The Sun.
London, England, 1862-02-28 00:00:00

THE ITALIAN PARLIAMENT.

TURIN, FEB. 25.

A short conversation took place at the opening
of yesterday's sitting in the House of Deputies in
which England and the English Government were
directly interested.

The Deputy Mordini rose and said, he wished to
obtain some explanations from the President of the
Council, Minister for Foreign Affairs, on the subject
of some insults done to some Italian subjects of
King Victor Emmanuel at Malta, and to his Ma-
jesty's Consul in that island.

Baron Ricasoli immediately answered that he had
received from the Consul a report of that occurrence,
and had taken steps with the English Government
to remove causes which had led to that disorder.
The ancient friendship which binds the King's
Government to that of St. James's is our best
security for a satisfactory issue.
Mordini declared himself satisfied with the Mini-
ster's answer, and added that he had full faith in
the cordial alliance of the English Government. He
further informed the Chamber that it was not only
the Italian Consul who had been illtreated, but

many other persons belonging to the Italian coun-
try, and especially M. Nicola Fabrizi, who was
lately elected a member of Parliament, and was
hitherto prevented from taking his seat, owing to
illness which detained him at Malia.

The particulars of the outrages referred to in the
above short conversation are given at great length
in a letter written by Nicola Fabrizi from Malta,
bearing the date of the 14th ult. He states
that he had received timely information of some
intended demonstrations, contrived by a clerical and
Bourbonist committee in behalf of the Pope and of
the ex-King of Naples, and which were to come off
on the eve and feast day of St. Paul's shipwreck in
the island, the 9th and 10th of February ; that these
demonstrations were aimed against well known
persons ; among others against himself. The chief
actors in these tumultuous scenes were Neapolitan
and Sicilian Royal emigrants, chiefly policemen and
men of bad character. Fabrizi communicated these
particulars to the Italian Consul, who obtained the
Governor's assurance that measures should be taken
to prevent political inscriptions being carried about
on banners, or stuck up on the walls of public
buildings. It is the custom at Malta in such so-
lemnities to hang out with ropes across the streets
flags of all nations, and, with the exception of here
and there the Union Jack, hardly any were distri-
buted this year, save only Austrian, Pontifical, and
Bourbon-Neapolitan. A man went out with these
colours in a bag, and left them at the doors of
houses, taking care, however, that the three last-
mentioned banners should hang precisely before
those houses where they would be most obnoxious.
Before Fabrizi's windows, for instance, a great Aus-
trian flag was made to wave ; the objections and
remonstrances of the owners and inmates of the
houses were scornfully disregarded. A troop of
street porters and other rough customers followed
the bag-bearer, and violence was threatened against
such as presumed to resist their behests.
Fabrizi informed the authorities that the Aus-
trian flag hung before his house without his con-
sent, and that he would instantly cut down the
ropes unless it were removed without delay—a
threat which after a reasonable interval he carried
into execution, leaving his sick bed for the pur-
pose. This was on the Saturday. On the ensuing
day the mischief-makers paraded the streets in great
force to inflict punishment on those who had re-
fused to hoist the flags. Fabrizi's house was at-
tacked five times by the noisy crowd, and he, who
had lived for 20 years iu Malta respected and be-
loved by the best people in the island, saw from his
windows in the midst of the throng a large number
of ribald runaways indulging in the foulest language
of abuse against himself. On the sth inst. stones
were thrown at his door, and endeavours were even
made to break in. He had, however, taken mea-
sures in self-defence, but a collision was prevented
by the police, who were at last on the spot, when
the crowd came to the charge for the sixth time.
The Consul's house was subjected to the same treat-
ment, and he himself suffered personal outrage re-
peatedly in the streets, and was struck. Nor were
strangers only the objects of these popular attacks,
but even the houses of Maltese citizens were sub-
jected to the same indignities. Some Italian sea
captains who refused to join in the cries " Viva
Francesco II.," and " Viva it Papa-Re," were
roughly handled. A Venetian who would not bow
to the Austrian flag, and a Maltese merchant who
would not shout for the Pope-King were bdaten, and
the same drubbing fell to the lot of several sailors
from the various ports of the Italian kingdom. The
riot went on through the whole Sunday till late in
the night, and was renewed on the ensuing morning.
Among the persons who struck the Consul was a
Sicilian monk, one of the main instigators and
leaders of the rabble.

Nicola Fabrini, whom I have had frequent occa-
sion to mention, is an honourable man, and I believe
the statement he gives of these facts may be relied
upon in every particular. I do not know, however,
to what extent he may be borne out in the charge
of remissness and almost connivance of the local
authorities with these popular outbreaks. While
he frankly acquits her Majesty's Government at
home from any intention to encourage hostilities
against the Italian Government or against its re-
presentatives and subjects, he allows himself some
insinuations to the disparagement of the Maltese
police, contrasting their leniency to Papal and
Bourbonist rioters with the strict and even harsh
measures that ware in all conjunctures adopted
against the Italian exiles of the Liberal party, when
these were thrown upon British hospitality by
those very Papal and Bourbon Governments whose
turn it is now to taste the bread of exile.

Other private letters aver that the Jesuit and
Bourbon agitators have gained a certain influence
over the Governor at Malta by cunningly raising
his supicions that the Italian party are working
hard to Italianise the island. His attendance at
the religious ceremony at St. Paul's, unprecedented
in previous years, and coinciding with the brunt of
the riotous proceedings, has given much to say arid
to think of to the good people of Malta.

TUESDAY EVENING.
At the opening of to day's sittings an attempt was
made to strike a blow at the Ministers. The De-
puty Boggio, now just recovered from long illness,
asked Baron Ricasoli what he could say as to the
Comitati di Provvedimento, who were thought to
abuse the right of meeting and of association, to
carry on clandestine enlistment and armament, and
thereby endangered public security.

Baron Ricasoli answered that he was aware of the
existence of these committees, that he watched them,
but thought the right of meeting and association
could not and should not be curtailed. The laws
were amply sufficient to keep these committees
within such limits as were consistent with public
security. Where the law might be deficient he
would move new bills in Parliament.

A long and unsatisfactory discussion then arose,
at the end of which an order of the day was pro-
posed, " that the Chamber was satisfied with the
views of the Ministers." But another order was
proposed, to the effect that " the Chamber only
took note of the declarations of the Ministers."
'The latter resolution, which left the whole question
unsolved, was voted unanimously,

In the course of discussion, Macchi, Crispi, and
other Deputies of the Left, protested that the com-
mittees neither enlisted nor armed. Alfieri, Chiaves,
Malenchini, and two or three others alone ex-
pressed their want of confidence in the Ministers.

THE SCUTARI OUTRAGE.—We are glad to be able
to report that the authors of the attack on Sergeant Lyne
and his assistant under-keepers of the Scutari Cemetery
have at length met with their deserts. During the past
weak they were tried by a special court-martial, ordered
by the Grand Vizier, and, being convicted of the cowardly
outrage on the evidence of even their own officers and
comrades, were sentenced to be flogged, which has since
been carried into effect, An adequate pecuniary indem-
nity will also be given to Sergeant Lyne and his fellow-
sufferers. We know that we but express the common sen-
timent of our community when we say that Sir Henry Bul -
wer deserves the warmest thanks of his resident count ry-
men for this result. It is but lair, at the same time, to make
laudatory acknowledgment of the readiness displayed, we
have reason to believe, from the first by the Grand Vizier
to accord, as promptly as the necessary delay of an official
inquiry would permit, the satisfaction which was due under
the circtuustancee.—.Levant Iferald, Feb. 19.