The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-21 00:00:00

some time been reported as probable among the
Royalists ; but should they ever be carried into
effect, and as final measures, I should regard them as
fatal toNeapolitan progress and liberty. The fault is
not with the Ministers, who, when strong-minded,
well-intentioned men, have been cashiered in an
ignominious manner-, or, when they have been
pliable men of yesterday, have been the slaver' of
the Royal caprice, registrars of the Royal will. The
evil lies in the existence of an absolute power which
practically denies the right of independent thought
in will or action to its subjects. With such a power
uncontrolled by the common obligations of morality,
inasmuch as it takes and breaks oaths in a breath,
there can be no confidence in peace or progress. I
can conceive that the Royalists would be well con-
tented with such a solution of the difficulty—but
such a solution would be false, inefficient, fatal.
The funds rose to 1081, and most assert that it was
because Baron Brenier took a box at San Carlo for
the Queen's gala last night. I cannot help ob-
serving a feverish distrustfulness and anxiety
among the Liberal party about the sentiments.
and movements of France and her Ministers.
For several years there have been circulating re-
ports regarding Count Walewski, to which of
oourse I cannot give credence, but which still mark
the universal impression that, in some way or
other, he is bound to support the interests of Fer-
dinand 11. Of course these reports have been more
rife since certain agents have visited Paris within
the last few months. One fact is pretty clear, that
the foreign policy of France has been more dis-
posed to support the assumption of the King than
the demands of the people of Naples.
"His Majesty still maintains his confidence and
his pleasantry in speaking of the Allies, and on a
recent occasion is said to have presented the Here-
ditary Prince as `King of the Two Sicilies, by the
grace of England and of France.'
"Among other valuable articles taken off to
Gaeta are said to be papers of importance.
"His Royal Highness the Count of Syracusehas
been visiting his Majesty, a fact which was much
commented on as marking some approximation be-
tween the views of the Royal brothers. Among
other significant incidents, too, it was observed
that on Sunday night the Royal box at San Carlo
was well filled with the members of the Royal
family, and that the next box was occupied by
Princes Satriano (Filangieri) and Ischitella, as
also by General Nunciante, the right-hand man of
the King. The inference was, that there was a
reconciliation between Satriano and the Court, and
that he will be called to help them out of their
difficulties.
" The political prisoners lately set at liberty have
been restricted to a residence in their province. An-
toinetta Pace was not liberated at the same time,
perhaps for want ofsureties. Avitabile has permission
to remain in Naples. An action was opened last
Monday by the Procureur-General against the two
individuals arrested for having expressed their
approbation of the decision of the judges in the
late political cause ; but the judges, on retiring to
consider whether there was sufficient ground for a
prosecution, decided in the negative, they were
therefore liberated after ten days' confinement.
In referring to the absurd false statements of a
portion of the French press that there were not
more perhaps than 100 political prisoners now re-
maining, I might have given the following evi-
dence of Captain Acuti on the recent trial. When
he was the commander of the Bagni of Procida
there were 1,450 prisoners, of whom 600 wore poli-
tical. Captain Acuti was commander of the Bagni
about a year ago—and supposing one-half have
since been liberated, which certainly is not the case,
we have yet 300 for one prison only still remaining,
to take no account of those who in the provinces are
daily arrested for reasons and under circumstances
that would appear incredible out of this country.
That some have been released cannot be denied, but
the majority were such as had been arbitrarily ar-
rested bya simple orderof police and confined with-
out trial or sentenceePoor Amodio too, once, I think,
deputy for Potenza,, has been liberated ; he had be-
come mad in prison ! Death also has reduced the
numbers, as in the case of the consumptive patient
Zeuli, confined in chains in the damp prisons of
Montesarchie. Lanza and Mambrini have been
permitted to return on conditions extorted from
them, which must for ever awaken the regret of
their friends. I cannot proceed to individualise all
who have returned to enjoy a doubtful liberty under
'the surveillance of the police, and within the grasp
of a power which may at any time consign them
again to a prison. An amnesty, indeed ! It is a
mockery of concession. I cannot but observe on the
gradual and detailed manner in which the few who
have been liberated have been amnestied. No one
knows better than the King the danger of such
a measure, and therefore it is that a general am-
nesty cannot and will not be granted unless there
be a return to a state of legality. An amnesty is
incompatible with things as they are—its only effect
' will be to restore thousauds who are smarting from
injustice and boiling with wrath and indignation to
form so many nuclei of discontent and revolution.
We have arrived at this point then that compassion
is not safe without justice and legality.
"The American sloop of ware the Constitution,
came in on Monday from Spezzia, and she will pro-
bably remain some time to watch events."
A letter from Naples of the 13th, in the Gazette
du Midi, says :—" The King is still at Gaeta,
superintending the work of the fortifications. He
will return here in a day or two, and will after-
wards proceed to the Palace of Caserta, the Nea-
politan Versailles, and will remain there for some
time with the Queen, who is very near her con-
finement. Everything here is perfectly c ilm ; no
agitation is visible, at least on the surface, and
the public funds do not appear to be acted on by
1 the diplomatic crisis. They are still at 107. The
Government considers itself equal to anything
that may take place. The King declares that he
will not yield to any pressure, and that ho will
continue to do what he thinks proper. It is
said that in talking to a foreign ambassador he
used this expression,' When I shall declare an am-
nesty I do not chose that it shall be for the benefit
and honour of foreigners, but for the safety of
crown.' As to the eventual abdication which
b na
been talked of the statement is declared to be with-
outa the slightest foundation. Ferdinand 11. would
consider it as an unpardonable weakness. He
thinks it his duty to remain at his pest, and flat-
ters himself that he will obtainby his persistence
even an honourable solution. The Austrian am-
bassador has only yet seen the King once ; he
preserves the natural attitude of a diplomatist
who has simply come to resume his functions
after a leave of absence. Austria has so
great an interest in the tranquillity that she
should be thought less indifferent than any
other in what is goine.. on. As to Russia and
Prussia, the attitude of their ambassadors is very
decided. The plenipotentiary of the former of
those powers sees all the higher ranks of society
flock to his soirees with an eagerness in which cu-
riosity perhaps has a great share. It WAS at one of
those soirees that he read the famous Gortschakoff
circular before it was published by the Cologne
Gazette."

1
Verona Gazette contains the following :
" The
ctyof Naples is very defective in a military
P 0111 • t of view, and may at a. ny time be menaced
without danger of much resistance. A. fleet is at
any time able to destroy Naples or to oblige the
Government to come to terms. In 1815, Joachim
Murat kept the Austrians in check on the land side,
but when Commodore Campbell appeared before
Naples, the fleet was obliged to be given up.
Since then, indeed, the Neapolitan fleet has been
considerably increased ; nevertheless, the port,
being too small, can offer but little resistance, and
all the maritime arsenals at Naples and Castella-
mare are exposed to the fire of the enemy. The
accumulation of military and naval stores at
Naples, and in the neighbourhood is very detri-
mental to the defence of the kingdom, because the
fall of that city renders all resistance in other quar-
ters impossible. The islands opposite the gulf are
more favourable for the purpose of attack than de-
fence. The fortifications of Capti, Ischia, and
Procida are quite insufficient to prevent the en-
trance of a fleet into the port. On the land side
the capital may be defended, if it is not threatened
by sea. The fortifications of the rest of the king-
dom are important, but are not connected so as to
form a regular strategical system."

AUSTRIA.
The Austrian Gazette of Vienna, of the 16th
says :—" Some journals assert that Austria has
concluded with the Porte a secret treaty relative
to the prolongation of the occupation of the Prin-
cipalities. Such a treaty is in no respect necessary
as the existing one clearly declares that the evacu-
ation of these Principalities depends solely on the
larrangements to be entered into between the Porte
and Austria. Even admitting that the enactments
of the treaty of Paris, which says that foreign
troops must evacuate the country within six
months, were applicable to the Awuestmriaany oreccmuipnad-
trrae
matt
the
ttrreeaattyy,in
question con-
ttthaioiennsP, abaranissuejdmobuoenrrnaaolfsseother provisions which have not
yet been executed. According to it, for example,
the commission on the Principalities ought to have
long since assembled at Bucharest, and have com-
menced its labours, but it has not done so. We do
not believe that we are in error in stating that, as
soon as a decision shall be come to with regard to
the Principalities, and new institutions shall
be established in those provinces, Austria
will not delay in putting an end to an
occupation
which has cost and still costs her a good deal of
money, and which is not for her interest alone."
The Ost Deutsche .Post, of Vienna, also contains