The Sun.
London, England, 1861-10-08 00:00:00

NAPLES.

A communication from Naples, 2d October, says ;
—" For some weeks past the party of action have
been preparing to offer us a demonstration extraor-
dinary for the anniversary of the battle of the Vol-
turno. M. Petrucelli Della Gatina, a deputy of
the Parliament, and a clever and cutting writer,
pointed out the real character of this manifestation
in a late number of the Nomade. 'lt appears to

us,' ho said, that it is time to have done with those
organised manifestations, and with those theatrical
evolutions which have no other merit than that of
trying the patience of the gendarmes and of the
agents of public safety—manifestations which only
give pain to serious men, and excite smiles of pity
from enemies and the indifferent. Those who com-
prehend the honour of the country, and who possess
any feelings of dignity, ought to abstain from
taking part in the acts of the ltalianissimi crOpera
Contica.' This article obtained an immense
success, and on the following day the Popoli
d'ltalia, the organ of the party of action,
published a very violent reply. Yesterday morn-
ing, about 10 o'clock, M. Petrucelli was at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, searching among the
archives for matter for his History of Naples, when
a person, a stranger to him, came and requested him
to descend to the street and speak to a gentleman
who wished to see him. M, Petrucelli replied that
he could not derange himself without knowing who
it was that wanted him. A quarter of an hour
after, another person came with the same request,
and received a similar reply. A few minutes after,
M. Nicotera, a colleague of M. Petrucelli in the
Parliament, entered, and a deplorable personal
struggle took place between them. M. Petrucelli
refused to go out into the street, and told M.
Nicotera that, if he had anything to say, he
might find him at his residence at any hour he
would appoint. M. Nicotera replied by striking
M. Petrucelli a 'violent blow on the head with a
cane, which broke his spectacles. The latter e-
turned the blow with his fist ; the attendants in-
terfered, and the two deputies were parted. A
Commissary of Police was called in to arrest M.
Nicotera as the aggressor, but the latter invoked
his quality of deputy, and walked away. This
scene has produced a very painful impression. A
duel is inevitable, and will take place at Pausilippo.
The conditions will be decided on to-day by the
seconds. M. Libertini, a deputy, and M. Albert
Mario (husband of Miss White), have been chosen
by M. Nicotera ; while M. Petrucelli has fixed on
M. Alexandre Dumas and M. Cassola, formerly an
emigrant."
A postscript of the same letter adds :
" Yesterday the four seconds were unable to come
to any decision, MM. Dumas and Mario having
declared themselves incompetent to judge the affair
according to Neapolitan usages. They, accordingly,
called in the assistance of Baron Gallotti and the
Duke San•Donato to form a jury of honour, charged

with deciding as to the necessity and conditions of
the duel."

VEN ICE.

A letter from Venice of the 29th ult. says :—" It
has been stated that three ladies, the Countess
Labia, Mme. Secondi, and Mute. Gargnatii had
allowed themselves to be locked up in prison, rather
than pay fines to which they had been condemned
for having attended, dressed in mourning, a mass
in honour of Count Cavour. The last two have
since been discharged from confinement, and a
grand demonstration has been made in their favour
by the mega notable persons of the city—upwards
of a thousand visiting cards and numerous bouquets
having been left at each of their houses. The
Countess Labia is still in prison, the condemnation
on her having been more severe than theirs. The
desertions from the Italian army have considerably
declined, and I learn from the frontier that for
some days past none have been remarked. I am
even assured that SGMC of the Neapolitans who
crossed the Mincio, and had been incorporated in
the Austrian army, were so ashamed at the recep-
tion given them by the populations, that they have
gone back to the Italian ranks. The Austrian army
has been much reduced, owing to numerous de-
tachments having been sent towards Hungary and
Montenegro: it does not now greatly exceed 100,000
men, distributed in the different provinces."