The Express.
London, England, 1868-04-13 00:00:00

ITALY.

(IRON OCR OWIN

FLORENCE, Aram &
The Senate has prolonged its sittings yet another
day after the adjournment of the Chamber of Depu-
ties, and received yesterday a communication from
the crown of the appointment of twelve new sena-
tors. Amongst these are to be found two names, !
of which the first will always remain associated
with the history of English letters, and the 1
Krond is honourably known as • most
friendly link between Italian and English
politics. When I state that the first of these
Hynes is that of Antonio Panizzi, there is no
English reader who will not, I am sure, readily
admit that the mark of distinction just conferred
en the ex-librarian of the British Museum is
ly a fitting recognition of the truly eminent
manner in which Mr. Pentad so long reple-
*en
te,' in our own country the most remark-
abk. .haracteristics of the Italian mind as it
„,,e wont to reveal itself in the days of
It. highest social brilliancy and administra-
tive vigour. Certainly of all the distinguished Ita-
lians who at different periods have passed their
:tree in England, Mr. Panizzi is the one who will
probably leave the most lasting traces of his
sojourn, and Ifarochettes bust, which smiles down
upon the student as he passes beneath it to prose-
cute his labours in the reading room will often be
gratefully contemplated by those who feel that but
for the untiring energy and ready tact of that very
shrewd and wideawake Signor Antonio there would
n.ver have been extracted from the House of
Ceramons the funds required to rear that
splendid temple of letters. lam much afraid, how-
ver, that the nomination of Mr. Panizzi to a place
in the Italian Senate will scarcely secure to his
ountry those benefits anticipated by Count Cavour
whet, only a short time before his death he was de-
‘it ous of Signor Panizzi accepting such an honour
lye have all regretted to learn that his health
was lastwintergreatly shaken, and it may be doubted
whether it will be any longer in his power, should
he decide on passing the rest of his life in
:talc, to discharge the high administrative
functions which not more than two years ago were
again pressed on his acceptance. The second of
the names I referred to is that of one whose
figure was almost as familiar ten years ago
to the habituls of the British Museum as
that of Panizzi himself—the Commendatore
de Vincenzi, one of the Italian statesmen best
acquainted with all the forms and usages of the
English constitution, and most sincerely desirous
of promoting and strengthening on all occasions a
good understanding between Italy and England.
The Chamber of Deputies, before adjourning,
had happily reached the first stage of its difficult
.ourney on the road of financial reform. By the
voting of the multure tax, including the extension
,f the tax on movable property to the coupons of
rente, it has at length proved the determine_
t ion of the country to face the stern realities which
w,uld never have assumed their present mag-
nitude had they been boldly met when they
ere first recognised in 1863. Then it was,
on the truth first dawning on the minds of
Italian statesmen that the regular deficit was
something above a million of francs a day,
that a halt should have been made and new taxes
imposed, instead of merely attempting to stop the
gaps by successive loans. What ought to have been
done in 1863 was neglected in the four following
years. The representativesof the people had not the
courage to say to their constituents, You must be
subjected to fresh taxes. Each fresh tax as it was
pitiposed encountered hostility in ono quarter or
.a another. The multure tax was obnoxious to
s .10. the duty on wines and spirits to others, the
• usion of the movable property tax to the
to one disliked by the Senate—in short it was
• .11 story of the condemned criminal who
m allowed to choose the tree on which to
himself, could find no tree in the
.actly fitted for that purpose. Mean-
.., a waters kept constantly' rising ; until
l!le conviction has forced itself on the most
,i,t'css that there is no more time to be lost.
At• st of the recent difficulties has been to
ante a sufficiently compact and disciplined
•.• the Chamber of Deputies to give effect to
plan of financial retrenchment and reform
• • , the present ministers are endeavour-
carry out. The first impression
d away from the speeches made and
published during the discussion on the
•.1 aper currency was that each of the 490
. hers of the Chamber of Deputies had his own
and infallible specific for the financial
the kingdom of Italy, and that under no eir-
••-:..lieca w nth' he listen to any compromise
• his views and those of his rivals. The
p••.nt on which these 490 legislators appeared
~,,attimous was the conviction of the immense
lily each of them to the Finance Minister,
4.',Ostbrity Digny. Nothing can be more
..e:11.4 than the successive stages in the change
parliamentary opinion during the last three
in. intim respecting that minister, and the varying
XtSo6ltAll wlth his name. At the begin-
low; of January lie was either "poor Digny' or
the mayor ; about the middle he become "poor
%lurking Digny ;" towards the close of the
•nth he was already " hard-working DignY,"
• • the poor.' monied. About the middle of
" `.urs he hail reached the stage of "courageous"
..y . at the close of that month he had got as
• .; "courageous and clear-headed Digny." By
Lllc of March he was repeatedly spoken of
• k• distinguished Digny ;" and I confidently
1 that on the reassembling of the Chamber it
.iitnouneed in all the ministerial prints that
Illustrious Digny " laid before the repro-
• -:ices of the people those further financial
s from which the country expects the
,tin, of its resources and its credit. So mar-
..lr .atecessful is success.

likt 1

tirace the Duke of Marlborough has kindly
Monbeim Palace and gardens open from this day
tLer notice. The hours of admission to the palms
II a.m. to 1 p.m., and to the gardens from 11
1,M., on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thule-
,. ":;.!ay in each week.
tJ exhibition of national portaita at the
.• • • :,stos Museum wu submitted to the so-rifled
• ' in.pection of some hundreds of distinguished
• ...iturclay, end was opened to the public to day.
•'• ..'re:ttly noticed them in our columns.
the Inrolt skilful jewellers in Paris has
~.;ti,e orders of a sovereign to manufacture a beauti-
. •tohe au exact imitation of the famous " Queen's
• such as Alexander Dumu described in Ms Me-
'. d Yunnan.

I Fenian Deasy is at present living in New
• .010 hu lately been making Fenian addressee In
nr parts of the country.
FtTAL ArCIDINT ON THE MERBZY.—UptO
;::I,v7,tl'ithgeitrhlivb°de, ieS)fooldri,Gir rdlndl,antte"r. FlamUtaw
upsetting es
Mats, bad not on
reooverel We believe that Mr.
.01Z1l7haa° alliatuurr. H2°
Yeart:uofirri 0.
in whose *Mee he wee employed.—Lirerpeet