THE ITALIAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

West Coast Times, Issue 281, 17 August 1866, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE ITALIAN PREPARATIONS FOR WAR.

The Florence correspondent of the Paris " Temps." writing to that journal on the 29th April, says : — "We arc decidedly and completely warlike. A circular note of General La Marmora, inserted in the official " Gazette" leaves no doubt on this subject. After solemnly affirming that Italy has made no armaments hitherto, the President of the Council declares that she is now going to do so. The significance of such a declaration is obvious ; the impulse has now been given, and it would be absolutely impossible to stop it. Decrees calling in the men of the reserve will, it is announced; be published this evening ; the mobilisation of the battallions of the national guard, to form the garrison of the interior, is also spoken of ; the enrolments of volunteers have commenced, and General Garibaldi is expected in the early part of next week. The party of action, which hitherto had shown itself but little favourable to war, has resolved to rally to it, on condition that the Goxernment accepts the assistance of the volunteers, and utilises all the vital forces of the nation. Despite the little affection General La Marmora may have for the volunteers, he appears decided not to refuse auxiliaries whom public opinion esteems so highly. . . . The goods trains on all the railways of Upper and Central Italy have been suspended, and the branches of the National Bank in the frontier towns have been told to hold themselves ready to fall back upon the interior." The Florence correspondent of the " Debats," writing on the same day, says that public opinion is unanimously in favor of Avar ; everybody wishes it, the commercial classes as much and more than the others ; they feel that the peace hitherto prevailing was a barren and ruinous peace. If everything were to end by one of those adjournments which terminate in nothing, the position of the Government would become one of the utmost difficulty. The correspondent of the " Debats ' adds, "If war breaks out it appears that Garibaldi will come forward again in accord with the Government. Nothing is talked of but enrolments of volunteers, but I believe the rumors premature. The Government is very anxious to leave to Axistiia the provocative part she has hitherto filled, and it will prevent enrolments until war is officially declared." The Florence correspondent of the " Avcnir National " says :—": — " The situation could not possibly be more complicated, and the general opinion here is that war cannot longer be avoided ; a proclamation of the King, appealing to all the vital forces of the nation, will, it is said, appear to-morrow, or later. War, which was not very popular a few days ago, has gained in favor since the imminence of the dan- ! ger, and it may now be said that all parties unanimously approve it. General Garibaldi is expected here tomorrow. It was the King himself who sent for him through one of his orderly officers, aud already numerous volunteers are ready to enrol themselves in the legion he is going to organise." The correspondent of the " Avenir National" thinks that, notwithstanding all these measures, tho signal for war will

not be given until ttio middle of this month. The " Movimento" of Genoa, of the 28th, says : — " Preparations for war are going forward on a largo scale. The arsenal, powder manufactories, and military establishments, both public and private, have received large orders, and all, with the greatest zeal, are answering the call made upon them. A correspondent from Naples says that equal energy is displayed there, and the writer adds that he saw with his own eyes a letter from General la Marmora to a Neapolitan nobleman, in which he says, ' Get ready to be my aide-de-camp.' "