The Express.
London, England, 1858-04-03 00:00:00

ITALY.

PIEDMONT.
(710 X 0111 OWN COOMISPONDINT.)
TURIN, blescx 30.
The discussion upon the Conspiracy Bill will not
commence in our Chamber of Deputies until after
Easter. People's minds continue to be much
divided, and it will be one of the wannest and most
stormy controversies that have ever arisen in our
parliamentary arena. The clerical party of the
Right flatters itself that it will be able to render
even the existence of the ministry very precarious,
and already puts forward the names of Revel, Mena-
brea, and one or two others, as its successors. But
the country is aware that, should Cavour have
fallen, and liberal principles have been overcome,
Revefhimself would serve but as a stepping-stone
for the advent of a merely reactionary ministry. I
have therefore no doubt that the law to which I refer
will obtain a sufficient majority of suffrages. Several
most honourable members of the Left side will give
their votes for it, and some worthy deputies who
are accustomed to vote with the Right will do
likewise. It is true that the latter mean to with-
draw when the Chamber has to decide on the adop-
tion of an amendment which some members intend
to propose, and the effect of which is, that all offences
of the press, including also those relating to reli-
gious matters, shall be submitted to the verdict of a
jury. In consideration of this, Buffs and Miglietti,
who form the minority of the committee, will abstain
from introducing this amendment into their counter-
project. Another event may yet occur which in-
deed would bring about a different modification of
the bill. A journal published at Oneglia, entitled
Il Pensiero, is now awaiting trial for
having commended regicide, and Brofferio has
been selected as advocate for the defence.
Now, if the tribunal should condemn Il Pensiero, a
cry will be raised by many people about the need-
lessness of that provision in the second part of the
bill, by which penalties are decreed for publishing
an apology for political assassination, this being
sufficiently provided for by the existing laws. You
are aware that Brofferio has been requested by the
family of young Hodge to undertake the conduct of
his case, should it be requisite ; but it will certainly
not be requisite. The English and the Sardinian
governmnits have acted in this affair with great
humanity, and France is now content with your im-
prudent though generous young countryman being
subjected to a strict interrogatory. From the prison
he has been transferred to the Hospital dei Certi-
fied here in Turin, because he is much affected with
cheat disease. He does not deny having furnished
Orsini with a good deal of money, but
meets that he did not know for what purpose it was
to be employed, and that the Italian cause seemed to
him one so fair and noble that he would willingly
have bestowed upon it the remainder of his private
property.
The soundest and most generally prevailing opinion
in Genoa is that the sentences passed by the tribunal
upon those concerned in the conspiracy of last year
are tolerably mild, considering the excessive severity
and inexorable provisions of our penal code, except-
ing that the condemnation to many years' imprison-
ment of Savio, chief editor of the Ytalia del Popolo,
is regarded es enormous, and not exactly in ac-
cordance with the laws. The tribunal wished to
punish, in Savio, the moral agent and instiga.or of
the conspiracy, but, fortunately, our legislation
opon the press does not supply. the means of con-
demning any one under what is called in France
proefs de tendanee.

We are waiting in Piedmont with some nnoer-
tainty and anxiety to see what turn the new policy
of the English government will take—if it does take
a new turn—and what will be the character of the
system of military police which Napoleon 111. seems
to aim at establishing. His first idea appears to
have been to cover all Europe with an army of his
own police agents, and so provide a vast network of
reports and informations, all brought to a head in
the office of the Rue de Jerusalem at Paris. I am
enabled to assure you that the Due de Orammont at
Rome has condoled with the Papal government upon
the lack of ability displayed by lus police, and has
offered, in the Emperor's name, to send thither thirty
or forty French employes to come in aid of the Wei-
perienee of the local authorities. Cardinal Antonelli ,
sets this proposal aside as well as he can, but per.