The Sun.
London, England, 1812-02-07 00:00:00

sw.rLt

MESS INA, DEC. 7.—We do *not remember ever
to have witnessed a more general expressioni.Of po-
poularsatiitaclinn, that which was manifested
on the arrest of those who have tern discoVered to
hold a communication with the enemy. The coun-
tenances of all the inhabitants of this city, and its
environs, display that, kind of .satisfaCtion which
arises when a great danger is avoided, and those
'exposed to it have reached &place of safety.
This general satisfaolion was, however, unmixed
with any exultation and triumph over the detected
enemy, nor were the friends and famities the per-
sons arrested in any manner insulted. On the con-
trary, all the persons arrested were permitted to
write to their families and friends, and to receive
answers from
.them, as also clothes, utensils, and
whatever else they thotight proper to apply to them.
Every one of them have a good dinner served up to
them every day, at the expence of the British Go-
vernment, and money has been sent to the families
of some who are known to be in want ; and to the
families of all the greatest attention has been paid,
and every request granted consistent with the great
end we have in view, which is to extirpate en-
tirely the French conspiracy in this ety, which,
fortunately, we now seem to - have the means of
accomplishing.
'Ye congratulate our readers on the discovery
which has been made of a number of spies and as-
sassins in the night of the 4th instant, in the follow-
ing manner :

Notice having been received some days back,
that four Calabrians, of a very suspicious character,
were in the suburb of San Leo, ail their motions
were watched, and, on the aboVe-mentioned night,
they were all surprised in bed ; although dressed, and
armed with pistols and stilettos. When the Officers
of Police entered their chamber, they all leaped out
of bed, and endeavoured to make their escape, at the
same time making a most desperate resistance ; one
was killed on the spot, two others severely wounded,
and the fourth taken, after having been pursued.—
The following are the names of the four : Giuseppe
Prestia, killed ; Antonia Crisera, wounded ; Anto-
nio Musolino, wounded; and Pietro Reitanc. On
the sth of Dec. a Commission of all tie. General Of-
ficers, in Messina and its vicinity', was appointed by
the Lieutenant General, Commander of the British
forces, to investigate the circumstances. Proofs
were at hand in abundance, to convince every one
that they were spies sent by the enemy, but be-
sides these both Crisera and Musolino confessed
their crime, and both confessed as persons whose
death was certain, and could only hope for pardon
in' the other world, that they had been sent by Ge-
neral IVlanhes, who commands the army in Calabria,
for the express purpose of assassinating ar Officer
in the British army. This declaration was volunta-
ry, and made in the presence of seven English Ge 7
neral Officers, and Crisera, in particular, repeated;
as he said, the very words spoken to him by the
French General, when he gave him directions. We
shall forbear to make any comment on this dreadful
fael ; we will not say that we can scarcely believe
that any man, bearing the name of a soldier, even
among the Calmuc Tartars, could so disgrace that
honourable title as to become an assassin. We
shall content ourselves with merely stating the vo-
luntary declaration of two men who knew they must
be hanged, and who knew that nothing was to be
gained by such a declaration. In fad, they were
tried, and condemned merely A spies, when, to the
surprise of all those who wete present, they con-
fessed that they were also intentional assassins !
Sicilians ! form your own judgment on this af-
fair ! In consequence of the above-mentioned in-
vestigation, Musolino was hanged yesterday morn-
ing, alter the usual exercises of religion. Crisera
has not been hanged, because his wounds did not
permit him to be taken to the place of execut ion.—
As soon as he shall be in a condition to be removed,
lie will be executed. Pietro Reitano is under sen-
tence of death, but will not be executed till one Ca-
p4sso has been tried, who is now a prisoner in the
citadel. It is known that Reitano was one of the
ruffians employed by the said Capasso to murder
and rob the courier from Palermo, as soon .as Lord
William Bentinck should arrive there, in order to
get the dispatches which might come from his
Lordship, and carry them to Calabria. This Pietro
Reitano appears to be a hardened villain ; he will
confess nothing, and seems to be perfeelly suited to
,his horrible trade. He was seen to throw some let-
ters and papers into a cellar when pursued, and
these, when recovered, were found to ,be most of
them in his hand-writing, and to consist of letters
to the enemy, and receipts for money 'sent to him.
He had for an adherent one Gregorio Solano; it
was he who. pmvided the assassins with knives and
stilettos. Solano will be tried immediately,-and, if
found guilty, there is no doubt but he will be exe-
cuted the moment that sentence has been passed.—
All these treacheries, assassinations, and horrors,
make our blood run cold, aria, no doubt, must
cause the most lively emotion in all hearts, who have
in- them a spark of sensibility. But we have (!isco-
vered the whole chain of intriguelr, and spies em-
ployed in them, and, with the assistance and pin-
tedion of Heaven, we will extirpate all the traitors
concerned in these plots, and we will save Sicily.--
S cilians ! let us again remind you, that nobody has
been arrested, nor will be hereafter, without proof.
Thu &his!) army has lost a brave and worthy
officer, who is universally lamented, Major General
Vesey, who died on Monday, December 2, in the
fortieth year of his age. He had been on a tour
round the lonian Isles, and through the Archipelago,
when, on his return he was seized with a malignant
fever. On his arrival here the disorder had made so
great a progress that all medical aid was in vain. He
was buried with every military hon Our.

On -Wednesday night, about nine o'clock, as Tho-
mas William Carey, a deaf and dumb yuung man,
the son of Mr. Carey, of Crown-court, Liquor-
pond-street, was passing on the south side of
Lincoln's-inn-fields; near `the archway leading to
Duke-street, he was stopped by a .villain, with an
iv lent to rob•hitn, armed with a dirk,' with which
It attempted to stab Mr. Carey ; but Mr. C. was
senible what the robber was at, and give him a
violent blow un his wrist, which disabled him for the
instant, and some people approaching, the villain
ran off, and trade his escape. Mr. C. was not able
to make the people understand what bad happened;
however, when lie got home, 'be made his father
understand by signs.

hrpEülL P~ iL MIWENI.

ROUSE OF PEtii§,

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY O.

The Feu ,branch of the Roxburgh Cause being
taken into further dansideration„ Mr. M'Conochie
spoke in continuation, as second Cotinsel oh the
part of the Respondent, Sir J. I. Kerr; but being
suddenly taken ill, the Learned Gentleman was un-
able to proceed, and their Lordships in consequence
adjourned the further hearing till Monday next.
The Regency Expellees Bill was brought up from
the Commons by Mr. -Lushington and others, and
read a first time. On the motion of the Earl of
Liverpool, it was ordered to be read a second time to-
morrow.

Mr. HAsa presented certain Annual Accounts
from the Commissioners for the Reduelion of the
National Debt, which were ordered to lie on the
table; as were also some Accounts presented by Mr.
Johnson, from the Irish Secretary of,State's Office.
Lord WALSINGHAM (as Chairman) presented a
Report from the Committee of Privileges appointed
to consider the Claim of Sir Wm. Jerningham, Barr.
to the Barony of Strafford, together with the eO-
- taken before the Committee, which was or-
dered to be taken into consideration on a future
day. ,

The Earl of LIVERPOOL moved the Order of the
Day for going into a Committee on the Royal
Household Bill. The same, after a- few words from
the Earl of Radp or, in ,a very low tone of voice,
was agreed to by their Lordships, and reported with-
out any amendment, as was also the Household
Officers Bill.

These' Bills were, on the motion of the Nob!e
Secretary of State, ordered to be read a third time
to-morrow, and the Lords summoned thereon.
VISCOUNT WELLINGTON.
_ _

The Earl of LIVERPOOL gave notice, that it was
his intention on Monday next, to move the Thanks
of that House to General Viscount Wellington, and
that part of the Army engaged in the Capture of
Ciudad Rodrigo, for their very gallant and rm-ritori-
ous condutt and moved that the Lords be sum-
moned for Mo►►day next.—Ordered.
Adjourned till to-morrow.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
THURSDAY, FEB. 6' •
Mr. HOUETOUN presented a Petition of the Mer-
chants of Greenock, on the•suNe& of the Regula-
tion of the Trade with India, on the expiry of the
present Charter of • the East India Company. Or-
dered to lie on the Table.
Mr. HASE presented the Annual Accounts of the
Commissioners for the Redudlien of the National
Debt. Ordered to be printed.
*Mr. WHARTON presented certain Accounts of Re-
ceipts and Disbursements relative to Pilotage, &c,
Ordered to lie on the, table.
On the motion of Mr. WHARTON, leave was given
to tiring in a Bill to amend the Acts relative to the
making of Exchanges in.-his Majesty's Forests.
Tire Coal Trade Bill went through a Committee,
the report of which was ordered to be received on
Tuesday.
The Insolvent Debtors Extension A6l was read
a third time, and passed. . - . . .
On the motion of Mr. PARNEpL, an account was
ordered to be laid before the House of the quantity
of grain, malt, and flour, imported into Great Britain
from Ireland during the year 1811.
DROITS OF ADMIRALTY.
Mr. BROUGHAM wished to know why the vari-
ous Papers that had beel ordered relative to the dis-
position of •the Droits of Admiralty had not yet been
presented ?
Mr. \VHARTON replied that orders bad been given
to expedite their production.
Mr. BROUGHAM trusted that as little delay would
take place on the subject as possible, and gave no-
tice that on Friday se'nnight he would move for the
appointment of a Select Committee to inquire into
the 'particular application of the different sums
already appropriated from the Droits of the Ad-
miralty.
The Naval Stores Embezzlement Bill was read
a second time, and ordered to be committed to-
morrow. •