The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-27 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 27, 1863.

it given in the Netter Streliker Zeifneg, and which
runs as follows :—"To his Imperial, Royal, and
Apostolic Majesty, at Vienna.—l will obey the high
command of your Imperial Majesty, and according
to orders will go to Frankfort. With due resPecti
do , Frederick William, Grand Duke." The editor
points out as the most remarkable feature in this
very deferential missive that (in the original) it
comprised exactly twenty words, and therefore
incurred no extraordinary expense by telegraph.
Yet these little sovereigns have still the vanity
to endeavour to make up by outward show for their
weakness and insignificance in essentials ; they have
all come to Frankfort with immense retinues of
horses and liveried servants ; and besides these,
I with personal staffs ridiculously numerous. Whilst
the Emperor contents himself with two aides-de-
camp, the Grand Dukes of Hesse, Mecklenburg,
Baden, and others are attended by from eight to
twenty-four each. Francis Joseph is immensely
disgusted with this impertinent parade, and in his
state invitations and other proceedings of the kind
will not recognise more than one aide-de-camp for
drhis princeling cousins. But sometimes, in
matters beyond his immediate circle, they break
out spontaneously, like an epidemic eruption. The
other day, for instance, the Emperor went to a
review of the Civic Guards, some 700 in number,
on the boulevards, when to his astonishment be
saw draw up behind him a second corps d'armiSe of
some 200 or more fine-looking militaires. Upon
inquiring who they were, and what it meant, he
was informed that they were the respective " iftat
majors "of the princes. Absurdity can no fur-
ther go ; it already passes the limits of a joke.
A recent despatch of M. von Bismarck to
Baron von Werther, the Prussian Minister at
Vienna, has just been published here. The
principal point in this document is the persis-
tence of the King of Prussia in the proposition
for a representation of the German nation, chosen
directly by the people. It is considered, as I have
already intimated to you in former communications,
that the Emperor will not resist this proposal.
Indeed, with the command of the "situation"
which he under present circumstances enjoys, it
is hardly to be supposed that be will allow himself
to be outbid by the King of Prussia or any one else
in promises of any kind. It is so easy to modify
afterwards when occasion serves.

The affair with Denmark on the Schleswig-
Holstein question seems to approach a point of
inconvenience. The vote of the Germanic Diet of
the 9th July condemning the royal ordinance of
Denmark, tending to place the Duchy of Holstein
upon bases differing from those of the rest of the
monarchy, and demanding its retractation, you
are already aware of. The reply to that demand is
anxiously looked for, and cannot be delayed later
than the rith instant ; but, according to a special
correspondence in L'Europe, its substance is already
known, and is not satisfactory.
From this statement it would appear that the
King of Denmark declares himself unable to con-
form to the wishes of the Germanic Diet, insists upon
maintaining the ordinances against which the Diet
protests, and announces that he will look upon any
executive act on the part of the Confederation
within the Duchy (which they have threatened) as
an act of open hostility against his crown and mo-
narchy. Upon this subject the Congress of de-
puties, at their sitting on Saturday, unanimously
passed a long resolution declaring, amongst other
matters, that "if Denmark refused to &g-
-oods to the resolution of the 9th of July,
it became of all things incumbent, unless
they are prepared to accumulate disgrace upon
disgrace, to execute that resolution without delay,
and with the utmost energy, by sending troops into
Schleswig-Holstein," but that " if, on the other
hand, the German governments hesitated again in
the performance of their duty, the German nation
would know how it would be proper to deal with
the projects of reform which were offered to it ;
and the finest phrases would be powerless to shake
the conviction of all, that the demands of the nation
were not intended to be satisfied, but that they
would he stifled by unmeaning promises." The
affair may be considered to wear a serious aspect.

DISPATCH or AXWARICAN MARX—The Hamburg
and American Company's saw steamship Germania

arrived at Southampton on the 25th, from Hamburg, and
galled yesterday for New York, with the United States
mails, 627 passengers from Hamburg, Havre, and South.
amptom, and a full cargo, and in freight jewellery, he., from
France, vales 13,500 trance. fa the saloon were 51 pas.
amen. In the sewed clam were 115, and in the steerage
461 parasites. A large number of applicatioas for berths
had to be refund for want of room. The steamship Ger-
mania is a new ship, built by Ifeasrs. Caird and Co., of
Greenock, of 2,900 toss measurement, and 2,133 tons
register, with direct acting engines of 500-horse power by
the same firm. On the voyage from Hamburg to this port
the Germania averaged, against strong bead winds, a rate of
12 toots per hoar. The =loon is most elegantly fitted up,
the sides being adorned with paintings of scenes in Ger.
many, England, and the United States, also a piano and
excellent library for the use of the passengers. and every.
thing that can conduce to their comfort. The steerage
socommodstion is exceedingly good, the 'Weep decks being
8} feet high, and thoroughly ventilated. The Germania is
commanded by Captain Ehlers, late of the steamship
Sims* who is well known and universally respected by all
chases of plummier% traversing the Atlantic. This is the
seventh steamship built by Masers. Caird for the Hamburg
and Ameriaen Company, their fleet now consisting of the
Germania, flaxoeis, Bavaria, Teuton* and Hammonia.
The five last Denied are of 2,500 toes measurement and 500.
horse power. By this fleet a fortnightly communication is
maintained between Hamburg, Southampton, and New
York.
CRYSTAL PALACE AND SOUTH LONDON JUNCTION
RAILWAY.—The ordinary half.yearly meeting of this com-
paa held yesterday at the Victoria Station, Pimlico ;
C. P. Riney in the chair. Mr. Johnson, the secretary,
read the report, which has already been published. The
chaitmen, in moving its adoption, ooegratnlated the share-
holders's the which bad been made is the works.
He bad reentls over them, and nothing could be
more satisfactory. The Crescent Wood add Paxton tunnels,