The Express.
London, England, 1852-07-26 00:00:00

AUSTRI A.

Tho Vienna Oazette of the 21st publishes the
balance-sheet for 18:51. The receipts amount to
223,252,038, and the expenditure to 2;5,t30,470d.
The deficit, therefore, amounts to 53,168,432tL

ZOLLVERE IN.
BERLIN, Jety 72.
The importance and the multiplicity of the in-
terest involved in the Zollverein question sufficiently
account for the avidity with which the public seeks
for information on the progress of negotiations ; and
as the Zollverein question is, at this moment, the
only great question actively mooted, and which must
come to a determinate issue within a stated time, it
forms almost the whole and sole matter on which oar
newspapers must live, till the ministers of German
states return from the baths, and legislative chambers
are re-opened. Hence the newspapers niake as much
of the Zollverein question as they possibly can; they
endeavour to persuade themselves and their readers
every day that the affair has assumed some new
feature. When nothing has been done, they are
inexhaustible in conjectures, and not very scrupulous
in inventing. And when really something has been
done in the matter they exaggerate, in order that
they may be able to fill their columns for a week to
come with modifying and retracting their first
assertions. Within the last few flays some-
thing really has been done in the *Zollverein
question. lam not of opinion, however, that the
state of the case has been thereby so much altered
as our press would fain persuade us. The coalition-
ists, with the exception of Wurtemberg, have deli-
vered their conjoint reply to the Pru.sian deriva-
tion of 7th June. They avoid the term "Customs'
union with Austria," but insist, as formerly, that a
treaty of commerce with Austria be negotiated si-
multaneously with tho negotiations for renewing the
Zollverein. Prussia has adjourned the conferences till
Aug. 16, declaring that it expects, before or on that
day, to receive an unequivocal and unconditional
declaration, whether the coalitionists will renew the
Zollverein as extended and modified by the treaty of
Sept. 7, or not leaving all relations to Austria oat of
question. The Kretsz Zeitung asserts that the period
fixed in this newest Prussian declaration was ex-
pressly designated as "preelusive," which means
that after the day named Prussia will break of nego-
tiations with all parties who shall not hare
given the unconditional assent demanded. The
coalitionists, reply was not signed by Baden;
but this state, it must be remembered, did
not sign the second and third Darmstadt pro-
bawls, and is not bound to the coalition. The cir-
cumstance that Wurtemberg has not signed the
reply, is construed as nproof that there is a split in
the coalition. But, perhaps, the reply was regarded
by the Wurtemberg government as conceding too
much to Prussia; and the refusal of its signature
may indicate the reverse of what our newspapers
deduce. Ihe most important symptom of an inclina-
tion on the part of the coalition to giro way, is a
notice in the semi-official journal of the Bavarian
Palatinate to the effect—
That the coalitionists are 'willing not only to drop the
customs union with Austria, but also to accept the teary of
7th September, and that, in fact the differences rest rather
in ;mints of form than of material interests.
If this avowal really have the sanction of the Ba-
varian government, which is the head of the coali-
tion, it is certainly important. Nevertheless, how-
ever great may be the desire of the coalitionists to
retract their rteps and conform to the Prussian pro-
gramme, it is a question whether they con do 60, and
whether Austria will allow them. And even if
they were of late in a more conciliatory
mood than at the commencement of the proceedings,
it is probable that the manner in which Prussia has
received their last reply, disregarding all concessions
and demanding; unqualified submission, will rekindle
all the irascibility of their tempers. Prussia will not
leave them time and opportunity for coming to terms
with a good grace; it will not let them save appear-
anees; it demands not only assent but obedience.
It is likely, that not only the governments, but also
the people of the south, will take fire at this; and
that popular sentiment will disregard there, as it has
done in Prussia, the commercial sacrifice attending
split of the Zollvercin. On the whole, Ido not see
that the prospect of renewing the Zollverein is
greater than when I last wrote.