The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-20 00:00:00

SPAIN.

The Madrid Gazette publishes the text of the new
bill on lite press lately sanctioned by the Queen :
" The principal characteristics of this measure can•
sist in three special dispositions-Ist, for submitting
to the bishop of the diocese all writings on religious
dcetrines, the Scriptures, and Christian morality ;
2dly, that, for investing the Ministry of the Interior
with the power of regulating as it pleases the adver-
tisements, sale, and distribution of jcurnals ; and,
lastly, that which represses and punishes offences
not provided for by the penal code. Such offences,
committed by attacking or turning into ridicule the
Roman Catholic religion and its worship, or by
insulting the sacred character of its ministers, are
to be punished with imprisonment; if they consist
of exciting to the abolition or the change of the said
religion, or in leading to the introduction of any
other form, the punishment is to be imprisonment
with hard labour. In either case a fine of from 100
to 500 piastres is to be inflicted."

ITALY.
A Turin letter, of the 16th, contains the follow
in g ;
Since the day on which the Chamber had to judge the
conduct of M. Tofani, no sitting mere to be regretted than
that of yesterday has been held, This was the second time
that the Assembly had been transformed into a chamber of
accusation. The seats were all full in spite of a heat of
SO deg. Fahrenheit. At 2 o'clock after the vote, by a small
majority, of the bill granting a pension to the Thousand
of Marsala, M, Pisoli, the reporter of the committee of
inquiry into the participation of certain deputies iu
the affairs of the Southern railways, ascended the
tribune, amidst a profound silence, to read his report. After
tracing the history of the concession of the said railways,
the speaker said that the task of the committeee of inquiry
had been the more difficult that the accusations brought
foTward applied not only to MM. Bastoggi and Susani,
but to other deputies. When the Parliament granted the
concession to M. Bastoggi in preference to Baron de
Rothschild, a rumour was current that the above-named
deputy had purchased the votes of several of his col-
leagues. The statement was traced to an advocate of
Turin, who, on being called on to give an explanation,
declared that 'one of his clients, a former deputy,
had admitted that 30 votes: had been sold for a sum of
3,000,000 f. ; that the mission of effecting the transaction
had been offered to this deputy, but he had refused to accept
it. The committee had resolved to get to the bottom of this
accusation, but the advocate, on being required to furnish
proofs, could give none. The vague rumours, which were
the most dangerous, having thus completely disappeared,
there only remained for the committee to verify precise and
determined facts. A deplorable impression had been
produced on public opinion by the publication of the
names of the persons forming the board of directors,
as it included ai2lost all the members of the com-
mittee appointed to exatine the bill and the concession.
The committee of enquien however, added that it was happy
not to have discovered any proofs of collusion or engage-
ments between its members and the concessionary. The
report then referred to the participation of the deputy, M.
Susani, in the affair of the railway. That gentleman was
the secretary of the committee charged by the Chamber to
examine the concessions made to Baron de Rothschild, An
arrangement was nevertheless made between M. Susani and
M. Bastoggi, to obtain for the latter a preference over de
Rothschild ; for that service M. Susani received a bonus of
1,200,000 f, which he discounted at Milan for 675,000 fr.
The reportdocsnot conceal the fact that the ‘xplanations fur-
nished by MM. Bastoggi and Susani do not appear satis-
factory, and terminates with the following conclusions :-
Ist. That the vague rumours and suspicions of corruption
put in circulation against the deputies on the subject of
the southern railways are completely disproved ; 2d.
That the suspicions which hung over the deputies who
formed part of the committee charged with examining the
project of concession to the Rothschild bank, and who
afterwards entered the board of directors of the
southern railways, aro also dissipated ; 3d. That
the interest and dignity of the Chanebr Pcverthaees require
that the office of deputy should be incomOtible with the
functions of directors, or the position of parties interested in
undertakings subventioned by the State, or which
That M.
Susani, at the moment in which he was a member, and even
secretary to the committee charged to make e. report on the
Rothsaiild concession was the adviser of M. Bastoggi ; that
he participated in M. Bastoggi's undertaking, and that pro-
lariety required that be should first have given in his resig,
nation !le a member of the Parliament Committee, which
he did not
,do ; sth, That the sum Df 1,200,000 E, brought
in question in the We:l-Achott trial, was the bonus des •
(or his co-operation
tined for M. Susani in return . the aid of
That M. Bastoggi ought not to have a2'e l3t°
v -
M. Susani, knowing him to be a member of the ...
mentary Committee; 7th. That At, Bastoggi, in acting