The Express.
London, England, 1861-02-22 00:00:00

ITALIAN AFFAIRS.

Lord F.. HOWARD aid that, understanding many atro-
cities had been committed and were likely to be committed
by the de facto government in Southern Italy, he wished to
ask the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether her
Majsety's government would use its influence with his Ma-
jesty king Victor Emmanuel to prevent bloodshed in hie
present hour of success • and would instruct its diplomatic
and consular agents to keep it fully informed of the mea-
sures ordered or adopted by the present de facto govern-
ment of Southern Italy, for the purpose of re-establishing
order.

—Lord J. RUSSELL maid, with respect to the question
which had been asked of him by his noble friend, he had
not thought it neessesry to use any influence with King
Victor Emmanuel to prevest bloodshed in his present hour
of sumac. He should say that, generally speaking, the Sar-
dinian troops bud shown as much humanity in their hour of
emcees as they bad shown bravery in the hour of contest.
(liear, hear.) But there had been cases very painful
for any army to teal with, and which those
troops bad dealt with in a very severe manner.
It appeared that orders were sent out—he could not say
from whom, but the orders Proceeded from Gaeta, or from
Rome, and, according to them, brigands and convicts and
persons of the worst character were armed and sent into
the kingdom of Naples. They committed great atrocities,
and in one case upon the person of a young man of seven.
teen years of age, the son of a man well known for his lib/•
real opinions. They seized this young man, and they put out
his eyes, and then they burnt him in some parts of his per
▪ Atrocities of this kind, frequently repeated,
'reduced the syndic of the town to take the bri-
gands and place them under arrest, and shortly
afterwards an order from Gaeta wen sent directing that
they should be let loose. Again they committed similar
atrocities, and when the troops of the King of Sardinia came
to the town these people were poised and tried by military
authority and shot. Atrocities of that kind his noble friend
would see could not be dealt with by the usual proceedings
of see regular army lighting against another. (Hear, hear.)
It was certainly to be lamented as there was now no
erinyto oppose that of the King of Sardinia in the geld, that
say encouragement should bo given from Rome to thee*
pincer who had committed brigandage, robberies, and other
atircelties upon the persona and property of those who dif-
fered from them aa to who should be the rider of the
country. He could only my he thought it would
be almost an affront to the government of the King
of Sardinia to preach humanity to them. He believed
ft was the wish of the King of Sardinia—as he had shown
repeatedly in the orders which he had given—that while
war was carried on it should be carried on with humanity.
He had received a letter that morning with respect to the
siege of Gaeta from one of her Majesty's agents, in which
he Meted that Ler Majesty's government would be glad to
leans that, since the surrender of Gaeta to the King of Sar-
i disk, the kingdom of Naples had settled down to a
state of tranquillity nearly equal to that of Tammy and
the Romagna. (Hear, hear.) If that were the ore, he
hoped that no encouragement would be gives to the com-
mittal of those acts of atrocity which had been formerly
perpetrated. (Hear, hear.)
Lord J. MANNERS mid be wished to ask the noble lord
whether the information which be had just given to the
house had appeared in any of the papers ; and if not,
whether the noble lord would communicate to the house
the papers containing the information.
Lord J. RUSSELL said that some portion of the informa-
tion had been given to him by the ambassador of the King
of Sardinia—(" hear, hear," from the opposition side of the
house)—who had received it direct from Naples. He ear-
taitily believed that the information was true. ("Hear,
hear," from the ministerial benches.)