The Sun.
London, England, 1858-03-16 00:00:00

pletely to the left became the lowest boundary of
the sun's face, the two horns being on a perfect
level. The sun at this moment was exceedingly
curions to behold, for as the clouds passed or( r
its surface, it seemed like a boat of light slowly
ploughing its way through an agitated ocean. The
crescent still kept inclining to the right until it had
got beyondthe level, and then the sun seemed almost
at once to have resumed a considerable portion of its
illuminated surface. The eclipse was now beginning
to tend towards its termination, the increase of
light seeming to arrive from below, and filling the
upward part rapidly. The sun then became so
bright that it was not easy to observe it for any
length of time, even through deeply-stained glass,
and the sight was then better viewed when reflected
in a vessel of water. At twenty-eight minutes past
two the whole was over, but the ordinary light of
day had returned, to all appearance, long before.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.-(YESTERDAY.)
THE CA GLIARI.
[The following is a more extended report of Lord
Palnserston's reply to Mr. Disraeli than we were enabled
' to give in our impression of last evening
Lord PALMERSTON—Ian] very glad to learn from
the right hon. gentleman opposite that the Government
feel themselves at liberty to take this matter into consi-
deration, and that they intend to lay before Parliament
the whose of the papers—not only, of course, the opi-
pions given by the law officers of the late Government,
but also, no doubt, the opinions of the law officere of the
present Government. It is perfectly true, as the right
hon. gentleman stated, that the late Government did
practically acknowledge the jurisdiction of the Neapo-
litan Courts. For a considerable time we were unable
to ascertain where it was that the capture was made, and
the impression we had was that the capture was made
within the jurisdiction of Naples. There was no
ground, therefore, ou which we could dispute the com-
petency of the Neapolitan Courts. Atter a consider-
able time there came from Naples docaments—depo-
sitione, accompanied by a little sketch, which the
right honourable gentleman is well aware of, showing
the place where the capture was made, and that the
vessel was not six miles south-west from the island of
Sapri, beyond, therefore, the territorial jurisdiction of
Naples. We then took the opinion of the law officers of
the Crown, but there was nothing; in the opinion we re-
ceived which led us to think that we were entitled to dis-
pute the competency of the Neapolitan Courts. The
matter remained in doubt on the material point on which
it must turn—vie., whether the capture was forcibly
made, or whether the captain of the Cagliari willingly
placed himself under Neapolitan jurisdiction. The
opinion was that if the capture was made entirely by
force on the high seas we should have a right to claim
the English engineers ; but if, on the other hand, there
was a voluntary surrender, our right would not have
been such as it otherwise would have been. This was
the matter in doubt. It appeared clear that after
the landing of the refugees at Sapri the captain and
crew of the Cagliari determined to go to Naples for
the purpose of giving themselves into Neapolitan
jurisdiction aid reporting the whole of the proceedings,
and they were on their way to Naples when they
met the Neapolitan frigates and gave themselves up. On
these grounds we were advise I that it was not that clear
ca e of forcible seizure on the high seas which entitled
us to make an absolute demand on the Neapolitan Go-
vernment for the surrender of the engineers. A demand
made must of course be supported by force, and we felt
tha-, when a step was to be taken which might eventually
and probably would lead t the necessity of employing
f rce to carry it into effect, we should not have stood
justified in adopting such a proceeding unless we were
informed by our law advisers that we had a clear case
of right against the Neapolitan Go :ernment which would
justify us to reeorting to extreme measures. So stood
tae matter, and when I stated the other day that
the question was still under the consideration cf the
Government, wh;it I referred to was that we were
expecting further documents from Naples and from
the Sardinian Government with respect to the demand
wade by the latter for the res itution of the vessel,
becaaEe, if that demand were acceded to by the
Neapolitan Government, and the vessel were reetore ),
then, undoubtedly, our claim for the restitution of the
two engineers would have assumed a different character
from what it had before. That is what I ref-reed to
(some laughter from the Ministerial side), and I think
the right hon. gentleman will find—nough I know not
whether information on this head may be before the
Government or not--that we were expecting, so far as I
was informed, further documents from the Sardinian
Government with respect to the cia:iu they were making
on the Government (.1 Na?lee I am ._;lad the right
hun. gentleman says that he has no objection to laying
the papers before the house, and when they are pre-
sented hon. members will then be more fully masters of
the case than they possibly can by any verbal statements
wade on one side or the other.
The motion for the adjournment of the house was then
withdrawn.