grounds, that the proper time had gone by for making it (“fuori termine"). He added, moreover, that as the fact which had just been stated by the counsel must have been known long ago, the present application could only be looked upon as an attempt to procrastinate the trial. The Court, after a short deliberation, rejected the application on the technical plea urged by the Attorney-General. A contrary decision would in all probability have had but little effect on the result of the trial. The antecedents of Pierro, on whose testimony the present indictment was framed, are of so vile a nature as to render his testimony utterly valueless, apart from the palpable contradictions in which his affidavits are involved. How can it be expected that the stream of justice, thus polluted at its source, should flow undefiled! The Court adjourned to the 15th instant, on which day the pleadings will commence with the speech of the Attorney-General. The Earl of Clarendon. G. G. PETRE. No. 23.-Mr. Petre to the Earl of Clarendon.-(Rec. September 20.) (Extract.) Naples, September 15, 1856. THE political trials, which had been adjourned, as I informed your Lordship in my despatch of the 9th instant, were resumed this morning. The The sitting, though brief, was not devoid of interest. Attorney-General rose and said, that before making his statement, he wished to advert to the evidence given at the previous sitting of the Court by Captain Acuti, who, as your Lordship may recollect, stated that he had inflicted 50 strokes upon 54 of the prisoners of Procida, in pursuance of an order from the King. The Attorney-General characterized Captain Acuti's assertion, originating, he said, either in ignorance or malice, as calumnious and false, and stated that it was in his power to refute it by official documents. These documents were then read; they consisted, if I understood rightly, of letters from the Minister of Public Works, under whose control the prisoners are placed, and from the superior officer of the Bagno of Procida. They went to prove that the order in question had emanated from the Minister alone, and on his sole responsibility, although, according to established usage, it was issued in the name of the Sovereign. With respect to the punishment itself, the criminal law authorized the infliction of 40 strokes upon any prisoner found without his irons, with the additional pain of "puntale," (that of being chained to a ring in the floor), besides a prolongation of the term of imprisonment. In this instance the authorities had dis[1855-56.] 3 D pensed with the two latter punishments, and had balanced the account by inflicting 10 more strokes than the law allowed. The Attorney-General, after protesting in energetic language against the malevolent interpretation to which Captain Acuti's evidence lent itself, called upon the Court to re-examine that officer. The Court, after a short deliberation, decided that he should be examined again to-morrow, and the sitting was in consequence adjourned. Although it is but natural that the Attorney-General should endeavour to dissipate the impression-erroneous, as I am anxious to believe-produced by Captain Acuti's evidence, yet the whole time of the Court to-day was taken up with proceedings entirely episodical to the main trial. Any one who had entered the Court for the first time might have supposed that, instead of Mignogna and his associates, a far more august personage was on his trial. The Earl of Clarendon. G. G. PETRE. No. 24.-Mr. Petre to the Earl of Clarendon.- (Rec. September 22.) (Extract.) Naples, September 14, 1856. I HAVE abstained from entering upon the question at issue with the Neapolitan Minister for Foreign Affairs, feeling, as I do, that the views of Her Majesty's Government need no further elucidation from me, and knowing that any arguments or representations of mine can carry with them no personal weight. I trust, however, that your Lordship will not think me presumptuous if I state my conviction, that a mere superficial modification of the existing system-the pardon, grudgingly granted, of a certain number of political prisoners-will be but coldly received by the Neapolitan people, and will fail to ensure future tranquillity. I am far from wishing to imply that, because much cannot be effected, the power of producing a little good should be dispensed with, but it may be of importance that its results should be duly estimated. Unless the whole spirit of government be sensibly modified, unless some portion, at least, of political liberty be meted out, and justice in future be administered with a pure and impartial hand, it is to be feared that the deeply-seated evils which have hitherto stunted the moral growth and checked the material prosperity of this country will continue to fester below the surface, the seeds of discontent and rebellion will grow and ripen in a luxuriant soil, and Southern Italy, so rich in the bounties of nature and in the intelligence of her people, will remain, what she now is, a political eyesore to Europe. The Earl of Clarendon. G. G. PETRE. No. 25.-The Earl of Clarendon to the Lords Comm". of the Admiralty. I HAVE the honour to inclose, for your Lordships' information, copies of a despatch which I addressed to Her Majesty's Minister at Naples, on the 19th of May last, and of a despatch from the Neapolitan Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Neapolitan Minister in this country, dated the 30th of June, which was communicated to me by the latter on the 9th of July last; and a copy of a note addressed by the Neapolitan Minister for Foreign Affairs to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Naples on the 28th of August. These papers will show your Lordships what has hitherto passed between Her Majesty's Government and that of Naples with reference to the course pursued in Naples towards persons charged with political offences; and I have now the honour to inclose a copy of a further instruction to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Naples, directing him to announce to the Neapolitan Government the intention of that of Her Majesty to break off diplomatic relations with Naples, and to confide to Her Majesty's naval forces the protection of the interests of Her Majesty's subjects in that kingdom. I am now to signify to your Lordships, Her Majesty's pleasure that a British naval force should be held in readiness at Malta for the protection of British interests in the Neapolitan dominions, in case those interests should suffer prejudice after the withdrawal of Her Majesty's Mission from Naples. The commander of that force should be directed to dispatch a steam-vessel from time to time, so as to keep up a frequent communication with Her Majesty's Consuls at Naples, and the principal Consular stations in the Island of Sicily; and if any circumstances should arise which call for the active interposition of Her Majesty's naval forces for the protection of British interests, the earliest possible notice thereof is to be conveyed to Her Majesty's Government through Marseilles; and the commander of the squadron will hold his ships in readiness to carry out, without loss of time, any instructions which may be sent to him by your Lordships, but without such instructions he will not appear with the line-of-battle ships off the coasts of the Neapolitan dominions. Her Majesty's Government have reason to believe that corresponding arrangements will be made by the French Government; and I have only to add that the commanders of Her Majesty's ships, either collectively or separately, will endeavour to act in entire concert with the commanders of French vessels engaged on the same service, and will look after French interests equally with those of Her Majesty's subjects, in the accidental absence of a French ship of war, I am, &c. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty. CLARENDON. No. 26.-The Sec. to the Admiralty to Mr. Hammond.—(Rec. Oct. 10.) SIR, Admiralty, October 10, 1856. My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having had under their consideration the letter of this day's date, from the Earl of Clarendon, pointing out the measures to be adopted, in pursuance of Her Majesty's pleasure, for the protection of British interests in the Kingdom of the 2 Sicilies, after the withdrawal of Her Majesty's Mission from Naples. I am commanded by their Lordships to acquaint you, for the information of Lord Clarendon, that the necessary instructions, accordingly, have been given to Rear-Admiral the Honourable Sir R. S. Dundas. E. Hammond, Esq. SIR, I am, &c. THOS. PHINN. No. 27.-The Earl of Clarendon to Mr. Petre. Foreign Office, October 10, 1856. It is with much regret that Her Majesty's Government have arrived at the conviction that the Neapolitan Government do not intend to modify the system which prevails throughout the dominions of the King of the 2 Sicilies, and which formed the subject of my despatch of the 19th of May last to Sir William Temple. The advice contained in that despatch was offered in a friendly spirit, and in terms that could give no offence to the Neapolitan Government. Her Majesty's Government felt themselves justified in offering that advice, upon considerations of general interest, and with a sincere desire to establish between England and Naples relations of greater cordiality than those which for some time past have existed. The reply of the Neapolitan Government was neither courteous nor satisfactory, and proved that the motives and intentions of Her Majesty's Government had been completely misunderstood; but, as the painful impression which it created was not unknown to the Neapolitan Government, we had hoped that our abstinence from again pressing our advice upon the Neapolitan Government might have induced that Government, spontaneously, to adopt measures in accordance with the principles upon which the communication of Her Majesty's Government had been founded. Her Majesty's Government would have greatly preferred that such a course of proceeding should have been pursued, for they have no wish needlessly to interfere in the affairs of Naples, and a sense of duty alone impelled them to suggest certain changes and improvements in the internal policy of that Government. They accordingly waited in silence for several weeks, in the hope that more prudent counsels might have prevailed at Naples; but their expectations have been disappointed. A tardy apology for the first reply of the Neapolitan Government has, indeed, been received, not apparently suggested by a sense of propriety on the part of the Neapolitan Government, but called forth by reports received from Vienna and Paris. This apology, however, is just as unsatisfactory as to the main objects in view as was the despatch of M. Carafa to Prince Carini of the 30th of June, and Her Majesty's Government, therefore, in conjunction with the Government of the Emperor of the French, are of opinion that diplomatic relations can no longer be maintained with a Government which rejects all friendly warning, and is determined to persevere in a course which is condemned by all civilized nations. You will, therefore, upon the receipt of this despatch, prepare to quit Naples, with the members of the Legation, leaving the archives in the care of Her Majesty's Consul. Similar instructions will be addressed to the French Minister. But, in order that the interests of British subjects in the Neapolitan territory may not be left without adequate protection, a British squadron will be held in readiness at Malta, and the commander of that squadron will be directed to dispatch a steam-vessel from time to time to communicate with Her Majesty's Consuls at Naples and at the ports of the Island of Sicily, in order to ascertain that British interests are not prejudiced by the interruption of diplomatic relations between the 2 countries. A French squadron will be held in readiness at Toulon, the commander of which will receive corresponding instructions for periodical visits to the ports of Naples and of Sicily, with a view to the protection of French interests. You will read and give a copy of this despatch to M. Carafa, and you will quit Naples as soon after that as you can make your arrangements for doing so. G. G. Petre, Esq. I am, &c. CLARENDON. No. 28.-The Earl of Clarendon to Mr. Petre. (Extract.) Foreign Office, October 10, 1856. WITH reference to my despatch of this day, I inclose, for your information, a copy of a letter to the Admiralty, containing instructions to Rear-Admiral Dundas for the guidance of his conduct after your departure from Naples. It is not thought expedient to send one of Her Majesty's steamvessels to bring away the Mission, and you will, therefore, leave Naples by land, or by one of the foreign packet-steamers, as you may find most convenient, and make the best of your way to this country. You will acquaint Rear-Admiral Dundas of your departure from Naples, and for that purpose you will send the messenger to Civita Vecchia, with instructions to deliver your despatch to the Admiral |