The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-04 00:00:00

AFFAIRS IN THE CITY OF ROME.

ROME, MAY 28.
The volunteering enthusiasm appears to be on
the increase here in proportion to the opposition
raised by the Government to the departure of
young men to the seat of war. Austria naturally
remonstrates against the Pope's allowing his sub-
jects to swell the ranks of the Franco•Sardinian
nrces, but France thinks differently, and conse-
quently the volunteers find means to get off without
passports, and without the permission required to
travel by the railway to Civita Vecchia. Upwards
of 300 young men met yesterday outside the city,
on the Monte Mario, and set off for the Tuscan
frontier, protected by the presence of a few French
gendarmes from any hinderance which a body of
Roman horse police sent out to watch their move-
ments might have offered. Another and more
numerous band is to leave Rome in a few days, and
the requisite money is provided by the secret
committee for obtaining national independence, to
which subscribers are to be found in all classes.
A maresciallo and eight dragoons deserted with
their arms and horses from Foligno two or three
days ago, on their march from Sinigaglia to Rome.
They made their way by Perugia, across the fron-
tier to Arezzo, having taken the precaution to cut
the telegraphic wires, to prevent a message being
sent for their arrest. Desertion being punishable
with death—according. to Cardinal Antonelli's
order of the day—this made them peculiarly
anxious to get off safely.
The Duke de Grammont returned to Rome on
Sunday, and is said to have brought renewed as-
surances from the Emperor to his Holiness of per-
sonal protection and political tranquillity. Cardinal
Antonelli was at the duke's reception on Tuesday
evening. The Austrian Ambassador and his corps
of secretaries and attaches are but little seen in
society at present. Baron Hubner is to offer the
congratulations of the Austrian Government to the
you"... King of Naples, and Sir James Hudson will
probably perform the same office for the British
Government, and the Marquis d'Azeglio for Sar-
dinia. It is to be trusted that the renewal of di-
plomatic relations between Naples and the Western
Powers will prove the signal for a more enlight-
ened policy on the part of Francesco 11. than that
so long pursued by his father. The American
screw man-of-war Wabash, 80 guns, left Civita
Vecchia in the beginning of the week for Naples,
at the request of the United States Minister there.
The Macedonia is still at Civita Vecchia.
British ships of war are on the alert everywhere.
The Conqueror is to leave Leghorn for Malta next
week. Captain Yelverton and Commander de
Kantzow of that ship waited upon Prince Napo
at his hotel on Monday last immediately after his
landing.
The Terrible and Centurion are at Naples. The
Scourge has just left that port for Malta. A British
ship of,war is at Ancona also, and the officers and
crew do not seem to be on the best of terms with
the Austrians. This vessel, the steam corvette
Argus, Captain Ingram, eight guns and 150 men,
arrived at Ancona from Malta on the 21st.
A Queen's messenger (Captain Blackwood'
leaves Rome with despatches from Mr. Odo Russel
to-morrow morning.
On Sunday, the 22d inst., at nine o'clock a.m,
Mr. Freeborn, the British Consular agent in Ronk
died at his residence in the Palazzo Lepri, after a
long and painful illness at the advanced age of 73.
Mr. Freeborn was a deputy assistant-commissary
in the British army, and had served under General
Stewart in Calabria and Sicily as a young man at
the beginning of the present century. He was
named Vice-Consul at Rome in 1826, by Mr.
Parke, British Consul at Ancona. In 1831 Jae was
appointed Consular Agent for the city of Rome and
the ports of the Mediterreanean side of the Papal
States, the appointment being made at the recom-
mendation of Sir Brook Taylor, by Lord Palmer-
ston. In consequence of the political condition of
the Roman States since that period, and the want
of a regularly accredited British representative at
the Holy See, diplomatic duties of a very delicate
kind have frequently devolved upon Mr. Freeborn,
although only a consular agent. These duties he
discharged in a manner perfectly satisfactory to
his Government, although his liberal principles
rendered him by no means acceptable to the Go-
vernment of the Roman States. In consequence of
the trying and responsible positions into which
political events here repeatedly threw him, and
especially after the siege of Rome, we facili
i-
tated the departure of many compromisehen h d
i ndiv •
duals who would otherwise have fallen victims to the
reprisals of the restored Government, Mr. Freeborn's
conduct has been frequently discussed in Parlia-
ment, and defended in the House of Commons by
Lord Palmerston, and by the Earl of Minto in the
House of Peers. The deceased gentleman was
interred on the afternoon of the 24th, in the Pro-
g-ground, near the Pyramid of Caius
testant bury-in
Cestius, where the funeral service, performed by
the. Rev. Mr. Watts, was attended by some mem-
bers. of the consular body and by a numerous party
of Mr. Freeborn's personal friends.
It is not yet known who' will be Mr. Freeborn's
successor, but it is reported that the intention of
Government is not to place any one else connected
with business (Mr. Freeborn was a banker) in the
Consular' °fAce. Mr, NPwtoni Vice-Consul at