THE INSURRECTION AT MILAN. [From the Times, February 14.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 820, 11 June 1853, Page 4

THE INSURRECTION AT MILAN. [From the Times, February 14.]

Letters from Turin of the 9th instant, state that a Cabinet Council was held the day before under the presidency of the King, in consequence of the agitation occasioned by tbe events of Milan in the provinces adjoining Lombardy. The emigrants, however, had not moved, and the Lombard chiefs residing at Turin treated the whole affair with the utmost contempt. It appears that Messrs. Saffi and Pistrucci, formerly members of the Republican Government at Rome, came from London to tbe Canton of Ticino, to be near the scene of action. They took up their quarters at Bellinzona until a telegraphic order arrived from the authorities of Berne to send them out of tbe canton. The anniversary of the battle of Novara had at first been chosen for tbe explosion of the conspiracy. Tbe chiefs were anxious to give the rising the appearance of a reparation of that disaster, add thus to induce the Piedmontese army to join in the movement, but many of the conspirators declared that it would be dangerous to wait until March, as the Austrian police was extremely vigilant, and would discover the plot. They accordingly resolved to raise the standard on the Sunday of tbe Carnival. On that day mobs collected on three different points of the capital of Lombardy, at the gates of Ticino, Roma, and Tosa, and having marched into the city, surprised a. .few.- military posts, and erected barricades at the corners of several streets with , every article they found. But the objfct of the conspirators was to gain possession of the citadel, which is situated near the triumphal arch, at the extremity of tbe city, Insurgent bands advanced in that direction by the streets of San Paolo and Orso. They succeeded in entering the first tower of tbe Castjllo, where they murdered some officers, but the gale leading to the inner court, containing the artillery and ammunition, having been closed in time, the attempt failed. They were immediately surrounded by the troops and all taken prisoneis. The number of killed and wounded was about fifty. The insurgents had no other .arms than stilettoes, the disarmament having been rigorously accomplished throughout tbe Lombardo-Venetian kingdom. The following is the postscript of one of those letters, dated 3 o'clock, p.m. :— " We have just heard that the insurrectionary \ movement has extended from Milan to Monza, a : town 6 leagues distant from that capital. Tbe conflict was there more sanguinary than at Milan. Independently of the coup-de-main, directed against the garrison of the Castello in Milan by the rebels, a detachment advanced to the square of the Duomo to attack the Vice-regal Palace, The assailants being received by a brisk fusilade, retired in disorder. The authorities were so. well aware that Bellinzona, the capital of Ticino, was the seat of the conspiracy, that they immediately intercepted all communication by rail between Milan and Como. Only one Austrian officer, the bearer of despatches, reached this last town by a special train. Switzerland, on her side, has called out her battalions of militia, and marched them towards the frontier of Lombardy. The four battalions of the canton of Ticino are also under arms. This concentration of troops has a double object — the suppression of the insurrection and the defence of the Swiss territory against Austrian invasion." The Milan Gazette of the 7th, after publishing the proclamation of Count Strassoldo, says :—: — "Public tranquillity was disturbed yesterday. The subversive party, which cannot permit peaceable citizens to indulge in the innocent pleasures of the Carnival, wished to immolate fresh victims to their revolutionary designs. Yesterday, at 6 o'clock p.m., some soldiers were attacked in the streets. The authorities immediately ordered repressive measures. Strong patrols traversed tbe city, and arrested a number of persons armed with long stilettoes, who will ba tried by court martial during the state of siege. At 8 o'clock tranquillity was nearly restored, and the theatres were opened as usual. We have to deplore lives lost on both sides, and many wounded. Endeavours were made to seduce the people with money, and other inducements : but the good sense of the citizens rejected those provocations, and tbe people not only remained calm, but actually deplored that attempt as an act of impiety and madness. Public tranquillity has not beeu disturbed in tbe Provinces." Tbe following is an extract from a private letter received from * mercantile house in London. — v , Milan, Feb. 7. "From, the morning a rdmour was in circulation in the city that a revolution would commence at 2 o'clock p.m. ; but no one believed it, thinking it was a fable invented by some madman. Sacb, however, was not the .case. People who have no desire for .revolutions were perfectly quiet.in tbe streets ;i, it is, true .that, on, account ,of the bad weather, .there were few per-

ions out ; the military were marching about »s usual, and at a quarter before 5 o'clock you would never have expected what happened. A quarter of an hour after, a bind of bad subjects, of the lowest grade in the city, were united in the Place dv Chateiu; it was there the movement commenced. Afterwards they went to Plice dcs Marcbands, and to the Palace of the Place dv Dome ; there they carried off the muskets that were under the porch. , I bad the good fortune to get into the Palace, on returning from the post, two minutes before that happened, for having called at my hairdresser's in the square, I had not time to seat myself before firing commenced, which was a signal for those who could to save themselves, as it might become, serious, and each though it best to retire from the centre of disorder. Every one ran to the Corso and to the Place de la Scala; the military who were promenading did not know what it meant, and were very prudent. Up to 7 o'clock the firing was continued, and the tocsin was sounded at St. Stefano, St. Eustorgio, St. Gotardo, &c, but towards 8 o'clock all was ended. " This movement was entirely, concerted by the rabble, who were doubtless paid by the,Mazzinian committee. The principal object was to frighten the rich, because they gave so many balls and La Scala is so much frequented.— — has received some frightful anonymous letters, because he has given, and is to give, some grand balls. No one knows whether they will take place, for this affair which, - happily, has . not been followed, will, nevertheless, leave; a 'sad im- ' pression. . , , „_*,.•,. " Several of the military who were isolated were shot, several sentinels were disarmed, and it was principally near the Porto Ticino .that all this took place, for on the Corso Borgonuoyo and all that part of the city nothing was to be perceived. "Yesterday morning all wai closed. It r ained heavily, and I returned from *s at 10 o'clock. There were but few people in the streets, who were returning home, and the patrols, who were to be met with every moment, but did not say a v^ord. The Government well knew that this affair was got up by the rabble, and that more than 99 out of 100 persons deplored this sad event; consequently Lieutenant Marshal Strassoldo (in the absence of Guilay) has this morning published a proclamation to re-assure every one, saying that the Government knew very well that it was & very smali number of persons who had made this movement, with the object of disturbing the amusements of the last days of the Carnival, that no uneasiness need be felt about it, and that the Government could repress all disorder, &c. "It is who was especially marked, and-it-is even said that they have sought to do him an injury. " L — --came in the evening to see me at "i and the whole house had provided for a long continuation of this affair. 1 have already been out, this morning, and all is perfec ly tranquil," The Piedmontese Gazette of the sth announces that on the Bth Milau had resumed its usual aspect, M^ Leoni, direcor of the house of Dadda, was murdered in the streets of Milan, the assassins crying ".Death- to -the Aristocrat!" The Debats states, on the strength of private letters, that M. Mazzini, who left England about a month since, was at Lugano, in the Swiss cantou of Ticino, a few days before the outbreak at Milan. The Mediterraneo of Genoa of the Bth, states that the people of Rimini, punished for an act perpetrated by a few ruffians, had appointed a deputation, who waited at Bologna on General NobiJi, CoramanJer-in- Chief of the corps of occupation in Romagna. They expostulated with that officer against the enormity of the contribution required from the town, and the General consented to reduce it from 30,000 to 2,000 scudi.