The Express.
London, England, 1850-04-20 00:00:00

SARDINIA.

The Piedmontese Gazette of the 15th publishes a
royal decree naming a commission of several mem-
bers for the purpose of giving their opinion on the
articles which might be sent to the London Exhibi-
tion of all Nations in 1851. The Minister of Com-
' merce is president of the commission, and Sir Ralph
Abercrombie, British Minis•er Plenipotentiary to the
c)urt of Sardinia, is one of the members.
The Duke of Genoa passed through Chambery on
the 14th, on his way to Saxony, where he is to meet
his bride.

A solemn service of thanksgiving was eelebrated
on the 12th, in the cathedral of Florence, in comme-
moration of the restoration of the Grand Duke to his
throne.

GERMANY.
PRUSSIA.

We have received through the ordinary channel
the account of the sitting of the Staatenhaus at Er-
furt, on the 17th, of which we gave the resale yes-
terday. The Chamber commenced by rejecting, by
58 against 33, the motion of the Right relative to
immediate revision ; and adopted, by 62 against 29,
the first article of Von Patow's resolution—that on the
adop'ion of the constitution en htoc. It then adopted
the additional article, without a vote.
_ . _

The government, through its organ, Car'writs, had
pronounced itself against Von Fatow's resolution, as
Radowitz had done in the Lower House.

In its sitting on the 17th, the Volk,hans continued
the revision up to Art. 163 inclusive.

BLII.III, Aram 16.—Voluntary Loan, 1031. Bta•e Loan, 94;
Bank Shares, vat.
Cr Amu'. I;.—Five per Cent. Iletalliques, 931; Four per
Cent. ditto. 62.

THE lONIAN ISLANDS.

SPEECH OF THE LORD HIGH COMMIS-
SIONER ON THE OPENING OF THE SI ATES.

By the Levant mail, we have intelligence from
Malta to the 12th, Corfu to the let, Athens to the 8:b,
and Constantinople to the 4th. The only news in the
Malta papers are the expulsion from the island, by
order of the governor, of M. Sichera, a Sicilian re-
fugee. The Corfu journals announce the opening of
the states of the lonian Islands by the English Lord
High Commissioner. On this occasion, that high
functionary delivered a long speech, of which tho fol-
lowing are the most interesting portions :

Mr. President and Gentlenten,—lt is with a feeling of no
ordinary interest that I meet here to-lay, Pr the ti-st time,
the representatives of the lonian people elected under the
new consti,ution. What the pra:ttcat worii,,g of mkt con-
stitution will be—in how fu the new principles engrafted
upon the charter of 1817, with her Majesty's sanction, and
at your own desire, will harmonise with the old, time and
experience must determine; but I should do little justice
to my own feelings, or to your conduct, if I were not to take
thir opportunity of static, publicly that the elections, even
in thou islands where party 'pint as run highest, hwe been
conducted with admirab:e order and tranquillity, act that
the people generally have evinced a singular kvitaile for
the new rights and powers with which ttey have twen in-
trusted.

On my eon I hope that I have fully redeemed the pledge
'Mich I gave at the close of last 'vision, to 'basin fr-m in-
terterence of any kind. The government has considered
itself simply as tke guardian of the purity of the vu:e. The
Senate has stated publicly the erounds, up n which it
reved the decision of the points referred to it by the regents
of the different islands, as they arose upon the first applica-
tion of the uew eysteriel and I em willing to hope that
many of those who, at first, questioned the expediency of
the changes made in the electoral law of May, ISI9, by
shorieniog the duration of the poll, sod dividing the Wands
into electoral districts—will admit that both have con-
tr:buted to the ease and liberty with which the rights of
the conetitneney have been exercised.
I pass now to the practical objects that demand your at-
tention during the present session.
The Senate, within the term prescribed by the low, will
present to y au detailed accounts of the revenue and expendi-
ture, prepared its conformity with toe understanding entered
into last session. The article of the constitution which re-
quires the presentation of these accounts within six &neater
the commencement of the session, precludes the possibility
of the submission to you by tho new Senate of any well
detested plan for equalling the expenditure with th • income;
but the subject requires, and I have no doubt will receive,
your most serious attention.
I have always felt that the machinery of government in
these islands is very costly, and that the whale system stands
iii need of revision. In undertaking this tisk, which is more
peculiarly the duty of the popular branch of the legislature,
I should recommend you to follow the Example of coun•ries
which heirs had longer experience in selegovernment, and
to appoint two committees, each consisting of five or seven
numbers—the o'.e to examine the civil lie, and the ordi-
nary and extraordinary expenditure; the other, the detail of
which the revenue is composed, and their besting upon the
different classes of the community. I have directed the most
ample materials to be prepared io ever, department upon
these subjects; and, if the Assembly shoidd this k proper to
empower its committees to call before them the heads of
each depirtmect, as would be done in Eno,lied or in France,
and to examine them personelly as to the details of the re-
spective offices, the pay and duties of those employed under
them, and the practicability of conducting the public boa.
nem with greater economy, I can assure you that, on the
part of the government, there shall be no disguise or con-
cealment of any kind. It is the interest of all that the work
to be done should be done efficiently, but cheaply ; and that,
while tiroper provision is made for sustaining the dignity
and independence of the government, there should be no ex-
traysganie and no supettluit,es ; that the taxis which it is
necessary to levy should bear equally upon au, and that
every species of property should be made to assume its altars
of the common burden.
Upon these points you will dad foams useful suggestions
in the report of the finance committee, presented to your
predecessors at the close of the last session ; and if the Mr-
cations contained in that report be properly holowod up, with
the aid of such materials as the government can supply, I
have hale doubt that the results will he Tau able.

The speech then goes on to say th.it iu the course of
the session the Lord High Commissioner will state his
reasons and that of the mercantile body for thinking
that a change may be made in the mole of levying
the duties on oil and currants. He recommends mea-
sures to be taken for preventing the continuance of
abuses with respect to church property, and announces
a bill for improving the system of public education.
Ho then refers to certain public work,: in the island,
and announces the conclusion of arrangements with
the Austrian Lloyds, for increasing steam cammuni-
tam between different ports. Toe speech concludes
as follows:

I have now adverted briefly, but fraul4, to those put-
ties! questions which I regard as m •utetesting to the
country, and c snmquently as best entithil to your attention.
Upon all these qu:stions you may expict from me and from
the government just formed, a cordial C32CllffeliCe in every
reasonable proposition. Lay aside, therefore, 1 beseech you
the idea of antagonism with which the minds of men hare
been fed durirg the recent contest. That rout, s: i. now
over. You have assumed the responsibility with this realities
of power. Um that power with moderation and good sense,
and you will wafer an inestimable bet.efit upon your
country. Believe me, when I 11.111111TJ )ou that there can be
no natural or mummy antagonism between you and myself,
as the repel senta,ive or the proti cling stvercign—or between
the Movably and the B:nate of these Stat.s—both emanating
from the same popalar source—for, with one ramp:ion,. I
have taken the present &sato from the bosomof the Legis-
lative Assembly. That exception implies no want of consi-
deration for the present representatives of Cephalonia,
amongst whom I could have selected names that would have
been an ornament to the Senate, end with whom I should
have bed the greatest satistaction in co-op:rating. It is
founded upon a public principle, whiol, kits me ti..t it is
dangerous as well as unjust to placo the man who had the
distinguished honour of tilling for lire years the post of Pre-
sident of these States in spoaition that may lagOal his. either