The Express.
London, England, 1866-03-28 00:00:00

JOHN LROGDEN.

ORIGINAL GOLD CHAIN MANUFACTORY,
N., 1I HENB.IIITrA-STRKET, COVINT-GARDIff.

'oarr BROGDZNI3 18-carat GOLD (MAINS.

JOHN BROGDICN'S GOLD GULRD CHAIN&

'OHNBROODINNIGOLDALBERT CHAINS.

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'TURTLE, TURTLE. TURTLE.
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al ST. JAMENS-HALL, Ity.anNT-STIMIT, PICCADILLY.
WM. DWALD. Prepeleter.

VWIST-END DINERS —The WELLING-
MS, Bt. Jamserstreet, Pteeedihr. Liles' Saloon Dialer
eass as the bit Sear. Theolisatiplias rooms ere now open.
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LONDON must have a SUPPER ad MUSK)
ROOM for Goarkonott.—Roorrestor, we watt for you at
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and Colapton.—And THE WOLIt AND 7 El LAMB.

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LONDON, PIBDNEBDAY; MARCH 28.

AN incident which has recently ooctirred at
Venice throws a strong and searching light upon
the attempts of which we hear from time to time
of the Austrian Government to coneiste its Italian

subjects, and the success of those attempts. Only
a few weeks since we were noticing one of those
periodicalperagraphsintheofficial journalsof Vienna
announcing the grant of some sort of constitution,
or at least of municipal self-government, to Vend*
and the assembling of a Central Congregation, or
Council-General, of the province, to assist the Govern-
ment in the fulfilment of its good intentions. We
should be most unwilling to suspect the present
Administration of the Austrian Empire of any de-
liberate purpose to deceive the public opinion of
Liberal Europe by these occasional displays of
benevolence. Indeed, we have sufficient faith in
the honesty and generosity of the counsels
now prevailing at Vienna to imagine that the
statesmen who have already given so many pledges
of a liberal and conciliatory policy are sincerely
anxious to prove to the world that even a navaral
portion of the Kingdom of Italy can be made
happy and contented under foreign domination.
We have heard travellers who visited Venice
last autumn (and who described the pitiable
decay and desertion, the universal beggary,
and the universal despair of the few Vene-
tians who still cling to their native city)

express their conviction that the Austrian
Government would do " almost anything" for the
Venetians if they would only accept their fate as
an inalienable possession of the Empire, and not
as a conquered country, and would resign them-
selves to the favour of their foreign rulers Instead
of fretting wearily like captives in their chains and
sickening with hopes deferred. We can very well
believe in this disposition of the Austrian Govern-
ment : for Venice as it is, with the flower of its
youth, the pith of its manhood, the strength of its
aristocracy and middle classes, in voluntary exile,
serving in the army or the navy of Italy, en-
riching and adorning the parliament, the bar,
the commerce, the arts, and the edemas of
Italy, is a sore disgrace to an Empire which begins
to pride itself on the happiness and freedom of its
population; and a grievous toes to an Empire
borne down with debt and struggling to meet its
engagements with honour, in order to convince
capitalists of its resources. We could imagine
Austria consenting to make Venice a free city,
nay, even a free Republican city, ender the pro-
tectorate of the Empire, if even on these terms an
Austrian governor would be visited, and Austrian
sovereignty accepted. It has been the constant and
systematic policy of Vienna to sacrifice Venice to
Trieste ; and so sucoesafully has this policy been
pursued that Venice, as a seaport, no longer eras.
There is scarcely a coaster to be seen at the mouth
of the Canal, and the arrival of a British coal brig
is an event. We dare say the Austrian Govern-
ment would do its best to bring back trade and
shipping to the Lavine; to deepen the channel; to
make the old Arsenal alive again with armaments
and constructions, and to do all that will sasuredly
be done when Venice belongs to Italy ageln.
But the plain fact, which has always been ob-
vious enough to all disinterested witnesses, if
not to the statesmen of Vienna, is that on
no terms or conditions, however exceptionally
favourable, will Venice or Venetia consent to
separation from Italy, or accept the sovereignty of
Austria. The following incident, which has sug-
gested these remarks, is but one more super-
fluous proof of a self evident proposition. And
we can only hope that the Cabinet of Vienna will
have too much respect for public opinion in future
to trouble itself with announcements of a "liberal
" constitution for Venetia."
There is a Municipal Council at Venice, not-

withstanding the reluctance of any respectable
Venetian to accept even a civic function under an
Austrian Governor. This Council has for
several years been presided over by Count
BEMS% an amiable gentleman, who has incurred
the deep displeasure and suspicion of his fellow-
citizens by his Austrian sympathies and preclilee
tions. The other day Count Toonirrinuto, the
Austrian Civil Governor of Venice, invited Count
Basuto to use his influence with the Municipal
Council to vote a considerable sum by way of sub-
aidy towards opening the Opera-house, which has
remained closed for many years, for the simple
reason that no Venetian would enter it, and Aus-
trian officers and their families could not, by the
most constant attendance, make it pay its expenses.
Count Benno, it appears, declined to comply with
the request, on the ground that the municipality
was already in debt, and could not afford such a
charge. This refusal, though conveyed in the
politest terms, so exasperated the Civil Governor,
that he wrote Count BEMBO a most insulting let-
ter, which Count BIGKEO acknowledged with per-
fect dignity and temper by the instant and uncon-
ditional resignation of his office of Podolia.
Thereupon the asressori niunicipali, or acting
members of the mencipality, being informed of
their chief's resignation, and of its cause, sent in
their resignations also,witich **Austrian governor
requested them to withdraw, but in rain. Here,