The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-12-18 00:00:00

LONDON,
MONDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1820.

Paris Papers of Thursday last arrived yesterday
et our office. The Chamber of Deputies was to
have assembled on Saturday last for the porpoise
of chooeing by ballot those Members who fixe to
wait upon the KING when his MAJ env pivveeeds*
to open the Session.
The intelligence from Maples contained is these
papers iv not uninteresting. as it tends to whew the
characters of the principal actors in the great drams
now exhibiting in that city. The Parliament of
the kingdom of the Two Sicilies has undertaken g
mighty labour, but we fear much that the
spirit which animates that burly is not equal
to the magnitude of the trek. In the na.
tore of the topics it selects for deliberation, and
in the temper and frivolity of its discussions, it
resemble. the Senate of ancient Rome, or the Par-
liament of England at the glorious era of the Re-
volution, far less than the second National Conven-
tion of France. Thus it happens that at the mo-
ment when an immense army of disciplined Aus-
trians threatens the territories of Naples with inva-
sion, and no power exists capable of offering a mo-
mentary opposition to a force so overwhelming,
while fear or treason unnerves or neutralises the sem
of a people anxious to be free, we find the Parlia-
ment employing the public time, not in arranging
a -system of defence, not in inspiring the Govern-
ment with energy and the people with confidence,
but in determining whether Naples shell bear
its present denomination, or resume its ancient
name Parthenope—whether the kingdom should
be entitled of the Two Sicilies, or of Italy--and,
in fine, whether all the provinces should continue
to bear their modern distinctions, or be adorned
once again with the honours of . antiquity. Upon
these momentous questions the ancients and moderns
came, as it were, to a drawn battle. The mimes
of the kingdom sod of the capital city shall conti-
nue unchanged, hut ail the provinces of the king•
dom shall severally resume their ancient titles; such
as Daunii, lauctuis, Marais, Parthenope. Cam-
pania, &c. We marvel that the name of Perlin-
Meg has not been changed into Senate, and die
Deposits metamorphosed into Palres Conscripti.
We are happy to learn that Sicily eejoye a state of
perfect tranquillity. Palermo has elected Depu-
ties to the Parliament, who were, at the departure
of the last accounts, expected in a few days to
arrive at Naples. They were preceded by 150
I firers of cannon and 15,000 muskets, which
1. •
Abed been in stores at Pelenno, but are now trans-
' (erred to Naples, either for the purpose of ob-
viating the dangers of a new insurrection in
Sicily,.or for preparing the means of defending the
capital in the event of an Austrian invasion. The
greatest difficulty that the Neapolitan Government
has to encounter is the want of money. The people
very generally refuse to pay their taxes, in the
presumption, no doubt, that the 'present system
asposit long subsist. A feeling of this nature is
copulated to realise its own impressions. It is said,
however, that the provinces are situated with a
strong spirit of freedom, and that armed associa-
tion! bare been formed in every port of the king-

`A

Milan