The Sun.
London, England, 1862-05-16 00:00:00

AFFAIR,F OF SOUTH ITALY.

A further series )f "Papers respecting the affairs
of South Italy" presented to Parliament by com-
mand, have been issued. They contain the three
following letters from Consul Bonham :
Naples, April 2, 1862.

My Lord,—l have the honour to r: port to your
lordship that grea: insecurity continues to prevail
in the province of Capitanata. There are several
bands of brigands in that province, who keep the
country in a state of terror, and successfully elude
the pursuit of the troops. Reinforcements have
been sent, and, a 3 mentioned in my despatch of
the 27th ultimo, a new and active general appointed
to the command. The civil governor or prefect,
Signor Strada, has also been replaced by Signor del
Giudice.

Most exaggerated reports of brigandage
throughout the country generally are industri-
ously and persev?ringly spread at the present
time, with the obvious view of causing alarm and
disgust. Brigandage no doubt exists on a large scale
and as yet met no serious check in the Capitanata ;
but in other provinces, at all events up to this
time, that scourge is not at all what it was last
year, and in many provinces it does not exist at all,
So far as I can learn the Calabrias are undisturbed,
and the Abruzzi the same; these have usually been
the most disturbed provinces. In the Abruzzi they
are now expecting an invasion of adventurers,
wbo are organising, without, as is believed,
hindrance or molestation, at Tivoli in the Roman
States.

The reactionary agents here are busy, not only
in spreading alarming reports, but in endeavouring
to seduce and corrupt the Neapolitan soldiers, who
now in considerable numbers are embodied and
serving in Italian regiments in these provinces. I
am, however, assured that these soldiers are behav-
ing exceedingly well, and that the attempts of
these agents meet no success.
There continues to be great discontent in Naples,
and undiminished jealousy of Northern Italians ;
still in many respects there is progress and material
improvement. It cannot be doubted that commerce
is largely increasing; British shipping at Naples
during the first three months of this year as com-
pared with the first three months of the years
1859, 1860, and 1861, shows the following results :
British vessels entered during Ist quarter:-
1859, 51 vessels, 15,925 tons ; 1860, 62 vessels,
21,646 tons ; 1861, 67 vessels, 20,347 tons; 1862,
93 vessels, 34,710 tons.
The custom-house is inadequate in size to contain
the increased quantity of goods now landed, and a
large area on the outside has been covered in with
zinc roofing, to afford temporary shelter for such
goods.
People have no difficulty in finding work ; trade
generally is good, and furthermore employment is
largely given by the municipality in building and
other works in different parts of the town. House-
rent and provisions of all kinds have risen in price.
I hear no complaints of distress or want of work
at the various ports where there are vice-consuls,
and I believe commercial affairs there, as here, are
going on prosperously. Crops of all kinds (ex-
cept Indian corn) were last year abundant ; in
this category I can even include wine, which had
previously failed for some years, owing to the grape
disease. The quantity now arriving weekly in Naples
and sent on hence to the North is very large. The
export of oil from ports in the provinces has also
been very considerable. Of public works in the pro-
vinces 1 can only mention the Roman railway, still
unfinished between Prezengano and Ceprano, em-
ploying several thousand persons; the railway from
San Benedetto del Tronto to Foggia, on which
12,000 persons are employed ; and that from Salerno
to Eboli, employing between 3,000 and 4,000. Many
other railways are projected,but not yet commenced.
—I have, &c. (Signed) EDW. WALTER BONHAM.

CONSUL BONHAM TO EARL RUSSELL-(RECEIVED
APRIL 23.)

Naples, April 16, 1862.
My Lord,—l have the honour to report to your
lordship that no movement of any particular im-
portance has occurred in the Capitanata since I last
mentioned the state of that province. Brigandage is
there still unsubdued; the brigands are stated to be,
I will not say reduced to, but amalgamated into, two
principal bands, each from 150 to 200 strong. One
of these bands, commanded by a chief named Coppa,
was met with on the Bth inst. by a detachment of
o nearl
brigands Lu c e r a
, where a fight took place in
which
h 3
were killed ; the troops lost four
t
killed and four wounded, one mortally; they also
took 25 horses. The other band was surprised near
the River Ofanto some nights ago, and lost some
horses wad baggage, but with small loss of life ; still
these two bands exist, and spread consternation in
which they pass by their re-
lentless eitsrcuelttyhro.th Happily there is as yet no appear-
ance of this scourge spreading into other districts ;
it is confined to the Capitanata and some adjoining
mountainous districts of the Basilicata and Terra
di Bari bordering the Ofanto; of this fact I have
no doubt, though the most extravagant reports
continue to be spread as to its existence in
various parts of the country, and also reports of
the continued binding of adventurers on many
parts of the coaet. His Excellency General La
Marmora assures me there is no truth whatever in
these reported landings, and further that in no
single instance has any village or district taken any
active part with the bands in the Capitanata.

The mail due yesterday morning with the corre-
spondence from the south, that is, from Gallipoli,
Taranto, Bari, &c., did not arrive; and this being,
I believe, the first instance of failure in the arrival
of mails for many months, has tended to give a
certain consistency to these rumours of the increase
of brigandage. To-day's mail has, however, come
in. It turns out the post-cart conveying the mail
due yesterday morning was stopped in the night of
the 13th and 14th at Ponte della Madonna dell'-
Incoronata between Ceriguola and Foggia in the
Capitanata ; the courier and a delegate of police who
was with him were stabbed and left for dead, and
the correspondence burned. These two unfortunate
men, however, are it seems still alive, though dan-
gerously if not mortally wounded, and have been
brought into Foggia, and tis.e postilion, suspected of
having acted in concert with the brigands, has been
arrested.

A party of adventurers who had entered this ter-
ritory a iew days previously from the Roman fron-
tier, and attacked Luco on the Lake Fucino, have
been entirely dispersed ; I enclose copy and transla-
tion of general Govone's order of the day relative
to that occurrence. No further invasion has been
made from the Roman side, but I am told General
Govoac is expecting one of a much more formidable
character than the last, which he is well prepared
to meet.--I have, &c.,
(Signed) EDW. WALTER BONIIAM.

CONSUL BONHAM TO EARL RUSSELLe-..(RECEIVED
APRIL 23.)
Naples, April 17, 1862.
My Lord,—l have the honour to report to your
lordship that very great changes have just now
been made in the magistracy of these provinces.
The appointments in the higher courts appear to
give tolerable satisfaction; not so those in the in-
ferior or district courts. I must state, however,
that at the present time the people of Naples are
not in a temper to be much pleased with anything
emanating from Turin. There is great discontent,
and as the realisation of the hopes, long enter-
tained of " Italia Una," with Rome for the capital,
appears more and more remote, so does this discon-
tent become more intense, and the jealousy of being
ruled from Turin more decided. I believe, however,
that these feelings are much more general in Naples
than in the provincial towns.
Great care seems to have been taken in these new
judicial nominations not to wound the susceptibili-
ties of the Neapolitans by appointing Northern
Italians to the Neapolitan courts. It is, indeed, to
be feared that this has been carried too far. A
complete change is urgently required in the judicial,