The Express.
London, England, 1861-03-02 00:00:00

:XPREI3B, SATURDAY EVENISTO, MARCH 2. 1861.

MTERNAL AFFAIRS OF ITALY.

Mr. D. GRIFFITH asked the Sorrotorf of State for
Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's govarassat were of
opinion that, sow that the first Italian parliament had
assembled for the transaction of business and had
unanimously voted to the King of Sardinia the title of
King of Italy, there was any reason or necessity for the
eppointment of any congry., as had been suggested by
Frooch government, to settle the internal affairs of
Italy.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that there was no proposition
before the Fuveroment, emanating from any of the govern-
meats of Europe, fur a congress on the affair of Italy.
When any such proposition WAS made it would be the duty
of her Majesty's guverumeut to consider it. (Laughter.)

fff.:(3l,ATioN WOOSI NG, SHANGHAL
Mr. WHITE asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs whether be had received intelligence by the last
China mail of the occupation of Wowing fin the port of
Sbanghae) by the rebels; and whether such occupation would
induce her Majesty's government to modify its policy, and
cause it to adopt and carry out the principle of non•mter-
vention as between the insurgents and the imperial govern-
ment of China.

Lord J. lICSSELL mid that her Majesty's government
had not received any authentic information by the last mail
from China of the occupation of Woosiug by the rebels.
The only letter received from Shanshae was from the Hon.
Captain Foley, and it dbl not mention the occupation of
Wooeing by the insurgents. With regard to the latter part
of the question, whether her Majesty's government would
modify its policy in order to try out the principle of non-
intervention between tho insurgents and the lioperial
government of China, he had to say that her Majesty's
government never varied from that policy, and did not in-
tend to vary from it, but were determined to remain entirely
neutral.

ABOLITION OF PASSING TOLLS.

Mr. FEN WICK asked the President of the Board of
Trade if her Majesty's government were prepared to bring in
• bill to give effect to the repeated recommendations that
have been made for the abolition of passing tolls. Several
committees had sat upon this subject, but nothing practical
had yet been accompliabed. In 1852 the matter came
under discussion in that house, and • very general opinion
was then expressed in favour of doing away with passing
tolls. A royal commission was afterwards appointed to
inquire generally into the local charges upon shipping. They
visited the different porta and made a report recommending
that paring toile should be immediately done away with.
A bill was subsequently introllaW, but it did not ►meet
with approval bemuse its object had not been confined to
the subject of passing tolls. A second measure, however,
was brought in in 1837, which passed a aecond reading and
was supposed to 1* referred to a select committee, bet no
committee ever sat upon it, sad there the matter now
rested.

Mr. If. GIBSON said the bon. member for Sunderland
had, on a former evening, asked him whether the govern-
ment intended to introduce any mount* to give effect to the
recommendations of the merchant shipping committee which
eat last session. lie stated, in reply, that the government
bad prepared the bills, one of which would deal with many
of the recommendations of that committee, and the other
would deal, among other subjects, with the question to
which the hon. member now referred. This was not a fitting
occasion to discuss either the justice or the policy of passing
tolls, or to explain the provisions of the bill about to be in-
troduced on that subject, but at the beginning of next week
be would give notice of the day when he would ask for leave
to bring in that hill.