The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-20 00:00:00

MADAGASCAR.

The Government at the French Island of Reunion
has received from Tananarive the following commu-
nication which emanated from the Government at
Madagascar : _ _ _

" Tananarive, Feb. 27.

"For some time past the people murmured against
the existing Government. The partisans of the
King, cleverly taking the advantage of the general
discontent, made a new appeal to the friends of
Radama 11., and soon formed a great plot, into
which entered the ex-Minister, Rainiooninahitriniony,
whose wealth, his innumerable slaves, and the terror
of whose name rendered him redoubtable, even after
his fall. Alarmed at a conspiracy to which the co-
operation of so powerful a man assured so much
chance of success, the Government held itself on the
defensive, and caused the most minute inquiry to be
made. At the outset four officers, of noble families,
who were arrested on suspicion, revealed the com-
plicity of Rainooninahitriniony. These officers stated
that he had distributed a sum of £3OO amongst the
partisans of the King, and that he had decided to
execute his design on a festival which fell on Feb. 23
and the succeeding days. His culpability estab-
lished, only a favourable opportunity was sought to
effect his captuie. It was too dangerous to arrest
him at his country house, where he was in the midst
of his slaves, and where frequent meetings took
place.
" Under these circumstances, his uncle Rainibesa,
who commanded the executioners of Radama 11.,
succeeded in separating him from his followers,
and in bringing him into the city. He had scarcely
arrived there when he was surrounded in his house.
The people were immediately convoked, when
the scenes which ensued reminded all of the
days of 1863,which it was feared would recommence.
This was on the evening of Wednesday, Feb. 17, a
day on which the greatest market of the year is
held at Tananarive. As night fell the crowd dis-
persed, and the report was spread that the ex-Prime
Minister had been assassinated. It had been decided
in fact that he should be put to death as soon as he
reached his house, but his brother again succeeded
in saving him. On the same evening he was exa-
mined for the first time, and formally denied his
participation in the plot. He persisted in his de-
nials the next day, and demanded to be confronted
with his accusers. His brother, in reply, told him
that he should not carry the affair any farther for
fear of finding such overwhelming proofs that would
prevent him from obtaining the favour of his life.
However it may be, Rainiooninahitriniony was not
condemned to death, and a report was issued to the
people stating that he had been found guilty of a
crime which merited death, but that in consideration
of the services rendered by his grandfather, his son,
and himself formerly, his life would be spared, but
he was sent into perpetual banishment. The report
ended as follows If in future he or others com-
mit similar crimes, the Queen will have no pity, and
will punish with death all who are guilty, even if
obliged to execute the fifth, the quarter, or even the
third of her subjects.'

" The ex-Minister was permitted to take with
him a sum of money and 36 slaves. His secondwife,
who was no stranger to the evils of which he was
formerly the author, received the order to accompany
him in his exile. The place assigned to him as a
residence is three days' journey to the southward of
Tananarive, and he will be guirded by 200 soldiers,
who will answer for him with their heads. He is
forbidden to leave the village which is to be his pri-
son. The four officers arrested were condemned to
undergo the same punishment, and have been con-
fined to the same village."
Naval and Military Intelligence.

Field-Marshal the ;Duke of Cambridge, the Ge-
neral Commanding-in-Chief, is expected to arrive at
Portsmouth this evening from Portland and Ply-
mouth, on his annual official visit of inspection to
the fortress and its garrison.

Capt. Boyce, of the 34th Regiment, and a party
of officers, non-commissioned officers, and privates
have returned to the camp at Colchester from a
course of instruction at the Ilythe School of
Musketry.

The remaining portion of the Channel Squadron,
consisting of the Black Prince, Capt. Lord F. Kerr;
the Prince Consort, Capt. 0. Willes; and Defence,
Capt. Phillimore, left Portland Roads on Monday
evening at 8 p.m. to join the Edgar (flagship of
Admiral S. C. Dacres), off Portland, after which
they proceeded down Channel en route to Lisbon.
The Achilles (ironclad), Capt. Vansittart, will join
the squadron off Plymouth.
The Geyser, 6, paddle, Commander A. T. Thrupp,
sailed from Portsmouth yesterday afternoon for the
eastward with naval supernumeraries, including the
officers and men who navigated the ironclad frigate
Minotaur round to that port from the Nore.
Her Majesty's 17-gun steam sloop Mutine, com-
missioned on the 9th inst. by Commander W. H.
Blake, recently commanding the Alecto, paid off at
Woolwich during an unexpired commission of two
years and three months on the south-east coast of
America, yesterday left the ordinary, and went
down to the powder-buoy off the Royal Arsenal, to
receive her ammunition in readiness for sea. Her
destination is the Pacific station. Her armament
consist of 13 old 32-pounders and 4 Armstrong
guns, and her crew 175 of all ranks.
Her Majesty's, 6, screw gunvessel Flying Fish,
871 tons and 350 horse power, was yesterday re-
moved from the outer basin at Woolwich, and was
towed up to the Admiralty -yard at Charlton-pier,
to be broken up.

The Board of Admiralty have at length taken into
serious consideration the necessity of studying the
sanitary condition of the receiving ship Fisgard, at
Woolwich, Commander G. W. Towsey, bearing
the flag of Commodore Hugh Dunlop, C.B. Hitherto
the accommodation in the lower deck, in which some
500 or 600 seamen are frequently crowded at their