the cowardice and treason of the officer in command of the post. This document, which bore the signature" Avezzano," stated that, On the night of the 21st, a handful of the enemy penetrated to a narrow circle of our walls, and there took up a position. This deplorable fact must not be attributed to the valour of the enemy, nor to the cowardice of our troops, because we know that it was accomplished under the shade of night, and by means of a secret understanding with the officer who held the post, and who belonged to the second battalion of the Regiment of the Union. The coward who betrayed his trust, and abandoned the second bastion from the Porta S. Pancrazio, and thus left open a passage to the enemy, has been delivered up to a court-martial, will be tried, and, if found guilty, be treated with the utmost rigour of military law."

As a specimen of the style of address by which the democratic leaders in Rome strove to kindle the courage and enthusiasm of the citizens, we give the following proclamation, about the same time issued by the Triumvirate :

After a vigorous cannonade of thirty hours, silence was restored. No one imagined that France would, like a thief in the night, steal into our city; but it did so, and succeeded to a certain point. From the Porta Portese to the Porta S. Pancrazio the soldiers stole up in twos and threes, all protected by the darkness and silence of night, and entering by holes made in the walls, got possession of a bastion badly guarded by our troops. The first break of day showed them to us endeavouring to fortify themselves where VOL. XCI.

"At the first alarm in rushed the people. The enemy is within!'" Without consideration for the number of the enemy, without any regard for themselves, they ran to the point of danger. The bell of the Capitol tolled loud and heavily. The city rose up in mass, and every man flew to his appointed post.

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· Romans !-In the darkness of night, by means of treason, the enemy has set foot on the breach! Arise, Rome! Arise, ye people, in your might! Destroy him; fill the breach with his carcass! Blast the enemy-the accursed of God, who dare touch the sacred walls of Rome!

"Whilst Oudinot resorts to this infamous act, France rises up and recalls its troops from this work of invasion. One more effort, Romans, and the country is saved for ever! Rome, by its constancy, regenerates all Europe.

"In the name of your fathers, in the name of your future hopes, arise, and give battle! Arise, and conquer! One prayer to the God of the strong!-one thought to your faithful brethren!-one hand to your gun! Every man becomes a hero. This day decides the fate of Rome and the Republic!

"MAZZINI. "ARMELLINI. "SAFFI."

About three o'clock in the morn. ing of the 1st of July, after a prolonged cannonade of forty-eight hours, the breach in the bastion was declared practicable, and two columns of attack, one from the trenches in front, and another from the rampart already in possession [X]

of the French, rushed forward at the same moment, and, after a severe struggle, secured a firm footing on the walls. The position was defended by the Romans for a few minutes with desperation; but all resistance was unavailing against the impetuous attack of the French troops, and 400 of the garrison were bayonetted on the spot, and 230 prisoners taken; the French losing at the same time 60 killed, and having about 100 wounded. Thirteen pieces of artillery found in the bastion were spiked, and then the position was abandoned, as so destructive a fire was opened on it from a battery established just above the Porta S. Pancrazio, that it was no longer tenable. The French then commenced a vigorous cannonade on the bastion No. 9 and the battery, intending to make on the following day a general assault, and carry the city by storm. The Triumvirate, however, saw that defence was no longer practicable, and at five P.M. a courier arrived from the city at the camp, with a despatch from General Roselli to General Oudinot, which contained the following decree, just issued at Rome" The Assembly ceases a defence which has become impossible, and remains at its post. It charges the Triumvirate with the execution of the present decree." Soon afterwards the Commanderin-Chief of the French army received from General Roselli a request for a suspension of hostili ties, as a deputation from the Roman Municipality was about to be sent to head-quarters. The deputation arrived about ten o'clock at night, and in the mean time the French ceased their fire, and I waited until the arrival of M. de

Courcelles, the envoy from France, who alone was empowered to make definitive arrangements, and who, not anticipating so speedy a conclusion of the affair, had a short time previously left the camp.

the

No further difficulty, however, occurred, and on the 3rd of July,. General Oudinot entered Rome at the head of his staff. He immediately issued a proclamation complaining of hostile clamours raised against his troops; declaring all powers of the state to be united in the military authorities; dissolving the Assembly; and declaring that "the Assembly, Government, whose violent and oppressive reign began with ingratitude and terminated in an impious appeal to arms against a nation friendly to the Roman population, the clubs, and political associations, have ceased to exist." General Rostolan was appointed Governor of the city, and he took active measures to prevent any attempt at riot or disturbance. Soon afterwards the Pope sent a letter to General Oudinot, in which he said that a narrative of the events that had occurred in his Pontificate, of which he transmitted an account, would "sufficiently prove that the triumph of the French army had been gained over the enemies of human society, and of itself awaken sentiments in the minds of every right-thinking man in Europe, and in the whole world."

Certainly his Holiness did not evince much disposition to conciliate his rebellious subjects. He did not return to Rome himself, but sent three commissioners, the Cardinals Della Genga, Vanicelli, and Altieri, into whose hands General Oudinot, on the 3rd of August, committed the entire civil

administration of affairs, while he reserved to himself the task of watching over the public tranquillity. These Cardinal Commissioners, by two decrees issued on that day, dissolved all the provincial municipalities; restored the tribunals subverted by the late Provisional Government, and dissolved those established in their stead; dismissed all public servants appointed by that power, and restored the old officials; issued a commission of inquisition into the character and conduct of public bodies; and decreed that the paper of the illegitimate power should be current at a depreciation of 35 per cent.

The Pope, some time afterwards, issued a proclamation, which was designated by the name of motu proprio, whereby, after declaring his intention to establish institutions calculated to insure to his well-beloved subjects suitable liberties, and, at the same time, his determination to preserve intact, "in the face of the universe," his own independence, he announced the following measures as the reforms which he proposed to grant:

"1. A Council of State, to give its advice on all bills before they are submitted to the Sovereign

sanction.

"2. A Consulta di Stato for the finances, to determine all matters relating to the budget, the expenses to be incurred, the reduction of taxes, or the establishment of new ones, &c.

"3. The institution of Provincial Councils is confirmed; the members to be selected from lists presented by the Communal Councils; they are to discuss the local inte

rests of the province, the local expenses, &c.

"4. The municipal bodies are to enjoy the widest possible liberties compatible with the local interest of the communes.

"5. Reforms and ameliorations are to be effected in the law institutions, as well as in civil, criminal, and administrative legislation. A Commission is to be named for that purpose.

"6. An amnesty is to be granted with certain restrictions."

This promised amnesty was published by the Cardinal Commissioners; and the restrictions consisted in the exception of the following persons from participation in its benefit: the members of the Provisional Government; the members of the Constituent Assembly who took part in the deliberations of that Assembly; the members of the Triumvirate and of the Government of the Republic; the heads of the military corps; all persons who, having already been amnestied, had broken their word of honour by taking part in the late political disorders; and, lastly, those who, in addition to political offences, had been guilty of private offences provided for by the ordinary laws. As may be easily imagined, such an amnesty did not increase the popularity of the Pope and his advisers, and the placards containing its announcement were everywhere torn down from the walls.

Nothing further of importance occurred during the remainder of the year, and the Pope still remains at Gaeta, either from real mistrust of his subjects, or to signify his displeasure at their rebellious conduct.

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The Governments of Great Britain and France deeply deplored the calamities which a renewal of hostilities in Sicily was inevitably calculated to produce, but they did not deem the case to be one which justified a forcible interference on their part, to prevent the King of Naples from em. ploying the means at his command for the purpose of re-establishing his authority in Sicily. The expedition therefore sailed, and the operations of the Neapolitan troops against Messina were begun and carried on without in terruption; and if hostilities had been conducted according to the usual practice of civilized nations, and had solely been directed against armed opponents, instead of being equally aimed at the extermination of the unresisting and helpless inhabitants, the naval commanders would no doubt have continued to preserve their neutral position. But the barbarities com mitted at Messina revolted the feelings of the British and French admirals; and, unable to stand by and remain passive spectators of such scenes as were then acting, those officers took upon themselves the responsibility of calling

upon the contending parties to establish a suspension of hostilities, with a view to negotiation under the auspices of their two Governments such armistice to last until it was known that their act would be sanctioned by their Governments. Both the British and the French Governments have felt that they could not do otherwise than confirm the steps taken by the naval commanders, and consider it, therefore, to be absolutely necessary that the armistice should remain in force while the negotiations may be going on, and until further instructions are received from them on the subject. The influence which the representatives of the two Powers may be able to exert upon the Sicilians must entirely depend upon the nature of the conditions which they may be empowered by the Neapolitan Government to propose at Palermo. If these conditions were insufficient, they could not hope that their influence could be exerted with success; but if they were called to offer such terms as would afford satisfactory guarantees to the Sicilians for securing to them all that their reasonable and legitimate interests may require, the two representatives would then feel authorized to use all their influence in pressing the acceptance of such conditions, but not to have recourse to coercive measures for that purpose; and, in the event of failure, it would remain for their respective Governments to decide what further steps should then be taken for the attainment of the object which they have in view."

In another letter, dated Dec. 16, 1848, Mr. Temple, after stating that he had received “instructions to tender to the Government of His Sicilian Majesty his