The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-01 00:00:00

PIEDMONT.

(IPROX Ora OWN CO RIESPONDZWT.)
TURIN, Nov. IS.
It cannot bo denied that the great clerical con-
spiracy to control our political elections has been
managed with singular unitedness and ability,
taking for its pattern the modes of proceeding and
the practices of some of the secret societies. The
clergy were formed into special committees of five,
the members of one committee not being known to
those o another. They. had laboured for several
months, each in his district, to convert the least in-
structed and most tractable of the electors, and to
make them promise to give their votes to those per-
sons whose names should be made known to them
only on the eve of the election day. The employ-
ment of no means of moral constraint, as I told you
in my lost, has been neglected; and it appears, on
carefully examining the list, that of the
new Chamber the Clerical Party will form
not much less than one third. They are almost all
mustered from Savoy, Liguria, and the island of
Sardinia ; and it was from the reports of the result
of the polling there having arrived at Turin later
than from other parts of the kingdom, that we were
induced by the news of the first sixty elections re-
ported to us to augur somewhat too favourably for
the Ministry and its policy. The Liberals murmur
much against Rattazu, and accuse him of a lack both
of vigilance and ability. It is certain that on the
Teel eve of our elections, the Minister of the In-
terior did not foresee the result, and believed that
the tridui, the sermons, the pastorals, and other
such artifices and demonstrations would fail in a
great measure of their effect. But it should be re-
membered that after being surprised by such a bitter
disappointment, it is lout natural—nay, it is a
necessary and beneficial consequence of it—that
the public should blame somebody for what has hap-
pened. The matter is, indeed, a very serious one;
and any division in the great liberal party may give
the Right section a majority in the Chamber. On
the other hand, it will be impossible to effect any
compromise or arrangement with the latter, as might
be dons, perhaps, in Belgium, where the clergy,
although they wish to control and get possession of
education and the instruction of the people, never-
theless are not hostile to the free institutions which

may be said to have been their own work at the time
of the expulsion of the Dutch. The majority of our
clergy, on the contrary, hate liberty and representative
government, both because these are seen to be op-
posed to the old ecclesiastical privileges, and also
because our clergy aro more directly subjected
to the influences and suggestions of Rome.
The whole of the ultra-conservative and bigotted
party throughout Europe is in league with
them, and the official and semi-official Austrian
journals betray the great expectations and lively
hopes which are cherished at Vienna. The veq fact
that no compromises or half-measures will now be
possible augments their confidence. Our enemies
believe that even should the government incline
towards the Moderates of the Itight section, the
latter would very soon be compelled to yield to the
exigencies of the Clerical party or extreme Right,
who are more compact and numerous, as well as
violent and fanatical, and who have themselves re-
peatedly declared, that the Moderates of the Right,
or what are called Count Revers party, should form
the bridge by which they, the extreme Itight, might
attain to power.
An Englishman perhaps may ask how it is that
our clergy feel so angry with political liberties, and
with laws which ilowise offentl against Catholic
doctrine or the legitimate authority of the Church?
Why do they cry anathema against the Liberals in
Piedmont, and condemn as impious and heretical,
the institutions which they have tolerated in France
and in Belgium, and which they tolerated until
lately also in the Austrian Empire? I answer it is
because Piedmont is in Italy, and threatens all the
absolutist governments of the Peninsula, but chiefly
that of Rome. Had not the kingdom of Sardinia
been ruled by constitutional government, it might
have been allowed to follow up and practise the
principles of the French Concordat. But its consti-
tutional liberties, if they continued, might propagate
themselves throughout all Italy, and involve the
temporal dominion of the l'ope in extreme peril.
Hence the formidable combination formed against
Piedmont by all the clergy who obey the injunc-
tions of the Roman Curia, and the precepts of
the Jesuit committee at Paris. The inference to be
drawn from this is one which I have often sug-
gested, and whichl would inculcate constantly upon
your own great nation. Let those who fear the
spread of Ultramentanism, and the designs of the
retrograde party, take care not to abandon the
l'iedmontcse, and acek to promote the salvation of
Italy.
But to return to the new Chamber, which is to be
opened in ten days from this time, I elm enabled to
inform von that the ministry, strong in the favour
of the king, is well resolved to combat the Right
section by all the legal means in their power, and
without yielding an inch of the ground it at pre-
sent occupies. This determination will be expressed
in the royal speech with such dignity as befits the
language of a sovereign who always stands above
all political parties, and impartially judges their
conflicts. The first contest will soon take place on
the verification of parliamentary powers, in which
will be exposed to the public the moral compulsion
put upon the electors, especially in the rural dis-
tricts. The results of this first contest may be taken
as a sample of what is to follow. Meanwhile the
Left, with the exception of a few individuals of no
great weight, promises to unite heartily with the
ministerialists and secure a majority for Count Ca-
your. The clerical party are somewhat disconcerted
by this firmness, and the less violent amongst them
speak of moderate and conciliatory measures. It is
most important now to enlighten the country, and
to expose the foul arts and machinations employed
by the retrogradists in order that a result more en-
tirely favourable to liberty and progress may ere
long be obtained. We have a proverb that it is not
all evils which come to do harm ; and perhaps the
crisis through which Piedmont is now passing will
redound to the great advantage both of Piedmont
and of liberal ideas, since it is impossible fur the
clerical party ultimately to triumph. This coun•ry
is by nature quiet, orderly, and obedient to tho law.
But the dominion of the clerical party in parliament
would he the only provocation which would involve
it in any serious danger of a revolution. A.

Mdlle. I'iceolomini, M. Ginglini, and a few other
members of the company of Her Majesty's Theatre, are at
present performing is Germany with greet success.
The Portuguese Consul-General brings under the
notice of the benevolent the great distress that has arisen at
Liebon in consequence of the ravages of the yellow fever.
Any subscriptions which may be sent to him In aid of the
fund which bee been organised in Lisbon for the relief of
the sufferen by the epidemic will be forwarded.
The Lord Bishop of Briinu has just edified the
faithful in the Austrian empire by announcing that " the oil
of St. Walburgn" poetesses miraculous powers. Its certifies
that a girl in an institution kept by "the Daughters of Chris-
tian Charity " did on a certain day kiss a bottle containing the
aforesaid oil, and was Immediately cured of an Intlecunation
of the eyes, which was so violent that she was attune blind.
The biehnp was so much struck by this that he ordered the
Daughters of Christian Charity for era to keep holy the
7th of November, that being the day on which " the miracle"
was performed.
MAR9IIAL NAR'.A)Z AND M. °CELT. T RENTE.—

It may be remembered that about • year ev • violent alter-
cation took place at Madrid between Marshal Mumma and
U. Quell y !Mote, husband of Ilona Jambs, Mater of the
King—and that the latter conceiving himself grossly in-
sulted, sent the former • challenge, but that the Marrlial
was made to monde by the Captain-General of Madrid that
he would not fight, and that M. Quell y Rent*, having re-
fused to give a similar promise, was wooled. Subsequently
Marshal Servers became Prime Idiniater, and U. °sell y
Remo had to leave Spin. He recently returned
to Madrid, end renewed bin chap age. no Madrid
correspondent of the Irrapetodarter, In • recent letter,
stated that the marshal cossenited to accept the duel
proposed, but subject to the condition that It ahoold not be
fought with swords, because "It was notorious that M.
Guell y Rage, during his Tear's "tar at Paris, had con-
stantly exercised himoeU with that weapon." M. Quell y
Rentc, in • letter to the lovlipesulagre, now Mateo that It id
not true that he did this—that, in fact, he was only throe
months in Parlymd that daring that time hemmer appeared
in • fencing school. He adds that as ho was insulted, -be had
the right to chore* his weapon, and that documents to bo
published by his seconds will show "what motives are alleged
modify conditions originally accepted."