The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-06 00:00:00

ITALIAN POLITICS.

The business before the Florence legislature is
regarded by the Tires as so important as to amount to •
decision of the question whether or not parliamentary
government can be maintained in Italy. The ministry,
which has not undergone any important modifica-
tions, cannot dissolve the parliament, for, in conse-
quence of the practioe of the Chamber of assenting
to a provisional budget only, no ministry could levy taxes
I or expend the public money after the let of February with-
out • new vote. The difficulties, however, are not so much
political ad personal. War with France is acknowledged
by all men—Garibaldi himself not excepted—as impossible,
and it is the merest rudiments of government which seem
such insoluble puzzles toltalian statesmen. I. the present
instance it isaimply petty antipathies, mean punctilios, which
keep good and true men from joining Menabrea, and no
party has given evidence of more glaring personal and provin-
cial selfishness than the Piedmontese ; and Piedmont, once
the bulwark of national unity, has been turned into as
active an element of dissolution as Naples and Sicily—only
more dangerous. For, after all, painful as it may be to
avow it, Italy is in danger of dissolution from internal
disorders rather than from foreign violence. It is not by
France or Austria, not by the Pope or by the Bourbon that
the ruin of Italy can ever be compassed. If Italy falls it
will be by her own band ; by the improvidence and infa-
tuation, by the blind selfishness of her leading men.
The Daily Nevi is fully persuaded that General Mena.
byes deserver the confidence of his countrymen. No
minister has affirmed more clearly or energetically the
rights of Italy as an independent nation, but, in common
with all the most enlightened of his countrymen he is
sick of empty declamation and of lawless enterprises.
Italy is paying the penalty which Cavour, in the very
moment of accepting the armed assistance of the Emperor,
bad foreseen. It was in sheer desperation, and in default
of • more disinterested alliance, that, as he expressed it in
his familiar momenta, he " took one pirate to get rid of
another." Hid he lived he might have known haw to get
rid of both. But the secret of his success died with him.
And the sufferings of many a proud Italian heart sines the
consequences of an alliance with the most aggressive of
European powers began to fall upon their country no tongue
can utter, and no pen can describe.

The Post attempts to abow an analogy between Fe-
pianism and trades unionism, and enters into a statement

of the principles put forward, and of the tactics employed
in each caws, in support of its argument.
The Tima lands in high tares the circular which Dr.
Moriarty has addressed to his clergy, and urges the pried.
hood to follow the example. There have, undoubtedly,
been some culpable exceptions, but, until the Timm Dees
strong reason to the contrary, it will look for the tree
spirit of the Roman catholic clergy in Dr. Moriarty rather
than in Father Lavelle.

The Bazadarci believe, that both the smirks d Ilmo
tello tower and the Ming of Mr. Alport'a ahaia, wererather

designed to startle the public sad sines the 6116 01 the
Fenian cause, and glee them easuranee of the &dishy sad
success of the brotherhood, than as a prelude to say seen

serious operations. Nevertheless the steesselty of their