The Press. — London, England, 1856-02-23 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 23, 1856. cal to Austria, the Catholics to Prussia, and Russia has a strong party adverse to all others. The late correspondence betwixt Prince Czartoryski and General Reybinski, in reference to die appoint ment of Count Zamoyski to the command of the Oriental Cossacks, by no means reveals the mysteries of Polish dissension. There is a hidden meaning, which the more headstrong of the republican party are not desirous should obtain publicity, and is inti• mately connected with the probability, or improba bility, of a durable peace. No Polish movement can be perfectly free from Germanic influences; and Russia, by reversing, in great measure, its Polish policy, might fairly acquire a force of opinion—in a Warsaw, Posen, and Gallician sense—which would give a novel turn to the affairs of Central Germany. In the meantime, let England be persuaded, be firmly convinced, that the continental power she now possesses results purely from the dread of her marl time superiority, royal and commercial. J. E. L. SIENA, Feb. 10. THE Austrian Government has taken exception to the right of censorship exercised by the Archbishops of Milan and Venice, and the Bishop of Bergamo. Nevertheless, they only called into operation the privilege truly and literally given them by the Con cordat. If science is the foundation of heresy, as insisted upon by the Bishop of Bergamo, it is pro Canto distinctly inimical to the Roman Church, and its suppression is provided for by the articles of the Concordat. To separate science from education is impossible; therefore the Bishop admits Rome to be fundamentally opposed to all knowledge. Physical science explains the miracle of St. Gennaro, and history records the Massacre of St. Bartholomew, the crimes of Alexander VI., and the sex and amuse ments of Pope Joan. The incestuous horrors of the papal Lucrtzia Borgia are chronicled on the operatic stage. Is the musical gem of Donizetti to be sup pressed? It was impossible for the Austrian Go vernment to avoid collision with the Roman priest. hood, the instant that the latter acted literally upon the powers granted by the Concordat. In Hungary the sacerdotal confusion has assumed another shape. The Magyar priests never employ in their private establishments other than female domestics, by whom they are deleciably served, as is known to all who have travelled in that country. If the Papal Nuncio and Archbishop of Gran persist in attempt ing to change the sex of servitude, the days of the Hungarian primate will be full of sorrow, and per chance of short duration. The Concordat was quickly signed, and the points are not slow of display. Some show of clemency is being made towards the Lombard refugees in Sardinia, and the properties of certain amongsi. them have no longer to remain unaer sequestration. This is merely by way of a blind ; and is a proof that the Cabinet of Vienna is apprehensive of an effort to be made in favour of the Italian cause by a party capable and having the power. France, apparently, has abandoned her an cient calling, for the essentiality of Italian friendship consists in opinions and interests not in strict con formity with those of the Cabinet of Vienna. Austrian Italy—that is to say, Lombardy and all States adopt ing Austrian policies—aro adverse to English com merce, and would, if possible, drive British mer chandise out of the peninsula. The Italian trade is most injuriously restricted ; but were it ree and open—and it is, and has long been, the wish of the Italians themselves that it should be so—nothing would more tend to the independence of the country. The intercommunications of commerce are not con fined to bales of merchandise. The barter of goods leads to the interchange of ideas and the freedom of thought, —word and deed have an intimate relation, which the wisdom of Providence has decreed to be necessary for the well being of mankind. This is denied by Austria and Rome. M. T. A. alortign anb Ccionial inttlligtatt. FR ‘NCE. The movements of the plenipotentiaries now in Peri?, with speculations upon, and solutions of, the "five points" to be considered at the Conference, have supplied the French papurs with ample matter during the week. The Earl of Clarendon with Lord Cowley arrived on Saturday night, and on Sunday had a lengthened audience of the Emperor. On Monday the Em peror received Count Buol, Baron Brunow, and Count Cavour. The Turkish Plenipotentiary arrived at Marseilles on Thursday, and his Highness left for Paris at seven p.m. o u th e same d ay. The conferences will not open in earnest before Monday, The conferences will be held at the Hotel THE PRESS. des Affaires Etrangers. M. Walewski will preside at the table, M. tie Bourqueney sitting at the opposite bottom end. On each side the plrnipotentiaries will be arranged, according to the alphabetical order of the countries they represent—the Austrian Pleni • potentiaries on each side supporting M. Walewski, the English Plenipotentiaries next in order, then the Russian, the Sardinian, and the Turkish on each side of M. de Bourqueney. Thp arrival of Count Orloff has been delayed by the breaking down of his carriage some distance from Berlin. He reached that capital on the 18th, had an audience of the King at Charlottenberg on the 19th, and on the morning of the 20th started for Cologne, where he slept, en route for Brussels and Paris. The diplomatic gossip of the capital received a vigorous impetus on Wednesday, from the republica tion entire by the lifoniteur of an article from tile Siicle, refuting the arguments of the Nbats that the dismantling of Nicolaiett was not a sine qua non in the neutralisation of the Black Sea. '1 he &ids, after a fling at the self-importance of the Debats and its easy solution of the most complicated diplomatic difficulties, proceeds to point out that the words of the third article of the Vienna propositions will not permit the existence of Nicolaieff : It is not only the shores of the Black Sea that are to be liberated, but the Black Sea itself is to be emancipated, and, above all, the Ottoman empire is to be placed beyond attack. Now, to close the Entine to armed navies, it is evident that the Bug must be closed. if that river re mains open there will be no closing the Euxine. Let us admit that it is closed by a treaty; who in the world will guarantee that fact, if Nicolaieff remains erect with its menacing arsenals and dockyards? No large vessels will be constructed there, but smaller ones will make up by their number for their want of size. Sinope expeditions will leave the Bug and Nicolaieff instead of leaving Sebas topol ; that alone is the difference. With respect to Bomarsund, the Debuts, which has studied the treaty of Frederickshamm, asserts that the Russians possess the right of fortifying the Aland Isles. But it thinks that, out of consideration for Sweden—not England—Russia will not be intractable on that point. If she does act thus, she will, whatever may be her reasons, act with good sense; for the question of the possession and fortifying of the Aland Isles interests not alone Sweden and England, but also all Europe. Mistress of these islands, Russia not only domi notes Sweden and the passage of the Sound, but she also menaces the commerce of Europe in the Baltic, and could at any time impose her law on it. Finally, within reach of the passage of the Sound, she has fleets which might throw themselves on any given point of England, Holland, or even France. All Europe is, therefore, much interested in the question of the Aland 121 es. The Siècle concludes by asserting that in the fifth point lie all the virtual difficulties. The war, it concludes, has not been alone undertaken to save the Ottoman empire—it is a question of the re establishment of European equilibrium, and the pre vention of any future invasion on the part of Russia; and demands that the conditions of peace shall strictly coincide with the programme of the war. The Constitutionnel next day attributed the admission of this article into the columns of the llloniteur to "an error." - • The Daily News Paris corregmdent, visaing on Friday morning, says:— It is offs ially stated that the Constitulionnel is in error in attributing the appearance of the article from the Siecle in the columns of the Afoul:cur to a mistake. The Moni. teur, it is observed, is the only Government journal, and if it commits a mistake will not leave others to correct it. AUSTRIA. Count Buoy, previous to his departure for Paris, is reported to have had a lengthened private interview with the Emperor. The Vienna correspondent of the Indipendance Beige asserts that at the moment of leaving the Emperor was heard to conclude his address as fellows : My dear Count (he said) you know better than any one else the policy which I have followed in the present ques tion, and tne intentions by which I have all through been actuated. In replying then to one and to all, do not adhere to the strict letter of your instructions • all that you do will be well done if you contribute, as I hope, to re-establish peace upon a solid basis, and which will therefore be honourable to all parties. It is believed in official circles that as soon as the preliminaries of peace are signed, Austria will de mand the admission of Prussia to the conferences. The report of M. Prokesch upon the late con ferences at Constantinople with regard to the princi palities, has given satistaction in Government circles. The Austrian Internuncio speaks with great praise of the readiness shown by the Divan and the Sultan in accepting the projects of reform drawn up by the representatives of the Western powers; and men tions particularly the zeal evinced by the Grand Vizier, Aali Pacha, in preparing a report on the necessity of carrying those reforms into execution as promptly as possible. PRUSSIA. The continued stay of Colonel Manteuffel at Vienna, and the despatch of a new circular of the 9th from Berlin to Count Ainim at Vienna, leads to the belief that the negotiations for Pru.sia's admis sion to the conferences are not yet concluded. The Berlin Chamber of Deputies has passed a 177 bill restoring the old feudal right of the nobles to exercise independent and hereditary magistracies in the rural districts. The Wartembuxg Diet was opened on Wednesday A Credit Mobilier was about to be established in Berlin. DENMARK. The inextricable complications presented by the internal condition of the Danish monarchy, have ended in the overthrow of the Ministry. The tele graph announces that M. Baasloff, the King's Minister for the Duchy of Schleswig, has tendered his resignation, and been replaced provisionally by M. Hall. SPAIN. Intelligence from Madrid up to the 18th states that in the Cortes that day the Minister of Foreign Affairs, in reply to a question, announced that the negotiation:, with France about the precise limits of the frontiers had been brought to a satisfactory con clusion. The public sittings of the Committee on the Tariffs have been brought to a close. The estrangement between Espartero and O'Donnell has been happily broken. There was, however, a sense of great uneasiness in Madrid generally upon the political state of the country. RUSSIA. The question of the abolition of serfdom is exciting some attention. The Emperor Alexander has approved the budget of Maritime Courts. But it is remarked that the courts established in the Baltic ports, the White Sea, the Caspian, and the Eastern Ocean, are alone spoken of. The Maritime Courts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff are no longer mentioned in the . budgets. _ _ _ The Northern Bee has a semi-official article on the benefits a railway system would confer on Russia. Three lines are specially pointed out. From Moscow to Odessa, from Moscow to Saratoff, and from Orel to Vitebsk. The Baltic, Black Sea, and Caspian would thus be united. General Prince Gortschakoff has entered on the exercise of his functions as Viceroy of Poland. A pre vious residence of twenty years in Poland as aide-de camp to the late Marshal has made him fully ac quainted with the country, its wants, and its re sources. 7he general is said to be animated with the best intentions towards Poland, and to have remarked that there were not any proposed railways or other undertakings of t eal utility Jur the country that he should not be happy to approve of and sup port. TURKEY. Letters from Constantinople to the 11th, state that the allied Ambassadors were still waiting lot the official acceptance of their propositions with respect to the fourth point. The last conference of the Grand Council was to take place on that day. It is reported that the Sultan will decree the freedom of property in this sense—that Christians shall be empowered to acquire and possess real estate in their own names. The question relative to the continued presence of the allied troops in Turkey, should peace be con cluded, will not be decided until that event is defini tively settled. The Wurzburg Gazette says it is certain that the Western powers and Austria are agreed as to the necessity of a prolonged military occupa tion of the Turkisu provinces, without which occupation the contemplated relorms eaunot be carried into execution. Austria will consequently keep a gatrison iu the princi palities, and the allies will continue to occupy Constanti nople, Gallipoli, Adrianople, Varna, Treuizund, and Erzeroum. Russia will uut take any part in the occu pation of the Turkish territory. An English firm has offered to execute the works of the Danubian railway. The Porte will receive tenders till the Ist of April. AMERICA. Advices to the Bth inst. were received on Monday. The election of a Speaker had been completed, the plurality of votes being at length allowed, and Mr. Banks was returned. The Central American question was still under discussion, Mr. Foote the last Speaker, maintaining the rights of the States, and advocating a war if England refused to yield her pretensions. Mr. Dallas had been officially appointed as Repre. sentative to the Court of London. FOREIGN MISCELLANEA. THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA iS about to grant an amnesty, general and unconditional, to all Austrian and Lombardo-Austrian refugees. Those who choose to re-enter the country and reassume their rights of citizenship will be put in possession of their property, while those who prefer to renounce their nationality are to be free to sell their property. In no case will the properties of the refugees ire confiscated. It is reported that similar concessions inay shortly be hoped for fiom Rome and Naples.