The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-18 00:00:00

have liberty to read the eciiptru-es in kis own house ;
but that nobleman declined to avail himself of any such
privilege, but stood on the rights of a citizen of Tuscany,
secured to him by the constitution. Ho declined to re-
ceive any favour individually, but contended for the
rights of his poorer brethren, and finding that he would be
sentenced to banishment on that account, he preferred to
endure a voluntary exile, and quit a country where he
could not worship God according to his conscience. On
the 25th of April power was given to the police to send
persons into banishment for a year for any religions or po-
litical offence, and under that edict persons were seized and
sentenced to banishment. Between that time and the
26th of August the arrests continued, but on the 26th, as
would be found by referenoe to papers on the table, an
Englishman, Mr. Walker, and two Florentines, were
waiting to see Madiai at his house, when the police entered,
and they were searched and taken to prison. Madiai, on
his return, was also taken to prison, And, on the following
day, the Wife, Rosa Madiai, and her maid servant, were
also conveyed to prison. In September, a young clerk in
the post-office was arrested upon the charge of possessing a
Bible. For no other offence he was taken from his family,
and had not since been released. On November the 25th,
a decree was issued, charging Francesco Medial and Rosa
Medial', his wife, with impiety, and the right to condemn
them was attempted to be established under the 50th arti-
cle of the Leopoldine Code. By that article it was declared
that whoever should attempt to profane the divine mystery
by disturbing the sacred functions, or commit any other
public impiety, or
publiclyw
ith
t hattackmost
ue, theho ly‘
y Catholici
reli-
gion, should be considered as an enemy
exemplar and a disturber of
society, and punished
go
ur.
Any r
person who read that would see that it merely referred to
any public act, and the question was very d
argue in
the Law Review, by Mr. Davenport Hill, the ab
the Recorder of
Binedegliarn. The offence with which they were charged
was
that for conducting family their
worship in house, but
to be a public overt was explained by worship
e Attorney-General onn their
trial
ainst the Catholic faith. The
evidence given on the trial in favour of Rosa Madiai was
very remarkable. All the witnesses spoke of her as one
who was not only tolerant to their religion, but who was
in the habit of impressing upon them—that is, upon an Catholics—the duties of beeping its observances so long as
they continued within it. Her whole life seemed tao be
a series of acts of charity. She interested herself with mas-
ters that their servants might be at liberty to attend mass, and
the Public Minister hireself, in his speech, said that the
acts of goodness, of probity, and of benevolence of Rosa
Medial caused him to grieve for her separation from the
Catholic faith, but could not lessen the effect of the act she
had committed. There was a poor blind man whom she
used continually to lead to mass, and go again to lead him
home from it, so far was she from possessing anything of
that spirit of proselytism that was attempted to 4afietehed
upon her. (near.) When sentence was promo:need, it,
mated the.grmtmt sensation throughout Tuscany. He
was, told;thatAho judges were esotaansanimous m
sertenttr: VfeCe' were five jitti gee—two were in favour of
pardon, two for a conviction. The president of the court
gave the casting vote, and he was credibly informed that
ho was almost unable to conclude so much did his voice
falter. The strongest feeling was displayed by the public,
and the verdict was received with shouts'of " Gli assassini,
gli assassini (the assassins, the assassins)—they have suc-
ceeded." He held in his hand a translation into French of
the decree, to which ho begged to call the attention of the
,house. He expressed his regret that such a law as that
under which they were convicted should now be revived
to intimidate, and to be carried into execution against
unfortunate people who conceived that they were guaran-
teed in their liberty by the constitution. (Hear, hear.)
The reason why he (Mr. Kinnaird) appealed to that house
was that this case of the Medial was not an individual in-
stance of persecution. There were not only hundreds but
thousands in that part of Europe who were positively living
under a reign of terror. He had recently received a letter
stating that there were vast numbers, beyond any conception,
in prisons for the like supposed offences. He now took the
first opportunity that had presented itself of expressing his
gratitude to the noble lord (Lord J. Russell) for his recent
dispach on this subject. (Cheers.) That dispatch only con-
firmed him (Mr. Kinnaird) of the importance of bringing
public attention to bear on this point. There was on matter
which he died not gather from the papers before the house,
but of the truth of which he was credibly informed. He
referred to the conduct of the King of Prussia in this
matter, of which he thought it behoved that house to speak
with great praise. The moment that Monarch heard of the
sentence on the Madiai he wrote to his minister at the court
of the Grand Duke of Tuscany, expressing his deep sympathy
with the cause of those unfortunate persons ; and he (Mr.
Kinnaird) was credibly informed that the King of Prussia
had instructed his minister at this court to propose to her
Majesty's Government a united representation on the sub-
ject. He (Mr. Kinnaird) could not remove the conviction
from his mind, that if at that period the suggestion of the
King of Prussia had been acted upon—if this country, in
concert with the King of Prussia, the King of Holland,
and the Government of the United States—being the chief
Protestant powers—had addressed a representation to the
Grand Duke of Tuscany on this subject, not in a menacing
or dictatorial tone, but in firm and energetic. language, and
not, as had been done, in an unofficial manner, he could
not but think that the Grand Duke would have shrunk
from the responsibility attaching to his conduct in this
matter. Ho thought, too, looking at the state of Europe,
there were not wanting facilities for such an alliance,
which would be productive of the very best effects. He
knew there were many honourable members who thought
that house would not be justified in interfering in this
matter, because it was one between the Tuscan Govern-
ment and its own subjects. He thought that proposition
had been admirably answered in the dispatch of the noble
lord (Lord John Russell) on the table of the house.
(Cheers.) But he would remind the house that this was
not the first time the Protestant powers had been called
on to interfere on behalf of their persecuted brethren on
the continent. In 1709, by the treaty of Utrecht, there
was a special provision entered into between Great Britain,
Prussia, and Holland, for the protection of the Waldenses
in the exercise of their religions liberties ; and there was
a time when a ruler of this country—one whose name must
be dear to every Englishman_ compelled Cardinal Mazarin
to interpose with the Duke of Savoy for the purpose of
putting an end to the atrocities practised upon those Wal-
densian Christians. The bigoted James IL, too, actually
sent Lord Stair as an ambassador to the ourt of Louis
Qnatorze, when the Huguenots were condemned, to re-
monstrate on their behalf ; and it would be remembered
that on that occasion when Louis said to Stair, " What
would you say if I were to ask yon to release your con-
victs," the ambassador, with great quickness and ingenuity,
answered, "If your Majesty wants to claim those unfortu-
nate persons, as we now do them as brethren, they shall
be released immediately." (A laugh.) He would not de-
tain the house further on that point. He did, however,
trust that the noble lord (Lord John Russell) would not
oppose his motion, and that he would not cease to
use his best efforts on behalf, not only of the Madiai,
but of their Protestant brethren generally on the con-
tinent, wherever they might be suffering per-
secution in respect of their faith. He (Mr. Kinnaird)
did urge and trust that the voice of England would be
raised, and that that house would not be intimidated from
expressing plainly and boldly its opinion on this subject,
and from using the moral weight of this country on behalf
of their persecuted brethren on the Continent. (Cheers.)
Lord DUDLEY STUART, in seconding the motion,
said that seldom had any event on the Continent excited
the feelings of the inhabitants of this country so much as
the case of those unfortunate and persecuted Madiai. It
was no wonder that it should be so, for the people of this
country had always felt a deep,sympathy with their Pro-
testant brethren all over the world. The feelings of the
British people in this respect had been reflected in the acts
of their rulers. Cromwell interposed with energy on be-
half of the Protestants of Prance ; and we had treaties re-
lating to the Vaudois and Waldenses, signed by William
111. and Queen Anne, which stipulated that those Chris-
tians should enjoy, undisturbed, the exercise of their re-
ligion in the valleys of Piedmont. At different times,
also, the representatives of this country at foreign courts
had received instructions from the Government when the
stipulations of those treaties were violated or interfered
with ; and the Protestants, thus protected by England,
continued to enjoy their liberty until the French got pos-
session of those countries, and then, under the French
regime, they assumed the rights of free citizens once more.
We should have treaties with foreign states for the pro-
tection of their Protestant subjects in the same way as we
had had treaties with the kingdom of Sardinia
andthe
Dukes of Savoy for the purpose of protecting Christians
in the exercise of their religion. The proposal implied in
the motion was no innovation. We had treaties for the
trade with various countries of the
prevention of the slave
not have treaties with foreign
world ; and why should n
debar
themselves houldfrom the
states, by which they s
only for obeying the dic-
tates of their own consciences. ting their subjects,
sin of persecuting
It was contrary to
the
well as to the dictates of Christian reli-
gion,
humanity, as
rule of doing to others as we should
and the golden
for religious
us, to persecute a man
wish them to do to
principles, which was
he
forced by his conscience to ac-
knowledge. For his part,
he felt sentiments of regret and
indignation when .
contemplating any person subject to per-
secution on account of his religion ; and he applied that
principle in the largest sense. (Hear, hear.) He was
not only
against the persecution of Protestants, Jews,
Roman Catholics, Greeks, or any particular religious sect,
but he was—and he desired to raise his voice to say it—
against persecution of all sorts on accounUof any form of
religion, and wheresoever it might be professed. (Hear,
hear.) Protestants, unhappily, were not the only religion-
ists who had been persecuted. In times past, as they
knew, others had been dealt with in the severest manner
by men actuated by the sincerest motives. A. poet had
said, somewhat irreverently,

apostles would have done persuaded
,sthy
did."
"Chricsaltailathtnhosliehcasvehadburnbteenpersecuted each
quite as much as
other, q
anyommoatnhaters. Those persecutions ere horrible enough, but
it was scarcely less horrible at
the country, which was
and not raise a voice whenTr
they had( been shown to be, byurthoePeG,
cany. He might be met by
the great Protestant country
,tohteestaarngitls wmeenrte
tpehrasteutewecd, as
ought
rashnodulDdusktac:nodf aTloousf.
motion .of his
moat
not to interfere with
by force of arms in this case. He
not proposed to interfere
an independent state. But it was
thought the •
p.ropehrisonheo,nfooiriraitbwleafirrontdpro(_poNfr.seKind
to-
iiinateirr(lfewrea_tyaviolence. Besides, could the Grand Duchy of
Tuscany be altogether called an independent state' seeing
that, it was in the occupation of a foreign army. (Hear,
hear)? Tuscany was ruled by foreigners, by the Austrian
Grand Duke, who was the nephew of the I,s,te Emperor
Francis—him of the Holy Alliance, and cousin to the pre-
sent Emperor. He belonged to that Imperial family of
Hapsburg which had been always distinguished in Europe
for its religious persecutions. Of the Grand Duke himself,
he believed it might be said he was disposed to beneficence
and kindness. Tuscany, under his ,`rule, had enjoyed a
great degree of prosperity which had always been pointed
to by the friends of despotic Government, as an example
of how happy a people might be under such a rule, and
had often been a subject of despair to liberal men, who
contended that no country ought to be placed under any
but a constitional form of GOVernment. The Grand Duni ke
had also shown his disposition to kindness and humanity
by abolishing the punishment of death in his grand duchy
,ii
fcoorn
ps irticr:ide a
it ol
ybit ahliaod-
e:iinic et was
the
Austrians had had possession of the country. It did not
exHeceubteilionevs
punishment had been used in
Tu
not been used for a great many years'
loifshLeudeca th.roThughatouptuanillshbulisednotnhnandiobie;
scany, but t
twenty years since
iciaapditbaalen
military
seem that this act of persecution was even done at the desire
of the Grand Duke of Tuscany. The country was now
entirely held by an Austrian army, and history showed
that the house of Hapsburg had been at all times the most
' distinguished for religious persecution. In Belgium, it
was computed that 30,000 Protestants'. had lost their lives
by persecution ; in Spain a great number had been sacri-
ficed in the same way. lloliem-
ia was converted from the
Protestant religion to that of the P vomanCatholic by being
made a complete desert ; and historians told them that no
less than two millions of people had been sacrificed for the