The Press. — London, England, 1856-08-09 00:00:00

AvousT 9, 1856. The C rmanic Diet adjourned on the 2nd until 30:11 October. The question of the fortifica tions of 1: I , ,tailt has been settled to the satisfaction of al; part I as, by a unanimous vote, declaring that Rastatit is to he not only a fortress, but an intrenched camp. The affairs of Naples continue to engage the active attention of the Cabinet at Vienna. The positive retirement of the British Minister, it was expected, would be followed by that of M. Bren nier, the French representative, end the consequent withdrawal from London and Paris of the Neapo litan Ministers, the Prince Coronini and the Marquis Antonini. The Boersenhalle of Vienna states that the A trian Government has determined to send Baron Hubner (now Austrian Ambassador at Paris) to Naples, to support the representations contained in the recent note from the Austrian Government, re commending some modification of the present Neapo litan system of internal administration. With respect to the occupation by Russia of the Isle of Serpents, the Post Ampt Gazette states : The Ambassadors of France and England have inquired of Count Buol the position which Austria would take with respect to the occupation of the Isle of Serpents by Russia. It is probable that no decisive step will be come to in this matter before the arrival of the new Russian Ambassador, as M. de Balabine, the actual representative of Russia at Vienna, has not sufficient power to treat on so serious a subject, PRUSSIA. The Empress Mother of Russia will not leave Sans Souci before the 12th. The King has returned to Potsdam from Tceplitz. The article in Voss' Gazette, of the 30th ult., for which that paper was seized and confiscated by the Berlin police, was an article severely censuring the Russian Government for attempting to evade the stipulations of the treaty of Paris : Russia has attempted in several cases to evade or cir cumvent the stipulations of the treaty of peace, some of which are certainly couched in very vague language, and others not drawn up with much attention to clearness and conciseness. Such was her late refusal to give up the town of New Bolgrad, or acknowledge that it is included in the territory to be ceded—such is her attempt to regain the occupation of the Isle of Serpents, off the delta of the Danube. But all this is not to be compared to her shame less breach of faith in reducing two fortresses to heaps of ruins. This act of Russia ia the boat commentary to the Russian declaration quoted by the Earl of Clarendon, " that Russia would execute all the stipulations of the treaty with the moat perfect good faith." For the rest, it is the more to be lamented that Lord Clarendon (and Lord Palmers►on in the House of Commons) could not find a more energetic mode of neutralising this conduct of Russia. The Government of Hanover and the Chambers have come to a complete rupture. The direct inter ference of the Germanic Diet was anticipated. RUSSIA. The Nord announces that the coronation of the Emperor Alexander at Moscow will not take place before the 7th of September, and that his Imperial Majesty will not make his entry into the city before the 25th of this month. _ _ The Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 31st con• tains the following diplomatic appointments " Count Chreptowitch is to proceed immediately to London; Baron Budburg goes to Vienna; M. Bru now to Berlin. M. de Stackelberg is named Minister at Turin, and is equally accredited to Parma. M. de Kalschwine is to be sent to Rome, and is also named First Secretary of Legation at Turin. Prince Labanoff, First Secretary of Embassy at Berlin, is to occupy a similar office at Constantinople. M. de Fontan is named for Frankfort. General Wolkinski is named Minister of Madrid. M. Persiani leaves Athens for Hanover; M. Ozeroff supplies his place. M. Glinka is named for Brazil." Mouravieff has voluntarily resigned the post of Governor-General and Commander•in-Chief of the Caucasus, and has been appointed to a seat in the Council of State. He is to be succeeded by Lieut.- General Prince Bariatinsky. A letter from Odessa, in the Austrian Gazette, says : A detachment of naval officers of Nicolaieff was sum moned to St. Petersburg a few days ago by telegraph. These officers are destined b take six war steamers from Cronstadt to the Black Sea, as, with the exception of the vessefs in course of construction at Nicolaieff, we have scarcely a cruiser in the Black Sea. The quarantine is reestablished in the Russian ports. The Gazette of the German Empire states that the Czar will immediately after his coronation appoint his younger brother, the Grand Duke Michael, to the viceroyalty of Poland, instead of his brother Nicholas, whom he wishes to retain at Court. The marriage of the former with the Princess of Baden is to be first celebrated at Carlsruhe in December, by proxy, after which the princess will immediately repair to St. Petersburg, where the regular marriage will be solemnised during the Christmas holidays. SPAIN. The surrender of Saragossa on the morning of the Ist *ski officially announced at Madrid. General THE PRESS Duke entered the town at the head of the Queen's troops, General Falcon and the other insurrectionists escaping to the French frontier. The National Guard was at once disarmed, and the insurrectionary troops surrendered unconilitipnally. An extraordinary Gazette of the Ist announced the intelligence : _ _ . The President of the Council of Ministers and Minister of War has received the following telegraphic despatch from Saragossa, addressed to him to day, at half-past one o'clock, by the Captaiu•lreneral of Arragon " I have just entered the city, where I was received with the usual honours. The national militia is now surrender ing its arms to the respective commanders, who are to deliver them to the competent authorities. The greatest tranquillity prevails in the city, and if your Excellency thinks proper, the battering•train may be ordered back to Madrid. The troops who had come from Catalonia and Valencia have returned to those provinces. I have ap pointed Brigadier Burnuaga deputy commander ad interim." A despatch from Madrid, August 3rd, says : Tranquillity is general. The public funds are rising rapidly. The National Guard at Saragossa have been dia. armed. A new ayuntamiento and fresh provincial deputa• tion have been named. In Catalonia, the bands which had taken refuge in the mountains are dispersing. Espartero leaves to-morrow for Lograno. M. Luzuriaga, Minister of Justice, is replaced by M. Igurate. The regular army was to be increased by 12,000 men. Marshal O'Donnell had addressed to the Captains- General and Military Commandants a circular, enjoining them to send him, before the 15th inst., a detailed report of the political situation of the pro vinces in which they exercise authority. The Epoca, in an article on recent events, com plains that the English and Belgian press, and even the French Moniteur, in some of its early telegraphic despatches, grossly misrepresented the character of those events, at least in Madrid. "It is not a stupid reaction," says the Epoca, " which has triumphed, and liberal and monarchical Europe will soon see that, and will then do us justice." The same journal, referring to the assembling of French troops on the frontier, obser fes that, now all danger to the throne of the Queen has disappeared, " all pro bability of a humiliating and useless intervention is removed." . The nomination of General Narvaez to a high post is stated to be in contemplation by the Queen. The captured insurgents were being executed throughout Spain in considerable numbers. The latest letters from Madrid say that the Go vernment is preparing an administrative programme which will be shortly carried into execution. Among the intended reforms, one is said to be the creation of ninety sub intondancies, corresponding with the French sub-prefectures. The official journal contains a royal decree ap• pointing M. Jose Maria Palavea Governor of the province of Navarre, and others accepting the re signations of the governors of the provinces of Ali cante, Almeria, Lograno, and Badajoz. The Basque provinces continue to enjoy the greatest tranquillity, although the entire military force has been withdrawn from them, and marched to Saragossa. The band of fourteen individuals which had raised the standard in the mountains of Biscay, being closely pursued by the Miquelets, had made its submission. The accounts from Catalonia were likewise satis factory. Barcelona and the other important towns of the province were tranquil. The factions bands which General Ruiz attempted to organise in the mountains had completely disappeared. Tho Marquis del Duero was believed to have ac cepted the post of Captain-General of the Hal berdiers, vacant by the resignation of the Duke of San MigueL The Queen had approved the ceremonial to be observed on the occasion of the celebration of the marriage of the Infanta, sister of the King, with the Prince of Bavaria. The food question is just now one of the gravest of the moment. The Epoca says:— For some time past the municipality of Madrid, in order to prevent the rise of half a real in the price of bread, has paid every day from 20,000 to 30,000 reale from the muni cipal treasury ; but it cannot continue this sacrifice much longer. In some towns of the province of Madrid, the diffi culties are greater than in the capital. At Vicalvaro to-day there was no bread at all, and the Madrid authorities were consequently obliged to send the secretary of the civil governor to the place to make arrangements for procuring a supply. SWEDEN. Count Essen, the Master of the Horse, has been appointed ambassador extraordinary of the King of Sweden, for the coronation of the Emperor of Russia at Mose,oW. The visit of Prince Oscar to Carlsruhe i3connected with a probable marriage between the Princess Amelia and Prince Oscar. The visit of the Russian Admiral Glasenap to Christiana upon a visit of inspection of the ports, naval establishments, and national defences, is 749 causing some excitement throughout Norway and Sweden. A letter from Stockholm, in the Boersenhalle of Hamburg, gives rise to another curious rumour : According to letters from Finland, Russia is adopting different measures which would seem to imply an intention of forming a large fortified naval establishment in the Island of liasko, to the northward of Christinestad and Sundswall. This island will be a very desirable place for such a purpose, as the water there is very deep, and the navigation of the port is open much longer than the others of the Gulf of Bothnia. TURKEY. The question of the Isle of Serpents is not yet settled. The Porte had, however, decided upon not attempting to exclude the Russians by force. A despatch from Berlin, of the 6th, received in Paris, stated :—" Intelligence has arrived here that the English fleet which remained in the East had received orders to concentrate its force in the Black Sea to superintend the execution of article 20 of the treaty of peace, not yet carried into effect in conse-- quence of the non-restoration of Kars and of the occupation of the Isle of Serpents by the Russians." Letters from 3t. Petersburg stated that M. de Boutenieff was invested with full powers to arrange, on his arrival at Constantinople, the differences which have arisen relative to the Isle of Serpents. The Russian authorities in the Crimea have every where resumed their functions. Sefer Pacha still maintains himself at Anapa with a numerous corps of cavalry, and makes excursions in the neighbourhood. It is thought that the Rus. sians would soon direct an attack against the Cauca sian army commanded by Safer, and attempt the reduction of Anapa. With respect to the principalities, a letter from Vienna states : The Porte has forwarded to the various powers a new expose of the principalities question. It is drawn up by the Grand Vizier Ali Nem, and pronounces itself in a decided manner against the union of the Danubian pro vinces. The question of the tribute is likewise treated in the expose. It is positively known that Russia will pro- pose a diminution of the tribute, bat to this the Porte will never consent. The evacuation of the allied troops, it was antici pated, would be completed on the 15th of August. The Cologne Gazette says:— We learn from Vienna that the Cabinet of St. Peters burgh is making groat efforts to regain the preponderating influence it once possessed in the Danubian principalities— that it spares no means to accomplish its objeet and ac quire the sympathies of the people. Several more boyards, devoted to Russian interests, have again received decora tions and orders; the union of the principalities is preached up by their agents, and a diminution of the annual tribute is prospectively held out. Kissiesli Mehemet Pacha has been appointed to represent the Sultan at the Emperor of Russia's coronation. The town of Sslonica has been nearly reduced to ashes through an explosion of gunpowder. THE WHIGS AND ELECTORAL REFORM. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRES 3." SPA, August 5, 1856. Sir,—Mr. Paget—Whig, Whig-Radical, Radical, or Red Radical, according to Liberal order—being asked at Nottingham whether he were favorable to an exten sion of the suffrage, equivocally refrained from giving a direct answer, remarking :—" There was a great extension of the suffrage made at the time of the Reform Bill. . . . It was quite right to widen the basis so long as the foundation on which it. rested was firm. . . . If they built upon quick sands, their house might fall. . . . He should always be open to an extension of the franchise where it could be done with safety . . . but if he ventured to touch that constitution, under which the people had enjoyed so many blessings, it would be with a tender hand and full of veneration." Thus is the Whig-Radical Tartuffe turned Conservative. The above passages, reported in the Times, were commented upon by two peripatetic Whig-Radicals, one of them in Parliament and in office, whilst en joying their cigars in the " Promenade de Sept Heures " at Spa. The summary of their conversa tion showed that the ten-pound franchise worked well for the Whigs—that the slightest alteration would be prejudicial to Whig-Radical interests—that the question of extension must never be yielded except under extreme pressure from without ; and, whenever that time arrived, the extinction of the landed interest should be made a simultaneous act by enforcing electoral districts. These Whig- Radical worthies, having settled the question of the franchise according to the Whig programme, and after a gulp of the Pouhon "Spa," retired to recreate themselves at the table d'hote of the Hotel de Flandre. "Ex uno—(i.e., the fellow in office)—discs °nines." I. DAN. S. PS. The high names confidentially quoted as authorities for the entertainment of these opinions would not be entertaining to those high personages, if divulged.