The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-24 00:00:00

ITALY.

A Turin letter of the 19th, in the Debate, says :
The news that Francis H. had refused the armistice has
been a surprise to everybody here. It was thought that the
young King would take advantage of the negotiations pro-
posed by a friendly power to escape with honour from his
present awkward position. He has, however, shown no
disposition to do so. The withdrawal of the French Beet
is here considered rutin, necessary consequence of his refus-
ing the armistice, sad great hopes are entertained that the
place will not hold out long when attacked both by sea
and land. It is supposed that Francis 11. expects to pro-
long his existeuce till spring, which does not appear very
likely. Perhaps lie indulges illusions as to the extent of
the royalist reaction in tho Abrnui. The Italian
tutin the interest of Austria all notice the
amphlet, the ►ppearance of which is ear-
tahily the event of the day in Italy. The Verona Journal
reprints the whole of it, and adds a commentary of exceed-
ing violence. If these journals express the real sentiments
of the Vienna cabinet, there is nothing to be hoped from
negotiations, sod it is easy to undendand why Francis IL
prolongs his resistance The mobilised national guard of
Modena left yesterday, and the battalion from Perugia is to
arrive to-morrow.

The Monitors della Guardia Nazionak of Naples,
says
Os the 15th the King gave • grand banquet, at which
many ladies and many superior officers of the army were
present. Hui Majesty was in excellent spirit', and at the
end of the banquet announced that he had just been in-
formed that the French dent would leave Gaeta in • few
days.
Count Pepoli, royal commissioner in Umbria,
continues to display the greatest activity in encou-
raging and introducing reforms. Immediately after
his decree suppressing convents, he had published
another, dated the I3th, in which, adverting to the
Minimise prevalence of vagrancy and mendicity,
especially in the case of children, he orders houses
of refuge for mendicants to bo opened, and also
assigns 100 000 f. (to be taken from the tax of 2 Per
cent. levied upon all ecclesiastical property) for the
encouragement of infant schools, the relief of work-
men's families, and providing work for thaw who
are iu want of it.

A communication from Rome, of the 16th, pub-
lished by the Gazette du Midi, a legitimist journal,
contains the following information respecting
Gaeta :

On the 7th inst. General Cialdini informed the coin.
=admit of the fortress that he ceased tiring in obedience
to orders from Victor &amend. The following day be
sent a flag of truce to propose a suspenaion of anus far three
months, and that meanwhile lie should be left in peaceable
possession of the Bourg. The Senlinians wanted (as was
soon seen front their own admission) to employ that time in
dunning their works unopposed. The -King, suspecting
some rare, replied that he wanted no truce, end conse-
quently should not cease firing from the fortress yule',
the Piedmontese raised the siege. After this refusal a
Sardinian steamer entered the port of Gaeta, with a lig
of truce to repeat the'propoul of a trues and offer the
King a free passage from the fortress for all the UM'
less troops whom his Majesty might wish to gold to
their homes. Thu King again refused to listen to any
propoaals unless the lialmontase retired beyond the Gari-
gliano. Two Sardinian brigs laden with provisions and asr
stores for the Piedmontese army, having been driven by s
storm into the Bay of Gaeta, were rimers' by a steamer of
the royal navy. Part of the provisions on boon' was true
shipped and sent to Measles to residual the citadeL The
governor of that fortress, General Pergola, has formally
signified to the authorities of the town what be hail already
declared to the Piedmontese, that he should only surrender
the place on receiving a written order to that effect from
King Francis 11. Gaeta is well supplied with provisours
and military stores, thanks to the zeal soil talent of
Lieutenaut-Colunel A/an de ltivera, of the artilloy,
who may be called the Totlehen of this siege. lie
has just succeeded in rifling an MO-pounder, which
has been found to carry well. This skilful officer has un-
dertakeu to rifle a similar gun daily, so that the artilloy of
Ulu fortress will soon be in no way itiferi,r to that of ire
liesiegers. The pyrotechnical workshops, directed by s
native of Toulon, an old pupil of the witted of 4h t; turns
out daily a great quantity of booths and projectiles ei dl
aorta. Lastly, the magazines abound in everythiug veer-
um The King himself is commandant of the fortze.f,
sod has under his orders Lieut.-General Viral, Ite
flatten, Sigrist, and Marshal Count de Tour. Gen, oil
Bosco, who is idolised by the soldiers, commands in all
sorties. The artillery on the land side is very 'tidy •lire.Pd
by Colonel Oaeoni. *Among the officers ,/ the star .rd
leveret Frenchmen, viz., MM. Urbain de 'burette. rel.!'
di Borgo, De Puyferrat, De Lautreo, Dc CM isten,
court, Lc.

Sine FROM CHINA.—The clipper viiip Ballarat,
which sailed from Shanghai on the 10th ..f September lot.
bound to London, was off Plymouth at 8 e.lO. on t 7. la)
last. Captain Jones, her commander, ronaliou;cutoll
Mr. Willi:oche, the 'west for the owner, I. Punic!. L-1..
sending in his despatches by one of our pilot cotter.. TA'
Ballarat bass valuable cargo of 3,200 1.81,a of salt. `,
an. o!' Ito f.U..-“rd on the COth lost., ~t n ;1 •
Mortally Nro-r.