Shilii.—The Turin correspondent of the Times affirms most posi- tively
that the Government of Washington have offered the supreme command of their armies to Garibaldi, with permission to deal as he pleases with the slavery question. The offer was conveyed to him at Caprera by the American Minister at Brussels, and it is said that Garibaldi hesitated. He is discontented with the King, desponding about Italy, and longing for action on a great scale. "His lips,', he said, "watered to accept." Fortunately for his reputation, upon a calm consideration, lie rejected the offer, preferring to de- vote himself still to Italy. Great irritation is reported to exist in the mind of Garibaldi towards the King, whom he calls a prefect of France. But these stories have been repeated before.
The condition of affairs in the South does not improve. Bri- gandage is still rife, and Cialdini has burned the town of Cot- tormi, in the "toe" of Italy. The people murmur more and more against their absorption in Piedmont instead of Italy, and clamour to be led to Rome in a style which greatly embarrasses the Govern- ment. The mad enthusiasm of the Neapolitan populace for Gari- baldi increases every day, and is fanned by the Mazzinians, who hope through his popularity to embroil the democratic party with the King. A rumour was current in Italy that Lord John Russell had written a despatch to the Austrian Government, strongly advising the cession of Venetia to the Italians, and a close alliance with Italy, and hinting that, in that case, the British Government would be pre- pared to ably itself with that of Austria—a result desired by Austrian statesmen. The statement requires confirmation.
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