The Sun.
London, England, 1850-06-27 00:00:00

ITALY.

The Corriere Mercantile contains a letter from
Naples of the 17th, from which it appears that the
account we gave yesterday from the Marseilles
papers, of an accident which had taken place at
Naples, was exaggerated. It appears that the rocf
of an old building, formerly used as a granary, and
turned into a barrack, fell in on the 16th, burying
eighty soldiers under the ruins. The King imme-
dirtely went to the spot, accompanied by a single
general.
The Risorgimento of rurin quotes correspondence
from Naples of thu 13,:o, giving an account of the
commencement of !:he trial of the persons accuFed of
belonging to the political sect of the Unita ltaliana.
The trial commenced on the Ist instant, at nom),
before the Grand Court. The prisoners entered the
hall manackel, and were placed in a row between
two files of gendarmes. The Grand Court was com-
posed of eight judges and three substitutes. Among
the accused, forty-two in number, were five ecclesi-
astics, one of whom was the Arch-i'riest Miele.
There were also among them Signor Carafe, of the
duchy of Andrin, Count Pcerio, Signors Settembrini,
Nisco, Pironti, Persico, Leinnecher, Gualttiri, Agresti,
Ureic°, Bariila, &c. there were twenty-two
counsel for the defence ; Sig. Navarro, President of
the Court, opened the case ; his speech lasted three
hours. On the second day they act of accusation was
read, in which, however, some points were suppressed,
among which the assertion that Count Mamiani was
at the head of the sect. The examination of the
defendants was then commenced, and lasted the whole
d:sy. The proceedings were adjourned, on account
of one cf the prisoners, Leinnecher, being seized with
a dangerous fever.
The Concordia of Turin of the 221 gives a few
extracts of an official note from the Marquis d'Aze-
gdo to Cardinal Antonelli, in which the former
Ljustifies the abolition of ecclesiastical privileges,

and the condemnation of Archbishop Franzen',
which the cardinal had lrotssted against in
his last note. The Marquis cl'Azeglio declares
that in the facts complained of by the Holy See,
" the action of the cabinet and of the different
powers of the State has been rigorously restrained
within the limit of their respective rights and
duties," and that "no other way was open
to uphold the former and fulfil the latter." He
further expresses a hope that the conduct of
the Piedroontese clergy will be such as "to avoid
placing his Majesty's Government under the disagree-
able necessity of obeying their duty in this respect,
from the fultilment of which Llone depend the respect
of subjects towards the authorities, their obedience to
the laws, and the order and tranquillity of the state."
The general tenor of the note is temperate and
dignified.

THE GREATEST DISCOVERY OF
THE AGE."
We find in an American newspaper an article under
the above title, on an alleged discovery of a new mode
of decomposing water, and of obtaining from it the
means of illumination and of heating, at a cost so
trifling as must put a stop to the use of coal! There
is frequently so much grave waggery in American
newspapers, that we are never quite sure whether we
are reading a serious narrative or a clever joke ; but
the following article certainly does not look like a
jeu tre.sprit. As to the amount of truth contained in
it, we must leave our readers to judge for themselves,
merely rematking that, if it is true, the discovery is
indeed " the greatest of the age."
(From the Boston Daily Transcript of the Bth inst.)
It all that has recently been aid of the discovery, by
Mr. Elenry M. PAine of the decomposition of water, and
the production of on ieflammablo, gas, that is sale and •
easily managed, and can ho applied to domes.ic uses, be
true, then this must attain par eminence the rank we
have assigned it at the head of this article. A
couple of gentlemen of this city, a few days since,
addressed a ',Ater to Mr. P.Ane, making in-
quiries on the subject of this gas. In reply, he
with much courted, invited them to come to Worcester,
information
show its operation, and
on the!), might desire. Oa
gwilvieerethheei
actwoannyld.
Thursday ecuaing, Vies° gentlemen visited Worcester;
and their report is, that they were well repaid for their
journey. They learned from Mr. Paine that he had dis-
posed of the right to use his invention in the United
S'a'es to parties of gentlemen in Brv.on and New York.
lie was very corn teous, and gave the gentlemen all the
iniormation he could, without infringing oa the rights
the new proprietors.
A fortnight since, he would have been pleased to have
shown the entire instrument; but as the matter nos,
stands, he did not Lel at liberty to show it. We un-
derst%nd that steps have been taken to secure patents iu
Europe; and when secured, the right of use will to
ofti-!red for sale at a cost within the means of all.

Mr. Paine does Oct dein the discovery of t;eiiom•
posing w-t.t..r, which was known 65 years ago; but he
does claim the discovery of a new principle of elec-
tricity, by which the eel3uipcsition of water is very
rapidly prodaced at a merely nominal cost. An
hour was spent in hearing him discourse upon
the subject, and, if all he claims for the discovery is
verified, itcannot grail to revolutionise many departments
of modern commerc, To see the purest flame, so clear
th,,t the faintest tintl of blue and green can be readily
dt-tiuguished, and of such a quality, thit tlir, eye is net
pained in pv en it, e,-:rt,,inly sp,,aks well for the su-
periority of the lil ht, It burns with an even and steady
consumption, about one cubic foot in three or four hours,
suthetrot to light a common-sized room. There is no
smell or smoke to the gas. The flAtue is opaque, and
the 6 cover of the jet tremendous.
During the last winter, Mr. Paine erected a light-
house upon a hill in front of his house, frorn which he
directed the ra3s, by a rellmtor, to a vitla4e opposite
WorceAer, and one mile and a sixth distant in au air
line. The light was so powerful, that persona in the
village could read by
Another iitistraion of the character of this light is
in the fact, that an excellent daguerreotype has been
taken by it.
Mr. Paine exhibitad the stove which wa-med his room.