The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-22 00:00:00

THE CASE OF MR. MURRAY AND THE

MADIAIS.

The following correspond Wee has passed between
Mr. Cowan, M.P. and the Foreign-office, respng the
situation of Mr. 'Edward Murray, and Franciscoectihfadiai
and his wife :

Valleyfield, near Edinburgh, Sept. 6,18d2.
My Lerd,—l am desirous to know whether your lord-
ship has received any recent intelligence of the situation of
Mr. Edward Murray, a British subject, some time since con-
demned by a secret tribunal at Rome to suffer death.
"I hope, from the time which has elapsed since the trial
and sentence passed upon Mr. Murray, that it may now bc
considered certain that hi, life will net be sacrificed.
" I should feel much obliged if your lordship would inform
me if there be any prospect of Mr. Murray's liberation,
and if you have received, or expect to receive, any account
of the proceedings, and evidence adduced at the trial, to
warrant the pronouncing of the sentence of death.
I venture to make those inquiries at the request of
some of my constituents, who take a deep interest in Mur-
ray's case, and I shall bo glad to receive any information
which it may be in your lordship's power to afford.
"May I be allowed to embrace this opportunity, an] to
crave your attention to the case of Francisco Madiai, and
of Bona, his wife, who have been condemned in Tuscany
for a period of about four or five years to the galleys with
hard labour, for no other crime, as it appears, than that of
Breaking the worship and communion of the Roman catho-
lic church, and possessing a copy of the Holy Scriptures.
' "As these parties are not British subjects, lam aware
that we cannot look for your lordship's active and powerful
interference in their behalf. At the same time, on the
ground of oar common humanity, her Majesty's govern•
meat must be horrified by such atrocious proceedings, and I
am sure that your lordship will be ready to adopt any mea-
sures that may seem most likely to induce the government
of the Grand Duke of Tuscany to put an end to this cruel
persecution; and if nothing more should be attained, I
would humbly submit that, on the part of the government
and the British public, your lordship ought to protest
against each an outrage. lam sure that in these remarks
lam giving expression to the feelings of the great ma-
jority of Scotehmen of all classes, and I earnestly hope, in
as far as possible, your lordship will use every exertion so
as to press the Tuscan government to deliver the two per-
sons from a cruel and unmerited bondage.—l have the
honour to be, Cie.'
CHAS. COWAY."

Tho answer of the Foreign Secretary iiriirielle;eS:=
"Foreign Office, Sept. 11, 1852.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Earl of Malmesbury to
acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the eta instant,
in which you call his lordship's attention to the case of Mr.
Murray, and of Francesco and Erna Medial.
" I am to state to you, in reply, that the attention of
her Majesty's minister at Florence has for some time past
been cusestly directed to the use of Mr. Murray, but
that her Majesty's government have not yet learnt the
final result of the proc.etlings in his use.
"As regards the cue of the Madiais, I am to state to you
that her Majesty's government have taken a deep interest
in the case of these parties, although their power of assisting
them has necessarily been limited by the fact that the Ma-
dials are not British subjects.—l am, air, your most obe-
dient, humble servant,
" 11. M. ADDINGTON.
" C. Cowan, Esq., M.P., Vallcyfield,
near Edinburgh."