The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-03 00:00:00

Walls End.

Cassop .. . lii 6
Gosforth 16 6
South Durham 17 6
Ships at market

The manufacturers of brandy in this country,
who are prohibited by our excise laws from using grape
spirit, have addressed a strong memorial to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer on the injustice of any such restriction
wig the present t trade arraDgenieute,

48 1,490
giving 48 guns and 1,490 nominal horse power of engines.
This makes a total of those vessels now available, and in the
hands of the steam factory staff, of six liners, three frigates,
and six sloops, carrying 896 guns, and of 7,790 nominal b orse
power of engines. The Mepera troopship is nearly com-
plete for service. The Fox troop frigate, of 200-horse
power, has lain so long up the harbour, ever since she was
fitted with her machinery, that it is difficult to form an
opinion as to her readiness for sea. The majority of the
gunboats are fit for immediate service, and there are up-
wards of 40 at Haslar-yard, all in a forward state. The
great obstacle to the rapid outfit of our steam ships of war
at Portsmouth is the limited area of its steam-basin, and a
want of mechanical power on its quays for hoisting heavy
machinery.

THE ARMY.

Lieut.-Col. Charles Morris, C. 8., has been seleeted by
his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge to fill the post
of Assistant-Inspector of Volunteer Artillery.
Upwards of 60 non-commissioned officers and men of the
53rd Regiment, who have recently arrived at the invalid
depot, Chatham, from India, having been sent home on ac-
count of sickness or disability, have joined the depot of
that regiment at Chatham Barracks during the last few
days, the whole of that number having been pronounced
convalescent and fit for further service. A number of the
troops who arrived from India in the Theresa, from Cal-
cutta, have been discharged from the service at St. Mary's
Barracks without pensions, the men, to the number of
about 300 of all ranks, having completed the period of ser-
vice for which they enlisted, 10 and 12 years, preferring to
give up all claims to a pension, and claiming their discharge
rather than serve the few years longer which would have
entitled them to a pension for life.

Brevet-Major Cooke, of the Plymouth Division of Royal
Marines, is under orders to proceed to the School of
Musketry at Hythe, to qualify as -an Instructor of
Musketry.

Capt. Hunt, and three sergeants, three corporals, and one
private, Royal Marines, were under orders to proceed yes-
terday (Friday) to London, from Plymouth, to raise recruits
for that division.

The Indiana, hired screw-steam transport, sailed heal
Portsmouth for Gibraltar and Corfu, as announced in The
Sun of yesterday, at six p.m. The following are the names
of the officers embarked : —Royal Artillery—Lieut. C. Ire-
land ; Detachment 9th Foot—Major G. 11. Ilawe!, Capts.
W. P. Terry, wifo, and child; W. C. Harvey, wife, and,
child; Lieuts. H. G. 11. Grubbe, H. Robarts, and B. 1( .
Layard ; Ensigns A. F. P. Cosens,:Queale, and Greer; Pay-
master Sievright, wife, and three children ; and Assistant-
Surgeon J. C. Ovens, in medical charge.
The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, having had
under consideration a general return of the rifle practice of
'the Royal Marines between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 1859, and
the position in order of merit that each division would have
occupied if classed with her Majesty's army, have been
'leased to signify their great satisfaction at the proficiency
attained by the officers, non-commissioned officers, and pri-
vates in this important branch of their duty, which afforded
a proof of the zeal and attention paid in carrying out the
system of musketry instruction at the several head-quarters.
The Brilliant, 20, one of the vessels fitted by order of the
Admiralty as a training ship for the Naval Coast Volun-
teers, has been towed from Chatham by the African and
Adder steamers, and will be stationed in the Thames at
Blackwell. The Castor, 36, the other vessel selected by the
Admiralty for this service, is to be taken in hand at once at
Chatham, and when finished will be stationed at Green-
, hithe.

The following letter has been addressed to the Secretary
of the Admiralty by Major-General Sir C. T. Van Strau-
benzee

" Head-quarters, Hongkong, Jan. 14.
" Sir,—The brigade of Royal Marine Light Infantry
having from its reduced numbers been formed, in accord-
ance with instructions, into one battalion, I think it my
duty to request you will be pleased to convey to the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty my sense of the good order,
efficiency, and discipline of the two battalions composing
the brigade, which reflect credit not only upon Col. Rollo-
way, C. 8., commanding the brigade, and officers command •
, , hig, but also upon the officers belonging to the two batta-
lions.
" The forbearance of the non-commissioned officers and
men on and since the capture, and their general extremely
good conduct daring the two years the allies have occupied
the city of Canton, have been most creditable to them as
soldiers and to the corps to which they belong, and are de-
serving of the approbation I have now the honour to ex-
press, and which will, I am satisfied, be gratifying to their
lordships.
" I have the honour to be Sir,
" Your most obedient servant,
"C. T. VAN STR&IIBENZEE, M.-G.,
"Commanding her Majesty's Troops in China."

WELLINGTON COLLEGE.—Mr. F. H. Fisher,
8.A., Scholar of Trinity College, Cambridge, has been ap-
pointed one of the Masters of Wellington College. Mr.
Fisher was 12th Wrangler in the last Tripod.
LOSS OF SEVEN LIVES TN THE FRITTI OF CLYDE.—
Among the casualties which occurred along the Frith of
Clyde during the storm of Monday, the most serious took
place at Irvine. About 11 o'clock a.m. a schooner was ob.
served between Troon and Irvine, labouring heavily. She
attempted making Irvine harbour, but did not succeed, and
shortly after was driven on shore, to the south of the Bar
Perch. As soon as possible the lifeboat was launched, but,
being of an old construction, she was found inefficient, not-
withstanding the almost superhuman exertions of her crew.
Again and again was she filled with water in the tremen-
dous surf that was rolling in to the shore. The on
crew
the doomed vessel had taken to the rigging, and one by
they were seen to drop off as their failing energies left
them
powerless and at the mercy of the storm. The vessel turned
out to be the Success, of Nantes, laden with grain. She
very soon broke up, and her timbers and other materials
now strew the beach. The cargo, of course, was lost. She
was manned by a crew of seven jaulds 0 1,„
watery (tTsgQwgrAyee—m
10,..*.Ye all met a
a-M,

AN ITALIAN SECRET SOCIETY.
FORLI, FEB, 25.
Before leaving Rimini I had made up my mind
to stop a few hours at Ccsena, for I was anxious
to see with my own eyes how Farini would be
aeceived in that ancient city, which still retains
the name of the last town of Cisalpine Gaul
on the -Ernilian Way. Cesena had acquired
such a character for turbulence and ferocity that
it was really worth while to learn whether mat-
ters had changed since the establishment of a
national and liberal Government. To judge
of the evils brought about by the government of
the priests in that city it is sufficient to bear in
mind that during the course of the last five years
more than 60 political assassinations had occurred
within its walls. These black deeds were per-
petrated with impunity by a secret society, which,
under the pretence of serving the cause of liberty,
not seldom mercilessly revenged some private
wrong. Although in more than one instapco
these horrid crimes had been perpetrated in ImSad
daylight, the Papal police had never been able to
discover the assassins. Public opinion pointed to
them, but either through fear or through conni-
vance they were never arrested. The majority of
the persons thus slain in the streets of Cesena
were bad characters, spies of the Papal police, er
men who had turned evidence against their poli-
tical friends ; the rest were poor fellows who had
had the misfortune of displeasing one mem-
ber or another of the secret association. I have
been told that the mysterious power of this ter-
rible society not seldom reached a treacherous
brother even across the British Channel or the
Atlantic Ocean.

The present liberal Government, howeverr, has
made up for the incapacity of its predecessor, and
done itself the honour of avenging the victims of
this bloodthirsty association. At the end of last
June Count Guidi, the Mayor of Cesena, was return-
ing home when he was assaulted by two men near
the Archbishop's palace. He was cruelly dealt with,
and left on the ground insensible. The authors of
this fresh outrage thinking themselves safe did not
hesitate to speak about it at a wine shop to which
they afterwards repaired. The consequence of this
was that the two men were arrested in a few days,
and subjected' to a strict examination. One of
them was led to confess that both he and his com-
panion belonged to the secret society above-men-
tioned, and that they had assaulted the gonfaloniere,
having been ordered to do so by their chiefs. At
first it was difficult to obtain from them the names of
their associates, such was the fear they evinced of
being murdered when free. But at last they spoke,
and about 20 persons of Cesena and the surrounding
villages were arrested by Farini's order. Amongst
these persons there are three officers, who, after
Villafranca, had entered the army of Central Italy.
Majer Valgania is of the number, and from what I
hear it seems he really was the acknowledged chief
of the assassins. This man belongs to an
honourable family of Cesena, but in consequence
of his misconduct, he had become an associate of
all sorts of bad characters, and so been brought
into the disgraceful position in which he now finds
himself. When the war broke oat he entered as a
volunteer in one of Garibaldi's regiments, and
having distinguished himself, he was afterwards
appointed major in the Romagna. In a few days
I hope to be able to send you some interesting de-
tails about these wretches, who for so many years
have been the scourge of their native town. Now
let me ask once more on whom must fall the
responsibility of these crimes ? Were they not the
logical consequence of the bad and immoral govern-
ment of Rome ? Could such atrocities have been
~k7erpetrateci. with impunity in a well-ruled country 7
.
ou see that I am always forced to come to the same
conclusion. Under the government of Papal legates
we find assassinations, depredations, immorality
of all kinds ; the lives and property of the peaceful
citizens unprotected. As soon as the Government
of his Holiness is overthrown—as soon as the Papal
Legate leaves a town or a province the liberal Go-
vernment makes the law respected. Criminals are
discovered and order is re-established. This fact, so
haraisnbi
rkonadtthheaitr
often noticed by your corre.nspnonntteiniety{somnoatgniganowrieido
by the now happy population
in warmly greeting
they are exalting
ththeearmriavrailwofhoF
community from a state o.fsomet ling like barbarism
to one of civilisation. This was the main cause of the
enthusiastic reception of the Governor-General of
the /E'milia at Cesena this morning, for every citi-
zen felt that his peace and security were insured
by the wise and determined measures adopted by
their illustrious countryman. Now that Cesena
has got rid of those assassins much may be hoped
from her. Already, though numbering only 8,686
inhabitants, she has given to the national army 800
volunteers, 600 of whom are still in its ranks. Bad
governments make bad institutiona, and bad insti-
tutions bad citizens. Let the generous instincts of
the Roma
gnols freely develop themselves, and you
will see that within a period of a few years all traces
of this demoralisation will disappear. For the arri-
val of Parini a splendid banquet had been prepared
at the Palazzo Pubblico, where tables had been laid
out in a large saloon, whose walls were adorned
with the masterpieces of Guercino and Francesco
Francia. Entablatures of red satin were suspended
on its walls .ornamented with elegant arabesques.
The two entrances to this magnificent saloon were
lined with heavy silk curtains, the centre of each
exhibiting the time-honoured escutcheon of the
Malatesta family. All the principal families of the
town and neighbourhood were represented, and at
the right hand of Farini, and opposite to him, sat
the two Princes Chiarconote, nephews and htirk of
Pius VIII.