The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-07 00:00:00

LOMBARDY.

A. letter from Milan, dated Jan. 3, says :
" You may consider it almost as settled that
Garibaldi returns again to activity. In a day or
two the decree is expected which will make him
Inspector-General of the National Guard in Lom-
bardy. The confidence which was placed in him by
the King has not been deceived, and, in spite of the
endeavours which were made to influence his de-
cision, he has not swerved. There were not want-
ing those who tried to frighten him with the idea
that a return of Garibaldi to activity would be
taken abroad as a want of confidence in the issue
of the Congress, and as a threat ; and there were
others who brought back the remembrance of the
difficulties which existed, and were likely to revive
again, between the War-office and Garibaldi. The
good sense of the King saw the absurdity of the first
objection, and the injustice of the second. Garibaldi
is the representative, not of the revolution, but
of the national idea ; to strengthen this and keep
it alive is but the natural consequence of the posi-
tion which Victor Emmanuel has taken up. Gari-
baldi's retirement was generally felt as a check to
the realisation of this idea ; and, indeed, how could
it progress if the man who was the personification
of this idea was put aside as an obstacle ? His re-
turn to activity will reassure the public mind, and
will be a pledge for the future, especially as it
happens almostat the same time as Cavour's return
to affairs. The diffidence in those who are at the
head of affairs is such that it was absolutely neces-
sary to do something to quiet apprehension. The
National Guard in Lombardy is in organisation far
behind that in the old provinces where it has ex-
isted for years. Every locality, great and small, did
here wellnigh as it pleased hitherto, so that the
greatest difference prevails in this respect in the towns
and boroughs ; to make the most of this useful
element is not a threat, but simply applying the
Piedmontese laws in the new provinces, That no
one can be more fit to deal with this popular insti-
tution than Garibaldi need scarcely be remarked.
He will find arms for the National Guard, and de-
prive it of that spirit of clique which must exist
while the National Guard is localised and without
any point of reunion.
Apropos of arming, I must tell you that the
authorities of Central Italy have written to the
committees which have been formed for the Gari-
baldi subscription asking to have the produce of
that subscription. The committees have, of course,
refused to give up their trust, which the subscribers
intended for the disposition of Garibaldi.

A great many stories are current about the say-
ings of Victor Emmanuel to the members of the
Corps Nilonzatique on New Year's-day. Every one
thinks fit to invent something, and then to draw in-
ferences. Thus, according to one of these stories the
Neapolitan Minister, in bringing forward the cus-
tomary wishes, expressed a wish that all would be
arranged peacefully ; on which the King is said to
have answered " How arranged in peace ? Not at
all. The cannon will arrange that." Again, to the
Spanish Minister he is reported to have said, " Tell
your Queen that she ought to unite with me, and
not believe all those ' pastici' of the priests."
There is a soldier-like frankness in the King, and
an absence of all etiquette, so that even if these
stories are not true, they might be so.
Garibaldi is still the centre of ovations at Turin,
and has to pass his time with receiving and answer-
ing deputations, and haranguing the people. It
seems Turin does not wish to remain behind any
other Italian town is this respect.
The Municipal Congregation of Milan, which
was remodelled and invested with full powers after
the retreat of the Austrians, has given an account
of its stewardship to the Municipal Council, which,
in its meeting yesterday, approved entirely its ac-
tivity and endorsed its deeds. The reports made in
this respect will be published.
The Podesta and Count Giulini, one of the as-
sessors of the Municipal Congregation, have gone
to Turin, and brought back the news of a change
in the person of the Governor. Villamarina goes
to Naples, and M. Gallina, a Senator, takes his post
as Governor of Milan.