The Sun.
London, England, 1858-09-20 00:00:00

FRENCH AND ROMAN CONFLICTS.

ROME, SEPT. 14.—Hostilities have broken out
afresh between the French and. Roman soldiery in
this city, in-Spite of the peace-making exertions of
Cardinal Antonelli and the French ambassador a
couple of months ago, when, after several previous
frays, order was restored under the auspices of the
French and. Roman generals, dinners on an exten-
sive scale were given to consolidate the somewhat
fragile friendship of the rival forces, and copious
libations prepared to wash down the not always
palatable toast of " Buon Francese !" " Buon
Italiano !"
On Sunday morning four French soldiers of the
40th Regiment of the line were discussing with the
puzzled. master of a cafe, near Sant' Andrea della
Valle, the propriety of their receiving change for a
napoleon which they had. not as yet produced, when
a Roman dragoon came in to ask for a wafer to
seal a letter he was about to send to his mother at
Velletri. Whether the dragoon showed his disap-
probation of the unreasonableness of the French
soldiers by some gesture or not, certain it is that.
they turned wrathfully upon him and. struck him;
following him out of the cafe into the street, where,
in self-defence, he was obliged to draw his sword
upon 'them, and a combat ensued in which, in spite
of the odds against him, _ the dragoon with his long
weapon might have had the best of the encounter,
had he not got entangled. with his own spurs whilst
turning round, to defend himself from the assaults
of one of his foes who had attacked him in the rear,
and fallen to the ground a helpless prey to the
sabres of his cowardly assailants. The dragoon's
head was split open before he could be rescued,
and he would probably have been hacked to
pieces if a patrol of French soldiers had. not
opportunely arrived, having been previously sent
for by the _ master of the cafe to settle
the difficulty about the . napoleon. The four
soldiers, who had evidently been drinking im-
moderately, left their victim on the ground, and
fled, pursued by the patrol, towards the Via del
Sudario, where they were captured. and brought
back, amidst the hooting and. hissing of the mob,
one or two of them bearing marks of the dragoon's
handiwork.
The wounded man was taken immediately to the.
hospital, where ho is still in imminent danger,
although not: yet dead. So much irritation was
produced amongst his fellow-soldiers on hearing of
he affair that the colonel of the dragOons gave

orders for the barracks to be closed and every man
to remain within ; but, being Sunday morning, and
after mass, many dragoons were already oA on
leave, and these repaired in menacing attitude to
the French barracks near the Cancelleria Palace,
where, however, the officers succeeded in preventing
any further conflict.
It is expected that one or two of the French soldiers
who commenced the quarrel will be shot, in accord-
ance with the severe measures ordered by General de
Goyon on a similar occasion, shortly before his de-
parture for France. He will find all his reconcilia-
tory work to be done over again on his return here,
which is expected in a few days. The only effective
mode of putting a stop to these periodical demon-
strations of antipathy will be adopted ere long, if
we may believe such an often resumed report, by the
withdrawing of the French garrison from the
capital. Civita Vecchia is to be occupied some time
longer by French trOops, and their reduction to that
seaport town is stated to be fixed for the beginning
of 1859, when the railway thence to Rome will be
_
in activity, and afford every facility for a rapid
return of any number of French regiments, should
the safety of the Papal Government again require
such aid from the Emperor Napoleon. The Austrians
are to withdraw simultaneously from Bologna, and
leave a garrison only
Ancona, as a counterpoise
to the French in Civita in
a Vecchia, and a basis for the
renewal of military operatiolls in case o. f the lega-
tions once more giving signs of political
supply the place of the imperial forces,
nanesds to strengthen its own military position, the
Papal Government is engaged in enrolling another
regiment of Swiss soldiers, another regiment of
indigenous infantry of the line, and another bat-
talion of riflemen. Enlisting agents have already
been sent abroad to collect the heterogeneous mate-
rials for the new Swiss, or, as it is more properly
denominated, foreign regiment ; but the two already
in the Pope's service are meanwhile dwindling
away, in consequence of illness, anal du pays, and
reluctance of the soldiers to renew their engage-
ments under the papal banner. The bounty to re-
cruits in the state has likewise been raised, to induce
young men to come forward voluntarily (there
being no conscription in the Pope's dominions),
and officers' commissions are given to persons pre-
. senting themselves with the requisite number of
followers as common soldiers.
It will be seen that all these military changes
depend in part upon the French railway king, M.
Mires, and his timely completion of the Civita
• Vecchia line. In his report upon the subject to the
1 general assembly of shareholders on the 25th ult.
, he stated that the council of administration reck-
• oned upon opening the line to the public in the
; beginning of December, a very opportune circum-
stance for the crowds of foreigners who flock to-
, wards Rome in that, season. Meanwhile M. Mires
• has adopted some modifications in the number and
value of the shares representing the Romanßailway
I Company, which do not appear to have met with
the approbation of the Roman Government, although
decided iipbn by the. meeting of shareholders, in
order to facilitate the negotiation of the shares in
b the French Bourse. It remains to be seen whether