The Sun. — 1857-12-18 (London, England)

THE ENGLISH PRISONERS AT SALERNO.  Mr. Watt, of Newcastle, the father of one of the British engineers confined in the dungeons of Naples, has received the following letter from the chaplain to the British Embassy at that place : " Naples, Dec. 9. " Sir,—l received your letter on Monday, the fth, and knowing how anxious your son was to hear of all his dear relatives at home, I took the very first opportunity (i.e., yesterday) of going down to Salerno to show it to him ; though it was a Testa, or holiday, and I was in danger of going for nothing, as all officials are generally absent from home on those days. I found that the Procurator-General was from home, but after sending for him in various directions I gained admittance) to the prison. The delay, however, was the cause of my being longer with the prisoners, as it made me too late for the afternoon train, and so I stayed for the evening one, and spent considerabletime in conversation with them. Your arisesn swwh oe nhrs emefed they oho more emenydo etbettercoohaloeonmi ra tpr take kaai aeinv nni endthxsge mteaborl ocetu orike seenet7hc eahabmnenudeothr vhhfe euae dlwvn. ieannswtTt obhl heneai before—though roaselmr —gn pt eurtarophnropoyogot ioesgomerhf: all their fellow-prisoners. Indeed, they all seemed quite cheerful, and conversed freely with the officer who accompanied me, as well as with myself. Your son and his companion, Parks, assured me that they acted by my counsel, and constantly prayed to God to support and relieve them, and read their bible every day ; they also returned lii religious tracts I had lent them, and desired to have some more. So I really trust that their affl ction may, with God's grace, be turned to good account, and that they will for the future be more sincere and earnest disciples of Christ than they have hitherto been, and be able to say with the Holy Psalmist, Blessed is the man, Q Lord, whom thou chastenest ; before I was afflicted I went wrong, but now I have kept thy statutes.' I paid them a second visit the week after I wrote last (Thersday, 26th ult.), and found they had been moved two days to the larger apartment. Yon perhaps have seen in the newspapers a report that one of the prisoners had attempted suicide. I heard this after I returned from my first visit to them ; and therefore, on my second visit, I thought it right to question them about it. Your son eonfeesed that he had so, and, as far as I could learn, he was induced to make the attempt by a melancholy feeling of despondency, which led him to imagine that all was against him. His companion told me it mime from misunderstanding what was said about him by his, companions through his not understanding the Italian lan' guage thoroughly. On the 26th of November I talked very earnestly and seriously to him upon the subject, and he assured me he would never attempt anything of the kind again, and I have good reason to hope he sees it in its true light, and will keep his promise. I talked to him again about it yesterday, and he said cheerfully that there was no danger of such a thing again. lie is evidently of a silent and nervous disposition. I suppose they did not like to confess this sad thing, and so said nothing about it on my first visit. Being permitted by the King of Naples to visit them as a minister of religion, when nobody else was allowed to see them, I did not cross-question them about anything, as it would have been dishonourable to act in any way as a spy. I merely desired them to tell me anything they wished voluntarily ; and their statements I gave you the general summary of in my last letter. Besides my object was chiefly religious,-to load them to take their affliction patiently, and to bear up courageously, in dependence upon God's help and protection ; whereas, if I had spent my visits in questioniug them about grievances, they would have fancied themselves, perhaps, worse treated than they have been, and been irritated and more cast down in spirit, instead of being ca'med or cheered. I therefore, I repeat, only heard and have 'written to you what they told me of their own accord. Yesterday your son said he was very much comforted by your letter 'and those of his friends, which I let him read for himself. lie begged me earnestly to write directly, and send you all his love, and tell you he was well and cheerful. I obtained leave for him to write and send a letter by we, and I promised to wait in the town tes?. hours for him to send it to me if he chose to stfrite! rue did not get any letter from him, and indeed he e ntootunliterstvainridtintghawt htehcxmldannoyt iwnritthee. rather shy and nervous. As I have very. much copy my a minister, and so atclsoufe3ytolur ton's case, or cannot go.titulhouroaugndhlythionutgohtthse 0 D,room,h Perhaps avag es at hemh eadodoi ado little inquiry about the legal par theaisr trial was going nationally. It was not my busuie but for Li. sake I asked the about the justice of the arrest, spsolaintidcalllyahaanudld internationally. by interfering in it ; oPnr,oac ua rdaquickly as possible. The forms of justice are Blow in this country, but I think the utmost will be done for them, as the British Government have exerted theinsi lees very much on the ltiueriGoledniee7li it yesterday was Proceeding subj,,ct and her Majesty's Acting Consul at Naples went down to Salerno last week and the week before. Ia twi on onl .hwro thinkatayvyoeau wwrainit tdtnee onl wbwthi in very a when uvler nrnsyyaot nvhgeing eaanty havesnorehaste, your tert t le eau tenl t all de particular syou,have an vi oe rbu o I not time to look over my letter, as I wish to save the post to-Jay, otherwise I cannot send my letter before Saturday ; but I hope I have written so as to be understood by you.  " Yours faithfully, " G. Pous, Chaplain.„