The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

I remonstrance such as this could come with more
effect. Not to speak of the noble earl's " hereditary"
claims, he has always approved himself a sincere
and earnest politician, disdaining faction and cant.
Following so closely on the similar manifesto of
Mr. Edward Ellice, Earl Grey's letter exposes the
false position assumed by Lord John Russell. and
fairly foreshadows his inevitable failure. With
some of the most respectable and influential of the
Whig party against him, not even the undivided
support of his ultra-Radical associates could save
him from defeat ; but those gentlemen, taught by
experience, are not very likely to be caught in the
noble lord's net, unless they scent something
stronger, and•more suited to their appetites, than
the very vague resolution that stands for Monday
next.

THE TWO SICILIES.

NAPLES, MARCH 9.
In spite of the mystery which surrounds the
King, tis generally believed that his Majesty's
illness becomes more serious. The chamber of the
royal invalid is closed with care, and no one enters
it but the Queen, the Physicians Leone and Ramag-
lia, and the four sailors and quartermasters of the
royal yacht, who act as nurses.
A feeling of insecurity continues, and every one
sells his Rentes. lam informed on good authority
that even the royal family sell. At all events it is
certain that a person named Morelli, who is em-
ployed at the great book, in the beginning of the
week carried the book of the public debt in which
the Rentes are entered to the palace, in order that
the administrators of the Bursillo particolare
of the younger sons of the King might sign
the sale of the Rente which they had pre-
viously bought with the money of the young
princes. The bank is in great agitation, the
agents being embarrassed by the numerous sales,
and the threats of the police. The news of
Lord Cowley's mission, however, has produced a
certain amount of confidence. Public affairs are in
suspense ; everything is at a standstill. The here-
ditary Prince is permitted to take no part. The
Ministers Bianchino and Murena arc not admitted
to the King. To lessen his sufferings he is obliged
to have recourse to opiates. The police exercise the
utmost rigour towards all who speak of his illness.
Two days ago a gentleinan in the cafe under the
Palazzo Angri, in the Toledo, ventured to express
his regret at the silence of the official journals on
the subject. On his way out he was arrested.
Miserable people ! Even the solicitude of the people
for their sovereign's health is construed into a crime.
The festoons and preparations for the marriage fetes
dangle in the winds, faded and weather-beaten, the
subjects of epigrams and mockery. Arrests con-
stantly take place. Carlo Capuano, a political pri-
sdner recently liberated, has again been arrested.
Yet in the midst of this misery and desolation, with
laws of more than Draconian severity, the people
are gay, and sing about the streets, ." E morto co
lumi—Carnevale !" How is this ? The fact is, that
public opinion against the Government, and in
favour of the rights of the people, has made
gigantic strides. The attitude of Piedmont has
elated the people, and given them firm confidence
in the future. It is at Naples as at Rome, they
have resolved to remain in a state of solemn calm

not to disturb the progress of events by petty agi-
tations about things of little moment, but to wait
and assist the great operations begun at the head
of the peninsula, in Lombardy. The Austrian
princes returned some days since from Bari by way
of Avellino, where they informed the intendente
that there was no probability of the King's return
for some weeks; that functionary, however, for the
public good, thought fit to give out that he would
return in a week. It is said that the princes are
going to leave the kingdom, having obtained three
millions from the King, and another million from
the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but I cannot vouch
for the truth of these reports. Yesterday a monk,
in the ardour of sanctity, left for tart, to inter-
cede
with the Almighty for the King's health.

FATAL AFFRAY AT WASHINGTON.

Much space is occupied in the American journals
brought by the Africa with the reports of and com-
ments on the shooting to death of Mr. P. B. Key,
United States' Attorney for the district of Columbia,
by the Hon. D. E. Sickles, a senator, on the 27th
ult. The New York Times gives the following ac-
count of the tragedy :

"Philip Barton Key, the United States' Attorney
for the district of Columbia, was talking with Mr.
Butterworth, of New York, at thc corner ofPennsyl-
vania-avenue and Sixteenth:street, near the south
entrance to the Executive Mansion, and some 20
yards from the Club House on President's-square,
when he was accosted by the Hon. D. E. Sickles,
of New York. Mr. Sickles charged Mr. Key with
destroying the honour of his wife and his own hap-
piness, and, drawing a revolver, instantly shot him
down. One ball. entering in at the left side passed
completely through the body of Mr. Key, a second.
Was lodged in his thigh, and a third, glancing, in-
flicted a slight bruise. Mr. Key fell, imploring
Mr. Sickles not to kill him, and died in a very few
minutes. Mr. Sickles and Mr. Key had been very
intimate, but circumstances led him to suspect an
improper imtimacy. Mr. Sickles received from
some enemy of mankind an anonymous letter,
stating,, with precision so minute as to make sus-
picion imperative, that Mr. Key had rented a
house on Fifteenth-street, above K-street; from
a negro woman, and that he was in the
habit' of meeting Mrs. Sickles there two or
times a week, or oftener. The person and dress
of Mrs. Sickles were accurately described, and the
usual time of the interview specified. Accompanied
by a friend, Mr. Sickles went to the house desig-
nated, and found every statement of the anonymous
writer corroborated. Mr. Key had taken the house,
and he had constantly met there a lady answering
very closely in description to Mrs. Sickles. A
watch was set, and on Saturday evening, the 27th,
Mr. Sickles resolved no longer to play the spy upon
his honour, determined to confront his wife directly
with his terrible suspicions. At first Mrs. Sickles
strongly denied her guilt ; but on her husband's
asking her whether, on the Wednesday previous,
she had not entered the house in Fifteenth-street
in a certain particular dress, and concealed by a
hood, she cried out, lam betrayed and lost,' and
swooned away. On recovering her senses she ad-
mitted her guilt, and besought mercy and pardon.
Mr. Sickles calmly said he would not injure her,
since he believed her to be the victim of a
scoundrel, but that he had a right to a full confes-
sion. Two. ladies in the house were sent for as
witnesses, and in their presence Mrs. Sickles made
a full confession in writing, stating that her con-
nexion with Mr. Key had commenced in April last,
under Mr. Sickles's roof, but that Mr. Key had
since hired the house in Fifteenth-street, in which
they had constantly met. Mrs. Sickles's confession
was made in the midst of the bitterest contrition
and misery. Her husband simply asked her to
give him back her wedding ring, and desired her
to write to her mother to come and take her
from his house for ever. Mrs. Sickles made
no objections, admitting the justice of her
punishment in the most affecting language.
Her mother will arrive to-morrow to remove her
from this fearful scene of guilt, remorse, and blood.
Once having quitted the presence of his wife, Mr.
Sickles gave way to the most terrible emotion, and
passed the night in a state bordering on distrac-
tion--a feeling which was worked into madness
this morning on seeing the cause of his misery, Mr.
Key, with gay audacity pass opposite the window
of his wife's room and wave his handkerchief—the
usual signal for assignation. Asking Mr. Butter-
worth, who was at his house, to follow Key and
engage him in conversation, so that he should not
get out of sight, he rushed up stairs for his pistols,
and quickly following, found Butterworth and Key
together, at the corner of Sixteenth-street, where
the tragedy took place. On coming up Sickles
walked directly to Key, and said, " You have dis-
honoured my bed and family, you scoundrel; pre-
pare to die !"—at the same time drawing his pistol.
Almost simultaneously Key placed his hand inside
his ;vest, and drawing what appeared to be a pistol,
but what was really an opera-glass, said, " You had
better not shoot !" Sickles at once fired, Key at the
same time throwing his glass at him. This shot
only grazed Key, slightly raising the skin of his
side and he immediately leaped behind a tree to
avoid another shot. Sickles followed, and Key,
catching his arm, endeavoured to prevent him
from firing, but Sickles disengaged himself, and
firing again, shot Key in the upper part of the
right thigh, close to the main artery. Falling
on his hip and supporting himself with his hand,
he cried, Murder ! don't shoot !' Sickles still fol-
lowing, fired again, with his pistol close to Key,
the ball passing through his body below the
breast. In the meantime the report of the pistol
and Key's cries startled those in the neighbour-
hood. Mr. Thomas Martin, a clerk in the Treasury
Department, who happened at the moment to be
leaving the club, rushed back, and calling out Key
is murdered !' Mr. Doyle, Mr. Upshur, and Mr.
Tidball, who were in the club at the time, proceeded

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hastily to the spot, where they four ' 4:1
ing over the body of Key, with his pistolitesensd S
- -at-his-heatlrwhich he-tried twice to discharge, but
which. snapped both times, and Mr. Butterworth
standing•by composedly. On Mr. boyle's touching
Sickles on the shoulder the latter at once desisted,
and turning round said, 4 Gentlemen, this man has
dishonoured my bed!' Upon this lie took Butter- '
worth's arm, and walking from the
hesot
most perfect self-possession, proceeded Attorneypto with the -
General Black's, and delivered himself into custody.
On. Mr. Sickles leaVing, Messrs. Doyle, Tidball,
Upkrur, and Martin conveyed the body, which still -
had faint gasps of breathing, to the parlour of the '
club-house, when the Assistant-Surgeon-General
was at once in attendance, but Key was beyond all
medical skill. He breathed but twice after being
laid upon the floor. The parties involved in this
sad story all lived within the immediate circle of
our daily Washington life; two, at least, of them
being also as well known in New York as •in the
federal metropolis. Key was about 42 years of age,
_
tall in stature, about six feet, with an easy and
fashionable air, but by no means prepossessing
in appearance otherwise. His face had a
sickly hue, and he had been for some time
suffering from heart disease, or I imagined
he was, which gave him a soured and dis-
contented look, Otherwise he was extremely po-
pular, and those who knew him best said his eccen-
tricities of manner covered a very kind and generous •
heart. His father, Francis S. Key, was the author
of the national song, the ' Star-spangled Banner.'
He was a widower with four children. On his mar-
riage he narrowly escaped a duel with Colonel May,
who conceived that he had unfairly ousted him
from the affections of the lady who became his wife,
and who was a beautiful and charming woman.
" Mr. Sickles, the member for the Third District
of New York, is a native of this city, and was ori-
ginally a printer by occupation. He is a man of
nearly 40 years of age, of good presence and grace-
ful manners, As a member of the State Senate, as
well as in the House of Representatives, he had made
himself remarked by a quite unusual coolness and
self-possession, which gave him great advantages in
debate, and had acquired for him a well-deserved
reputation as a rising young leader cf the Democratic
party. In 1853 Mr. Sickles was married to his wife,
now ruined and heartbroken, then a young girl fresh
from her school life, and remarkable then as now for
something especially soft, lovely, and youthful in
the type of her very peculiar beauty. She is of
Italian origin, and possesses all the Italian lustre
and depth of eye, united with a singular contour
and delicacy of feature. Mr. Sickles had seen her
grow up from childhood, and was attached to her
with an almost idolatrous affection. Shortly after
their marriage Mr. Sickles was appointed Secretary
of the American Legation at London, in the
household of Mr. Buchanan and his beautiful wife
won universal admiration abroad, not more by
her charms of person and manner than by the
gaiety and innocent joyousness of her character.
Mrs. ,Sickles may be 22, and has two children.
She is the daughter of Bagloli, the celebrated music
teacher, of Fourteenth-street. When Mr. Sickles
surrendered himself- to Attorney-General Black he
requested such disposition to be made of him as
was proper. The Attorney-General sent for a
magistrate, who, with the Chief of Police, came
speedily. Soon after the Mayor arrived, announc-
ing the death of Key, and Mr. Sickles was con-
ducted in a carriage to the gaol, where he now is,
awaiting an examination. I called upon him this
evening, and found him surrounded by several col-
leagues and other sympathising friends. He was
evidently labouring under strong mental excite-
ment, and his haggard countenance presented
marked evidence of the effects of the fearful emotions
which have harrowed his very soul during the
last 24 hours. Nevertheless, his manner wag
calm and collected, with his nerves steady. Of
course I did not question him relative to the
affair. He volunteered the remark, however, that
it was unavoidable, and that he could not have
done otherwise. He added, 6 Satisfied as I was of
his guilt, we could not live together upon the same
planet.' She was induced to sign or write a paper
purporting to be a full acknowledgment of her
infidelity with the deceased. In it she admitted
that the deceased and herself had signals, by which
she could let him know whether she could meet him,
and explained those signals. Shortly after she ex-
plained the signals the deceased came over from the
club house, where he had been using a lorgnette to see
whether the signal was out, into Lafayette-square,
and in sight of those in the house he waved his
handkerchief at the house. She declares that she .
has had enough of fashionable life in Washington,
and prays for oblivion. She describes her husband,
when he returned to the house, after having accom-
plished his bloody work, as entering her room look-
ing looking like a marble statue, only uttering the
single. sentence, ' I have killed him. Mr. Sickles
was accompanied to his house by two subordinate
officers of the district, who made him pledge his
word of honour, before they would consent to allow
him to enter his wife's room, that he would do her
no harm. That he still entertains for her feelings
of the strongest affection there is no doubt. He
believes that Key seduced her from the path of
rectitude, and that but for him she would never
have proved false. When a gentleman remarked
to him in the gaol, ' This must be a terrible blow
to Mrs. Sickles,' he exclaimed, pressing his hand
upon his brow, ' Yes, poor child! poor child!' and
walked away. When Mr. Sickles procured the
written confession of guilt from his wife, and di-
rected her to send for her parents to take her home,
he determined that she should not take with her
their child, a beautiful girl of sixyears ; but tc-day
he has consented that the child may go with her,
and remain until his case is determined here. The
wedding ring which he demanded and obtained
from her has caused her the greatest grief, and to
day he directed that it be returned to her. Mrs.
Sickles concede's that her husband has done right,
and states that Mr. Key received an anonymous
letter on Thursday night last, which he showed
to her, -warning him against continuing his
visits at Mr. Sickles's house, calling his atten-
tion to the fact that he was much older than
Mrs. Sickles and ought not to pursue her, and
assuring him that, unless he desisted, Mr. Sickles
would detect him, and that in such an event the
consequences would be serious if not fatal to one or
both of the parties. It is believed that this letter
was found upon the body of Mr. Key before the
coroner's inquest. Mrs. -Sickles's mother arrived
in this city from New York this evening, and will
accompany her daughter back to her home. It is
reported that Mrs. Sickles is enceinte, and has
made an affidavit that she became so in consequence •
of her intercourse with Key. When Mr. Sickles
entered the room assigned him at the gaol—the
best in the building—he asked the gaoler if he
hadn't a better one to put him in. ' No,' replied
the gaoler ; 6 this is the best place you members of
Congress have afforded us.' Mr. Sickles ' caved.'
Numerous offers of bail have been pouring in upon
Mr. Sickles ever since he was committed, but,
having voluntarily placed himself at once in the
hands of public justice,he prefers patiently to wait
until his act shall be finally pronounced upon by a
fury of his country after a full and complete hear-
ing of the case ; and while this may subject him to
some inconvenience, his own feelings and those of
others involved, whom he is willing as far as
possible to spare, will be saved from the repeated
discussion of the unhappy circumstances attending
this case.
" Mr. Sickles's father arrived last night and had
a painful interview with him. The mother .f Mrs.
Sickles also visited him this morning in company
with Surveyor Hart, of New York, and was so over-
come by her feelings as to faint.
"Mr.Butterworth has published a minute statement
showing how far he was connected with the recent
terrible occurrence. He says that when he left the
house of Mr. Sickles he had no thought of meeting
or seeing Mr. Key, his object being to see Mr.
Stewart. He had no arms with him, and did not
know that Mr. Sickles intended to take arms. Mr.
Sickles left the house after he (Butterworth) had
done so, and without any suggestion on the part of
him (Butterworth) came towards the club house.
When Mr. Key saluted him (Butterworth), he did
not know that Mr. Sickles was approaching, nor
did he see him until he turned to leave Mr. Key.
It is not true that he sought or detained Mr. Key,
who first addressed him (Butterworth). Their
interview did not last one minute. It is freely
rumoured that a brother of the deceased declares
his purpose to kill Sickles on sight. Mr. Sickles
has consented that for the present Mrs. Sickles and
their child shall remain with her mother, who has
been telegraphed for, and expected to arrive here .
to-night. The gaol was to-day visited by many of
Mr. Sickles's friends. Numerous rumours are afloat
concerningggrate theall
the parties, having the effect to
a
facts already painfully distressing,
and many of the reports are pure fiction. The •
verdict
his was, ' Mr. Key came
to balls
fired by Daniel R
doefoth the coroner's
by
pistol jury
Sickles, while standing on the south-east corner of
Lafayette-square, the wounds therefrom causing his
death in a few moments.' "

DINNER TO nit, WILLIAM ARMSTRONG AND CO.'S
WenxmEN.— On Saturday Sir W. Armstrong and Co. gave
a dinner to the workmen employed in their manufactory in
celebration of the honour which her Majesty has conferred
upon Sir
William by admitting him to the order of knight-
hood. The works were stopped at noon, and a half day's
holiday was
given to the men. About four o'clock they
mustered in the works to the number of about 900, and
marched in procession to the Assembly Rooms, where the
dinner took place. The only drawback to the enjoyment
of the festivity was the absence of the donor of the feast.
It was understood that Sir William was unavoidably absent
in London on urgent business connected with his recent ap-
pointment as Inspector of BMW Ordnaticc..—lfeteCadele
Chronicle.