The Express.
London, England, 1856-06-26 00:00:00

SPAIN.

MADRTD, Jews 24.
Disturbances have taken place at Valladolid, under
the pretext of the dearness of provisions. Tranquil-
lity is re.setablished, and the ringleaders will soon
meet with condign punishment. In the Cortes the
discussion on the law of municipalities was brought
to a conclusion.

ITALY.

THE TWO SICILIES.

(TION ova OWN CORILZSPONDINT.)
NAPLES, Juns
" For the lint thirty years," said a friend to me to-
day, "I have not known the aspect of affairs so
clouded and threatening as at present." "What is
the ground of your observation P" I asked. " I per-
ceive," he replied, "a universal discontent even
amongst the employes. Worth and merit are no
longer supported, but only a fanatical love for the
King. Everything, too, is in perfect abandon. The
King slants himself up in Gaeta, refuses to see any
one; no broad measures of improvement are adopted,
and directors and inferior employes get on u well as
they can. Why, the people are prepared for any
change, and would take the Grand Turk himself."
The man who thus spoke to me bas always been a
royalist in sentiments as well as in convictions, and
he is an employe of some consideration. To-day,
however, his Majesty is in Naples; be came over on
the vigil of the festival of San Luigi. Elan Luigi
Is a kind of political and popular saint. His history
is mixed up with that of many extraordinary events
in this tawdry, and seeordin Illy his Majesty, who has
bees Heim, in retirement at Gaeta, deaf to the than-
dere of the whole world, and invisible to applicants
for an audience, comes over to do him honour.
Indeed, it requires nothing less than the ftte of a me-
dusa or a Wet to unearth the royal person, and as
sun es it Is over he runs to barrow again. The con-
trast between the excitement which prevails every-
where en the Italian questioe, and the indifference, or
apparent defiance, of his Majesty, is something very
vroadietal.and sea way be ezpiabied by the Goeicioal.

nem that he is well backed up. The prceessict of
SuLuigi—to return to the fete--wu a great display.
The royal troops led the way, and flanked it and
closed it. There were the usual number of what we
heathens would call toys, representing small temples,
in which the saint wes to be seen; and there were
bands and singing boys, and a long tr.tic of
devotees of both sexes following the image of
the saint; and the King, and the Queen, and
the royal children, dowa to the infant in the
nurse's arms, and the royal brothers and sisters,
with their families, were all down on their knees is
the balcony of the palace, to the great Edificatoc of
I a crowd of fanatics. Next Sunday we shall here
another display—and we are weekly having such
displays. These processions are a part of the daisy
life of the Neapolitans; and commercial prosper ity and
social progress are compelled to yield to the tawdry
and trifles of children and superstitions of old women.
Meantime, what is the King doing, besides praying
He is conducting the political trials. They were sm.
pended, as I told you ; the reason was, that the deposi.
tions of some of the galley slaves were to be taken in
Procida ; but they will be resumed on the 25 h, and
we then shall have another opportunity of witnessing
the excesses of the royal government of Naples. My
report of the trial was as full and correct as under
the circumstances I could make it, still there me
several points on which I might have been clearer;
thus, for instance, Mignonna, the chief of the accused,
declared hie ignorance u to how the papers disco.
mod in his hat and in his room had been found there,
and added that he had been compelled to sign the
police report under the influence of a threat of 50
Lobes, and the most injurious and obscene acts and
words from the minions of Csmpagne. Pierre., the
informer who accused Mignonna of conspiring in
favour of Murat, was charged by the President with
" divergetue eusenziale."

On the second day of the trial, Padre Luigi Peppa,
of the same monastery u the Padre Ruggiero, one of
the accused, was examined. A declaration of this
man, with a false date, had been drawn up by the
Commissary of Police, Campagna, compromising Rug.
giero es a liberal. On his examination Peppa said
that he bad ardently desired the day of trial to tell
the whole truth •, and added, that during Lie impel.
sonment he had been promised at one time his
liberty, and at another menaced with exile and the
ergastolo, in order to extort a confession of the guilt
of Ruggiero; that he had signed a police report
without reading it, but that all that it contained to
the disadvantage of Ruggiero was false. On being
asked by the Attorney. General why he did not make
this statement when he was brought before him to
make a second deposition, he said that the same
Chancellor who had assisted Campagna in drawing
up the first deposition accompanied him from the
prison; that en route he gave him hopes of
liberty if he would confirm his first deposition,
and threatened him with fresh brutalities it be
contradicted it. This same Chancellor was em.
ployed by Attorney. General to draw up theproc,
verbal. The fact was not denied; on the contrary,
it was admitted by the Attorney General that belied
employed him as his amanuensis. I add these details
for the sake of greater correctness. These facts will
read like fables to the foreigner, but they are too sad,
too common realities, and I rejoice that they have
been thus publicly brought to light, if only to prove
the general veracity of your correspondent. Much
that I have had to report during the few past years
has undoubtedly appeared like the exaggerations of
a hasty scribbler; but diplomatists will cow bear
witness to having heard in open court of enormities
as great as any that ever have marked your pages.
Take the history of this trial as a full and sufficient
answer to all protests and defences that ever have
been or ever may be made by the " government " of
this country. The sensation which it has excited
throughout the city is of course very great; and do
not be surprised, or blame hastily, it a people thus op.
pressed and outraged, and without any hope of im-
provement, should become infuriated, and make even
vain attempts to liberate themselves. I told you
of the disturbance in Santa Lucia last week. On
Monday night bills were fixed on the wall,, with
these words: " Viva la Coetituziono." Concit-
tadini : Siamo governed da un Caino, o moriremo,
come Abele se non ci ribelliamo." One of these bill'
was found put up in the receiving roams of
our exoellent director of police. Sig. Bianchini. and
of course, as is generally supposed, was affixed by
one of the reactionary part of that body who do
everything to thwart that just man. A determined
and united remonstrance on the pert of England and
France, and a demand for essential changes, would
anticipate and prevent a revolution; but if this is
not done, what may not be expected Prince
Castelcicala returns to his vice-royalty of Sicily in a
few days. The Palermitans paid him the honour of
erecting a statue of salt to him during his absence.
The greatest excitement prevails throughout the
island. I bear of a petition having been presented to
the King, signed by many thousand Sicilians, praying
for the constitution of 1812. I have no authority for
it, but be assured that both here and on the other
side of the Pharo there is a ferment which
is inconsistent with all settled 'thoughts or
habits, and which will not subside without
disasters, nulesa just demands be complied with. A
recent letter apprised you of the fact that the prefect
ruinous price of silver had been continued by decree
till Dec., 15.55. You are aware that in answer to
the remonstrance of British subjects in this mill
the crown lawyers decided that there was no ground
for interference, every government having the right
to regulate its own mint. We will concede it; but
the government of this country having by treaty
granted France and England the same privilege'
with the most favoured countries, how is it that the
Spanish dollar has a permanent value, independent
of all changes in the value of silver, of 12 carlini sad
a half, whilst the five-franc piece oscillates with every
change, and has fallen from 11 carlini and a ball to
10 carlini and 6 grains ? Is not this a violatioc of
treaty? Was this point examined by oar crown
lawyers? Yet on this the whole question reit!.
Let the same rights be conceded to France (and
therefore indirectly to England) as are conceded to
Spain, and no complaint would be made.

A letter from Naples, of the 15th, in a Turin
parer, says:

One of the Niemen wee accused of sending a nthh
lion letter from the prison and the galleys where ha
was unfitted, and gave thy following defence, which was
not diapoted by M. Ricoletti, the government prowentcr:
One day the governor of the prison of Proe:de was cosi
piney drank, end they put into hit hand the letters
which the prisoners were alloyed to send to their relation.
According to the government orders all such letters 'braid
be stamped by the governor, bet he was so drunk he forgot
to obey the order. In leaving the outer gate these lettere
had to be inputted by anither prison authority, and the
officer of the ;rigor guard, seeing that thie packet of letters
wee not stamped, sent them back to the governor, who
by this time being • little more sober, and forgetting
what he had neglected when drunk, ordered the
72 writers of the letters to be bran bt before him, seat it
took five Lone to administer 100 strokes of the codeel to
these 72 prisoner*. When this unadorned fact was stated
the audience in court groaned, and the judges thentsclese
appeared overpowered with the recital. One of the wit-
nesses, a monk, state' that the commissary of police had
required him to swear 'pint the prisoners,, end benne he
said he knew nothing, threatened to beat him, stripped
him naked, and kept him eleven days is prison. The rev.
father, chief of the Order of St. Augustin, was brought et
evidence spinet the priest Ruggiero, but he deeared that
Ruggiero bad always behaved well, and bad weir mild
with political matters. Another witness, Father Luigi di
T.ope, took the opporunity while in the witness 113 of
easing his conscience by retraeting entirely the de clarsOtte
be had made spied the priest ltorg.ero, which he bad for.
wetly made, frightened by the deratful threats of the polies
if be did not scene Reggie in.
Another prisoner we. sewed of undies a seditious letter
to Me brother at Genoa, but his defenders brought or
the Neapolitan consul's letter front O,DOS, newt. me that the
prisoner had no brother at Gen' a. It came out on this trial
that there are still in Vie prison of Freed& SOO Fatic6l
prisoners.

PORTRAIT OF GENERAL WILLUMA FOR EER
MAIIIITT—The Queen his been pleased to limner Sir W.
F. Williams erilob a command to sit to Mr. Maysll kr s ta•
Month photographic rrtrait, is the doss wore by thaill"
last general at 'Kw. Amodio,ly. Mr. Mayall t(Ok oP
ting after the levee yesterday, and succeeded in prodoceld
a floe and character iqie Florets. The picture f. raisin. of
a series of portraits ef distinguished meo 0'04.2,100a "
the sum artist for her Majesty's priests coileetion.

131 PEItIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.--(THIS DAY.)
IMlrte►ta took the chair at twelve o'clock.