The Press.
London, England, 1858-08-14 00:00:00

THE PRESS, AUGUST 14, 1858.

officer. On his arrival the President addressed him
as follows :—" Signor Nicotera, I think you must be
pleased with the justice and impartiality with which
you have been tried, and grateful for the sovereign
clemency, at which we all rejoice." Nicotera
replied that they had not acted as judges, but " as
vile hirelings of the Government, confirming what-
ever has been ordered to you from Naples. To give
a semblance of mercy, the King has compelled you
to condemn seven to death, when strict legality
would have obliged you to condemn only myself."
The President interrupted him by saying that seven
had been condemned to death, to render the chances

of mercy the greater. "Yes," replied Nicotera,
"you were compelled to sign sentences of death for
seven, in order that the world might be deceived by a
hypocritical clemency ; but the time is not far distant
when you will answer for it before the tribunal of
the people, and tremble and turn pale before them,
as you did when you signed the sentence, from the
reproofs of your own consciences. We were not
frightened when the axe hung over our heads, and
we despise alike the Ergastolo and our chains. We
have fulfilled a sacred duty, and listened to the cry
of humanity and justice. We therefore can support
with intrepidity all those sufferings which tyranny
well knows how to inflict, in the firm hope of the
triumph of that liberty to which we now are sacri-
ficed." " Signor Barone," said the President, " I
am old, with one foot in the grave. I know not
what to reply, nor do I wish to enter into any dis-
cussion, fruitless both for yourself and me. It is my
duty, as President, to exhort you to be grateful to
the King, who has commuted your punishment, and
I had called you, therefore, to beg you that if you
will not yourself cry Viva it Re,' after the reading
of the decree, you will at least persuade your com-
panions to do so." Nicotera, who was greatly
agitated, replied : " Signor President, I address you
now as Dominico Dalia, not as President, for in such
a character you are a hireling and a slave of the
Government. To Dominico Delia, then, I say,
that I cannot and ought not to comply with
your insinuations, and that I would never degrade
myself so far as to ask my companions to do so.
Like me they have faced every kind of brutedity, and
death itself ; and they would have in the same
manner confronted the scaffold as they will bear their
chains and the Ergastolo. I repeat, we cannot do as
you insinuate. Were we to cry, Viva it Re!' the
echo would be Death to liberty !' Reserve for
yourselves such infamy, and leave to us the dignity
of silence." At these words the President, not
knowing what next to say, ordered Nicotera to be
taken out, and to be bound to his companions. In
another quarter of an hour the judges assembled, and
the prisoners were brought in bound. The chan-
cellor of the court read the decree in presence of the
judges and the Attorney-General, who were all ou
foot, and the prisoners were then sent back. It
must not be omitted, however, to be pointed out the
open violation of the law, which says that " every
individual shall present himself freed from every bond
before the magistrates or officers of the ordinary
police." This slight though shameless illegality,
however, amidst so many others, must not awaken
surprise • it was doubtless dictated by fear, and
during die whole procedure the judges manifested an
evident anxiety and disquietude. With regard to
Nicotera, his greatest enemy must acknowledge that
up to the last he has maintained a surprising firm-
ness and dignity, resulting from a conviction that be
was engaged in a holy cause when endeavouring to
promote the liberties of his country. Naples
has many more such men, and wisdom would con-
ciliate them by justice ere it be too late; for the day
must come when this state of things will break up.
To follow the story :—ln the afternoon of the 27th
the Governmeut steamer which was to carry off many
of the prisoners arrived, and the inhabitants were
soon after surprised at the sound of chains which
were being landed. From the beach they were taken
to the prison in three carts, whilst another followed
with an anvil and three • large hammers. This was
done in open day and without disguise. It was a
new and strange spectacle for all, yet no one would
believe that, contrary to law and the regulations for
condemned prisoners, the Government would put their
chains on before their arrival in the appointed
Ergastolo, and offer so sad a sight to the city ; yet it
was too true. The public executioner and his two
assistants were called to iron the condemned ; and
on their presenting themselves they were chained in
the following mode :—The chain which bound them
consisted of 10 rings, and was 4 metres (or 13 feet)
in length, and 16 kilogrammes (or 351 b.) in weight;
at each extremity was a large ring or semicircle,
which was closed by a large nail 20 centimetres in
length, and having a diameter of 3 centimetres at
one extremity with the head, and at the other it was
fastened on an anvil by a hammer. The right foot
of one being thus fastened to the left of another
prisoner, they cannot move except by common
agreement ; and so they must do the necessary offices
of life, not even excluding sleep. This scene of
" ironing " lasted from half-past six to half past seven

789

o'clock in the evening, and the antechamber at the
gateway of the prison for the time wore the appearance
or a blacksmith's shop. At this inhuman spectacle
assisted some of the officers of the 7th battalion of
Rifles, the secretary-general of the Intendenza of
Provinces, the commandante of the prison, and 200
gendarmes besides, Lod other police agents drawn
up in the court of the prison. Four companies of
Rifles were upder arms in different parts of the city,
as though it were in a state of siege. "In strong
contrast with the agent in the scene just described,"
said our informant, " was a woman called Poggi, of
Lerici, in the gulf of Genoa, and mother of one of
the prisoners condemned to twenty-five years
in irons, whose grief was touching in the extreme.
After they were chained and manacled, and further
bound together by a long rope which extended through
the whole line, they were taken between two files of
soldiers through the city, and the whole length of
the Marina, while all the inhabitants were horrified
and quite panicstruck by this barbarous spectacle.
As they passed through the streets, dragging their
heavy chains along the pavement, the clanking
sounds, and the sight of their feet bleeding with the
recent shackles, still further awakened public indig-
nation against the Government and sympathy for the
prisoners, who received the greetings of thousands of
persons. Still later in the evening there was another
demonstration. At ten o'clock at night, Nicotera,
Gagliani, and Valletta were called into the room of
the Custode Maggiore, where three gendarmes, a cor-
poral, and a sergeant were in waiting. The latter
bound their hands with manacles, and crossed them
over their bosoms. On being placed in the carriage
they were loosened, and, escorted by five gendarmes,
they passed through the city, which was guarded by
many patrols. The people, who were in expectation
of their leaving, ran after them to embrace them, and
to give them words of comfort and of hope. From
the windows and the sins, as well as from the road,
they were called by name and greeted with sympathy,
and so they were accompanied to the very extremity
of the city. The subjects of the Government are
destined, it is said, to Pescara—the foreigners to the
Island of Favignana ; whilst Nicotera, Gagliani, and
Valletta are sent to the Vicaria, in Naples, and are
destined ultimatly, I believe, to S. Stefano."
Several of the advocates have been exposed to
persecution. One has been imprisoned eight days
On the excuse of having gone to Naples without a
passport. During the same interval, too, another,
threatened with imprisonment, has been compelled
to fly, and put himself in safety. After two days of
concealment he was officially assured that he would
be banished from Salerno for an indefinite time, a
sentence which will destroy his profession and ruin
his career for life. Such are some scenes from real
life in the Kingdom of Naples, and whilst some who
profit by corruption have the impudence to talk of
devotion and adoration, others as mad speculate on
the return of the Legations. Such a fact would cover
the British Government with infamy.

DENMARK.
A letter of the 7th from Hamburg states that the
minority of the Federal Diet has just sent a circular
note to the different Governments, in which it
expresses its views on the question of the Duchies,
criticizing at the same time the opinion of the
majority of the Assembly, and especially the report
of the representative of Bavaria. A note is also
talked of, sent by the Cabinet of St. Petersburg to
all the German States, and expressing a wish to see
the concessions of Denmark favourably received.
This intelligence is confirmed by letters from Copen-
hagen, which say that the Russian Minister in
Denmark has expressed the satisfaction of his Govern-
ment at learning that the Danish Cabinet, with the
object of facilitating an arrangement, was disposed
to suspend the action of the constitution granted to
the Duchies. It is well known in Denmark, this
correspondence adds, that it is the nobles and their
friends in Holstein, Hanover, and Prussia who are
conspiring to overthrow the constitution of the
Duchies. The mass of the inhabitants of Holstein
are said to be very much opposed to such a consum-
mation, and are far from desiring to lose the most
liberal constitution they have ever enjoyed. In
Germany opinions are much divided on this inter-
minable and most complicated question. In Denmark
a strong belief prevails that Prussia is working for
selfish and ambitious purposes of her own. Many
Danes will gxpress their deeply rooted conviction
that Prussia covets the possession of the southern
provinces of Denmark, chiefly on account of the fine
harbours they contain. Did she possess forts, in
which she is now deficient, her sea frontier, from
Memel to Stralsund, is sufficiently extensive to
supply her with sailors, and she could form the navy
she has long desired to possess. She has money to
build or buy vessels, and her mercantile marine is
large enough to afford a good school for seam!).
The Danes insist that this has long been her idea,
that her tendency is to push northwards (as that of
Russia is to encroach in a southerly direction), and
that she keeps her eyes greedily fixed on Schleswig-
Holstein; and they say that this tendency, and the
A

790

desire of naval power in the Baltic with which it is
complicated, deserve to attract some attention in
England, where, of late, the question between Den-
mark and Germany appears to have been totally lost
sight of and forgotten.

Voutg Varktt anti Citg 3attiligante

FRIDAY EVENING.
THE return of the Bank of England for the week
ending Wednesday last, the 11th inst., shows the
following changes compared with that for the week
preceding :

Decrease in Circulation
Increase in Public Depositsi..
Decrease in Other Deposits
Increase in Public Securities 96,887
Decrease in Other Securities
Decrease in Bullion . .
Increase in Rest ..
Increase in Reserve

Bullion in both Depart merts
Circulation, including Bank Post
Bills
The diminution in the stock of Bullion was not expected
at the time we last wrote, nor had it then taken place. It
has been brought about by the operations connected with
the late demand for gold from the Continent being fol-
lowed by a considerably increased circulation of coin in
those districts of the country where harvest labour is now
in active employment. The falling off, therefore, is
merely incidental, and of no importance whatever. There
is again a decrease in the Private Securities. The aggre-
gate of the discounts and advances made by the Bank is
about half a million less than those made by the Bank of
France. This fact simply indicates that the Bank is doing less
discount business than the Lombard-street houses, and
that the traders who are raising capital upon bills go to
the cheapest market for the accommodation. From the
gross amount of the Public Deposits at this period of the
quarter, it is clear that the public revenue is in a satis-
factory state ; and we know, from the duty-paying articles
gone and going into consumption, that as the quarter
advances the revenue is likely to become still more
satisfactory. The Bank hes been adding to its stock of
Public Securites. The general effect of the changes
made in the various items of Public and Private Deposits
and Public and Private Securities has been a moderate
addition to the Reserve. The position of the Bank,
therefore, is strengthened, and in the event of any very
active demand for money it is amply provided to meet it.
The monthly return of the Bank of France, made up
to yesterday the 12th inst., was published in the Moniteur
of this morning. It shows another extraordinary augmen-
tation in the stock of Bullion. During the month no less
than 1,342,005/. have been added to the stock, which now
reaches the enormous aggregate of 22,480,3441. The
circulation is 25,485,8031., having been increased 148,0921.,
and the distinction between that of the principal bank
and its provincial branches is no longer observed in the
official return. The Discounts are 18,138,1381., being an
increase of 397,932/., a very moderate sum considering
the extent to which trade is reviving. On the other hand
the Bank has enlarged its advances on Stock, Shares, and
Bullion by 125,305/. The private deposits, however, have
withdrawn 604, 8881. from present use in the market; and
the Treasu, deposits are 708,0371. trore than last month.
On the whole, the present return indicates an improving
state of things in France ; and with such an enormous
amount of bullion in its coffers, it would not surprise us to
hear, at an early period, of the Bank reducing its rate of
discount below three and a half per cent., at which it now
stands. _ - _ _

Capital continues to be in most abundant supply, and
it is seeking investment particularly for extended periods
upon very reasonable terms. But there is a difficnity in
finding etriloyment for it even at the low rates now
current. A very appreciable return of confidence in
mercantile circles, and very sanguine hopes inspired by
the prospect, or we may now say the certainty, of an
abnndant harvest, and a total disappearance of political
doubts and anxieties, has imparted during the greater
part of the week more animation to the commercial
demand. Much of this revived inquiry has proceeded
from manufacturers an producers whose principal con-
nections are with Australia and the United States; and
we hear of considerable activity in articles likely to be
required in the new fields of enterprize at Frazer's River.
At the same time goods are being largely shipped to
India; and preparations are making for an enlarged
trade with China, in anticipation of an early mail bringing
intelligenee of a diplomatic extension of our commercial
relations with that extraordinary country. These circuit)•
stances indicate the quarters whence have proceeded the
primary symptoms of capital being soon required to give
faeilities to commerce. We c.n therefore only repeat the
conviction expressed some time ago—that though money
is cheap now, it is most improbable it can be cheaper,
Present rates for the beat paper average about two and a
half per cent. These terms are sufficient to attract the
mass of discounts to Lombard-street ; but the applications
at the Bank have been more numerous in the present
than in the past week.
The specie movements of the week have been unim-
portant. Although the rate of exchange at New York is
firm-at 109 i to 110, the anticipation of large shipments
thence has not yet been realized, three vessels that have
arrived since our last having brought only 140,0001. The
aggregate arrivals do not amount to 150,0001. On the
other hand, 17,0001. have been sent into the Bank, and
about 73,0001. has been exported. The continental de-
mand is not yet entirely met; but it is very quiet. More
than 1,120,0001. is en route from Australia, a considerable
proportion of which is just due; and in the course of next