The Press. — London, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

THE PRESS, DECEMBER 26, 1857. 'foreign itiO &lonia! Intelligente. FRANCE. The arming of the vessels under orders for China is going on actively at Toulon. These vessels, how ever, are only three in number; the steam corvette, Laplace; the first-class gunboat, Alarm ; and the mixed transport, Gironde. They are expected to be ready for sea on Christmas-day, and will proceed direct to Hong Kong. The Jeutosse trial has resulted in the acquittal of all the parties accused. Madame de Jeufosse was so exhausted by the fatigue of the trial, which lasted five days, that she was unable to leave the prison on the day of her acquittal. Crepel, the gamekeeper, went at once to Jeufosse, where a sort of ovation was given him. Mdlle. Blanche is reported to be very unwell, at the convent of La Providence, where she is living in rr tiremont. It is reported that Madame de Jeufosse means to sell her chateau, and to travel for a time in Italy, after which she will settle in Paris. According to the Debats,the French Government has assumed an attitude of the utmost reserve in regard to the question of the Danish Duchies, and so long as the Danish monarchy shall not be in peril—in other words, so long as the question does not become a European one—it will abstain from interference. The Cabinet of St. Petersburg has, it is said, urged Denmark to terminate the affair by making sub• stantial concessions. The French Government has come to the conclu sion, after long inquiry, that some gold mines near a place called Kenieba, in Upper Senegal, are worth working, and M. Maritz, a captain of engineers (Ist class), is under orders to proceed to the spot to direct the works, which will be shortly commenced. Prince Napoleon will not leave Paris to prosecute his visit to Egypt until the midd►e of next month. His Imperial Highness is to entertain at dinner on the 31st the whole of the general officers now in Paris who served in the Crimea. It is announced that several new senators will be named on the occasion of the new year. General Baron Renault, who commanded a division in the last expedition against the Kabyles, is mentioned as one of them, . . . . M. Pelissier, the French Commissioner lately em• ployed on Turco•Russian frontier tracing, has arrived in Paris. M. Baudin, the French Minister at Cassel, has arrived at his post. M. do Bourqueney will not leave Paris for Vienna before January. AUSTRIA. The Grand Dukes Nicholas and Alexander of Russia have arrived at Vienna en route to Italy. Lord Stratford also arrived at Vienna from Con. stantinople on the 17th inst. The noble lord was received at the railway terminus by Sir Hamilton Seymour. Lord Stratford will be received at a special audience by the Emperor. The redaction of the Austrian army has already commenced. The report that Austria is about to raise a loan is not correct. commission were vain. Lord Clarendon, however, seems to have perceived that such attempts to stifle inquiry were unworthy of his country, for be consented that a fresh commission should be issued to three English judges of the highest eminence, who, after investigation, found the Hanoverian claim to be indisputably just, and reported in its favour. The Court here consequently is in high glee this Christmas at the prospect of removing the Crown and Regalia, so jealously guarded in the Tower of London, almost bodily to Hanover. THE DUELLO IN SPAIN. A NOT unamusing series of documents have been published this week, relating to a quarrel between Don Narvaez and Don Guell y Rents. As an illus tration of modern Spanish manners they are pecu liarly characteristic. Before referring to the pacers, we will briefly observe that Senor Guell y ltente is a Spanish Liberal, a Deputy, the husband of a cousin of the Queen and of a sister of the Queen's husband. After the first downfall of Narvaez, Senor Guell, assuming Narvaez to be a "dead man," had attacked the ex-Premier in the Chambers, but with very small foresight, as it turned out, for before many months Narvaez, on the downfall of O'Donnell, resumed the reins of Government. On the 9th of October, 1850, Narvaez and Guell y Bente accidentally met at the house of the Countess de la Pena del Moro. What followed, in the presence of this lady and her niece, we leave Senor Guell to tell in his letter to Narvaez of the 9th November last : I rose to receive you like a well-bred man, with all re quisite politeness. You twice stared at me, then a third time, but with an imperious gesture, to which I replied with the greatest courtesy—"Guell y Rents, my general." " [ am not your general," you said to me, " because you aro a clod hopper—a fellow whose blond I would drink and tear his heart out." Speaking thus you threatened me with a stout cane, with which you touched my coat. I instantly replied that I required a satisfaction as great as the insult done to my honour. You rejoined that you felt haste to give it me, and that you should like to tear out of my heart the words I had uttered in the Chamber of Deputies. I replied that your wish should soon be gra tified. A challenpe was of course the result. The weapons were agreed upon and the day fixed; but in the in terim, Narvaez was appointed President of the Coun• cil of Ministers. As Prime Minister, Narvaez either could not or would not fight, but his retirement into private life reopened the question of satisfaction, and Don Gaon y Rente writes to him : To-day, without hatred, or vengeance, or wrath, because am a man devoted to study and nothing else, I write you this letter in the same way that, without uttering a coniplaiht, without replying to your insults by similar in sults, I have devoured my despair by silence, but not my dishonour, because no one's insults degrade a man like me. I live by my reputation, and no one can tarnish my reputation. In the society wherein we live there is a law, a custom, a formality that is sacred to me. You offered me a grave insult before a lady, your hand holding a weapon ; come now with a sword, as is the duty of every man possessing a sense of shame. Come and tear out my heart as you promised. You were elected to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers after you offended me, after you sent me your seconds, after you accepted the weapons and indicated both the hour and the ground at and on which we should meet, so that what was an excuse then is no longer so now. I now hope that as soon as you receive this letter you will decide upon repairing, with the prudent reserve that be comes a gentleman, to the appointed spot and at the ap pointed hour, in order that God, who is always just, may do reason to him who is in the right. JOSE OCELL Y BENTE. Madrid, Nov. 5, 1857. This letter led to new arrangements for a duel, but a difference arose as to the weapons. M. Guell's representative had precise orders, and could admit no weapon save the small-sword, because this arm had been chosen by the two parties when the condi tions of the duel were settled a year before : The seconds of the Duke of Valentia, although charged with sufficient powers to admit any arm whatsoever, have conceived it their duty only to authorise the duel with pis tols, admitting nevertheless to the adverse party the abso lute right of filing all the conditions of the duel and the nature of the weapons. To justify their refusal to come to an understanding with M. Guell's seconds, the seconds of General Narvaez have alleged with effect the various considerations proceeding front social pasition, the dif ference of age and skill between the adversaries, adding, nevertheless, that they desired an equal and frank combat, such as might give M. Guell the most complete satisfac tion on the ground he chose. M. Guell believed he had the right only to fight with the small-sword, and he re fused to surrender that right. The Duke of Valentia's seconds maintained on their side the choice of the pistol, and there the matter has remained. And so this amusing little episode ends for the pre sent. Both adversaries desii eto cut out each other's heart, but they differ as to tho manner of accom plishing that amiable purpose. PRUSSIA. The Bank of PrusSittliasredUced its discount on commercial bills to six and a half per cent., and its rate of interest on loans on goods to seven and a half per cent. The health of the King of Prussia is still so far from being restored that the definite establishment of a Regency is by no means improbable. The Prince of Prussia, it is fully anticipated, will he present in London at the marriage of his son with the Princess Royal of England. Princes Frederick Charles and Adalbert will certainly be present. The Zeit states that the opening of the Prussian Chambers is definitively fixed for the 12th of J anuary. RUSSIA. _ Le Nord of Saturday last publishes the official documents relative to the regulation of the relations between the Russian landed proprietors and the peasantry. From the imperial decree, addressed to the Military Governor of Vilna and the Governor- General of Grodno and Kowno, we make the follow ing extracts : To this effect, I ordain to establish from this day a com mittee of e'.aboration in each of the before-mentioned Governments, and hereafter a general commission for the three Governments united. Immediately after the forma tion of the provincial committees each of them will draw up a detailed plan for the amelioration of the existence of the peasantry, taking for a basis of their plans the following conditions :-1. The proprietor preserves his right of pro perty in the old landed estate, but th‘t peasants preserve the plots around their habitations, which they have the right of acquiring in complete ownership by purchase, the money payable at a fixed term ; they have also the use of a certain portion of land according to local conditions which may be necessary tolassnre their existence, and to give them the means of satisfying their obligations towards the State and the proprietor. lu return for this use the peasants are bound either to pay a rent to the proprietor or to labour on his account. 2. The 1247 be tween peasants and proprietors must be so regulated as to guarantee the regular service of taxes due to the State, and of servitudes and provincial imposts. The remainder of the decree refers to general in structions to the various officials engaged in carrying out the directions of the Government on this subject. The decree, signed by the Emperor Alexander, is dated Tsarskiie-Selo, December 2, 1857. Le Nord states that this and other documents relating to the same question, and published by our contemporary, were to appear officially in Russia on Monday. The failure of the Putiatin embassy to China will in all probability result in certain active and aggres sive measures against that empire by Russia. The tone of the Russian journals is singularly indicative of such views. The Northern Bee last week remarked : China is too extensive an empire to admit of its con tinuing any longer to lead an isolated existence, shut out from all intercourse even with those States which, by means of their commercial organisation (England) and their conterminous vicinity (ltussia), have the strongest claims to enter into relation with her. The spirit of European enterprise cries aloud, and demands that she should approach the circle in which it reigns. The dig nity and the power of civilised States cannot be any longer indifferent to the obstinate refusals of the Court of Pekin to enter into any species of relation with Europe and America ; the less so, as Japan, in obedience to better impulses, and without any particular means of coercion being employed, had already done so. According to the most recent intelligence China abides by her obstinacy, and therefore it will be no matter of surprise if China should shortly become the theatre of remarkable events of the highest interest to Europe. Taken in conjunction with the arrival of the Siberian generals, who have lately made a tour of inspection throughout the Amoor territory, it may be accepted as an indication of the policy about to be pursued towards China. DENMARK AND THE DUCHIES. A correspondent of the Paris Constitutionnel, writing from Brunswick, having given a version of the note addressed by the Russian Government as a part of the protocol of London to the Court of Denmark, the Frankfort correspondent of the Nerd disputes its authenticity, and gives the following as a correct epitome of the despatch : The Cabinet of St. Petersburg commences by express. ing its opinion that the question of the Duchies of Hob steM and Lauenbourg has entered a phase of which it is impossible to exaggerate the importance; that in effect the Germanic Diet has, on the one part, admitted the petition of the States of Lauenbourg; and, on the other, Austria and Prussia have taken up the affair of Holstein, in rendering to it an account of their unfruitful efforts to regulate, by direct negotiations with Denmark, the diffe rence arisen between it and the Holstein States. The Diet of Frankfort finds itself thus prevented from pro nouncing its opinion, as the article 31st of the Acte finale of Vienna acknowledges its right to do. The Imperial Cabinet thinks that, in exercising this right, the Diet is strictly within the limits of the forms prescribed by the federal institution. H.M. the King of Denmark, in his quality of Duke of Holstein and Lauen bourg, has then the opportunity of explaining his co•etals upon the points which make the subject of this regretable difference, and upon the intentions which guide him in the execution of his engagements contracted with the con federation in 1M :I The Russian Government thinks that upon these explanations will depend the issue of the affair upon which the attention of Germany is fixed, and which holds Denmark itself in suspense. The Imperial Cabinet here repeats that Russia has ab stained, as she ought, from interfering in these questions, which, according to her opinions, appertain exclusively to the public law of Germany, but it cannot see with indif ference a state of affairs prolonged compromising the tran quillity of the north of Europe, which can in no case benefit the true interests of Denmark. The despatch concludes by the conviction that these considerations will not escape the wisdom of the King and his Council, to the attention of whom the Imperial Cabinet recommends particularly that, in giving their explanations to the Germanic Diet, they will not close the way to au amicable arrangement. Admiral Van Dockam is named Danish Minister at the Court of St. James. A letter from Copenhagen states that the bill au thorising the Minister of the Interior to contract a loan for Danmark of 300,0001. wai adopted on the third reading by a majority of 66 to 7. ITALY. EARTHQUAKE AT NAPLES. The following private telegram has been received : :klAnsErr.T.r.s, Dec. '2•2. • Accounts from Naples state that on the night of the 17th a terrific earthquake ravaged a part of the kingdom, particularly the towns of Salerno, Potenza, and Pols. The buildings at Salerne are seriously damaged. In the pro vince of Basilicata, and in the southern principalities, half the villages are destroyed, and the number of victims is (refloated at several thousands. The authorities have erected wooden buildings to receive the inhabitants. Three violent shocks were felt at Naples, and the population en camped an entire day outside the walls. There was no accident to deplore there. The northern part of the king dom of Naples has not been affected by the catastrophe.