The Express.
London, England, 1868-09-05 00:00:00

ROME.

ItOMF., Seri. 4.

The troops forming the camp at Rocca del Papa
will return hero to-morrow evening, and the camp
will be raised. Six twelve-pounder cannon and
134 cases of ammunition have arrived from Liege.
They are the gift of the dioceses of Bretagne and
La Vendee. A fresh supply of Remington rifles
is expected from England and Belgium. Count
de tiartiges, the French tunbasruulor, will have an
audience with the Pope tu-murruw, to take leave of
his Holiness.

()ERMAN V.
lIAMBUItC4, aser. 4.
The Congnas of German architect«, which has
becu bitting in this city, was closed to-day.

THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH.

POTBDAM., Ben. ♦.

His Royal Highness the Duko of Edinburgh hag
arrived bee from Gotha on a visit to the Vrue•n
l'rinee twd Prineees of Pritaiiia.

TILE EMPEROR, OF RUSSIA.
t4TrITOARIIT, Sinzr. 4.

The Fanperor of Russia is expected on the Pith
inst., Fnedrickeihrfcn, indite Luke of Constance.

THE (41:1:MAN ARCTIC EXPRDITION.
ItERLIN, Kiwi. I, Evr.uxo.

According to the bitemt intellirnoe nreared
hew, the Getman expedition to the North Pule
seal., en the 18th ut July, in lutilla,• u 11.43 N..
longitude 5 F.

Mr. Jefferson Davis, who is staying at Alhint,
Haffordshiro, Wab 1111"4.11t at a hortionitiont tiliow :it
Alton Totten. (the tent of the Kiri of Ktirewtbury and
Talbot) ou Thtlinau). There MO a largo o.nitynit.,., of
differLiit wets of tlw toontey. and when it
bet-lime known diet Mr. ioteetit, the e.s-elle
weittimeil him with Mei!, healty I wilieli.he
t,ne.l his aekni.wtedgw.e.nt.t.
111:. IttutiT liniowx 011..

• 1.,. 1-•.!,..atril Moat,. 111• r t•. the
114. hi. inwl: ,11.•• • We think It s
o• 14 Litol ..t .1 I.iveo (NI wisinh Is
.ni et • sl:) “515,i11..1 10 1 ). I.ight •I it hi igupplioill
it ,le II Lao 1.,1y.: 1 •• I "tn. i.iseltoo, when onisolinnit
anmritil 41.1i4t4 tatieh rwriety nwl
rininty, ire Intv, rsoljlltir U., It it.coiltuon....." Mold only to
rupoult .1 losp,ris/ Js. tn. ; Quart.. sm. by
altelninilids. Motel ...snoW.. • Ants,. artord,, and C0..77. IttrEml.
Lundue.—{Aihnibusesl4

Hietury of As Commerce arid 4Ao Ambers of
Fi•ronce /Torn 1200
.to 1346. By Oonimcceistorc

H. L. Pmt vzsti. klorcnoe.

The history of the origin of this imbrue is a
curious one. An American one day called on the
author and requested to be shown the Perasai
libb. in the Itiocardiuna Library of Florenea
bignor I'eruzzi at once complied. When the
American gentleman had sufficiently admired the
character of the writing, the ink, and the beautiful
parchment of the collection, which oonsiste of nine
vols., he naturally inquired about their contents.
On this point Signor Yeruzzi could afford no infor-
mation. But he flit so ashamed that ho resolved
to study the Character of the MSS., and we have
the result in the present volume.
It is well known to raiders of history that
the Italian banking firms in the middle ages, sad
more especially in the ISO* 44th, and 15th centu-
ries, played au important part in the public trams-
actious of the period, and contributed in no sunlit
degree by the development of credit to farther the
advent:kind* of modern civilisation which was
only then bigniniug to dawn. The Unloaded and
the revival of Lncieut litaneture were other agenciim
that awoke the slumbering intellect of Europe,
but, though less noticed by ldstorians, there is no
doubt the institution of banks was also a very
powerful one. The merchants of Florence were
especially remarkable not only for their wealth but
fur their mode of applying it. They were in the
13th and 14th centuries what the llothsehilds,
Baringe, Foulds, Erlang.ers, and Oppenheims are
to-day. Their principal pleat of business was in-
deed the Afereato of Florence, surrounded by the
magnificent dwellings of the Medici, the Pogo
kith, the Tosiughi, boldanieri, Peruzzi, Bardi,
but their transactions were cu-extmisive with the
with the trading capacity of the time. Nor were
these Florentine merchants ignorant of the
power of combination. The practice of
uniting their wealth for large financial
operations was common and constant, and the pro-
perty of a whole family was sometimes associated
in the form of an unlimited liability company.
The Alberti, Peruzzi, and Barth families were asso-
ciated for several years in this way. It is the
history of these merchants and of their ooinmercial
transactions that one of their descendants has
undertaken to trace in this volume.

In the first book the author gives an interesting
sketch of the general history of Florence daring
what he calls the " Guelphio epoch." embracing a
period of more than 70 years, during which
Florence rose to an unexampled height of pros-
perity and glory. The fact is, as Signor Peruzzi
remarks, Italy was never wholly barbarous
like the other nations of Europe. The light of the
old Roman lamp shone, though dimly, through
the centuries of darkness, and neither the incur-
sions of barbarism nor of superstition wholly ex-
tinguished the municipal and juridical instinct
which was transmitted from the Latins to the
Italians. It is not surprising, therefore, that
Italy should have been the first amongst the
nations to burst her cerements and to walk in the
new life that was awakened. She took the lead
in throwing off the trammels of feudalism and
aristocracy, and established a number of republics
which displayed extraordinary energy and activity
in every sphere of human activity. That of
Flounce, after the defeat of the hnperiallsts by
Charles of Anjou, was based on the most demo-
cratic principles, and its institutions " diffused
tranquility and prosperity" amongst the poovle.
The victory of Campaldino in 1289, in which
Dante, then 22 years of age, took part, confirmed
the power of the Uuelphs, and from this period till
1313 Flortnoe made wonderful progress in arta
and literature. This was the age of Brunetto
Letini, of Dante, of Cinnibue, of Uiotto, and of
the eplendid architectural monuments which are
the glory of Florence even now. As not the
least of the evidences; of her progress and pro-
sperity, Signor Peruzzi distinguishes the publi-
cation of " A Manual for Merchants," composed by
Itulducci Fergolotti, the managing director, we
should now call him, of the Ranh Company. It
is recorded that when Charles de Valois returned
to Dome in 134)1, after his fruitless attempt to
subdue Florence, Pope Bethnal, VIII. met him
with these words, " I sent you to the fountain of
gold; SO much the worse for you if you have not
Leen able to slake your thirst at it." This is an
unimpeachable testimony to the wealth of the city
at that time. The revenue of the state was esti-
mated at 300,000 golden florins—an immense re-
venue in that age, mid greater than that of the
most powerful sovereigns ; it had a well organised
and powerful national force, large manufactories.
and wealthy citizens.

Two companies alone -the firms of the Bardi
and Perturi- supplied Edward 111. with the
money which enabled hiut to carry on his wars in
France, and it is one of the constant lamentatisns
of Signor Perusad that the English nation never
paid back the debt, the consequence of which was
a monetary panic in Florence, the bankruptcy of
the groat financial firms, and finally the loos of
liberty and independence. The fact of this loan
and its non-payment do not rest on the documents
contained in the l'eruzzi manuscripts only. They
are confirmed by the English records and accepted
by historians of the highest authority—amongst
others by Lord Macaulay. Signor I'eruzzi nays
that the amount of the debt due to his
house by Edward is 1,300,000 golden florins,
or about 2,400,0001., a sum so vast
for these times as to appear almost incredible. In
chapter V. Book 6th will be found the extracts
from the Posted manuscripts in the Ititearditma
Library, from the Record-office in England, and
the state Anlives of Florence in proof of the debt
due to Signor Peruzzi. It is fortunate that there
is a natural kit utute of limitations in the case of
nations as there is it civil one in the Cage of indivi-
duals. Otheiwise this old descendant of the
Peruzzi might, with theproofe at their command,
obtain a legal judgment which would transfer the
whole circulating wealth of England to Tuscany.
But, apart from this bar by lapse of time, Signor
Peluzzi has no desire to come forward as a Baron
de Bode. lie states his case merely as an
Itietolian and a patriot, whose country suf-
fered and Walf, ruined by the inability
of one of our kings to meet his en-
gagements. and on this theoretical ground we arc
willing to suffer historical judgment to go by
default.

Other documents of an extremely interesting
character are extractal from the MBB. into this
volume. The sixth chapter of the third book
opens with an excerpt of four from the
ledgerof the Perumi family, and the entries relate
to eorumercial transactions with Cyprus, England,
Bruges, Pali'', Avignon, Venice, Naples, Rhodes,
Barletta, Castel de Castro, and Tunis. The firm
had agencies or branch banks at Avignon,
Barletta, Bruges, (Ilion/ma, Cyprus, Genoa,
London, Idajonms, Naples, Paris, Pisa,
Rhodes. Sardinia. Sicily, Tunis, and Venice.
'I here it also an intiausting description of the
mode of conveying money from one looality to
onsalter extracted from the " Manual fur Mer-
ehauts,'• and H variety of details respecting the
dd.:nestle and eivil life of the inhabitant's of
aces.inpunied by coloured iiiirtraitei of
the t:itfult ut nurses of society. and fac-similes of
I he mitts in U r. JUdOlift front the spetinitai of the
MSS. :Awn at nags. :flit we e.m readily join in the
uthisii lit ihtt ..1 th.• I.vuty of t hi. 4thanset.• whirls
Ices fi•lt the wittletunti %%lieu Let.
MFS. mew 'submitted to him inspection.
The :either gives a short whetcli of tlso
town-built et ris.retior, the Alberti.
Paauport.:, Pogolotti, Peruiczi.
tianetti, Mesh, end Villatti, the last of whom sup-

The find failure* in Florence after the inability
of Edward 111. to muscat hie lialitlitiow to the Floren-
tine nitorlante took place in 1343, and the«)
were won followed by the great plague. Tothece
combined name Magner kennel ascribes the ruin
of republican Florence. Referring to a somewhat
later epoch M. Mkbdet awiribec its (Inv/titan " to
the cash-bog of the Medici," and when we find
that in the earlier times of which Rigreni, Perut.c.i
'puke there were eetabliahmente which diecouutal
at the rate of 36 per ocat. theme may have bocu
e•auros for the monetary creek of 1343 apart from
the bankruptcy of Edward HI. of EnglaaL

THE ACCIDENT TO TUE IRIS!! MAIL

TRAIN.

ABICRORLIL ?sway.
At the °petting of the court this mortiiug, tier
Aisemor stud I should like to al Mr. M&3011 one quits-
ties. Are copies of the rules and regulationi of the co u-
'any rundi.d to all WI .erviu.Ls?
I.r. llama --They ate.
'the Arre-sr Is them any further evidence which the
jury would like to have called P
The jury eousulted together, and in the meantime
Mloni I Itch said It will be for the satisfaction of all
parties to know that Mr. Bayard Clarke was lunching at
Cheltenham at the time it wee supposed that he was in
the mail.
Mr. Wood-- Wee the name of Mr. Clarke included in
the het of thirty-three?
The Assessor—There was no evidence taken to show
that Mr. Clarke was in the train.

The jury having expressed the wish,
Hobert Jones was called and sworn, bin evidence being
taken in Wel.h and translated. He mid he lived in Abur-
gele, and worked on the railway. Between 12 sal 1
o'clock on the day of the accident he was working near
the scene of the accident, and upon seeing the smoke ho
ran across to the train, reaching it about four minutes
after the collision. The first man he saw was the guard
Hinton, who gave him a flag, and told him to run buck
towards Abergele and stop all trains.
The Ammer said the ()Groner had requested him to
aunt up the evidence which hod been laid before the
court, and if the representatives of the duceeaed had no
objection to that course he should then proceed to do so.
Be commenced by congratulating the jury upon the com-
pletion of an inquiry which bad nocupsed their elm,
attention for eight days, during whisdi no lee than 70
examinations of witnetees had been made. He trusted
that the verdict which they would now be called upon to
deliver would be such as would give satiatantien to them-
elves and to the public, who, by means of the full reports
which had, day by day, appeared in the press, bad in one
sense beeziwitneeere of the case. The catastrophe that had
called them together was perhaps the most appalling that
bad ever happened in the history of railways in this coun-
try. In a moment thirty-three human beings who bad left
Chester at noon, well and happy, were, by a horrible
death, removed from earth, and it had fallen to their lot
to consider all the circumstances which led up to the

disaster, and if they found that there had been, on the
part of any person or persona, neglect of duty, it would
further be their duty, in virtue of the oath they had
taken, to visit upon the parties the penalties assigned
by the law. He would remind them at the outset that
their verdict would be taken first upon the body of
Charles Crippa, whore body tied been satisfactorily iden-
tified by his widow ; secondly, upon the holy of toward
Out n, whose brother, Thee. Oaten, had recognised his
remains ; thirdly, upon the body of James Priestly
Edwards, which bad been recognised by his uncle, Sir H.
Edwards ; and lastly upon the 30 bodies which re.
maimed, and with reference to which it would be the
duty of the jury to return a verdict as of " persons
unknown." In respect to these bodies, however, he
must tell them that there had been evidence
given which showed that certain persons were
pas-
senger. by the Irish mail, that they joined it at Chester, that
floes that place to the point of the accident, the train did
not atop, and that these certain persona were not amongst
the sermon of the accident. Further, there had been
found in many roes relies of the personal property of
there passengers amongst the debris of the cousumed car-
riages, and these bad been identified by the friends of the
several deceased. The relatives of these thirty deceased
asked the jury, more in 14 favour thin a matter of right,
to append to the verdict a statement to the effect that
evidence had been laid before them showing that these
thirty persons travelled in that train, and that their
bodies were amongst the remains of the dead. It would
be fully in their power to reeds to this request, and he
(the learned &fearer) would recommend them to make the
necessary addenda. First amongst the list stood
the names; of the Right Hon. Lord Farnham and
Lady Farnham. In this ease there was very clear
evidence, because John Hughes, the inspector of the
train at Cheater. had seen both Lori and Indy Farnham
in the can lege as the train moved away out of Chester
station. In the same carriage were Elizabeth Stafford,
Lord Farnham's housekeeper, and Mary Aube Kellett,
her ladyship's maid. The other pavengers, J. Harrison
Aylmer, Louisa Aylmer, Mr. Arthur Aylmer, and two
young ladies, who were travelliug with them, Min
Reesman Banks, and Miss Mary Anne Rae, the Hon.
Walter Be. wick, his sister, Miss Berwick, and Miss
Louisa Sy mots, the Rev. Sir Nicholas Chinnery, Lady
Chinnery, and Caroline Steaue, her lielyship's maid Mr.
V. hitniore Sewell and Miseflewell, Mrs. Askew, of Kidder-
minster, and her daughter, Wm. Smith, guard of the train ;
and Joseph Holmes, the stoker ; Miss Caroline
and Miss Augusta Lea; Mr. W. 8. Limit, Mr. W. B.
l'arkinson, and Mr. C. Parkiecon, Mr. L. Ferrell, Mr.
P. A. Edwardee, son of Captain Edwardes, and Mr. W. H.
Owen, of Cheater. Those were the persona respecting
whom there had been some evidence before them. showing
that they were passengers by the mail train, and that they
never left it alive. It would be satisfactory to the jury
and the public to know that the fiat, with the three bodies
which laid been identified, completed the full number of
the bodies upon which that inquest was held, and led to the
inference that :13 was the full total of the deaths otessioned
by this pad disaster. The learned aseseser, as a preface to
has maiming upof the evidence, next proceeded to state and
explain the law which ruled the inquiry, supplementing
hie remarks by reading. the summing up of Yr. Justice
Coleridge when charging a jury impaunelled to try a
charge of manslaughter upon the railway. He then pee.
et eded to review the evidence at great length, very clearly
pointing out that if the breakawen and the station-master
had observed the instnietions of the company upon
the arrival of the luggage train at Lleindulas
and at once shunted it up the siding• the accident would
not have happened, but the non-obeervanee of this rule
did not directly lead up to the eollisiou or the g rods train
with the mail. lidos precautions had been observed
iu the shunting atter the tail end of the train had been
left upon the line the goods train would have been safely
in the siding—not as epecified by the company's rules
ten minutes before the mail way due, but certainly in
time toLave prevented this greet calamity. It would be
for a jury to say whether rho e doe precaltious had been
observed by the breather°. If it was their opinion that
they had not, and the deaths of these 33 lonians resulted,
it would be their duty, however painful to their feeling's
to return a verdict of manslaughter against Richard
Williams or Robert Jones., or both. If, ou the other
hand, they thought that there had been lie lack of care or
caution on the part deny person in charge of the trains,
they would return a verdict that those pereonewerekilled
by misadventure. Referring to the oil, which led to the sad-
dest feature in the disaster, the armor said it was now
dearly proved that it was non-explosive in its character,
not more entrunuablv than spirits, and therefore not more
dangerous of carrying by railway companies. The evi-
dence of Mrs. Dickens ho refer red to at groat length, and
whilst he gave her credit for truthfulness, and the belief
in her own mind that what she stated had really happened,
be had a difficulty in helloing that she lad riot been mis-
taken as to the position of the carriage from which she
was, as she alleges, spoken to by a perrager, who stand-
ing, he might say, upon the very precipice of the valley of
death refused to be saved. The evidence of several
of the presiders by the mail went to show that
the fire in !runt 9I the carriages immediately upon
the collision was too fierce for a woman to
stand near and live. The scientific evidence showed
that the deur smoke thrown off by the burning oil would
hive the effect of immediately suffocating all who were
enveloped in it, and he was sure the public would be glad
to have their own hop es— that the victims of this terrible
disaster had net had their sufferings prolonged to the ex-
tent indicated by Mrs. Dickens' dory—confirmed by an
deptession of opinion on the part of the jury. With
iimeet to the question of Irking the doors of the car-
riage., which laid been etwadiarably debated, the proluo-
tion of the locks saved from the fire showed that out of IS
one ouly bad been locked. This he thought wive a tag
which, or justice to Or milway someway, ought to be sr
lat.w;e4l.t. 11. In (WAICIU/MOU, the hurried ,sews or referred
to the cntienue. which bad arirm upon the conduct of the
roomer, end dated that so far from their having resulted
the esigairenient of himself, he had on the Stet day
of the inquiry be en requested by the coroner to act as his
re...riser. he cOll/4/ r had prepared a statement which
lie had ;iitrieled to roil in court, hut is, the proceedings
Lad iihendy lei en K. 111Varbiltlq MI it to tie-
ler entre,

llse irony: woo tl-n eleoreal in or;hor that the jury might
&der Ile it ‘ettl.a. The riatem.,at of the I‘..roner,
a hick MU lo arl I la: 11'1011, %,•ty .vabouably pointo3 out
that if I. le.sioi.r lir.l .4giv..l to the wi.hua of the rola-
It%,f of OW 1:44 4%1..1 riga • .lillltt.l onion; for the burial
of the II mein. without ard,rjag a poof-morfum ex.
ufaiaatiou, they would have boast intorrail an 23 bodied.
indeed of, an they turned out to be, 33. lio had, he