The Express.
London, England, 1856-10-14 00:00:00

ITALY.

PUBLIC EXCITEMENT AT NAPLES.
(MOM 001 OWN CONNISPOINDINL)
NAPLES, Oct. 9.
The public spirit of Naples has been raised to the
highest pitch of hope and excitement by the reports
which have arrived through the medium of the news-
papers. Every one is on the look-out for the fleet,
and I have heard of hundreds who last Sunday
mounted a tower near here in hopes of welcoming
the promised salvation. Indeed, such a spirit ham
been raised as it will be found very difficult to lay,
except by a full satisfaction of the hopes to which
diplomacy has given birth. Nor must it be imagined
that such excitement indicates any exaggerated
views or expectations, bat an the contrary, that
full and entire dependence on the Western
Powers which can alone save them from ex-
cesses. I believe that the tendency of events has
indeed been of late to lead to the formation of •
greater unity of opinion and of action. Mazsinians
do not and never did exist here as a party; nor, in
fact, did I ever meet with one single individual who
favoured his sentiments. Republicanism under any
conditions has no friends here. Nor is Muratiem at
present in better circumstances. A scrutiny has
been made very recently with not the elightest sew-
oar, and the people, as it seems to me, are daily
more and more persuaded of the necessity,
palatal as it may be, of rallying round the
actual dynasty, but not the actual sovereign.
Between Ferdinand IL and the Neapolitans
there can never more be any confidence, or respect, or
love. As the King never has forgiven and will
forgive his subjects, so neither will they forgive or
ever believe in their sovereign. There is no oath
that man has ever invented or God has ever mo-
tioned sufficiently strong to bind him, and were he,
therefore, to give the ooestitution to-morrow morn-
ing men would reject the gift, and perhaps supplicate
his Majesty to resume it, so fully persuaded are they
that their acceptance of it would turn to their ruin.
The idea, therefore, which appears to me to gain in-
creasing favour is the abdication of his Majesty and the
secession ofFrancis 11. with a constitution under foreign
guarantees. The friends of royalty might be induced
to accept each • solution easily, and even ultra-
liberal., hating thougrhegrq do the Bourbons, would,
amongst many evils, this as the least. As for
the masses, the son of his mother would be welcomed
by them witlienthueisam, so that were Francis 11. pro-
claimed to morrow morning, all the suffrages would
be united in his favour. The fatties might possibly
condemn the choice, bat it is felt at present to be a
certain fact that Ferdinand IL would be impossible
with a constitution, and that he would be, as he is, in-
tolerable without it. I believe that I have given
you • faithful picture of the state of parties, and
separately described the tendency of public opinion ;
there is nothing exaggerated or violent about it, and
there is an increasing simplification of the ease, now
that all other ideas are eliminated, and whether from
personal affection or from necessity, most are
disposed to support Francis 11. with the constitution.
Perhaps, too, eves the personal friends of Ferdinand,
seeing the position into which his madness has
brought hint, ham which he eamnot advance with
consistency nor recede with dignity, would be
disposed to counsel an abdication as the only mode
of saving his honour. I think ouch a disposition
exist , and much to be desired is it that it should
find and acquire daily greater influence, for of
one thing are the Neapolitans assured, that
the continued rule of the actual sovereign can
be reconciled with either the pesos, the satis-
faction, or the progress of his people. I wish I could
inspire you with a thousandth part of the conviction
which prevails here that his ideas of government are
to Ferdinand IL a religion to which he has in his
conscience sworn : he is God's elect—his rights are
divine—the Madsen and saints protect hint, and
whatever oaths or promises he may make in contra-
diction of such sentiments would be always regarded
by him as secondary and inferior to the one great oath
which he has sworn to himself, to maintain hie
assumed rights intact.
His Majesty, since his interview with the Austrian I
minister, General Martini, has been much changed in
manner, and those who have seen him describe him
as carolling and chuckling with joy.
Despatches for the admiral from Malts arrived
here last Saturday, and many letters for officers on
board the vessels expected here have been waiting for
some time. Unless, therefore, any change has taken
place in the policy of the allies, or King Ferdinand has
given in, the Beet, I suppose, may be expected
shortly. I will not contemplate the possibility of the
British government receding from its resolution, and
leaving the Neapolitans to the mercy of the Aseolnto
Padrone. Such a dectiiion would to them be fraught
with misery, and to us with dishonour; and it is to
be hoped, on the contrary, that there will be an
intervention, and that it will be made not
for mere haltandlialt 'measures. It ha, been asserted
during the whole week by the royalist party that
every difficulty has been arranged. lam not aware,
however, of any change which has taken place in
the position of things. There has been great talk,
too, of a new ministry about to be formed; and of the
inauguration of a new state of things. Even the very
names of those who are to be called to power have
been given out, such as Print. Batrisno,
and Camaro. Unless, however, the system of go-
vernment be thoroughly changed, I have no idea
that thee* men would accept office; nod until
the screw be put on I do not think that
any change will take place. What, in fact, has
originated all this talk, or what led to the mild sen-
tences which were pronounced the other day f Does
any one imagine that those things inlaid have hap-
pened but for distant threats P By the bye, even
those who were acquitted are not yet fees. So
diffionit and dreaded a thing is freedom here.
The French surveying vessel the Meteor was yes-
terday sounding in the bay just outside the port, and
as this is the site where foreign ships of war usually
anchor, a report was instantly set about that the fleet
might be expected directly.
Some very extraordinary and extensive robberies
have taken place within the last week in the houses of
M. Lefevre, the Princess Bt. Elia, and Barone, the great
collector. From the first and second, besides other
property of great value, it appears that diamonds
and jewels have been taken, and people speak of
upwards of 50,000 ducats a. being the value of what
was robbed in the boom of Lateen. From Be-
rove have been taken a quantity of gold imperial
coins, silver coins, and • great deal else, to the
amount of 13,000 ducats. False keys appear to have
been used and advantage taken of the absence of fami-
lies in the country at this season of the year. Several
persons have been arrested ; and to one man who
was suspected of having swallowed some diamonds,
strong medicines were administered with moat happy
effect—the diamonds came forth.