The Sun.
London, England, 1859-01-07 00:00:00

STATE OF ITALY.

(From the Daily News)
" Austria must well know that from England she
could expect no help in a war waged for the main-
tenance of her Italian dominions, and that no States-

man, whatever might be his views as to maintaining
the balance of power, would venture to make such
a proposition to the popular branch of the British
Legislature." This plain truth was stated in the
Times of yesterday. We think it of some import-
ance to fix our contemporary with the explicit and
unqualified admission of this significant fact. It is
even so. English statesmen cannot, if they would,
aid. Austria in Italy, for the simple and Sufficient
reason that the English people will not consent to
the expenditure of one drop of English blood or
one coin of EngliSh money in the base attempt to
rivet a foreign and oppressive yoke on the neck of
a down-trodden people struggling to be free. We
should like to see the English Minister who would
dare to move war estimates for such a purpose as
that. The thing is, so palpably absurd that even
the Times, compelled for once to love truth better
than Austria, has been moved, in terms the most
unequivocal, to confess its impossibility. That
much, then, is clear—that dream is gone—that bad
hope has vanished into space. The diplomats and
the balance-of power men will never be gratified by
the spectacle of free and Protestant England fight-
ing side by side with despotic and Pope-ridden Austria, in order to crush out, under the hoofs of
her old oppression, the resistance and the hopes of
Italy.
What, then, is the part which England is to
play in that struggle of the nations which all signs
announce to' be not far distant ? The answer to
those who look with a single eye to the welfare of
their country, is simple in the extreme. England
has no part or lot in this strife. She cannot and she
will not strike a stroke for Austria in Italy ; she need
not, and therefore she will not, strike a stroke on
the other side. If what all the aspects of the time
announce should come to puss, if the cloud that now
gathers over Europe should burst in war, English
statesmen will have but one duty—the observation
of a strict though of course a watchful neutrality. If,
as we are confidently told, France and Russia are
pledged to support Sardinia in the impending
struggle, the aid of England cannot be required to
increase the strength of such an alliance embarked
in such a cause. The Italians are twenty-five mil-
lions, and the Italians have at length been crushed
by despotism into an unanimity of hatred. Here,
then, are the parties to the strife : on the one side,
France, Russia, Sardinia, and a vast population
impassioned by hate and panting for vengeance : on
the other side, Austria, commanding no loyalty
which she cannot coerce by her cannon, and safe in
the possession of not au inch of territory which is
not covered by her troops or contained within her
fortresses. We are told that Austria will make a
stout fight of it. No doubt she will. Her army is
brave and well disciplined. Her garrisons are
skilfully planted, and fortified with the utmost
skill of whicli engineering science is capable. The
spirit of her young Emperor is high ; that of her
aristocracy proverbially elastic under discourage-
ment and defeat. Her history has been one long
record of a national life tenaciously prolonged under
disasters, and miraculously restored after ruin. No
doubt Austria will make a sturdy fight of it ; but
will lier resistance be so obstinate and prolonged
that France, Russia, Sardinia, and the twenty-five
millions will be compelled,before they can do their
work, to ask England to fling her sword into the
balance ? The very question is an insult to the
prowess of the three Powers and to the spirit of the
Italian population. Ne ; England cannot and will
not draw the sword on behalf of Austria—she will
not, for she need not, unsheath it on behalf of the
enemies of Austria. Her line is absolute neutrality

—her strength is to sit still. She has work to do
at home from which our politicians and our diplo-
mats would only be too glad to call her away by
raising the disturbing slogan of European war.
Let us give no heed to this interested clamour.
IlLp have had enough and too much of mere
btirance-of-power wars. It is time that the world
shook itself free from this costly nightmare of its
rulers. We will not war in Europe for figments ;
we will work at home for realities. We want
to strengthen and complete that free polity
which in itself and in its fruits is the first concern
for us and for our children. We wish to see that
freedom extended to others ; but we have deeply
learned this lesson, that the only freedom worth
having is that which men and nations earn for
themselves. That which is conferred or imposed
on them by others proves too often but a fatal gift
—a veil of Creusa or a shirt of Nessus which dooms
the wearer to convulsions and death. If twenty-
five-millions of Italians, aided by France and Russia,
cannot shake off the yoke of Austria, no assistance
which England can bestow will enable them to do
so.
In the apprehension of a calamity so terrible as a
general European war, it is natural for all the friends
of human happiness and human progress to desire
that every available means should be exhausted be-
fore resorting to the actual arbitrament of arms.
No doubt if the passions of princes were amenable
to reason, and subordinate to an enlightened sense
of their own interest and that of their people, the
question of Austrian domination in Italy might be
an eminently fit subject for a European Congress.
If the condition-of-Italy question, as submitted to
the Paris Conference by Count Cavour, had really
been entertained by that Parliament of the Nations
in a spirit worthy of its paramount importance,
much evil that now presses upon us might have
been avoided, and many imminent dangers have
been averted or postponed. The mode in which the
subject was introduced to the notice of the Confer-
ence by the Representative of Sardinia was worthy
of the importance of the theme and the gravity of
the crisis. It was earnestly submitted to the col-
lected Powers of Europe that the state of the Italian
Peninsula was the common concern of all, inasmuch
as -it involved a standing menace to the general
peace of the world. The Ministers of England and
of France were not indisposed to support the rea
sonable and farsighted views of Count Cavour. But
there was an insurmountable obstable. Austria
would not for a moment allow any proposal to be
mooted which in any degree tended to interfere
with the unimpaired ascendancy of her detested rule.
And so it would be always. Austria is not to be
protocolled out of the Lombardo-Venetian pro!
; vinces. Inheriting the traditions of the old Ger-
man Raisers, and counting back some centuries of

her own dominion, the Imperial house can only be
uprooted from the land in which her supremacy is
felt to be a blight anda bane, by successful insur-
rection or victorious war. It is one of those cases of
usurped dominion which still necessitate an appeal
to the ultima ratio of arms. It is an oppression
exercised over an alien and reluctant race, a sway
which nothing but force could have imposed, and
nothing but stronger force can sweep away. It is
not a thing of yesterday. It is closely interwoven
with all the traditions of a proud and dominant
aristocracy. It has long been a constitutive portion
of the modern State system of Europe. If, as we
firmly oelieve, the time has come when Italy, under
the constitutional headship of Sardinia, is ripe for
national independence, it must be obvious to all that
the days of this foreign oppression are numbered.
But to suppose that it will be surrendered without
a struggle, to imagine that good offices, and moral'
suasion, and diplomatic intervention, will sap the
laaso of this old proud fabric of Imperial domination,
appears to' us rather a dream of the closet, than 'a
reasonable anticipation of the Council Chamber.
If; however, we be 'wrong in this judgment, if
the time 'for available interposition be not gone
by, if,the passions of an oppressed people on the
one side, and of their foreign rulers on the
other, be not raised to a pitch which makes both
cqually deaf to terms of compromise and tenders of
accommodation, we shall only be too happy to be
convinced of our error. If the English Cabinet are
of opinion that the way is yet open for this species of
amicable intervention, it is of course their bounden
duty to interpose their good offices without loss of
time. If there be, indeed, any chance that the con-
current .ac don of
.En gland, France, Russia, and Sar-
dinia can amicably settle the Italian question, let
the experiment be made forthwith. • Vite, un Con.
fires! Trois, Quatre Congres !!—as many con-
gresses as you please—should,c without sarcasm, be
the burden of our song. WO confess, indeed, we
have no such hope. Vienna, Verona, Paris-L-1815,
1822, and 1856—have somewhat shaken our faith
in congresses. Be this as it. may, we return once
more s the point with which we started : if diplo-
macy fails and war ensues, in that war England
must be neutral, as long, at all events, as the con-
test is confined to the settlement of the Italian
question as between France, Russia, Austria, and
Sardinia. In the issues of that war we have no
substantial interest. As far as the internal condi-
tion of Italy is concerned, almost any change would
be -a change for 'the better ; the substitution in the
north of Italy of Sardinian supremacy for Austrian
domination would be an infinite improvement ; nor
can it possibly concern the tax-payers of this
country that a Murat, in the South, should take
the place of a Bomba. On the other hand, as
regards our external relations, we should lose
'nothing by olmerving a wise neutrality while the
contending powers were exhausting their resources
in the costly struggles of an internecine war. Till
England's interests or Europe's freedom are endan-
gered it is our policy to be neutral ; when either is
imperilled—then, but not till then, it will be time
to strike the blow.

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
CHARGE OF ASSAULT. '

Captain H. Connolly, residing at 12, Holies-
Areet, appeared at the Capel-street, Police-court,
before the presiding magistrates, Messrs. Porter
and O'Donnell, to answer a charge of assault pre-
ferred against him by Mr. A. H. Barton, 6, Fitz-
william-square South, barrister-at-law.
The complainant appeared to sustain his charge
in person, and. Mr. J. A. Curran appeared for the
defendant. .

Mr. Barton deposed that on the 3,1 he purchased
tickets at the shop of Mr.Bussell, of Westmoreland-

street, for the performances at the Rotund.° of the
Christy Minstrels. These tickets were numbered,
were for the reserved seats, and entitled the pur-
chaser of them to have the seats corresponding with
the numbers reserved for him. On the evening of

the same day he, went to the Rotund°, and he
found, upon going to the seats, the numbers of
which corresponded with those on his tickets, that
they were occupied by the defendant, with whom
were two ladies and a little boy. He informed the
lady nearest to him that he had engaged the
seats, and requested her to remove from them,
but she declined to do so. He then informed the
defendant also that he was entitled to the seats,

and requested him to relinquish them, but the
defendant, instead of doing so, rose from his seat
and struck witness a blow on the nose. _ _

To Mr. Curran—l did not put my hand rudely
on the lady's arm.
A young man named Rapson, an assistant in the
establishment of Mr. Bussell, deposed to having
sold the tickets to the complainant, Mr. Barton.
The Bench inquired what the defence was ?
Mr. Curran said that when he came to detail

what the facts of the case really were the proceed-
ing would assume a totally different aspect, and the
charge ought, he submitted, to be entirely reversed.
He would, however, deal with the legal bearing of
the case. In point of law the complainant had no
more right to the seats in question than any other
parties in the Rotundo thatevening. In the Theatre
Royal, or in other theatres, it was the custom when
a party went to engage seats to give the box-keeper
a shilling additional, and a paper was then affixed
to the seats which that party had so engaged, to
show that they were engaged.
Mr. O'Donnell—But, Mr. Curran, in the paper
which you receive from the box-keeper it is dis-
tinctly stated that the seats will not be reserved
after the first act.
Mr. Curran contended that the mode of proceed-
ing at the theatres and at the Rotundo was quite
different. The theatres were licensed, whilst the
Rotundo was merely a place of amusement. On
the evening in question his client went into the
Rotundo, having paid for and obtained tickets for
reserved seats. On looking round the room he
observed all the reserved seats, with the exception
of those subsequently claimed by the complainant,
occupied, and he very naturally having paid for
tickets for the reserved seats, and, seeing those
vacant, took possession of them. He was accom-
panied by his wife and son, and by a Miss
IVl'Carthy, whose testimony would corroborate his
(Mr. Curran's) statement.
Mr. O'Donnell remarked that he thought Mr.
Curran could hardly say that those seats were
vacant, for it was an uncontroverted fact in the
case, that they were numbered, to show that they
were engaged.
_ _ . .

Mr. CuriAn said that the seats were vacant at
the time they were taken possession of by his
client, and that he and his party had occupied
them for at least half or quarter of an hour, and
until the first part of the eittertainment had ter-
minated, before the rencontre with the complainant,
the manager of the place had passed by the seats
in question, had seen that they were occupied by
the defendant, but had never objected to his sitting
in them, told him that he should leave them, or
that they were engaged.
Mr. Porter—But, leaving the argument out of
the case altogether, Mr. Curran, was it a proper
course of proceeding, or would you consider it
such, supposing that a person had engaged a box
at the theatre, and that upon going to it he found
persons sitting in it, which in itself is no crime—
that he requested them to leave, and that the only
answer he received was a blow on the nose ?

Mr. Curran protested against being *interrupted
in his argument, and resumed his statement. He
said that having argued upon what was clearly, he
submitted, the law of the case, he would now relate
what the facts were. The complainant, upon going
into the room, spoke to Mrs. Connolly in a very
rude manner, and placed his hand upon her shoulder,
thereby committing an actual assault in the eye of
the law. The defendant, seeing his wife treated in
such a manner, protected her, in which he was per-
fectiv justified. After some further observations,
Mr. -Curran concluded by stating that he would
now produce witnessesin support of the defendant's
case.
Miss Henrietta M'Carthy sworn and examined by
Mr. Curran—On the night of the 3d inst. I accom-
panied the defendant and his family to the Ro-
,
tundo ; we were sitting iu the seats a good while
before the complainant came in ; he spoke to Mrs.
Connolly very rudely, and said that we should
leave the seats, as they were his, and he put his
right hand on her left shoulder.
In reply to the plaintiff, Miss M'Carthy said
that she could not swear whether or not he said to
Mrs. Connolly, " I will be obliged to you to leave
those seats ; they have been engaged by me ;" he
might have said so, but not in her hearing.
Master Villiers Connolly, son of the defendant,
was next examined. He said that he saw the com-
plainant placing his hand on the shoulder of his
mother, but he could not say what he said to her.
Mr. Porter asked Miss M'Carthy whether she
would have thought much about the complainant
placing his hand upon the shoulder of Mrs. Con-
nolly, if there had been no subsequent altercation ?
Miss M'Carthy said she thought that the conduct
of the plaintiff was most rude, and his language
Very ungentlemanly to use to any lady.
Mr. Curran submitted that he had made out a

clear case of justification, and he would now leave
the matter with the bench.
After a brief consultation with Mr. O'Donnell,
Mr. Porter said that they had come to the deter-
mination of sending the case for trial at the city
sessions, the defendant to be allowed to stand out
on bail in his own recognisances in .£5O.
Mr. Curran expressed himself quite satisfied with
the decision of their worships. He felt quite
satisfied that, when the matter came before a higher
tribunal, his client would get off with flying colours.
The defendant at once entered into the required
security, and the parties then retired from the court.

BRAZILIAN AND EIVEI? PLATE

lILAILS.

The Royal Mail Company's steamship Tyne,
Captain Thomas W. Sawyer, with mails, in charge
of Lieutenant J. Hay, R.N., Admiralty agent,
arrived at Southampton yesterday morning. She
left Rio 2 days behind her time, and experienced
string head winds and sea throughout the passage
home. The density of the fog compelled her to
bring up outside the Needles on Wednesday night.
The dates of- mails by this steamer are—Buenos
Ayres, November 27 ; Montevideo, 30 ; Rio de

Janeiro, December 11 ; Bahia, 15 ; Pernambuco,

17; St. Vincent (Cape Verde), 24.; and Lisbon,

January 2.
The Tyne brought 73 passengers (of whom 37
were first-class adults), including his Excellency
Mr. W. D. Christie, her Majesty's Minister Pleni-
potentiary to the Argentine Confederation, from.
Buenos Ayres; Mr. Neate, from Rio; his Excel-
lency Mr. Carolus, Belgian Minister to the Portu-
guese Court, from Lisbon ; 18 distressed seamen,

&c. On freight she had specie from Montevideo,
£B6 ; from Rio, £6,375 ; from Bahia, £32o—total,
£6,781 ; diamonds, value £47,475 ; 200 barrels of
tapioca, 650 rolls of tabacco, and", 137 packages of
sundries.

We have no particular news from Buenos Ayres.
Commercial advices give the following quotations :
—Exchange, 675. 6d. to 68s.
,; paper dollars, 349 to
350. Hides, salted, 52 rials Saladeros ;46 to 47
Matadeiros. Tallow, pure Saladeros, 21 22 rials ;
with grease, 191- to' 191. Wool, fine Mestizo, dirty,
80 to 87 paper dollars per arroba ; middling 60 to
70 ; washed, 130 to 135 ; middling, 80 to 100 ;
Cordova washed, 32 rials:

From Montevideo we learn that part of the
United States' squadron had arrived in port, and
were awaiting reinforcements. The_squadron was
to consist of 10 steamers, 4 frigates, 3 brigs, and
3 sloops. The vessels would, it was expected,
leave in the course of a few weeks to seek:redress

from the Paraguayan -Government. Exchange for
the present mail commenced at 42d., and advanced
to 4211, but the closing rate was 421 d. per current
dollar. About £30,000 passed. For manufactured
goods a slight improvement was visible in the de-
mand, principally confined to Manchester articles.
Bradford and other woollen fabrics continued ne-

glected, and there was no prospect of amendment
for some months to come, the worst scason for them
having set in. .Salo.deros had not commenced ope-
rations on an extensive scale, and prices were

nominal, chiefly owing to the retarding influence
of the late wet and cold weather, but a heavy kill-
ing season was still anticipated, the weather having
become favourable for cattle. Freights generally
were the same as last month, for England some-

what firmer ; the amount of disengaged tonnage

was small, and an advance was looked- for if cargo

should become abundant.
Advises from Rio are to the 10th ult. The
weather was most unsettled during the whole of
N ovember. Those intervals, however, that ad-

mitted of transportation from the interior were
taken advantage of, and regular supplies of coffee
had in consequence arrived at market. The quality
of late receipts had proved by no means satisfac-
tory, having suffered much from the effects of
almost incessant rains. Should the weather take a
more favourable turn, hopes were entertained of
receiving qualities as good as those that made their
appearance at the commencement of the crop.
Business was rather animated during the month,
without any material alteration in prices being
noticeable, and sales from the 7th to the 30th of
November reached 161,000 bags, assorted lots for
the United States having regulated from 4.650
to 4.800. From the commencement of December
the market was quiet, buyers awaiting the receipt
of news per Tyne, which only arrived on the 7th
from England. These advices not presenting any
great encouragement, it was supposed that little
eagerness would be evinced to enter upon operations
to any great extent, unless a decline in prices should
be brought about. Sales from the Ist to the 9th,
14,500 bags ; in all, since last mail, 175,600 bags,
of which 106,200 were for the United States,
47,900 for the Channel and North of Europe,
20,000 for the Mediterranean, 1,500 for Portugal,
River Plate, &c. Stock, 120,000 bags. With respect
to the prospects of the coming crop it was yet early
to form an accurate idea. But the first blossoms of
the trees had been much injured by rain, and it
exclusively depended upon the development of the
third flower what expectations might be entertained
as to the probable extent of the yield. At the
same time, from all appearances, it was not expected
to exceed an average. Clearances in last month :-
138,151 bags for the United States (against 54,412
in November, 1857), 61,457 for the Channel, 108
for England, 5,000 for Hamburg, 2,428 for
Bremen, 7,000 for Copenhagen, 8,499 for Havre,
3,300 for Gibraltar, 16,777 for Marseilles, 2,431
for Genoa, 981 for Majorca, 355 for Portugal, 3,551
for the ape of Good Hope, 151 for the River
Plate-in all, 250,189 bags. Latest quotations
were, washed, 5,500 to 7,000 ; superiors, 4,900 to
5,100 ; other qualities, 3,000 to 4,800. The sales of
sugar since the 6th of November consisted of 743
cases and 6,500 packages Campos, at 3,800 to 4,000.
Stock 1,694 cases, 961 packages of the former, and
1,547 cases, 5,422 bags of the latter. Of hides
10,092 had been sold at previous prices. Arrived
from Rio Grande 8,092. Stock 16,000. In freights
one charter had been effected for the channel at
455., or 475. 6d. conditionally ; one for New Or-
leans at 60c. The ruling rates of exchange on
London for this mail were 26d. and 27d. 90 days.
At this latter figure the Government took, on the
15th of November, £200,000 at three and four
months' sight from Mau, M‘Gregor and Co.'s bank-
ing establishment. The transactions effected be-
sides were estimated at £550,000, of which a very
limited part only at 261 d., with condition of pay-
ment. The rates on France had ruled between
352 r. and 360 r. On Hamburg 670 r. to 680 r. for
very restricted amounts. On the morning of the
10th of December £40,000 passed for the Tyne at
261 d. to 27d., and closed firm. Discounts without
change. Stock was in demand, but little had been
done, as none was offering for sale.
At Bahia new sugars were arriving freely ;
quality suitable for the French market in demand.
Stocks of sugar on the 15th ult. comprised-3,437
cases, 1,680 boxes and barrels' and 20,000 bags.
Latest quotations were as follows :-First-class
browns, 2,500 to 2,600 ; whites,, 3,000 ; good
browns, 2,350 to 2,400 ; raw browns, 2,200 to 2,250.
Coffee stocks were accumulating, amounting to
24,000 bags ; price asked 4,200, offered 4,000.
There had been latterly more inquiry for cocoa,
which sold at 4,200 ; stock, 300 bags. Tapioca was
neglected ; a small lot of superior quality had been
disposed of at 5,000, 5,500, and 6,000 per
alqueire. Tobacco stocks consisted of 3,800 bales
of leaf; quotations 4.000 to 4.500. Prices of hides
ruled at 210 for dry salted, and 260 for dry ; 4,000
in stock. No sales of cotton had taken place, and
prices were nominal at quotations-Maceios 7.800
to 8.000; Bahias, 8.000 to 8.200. There was but
little in the market, existing stocks being mostly in
second hands. In freights a few vessels on the
berth for London and Liverpool had been engaged
at 17s. 6d. to 20s. ; higher rates were expected.
Two vessels had been taken up to call for orders
and discharge in the United Kingdom at 255. Ex-
change opened at 261 d., and closed at 260. The
port of Bahia was healthy, and the season splendid.
"Pernambuco, Dec. 16, 1858.
" The Tyne arrived on the Ist inst. from South-
ampton, with dates to the 9th ult., and telegram of
the 12th via Lisbon.
"The advices, although generally considered un-
favourable for sugar, have had but little effect upon
prices on this side. The entries amount to upwards
of 90,000 bags of all descriptions. Whites have
been in great demand, two cargoes having been
shipped for Valparaiso, and two other cargoes are
being made up for that quarter, four vessels loading
for Portugal, two for Marseilles, and
.two for Gib-
raltar. We quote Muscovadoes, 2.200 to 2.700 per
arroba, or 20s. to 245. per cwt. free on board ex
freight; and whites, 3,150 dols. to 4,800 dols. per
arroba, or 28s. Bd. to 425. Id. per cwt.; Paraibas,
2,500 dols. per arroba free on board, or 20s. 4d. per
cwt. ex freight.
" Cottons.-Prices have declined to 7,600 to 7,800
dols. per arroba, or 7 7-16 d. to 70. per lb. free on
board. Paraibas, 8,500 dols. per arroba, free on
board, or 7 7-16 d. per lb. ex freight.
"Aides.-230r. per lb., equal to 7 3-16 d. per lb.
Freights.-For the Channel we quote the rate
355., and 5 per cent. for the United Kingdom, with