The Express.
London, England, 1859-07-26 00:00:00

NAPLES.

"We are informed," says a letter from Naples,
a the 19th," that the court-martial has just pro-
pos:wad mentenoe in the affvir of the 270 prisoners
takes in the Champ de Mere. Two of them have
been condemned tu death, and all the rest to hard
labour fur life."

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(71011 OCR OWN

PARIS, MONDATDiDIe.

Some sensation has been occasioned to-day by a
statement in the Independence Beige that England
has made a " formal proposition" for a general dis-
armament. Considerable doubts are, however,
entertained as to the authenticity of the news,
which by the way is put forth in a very question-
able and confassd shape, for although " proposed"
by England, the suggestion is said to proceed from
the " initiative" of the Emperor.
A Milan letter in the Cbrrespondance Bullier
slates that so much agitation prevails in the oily
that the mayor lately asked General de Beville, the
French commandant, for the assistance of troops if
necessary to " maintain order." The general is
mid to have answered that he had no
purer to order the army on any such service.
I look upon this statement se a feeler, and doubt
greatly whether the mayor of Milan ever made any
Inch application. I do, however, perceive symp-
toms of the approaching consummation which I
predicted from the first of the state of siege, under
French bayonets, in Central Italy. It is stated very
positively by the Independence that Marshall Cauro-
bert's corps d'armte is about to occupy Punta and
Tuscany. His lieutenant, General Bourbaki, has, I
according to one report, already arrived at Parma.
Another French army will occupy the Roman states.
The Univers puts upon a recent statement of Lord
John Russell a jesuitical interpretation which,
having a regard to surrounding circum-
stances, is not unworthy of notice. The
English prime minister, says the ultramontane
organ, states that the Emperor had no agreement
with Austria to restore the Grand Duke of Tuscany
and the Doke of Modena by force, and had no
" intention" to use force to raptor* them, but he
does not say that he may not ultimately be com-
pelled to avail himself of his troope, although he
hopes to do without them. A remarkable com-
mentary upon this suggestion is to be found in the
fiord, which, in most tangled phraseology, says
that the Emperor has no intention to prevent the
free manifestation of the within of the people

south of the Po, that he wishes to avoid any pres-
sure or intervention in the Italian provinces, but
that "high political reagens" may possibly mili-
tate spinet the annexation to Piedmont in spite of
the vote of the people, and in that PM " endeavours
will be made to reconcile the interests of Italy with
the rights and wishes of the provinces interested."
How the swishes of the -people of Tuscany
and Modena are to be reconciled with the
refusal of teem, is a problem which, difficult se it
may appear, Marshal Canzobert's bayonets will, I

hate no doubt, find means to solve. Efforts are
continually made through various channels to make
it appear that the peace of Villafranca is better for
Italy than people suppose. The Constitettionosel,

you may remember, said a few days ago that the
foetuses* of Mantua and Peachier', being in Lom-
bardy, would be given up to the King of Sardinia.
It is now certain that Austria is left in possession of
than. If the text of the treaty given by the
Animal de 'Waymire be correct, and it is
generally accepted as such, the Emperor
Napoleon put his hand at Villafranca to an
' express exception of those fortresses from the
I cession of Lombardy. This view is confirmed, if
confirmation were needed, by the Emperor of
Austria's proclamation, in which he laments that the
fortune of war hoe compelled him to give up
"almost el" Lombardy. The Nord now affirms,
by way of consoling the Venetians, that no Austrian
troops will be allowed in Venetia, the quadrilateral
is to be garrisoned by Italians alone. I feel sure
that this statement will tarn out to be unfounded,
The French Emperor is too good an advocate not to
state his own cue in the but way for himself. If he
had stipulated fora re-organisation of Venetia—if,in
all but the person of its sovereign that proviso, was
to be thoroughly Italian—if, in the words of an
official apologist for the treaty of Villafranca,
Austria were, in future, to have no more
to do with Venice than England in the
the time of the Georges had to do with Hanover,
his Majesty would not have left the world in
ignorance of what he had done. His words are too
plain to leave a doubt. His original telegram said
" Austria keeps Venice ;" and in &subsequent procla-
mation he said " Venice remains under the sceptre of
Austria." It is clear that Austria is to rule without
control in Venetia, and that the quadrilateral will
condone to be peopled with soldiers in white uni-
forms. Although, according to the latest informa-
tion " nothing is to be changed" in the Pope's tem-
poral powers, some attention is to be paid, u we are
told, to the " legitimate wishes" of his subjects; but
the only (act of any importance yet know in refer-
ence to this subject is that Colonel Cypriani, an

intimate friend of Prince Napoleon's, is making a
tour to inquire what these wishes are likely to be.
The only way of checking the false news from
abroad constantly promulgated by official despatches
is to compare their statements with private letters
some time afterwards. It is already known beyond
contradiction that the "enthusiastic receptioo" of
the French Emperor at Milan and Turin, after the
pesos of Villafranea, was an invention of the court
telegram. It is now confessed by the Nord that
at Turin no less than two thirds of the National
Guard refused to turn out on the occasion.

The Emperor has not been seen in Pans since hie
return from the wars, but the news has been sea t to
the Journal du Horse that he no longer wears the
points of his mustachios turned up and stiffened with
Hungarian pomatum, but allows them to curve
downwards as they did before his marriage. What,
if anything, this change may portend I cannot say.
A lively imsgiurion may perhaps see in it a
renunciation of his Majesty's military career. The
perked moustache, pointing to the ear, in shape
like a fighting•cock's spur, has undoubtedly a smart,
soldier-like appearance to a continental eye, although
I believe it is not yet in vogue with the Horse
Guards Blue. It is quite conceivable that an im-
portant mercantile article organ like the Jourota/ du
Hoer. should see in every neglected hair on the Em-
peror's face a symptom of peace and free trade.
The Debate, in its happiest vein of irony, says
that no doubt the attacks of the English press upon
the French government, which have lately been so
much complained of, are regrettable, but that people
exaggerate their effect upon the French public,
which very seldom knows of their existence.
"Everybody is aware," as the Nord very justly ob-
serves, " that the government thinks it right to
prevent the violent articles of certain foreign news-
paper' from provoking the resentment of the French
people." I forgot to mention yesterday that all t►e
principal London weekly journals were seized.
The Bourse was firmer, but not very active. The
Rent. rose 26c. for cult and 16c. for account, closing
at 68fr. tic. and 68fr. 15c. Mobilise roes 10fr.
The Eastern Railway rose 6fr. 60e. ; Southern,
7fr. 60e.; and Western, 101 r.; but Lyons fell
21r. 60c., sad Northern and Orleans remained with-
out change.

Count de Mostakaisers is at present in Switzer-
land.