The Express.
London, England, 1859-12-20 00:00:00

BOLOGNA, D■c. 13.

Farini has just arrived here from Modena to give
his last orders for the transference of the central
government, which is in future to take up its quar-
ters in the above-mentioned town. The preference
thus given to the capital of the little duchy chiefly
arises, if
,I mistake not, from the political consider.
ation that it would not be advisable to make it sub-
servient to the capital of the Legations, which even
yet run the risk of being restored to his Holiness.
The uncertainty which still surrounds the final solu-
tion of the affairs of Central Italy made it with Farini
a question of honour to separate ea tar u he could the
future fate of the Romagna from that of the duchies.
It is to be hoped that the wishes of the Romagna,'
es well as those of the Parmesans and Mudenese,
will be at last satisfied and sanctioned by the diplo-
macy of Europe. But nobody can deny that, if
there is in any part of Central Italy any danger of
the restoration of the ancient governments, it is in
the States of the Church. I cannot help shuddering
while merely mentioning this supposition, for, as I
have told you in my former letter., it will cost thou-
sands of lives should it be ever realised. This sup-
position, however remote it might he, vet deserved to
be taken into serious consideration by Parini, and it is,
perhaps, this which has determined him to overlook
the importance of a town which numbers 100,000
inhabitants and give the preference to one
whose population is scarcely 32,000. Should diplo-
macy authorise the annexation to Piedmont of the
two minor Duchies, and the restoration of the
priestly sway in these provinces, the central govern-
ment would be of course transferred to this city, which
by the time the Congress has accomplished its work
will be in a position to resist any foreign interference.
I have carefully inspected the plans which have been
drawn up by Colonel Meixecapo, and, according to
what I saw, the fortifications of this city are
very nearly equal in importance to those of
Alexandria and Verona. This work will be car-
ried out with the greatest activity; and, judging by
the plan which is going tobeadopted,within the space
of three months Bologna will be turned into a strong
entrenched camp, able to give shelter to an army of
30,000 men. The hills which surround the town,
and its central position, will enable such an army to
keep in check an invading force of three times its
own number which may attack the Legation. from
the north. The foundry just established at Parma is
busily engaged in casting rifled cannon for the defence
of this important stronghold of Central Italy, whose
detached fortification'', from the Mon tegnola to San
Salvatore, will mount not less than 20 heavy guns.
In the worst case, if the Austrians should be charged
with the mission of putting into execution the final
decision of the Congress, they could not do so with-
out bringing into the field an army of 180,000 men.
One half of this army would have to operate
against Bologna, the other half to keep on the look
out, for it could be attacked by the national
forces gathered within and behind the entrenched
camp of Bologna. This cam p could not be at tacked wit h
an army much less than 90,000 men, for the radius of
fortification being at the same time so large and strong
would enable Gent rslFanti to repulse them all. With-
out, therefore, reckoning upon the revolutionary ele-
ment of the country which would be at once rowed'
by Garibaldi, Central Italy, with its army of 80,000