The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-07 00:00:00

How would they, Englishmen, like to have this
country parcelled out, and foreign soldiers put in
possession ? How would they like to be tortured
and imprisoned—(indignant cries of " No")—not
only they themselves tortured, but those nearest and
dearest to them also. (Shame.) That was the case
with the Austrians in North Italy. But there was
a certain excuse for them—they were foreigners,
and did not care what they did with the inhabi-
tants. They made the Italians pay for the sticks
with which they beat them ! After they had flogged
them they sent in the bill to the family. (Oh.) But
when they came to Southern Italy, under what was
called the Italian stock, the House of Buurbon, they
exercised the most abominable tyranny. With one
exception—the Pope's government of Rome—they
were the worst governors in the world. They would
be shocked if he were to tell them of the horrible
barbarities whiCh they practised. At Palermo they
had iron caps and screws with which they tortured.
People were bound in iron chains and pans of heated
charcoal were put to their feet! (Expressions of
horror.) This was to extort confession. One act of
torture
was specially savage. It was performed by
Maniscalchi, the head of the police at Palermo. He
wanted to get some information with regard to
the males of the family. He took the mother
and a child, put one on one side of the room and
the other on the other side of the room,
and then told the mother that if she would not
confess she should see the child die before
her eyes. (Oh.) Yet when Garibaldi got posses-
sion of Palermo this Maniscalchi actually came to
him and begged of him that he would protect him.
He thought the General was too good a man. He
did protect his life. This Maniscalchi put on a red
shirt to screen him, and he was taken to the fortress.
He (Colonel Peard) was no admirer of revolution,
though he had done his best to dethrone a monarch,
nay, he had done his best to dethrone more than
one. (A laugh.) But, said the speaker, they were
such monarchs that he was proud to do his best to
dethrone them. He might be wrong. (No.) There
was a lawyer sitting by his side, and he would set
him right if he was. (A laugh.) He thought there
was a mutual compact between prince and people.
(Hear.) They had done the same thing in England.
Therefore they could not blame the Italians. They
(England) did it in 1688. What was the result ?
(Cheers.) Why, they had a Government and a Queen
of whom they might justly be proud. They had their
laws duly administered, without favour and with-
out affection. The law was supreme. Therefore
they were free. (Cheers.) In Southern Italy, in
the greater part of Italy, in every part of Italy
except Sardinia, there was no law, there was no
freedom. What did they think the salaries of the
judges in Southern Italy were ? (Hear.) The judges
of the second class—he did not know what they
would call them—got £36 a•year. (Great laughter.)
They only got £36 a-year. (Oh !) But it was paid
quarterly. He didn't know, it might be paid
monthly. (Great laughter.) Could they expect a
judge to support himself and his family as he ought ?
(A laugh.) But he (the judge) kept his carriage
and horses. (Oh !) He lived as a judge ought to do.
(Oh !) Could he do it out of £36 a-year ? No, he
did it by taking bribes from his clients. He went to
the district where he was appointed. He called on
the butcher and said, " Very glad to see you. lam
come here as judge. (Oh !) He says, " Signor, I
am very happy to see you." " You may be engaged
in some quarrel with those who deal with you."
"Yes," says the butcher, " very probable, Signor
Judge." " Well," says Signor the Judge, " I shall
deal with you—(a laugh)—l shall have my meat of
you." (Laughter.) " A very high honour, Signor
Judge," replies the butcher. The judge walks away
and pays nothing for his meat, but he always gives
his decisions in favour of the butcher. So he (Signor
the Judge) goes through every department of trade.
Such was the effect of appointing such officials upon
such stipends. The Government wished to show
that they were carrying on the Government in a
very economical way. But they pocketed immense
sums. (Oh!) That 'was a sample of the Government
they had in Italy. There was no communication
throughout the country, with the exception of the
great posting roads. He would give them an in-
stance of how they made roads. In Sicily they com-
menced a road between Palermo and Messina. It
was to be 250 miles long, but of this 60 miles yet
remained to be completed. Yet they began it in
1822, and Government had drawn, in taxes, for
the purpose of making it, £18,000,000 sterling !
That was for making 250 miles, of which 60 were
still to be made, or at least over which wheels
could not go. That was one instance of the pa-
ternal Government of the late King of Naples
and his family. Colonel Peard then referred
to the brigandage which was being carried
on in Italy, and of which they saw so much in the
papers. These were not the regular brigands, re-
specting whom the speaker related some amusing
anecdotes, and into whose hands he believed a for-
mer M.P. for this county, Mr. Pendarves, once fell.
The present brigands were the miserable creatures
of Francisco. They were characterised as cowardly
assassins, equal to any cruel work. They were
guilty of every enormity, and pillaged and destroyed
what they could. But a finer, honester set of bri-
gands than those of Calabria could not exist ! (A
laugh.) After further observations upon these
" honest brigands," Col. Peard proceeded to speak
of the King's Government. It had been stated that
it was unpopular. He said that it was no such
thing. He had not been out of Italy two months,
and he said that it was not at all unpopular except
in the case of a few discontented men who had lost
their employment because they were dishonest.
These were the only men interested in keeping up
disturbances. He had only one observation to make
about the popularity of the late King of Naples,
Francis 11. Garibaldi came a distance of 150 miles
to Naples, and he was only accompanied by eight
followers. He had no soldiers within 100 miles of
him. The whole city rose as one man to receive
and welcome him. The troops of the fallen dynasty
were in the fortress, looking through the embra-
sures. He (Garibaldi) went through the city, under
the very guns of the fortress, but there was no
hostile shot. All that was heard was the cry of
" Liberty ! " He thought that by means of trade
they would be able to cultivate the most intimate
relations and understanding with Italy. (Hear.)
There was a great nation—France—that went to
war for an "idea." But this idea was rather a
solid one. (A laugh.) Their idea was a couple of
nice provinces. He thought they (England) might
assist Italy with an " idea." They would take
their produce instead of their provinces. (Cheers.)
He didn't know any produce of Italy that
wouldn't be of use to us. (Hear.) Did they
want hemp for their cordage and sails for their
ships ? Italy would supply them with it, and
that of finer quality than Russia. He had seen it
seven or eight feet high. After enumerating other
articles, he said, Did they want bilk ? They had
hundreds of square miles planted with the mul-
berry tree for the silkworm. Did they want cotton?
in South Italy they might grow
any amount they
eqiud let eo
fa
thelittle t flan mu
tiiley
quarrel going on on .
whears
wanted. At present tthheereot
(Laughter, and hear, hear.) It might be found
rather unpleasant to us in getting oar supply of
cotton. (Hear.) But if they turned to Italy he
thought that with three or four years' cultivation
they would get as much as they wanted. It was
said to be a short fibre cotton ; but that was no-
thing, as doubtless it could be improved as we
wanted it. (Hear.) Did we want timber for ship
building ? Well, we could not get finer oak any-
where. It was the oak which was most valued in
ship building. (Cheers.) Did they want corn P
Under the beautiful sky of Italy the husbandman
could cultivate his fields, and depend p
weather. He could look forward to threeu months
the
fine weather, with the exception of an occasional
thunder shower or storm. They could get corn, oats,
barley, As to wines, the wines of Italy equalled,