The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-04 00:00:00

OUTWARD MAILS.

The Indus, from Southampton, on the 20th of
December, reached Malta on the 30th at 6 p.m.
Left at midnight for Alexandria.

The Valetta (from Marseilles 28th) arrived at
Malta on the 31st, at 10 a.m., and left at 2 p.m. for
Alexandria.

The Ganges delivered the London mail of the
20th (26th) of September in Hong Kong on the 14th
of November.

The Colombo, with the English mail of the 20th
(26th) of October reached Calcutta on the 29th of
November.

The Emeu, with London mail of the 4th (10th)
of November, left Ceylon for China on the 7th of

December.

The Nemesis, with tie same dates, left Madras
for Calcutta on the, 10th December.

THE DECREE. OF AMNESTY IN THE

NEAPOLITAN STATES.

On the day before his departure for Turin Vic-
tor Emmanuel signed the following decree :
"Considering that the political sentences passed
in the Neapolitan and Sicilian provinces, from May
15, 1848, to June 25, 1860, were repugnant no less
to the public right solemnly sanctioned in the king-
dom than to the statutes, and laws established and
valid in it,
"Considering in consequence that it was neither
suitable nor just that the pains and punishments
pronounced in the aforesaid sentences, offending as
they did the laws and public conscience, should
still preserve a trace of their presence in the con=
dition of the, citizens, and under a free Government
should be able on any pretext whatsoever to be
cited for creating any special detriment or other
consequences depending on or occasioned by the
said judgments :

" On the proposition of our. Keeper of the Seals,
Ministers of Grace and Justice and Ecclesiastical
Affairs, the King has ordered that the sentences
for political crimes passed in the Neapolitan or
Sicilian provinces, from May 15, 1848, to June 15,
1860, shall be cousidered null and void' as, regards
forfeiture and pains, and the interdiction of civil or
political rights, and also all the consequences
indicated in the 17th article of the penal lavirs
valid in the said provinces.

ADDRESS TO KING FRANCIS 11.
The following address from the officers of the
garrison of Gaeta was presented to King Francis 11.
on Christmas-day:—
" Sire,--In the midst of the unfortunate events,
of which we have been made the afflicted and
indignant spectators through the sadness of the
times, we, the undersigned, officers of the garrison
of Gaeta, come, united in one firm will, to renew
the homage of our faith before your throne,
rendered as it is more venerable and splendid
through misfortune.

" In girding on the sword we swore that the
flag confided to us by your Majesty should be
defended by us even at the cost of our blood.
To this oath we mean to remain faithful, whatever
the privations, sufferings, and dangers may be, to
which the voice of our chiefs oalls us; we shall
sacrifice our fortunes joyfully, our lives and every
other possession, for the success or needs of the
common cause. Jealous guardians of that military
honour which alone distinguishes the soldier from
the bandit, we wish to show to your Majesty and
to all Europe that, if many amongst us have by
treason and cowardice sullied the name of the Nea-
politan army, great, too, was the number of those
who endeavoured to transmit it pure and spotless
to posterity.

" Whether our destiny be near its decision, or
whether a long period of sufferings and contests
still awaits us, we shall brave our fate with docility
and without fear ; with the proud and dignified
calm that becomes soldiers; we shall herald the
joys of triumph, or shall go to the death of the brave,
uttering our old cry of Long live the King !'