The Express.
London, England, 1848-11-28 00:00:00

ITALY.

THE POPE BESIEGED IN HIS PALACE.
We yesterday gavo particulars of the insurrection
at Dome, to which we now append the letter of our
correspondent:
ROME, Nov. 16.
After the death of Rossi a sullen pause ensued,
in which the day closed, and we hoped last
evening that the holocaust of that obnoxious politi-
cian would have appeased the fierce democracy. It is
true that towards evening groups of mingled soldiers
and citizens, with lighted torches, were heard sing-
ing in charm along the streets:
Benedetta quite mano
Che 11 tiranno (Rated) impala.

which is only a translation of the Greek ditty about
Harmodius and Aristogeiton. But during the night
the popular ringleaders were on the alert, and every-
thing was organised for a demonstration to-day.
This morning, at half-past 10, a gathering began in
the great square del Popolo, and symptoms of a me-
nacing character to any eye cognisant ot Roman pe-
culiarities were perceptible in the leading streets.
The civic guards and troops of the line in fragmentary
sections commingled with the people and the cara-
bineere, whose uniform had hitherto been invariably
arrayed against the populace, were now for the first
time seen to fraternise with the mob. From the
terrace of the Pincian-hill the spectator could
count nearly 20,000 Romans. in threatening
groups, and mostly armed. Printed papers
were handed eagerly about, all having the
same purport, and containing the following
" Fundamental Points : —l. Promulgation and full
adoption of Italian nationality. 2. Convocation of a
constituent assembly and realisation of the federal
pact. 3. Realisation of the vote for the war of inde-
pendence given in the Chamber of Deputies. 4.
Adoption in its integrity of the Programme Mamiani,
sth Jane. 5. Ministers who have public confidence
—Mamiani, Sterbini, Cambello, Saliceti, Femoral, La-
nati, Sereni, Galletti."
Their ostensible object wu to proceed with these
five points to the Chamber of Deputies in a constitu-
tional manner. Bat the chiefs finding themselves in
such unlooked for force of numbers, and many of the
deputies being found mixed up with the crowd, the
cry was raised to march to the Pope's palace, and
accordingly the procession moved on orderly enough
through the Corso, another column advancing
through the Babuino, and reaching the Qui-
rinal by the avenue opened by Sextus Quintus.
It was now one o'clock. The members of the
chamber presented themselves as the mouth-
piece of the multitude, and transmitted the five
points to the monarch. In about ten minutes
the president of the late ministerial council, Cardinal
Snits, came forth from the private apartments, and
informed the deputation that his Holiness would re-
flect on the subject, and take it into his best consider-
ation. This angora was proclaimed to the people,
but a general murmur of dissatisfaction gave evidence
of its insufficiency to meet the crisis, and the crowd
insisted on the deputation getting a personal audience
with the Pope. This was obtained, and in about a
quarter of an hour Galletti, the ex-police minister
(and, strange to say, for such a functionary, the most
popular man in Rome) appeared on the balcony to
acquaint the people that the Pope had positively de-
clined adhesion to their request, and had stated that
"he would not brook dictation." It was now 2 o'clock.
The position of the Pontiff began to grow ethical.
All the avenues of the Quirinal Palace were blocked
up by dense crowds, and as no preparation had been
made for this unanticipated influx of visitors' there
was but the usual small detachment of Swiss guards
on duty. These men were known to be resolute, and
had there been but a few more of them, the monarch
might have cut his way through the mob and gained
Sikhism in the Appenines, whither it had often been a
question of retiring front the rabble of Rome on pre-
vious outbreaks. As it was, one of the advanced sen-
tinels having been seized andi disarmed by the mob,
the Swiss body-guard instantly flung back and barred
the gates of the palace, presenting their muskets, in
readiness to fire at once on the immense mass of mul-
titude which beleaguered the Quirinal.
At this stage of the proceedings it was evident that
the die was cast. From the back streets men emerged
bearing aloft long ladders wherewith to sc24huton-
tifical abode; carts and waggons were up
and ranged within musket-shot of the win owe to
protect the assailants in their determined attack on
the palace; the cry was, "to arms, to arms," and
musketry began to bristle in the approaches from
every direction; faggots were produced and piled up
against one of the condemned guts of the building,

to which the mob was in ellact of seines
grs
a beige discharge of firelocks scattered the •—`
in that quarter.
The multitude began now to perceive that thee would be a determined resistance to their.
_further eh,
rations, but were confident that the Quitted, if ist
taken by storm, must yield to progressive latest
The drums wore now beating throughout the
and the disbanded groups of regular troops and As
bineers reinforcing the hoethe display of assed**
and rerderiog it truly formidable. nandom desta
were aimed at the windows, and duly responded the outposts, one after another, being taker, by est les
people, the garrison within being too scanty to aft
the outworks. The belfry of St. Carlin°, lAA
' commands the structure, woe occupied. Frail*.
hind the equestrian statues of Castor and Penh
a group of sharpshooters plied their rifles, and shut
4 o'clock Monsignor Palma, private secretary he eis
Holiness,was killed by a bullet penetrating hiseeeehat
As if upwards of 6,000 troops of all ranks were ace
considered enough to reduce the little genie* of a
couple of dozen Swiss, two 6-pounders now appellee
on the scene, and were drawn up and duly mew
against the main gate, and a truce haring been po.
claimed, another deputation claimed entrance lad
audience of the Pope, which the monarch ordered *
be allowed. The deputation were bearers of the
people's tillunntrws, which was a reproduction of th
five points before stated, and they now declared thee
they would allow his Holiness ote hour to comider,
after which, if not adored, they announced the*
firm purpose to break into the Quirinal and mete
death every inmate thereof, with the sole and single
exception of his Holiness himself.
Pins the Ninth no longer hesitated, but eent fee
Galletti, with whom he remained in conference feee
six till nearly seven, when the following new minis.
try was formally proclaimed to the people :—F
Affairs, :detained; Homo and Police, Galletti; F.
nance, Lunati ; Commerce and Public Work, Stee.
bini; War Minister, Cambelln • Public Instructiaz
and President of the Council, leismini. You will see
that the last distinguished name is the only one which
the Pope bus determined should be of his own seise.
lion ; the others are all tamed by the people. Sten
bini is the leading writer in the Gotemporaneo, and
has often figured in this correspondence. The genies
and orthodoxy of Hostaini, who presides over a minis.
try so composed, will have ample scope for exercies,
And so we now retire to rest after one of the mod
startling days which even this eternal city has bilis*

Nov. 1 I.—To-day is calm, and quiet seems nsterni.
The Swiss guards, whose bravery in the admiration et
all but the Romans, are no longer to be around the
person of Pius, whom they so gallantly defended.
The eon of Rossi, standing over the dead body of
hie father, vowed awful vengeance on the mordent,
whom he says he will devote his life to discover and
kill. The Duchess of Rignano had written a moat
pressing letter tr the prime minister, cautioning him
not to attend the senate-house on the opening day,
The document was found on his person. The tabu.
Radon of France and Russia were inside the Quintal
while the onslaught lasted, a space of three ken.
The whole facade of the building is riddled with
musket halls. Tile influence of these two days' events
on the rest of this peninsula is incalculable.