The Sun.
London, England, 1859-10-21 00:00:00

ME STATE OF NAPLES:

A letter from Naples, dated Oct. 15, says :z-In
answer to those who deplore the system of centra-
lisation and of absolutism which is adopted here,
I have often heard the municipal institutions of the
country -brought forward to prove that the people
are in theenjoyment of a certain amount of liberty.
The assertion, of course, is by many readily re-
ceived, for the very word " municipal" is expres-
sive of liberty. It is well, therefore, to state what
is the law of the case, and the observer of current
and past events can readily imagine how even
that law has been narrowed in its action. It dates
from 12th December, 1816, and ordains that lists of
those who are eligible for civil offices shall be made
out in every commune, such eligibility to depend on
the amount of land-tax paid by each individual. Out
of these lists the Intendenti choose three, whose
names are presented to the King by means of his
Minister of the Interior, and, receiving the approval
of his Majesty, are named the Decurionati of the
commune. Again, the Decurionato of each commune
out of the same lists of "eligible" persons selects
the names of three to fill the office of Syndic. These
names are given to the Intendente, who passes them
on to the Minister of the Interior, by whom again
they are laid before the King for the nomination of
one. So far, therefore, from the Syndic being elected
by the people of the Two Sicilies, and the power of
the Crown being limited, every civil, as well as every
military and political office, emanates from the head
of the State, and the Government of this country is
a pure absolutism. Among the precautions which
the law allows for the choice of good men and true,
the Intendente may refuse to accept the list drawn
up by the Decurionato, and require new lists two
several times. And, even then, if not satisfied, they
may, after the opinion of his Council of Intendenza,
and with the approbation of the Minister of the
Interior, form a newlist themselves and present it
as before stated. In order to ascertain the charac-
ters of those who are suited to his purpose the In-
tendente comes to the Giudice Itegio, to the parish
priest, to military authorities, if there be any, for
information, and thus every one whose name is set
before the King has been sifted over and over again,
and ascertained to be of the same political colour
with the government of the day.
I repeat, therefore, that the political institutions
of the Two Sicilies, so far from being popular insti-
tutions, are part and parcel of a system of centrali-
sation and absolutism, and, so far from conferring
or gnaranteeing liberty, are a most effective machi-
nery in the hands of the Government for working
out its will. During the last few years, when a great
portion of the respectable classes of the kingdom
have been among the attendibill, or suspects, all
kinds of tag-rag and bob-tail have been introduced
into the municipalities of the kingdom. Common
sailors have been converted into mayors, and, as if
to save the dignity of the office, the appointment
has been called provisorio. In fact, such is at pre-
sent the state of most of these institutions. The
ignorant and the worthless have come upwards,
and by them the Government is and has been ser-
vilely obeyed and the people kept down.
The sketch which I send you may be of some in-
terest at a time when not merely current events in
Italy are attracting attention, but when political
institutions are being canvassed in their character
and results, and in their adaptation to the wants of
a people.
That which is most interesting to the Neapolitans
at the present moment is the movement of their
own troops, and, so great is the anxiety with
which they regard the possibility of any collision
between them and the forces of the Liberals of
Central Italy, that we are here deluged at times
with reports, one half of which may be set down
as false. Thus, the "race publica," that shameless
exaggerator, has already sent the Neapolitan troops
over, the border—they were to have crossed on,the
sth, we were told; then we heard of a conflict, and
of deserters, and I know not what else. All that I
can assure you is, that troops are being constantly
sent to the frontiers, and there seems to be no suffi-
cient reason for such an expedition, unless it is re-
solved, as is more strongly reported this week, that
they shall occupy the Marches and Umbria, in order
to back up his Holiness. In military circles it is
stated, also, that a considerable park of artillery
will be sent to the frontiers. I think that such a
move, whatever may be the very serious objections
to it, is not at all unlikely to meet with sthe hearty
approbation of the King, for two reasons. In the
first place, like his father, he is a devoted son of the
Church, and would consider it a high religious duty
to defend the patrimony of St. Peter, with whose
descendant, moreover, he has had so many friendly
relations. Secondly, he is persuaded, as 'must be
all men of the slightest degree of disceriiment, that
the greatest danger to the present system of this
country is threatened from the north. As to the
great body of the army, both officers and men, there
can be no doubt that, like most of their priest-rid-
den nation, they are much under the domination of
superstition, and, to a certain extent, would sympa-
thise with their Sovereign, though the fear of Gari-
baldi, the infection of political liberty, ancldiscontent
with the state of their country would produce terrible
effects on their loyalty and piety. The Neapolitans
pray for a collision, and would await the event with
confidence. Oa Tuesday last were sent off the
latest reinforcements to the frontier, and a great
deal of despatch was used in getting them off.
A perfect calm, to all appearance, has succeeded
the agitation which lately existed in the city ; a
calm which indicates, as the Neapolitans say, that
the country has fallen back upon itself to resolve
on the attitude which is to be observed during
events which are likely to follow. These agitations,
however, appear to me very like storms in a basin
of water—as easily lulled as they are got up, and
leaving no effects behind. As usual, there is great
talk here, but uo results. The Tolcd is full of
policemen in undress, and great vexations are prac-
tised towards the lower classes, as if with a view
to create tumult, and thus to divert the public at-
tention from other objects.
Provisions are very dear, and it is the opinion of
well-informed persons that they will rise to famine
prices—a bad prospect for the Government at this
political crisis. To meet the difficulty it has, as it
is reported, bought 500,000 tomoli of grain in the
Black Sea, with the into ntior: of selling it at a loss
in this country in order to provide the poor with
cheap bread. • It is unneces;:ary for me to point out
how such a system as this must paralyze the ope-
rations of individuals, and increase the very evils
which it is intended to remove. Were the trade
free, merchants would buy in allivits of the world,
and the supply be always equal to the demand. As
it is, Govz•rnment turns merchant at a loss, and
pays heavily for a state of things which false com-
mercial principles have produCecl. The msery which
is the consequence of dearness of provisions has
driven many hundreds into the ranks of the army,
where bread alone is sought, for, as to glory, that
is, of course, never dreamt of in the Neapolitan
army; and, as for patriotism, it would send them
in any other direction. Of the last batch of those
'who were either menaced or arrested, the advocates

POLICE INTELLIGEN CE, Oct. 20.

MANSION HOUSE.—Thos. Crawford, a re-
spectably-dressed middle-aged man, was charged
with stealing a silk umbrella, value 18s., the pro-
perty of his employer, Mr. C. Lanman, of 64,
Bishopsgate•street Without, under the following
circumstances :

Bull, 151, slid—On Wednesday afternoon I went
to a coffee-shop in Sun-street, and saw the umbrella
produced hanging on a hook behind the door. I
ascertained that it had been left there by a gentle-
man shortly before, and after I had waited a little
time the prisoner came in, andafter speaking to the
landlady, he went away with it. For certain rea-
sons that I had I followed him into the street, and
asked how he had become possessed of the umbrella.
He asked what I wanted to know for, to which I

replied that I was a detective, and I did want to
know. He then said, " Well, then, I brought it
a vay from my employer's shop, but pray have
mercy on me and let me go." I told him I could
not do that, and I took him into custody. At the
station I searched him, but found nothing on him
relating to this charge. I then said to him, "I am
about to ask you a question, but you need not
answer it unless you choose to do so, so be careful.
You have taken several other umbrellas to that
coffee-shop ; have you any objection to say what
ha--; become of them ?" After hesitating a moment
or two, he replied, " I pawned them, and tore up
1 the tickets."

Mr. Lanman said—The prisoner has been in my
service as shopman for six or seven weeks, and
within that time I have missed a large amount of
property. As no one else had access to the stock
but the prisoner, my suspicion fell upon him, and I
caused him to be watched. I had no character with
him, as I was too ill at the time to rank° inquiry,
but I had known him for years as shopman to cus-
tomers of mine, and I believed his character to be
unimpeachable.
The prisoner—who pleaded guilty, adding, I
took this umbrella and some few others—was re-
manded in order to 1)4 dealt with summarily in
petty sessions.
Edward Moody, 27, described as an engineer, of
Winchester, was charged with forginc, and uttering
two cl•eques purporting to be signed by Thomas
Moody, with intent to defraud Messrs. Robarts and
Co., bankers, Lombard-sti eet, and also with forging
and uttering a third cheque, at Brighton, with the
same intent.
Mr. Mullens, solicitor to the Bankers' Protection
Society, attended for the prosecution.
Mr. E. Powell, clerk to Messrs. Robarts and Co.,
said—Mr. Thomas Moody keeps an account at
Stfickey's Bank, Winchester, and has authority to
draw on our house. lam in the country depart-
ment. The two checks produced, dated the 12th
September, 1859, for £8 155., and the 16th Sep-
tember, for .E 5 75., were presented to me for pay-
ment. They were paid, but I cannot say whether
the prisoner is the man who presented them. They
were afterwards sent by me to Stuckey's Bank,
and were returned to me as forgeries.
Mr. Charles Bridger, 50, Russell-square,
Brighton—On the 6th of September a person came
to me, who said he was a waiter at the Bedford
Hotel, and that he came from a gentleman named
Moody, who was staying there. He brought me a
letter, and said he was to wait for an answer. The
letter contained a cheque for £8 155., which pur-
ported to be signed by Mr. Moody. I gave him a
message, in consequence of which the prisoner
called upon inc. 1 knew the prisoner's family, and
had seen him before, but I had no personal acquain-
tance with him. I gave him the cheque which 1
had taken from the letter, and went with him to
my banker's to get it cashed. I have since received
information which leads me to believe the cheque
is forged.
The letter sent by the prisoner from the Bedford
Hotel to Mr. Bridger was here put in and read. It
stated that the prisoner's father had sent him a
cheque on a London banker, and that he should be
obliged if Mr. Bridger would cash it or get it
cashed for him.
Henry Calcutt, police-constable of the City of
Bristol, deposed that the prisoner had been taken
into custody by Mr. Superintendent Hancock, and
handed over to him to bring up to London, and that
on their way to town the prisoner said he had com-
mitted the forgeries, and asked what he should say
to the questions that would be put to
him. He also said he expected his father
would settle the affair before lie got to
London, or that he would do so if he heard of it.
He did not say that he had forged the cheques, but
that he had put his father's name to them.
Mr. Mullens said the prisoner had been carrying
on the same game for some time at different country
hotels, being finally detected at Bristol. The at-
tendance of his father was necessary to prove the
forgery, and therefore a remand was necessary.
The prisoner was then remanded.

LAMBETH. Elizabeth Allen, a married
female, with an infant in her arms, was brought up
for final examination on a charge of passing coun-
terfeit florins. _ _ _

A clerk from the Mint-office attended for the
prosecution, and from the evidence it appeared that
on the 11th inst., the prisoner, who gave her ad-
dress at 32, St. George's-road, had first offQred a
florin in payment of some trifling articles purchased
at the shop of :a draper in High-street, Camberwell,
but its baseness was discovered, and it was bent
nearly in two, and she was allowed to go about
her businesia. Soon after she succeeded in passinc,
another florin for a few staylaces, but fortunately
the poor woman whom. she attempted to defraud
discovered that the florin was counterfeit, and the
prisoner was apprehended.
The case was clearly proved, and the prisoner
was fully committed for trial.

WORSHIP-STREET.—henry Braithwaite, a
man of extremely powerful frame, and at least six
feet in height, was charged before Mr. Corrie with
a desperate assault in a theatre.
Sergeant Heath, 2 N, stated that the defendant
was turned out of the Britannia Theatre on Wed-
ncsday. evening for creating a disturbance; among
other violent acts he attempted to hurl a flower-pot
and its contents, which he had taken from the con-
servatory, at a person with whom he was quarrel-
ling. How he gained readmission was unknown,
but at the conclusion of the performance he was
found, with another man, as big as himself, in one
of the stage-boxes, both being fast asleep. Directly
they were aroused defendant sprang upon witness,

de Filippis and de Simone are still in concealment, threw him down, seized him with one hand by the
The proces against the Baron Giordano and his hair, and with the other got him so securely by the
brother is being formed, and they have been exa- uniform stock that he mast certainly have throttled
mined by the Secretary-General Silvestri. So eon- him but for the aid afforded by others. Witness
fident do they appear to be that their imprison- was quite overpowered, and could not even accom-
meat will be a long one, that they have furnished pany the charge to the station.
their rooms in the prison with every comfort. Mr. Currie—How came defendant by those dread-
Every one who knows anything of the police of ful black eyes ?
Naples must be well aware that they are in the The Sergeant—l believe that he was taken down
habit of enriching themselves through the suffer- a stone staircase by at least six men, fighting and
ings of all who come within their power. How far kicking most furiously. It is not all surprising
Government is to blame for this you may readily tnat he has some hurts. lam sore all over.. I be-
imagine when I tell you that this body is divided lieve that he was formerly employed in the theatre,
into three classes, who are paid respectively four, but is now a cab proprietor in Shepperton-street,
six, and eight ducats monthly, or in English money Islington.
51., 6d.' and 10d. a day. The new Minister of Defendant, who appeared scarcely able to see,
Police, Ajosscr, has raised their salaries to six, here observed—That is quite true, but I have been
eight. and 12 ducats a month, in the proportion of much ill-used.
one-third a day each. If, therefore, long corruption Mr. Corrie—l'm not surprised at the sight you
has left any germ of honesty in them, it may be present after the violence you exercised.
developed now—at all events, the system of higher Fined 205., or fourteen days.
remuneration is a right and prudent one.
Great facilities have been granted to industry
and commerce by a decree which was published last
Saturday. It was first published, indeed, in 1843,
but was put out of existence in 1848 to the great
embarrassment of commerce. As I understand it,
it authorises from the Ist of .Tune, 1860, all the
banks' of the Two Sicilies to receive in payment
and change into cash all such Government or pri-
vate bills as shall be presented to them. Moreover,
the Discount Banks of Naples and Barni are autho-
rised to receive and discount the effects of commerce
payable in Palermo and Messina, and vice Versa,
according to the regulations set forth, which it is
unnecessary to send you. The Regents, Presidents,
or Directors of the various banks have the privi-
lege of free postage and the free use of the telegraph
for all matters connected with the execution of this
decree. Hitherto all such commercial operations
as those noted above have been managed by mer-
chants at a certain per tentage.
There have been frequent Councils of State held
recently and financial matters are said to have
engaged the anxious attention of the Government.
A loan of six millions has been talked about. •
On Wednesday night last, at about 7 o'clock, a
rare phenomenon in these latitudes was observed.
A splendid aurora borealis was seen in the N.W. ;
the whole sky from the horizon to the zenith,
nearly, being irradiated with a rich purple tint.
It was of short duration, and was much obscured
by heavy dark clouds rising up from the W.S.W.,
fron which direction the wind blew, The weather
seemed to freshen much after it, though at the time
of the occurrence it was comparatively calm.
P.S. There are rumours in town that disturbances
have taken place in Palermo, but in spite of every
effort I am unable to ascertain any details. The
report is that there was a rise, which was put down
by the musket and the cannon. I communicate
it, however, with great reserve, but it is certain
that the police appeared again in great force.
The advocate, Dr. Filippis, has presented himself
to the police authorities, and, after an admonition
from the director, was dismissed.
The only one of the distinguithed party, there-
fore, threatened with arrest, who is " out," is the
advocate De Simone.

S OUT WAR K.—Corn el ius Mahoney, a dealer
in coke, was brought up, in custody of William
Francis, an officer of the Royal Society for the
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, charged with'
acting with great cruelty to his donkey.
Francis informed his worship that on the pre-
vious afternomi he met the prisoner in the Borough,
driving a donkey and cart laden heavily with sacks
of coke. He perceived that the poor animal trem-
bled very much, and could hardly get one foot be-
fore another; consequently he stopped it, and on
lifting the saddle he found a large raw wound very
much irritated by being rubbed against. There
were also flesh wounds on the shoulders bleeding,
and in fact the poor donkey was in a very bad
state, which his worship would see, as he had
brought it into the yard at the rear of the court for
his inspection.
The prisoner declared that there was nothing
the matter with the donkey. It was true the sad-
dle had rubbed its back a little, and the shoulders
were a little sore, but they would soon heal up.
The magistrate proceeded to the yard, and looked
at the animal, and on his return into court es'
pressed his surprise at the brutal conduct of the
prisoner in working the animal 'while in such a
frightful state. It ought to be put out of its misery
at once by being slaughtered.
The prisoner said he should not have his donkey
slaughtered; he could not afford that.
Magistrate—You are committed for one month'
with hard labour.

I