The Express.
London, England, 1850-11-06 00:00:00

SPAIN.

MADRID, Ocr. 31.
Within these three or four days all the opposition
papers have been repeatedly seised, though they have
not contained articles that could materially damage
the ministry. I have already mentioned to you that
meet of the emplayls of the home department were
gentlemen of the press, and still keep up some con-
uexion with the ministerial prints. It would appear
therefore that this continual seizure of journals is
caused by a journalist's desire to diminish the number
of his rival's subscribers, and to increase his own, for
the lo7ers of news do not like to be curtailed of their
daily ration two or three times a week.
Since the permission granted by the government
for the partial restoration of the convents, an active
propaganda bee been organised by the Pope's nuncio,
to induce wealthy women to take the veil, and, above
all, to endow the church with their worldly goods. A
scandalous example of the kind has jest taken place,
and forms the principal aliment of to•day's gossip.
The Cortes was opened by the Qneen to-day, with
the usual ceremonies. The Queen was accompanied
by the King Consort. In the speech from the throne
her Majesty began by alluding to the hopes she had
entertained of presenting herself with a Prince
or Princess on the occasion, but expressed her
resignation to the will of Providence. She expressed
satisfaotion in being able to announce the happy re-
establishment of diplomatic relations with- Great
Britain in a manner worthy of both countries.
Friendly relations continued with other powers. The
Spanish expedition to Rome had been eminently suc-
cessful. In the interior of Spain public order was
maintained and past dissensions forgotten. Tran-
quillity was for a moment disturbed in Cabs by a tet
of foreign pintas, who fled before the loyalty of the
people and the bravery of the troops. The army
preserved its reputation for discipline, and the Rave
was increasing in importance. Various reforms held
been made in the penal ode of Spain, all of white
would be submitted to the Cortes by the ministers.
Reforms had also been effected in many other branches
of the public administratios. The public revenues eta-
tinned to progressively increase. The plan for the
definitive settlement of the public debt would be pre-
sented; also that of the Bssquefueros. In a word,
the state of the country her Majesty pronounced to be
relatively prosperous and favourable. Th.: ceremony
took place in the new palace of the Congress, the
Chamber of Deputies.
MADRID, Ocr. 31—Thus per Cents., 241; after Bolos,
34 1316 omit. Four per Cents., 131. Five per Conti., 131
paper ; after BA's, 131 paper, 131 cash. Coupons, 71 sub;
after Bolts, 71 sub. Pariese, 3 16.16 cosh; alter Boise,
316 16 cash. Bank of Bt. Twasika, 97 paper. Exchange
oa London, 60.35.—Tthsaterow Wag All Saints' Day
there will be no Boise.

ITALY.
ROMAN STATES.

Our Roman correspondent, writing under date
Oct. 28, says: The principal subject of interest at I
present in Rome, and, indeed, throughout the whole
state, ie the new imposition of taxes upon the various
branches of industry and commerce by which the
msjority of citizens gain their livelihood. The gene-
ral feeling Is that the rules of proportional equity
have been terribly transgressed in the formation of
the graduated scale, and a universal burst of ill-
humour pervades the middling and lower claws,
many of whom now abandon their lingering allegiance
to the government, and swell the ranks of its political
adversaries. The regulation and tariff, dated the 24th
October, were published on the 26th, in ten days from
which time all persons exercising or intending to
exercise any manufacturing, agricultural, or com-
mercial calling, from the highest to the lowest, are to
send is their names and trades to their respective
municipal authorities, for the formation of the lists of
tax-payers, which will:be divided into cluses, degrres,
and series, by secret committees. The tax is to be
paid beforehand. four months at a time. The first
category comprises, bankers, agents, and merchants,
paying 180 dots. per annum the first class, and so on
down to 80, the sixth class. Secondly, farmers and
dealers in agricultural products pay from 120 dole. to 20
dole. Then come manufacturers of all sorts, who pay
from 100 dole. to 25 dole., and the retailers of their
manufactures from 48 dole. to 8 dole. per annum. All
manufacturers of and dealers in comestibles pay from
80 dole. to 8 dole., at which rate are also taxed all
handicrafts; silversmiths and goldsmiths being, by a
strange clause, rated lower than blacksmiths, car-
penters, and bricklayers. The sixth category com-
prises jewellers, milliners, and a host of other shop-
keepers, who pay front 90 dole. to 24 dole. per annum.
Post muter, and costractors contribute from 120 dole.
to 20 dole., and innkeepers and house-letters, from '
80 dole, to 20 dole. per annum, whilst dealers in pic-
tures, cameos, statues, or other objects of vertu are
taxed at from 60 dole. to 18 dole. All these rates are
calculated for Rome and Bologna, their amount gn-
i dually dimiuisbing according to the importance of the
towns or villages of the provinces, which are divided
into six classes. The discrepancies are however so
manifest that everybody ia crying out already., even
before the payment has commenced, and resistance,
, or at any rate the allowing of their goods to be seized,
is universally spoken of by the malcontent shopkeep-
ers, many of whom barely make both ends meet, and
could never afford to pay five or six dollars a month,
; especially now that living will cost 20 or 30 per cent.
more than heretofore. It appears preposterous to rata
I the millionaire banker Torlooia no higher than an
agent who gets a living by forwarding cases of statues
and pictures to England daring four months of the
year. An annual contribution of 180 dole, will'neyn
be missed out of the coffers of the former, but it will