The Express.
London, England, 1849-12-07 00:00:00

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Our correspondent writes:

NAPi.V. NOT. 24.

A gloom hangs over th. Pope% cswuillr, and des- I
'patches fiom France are looked (or with sanity and
tear. His Holiness' gaolers have again changed
policy—the prisoner is to remsio at Portici or Gaeta
until the political atmosphere assumes a clearer
aspect. I en assured, by an authority which has
never yet failed, that the Pope rejoiced at the idea of
returning to the Eternal City, and had no persoral
fears. although Cardinal Antottelli endeavoured to
excite apprehension.
Since my last c)mmunication his Holiness has
again visited churches and convects, which events
have been recorded with the usual ecclesiastical
flourish in the journals, that nothing but endless
prosperity and happiness can possibly attend a people
who have received so many blessings from Chris.'s
vicegerent on eartb.
The state trials are still suspended, and as arrests
continue, I suppose so many persons h,ve been de-
nounced for their constitutional opinions, it is found
nemssery to net more game before legal proceedings

can begin.
Several persons have been shot at Palermo for con-
cealing arms. I cannot give the names, but I know
they belong to the poorer clans. Tee island is des-
cribed to be in a discontented state. A regiment of
Swiss has left Naples on that account.
I have already alluded to the general disarming of
the population which is now taking place, but haring
witnessed lately something of its operation and effects,
I think some farther notice of it may be welcome.
' Le the first place, the most remote nooks are subjected
to it, and rocks tenanted by birds and mariners and a
few native sportsmen who thus gain their livelihood,
are 'ought out and disarmed by the lynx-eyed police
of Naples. This week General Statells, with a com-
pany of mounted gendarmes and several companies
of infantry, has been enforcing this unnecessary and
detested measure on the coast from Naples to Massa.
The guns are taken, no receipt given, and are thus
lost to the owners. If refused the recusants are
marched off to prison, as happened, I am told, to the
district judge in one place. At Torre del Greco, an
Englishman (Mr. Drinkwater) who has been esta-
blished in that place for some time, on being applied
to for his arms positively refereed to give them up,
and referred the general to Mr. Temple as the only
person who had any right to interfere. A communi-
mion was made to Naples of this fact, and instruc-
tions were received to deliver up his arms to a
Frenchman who bad already consigned them. So
that from this I infer that the decree does not extend
to foreigners. Consistently, too, with the demora-
lised habits both of people and government, this die-
armies has offered a fine opportunity for the gratifi-
cation of malice and vindictiveness. Persons have
been denounced as having arms which they did not
posses., and the denunciation has, as usual, been
sucked in with a ready ear, so that the unfortunates
in several cases have been compelled to buy guns at a
small price, and present them, in order to escape
threatened castigation or imprisonment. Apropos to
this is the case of a count, who had a friend whom he
treated with great kindness and confidence. As a
returo, the friend robbed him, and was immediately
dismissed by the count ; but here, so influential is the
occupation of the informer, that malice has
always a ready mode of gratifying itself.
The count was denounced by his quondam friend,
as having arms and ammunition in his possession ;
his house was searched, and he himself thrown into
prison, where he lay for a long time, and was libe-
rated, I am told, only on condition of exile. At
Amalfi, I was told by an Amalfitano, that, to the an-
noyance of having their arms taken from them was
added, in some cases, the superfine us insult of a kic
from one of the c,mmission, and an order to have their
beards cut off. One case specified to me was that of
a Lombard resident in Amalfi. With what rigour
this measure has been enforced may easily be 'ma-
Rifled from its baying been extended to the little
island of Capri, which has been the favourite resort
of kings for its game, and, for I don't know how
many centuries, hart enjoyed special privileges and
exemptions from all acts of rigour affecting other
parts. Yet here every gun has been taken. Where
will this end ? Another pecuniary loss, too, is that
of the purchase money for the sporting license,
amounting to they-two carlini, for no license his
g been considered as an exemption trom this disarming.
be _