THE ITALIAN QUESTION.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 270, 22 May 1860, Page 4

THE ITALIAN QUESTION.

That question was first of all, since the publication of our last, materially modified by the statement of his Italian policy which was given by the Emperor Napoleon in his speech at the opening of the French Chambers. We publish this speech elsewhere in full From the statements which it contains it will be perceived that the Emperor expressed an emphatic opposition to the annexation of the Duchies and the Romagna to Piedmont. He desired that the range of annexation should be limited to Parma arid Mbdena; that an independent government should bo preserved in Tuscany,; aud that some undefined connection should ba kept up between the Rom*gna and the Papal court. The French foreign minister embodied the Emperor's views in a despatch to the Piedmontese government. It was thus definitively declared that what France desired to. see in Italy was,,the extension of Victor Emmanuel's kingdom by the absolute addition of Mpdena and Parma, the solution of the Papal .question by making the king lay vicar of thei Romagna, and the restoration of the Grand Duoby of Tuscany, perhaps of a kingdom of Etruria; and France backed her appeal by something like a threat of withdrawing her troops from Lombardy if her recommendations were neglected. Count Cavour emphatically declares that what France demands [separate kingdom] of Sardinia is an impossibility. He says that if he were to attempt to give .effect to this policy he would immediately lose, his power as a minister ; nay, he even avers that if the king; his master, were to espouse this French r scheme, and were to attempt to consolidate his kingdom upon the plan proposed to him, he. would cease at once to be the chosen king of the Italian people, and would thenceforward be only a tyrant reigning by force. Such was the position" taken up by Count Cavour. As to the Vicariat over the Romagna, he objected that it would be satisfactory neither to the people of the Romagna, nor to the King of Sardinia, nor to the Pope. As to Tuscany, he stated the policy of Victor Emmanuel as decidedly as M. Thouvenel had stated .that of Napoleon 111. by the threat of France to withdraw from the con-; test, and to leave Sardinia alone to contend against.Austria and Naples, Count Cavourj on behalf of his country, boldly accepted the position, and declares that if the Tuscans should persist in their desire to annex themselves to Piedmont, the King of Sardinia was now resolved to* accept them as his subtjects. •We here subjoin the exact returns of the voting in Central Italy, as published on March 15:— . The numbers in favor of annexation to Piedmont are as follows:— Tho Romagna 202,659 Modena 115,621 ■ Parma .. .' 88,511 '" The votes in the Romagna for a separate kingdom were 244. The returns of the votes in Tuscany, with tho ex-' ception of 32 communes, show:— . For annexation .-.• .. -.. 330,087 Tor a separate kingdom ~ 18,156 A.condensed view of the position of affairs, so far as it was known at Paris on the, 13th of March, is given by the Paris correspondent of the Times in his letter of that date:—" It is certain that the French army in-Lombardy, which was ordered to b9 ready to march at a moment's notice, has been countermanded; for the present it remains where it is. What waa the cause of the order, and of the countermand ? 'It was said that the annexation of Tuscany to Piedmont would* be followed as quickly as possible by Victor Emmanuel making another attempt to win Venetia; that the Emperor; of' the French r disapproved, or, appeared to disap-: prove, such haste, and menaced, if the design were persisted in, to withdraw the army from Lombardy ; and that M. Cavour had no choice but; to submit. This, however, waauofc the real cause of the counter-order. The truth is, the Emperor Napoleon suspected,frbm the vague language of the Turin cabinet, that'his chance of Savoy and Nice was anything but certain; and, to extort" a mofe;positive and unmistakable assurance on this head, Marshall Viillant received orders to quit Milan, and leave the ground open to the Pied montese or Außtriana to do what they pleased.. At first it was not believed that the ihreat. waa serious* but the incredulous soon saw, reason, to. change their opinion. .Lettersstate that great terror was felt at Milan at-the;very thought of the Aus«, t'rians returning. Be this as it. may.r the hint r of nioving had the effect intended j Savoy and Nice are-delivered up'to France TKing Viotor Emmanuel will soon have eeen the last of ft

people who haVestood by him and hi* for centuries, and annexation may be said to J be an accomplished fact. It is to be hoped; though it is not certaiu, that this is the last sacrifice—if Victor Emmanuel feel it as a sacrifice —which the French Emperor will exaot from him. It was said that if,the Piedmontese took the Bomagna the Austrians would attack them. But it is very doubtful whether the Emperor Napoleou will permit his ally to clutch that prize just now. It will perhaps be kept for an other season. The bull of excommunication is ready to be launched by the Vatican the day the Piedmontese annex that province, and the Holy Father has, it seems, a memorandum or manifesto prepared in which the tortuous policy of the last few years with respect to Italy will be laid before the world. In his' encyclical letter the Pope alluded to documeuts which he has in 1 possession. This intimation is said to have] produced the effect, and, at the particular desire of France, Victor Emmanuel may postpone, for the present only, his annexation of that part of the pontificial territory, and some think that Venetia will also be left uniaterfered with till next spring."

ANNEXATION OP SAVOY AND NICE. It was stated ia our last that ia'connection with the settlement of Italy the' proposed' an-' nexatiorT by-France of the 'provinces of Savdy. and- Nice-had assumed 'the "dimension! of a great European question; During the ';pa"9t month, as has beenseenfroni tbeoorreßpondence just quoted, it "has come to be spoken of as' tin fait accompli. The French government jeems to be pretty confident about the people of Savoy and Nice voting to be incorporated in Imperial France. Steps have already.been taken, and Savoy.and Nice are not without French agents preparing the way for open action. Piedmont makes no difficulty. Cavour has left the people every freedom for expressing opinion. We shall soon hear of official agents being sent from Paris in that direction; and then M. Thouvenellwill address a note on the subject to the great Powers. It will flatter French vanity to have gained the Alpine frontier under 111., and make the Emperor many enthusiastic friends amongst the masses. The French jour* nals speak of the annexation of Savoy and Nice as if it were sure to take place. "We are informed," says the Courier de Paris, " that the elections in Savoy and in the' county of Nice, to decide on the annexation of those; provinces to. the French empire, will'take place^ on the 18th of March." '■ . ' ; V ,

It was of course not to be expected that ■ the annexation would go forward with the consent ofi Switzerland; Accordingly we learn from Paris that the Swiss envoy in that capital bashanded to the French government a protest against the measure. It is also stated that " the Swiss goverumeot, will address a note to the Powers who signed the treaties at ;the Congress of Vienna for the maintenance of! the statusqw in Savoy,.and the^ guarantee of;the neutrality of Switzerland, and of a, portion of Savoy." '■;■■'■'•] ' l'^^ \.;"' ,:';.;;" ' '