The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

DECEMBER 27, 1856. TO CORRESPONDENTS. It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive• Their insertion is often delayed owing to a press of matter and when omitted, It is frequently from reasons quite lode• pendent of the merits of the We cannot undertake to return not avail ourselves. Ccmmunications should always bel egibly written, and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of finding space for them. Whatever is intendedforinsertion must be authenticated by the name and address of the writer, not necessarilyfor publics. tion, but as a guarantee of his good faith. Advertisements sentfrom the country must be accompanied by a remittance or a reference for payment in town. roof which we do TEEMS OF SUB /OR ebt IrefSo : (STAMPED.) Per Annum .. Half• Yearly Quarterly .. 11 6 0 .. 0 13 0 .. 0 6 6 Payablein advance. Subserib rrrrr e requested to send their Orders through the News Agent; if direot to the Office. accompanied by a remit tance. Advertisements also must have a reference or remittance. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALFRED Iva, 110, Strand London. jit :). rtgg. LONDON, SATURDAY, DEC. 27, 1856. POSTSCRIPT. PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND. The following is the text of the note addressed by Baron de Manteuffel to the Prussian Ministers at London, Paris, Vienna, and St. Petersburg, on the subject of the affair of Neufchatel. It is dated Berlin, Bth inst.:— Monsieur le Comte (Baron),—Your Excellency has already been informed of the refusal by which the Swiss Federal Council replied to the demand for the release of the prismers, made by order of the King, through his Minister, to the Helvetic Confederation. The previous and unconditional accomplishment of this demand was laid down by the King as the indispensable corollary of any ulterior negotiation for the definitive solution of the ques tions relative to the situation of the principality of Neuf chatel. The forbearance which our august master has dis played for many years on the subject of a state of things at variance with his indisputable rights, and prejudicial to all the principles of legitimate authority, as well as to the sanctity of treaties, ought to offer to Switzerland sufficient guarantees that in eventual negotiations his Majesty would not depart from that spirit of moderation which has guided him in his previous attitude. and which the European powers had on more than one occasion appreciated. Pressing and almost unanimous counsels were addressed in this sense to the Helvetic Confederation by all the Cabinets who signed the Protocol of London, and by the Germanic Confederation, all of whom strongly supported the demand of Prussia for the immediate release of the prisoners of Neufchatel. From these circumstances the. refusal of the Federal Council acquires increased import ance. It is evident that, in a regrettable blindness to its real interests, the Helvetic Confederation does not take into any account the international stipulations, in virtue of which the principality of Neufchatel was admitted, under the guarantee of Europe, to become one of the cantons of Switzerland. Priding itself on a momentary success, and drawing its inspirations from principles subversive of all order and of all authority, Switzerland forgets or appears to forget the anterior rights of the Kings of Prussia, ratified by Arts. 20 and 76 of the treaty of Vienna. The King, our august master, has maturely weighed all the obligations imposed on him by the existing state of things. The recent attitude of the Federal Council under such serious conjunctures, and in face of the united efforts of the various powers, has con vinced his Majesty that he cannot longer dispense with measures of a nature to enforce his rights on the princi pality of Neufchatel in a manner more effectual than those purely diplomatic. As to the latter means, the European powers will, perhaps, continue to occupy themselves with them; and the King certainly will not refuse to examine the propositions which may he made to his Majesty as the result of their concert. But the measures above indicated do not the less form, at present, one of the principal objects of the activity of the Royal authorities. They will be pre pared and executed without ostentation, but with persever ance, and the firm intention to attain the object. The sacrifices which the country will have to bear it will do with abnegation and devotedness, because it knows that his Majesty does not impose them until he had before exhausted every means of bringing about a solution satis factory to all parties. The moderation of which the King has given so many proofs, is not, moreover, excluded by the military measures whin his Majesty has ordered to be prepared. Let Switzerland return to wiser resolutions, and the ear of the King will not be closed to the voice of conciliation. The above considerations, and the decisions resulting from them, cannot but be approved by the Cabi nets friends of Prussia. Have the kindness, therefore, Monsieur le Comte (Baron) to make them known to the (:abinet of ——, by communicating, by order of the King, the present despatch to the Minister of Foreign THE PRESS. Affairs of the Emperor of the French (of Austria, of Russia), and to the principal Secretary of State of her Majesty the Queen of England.--Accept, &c., MiNTEUFFEL. Intelligence from Switzerland states the Charges d'Affaires of America and England at Berne had endeavoured to bring about a good understandig between Switzerland and Prussia, hut not being sup ported by the representatives of other powers, they had failed. No change has taken place in the war preparations of the Prussian Government or the Federal Council. General Dufour is engaged with a war committee in organising the various military depots, and preparing the points of defence. There seems to be but one feeling in Switzerland, and that is to resist. The permanent Swiss Council of War is composed of Generals Dufour, Zeigler, Eglott, Kurz, Bourgeois, Voilloy, Salis, Fisher, Stheliy, Dolaragoaz, and Linden. Swiss from all parts of Europe were arriving at their homes daily; in addition, a number of foreigners had written to the Federal Government offering their services. At a public dinner given at Geneva, General Dufour and General Klapka were present. Various toasts were drank, after which General Dufour rose and spoke at great length. Alluding pointedly to the state of affairs, he observed I have worn the uniform of an officer for half a century and have served as a Federal officer for the last forty years; and in a time like this my heart grows young, in spite of the weight of years. I am old and weak, but, should my country call on me, I shall not hesitate to take the field with my fellow•brethren. Perhaps we shall meet on the field of battle. After speaking of the dangers which menace the Confederation, and the provocations it had received, he continued : But we must not be discouraged by these dangers; we must confront them. I have faith in the Federal troops— in their patriotic spirit and martial qualities ; and I rely on the population of Switzerland. I feel, for my own part, that the close cf my career is approaching, but I am entirely at the orders of my fellow•citizens, and at the disposal of my country. The committee appointed some time ago in the affair of the fortifications of Stockholm, have, it is said, sent in their estimate of cost of the plan, which, if carried out, will amount to between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000; besides this, the arming of the works of defence will require a further sum of between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 more. A despatch of the 25th from Naples announces that the explosion of the powder magazine near the King's palace was the result of a plot. A letter from Munich announces that the King of Bavaria intends making an excursion to Naples and Madrid in the spring. A letter from Milan of the 20th, in the Opinion of Turin, states that none of those who have re ceived a full pardon from the Emperor of Austria had up to that date been set at liberty, and that it was believed they would not be until after the de parture of the Emperor. M. CASIMIR3KY, a Pole, who has been emplo;3d for some time in the Archives Department of the French Foreign-office, and who is said to he well acquainted with the Persian language and customs, is to be sent to Marseilles to meet and accompany to Paris the Persian Ambassador, who is soon expected from Constantinople. M. Casimirsky was employed in the mission sent to Persia by the French Govern ment in 1839. HER MAJESTY, having determined to confer the Military Grand Cross of the Bath upon his Royal Highness the Prince of Prussia, on the completion of his fiftieth year of military service, Sir Cohn Campbell has been selected for the honour of invest • ing the Prince with the insignia of the order. The gallant Lieutenant• General will leave town for Berlin at once. LORD AND LADY COWLEY gave a grand banquet on Thursday evening to the elite of English society in Paris. Lord and Lady Holland and Mr. and Mrs. Disraeli were among the guests. THE WEST INDIA STEAMER Dee, Captain Wool. cott, come home for repairs, arrived at Southampton yestet day at noon. She brings a small mail from St. Thomas, which she left on the 6th inst., but has no news, passengers, or cargo. LORD HENNEKER was yesterday morning returned at Ipswich for the Eastern Division of Suffolk with out opposition. SIR GEORGE GREY baying made inquiries respect ing Lerigo, the young man by whose instrumentality Marley, the murderer, was arrested, and finding him to be a man of good character and intelligence, has appointed him to be the messenger at the 13ow•street Police-court. - ] 237 elution ittelligentr. EAST KENT.-Sir Edward Dering, one of the members for East Kent, has issued an address to his constituents. He sass It is with feelings of sincere regret that I have to in form you that the state of my health will prevent me from attending to my parliamentary duties during the early part of the approaching session. My medical advisers have re commended me to seek a warmer climate until the cold winds of spring have passed away, and I am, therefore, on the point of embarking for Egypt. The Kentish Gazette, adverting to this address, ob serves that— All those who have lately seen Sir Edward have been struck with his altered appearance. He is suffering from an attack in his windpipe and throat, and his medical men recommend his visiting a warmer climate until the spring. One of Sir Edward's friends will ac company him, and we are quite sure that the electors of East Kent will readily accept the apology he offers for his temporary absence from his parliamentary duties, and will rejoice to see him return with renewed health and strength. GREENWICH.-A deputation, composed of electors of this borough, headed by Mr. A. R. Bristow, attended at the town residence of Lieutenant General Sir W. Codrington ,in Eaton-square, on Tuesday, and presented him with a requisition, numerously signed by all classes of the constituency resident in Greenwich, Woolwich, and Deptford, to allow himself to be put in nomination as a candidate for the seat in the re presentation recently vacated by the retirement of Mr. Peter Rolt. The gallant general promptly re sponded to the invitation, and immediately issue.l the following address : A deputation has this day presented me with a requisition, signed by a large number of electors, offering to put me in nomination for your borough. I sincerely value the honour of your offer, and, trusting that the electors are in earnest in their wishes as the expressions of the deputation led me to believe, I readily consent. Facilities for a com mercial marine, of which England had reason to feel proud during the last war, and the national establishments within your borough for the navy and army of England, must give you the strongest local and personal feelings towards those services; but they cannot exceed the pride and attachment which I feel towards them from the long service of those of my name in the navy and from my own more immediate connection with the army. To the principles of reform, to the principles of free trade—which became its liberal and successful consequence, I have been always strongly attached both from the education and example of years gone by, when reform was uphill work, and from the consideration of the results in late years of those important measures. The determined maintenance of civil and religious liberty by the people of England has been one main cause of the prosperity and power of our country, and all measures ne cessary to carry out those great principles must have the support of any one belonging to the Liberal party. Should I be returned as your representative, I need scarcely add my assurance that your local interests shall receive my earnest support and attention. I purpose to attend a public meeting of the electors in each of the three great towns constituting your borough, and (as far as the limited time and vast number of the constituency will permit) to cell personally upon each elector, for the purpose of stating more in detail my political sentiments. TEWKESBURY.—The Honourable F. Lygon and Mr. E. W. Scott, Conservatives, have announced their intention to come forward for this borough at the next election. SOUTHAMPTON.—A general meeting of Mr. Wegne lin's supporters was held at the Victoria•rooms on Wednesday, when Mr. Weguelin and his friends addressed the meeting at great length, and resolu tions to support him were carried by large majori ties, though a considerable number of dissentients were present. THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH last Saturday afternoon is reported to have suddenly made an afternoon call upon Baron James Rothschild, at the house, Rue Laffitte, N 0.17, in which M. Salomon de Rothschild lately died. This handsome house was formerly occupied by the Queen Hortense, and Louis Napoleon was born in it. Many of the rooms in the house are still furnished in the style of the period when Napoleon lIL was born, and some of the chimney pieces are yet ornamented with the initials of the Queen of Holland. The Baron and Baroness Roths child showed their Majesties over the house, and it is said that the Emperor manifested much emotion at visiting the scenes of his earliest childhood. A MILLIARD, says 'the Assemblie Nationale, is not clearly understood by mast people. A 'milliard in silver (1,000,000,000 frs.) weighs five millions of kilo4rammes; it would take 2,000 carts, drawn by four horses each, to transport it by land. By water, it would require a vessel like Noah's ark, viz :-309 cubits by 50, with a depth of 30 cubits. A single line formed by a milliard of franc pieces would be twenty three millions of inches in length, or 750 leagues more than the circumference of the earth. Lastly, had the milliard, at the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, been inclosed in a machine so constructed as to cast out one franc piece per minute, this machine would still have to be kept a-going for about sixty-two years longer, in order to exhaust the milliard.