The Sun.
London, England, 1862-04-19 00:00:00

TILE ARREST oF MR. BISHOP AT

NAPLES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—I trust you will have the kindness to insert
the accompanying letter from my brother, Mr.
James Bishop, who has been arrested and confined
in the prison at Naples on suspicion of conspiracy.
I forbear any comment upon his letter, trusting that
the insertion of it in your paper will in some mea-
sure obtain for him that justice which he has failed
to receive alike from the hands of theltalian autho-
rities and the British Consul at Naples. The gross
violence and ill-treatment my brother (an afflicted
man, without the smallest physical strength) sus-
tained at the hands of the former before he reached
Naples speaks for itself.

I should be greatly obliged by your insertion of
this letter with that of my brother.
I have the honour to enclose my card, and re-
main, your obedient servant,
HENRY BISHOP, Lieut. 89th Regt.
Martyr Worthy Rectory, Winchester, April 17.

" I left Naples at 4 o'clock in the morning of the
2d inst., intending to go to Rome, and occupied the
seat which is vacant for one passenger in the
courier' which conveys the letters par terre, tra-
versing the route of Capua, Gaeta, and Terracina•
At Gaeta I was asked for my passport, gave it, and
received it back again without any remark being
made. We continued our way till the carriage came
to the Delegation, where it was stopped by four
policemen, and I was forced out of the carriage, as
they pretended to speak to the delegate. On going
upstairs I found myself in a room occupied by a
number of the police, and two young men who
called themselves delegati. These were the same who
had asked for my passport but a few moments be-
fore. I asked what they wanted, and what their
motive could be in acting with such suspicion and
roughness. The only answer I received was an order
given to the police, who stood surrounding me, to
search me and my luggage. I remonstrated, and
showed my passport, which had the vise of the
British Consul at Naples and that of the Roman
Consul.

" I was answered by a coarse laugh, and told to
hold my tongue, for that I was a Swiss in disguise,
and no British subject at all 'and that they, the two
delegati, ' would teach the Government how to deal
with all such reactionists: The order was given to the
police to search me. My things lay already strewn
about the floor, where they were left. Nothing was
found among them. They then proceeded to search
my person, stripping me to my shirt, and forcing
me to take off even my shoes and stockings. This
lasted some time, I refusing to submit, and was held
by four policemen, while the rest stripped me of my
clothes. Great violence was need, and I was left
completely exhausted, being in a very weak state of
health, and told in the most insulting way to dress
myself. I expostulated, threatened, and asked, but
all to no purpose, except to bring a torrent of abuse
and bad language. Nothing had been found appa-
rently to satisfy them, and there only remained my
writing-desk, of which they had not found the key.
They threatened to break it open if of my own
accord I did not open it. I refused to do
so, declaring that I preferred returning to
Naples, or sending a telegraphic despatch to the
Questura ' and my Consul, who would be able
to satisfy them. They refused to listen, declar-
ing that they were the authorities of the place,
and as for my Consul, I had none, for the Swiss
were no longer tolerated in the kingdom, and I was
one of the last to be sent away.'
" The courier then appeared, saying that he could
not possibly wait any longer, and that if I were not
ready to go on he must leave me behind. The two
authorities answered for me, that I was detained by
them, and could not continue my journey. I asked
why, and was told that I had come with a false
passport, and should be taken back to Naples. I
protested, but in vain. The room was full of police,
who prevented me from stirring hand or foot, for I
was surrounded by them.
" The courier was a Piedmontese, and said to me
in German,—' But you speak German. I don't
believe you can be an Englishman, for I heard you
talking German to your friend who accompanied
you to the door of the carriage at Naples.' He
then turned to the delegati, assuring them that I
was either an Austrian or a Swiss. The paper was
then given him allowing him to go without me.

" I have since heard that this man had suspected
me, from a remark my friend hal made to me before
starting, and that as soon as we arrived at Calm he
sent a telegram to Gaeta warning the police to have
me searched. This man was a Garibaldist, and is
called Matteo.

" As soon as he had left, I was again attacked, to
make me open my desk. Having many letters
which had been given me by friends to take to
Rome, I persisted in refusing to give the key, which
they had not been able to find. I was called the
most obscene names by the two authorities, one
of whom declared that he would see whether
I was an Englishman,' and challenged me
to fight him. I began to doubt whether I was
really in the hands of the authorities, and
feared to have fallen into the hands of thieves
dressed in the uniform of the police, as this is a
means employed almost daily in the provinces ; but
the Sardinian flag and cross removed my doubts,
and just then the Under Prefect entered the room.
A cabal ensued, in which I could net make myself
heard, and all I could perceive was that the Prefect
laughed a good deal, and then left the room.
" The fellow who had challenged me then came
up, and, haranguing me after the manner of a
savage chief, told me that I had given the last proof
of not being an Englishman by not accepting his
challenge ; that I was a vile Royalist, he was sure
s u a
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his
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ass t his.at
my of it, and he would teach my entrails to respect
Italia and to know the worth of the precious blood
of
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that
rt
I broughtreel
reeled
back and fell over the chair which stood behind.
Another man entered and poked his first under my
chin, telling me it was all right ; I should soon be
done for. Some time elapsed. They then agreed
to telegraph to Naples, and after an hour, pretend-
ing that the answer had come giving them plein
pouvoir,' they called in some 10 men of the National
Guard, the mayor and judge of the place, and or-
dered the police to search me again. I was then
literally stripped to the skin, and again left to dress
myself. The key of my desk was found; they
opened it, and amid the most coarse and obscene
language they began to search through the papers
it contained. There were three letters given me to
deliver to friends of some of my acquaintances in
Naples, in which reference was made to the efforts
they were making for the return of the King. In
another was a detailed list of the forces throughout
the kingdom, which were armed and in readiness to
begin the general movement as soon as the King
should approve it. These forces amounted to 80,000
men. The rest of the papers were private letters,
the-greater part of which were from my mother,