The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-25 00:00:00

litudinous and famished host of functionaries of

the dispossessed Governments and the absorbed
States, who must either be pensioned off or other-
wise provided for. Here we see one sufficient cause
of the ruinous expenditure of the Italian Govern-
ment since 1859. Another cause was of course
the maintenance of the army and navy on a war
footing, and the continual preparation for an in-
evitable war. Another demand for expenditure has
arisen out of the brigandage in the Neapolitan
provinces. Then came the transfer of the capital
to Florence; an affair of some two millions
sterling. To these items must be added the
cost of consolidating the various provincial admi-
nistrations, and the heavy charges of debt with
which the liberated provinces were themselves
burdened. When all these difficulties and ember-

easements are fairly estimated, with no doubt a
further due allowance for incompetence in the
chiefs, and carelessness in the subordinate officials
of the departments, we shall find full explanation
of the origin of the financial crisis through which
the country is at present passing. But, unhappily,
to understand the cause does not in this instance
suggest the means of remedy. Some of the
burdens are permanent, and only on some can
retrenchment be practised. And the problem is
bow to adapt, and how far to push economy in
these departments, so as to diminish the load
without increasing the discontent, or impairing the
effective organization of the public service.
The new Parliament, in which Venetian depu-
ties will take their places, and we hope will
exhibit something of the political genius of their
illustrious ancestors, will, if we are to judge by
the present aspect of public opinion throughout the
'country, demand a severe and sweeping revision
and reform of all the branches of public expendi-
ture. The difficulties are immense, and to grapple
with them will require a stronger-headed statesman
than has yet been found since the death of CAvoun.
Will such a man appear when he is called for by
the whole nation f Well-meaning, honest political
labourers are happily not wanting in Italy ; but
statesmen who are indifferent to popularity, and
who poetpone the interests of their parliamentary
constituents, preferring the duty to their country,
these are the prodigies to be sought for, and not
easily to be discovered. One of the first
measures of such a thorough administrative
reform as the true interests of Italy
demand would be to send home some 150,000
useless and unproductive employs—an army of
lazy and incompetent martyrs. Such a measure
would, no [doubt, provoke a tempest of remon-
strance. But surely if 300,000 men who have
been enrolled to venture their lives on the battle-
field for their country are to be disbanded (as they
ought to be), it will not be deemed unreason-
able to insist that men who have risked nothing
shall be sent home to earn an honest livelihood
is the fields, in counting-houses, in merchant
'ships, and railways, instead of standing idle
in the service of the State, and burden-
ing the unfortunate and helpless taxpayers f
This, however, we must confess, is more easily
said than done. Before 1859 a thorough edema-
wistrative reform and retrenchment were in con-
Aleinplation. Count CAvoua, who sometimes held
Miree and four departments at once, spoke of it as
an urgent necessity ; and yet year after year,
.eamaparatively trifling as would have been that re-
.fiersn with the Aegean operation now demanded in
:the southern provinces, that courageous, power-
Minister, who flinched from nothing that
'became a responsible Minister, felt himself
'retaccemtered and arrested by difficulties which
dew from him, when the subject was mentioned
le him in private, audible groans. And now
CAVOUR'S successes will have to encounter, in the

Southern provinces aloe

which the administratioi

of economy and efficiency.
of administrative esspioyis,
by each successive Ministry, that must be dealt
with, as only second to the brigandage in the
South in mischief to the country. Brigandage is
the legacy of the Rol:won, and so is the degrad-
ing and unmanly mendicity which claims to be idle
in public offices. Better to pension thousands of
these idlers off and, so to speak, capitalise their
cost, than permit so pernicious an example to
impoverish the morality even more than
the treasury of the State. It is not only
the central administration that must be cut down :
it is the growth of fanctionerisva which, after the
manner of Franoe, whose institutions Italian states-
men have been too prone to oopy, infects every pro-
vince and every commune. We do trust that out
of the new Parliament a new race and order of
statesmen may spring who will enable Italy to
become as rich and prosperous as a country so
endowed by nature, so happily situated, peopled
by so intelligent a race, was certainly destined to
become when its unity was accomplished. Report
speaks highly of the present Finance Minister,
Signor SCIALOJA, who's attainments and reputa-
tion are favourably known to all economists. As
soon as peace is signed with Austria and full pos-
session of Venice is secured, Italy will undoubtedly
disarm, and we hear that the Minister of Finance
will lose no time in proposing decisive measures
for balancing national expenditure and income
without recourse to great loans or increased taxa-
tion, and for developing progressively the unimpaired
national resources of the Peninsula.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

cmis DAY.)

of t life of

au
it-
•

is simply

bugbear. it away giald be a piece I
of wickedness andfolly, which ought to be left to reckless
visionaries like Yr. Bright.
Returning to the clandestine abduction of IL Lemirande
from Canada, under the light of new facts which have
become known, the Day News represents the ease to
stand now as follows :—A French subject is a refugee in
Canada ; a French detective presents himself to require hi. ,
extradition ; the English governor and English judges Fr. I
coed to decide and act in the matter according to law, when
a French Canadian attorney-general sad a French Canadian
head-constable conspire to take the prisoner out of British
jurisdiction, and the refugee is now in France inditing
memorials to the British ambassador from a French prison.
The Daily New regrets to say that the farts have bees
laid before our Colocial.offiee, within the oognisance of
which they mere immediately fall, but that the Earl d .
Carnarvon has declined to promise to bike any steps in tha
matter. Such a decision, however, cannot be regarded is ,
finsL Our ministers must see that it is impassible fat
them to keep two weights and two meseares—one for Eng.
land and another for the colonies. What cannot be done
here must on no account be allowed in Canada, and it is
superfluous to remark that j,tbe public opinion of this
country would soon put an end to extradition treaties
altogether if such proceedings se these took place in Eng-
land.

The Prince dui Princess of Wake, with the
young Princes, &pompom/0d by their suite, left Abergeldie
Castle yesterday Morning, to pay a visit to the Duke and
Duchess of Satberland at Dunrobin Castle..
The Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury have
entertained a *elect circle of visitors at Hatfield during the
past week. including Lord and Lady Flury and Hiss
Grosvenor, Lord and Lady Gilbert Kennedy, Lady Bulwer,
Earl of Cadogan, Earl of Clanwilliam, Lord Stanley, Lord

Ashley, and ill.. Verdon.
The Lord Chancellor and Lady Chelmsford and

--- ---
the Hon. Mile Meeker, who have been staying at Peas-
atone, hnve lett that watering-plaes on a;vieit to Sir P. A.

Dyke, at his seat near Maidstone.
A marriage will shortly take plaoe between Sir
Charles Mordaunt, Bart., M.P. for South Warwickshire,
and Miss Harriett Moncreiffe, fourth daughter of Sir

Thomas and Lady Louisa ?donereiffe.
Mr. H. E. Chatterton has addressed a circular
to the electors of the University of Dublin, in anticipa-
.

--- .
tion of the vseeney which is expected to occur through the
promotion of the Attorney-Gemeral to the office of Master
_ _ _

of the BAIL.
Extensive building additions are in progress in

connexion with the Queen's College, Belfast. In cones'
quence of the increasing importance of the medical class
the buildings intended for the anatomical school have
been entirely remodelled at • cost of about 3,0001. A
very spacious museum has been added, which, with the
professors' rooms, lecture-rooms, km, will be fitted up to
meet all the requirements of the medical faculty, and
make this one of the most complete departments of the col-
lage. A college library is also in progress, at a cost of
about 6,0001., and the design of the building promises to
be as attractive as its internal arrangements will be con-
venient. _ .

The present opera session in Dublin has, so
far, been extremely snooessfuL The theatre has been
crowded every night, and the artistes have every reams to
be gratified with their reception. The company oomprises
Tietjens, Signor Mario, Madame de Maio Lablache,
Mr. Santley, Signor Bassi, and several others.
A letter from Vienna says :—" The Emperor's

reception of the Prussian Minister a few days ago was of •
formal character, but it is said his Majesty let fall words
which Baron Werther could not take amiss. His Majesty
must have many painful ordeals to go through. On Thurs-
day he held an audienoe at yid& some 300 carers, many
of them maimed or wounded, were present, and in the
midst of the throng there glided a lady in deep mourning,
followed by six daughters all draped in black. The poorest
subject who has a petition to make has only to write his or
her name in the book beforehand to have a personal inter-
view with the Emperor of Austria, and mad must be the
tales and woeful the petitions whioh are poured into the
411171 of that grave and careworn man."
The French Post-office authorities have recently
authorised the issue of two new postage-stamps, one of 30
centimes and the other of Mr. The colour of the first will
be chestnut, and the second violet.
The Mayor of Lille has published an order by
which the inhabitants of that city are forbidden under
penalty to keeps pigs, pigeons, rabbits, geese, ducks, hens'
or guinea pip, his worship having discovered the effluvia
which arises from the said animals and birds to be in.
jurious to public health. Any person who desires to
keep such pets must apply to him for special permission,
and prove that they have proper accommodation for them.
No foreign dogs, it is said, are allowed to palm
the Prussian frontier. A passport from the Prussian
Ambassador in London will not avail to gain admittance
into Prussia to the smallest and most inoffensive lap-
dog. Pap, as more ferocious, are instantly seised and
gibbeted.
A sad affliction has fallen on the family of the
great surgeon, M. Makin. M. de Booneville, whose mar.
riage contract with M. Nekton's daughter was signed last
January by the Emperor, was standing in his farm-yard
giving orders to his steward, behind a cart to which three
horses were hammed. M. de Baaneville happened to be
leaning against a wall when the horses suddenly backed.
M. de Baaneville instantly stooped and tried to get under
the body of the cart. In the attempt, his head was caught
and literally crushed by one of the huge back wheels with
such frightful violence that part of the brain and hair
were found adhering to the wheel. M. de Basneville had
just entered his thirtieth year, and leaves his yoeng wife
enceinte.

snow has made its appearance on some of the
higher peaks of the Pyrenees.
A letter from Douarnenez (Finiaterre) states that
the sardine fishery continues to be unusually productive.
On one day two boats captured respectively 37,200 and
35,800 of those fish, and several others from 20,000 to
24,000 each.
The direction of the Poet-office at Hanover
announces that from the Ist of October next the Hano-
verian stamps will be replaced by Prussian.
Prince Napoleon is said to have abandoned
his journey to Havre and his projected excursion to the
*oast of England. He has gone to visit Count Waleweld,
at his chalet near Evian.
There is one young Bohemian nobleman of whom
nothing has been heard sines the 3rd of July, although '
every effort has been made and great sums offered to se-
certain his fate. His fortune to which be has come in 1
was enormous, and the whole property is locked up, for 1
there is no proof of his death, although it is beyond doubt
that his remains he under the dank field of Koniggrats or 1
at the bottom of the Elbe.
M. Alexander Dumas, sen., is reported to be
going to publish a continuation of his novel of " Monte
Christo." The world will thus be informed of what has
become of Edmund Dante..
According to letters from Japan some of the
Japanese Dein:ice permit Europeans to shoot over their
estates. The Japanese gentlemen are getting fond of
European 'ports, such as horse•racing. They are also very
partial to the music of the bands on board the European
ships of war.
A letter from Stuttgard, speaking of the King of
Bavaria, says :—" Rumour says that, instead of occupying
himself with public affairs, he gives himself up to strange
eccentricities. Dressed as Lohengrin, he moves about upon
his lake in a boat, which is made in the form of a swan,
like the hero of Wagner's opera. He is so much enamoured
of moonlight that be has set up in his sleeping ch►mber an
►pparatus borrowed from the theatre which enables him to
bask in the chaste rays of the moon at all times and in all
gessoes. Of all the follies t►at a king may be led to OM-
mit ithese are certainly the meet innocent. They will
draw teals from none, but will, en the contrary, excite the
laughter of his subjects."
THE LIONS or ran PRESIDENT'S Excinterow.—
At Niagara a committee from a meld/ere' and sailors' asso-
ciation waited on General Grant, and requested permission
for the organisation to visit him. We quote from the
detailed account :—" 'ls it a political organisation 7'
brusquely inquired the general. ' Not at all.' 'Then
I should he glad to receive them. lam always happy to
see our soldiers and saailo►s, but I don't want anything to
do with political organisations. I don't want them
brought to me.'" At Detroit Admiral Farragut again
found ocoadoa to state quietly "that he hadaoaompanied
the party by particular request," and that he was " •
sailor, and not a speaker."—Bosion Advertiser.

..,4
tr:ii..s. }ill til SPA
b
. now h ' on the al r t of I
iki Me, b ilk +... 4. ii, . i
the
threes
too .
~ a „a' 0'"... . 0 Galata the Irish cisteel
LcY• tis' "' • ". ..
.' . grievance ; its evibi are all imaginary,
'lOOll Placemen appointed
a sentimental bugbear. To put it away