The Express.
London, England, 1851-01-17 00:00:00

=ism: which prevailed at Madrid, succeeded, by the
Hon of all municipal institutions and local in-
dependence, to root out and destroy the very elements
of coestantional end representative goTeronient
Loots PHILIPP' and M. Gozoe have reeeered tiseZ
Spanish court wha.. it is. And the Mai Preovh-
tacmarch, with the aid of other minimills,. by enabling ,
CHRISTINA to destroy political lift ip the proving'',
and to centralize adminie,rsiion well u power,
has reduced the ciunuy piptitiaidty to Mae ay*
reortieum that we behold.

In a free country good faith on the part of govern-
ment is so obvioney the safest rule to observe, that
ing imitated departure therefrom is naturally re-
garded with increality. We are not accustomed to
praise a minister for telling the truth when asked a
question in parliament. He must be a very great
tool to do otherwise ; for the chances are a thousand
to one that any stempt to demise will speedily be
detected and unsparingly exposed. Neither do we
eV, a public department any credit for making re-
turns that are not false; for the °Kittery implies such
a degree of stupidity as to the all bat inevitable risk
of dupe .rery and denunciation, that we take for
granted the thing is impossible.
Our political morality is not quite so rigid with
respect to Responsibility in ardisary
cases is much more divided in the making of laws than
in their administration. Nominally, it is open to
. .

every man in one assembly coot iinini6sB
and in another consisting of more than two-thirds of
that number, to ice with his own eyes what is pro-
pored to be embodied in the form of an act of parlia-
ment. Practically, we all understand that this critical
eureeillance never is and never cin be exercised by
nineteen out of twenty of our INielitort. The mere
am mut of business to be done, not to speak of the
diversified technicality of most of tor laws, readers It
out of the question.. Still there are always to be found
some who d-em it their especial interest or duty to
watch the progress of each particular measure. In the
main new statutes originate with minis.ers; and they
are justly held responsible not only for the policy of the
changes and additions officially sanctioned, out fee
the fidelity with which the professed aim of each is
adhered to in detail. When any provision apparel
to have crept in at variance in tenout with the spirit
and scope of the whole, it is usually altered if sat
abandoned so soon as the incongruity is pointed our.
And when sufficient time and opooetunity is afforded
for consideration, this process of inoication seldom
fails of being performed by some irentleman on the
second bench either above or bi-low the gangway.
Occasionally, however, it dues occur that very odd-
lookiug clauses are inserted, nobody knows when or
how, "in committee," or what is termed "on bring-
jog up the report" The latter proceeding too often
takes place long after the time of night when senato-
rial natures grow drowsy, and the vigilance of even
Mr. Helium and Mr. Must begins to nod. Some
hasty words are muttered at the table. If any body
querulously &aka what is going on, be is told by the
person in charge of the bill that " it is merely a verbal
amendment which is boing inserted," and that the
whole wili be reprinted in the usual way. The very
tired caviller looks sulky, but " supports it is all
right." To raise a new debate at mem the morning,
all perhaps about nothing material, is neither prudent
nor parliamentary. So he takes up his hat and soli-
loquises ea he goes home, " that he must not forget to
look at the bill when it stands for third reading."

Nevertheless it does frequently happen that be does
forget. Sometimes the midnight mode at treatment
is repeated unexpectedly. Sometimes he is assured
that no substantial alteration has, in point of fact,
been msde ; and relying on the general faithworthi-
nese of such assurances, he dismisses the subject from
his mind. The act purses, and not until it comes
into ac!tial operation is it discovered that some-
thing has been introductd or omitted of which those
who took an interest in the matter were not apprised
by the official framers of the bill, and on which
bad they been so informed, discussion would have, in
all likelihood, ariser. Where miss of this kind appear
to be accidental, the mischief is temporary, and com-
paratively trivial. But where the interpolation or
excision of some unhappy phrase can be construed to
betray a desire or design to create without noise a
precedent for future legislation, or to obtain surrepti-
tiously a sanction for what it may be inconvenient
prematurely to discuss—..here will seldom be wanting
persons whose suspicions aro readily aroused, and
who will not scruple to ascribe the unexplained lane-
vation to sinister intenioo.

An instance of this has recently arisen with respect
to the Stamp:Act of last session, which we confess we
greatly regret. By a certain section of that act it is
provided that all proc.mlings at the tun of the crown,
under its other provisions, " shall be brought in her
Majesty's Court of Exchequer." The net being a
general one, and applicable to the three United King-
doms, this expression, had it been suffered to remain
without further limitation, must obviously have been
understood to mean the Court of E.xche quer, at West-
minster, Dublin, and Edinburgh respectively. In the
marginal note no intimation is given that the section
contains anything incompatible with the plain
and resionatue meaning we have stated. In
all previous statutes on the same or similar
subjects, the separate jurisdictions of the three
countries had been invariably observed. There
would be in fact, no sense in maintaining local
tribunals of co-ordinate authority it they were not
left to discharge co-ordinate functions. And it is
alleged, we know not how far correctly, that in some
of the many reprints of the Stamp Billet Sir CLIAIMMI
WOOD the explanatory words adverted to were used.
Be that however as it may, it is certain that in the
clause as finally edopted the reading is " in the Cute
of Exchequer at Westswinster' " the last two words
being omitted in the note in the margin. The effect
is to deprive the Irish and Scotch courts of one of the
oldest and most important branches of their jurisdic-
tion. and to legalise achange in the mode of proceed-
ing which, if right and expedient, mast inevitably
lead to a further absorption of powers by the tri-
r banal. of tins country.
That question we shall have other occesions to
discuss upon its intrinsic merits. Our present bus-
nest is with the fact we have stated, and its specific
eossernences. We cannot help saying that we con-
sider these most unfortunate. Whether intentional
or not the change thus wrought is undeniably one of
so common significance. If accidental it may be
readily repaired, though not without provoking
warm animadversion on the clumsiness and cars-
lemons of the manner in which an act so
important has been framed. We are reluctant
to pat the opposite hypothesis, which would imply a
shortsighted dexterity u•terly unworthy of a minister
of the crown, and unpardocable disrespectful to the
legislature. Bat in the uefortunate state of political
irritability which characterises the condition of the
sister kingdom, we cannot marvel that the discovery
we have referred to shccild have elicited angry maul-
hatatioes of distrust and dissatisfaction. A suspicion,
set wholly groundless, has long prevailed that some
scheme has bees entertained by government for the
ersotrelisation of the judicial system of the three
kingdoms in London. To this suspic'on the unlucky
blauder in the Stamp Act seems to have afforded cor-
roboration. It did not need contributory fuel of this
stet to feed the flame of discontent, and which at the
present moment threatens to involve the entire
of the upper classes in that country in its fatal
embrace.

ITALY.

ROMAN STATES.

The Minister of the Intrricie--- has addressed to the
prefect. of provinces • circular for the immediate
convocation of the municipal commissi me, in order to
draw up electoral lists for the choice of new coon•
*Worm

A :soak had been appointed by the Pope aa Vice-
print of Ronse,tothe great disoontect of all the secu-
lar priests. The police had seized all the prints of
*Hope^ is the city, and the oardioal-war had com-
plained of the introdoctios of the devil in a belle.
NAPLES.
Oar correspondent owes in his letter of the 6th,
that 60 fresh arrests had taken place. Among the
peewee arrested was M. Lwaita, an eminent lawyer,
well known in English circles.
The rate trials were going ea. Baron Poerio, the
es-minister, wee proceeding with hie defence. Two
ykagnao yachts, belonging to Lord Ellesmere and
M. ri dinar, tad come into the bay. Th. .kmeriean
Beet was still there. The Spiteful has been replaced
by the Oregon. Five pee o=ll.ool. Exchange on
Loudon, 682.