The Press.
London, England, 1857-01-03 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

brought about by the contempt shown to the rights of a
closely allied sovereign, which rights are secured by treaty,
andj inattention to the well•meant counsels given to the
Swiss authorities by the different Governments. Austria
is convinced of the conciliatory intentions of his Majesty
the King of Prussia, and she does all that is in her power
to confirm him in them ; but she does not consider that
she has any legal right to enter into engagements or to
snake promises—either singly or collectively—by which
the legal Sovereign would be induced to renounce his
sovereign rights over Neufchatel. If the Swiss Federal
authorities should listen to the well•meant demand and
counsel of the powers, and quash the indictments against
those persons concerned in the recent occurrences in the
canton of Neufchatel, King Frederick William IV. may, if
he should please so to do, take into consideration the
situation of his Neufchatel subjects and the general
situation of affairs in Europe, and give a proof of his
benevolence and political wisdom by a magnanimous act
of high policy. From her point of view Austria is not at
liberty to enter into any moral engagements which could
influence another power to renounce its legal rights.
This consideration was the determining (entschiedend)
cause of the refusal of the representative of the Imperial
Royal Government at Berne to share in the project for
effecting a compromise.
Letters from Ludwigshafen on the Rhine, state
that the Prussian Government has been making
inquiries from the directors of the Rhine Steam
Navigation Company as to how many steamers they
could place at its disposal. The number available
is eighteen.
On the part of Switzerland the Federal Council
has addressed to the National Assembly a message
communicating the entire details of the origin and
present position of the dispute. The ground the
Federal council takes in defending its conduct is,
that it has never unconditionally refused the release
of the prisoners, but had offered it on condition of
the simultaneous recognition of the independence of
Neufchatel. The Federal Council further declares
it would be content with a simple guarantee that the
independence of Neufchatel should be the result of
the negotiations on which Prussia declares she is
willing to enter, if the prisoners be released.
A committee intrusted by the Assembly with the
duty to report on the message of the Council re.
commended the adoption of the report and the
recognition of the policy hitherto pursued. The
report was unanimously adopted, further defen-
sive preparations authorised, the organisation of the
landwehr ordered, and the appointment of General
Dufour as :ommander-in-chief at once made. _ .

Colonel Barman, Swiss Charge d'Affaires at Paris,
left for Berne on Saturday, after an interview with
the Emperor of the French ; while M. Farrer left
Berne on the :2 9th on a mission to Frankfort and
Southern Germany ; and M. Fay, the United States
Representative at Berne, had left for Berlin.
The French mediatory proposition about to be
placed before the Federal Assembly, is reported to
demand—first, thtt the prisoners shall be set at
liberty, but at once required by the Executive to
leave the country ',expulsion par ordre de police);
secondly, recognition of the King's rights to the
sovereignty of Neufchatel ; and, thirdly, negotiations
with a view to his cession of them, on receiving an
indemnification.

........
The speech of M. DUIPS, President of the Council
of States, on opening the Federal Assembly, was, on
the whole, pacific. He declared Switzerland would
accept peace if compatible with her honour.
SPAIN.

The position of Narvaez is considered insecure,
and further Ministerial changes are anticipated.
The Marquis do Constantia has been created
Minister of War.

AMERICA.

The mails from New York to the 20th December,
by the Atlantic, bring no intelligence of importance.
Very little was doing in Congress.
The fear in the south of a negro insurrection still
continues. From Kentucky, Tennessee, Missouri,
Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas, the local papers are
more or less filled with notes of alarm. Even in
Virginia, and in the very neighbourhood of the na-
tional Capital, negroes [have been arrested and
whipped upon suspicion. From all quarters, Christ•
mas holidays are pointed out as the time for the
supposed insurrection, and masters are urged to see
well that their slaves are at home at night. Twenty-
five of the iron furnaces in Tennessee have been
closed in apprehension of the rising. There is no
concealing the fact that a very wide-spread conspiracy
exists among the slaves throughout the south-
western States, and its discovery was by the merest
accident. A strict investigation is going on in
different parts of the country, and executions have
already taken place. Nineteen blacks have been
hanged, several severely flogged, and as many im-
prisoned. The origin of this conspiracy is traced to
the violent speeches of the slaveowners during the
recent election. The slaves gathered from these
that a great movement was being made in their
favour, and they resolved to help it themselves on
the first opportunity.
Conflicting reports continue to be received of the
actual position of Walker in Central America. On

SATURDAY,

the whole, it is believed that the Costa Ricans will
succeed in expelling him the country.
INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIA.
Disturbances have broken out with the Chinese
authorities upon the plea of an alleged insult to the
British flag. Canton has been bombarded, and up to
the 15th November no reparation had been offered
by the Viceroy of the province. India is tranquil,
with the exception of some slight disturbance at
Madras.

In the north-west provinces preparations were
silently making for a campaign in Affghanistan con-
cerning Herat, in support of the demonstration in
the Persian Gulf against Persia.
From Australia the news is unimportant.