The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-16 00:00:00

THE AFFAIRS OP NAPLES.

OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.

On Saturday the correspondence rulating to the affairs
:
of Napics, extending from May 19 to November 15,
last year, was issued as a Pail
amentary paper. The
roturn embraces 47 communications. Oa May 19, last
year, Lord Clarendon wrote to Sir Will:am Temple, at
Naples, setting forth the grounls on which her
Majesty's Government recommended the Government
.f the Two Sicilies to grant a general amnesty, and to
adopt an improved administrative system. Sir William
Temple acknowledges the receipt of this despatch, and
communicates the result of his interview with the Neapo-
litan Minister. The report of M. Brennier, the French
representative, who acted with Sir William, is also
given. Then follows a memorandum received from
friends of political prisoners by Sir William Temple, re-
lating their sufferings, and communicated to the Neapo-
litan Government. Sir William Temple sends also re-
ports of the trials at the grand criminal con/ t, and the
representa'ions made from time to time by M. Carafa to
the English and French Government', with the results.
Between July 31 and Oct. 27 the correspondence from
Naples to our Government is conducted by Mr. Petre.
The letters of this gentleman include observations on the
political state of the kingdom, the results of the trials, the
sufferings of Poario and others, the facA connected with
the rupture, of the diplomatic relations, and the depar-
ture of the French and English representatives from
the capital. Mr. Petre, in a special despatch, expresses
his grateful sense of the perfect cordiality and frankness
which he has met with from Baron Brennier, who re-
ceives accordingly the acknowledgment of her Ma-
jesty's Government.
The subjoined is the despatch with which the corres-
pondence commences :

"No. 1.
" THE EARL OF CLARENDON TO SIR W. TEMPLE.
"Foreign-office, May 19, 1856.
" Sir,—The 221 protocol of the Conferences lately
held at Paris, which has been published, will have
proved to the Neapolitan Government the anxiety felt
by the Congress in regard to the present state of the
Italian peninsula.
" This anxiety, and a orofund conviction of tne im-
minent danger with which Italy is threatened can alone
justify her Majesty's Government in deviating from that
princirle of wh ch they are the first to recognise the im-
portance—that no foreign power hai a right to interfere
in the internal affairs of another state ; and the govern-
ment of the King of the Two Sicilies may be assured
that, in offering advice for the regulation of its internal
affairs, the Government of her Majesty is actuated by
friendly feelings, and the persuasion that not only the
stability of the ipilian monarchy, but the general peace
of Europe; will be endangered by a perseverance in that
system of internal administration which now exists in
the Neapolitan dominions.
" The Neapolitan Government cannot be unmindful of
the threatening aspect of affairs in Sicily, where the
slightest accident may at any moment rouse into action
the ill suppressed feelings of the people. It must also
be aware that there is a point beyond which popular
feeling cannot with safety be repressed, and that a sys-
tem of rigour may fail to be effective-at.the very moment
when the results sought to be at-aintia by it would be
most essential for the security of the ex.sting dynasty.
" It is, then, in a true spirit of friendship that her
Majesty's Government would recommend the government
of the Two Sicilies to enter upon a new course cf inter-
ternal policy, to endeavour by a general amnesty to rally
round the throne those who have been alienated fro*na it
by systematic distrust, and in too many cases by un-
merited persecution, and to inspire al persons, irrespec-
tive of their political opinions, with confidence that
justice will be duly administered, and that their personal
liberty and their property will be respected.
"The attention of Europa is now directed towards
Italy as the quarter from whence, more than from any
other, the general peace now happily restored is likely
again to be disturbed. _ The Powers cf Europe feel that
they have a right to employ alt the means at their dis-
posal to avert a calamity so grievous as the renewal of
war, and the means they may decide on adopting for
that purpose will be just.fied by necessity.
"Her Majesty's Government indulge a hope that the
Neapolitan Government will take into their consideration
whether it would not be prudent, frankly at once, to
adopt a new system which would relieve Europe from
anxiety, and improve the relations of Naples with fo-
reign Powers. Its present system is a barrier to the
friendly relations between Great Britain and Naples
which her Majesty's Government anxiously desire to
re-establish ; and the Neapolitan Government may be
assured that those relations would be rendered more per-
manent and secure by the adoption of a policy which
would be more in harmony with the spirit of the age,
and would place the King's throne on a solid founda-
tion by promoting the happiness and encouraging the
loyalty of his pe-ple.
" You will add that her Majesty's Government look
with the utmost anxiety to the answer which may be re-
turned to the communication which, in conjunction
with your French colleague, you are now instructed to
make the Napolitean Minister, for Foreign Affairs.
" You will read and give a copy of this despatch to
the Neapolitan Minister for Forego Affairs.—l am, &c.,
" (Signed) CLARENDON."

The following extract from a despatch from Lord
Clarendon to the Admiralty, dated October 10, thus ex•
plain s the object of a naval demonstration.
" I am now to signify to your lordships her Majes-
ty's pleasure that a British naval force should be held in
readiness at Malta for the protection of British interests
in the Neapolitan dominions, in case those interests
should suffer prf-jatlioe after the withdrawal of her
Majesty's mission from Naples.
" The commatder of that force should be directed to
despatch a steam-vessel from time to time, so as to keep
up a frequent communication with her Majesty's consuls
at Naples, and the principal consular s:ations in the
island of Sicily ; and if any circumstasces should prise
which call for the active interposition of ber Majesty's
naval forces for the protection of British interests, the
earliest pc,ssille notice thereof is to be conveyed to her
Majesty's Government through Marseilles ; and the com-
mander of the squadron will hold his ships in readiness
to carry out, without loss of time, any instructions which
may be sent to him by your lordships, but without such
instructions he will not appear with the line-of-battle
ships off the coasts of the Neapolitan dominions.
" Her Majesty's Government have reason to believe
that corresponding arrangements will be made by the
French Government ; and I have only to add tbat the
commanders of her Majesty's ships, either collectively or
separately, will endeavour to azt in entire crncert with
the commanders of French vessels engaged on the same
service, and will look after French interests equally with
those of her Majesty's subjects, in the accidental absence
of a French ship of war."
On the same date Earl Clarendon sent the following
despatch to Mr. Petre
_

" No. 27.
" THE EARL QF CLARENDON TO MR. PETRE.
" FOI eign Office, Oct 10, 1856.
"Sir,—lt is with regret that her Majesty's Govern-
ment have arrived at the conviction that the Neapolitan
Government do not intend to modify the system which
prevails throughout the dominions of the King of the
Two Sicilies, and which formed the subject of my de-
spatch of the 19th of May last to Sir Wm. Temple.
"The advice contained in that despatch was offered in
a friendly spirit, and in terms that could give no offence
to the Neapolitan Government.
"for Majesty's Government felt themselves justified
in offering that advice, upon considerations of general
interest, and with a sincere desire to establish between
England and Naples relations of greater cordiality than
those which for some time past have existed.
" The reply of the Neapolitan Government was nei-
ther courteous nor satisfactory, and proved that the mo-
tives and intentions of her Majesty's Government had
been completely misunderstood ; but, as the painful im-
pression which it created was not unknown to the Nea-
politan Government, we had hoped that our abstinence
from again pressing our advice upon the Neapolitan Go-
vernment might have induced that Government, sponta-
neously, to adopt measures in accordance with the
puin-
ciples upon which the communication of her Majesty's
Govereinent had been founded. Her Majesty's Govern-
ment would have greatly preferred that such a course of
proceeding should have been pursued, for they have
no wish needlessly to interfere in the affairs of Naples,
and a sense of duty alone impelled them 'to suggest
certain changes and improvements in the internal po-
licy of that Government, They accordingly waited in
sileuce for several weeks, in the hope that more prudent
counsels might have prevailed at Naples ; but their
expectations have been disappointed. A tardy apology
uwei as
wast as
un
for the first reply of the Neapolitan Government has,
indeed, been received, not apparently suggested by a
sense of propriety on the part of the Neapolitan Go-
vernment, but called forth by reports received from
Vienna
satiaf andooy a r is.
apology,main n vevri,ew is just
objectsla
the despatch of M. Carafa to Prince Carini of the 30th
of June, and her Majesty's government, therefore, in
ait r Pacorjunction with the Government of the Emperor of the
French, are of opinion that diplomatic relations can no
longer be maintained with a Government which rejects
all friendly warning, and is determined to persevere in
s to Thisthe
a course which is condemned by all civilised nations.
"You will, therefore, upon the receipt of this de-
spatch,. prepare to quit Naples with the members of the
legation, leaving the archives in the care of her Ma-
jesty's consul.
" Similar instructions will be addressed to the French

minister.
" But, in order that the interests of British subjects
in the Neapolitan territory may not be left without ade-
quate protection, a British squadron will be held in
readiness at Malta, and the commander of that squad-
ron will be directed to despatch a steam-vessel from time
to time, to communicate with her Majesty's consuls at
Naples and at the ports of the Island of Sicily, in
order to ascertain that British interests are not preju-
diced by the interruption of diplomatic relations between
the two countries.
A French squv.dron will be held in readiness at
Toulon, the commander of which will receive correspon-
ding instructions for periodical visits to the ports of
Naples and Sicily, with a view to the protection of
French interests.
"You will read and give a copy of this despatch to
M. Carafa, and you will quit Naples as soon after that
as you can make your arrangements for doing so.!'
The following, from Mr. Metre, will give eome idea of
the details communicated respecting the sufferings of the
prisoners :

" No 39.
"MR. pETRE TO THE EARL OF CLAttENDON.-(RogriED
NOV. 1.)

" -Naples, Oct. 27, 1856.
"My Lord,—I regret unfeignedly
in this, one of my
net despatches to ;your lordship, to have to record the
physical sufferings of Carlo Poerio.
" For some time past he had been suffering from a
tumour on the spine, arising in great measure, I believe,