The Express.
London, England, 1856-05-19 00:00:00

ITALY.

-e-
MOW OIIR OWN 001

NAPLES, MAT 12.
His Majesty has been ordering the construction of
roads near Ave Moo, the effect of which will be
almost to isolate Beneventum. He has also ordered
the construction of five new fortifications at Gaeta,
and has given directions for fortifying the island of
Sora. Add to this that the commanders of the for-
tified places en the coast Lave been summoned to
Caserta. There has been, therefore, a great display
of civil and military engineering, one consequence of
which will be to add to the expenses of the budget.
"It is with great diflitulty," said a merchant to ire,
"that either I or any one can get any payment oat of
the Treasury." I believe that the Minister of Finance
retards them, so as to induce complaints, and
thus get almost the only possible check to the'
expenditure of the King upon his hobbies.
His Majesty has not, however, up to the present
moment, ordered an amet sty or any ameliorations in
the government; sad iudeed, as he does not perceive
the necessity for any changes, it is a little too much
to expect that any will be made. No oue anticipates
any; but supposing an amnesty were granted, it
world only be accepted by those in prison as an act
of most tardy justice, whilst most of the exiles would
fear to place themselves in the power of one in whore
word and honour they have no faith. The 30:11
is the royal name day. "Let us wait," say some,
" and see what it will bring forth;" but all the ante-
cedents of his Majesty justify one in believing that
nothing will be done but upon compulsion.
The secret police are very active in trying to ascot-
tain what are the opinions and !eelisgs of the people,
with a view to check and punish ; and no regret
would be felt, I think, at any disturbance which might
have the effect of compromising the liberals, giving
the semblance of necessity to any harsh measure,.
Thus in Campo Basso it was spread abroad, by in-
sinuation of government, that a constitution would
shortly be given and an amnesty granted. The re-
joicings of the unwary betrayed their sentiments to
the police. The good news was contradicted on the
following day, and a petition against the restoration
of the constitution was carried about amongst the
merchants for signature.
In the communes of Grumo St. Antimo, and
Cosandrino, in the neighbourhood of the capital,
several arrests have been made on the ground that
the parties had said that in a shoe time the consti-
tution would be re-established by fbreign it finence.
In fact, the greatest caution is observed in not per-
mitting any allusion either to an amnesty or any in-
novations. That such a course should be so obsti-
nately persevered in at the present moment strikes
one with wonder, and appears to be little short of
madness, but for the tact of the truth of which I am
assured that, notwithstanding appearances, the
counsel of Austria has been, up to the present mo-
ment, to resist all remonstrances, all tendency to
change. Of course this must be the game of Austria:
she only wants an excuse for continued interference
and occupation, and that excuse will always exist as
long as justice is unknown in Daly.
Scarcely any fresh purchases of grain have been
made for exportation. Wheat has risen to 2.15
per tomolo, or full 3s. per quarter, and the exchange
on London has fallen to 533. Our weather has been
wretchedly cold, rainy and stormy, and to this princi-
pally is to be attributed the rise in the price of grain.