The Express.
London, England, 1868-07-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENIIG, JULY 7, 1868.

west, of constituting the tuitional unity
au a wore enduring basis than that of
a sentiment or a passion ; of enoouraging
in the population habits of
energy and self-
help, of stimulating public+ rivate en-
terprise, of carrying the light of education into
the dark recesses of popular ignorance, and the
plough of knowledge into the moral wastes of
pauperism and superstition, of turning a host of
idlers and triflers into useful members of a free
community, of opening up the incalculable re-
sources with which a bountiful Nature has blessed
a teeming soil and a careless people. In
the Italian Parliament, and in the principal
organs of the Italian press, the change of tone and
of feeling is decidedly for the better. Declamation
is out of fashion, common sense is taking its
place. There may be, and probably are, strong dif-
frencee of opinion among Italians as to the merits
and advantages of this or that form of govern-
ment ; considerable dissatisfaction at much that
exists, and a vague aspiration after some nobler
ideal of a commonwealth. But, over and above
all there theories of party, or dreams of discon-
tent, there is evidently a growing sense of certain
preliminary and indispensable conditions of any
independent national existence as a State or
Power in Europe; conditions of solvency, of
self-restraint, of law, order, and interna-
tional good faith. The catastrophe of
Mentana may sot have &sin too dearly pur-
chased as a lesson of experience if it has taught
Italians of all parties that two of the primary
conditions of national unity are ono government
and one law for all ; one government, responsible
to its own subjects for the protection of their
interests, and to its neighbours for the obser-
vance of its international obligations; one law
for all citizens, the highest and the lowest, the
best and the worst, which may not be broken
under any plea or pretext with impunity. Nor
has the Mentana disaster born without advantage
to the people of Italy in disgusting them with foreign
policy and concentrating their attention upon
domestic affairs. It has, we trust, delivered thorn
from the possibility of a military alliance with the
Second Empire; it has secured their strict neutrality
in the next European war; it has convinced them
of the prudence and sagacity of minding their own
business, and learning to be rich and prosperous
and happy at home, in order to be respected
abroad. It has shown them that the Roman ques-
tion can only be solved by that great innovator,
Time ; and that Time is on the side of reason and
right. " Rome for the Romans " is the pre-
vious question ; " Rome for Italy " comes after-
wards. The right of Italy was fatally preju-
diced when the right of the Romans was antici-
pated by violence. In spite of all the legions of
Pontifical Crusaders, the eventual disappearance
of the Temporal Power and the eventual reunion
of Rome with Italy are as demonstrable
as any sum in arithmetic, or any fact
in physical geography. Let Italy take care
of her finances and develop her resources, and
avoid rash adventures and entangling alliances,
while the Court of Rome is keeping body and soul
together by the precarious alms of the Faithful.
The enthusiasm of the whole Catholic world
will not suffice always to preserve any temporal
government on earth from decay when all the natural
conditions of its life are wanting. When the moral
and material unity of Italy is thoroughly accom-
plished, and the whole people of the Peninsula
have learnt to prize and to profit by their freedom,
the Roman question will solve itself without
detriment to any real religious interests, and with-
out offence to " the Catholic world."
The Cabinet of Florence and the Parliament of
Italy deserve to be congratulated on the results of
a long and laborious session, pursued under cli-
matic circumstances of which, even in the hottest
of summers, a British Legislature is happily un-
conscious. It would be Pharisaical in an English
journalist who has assisted at a discussion of the
Estimates at Westminster to pretend to be sur-
prised at the difficulty of keeping a House
together at Florence. General Mzrreenza,
and the Minister of Finance, Count CA-MBRAY
DIGNT, have actually succeeded in passing
a series of most important practical measures—the
corn-grinding tax, and the tax upon fundholders—
and are now carrying through a convention
with certain capitalists for the farming of
the tobacco monopoly. Nor have they
neglected other weighty matters ; /such as
the reorganisation of the administrative and
judicial systems, and of the civil services, so as
to combine economy with efficiency, and to pro-
mote decentralisation without impairing the central
authority. Moreover, they have effected a rigorous
reduction of an overgrown army in spite of the
resistance of the KING'S military household,
and have set to work to re-organise the navy.
In the south they are extirpating brigandage ;
among the unruly populations of the central pro-
vinces they are endeavouring to restore the autho-
rity of law and justice. The work is not half
done; indeed it is only just begun; but good
sense and good will ought not to fail. Heaven
blesses Italy this year with an abundant harvest,
and in Italy, perhaps more than in many other
countries, an abundant harvest means that
national happiness which has no history.

ropes leas but to be studied with equal success to
make new lines of communication under the sea as
simple a matter as they are overland. The vague
fears as to the dangers of the ooesn's bottom have
been proved to be fallacious, and the Atlantic
depths present an unappropriated world of
space, while the demand for cheap messages is
unceasing. England and America should be
connected as easily and as frequently as London
and Liverpool ; and the venture from Brest is to
be hailed as the forerunner of a long lino of suo-
cessors to the peaceful victory of 1868.

PARLIAMENTARY I►IVISIONS.

BOUNDARY DILL.
BOUM 01P LOR3)l4.—bioaDAY, .firt.t• 6.
MUMS 4, TAO 3, line 21i, after "Salisbury" moved to
insert "South Shields.' (Lord Itsvensworth). Oa
Question: Contents, 9; not-contents, 27.
CONTESTS.
11.1ARQUIL 1.4011D5. LORDS. lAIRDS.
Wilda DeDIMIIi Bectesdale Stewart at Ow.
Ffirwatier dealer, lips
unto. Ranautwurtk Sunda, Walrinehaza.
C,oltheeter ( r)
telle
NOT•OONTIINTS.

1.0. CR A SCRILLOS ill OIL 11111C01/11T. 1.01100.
Corns.. Camptifilown Hswardni. Farnham
norm. Clarendon Loans. Poky
Stickionhard Graham C,ltfford of Cbuil-Lyvedca
sod Cluovice Granville Monson (toiled
Marlborough. Kimberley Clliten Heston
•AIRURh.
Lichfield Miller) Col
ville Silohostor
Not aanby. ltalnuobury Col of Cul-likathodca
VAAL. VI 0000/12. 101111 flundradir
Aktlo Halifax Crofton

ELECTION PETITIONS AND CORRUPT PRAC-
TICES BILL.
HOUSE OF COMMONS.-JULY 6.

In committee last night on the above bill, at Clause 10,
which sanctions the appointment of two Election Judges,
Mr. AyrtAin suggested that, instead of nominating two
judges to be specially set apart for this duty, one judge
should be added to each of the oommon law courts, and
election petitions should be tried indiscriminately by the
general body of judges, according to a settled rota. On it
division, Mr. Ayrton's amendment to omit the essential
portion of the clause was carried by a majority of 65.
Clause 10: Amendment proposed, in page 4, line 26, to
leave out from the word " exeeeding;" to the end of the
clauses—(Mr. Ayrton): Question put, "That the word
' two' stand part of the clause." The committe divided:
Ayes, 71 ; noes, 136.

FOREIGN NEWS.

(THIS DAY.)

SOUTH GERMANY.
MUNICH, JULY J.

It is stated that Prince Hohenlohe, prime minis-
ter of Bavaria, has elaborated a scheme for a
confederation of the Southern States of Germany,
which resembles the compromise between Austria
and Hungary. Questions concerning Bavaria,
Wurtemberg, the Grand Duchies of Hesse and of
Baden, would be solved by delegates elected by
the raga:dive parliaments of those countri'm It
is added that Prince Hohenlohe previously con-
sulted Hcrr Varnbuhler, prime minister of Wur-
temberg, and that the accession of that kingdom
to the intended confederation is certain. The
draft of the new constitution is said to have been
submitted to the governments of Hesse and
Baden, and their acceptance seems to be also
certain, because Prussia, it is affirmed, favours the
realisation of the project.

THE LUTHER MONUMENT AT WORM 4.
The Journal dee Late of to-day contains tho
following remarks :
The fetes which have just taken place in the Grand
Duchy of Hesse on the occasion of the inauguration of •
statue of Luther nt Wonirt, are far more important in a
political than in a religious point of view. Accord-
ing to the Courricr dot Bas-RAis, tho King of Prussia
was most anxious to be present at the ceremony.
After waiting some time for an invitation, ho deter-
mined to write to the Grand Duke to signify his
wishes. The Grand Duke, of course, at once replied by
sending an invitation to the King. M. Dalwigk, the
Prime Minister of Grand Ducal Hesse, who always op- ,
posed Prussian influence, asked for leave of absence and
permission to visit Riga. It is said that he will soon send
in his resignation, as the friends of Prussia have obtained
a complete victory in the Grand Duchy. The ceremony,
according to the Courrior, was intorrupted in a strange
way. When the burgomaster of Worms, who is a catholic,
began to speak as the representative of the town,
the King of Prussia rose, and his movement was followed
by a similar one on the part of the other princes. Sol-
diers with bayonetted guns opened a passage through the
crowd, the King and his cortege passed through to the
monument. The burgomaster was quite confounded.
Several of his fellow citizens, seeing him treated with such
scant courtesy, advised him to go on with his address. lie
tried to do so, but the royal Prussian hymn which the
band struck up prevented a word from being heard. He
aooonlinglyput the manuscript of his speech in his pocket.
This incident has produced a bad effect in the town of