The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-11 00:00:00

ITALY.

NAPLES.—Our correspondent writes as follows:
NAPLES, Dec 25.
It is now confidently asserted by thoje who hang
about the Pope, that his holine-s will return to Ittime
on the 20th of January ; whether this assertion is
founded on communications received from the French
cabinet I am unable to state ; if so, thesdccidel atti-
_

tads assumed by General Baraguay d'Hilliers is a
strange contradiction. Who can calculate on French
policy ? The European harle•min may appear from
some new trap-door of diplomacy and change the
scene in an instant. I know every effort has be n
used to persuade the President of the French Re-
public to alter his policy. The l'artici camarilla
if they have not used hone ty hare at least availed
themselves of cunning. My impression is that the
Pope is as far from the Eternal city as he was when
he abandoned his own convictions and threw him,elf
into the arms of despotism. The Ycapoli an cabinet
is indifferent to the Pope personally, but his return to
Rome under the protection of France may involve a
policy contrary to that of Ferdinand 11. ; added to
this, the elections in Piedmont are anything but con-
soling, since it is pretty clear now a representative
government will exist in northern Italy. Can the
" priest party " cor quer all these difficulties ? Can
Austria herself continue to uphold a system in Italy
which she is afraid to adopt at home ? These are the
oral questions which make the King of Naples and
his prisoner, Pio Nino, halt, and upon this ground I
inclined
am to believe his holiness will not be allowed
to return to Rome for the present—certaiuly those
who surround him will not hesitate to plunge " the
vicar of Christ" into the deepest degradation for their
own ends. Gaeta received the reputation of the
Grand Duke of Tuscany, and Gaet t and Portici will
entomb the popularity of Pius IX.
His holieess has performed the Christmas cere-
monies of the church at Caserta, and yesterday
the pontiff received his majesty at I'ortici, where the
royal family dined.
While these events have taken place, the ecclesias-
tical authorities of Naples have, I am informed, come
to a strange conclusion, viz., they have addressed the
Pope, praying his holiness to declare the church
independent of the state in the kingdom of Naples.
I am unable to sift the reason of this new move, since
hitherto the priests have acted as political spies, and
assisted the government in all its retrograde move-
ments. When I say the priests, I mean those imme-
diately incorporated in the abuses of the old system;
there ate many, in fact most of the intelligent, who
are anxious to see a thorough reform, and who still
look to Pio Nino, if he is spared, to bring about a
new and more Christian policy in ecclesiastical affairs.
There are elements at work, however, to combat the
growing. spirit of the people, and in Naples Father
Spaccapietra is occupied in watching the thirst for
biblical truth ; in fact, a systematic police is emplojed
to scan the sentiments of the people. I heard a
pre ocher a few days since from the pulpit of a church
exclaim " Mind what you are about ; you may crc
long fall into the deplorable state of the English, and
lose all hope of salvation."
SICILY.—We learn fromour correspondent that the
decree placing a tax on corn-mills and windows was so
ill received that a wide conspiracy was formed to op-
pose the government. In Catania especially the people
had determined to combat the decree. Military
assistance being sent for no outbreak occurred. The
fears of Filangieri were such as to induce him to 1,
send for more troops from Naples, and a considerable
force left accordingly. Three facts prove pretty
clearly the " popularity" of the Lord Lieutenant
and Ferdinando 11. in Sicily.
VENICE.—The Venice Gazette of the 2nd publishes
a notillostion,isnnouncing that& free port was opened,
on the Ist inst., in the island of Ban Giorgio Maggiore.