The Express.
London, England, 1865-10-28 00:00:00

\ITALY•

(nom otra owl

PLOWINGS, Oast: 23.
Yesterday the election of members to Leeson:2nd
Italian parliament took place. It Deems farcical to
talk in our own well-worn phraseology of " ihe
elections having passed without disturbance." •It
might as well be announeed that a quakers' meet-
ing bad passed off without disturbance. The
great thing here would be to get up a little more
diattubence—a little more excitement and interest.
If England broke twice as many heads as she habi-
tually breaks in the work of choosing her legislators,
the sparing of those cracked crowns would be far
too dearly purchased at the cost of the calm of an
Italian election. To an Englishman the affair of
yesterday would have seemed a very tame affair
indeed. A stranger might have palmed
the day in rambling about the city with-
out having ever become in the least aware
that Florence was busied in the election of
her representatives. Florence is divided into four
electoral colleges ; and each of these has assigned to
it four separate voting places, for four portions of
the alphabet. There are at Florence ten thousand
four hundred and thirty-one names of electors on
the register. This would give about six hundred
and fifty voters at each voting place, if all the con-
stituency voted. But the fact was that three
thousand five hundred and fourteen votes only were
tendered, which would give about two hundred and
twenty voters for each voting places These locali-
ties were mostly small churches belonging to some
of the numerous confraternities or priories. A na-
tional guard, with his musket lazily lolling on his
shoulder, might be seen standing at the doors of
these places, more as if intended to serve as an
ensign hung out to show where the business in
hand was being done than for any other purpose ;
and possibly, three or four electors might be seen
quietly chatting in the street in his neighbour-
hood ; but this was all--all the outward and visible
show of the election.
It was not to speak of such outward manifesta-
tions of social differences, however, that I intended
to write to you to-day, but to send you a few
hurried words on the result of the elections, as it
appears from the first rapid and imperfect glance
et the returns as far as we yet have them. Your
readers are aware probably that, according to the
terms of the Italian electoral law, no definitive
election is made unless one candidate shall have
obtained more votes than the third part of all the
names on the register, and more than half of those
voting. If no candidate has this required
number of votes, a ballot takes place between the
two candidates who have the greatest number. It
will easily be understood that the result of such
dispositions is, that but a small proportion of the
members are chosen at this first attempt to do so.
The period at which the ballot is to take place
cannot be at a greater interval from the first day of
election than eight days. It will, no doubt, be
universally fixed kw next Sunday. To what de-
gree it is probable that the ballot may displace
from the head of the poll those whom the first
attempt at election placed there will, of course, in
each instance, depend on the nearness of the
second candidate, on the distribution of the votes
that have been thrown away on those candidates
who have not attained to the ballot, and on the
possibility of non-voters being induced to come to
the poll for the second trial.
In one word, however, it may be said already
that the government party, the moderates, the party
of the great majority, is felt to have received a
seven blow, and an unexpected one. The clericals
have shown an amount of force and energy which
was not expected from them. It is clear that, since
it was decided in a part of their ranks that absten-
tion was no longer to be the policy of the Pope's
frieads, they have been secretly and very actively
at work among the constituencies, with a know-
ledge and understanding of the nature of such work
as their opponents have not shown themselves to
possess. It remains to be seen, however, what the
result will be of the numerous balloting' which
they have managed to put their candidates in a
position to claim. It is generally thought that they
have voted in compact and well-drilled bodies, and
have therefore done already all that they Gan do.
The liberals have also made larger gains upon
the government party than was expected. To,
what extent, we must wait another week to see.
But I would not wait so long before giving your
readers the first impression which has been made
on the country by this first trial of the strength of
the parties. I think the general feeling U that
after all the majority, though much weakened, will
still be a majority.

REVISION OF THE SWISS CONSTITUTION,

BERN-% Oar. 94.

The National Council of the SwiacConroo.-_
umaibled yesterday in exhnordhary session, to deliberate
upon the revision of the eonslitutien. The satin was
opened by a ions speech from its President, Y. plants, in
which he expressed his individual opinions upon the revi-
sion question, the budget for 1866, and the Alpine Rail-
way, which lag was not erne of the subjoin wen the paper.
He dwelt upon the ample, with which the resides quer
hoe had bees received by the people, Which had taken tip
an observant rather than an active position. He
then alluded to the many apprehensions and fans
the revision thessineed, and esooladed with the
warning to be careful, considering the arterial tesalestetes
of the ap, lest Switzerland should sink entirely into • eon.
menial republic and suffer the same fate as formerly hal
overtaken Venice.
Previous to entering upon the ardor of the day, Dr. A.
Ember, of Zurich, the reporter of the oommi sion. moved
that the question should Ana be decided whether • revisiou
of the constitution WWI required. Two members, MM.
Lipmaer, of LtioMlSll..sad Acadia, of Aargau, spoke against
the measure. Revision of the conetitotion, they contended,
emcee goers premed irons the generally expressed popular
will% bat la the rineeet instance this was not the cem. The
queoli9u was only brought forward on account of the
French commercial misty, in order to pent a few Aargau
Jews the same right of settlement se the French. For the
Became the matter was not peeing soon& to require •
more extensive redone.
X. of BeslairederalCouneMereDubsthdHowegger,
of Zurich, M. Vey. of Geneva, and M. Girard, ollisahhatal,
opposed this opinion. It wee certain that the potent
constitution contained many peiedioes, and the soon&
ooeiddered as more visabb 00W1111110 eliminate them
before being geedu to do so by the people. A spanker, IL
asr had had said that every ocartitation meet be • serious
sluTrhis was the ems with the coratitasion of VMS.
whith had been the ofhpring of s greet popular movernent.
Sack an act had not, howorerOpto be emht *July
la marthing balances spinet each other, bet she in sit.
tbdiorru in oodblood to remove delloisneim
gads rise to &datums- A chief neemnity of ev
eo baton wee that it should afford the means
material pogrom.
The ramll of the long debt wee an almost unanimous
resolution to enter upon the whims, and thoom-
=Me it at the ensuing sitting,
in encorderios with the
report brought in by the oonuniedon.