The Sun.
London, England, 1858-06-19 00:00:00

SETTLEMENT OF TITS NEAPOIIT4
QUESTION.

(Front the Times.)
The correspondence between Lord Malmesbury
and Count Carafa, which we publish elsewhere,
shows how sudden and complete has bsen the
submission of the Neapolitan Government in the
question of the Cagliari and the English engineers.
Lord Malmesbury's despatch of the 25th of May
was written in evident anticipation that the;Neapo-.
litanGoverntnent would endeavour by every means
in its power to evade payment of an indemnity.to
the Englishmen and the liberation of the Sardinian
ve7sel and crew. Its tone, therefore, was firm and
something more. The King's Government Wag
warned that it must either accede to the demands
of E- gland, or refer the matter to the mediation of
a friendly Power. Should Naples refuse to accept
either of these alternatives, it was plainly intimated
that the indemnity would be taken by force, by
means of an embargo or reprisals. This ultimatum
quickly terminated a controversy which had been
lingering on for so many month.. The Neapolitan.
Government re'urned a most satisfactory and un-
expected answer. Not only did they pay at mice
the indemnity demanded, without waiting for the
judgment of a mediator, hut they also restored the
Cagliari and is crew to Sardinia, through the MO'
dium of the British Government. Thus this vela'
tious and much debated question has been brought,
to a happy conclusion.
We must do justice to Lord Malmesbury for the
firmness and vigour he has displayed. It is nc4
several months since public attention was drawn to
the sufferings of Watt and Park by an article in
this journal. Since then we have appe.ded repeat"
edly to the Government to give prompt assistance
to our unhappy fellow-countrymen. For a time.
little way was made. It was asQerted and believed
that the Cagliari had been lawfully captured, and
that, consequently, the engineers were lawfully in
custody until their guilt or innocence was deter-
mined. All that could be done, then, was to see
that they were not ill-treated before trial, and to
hasten the tardy decision of the Neapolitan tribn-
nals. But when it was discovered that the Cagliari
had been, in fact, illegally seized, the whole char-
acter of the case was changed. We were then in a
position to demand not only the unconditional
and immediate release of the engineers, but alai"
an indemnity for their imprisonment and the harsh
treatment which it was proved they bad under-
gone. It is to the credit of Lord Malmesbury that
he took advantage of this new position of affairs,
and made his demands with a mixture of firmness
and moderation which success proves to have been
judicious. When a great country like England ad' •
dresses a weak State like Naples, to the effect thst •
her demands are only in accordance with the judg- .
ment of eminent jurists, and that she has tlul
right as well as the strength to enforce them, and
yet at the aims time proposes to submit them to
the mediation of a friendly Power, she gives till
highest proof of fairness and sincerity. It would
be i npossible fur the public opinion of the world to
be shocked if, unfortunately, an appeal to force had
followed this application. Such an event could only
have been the result of the obstinacy and folly of
the Government which had rejected an offer so fair
and reasonable. Happily, the Neapolitan Govern"
ment, convinced that its own position was unte"
nable, has obviated a recourse to harsh mBssures, •
or even the delay necessary for arbitration. 0
states that "it has neither any argument to pr?'
pound nor any opposition to make to it." The
3,0001. have been paid in, the Cagliari and crew de'
livered up, and here, we trust, ends our dispute
with King Ferdinand and his Ministers.