The Express.
London, England, 1860-12-26 00:00:00

ITALY.

(flex ova owe 00111=7011MENT.)
NAPLES, Om 17.
A number of decrees have been publish ed s ithio
the last two or three days tending to the better
organization and administration of the affairs of the
country, which demand a brief notice. Under
ordinary circumstances I should not have spoken of
some of them, but in the exceptional state of the
province they may not be passed over. An onkr
is issued for the immediate, regular, and uniforin
organization of the National Guard, and inoteni ~f
its being limited to a certain number, all betscn
the ages of 21 and 55 are to be registered -
; only /1.3
labourers and those living on wages are to be ex-
empted. Youths from the age of 18 to 21 may 1.
aggregati to the Guard, with the consent of their
natural guardians. The institution, therefore
cornea a national one, embracing all the able-bs:sliel
adults of the country. At the same time the body
of police that was formed by a decree of the 13th
of August last as a substitute to the old police who
were the main support of the Bourbons is dissolved,
and a force, to be called the Guard of Public
Security, and amounting t 01,068 persons, is ordered
to be formed immediately. The number appear/ to
be small, but it is doubtful whether so many hone .t
men can be found, and then it is to be remembered
that the national guard, now so much increased, will
be always in readiness to lend their assistance.
There is a direction too as regards carriage/
stationed for hire in the streets and the drivers,
which is admirable on paper, and which will add
much to the public convenience if carried into
effect. A tariff of prices is fixed ; as in France the
driver is to give a ticket to every one who enter,
bis carriage, and the lovers of humanity will be
glad to bear that the 19th article insists on the
proper treatment of the horses. Thin shows the
commencement of a better spirit in Naples, and
perhaps the regulation may have been suggested
by a placard signed "An Englishman," posted
recently on the walls of the city, urging on
the Neapolitans the duty of humanity to
brute beasts. The public sentiment is .0
dead on this subject at present, that legal proce-
dure against cruelty to animals would be almost
premature. To all remonstrance against the savage
brutality which is often witnessed here you are an-
swered by insult, or the very conclusive argument
that they are not Christians ; and priests who have
preached eloquent panegyrics on the Saints, to
my recommendations to instruct their people in
the duty of humanity have replied that children
who were plucking birds and throwing them into
the air and pulling them down by a string until
they broke their legs "must have something to
amuse them." This, by the way, however. Another
decree limits and regulates the fees of the district
judges who up. to this time have eked out their
miserable salaries by robbing the population under
the name of " oriorarios." Indeed, the regula-
tions which are gradually being introduced slow,
I will not say so much the birth as the importation
of a better spirit •, and hold forth the promise
of a greatly improved state of things, but patience !
patience ! don't let us expect miracles.
The regulations as regards passports have been
assimilated to those now in force in Turin, and now
that we have no longer any minister of foreign
affairs they will be under the direction of the police.
In Naples passports for foreign countries will be
issued and signed by the Prefet in Naples, and by
I governors in the provinces, so that the facilities for
travellers will be much greater ; and the tax on
locomotion will be reduced from that enormous
sum which has been paid hitherto.
. .

The lovers of art, 'too, will be greatly pleased
with the new organisation which has been given to
the Museum, and the preparations which are being
made for renewing the excavations of all the sites of
antiquarian interest. Those of Pompeii are to be
resumed immediately, and with considerable activity,
80 that an impulse will be given to industry and
taste, and the buried treasures of the past will be
disinterred for the benefit of the present and the
future. As regards the Museum, the personale has
undergone considerable changes, and it is gratify.
lag to see amongst the new names introduced that
of Ficrelli, whose intimate acquaintance with the
antiquities of his country renders him so desirable
an acquisition to science, and whose sufferings
under the Bourbons entitle him to the sympathies
of his country. One of the new orders issued is,
that the disgraceful practice of asking for gratuities
from visitors to the Museum is done away with.

In my last I reported the departure of the He-
lium, at 9 o'clock on Friday evening, with 250
men, minus a few who slipped over the side on
board. There has been much party spirit displayed
in the last as well as in every act of the drama,
and I have thought it better to give you the evi-
dence on both sides when I have referred to the
Legion. The official report sent to me is that the
men got off perfectly contented and in good spirits.
Others say that there were shake-downs only for
150. You will hear more of the matter when the
Mak= arrives. "The vessel was well furnished,"
continues the report, "in everything ; fresh meat.
coffee, chocolate, &c." The Glasgow committee had
sent out a gentleman, a Mr. M'Ailani, who for-
nished and distributed a large quantity of Guernsey
frocks, comforters, and socks. All the men were
paid by Mr. Turner's clerks. On passing the Han-
nibal and the other ships they cheered them a.
they steamed round. At Salerno the Legion did
good service in hunting down the brigands, and
lived on terms of great amity with the population
and the 53rd Regiment which was stationed there.
This is proved by the following flattering edam.;
which was presented to the Legion by the inhalii•
tants of Salerno on the day before they left :