About this period the British authorities in Sicily detected the traces of a conspiracy set on foot the year before by the Queen of Naples, who, it is said, had proposed a scheme to Napoleon for massacring the English. A new constitution was established in Sicily, upon the model of that of Great Britain, under the auspices of Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck, who had been appointed Captain-General of the Island, and the Queen was sent into retirement. In November, 1812, the grenadier company of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment embarked from Sicily for the east coast of Spain, under Lieut.-General Frederick Maitland, and landed at Alicant on the 2nd of December. In April, 1813, it returned to Sicily, where it arrived in May. [Sidenote: 1813] The first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST regiment remained in garrison in the citadel of Messina until towards the end of 1813, when, in consequence of disturbances at Palermo, the capital of Sicily, which threatened to spread, the troops were detached to various central positions. The THIRTY-FIRST, by a detour, marched upon Castro Giovanni, and remained there until January, 1814, when the battalion returned to Messina. [Sidenote: 1814] On the 28th of March, 1814, the battalion embarked at Melazzo, as part of an expedition destined for the shores of Italy, under Lieut.-General Lord William Bentinck. In the beginning of April the first division of the army arrived off the coast above and below the city of Genoa, and threatened a descent upon _Voltri_, rather to engage the attention of the enemy, however, in that quarter, than for any other purpose. On the 5th of April the second division of the Anglo-Sicilian army disembarked at Leghorn, and marched directly upon Sestri. The French reinforced that place to protect the coast batteries, and prevent the British communicating with the people of the mountains, who were ready to rise against the French. The two British divisions had united, and attacked the enemy, on the 8th of April, at _Sestri_; the battle lasted throughout the day, and in the night the French General Ronger St. Victor retired towards Recco, taking up his position in rear of Rafallo, where he left his advanced guard; a third British division, in which was the first battalion of the THIRTY-FIRST, hovered about the coast, and made some attempts to land fresh troops, but was prevented by the enemy’s detachments at Recco.