcia, Merriam, Barrio ; 17. Bishopric of the Canaries,
Bonaventura Coding ; 18. Bishopric of Logo, Rodriguez
Gil; 19. Bishopric of Segorve, Domenico Canubio. In all
nineteen bishoprics.
N. 8.—1 send this in detail, because, from
authentic particulars, it will be important, being, in
fact, a death-blow to Carlism in that quarter.

OPENING OF THE
FRENCH CHAMBERS.

THE KING'S SPEECH.

The speech of King Louis Philippe on opening
the session of the French chambers yesterday is as
follow s:

GENTLEMEN, PEERS, AND DEPUTIES,—I am happy
on finding myself again among you not to have any
more
to deplore the calamities which the high price
of provisions has inflicted on our country. France
has endured them with a courage that I could not
behold without deep emotion. Never in such circum-
stances have public order and the freedom of
transactions been so generally maintained. The inex-
haustible zeal of private charity has seconded oar
commen efforts. Oar commerce, thanks to its prudent
activity, has been but feebly affected by the crisis that
has been experienced in other states. We are reach-
ing
the conclusion of those trials. Heaven hu
blessed the labours of the people, and abundant
crops are reviving everywhere comfort and security.
I congratulate myself on it with you.
" I reckon on your co-operation in order to bring to
a conclusion the great public works which, by ex-
tending to the entire kingdom facility and regularity
of communication, must open fresh sources of pro-
srity. At the same time that sufficient resources
shall continue to be applied to that fruitful enter-
prise, we will all watch with scrupulous economy
over the judicious employment of the public revenue,
and I am confident that the receipts will cover the
expenses in the ordinary budget of the State, which
shall be shortly presented to you.
" A special bill willaw proposed to you for reducing
the price of salt, and diminishing the postage on
letters to a degree compatible with the good state of
our finances.
" Bills on public instruction, prison discipline, and
our customs tariffs are already submitted to your
deliberations. Other bills shall be presented to you
on various important subjects, particularly on com-
mercial property, mortgages, the Moot de Piety, and
the application of savings banks to fresh improve-
ments in the condition of the working classes. It is
my constant wish that my government should
labour, with your co-operation, in developing at
the same time the morahty and the welfare of the
people.
My relations with all the foreign powers give me
the confidence that the peace of the world is secured.
I hope that the progress of general civilisation will be
everywhere accomplished by a good understanding
between governments and people, without impairing
internal order and the good relations between states.
" Civil war has disturbed the happiness of Switzer-
land. My government had come to an understanding
with the governments of England, Austria, Prussia,
and Russia, in order to offer that neighbouring and
friendly people an amicable mediation. Switzerland
will, I hop acknowledge that respect for the rights
e,
of all, and the maintenance of the basis of the Hel-
vetic Confederation, can alone insure to her those en-
during conditions of happiness and security that
Europe wished to guarantee to her by treaties.
"My government, in accordance with that of
the Queen of Great Britain, has just adopted mea-
sures which must at length succeed in restoring our
commercial relations on the banks of La Plata.
" The illustrious chief who has long and glori-
ously commanded in Algeria has desired to rest from
his labonn. I have intrusted to my beloved son the
Duke d'Anmale the great and arduous task of
governing that French land. I flatter myself that,
under the direction of my government, and thanks to
the laborious courage of the generous army that mar-
-1 rounds him, his vigilance and devotedness will secure
the tranquillity, the good administration, and prospe-
rity of oar establishment.
" Gentlemen, the more I advance in life, the more
I dedicate with devotedness to the service of France,
to the care of her interests, dignity, and happiness,
all the activity and strength which God has given,
and still vouchsafes me. Amidst the agitation that
hostile and blind passions foment, a conviction
animates and supporta me, which is that we power
in the constitutional monarchy—in the union of the
great powers of the State, sans means of overcoming