The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-24 00:00:00

NAPLES AND ROME.

Letters from Naples and Rome, both dated Jan.
17, speak of the sensation made in Italy by the
arrest of the Princess Barberini. The Naples letter
says that when General de Lamarmora received
the telegram from General de Montebello, praying
for her release, he replied that she should be
treated with every due regard to her rank and sex,
but that all subjects of the new kingdom of Italy
were equally amenable to the law, and that he
could not protect her from a judicial inquiry. The
noble delinquent is not in prison. She is lodged in
a suite of apartments in the Questra of the Gia-
como palace. Her own lady's maids have, been
separated from her, and she is furnished with two
others by the procureur-general. She is very taci-
turn, and refuses to give any explanation whatever
touching the two long letters in cipher which were
found upon her. These letters are alleged to have
been given her for transmission to Francis 11. by
the King's old tutor, M. Roberti. The princess
has made an ineffectual attempt to bribe the offi-
cers in charge of her to let her; escape. All applica-
tions from friends to pay her a visit hays been re-
fused. According to the letter from Rome, it was
not of his own mere motion, but at the instigation
of Mr. Odo Russell, that General de Montebello
took up the cause of the princess. Mr. Russell, it
is said, first applied to the French ambassador, the
Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne, and begged him to
intercede with General de Lamamora. The prince
excused himself on the ground that he had no
official relations or private acquaintance with the
Italian commandant at Naples, and did not feel
justified in writing to him. Thereupon Mr. Odo
Russell, with better success, canvassed General de
Montebello. These are curious details, which, if
untrue, should be contradicted, and if true, ex-
plained. The letter last referred to says that the
Princess Barberini at the time of her arrest was ac-
companied by a young Swiss who escaped, and
now boasts in Rome that he brought away with
him some papers which would have been highly
compromising.

POLAND.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

WARSAW, JAN. 16.

Previous to the day on which the recruiting, or
rather proscription, had been effected in this metre.
polis, and with a desire to calm the excitement and
dispair occasioned by this most atrocious measure
of Russian tyranny, an appeal was addressed to
those who were likely to become the victims of it,
couched in terms most eloquent and affectionate,
persuading them to submit to this act of cruelty,
for the sake of their oppressed country :—" Called
upon to enter the Russian ranks," says the appeal,
" you will before renew your oath to serve faith-
fully your country, and to spare no sacrifice for it.
Enter you will the military service of Russia, not
to renounce your fatherland, or forget your own
feelings, but to caery with you those sentiments of
freedom and independence, which it will lab your
duty to infuse into the hearts of the Russian sol-
diers. Your own life, which the intended proscrip-
tion wants to sever from the country, will find its
continuation in yourselves, and through you in the
Russian regiments. Be then of good cheer, and
bear with manly courage this sacrifice, this heavy
sacrifice of your beloved country."
This touching and well-timed appeal produced
a great effect, and saved the country from the most
imminent danger. For to describe the gloom, the
shrieks and the lamentations which were spread
over this city in consequence of the proscripti n
having been partly effected last night, is really
impossible. I do not remember such a painful
feeling ever having pervadeu the people before.
This first instalment of Polish bleed was taken in a
most violent and perfidious manner. on the 14th
inst., at 11 o'clock p.m., the police and soldiers,
with lanterns in their hands, were ordered to march
out and tear away front the bosoms of their families
these young and cherished children. Every street
was occupied by the military, and at each tretnily
cannons were pointed, while strong- patrols peram-
bulated the town. The superintendent of police,

with a military policeman tfild six so!di.?rs, all
armed, then quietly approached the houses already
marked for their visit. The whole town was en-
veloped in a sound repose, and if any one happened
to have been in the streets, he was at once seized
and lodged in a police station. A knock at the
door soon called up the porter, who, not knowing
what awoke him, naturally opened the door,
when the recruiting parties rushed in, and
dragged out from their beds the young men,
and when these contrived to hide themselves, or
make their escape, they forcibly carried to the
citadel, as hostages, fathers or younger brothers"
A large number of young men qualified for con-
scription left Warsaw, and thus exposed their rela-
tives to be imprisoned in their places. In one in-
stance a father of five children had to go because
his eldest son evaded the vigilance of the police,
and this father a man of more than fifty years of
age. Many manufactories And trades were deprived
of their workmen, much to their own detriment,
and the general suffering of the country. In spite
of all this persecution the national spirit is at its
highest pitch, and an invisible authority issuing its
orders and regulations it, most implicitly obeyed.
This is a proof of the moral, and never subdued
force of the Polish nation—a force that must have
its ultimate triumph ; and the more brilliant as it
shall have been bought at the cost of such sufferings
and sacrifices. The Jews have shared tLe fate of
the Christians, and numbers have been kidnapped,
most of these tradesmen. Now and then a resist-
ance, ending in a sefliae, was offered, but no fight-
ing took place. So rare a moderation of the Warsaw
population plainly demonstrates that the people give
no cause for the persecution which the Russian Go-
vernment pursues so systematically and relentlessly.
That proscription deprives the country of its best
and most industrious population, and deprives it in
a way at once cruel and savage. It is a most in-
human ravage upon this oppressed nation, and so
poignant in its effects, that it may be traly stated
as one of the greatest scourges that huve been in-
flicted, within a century, by the Russian Govern-
ment in Poland.

Orders have been forwarded to the governors of
the provinces to commence a similar work, and God
only knows how it will to carried out there, as the
military governors are acting the part of indepen-
dent pashas, and disregard any civil interference
with their business. They receive the orders, and
this is all—and, as to their execution, they follow
out their own impulses, and no one, even the Grand
Duke Constantine, possesses the power of stopping
their abuse. .1 shall not fail to inform you of the
progress of this dreadful and unprovoked operation.
Nothing could have illustrated more the unpopu-
larity of the Marquis Wielopolski than the following
circumstance :—His lady having officially, as a
patroness of a girl's school, visited the establish-
ment on the Ist of January, employed all her artful
means to win the goodwill and affection of the
pupils. Perceiving her failure, she sent the choicest
bon-bons, and other sweetmeats, that could be got,
as a present from her. But what a consternation
had taken possession of the Marchioness when she
heard that none of the young misses would touch or
receive one bon-bon, and the sweet offerings had
to be distributed out of doors. The long and the
short is, that the name of Wielopolski is hated,
while that of Count Andrew Zimoyski, who, to our
sorrow, is now an exile, is in everybody's mouth ;
for a man of his pure patriotic feelings and his
abilities would have been the man at this trying
moment of our patience and resignation.

The chair of the Sclavonic literature is now in
full activity, the inauguration having taken place a
few days ago by the Rector, M. Mianowski, and
the address delivered by M. Kuist, the Bohemian
professor, produced a favourable impression. N.
Kuist took especial care to inveigh against the
Germans, as the most vehement enemies of the
Slaves, and particularly of the Poles, whom they
always misrepresent in their press, and tax with
deeds and stories which only a sickly German
imagination is capable of inventing.

COLNEY-HATCH ASYLUM--The annual winter
entertainment to the patients, now numbering nearly
1,900, of this institution took place on the 20th inst. before
a large assemblage of the county magistrates, their friends,
and others interested in the subject of insanity. At 4
o'clock about 250 men and 350 women assembled in the
large hall, which was very brilliantly lighted, and deco-
rated with flags, Chinese lamps, and evergreens. The amuse-
ments commenced with the tricks of a professed conjuror,
engaged for the occasion, who was followed by Mr. Punch,
Mrs. Judy, and the faithful dog, Toby. After this, at 6
o'clock, the patients retired to their wards, where they were
regaled with plumcake, oranges, spiced ale, and lemonade,
in which those who were unable to be present in the hall
participated. At seven o'clock the hall was again Idled with
the busy and happy population, when dancing commenced,
and was kept up until nearly ten, when the National An.
them closed the proceedings. We are happy to record that
not a single casualty or unpleasantness occurred to mar
the pleasure of the evening. During the time the patients
were at supper the magistrates entertained the company at
a very sumptuous repast. It is right to add that all joined
in dancing and the various efforts made to amuse the
patients, and it was universally admitted that the Colney •
hatch winter fete of 1863 is entitled to rank as the most
brilliant and successful in the asylum's history.

METROPOLITAN CONVALESCENT INSTITUTION.—
The twenty-second Annual Court of this Institution

(which has its Asylum at Walton-on-Thames) was held
on Tuesday last, at the office in Sackville-street, Pic-
cadilly. The Hon. J. W. Percy, presided. The report
showed that, during the year there had been a very con-
siderable extension of the benefits of this charity, 1,696 hav-
ing enjoyed such benefits within that period, with fully
the usual amount of relief. The number of recipients bad
more than doubled in the past 10 years. Of the 1,606
within the short period allowed for their recovery (about a
month) 1,330 became well and able to return to their re-
spective employments,and the chief portion of the remainder
were discharged much improved, and the conduct of the
patients generally had been highly satisfactory. The do-
nations of the year for general purposes were, £725 3s, and
the number of donors 74, including Messrs. Barclay,
Mr. A. Hobhouse, and Sir R. Frederick for £5O each ;
five sermons had realised £360 17s Id ; and there had been
184 new annual subscribers. The contributions to the ex-
tension fund were £323 lls Ild, of which the late chairman
of the board, Colonel F. Paget, had given £52 10s, and
Robert Vyner, Esq., £5O. The much needed enlargement
of the asylum had been accomplished, and the original
house put in thorough repair. The estimated cost of the new
wing, giving space for 60 additional beds, was £3,500, and
the repairs, &c., £5OO. It had been hoped that the fund
opened for this purpose would have realised sufficient, but
the board had to regret that there was a deficiency (pro-
bably on account of the cotton famine), and had, therefore,
been compelled to draw from the general fund £1,735 15s
sd, the small reserve fund of the institution being thereby
nearly exhausted. For the means of replacing the fore-
going sum, and also of providing the requisite furniture for
the new portion of the asylum, the board urgently appealed
to the friends of the charity and the public. The total re-
ceipts of the general fund were £',995 103 6d, of which
there was a balance at the bankers of £is 6s Bd. After the
adoption of the report and the disposal of routine business,
the proceedings closed with thanks to the chairman.

COAST DEFENCES.—Captain Dahl,gren, in his
report of Nov. 22, 1862, to the Secretary of the
United States Navy, states It behoves us therefore in
gold season to estimate the danger rightly and the remedy,
In regard to the latter there will naturally be some difference
of opinion; still, taking our own great seaport as an exam-
ple (alluding to New York), my own views are that a
trustworthy and thorough defence can only be made by a
harmonious and just combination of forts, iron-clads, and
rams, with such other minor auxiliaries as may be contri-
buted to the general purpose ; singly, neither would be
effectual. Whatever may be selected as the material of the
interior structure of the fort, the exterior must be iron.
Lines of earthworks will also be useful in assisting and com-
pleting the position of the main works, but by no means should
bars masonry be exposed to the action of rifled cannon."

FRENCH CONVICTS.--The position of convicts in
France at present occupies the attention of the
Government. According to the last official accounts, there
are 7,690 convicts under sentence to hard labour. Of these
1,961 are sentenced to hard labour for life;:-,070
to from
5 to 10 years ; 2,259 from 11 to 20 years; 282 to
from 21 t..) 30 years, 41 to from 31 to 40 years ; and 9 to
from 51 years and upwards. 4,750 were convicted of rob-
bery, 1,027 of murder, 452 of attacks on women, 233 of in-
cendiarism, 168 of assassination,l62 of cutting and maiming
150 of forgery, 140 of coining, 24 of fraudulent bankruptcy,
and 26 of parricide. The half of these convicts are formed
of men from twenty to forty years of age, There are 123
young men of from sixteen to twenty years of age, and 270
old men above sixty. The agricultural districts supoty more
than half the convicts. We find 4,5 95 ho
in the country,
2,452 born in towns, and 645
h.7reigners. Of the convicts,
3,992 08n neither 'Lead or write ; 91 alone have received
superior primary instruction. Agricultural labourers and
gardeners form about a sixth of the convicts. There are
1,078 navies, 467 masons, 345 weavers, 245 domestic ser-
vants, 175 tailors, and 184 blacksmiths and locksmiths.