The Sun.
London, England, 1856-06-18 00:00:00

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, June 16.—The Prussian Correspon-
dence denies that Prussia has taken any part in
drawing up a document published at Turin rela-
tive to the Italian question.
The King is about to leave for Stuttgardt.
Baron de Brunnow will take possession of his em-
ba,,sy at the end of September. Prince Dolgorou-
koff has arrived here.

A letter from Berlin of the 12th, in the Gazette
of the German Empire, says, "It is affirmed
that at the epoch of the Congress of Paris
it was a question between M. de Manteuffel
and Count %Valewski of measures calculated to
approach the customs system of France to that of
the Zollverein, notably with respect to navigation.
Last week the French minister despatched here a
project relative to the latter point for the exami-
nation of our government. The Ministers of
Commerce and Finance in Prussia have in conse-
quence appointed a mixed commission charged
with the examinaTion. It is proposed to recognise
the right of the ships of each nation to enjoy in
the ports of either the most favourable privileges
extended to any other nation. The regulation of
the laud tariff will be settled at a later period."

THE POLITICAL TRIALS IN NAPLES.
NAPLES, June 11.—Naples has this week wit-
net.,secl a renewal of the political trials. On
Monday and Wednesday the Grand Criminal
Court was occupied with the case of eleven of a
body of men arrested so long ago as July 27, 1855,

The original number was very considerable, but
as nothing else could be proved against them than
that they had frequented a cafe, played at do-
minoes, and ,walked through the Toledo after- i
wards, they were released some after four
months' imprisonment., and much privation and
suffering. For the trial of the eleven now in
question a special court was formed, and on Mon-
day the first day's proceedings began. As soon as
the case against the prisoners had been stated, the
" Denunciaute "—as Pierro, the principal informer,
is called—and the other witnesses for the crown
were examined. A word as to Pierro, whose state-
ment is the basis of the accusation. He was origi-
nally a small shopkeeper, and failed. He distin-
guished himself by shouting lustily for liberty in
1848 ; then he became a paid creature of Cam-
paua, and in this capacity he did good service, by
watching, leading on the unwary, affecting feelings
of the warmest friendship for thorn, and finally
denouncing them. In the interval between that
event and the present time he has been arrested
and imprisoned as tne paid pimp of a brothel; but
as nothing is too filthy for use in this country, this
is the man whom the Sicilian Government has
now brought forward to support its interests
against all evil doers. His evidence went to
prove that the prisoners had frequented
cafe, talked politics, and prohibited books and
pernicious papers in their possession ; but
well got up as he was, there were marked discre-
pancies in his statement before the court and his
private statement—so much so, indeed, as to extort
from the president the remark, " There aro diver-
genze essenziali in your statements.' The witnesses
who followed consisted of the members of the police
who had arrested the prisoners and searched their
persons and their houses. Inside the lining of the hat
of Miguonna it was asserted that papers had been
found, but as the hat was on a chair, it was possible
that they might have been placed there by some
"penitent." In the houses, too, were found papers
and books, which were not examined on the spot, but
which were placed in a bag, sealed up, and carried off.
During the second day's trial it was attempted to
be shown that a secret and criminal correspondence

had been carried on between some of the con- J
demned prisoners in the Bagni of Porcida and
friends in Naples. At this point, then, the pro-
ceedings stop until next Saturday, when they will
be resumed. With respect to the forms of proce-
dure, every prisoner may have his advocate, and if
his circumstances do not permit him to pay one,
the Crown provides him with a defender. Cross-
examination, however, is not permitted. Every
objection and every question must be put through
the president of the court. Many such were put and
asked—and by the prisoners too—eliciting the fol-
lowing assertions, that in one day between one and
two thousand lashes were inflicted in the Biagi i
of Procida for sending out letters secretly.
One statement was that 72 were punished with
one hundred lashes each, and that the operation
lasted seven hours. With such an example, there-
fore, it was argued that the accused, some of whom
were then confined in the Bagni, would not have
dared to risk such an act. Another assertion, too,
of Miguonna in court, uniform with what I have
already told you, was that he was ill-treated,
insulted by the police who arrested him, and
abused with such language that he could not dare
to use in court. The manner of the president, I
must in justice say, was beyond all praise—calm, ,
dignified, patient, and impartial. That of the At-
torney-General was brow-beating, harsh, ferocious.
Every question in favour of the prisoners was im-
patiently received, or even opposed ; in one case,
when the advocate for the defence pressed a ques-
tion, the words, " Questiimpertinenzi," were suffi-
ciently audible. A witness deemed essential was
refused by the accuser, though the question was
reserved by the court. On the second day's trial,
the same harsh and undignified manner was per-
ceptible ; and on the accused, Ventre, rising to put
a question, this creature of the Government ex-
claimed in a fury, " You are an impertinent fellow,
and I will have you expelled the court if you are
not silent." " Don't irritate yourself," said the
president. Imagine such a scene in England !