The Sun.
London, England, 1860-11-01 00:00:00

THE PAPAL PRISONS.

We have heard much, and are likely, to hear
more, of the Neapolitan prisons. But the Papal

prisons have likewise their tales of horror to relate.
Much light has lately been thrown on their by a
small Italian work, entitled " The prisons of Pali-
ano." From the account of that work given in the
Florence Nazione, we here reproduce the following
details

" Amidst, the events which, during these last days
,of re-
ol.ution, menaced the temporal anthbriii= 'Of its Btafe'onany
thin 6 were fOigotten by the Court ofrltome. It omitted,
for example, to remove from the telegraph offices the regis-
teis of the despatches, and thus Europe, has had an oppor-

tunity of admiring the MussulMan orders exchanged be-
tA'veen the foreign generals and the Monsignori, Italian and
non-Italian. Bat one thing it did:not forget, namely, to
remove the political prisoners shut up in the fastness of
Paliano, and to bring then Under safe custody to Rome,
lest their liberator's should arrive in time to free them. The

pleasure of vengeance must be, indeed, a, sublime one. II
must be quite inexhaustible. It must transcend all imagi•
nation when priests seek to gratify it with so much eager.
_ _ .

ness. But what an outrage is thus offered to the religion
of a God of peace and mercy. Whilst those who inhabit
the sacerdotal palaces of Rome take delight in tormenting,
in torturing, in prolonging the slavery of the prisoners of
Fallen°, the Government of King Victor Emmanuel grants
all the honours of war to the cosmopolitan soldiers of the

Pope, sends them away perfectly free, and pardons the
ministers of the Church on whom severe sentences have

been passed by the tribunals. Thus it is the King who
pardons, while the Pontiff strikes down his victims,
"Italy has now been made acquaintod with the torments
inflicted on polii ical prisoners, in the prisons of Medicina
and of Ferrara, by the turnkeys, and even by means of dogs;
and publicity has been given to the seatences passed by the
Papal tribunals themselves (though mover executed by the
Government) on the political agents who in Bologna in-
flicted tortures surpassing rho memories of the middle ages.
"We shall now hear the treatment pursued towards the
political prisoners of Paliano. The description which we
now publish has been written in the fortress itself, and came
into the hands of one of our friends. We give it without
any alteration, because its simplicity is not unimportant,
and because from that very simplicity it better represents
the truth respecting the Papal Spietberg
" ' In the fort of Paliano there are about 200 political
prisoners, dressed like the criminals condemned to the gal-
lefs, and, like them, shaved. They aro divided into five
'Fi6otions. Those condemned for life are shut up in cells,
about nine spans wide and about sixteen long, including
the little table of brickwork. Other cells, about three spans
wider, contain three prisoners ; and others, not much larger,
have 17 all huddled together. In the first of these there is
a small grating over and opposite, the door, through which
the food is introduced. The other cells have one window,
and sometimes two, with an °pouf/1g of about four spans in
breadth and one in height, and through this the prisoners
are fired upon if it be necessary to keep them quiet.
The food consists of two black loaves, a composition
of earth, rye, vetch, and insects of all kinds, villanously
baked, and weighing from 15 to 1t ounces. About half a
pint of wine, of which the composition is unknown. The
soup is made of French and comnion beans of the worst
quality that can be found. Of these there should be four
ounces, but there are scarcely six with the addition of the
water. The condiment for the same ought to be three ounces
of lard for every five portions of soup ; but there is not more
than the half, and that of a rancid quality. On Thursday
the soup is made with rico, of whicth there should be four
ounces raw, but there are not four ounces even when it is
boiled, and it is dressed in the same way. On Sunday macca-
roni is allowed, but very few are able to eat it. It is positively
noxious from its acid quality, and from the mixture of the
excrement of mice and also of insects; The room used as an
hospital is 65 spans in length and 3 in breadth, and only
10 spans from the floor to the cetiling, with two small
windows on one side overlooking tile country, and a very
small loophole on the other, corresp ending with the interior
of the fort. It contains 21 beds, with planks, on which there
are laid straw mattresses, containing some 301 b. weight of
the filthiest straw, which is changed once a-year. There
are likewise woollen mattresses, st'trffcd with from 201 b. to
251 b. of miserable wool. That also is cleaned only once a-
year. The bed-linen is very scanty and very bad. There
aro ono or two woollen coverlets weighing but a few pounds.
" ' When some wretched creature has been struck down
with ague he has no means of covoring himself. The hos-
pital food, when on full allowance, consists of two loaves,
which ought to weigh 120 z., but; are seldom more than
10oz. ; as to the meat—Heaven only knows from what ani-
mal it is furnished—the weight of the same is not more
than 30z., including skin and grin stle. The broth is like
dish-water. The soup is of maccai -oni, rice, and semolina,
these being of the quality which yo, a would give to poultry,
and also of straw. The weight of -the said soup is 3oz. for
two portions, and half a pint of; wine of the mysterious
quality aforesaid. The half allow: ii.nce in the hospital con-
sists of two small loaves of scarcely Boz., half the wine, and
half the meat. The strict diet consists of a soup in the
morning, and another in the eveni n g, of the quality of that
just described. After dinner each ii ivalid has an egg. The
treatment is homoeopathic. The p hysician, Carlo Rosa,
is a homoeopathist. The surgeon, I -Juigi Riguinot, a Cor-
sican, is an allopathist. They visit the sick alternately.
The patients are neglected and treated. The meditaal,
of
has born
such
_ea.
upsleapcp,
Pacifici,deten-
attendants will hardly ever send a -patient to the hospital,
o
e
and when they do send him they I Llinost always keep
ding
im
on strict diet. Perhaps they have A . secret
hund
pital keeper
with those who contract for the foe d.
Ihne condemned demned for
is a certain Maisie Revetti, who
peculation—the worthy guardian
very ew, are in
tion. There are 24 gaolers ; the object' o GI
from whom all iniquities spring.
frinioPwrie‘d°)llXlaints of tae chest,
almost all are affected •
or are scorbutic or feverish, and with
health. Many Atlhaen persons
n s
sufferingth
sags and in the evening;
Physician be is rarely removed to the hos-
hernia. They are allowed to take exercise for
during an hazer
wintera nd
a half in the morning
for an hour only
py when it rains never. When a sick per-
son;b. e for t